Hi,

I have just begun drafting my trip to Italy end of May. I need help. I have noticed that most people visit Rome, Florence and Venice in 10 days. Will this be too much? I think it might be too much for me, since this is my first time to Italy and I want to take my time to see the country. My husband cannot spend his entire vacation sight seeing. We don't want to be checking in and out all the time.

The tickets aren't booked yet, so if you have any other sugestion it would be helpful. We will book the tickets soon. Arrive Rome on May 21 in the afternoon from USA. I tihnk we will just check in and find a good place to eat and rest that day.

May 22 Rome
May 23 Rome
May 24 Rome
May 25 Rome
May 26 Day trip to Naples
May 27 Leave for Venice
May 28 St. Mark's place, Venice
May 29 Venice
May 30 Venice
May 31 Morning flight to USA

I need help to decide for other senci places.

Thanks

5 days Rome, 5 days Venice sounds great to me. IMHO, Naples is not worth even a day trip, I would opt for a day trip to Florence, even though you can barely scratch the surface. In reality, either of these day trips from Rome you will spend a majority of the day on the train and there is PLENTY to do in Rome and Venice without thinking of leaving.

Although I'm a great fan of Naples, you might consider leaving it for another trip, particularly if you want to take your time seeing Rome and Venice. Personally, I would add the day to Rome, but that depends on what you want to see and experience. Enjoy!

Hello angel025, in that you have not booked your airline tickets yet I would like to suggest that you think about and check into arriving in Venice and departing from Rome. I say that as most flights to the US from the San Marco Airport in
Venice leave so early in the morning and it can be rather an annoyance. Other than that I think your trip thoughts are excellant. When you are in Rome you can make the decision than whether to go to Naples or not depending on your mood. Some love Naples and some do not. You may find that there is so much to enjoy in Rome that you do not want to but if you decide to visit Naples again that can be decided when you are in Rome. I love Naples and Florence but I agree with zorrosf that there sure is enough to do in Rome and Venice with the days that you have allocated. Whatever you decide have a beautiful trip!

" I want to take my time to see the country. My husband cannot spend his entire vacation sight seeing. "

I think seeing Rome and Venice if you want to see Italy and your husband doesn't want to spend his entire vacation sightseeing is a plan for disaster.

What does your husband like to do?

What kind of Italian experience do you wish to have?

Venice is scarcely Italy (never has been) and Rome is nothing but sightseeing, and rather grueling sightseeing at that unless you deliberately avoid sightseeing and find some quiet piazze to sip wine and people watch (if you like that).

If you desperately want to see Venice, go. If you desperately feel you must see Rome, then go.

But please remember: Italy is NOT Venice and Rome.

Italy is:

Motorcycles, football matches, gorgeous rolling hills, balconies spilling with bouganvilla, lemons, olive groves, swimming and yacht trips, crazy television, marvelous greek temples, horseback riding, sunflowers, opera, chocolate making, moonlit nights by a beautiful lake, cheese-making, etruscan tombs -- I could go on and on and guess what? Nothing of what I just listed is something you can do in either Rome or Venice.

Since you haven't bought your tickets, and would rather slow down than speed up, discuss with your husband what sounds like a perfect 10-day vacation -- and then figure out how to have it in Italy. It won't be hard.

Well, another wet blanket from steps... "Italy is not Venice and Rome." Gee, I guess the residents would be surprised to hear that news.

For a first trip to Italy, I think Rome and Venice in late May would be very enjoyable.

I'm also a big fan of Naples but probably wouldn't take a day out of a 9-day trip to go in the opposite direction of Venice. I'm a huge fan of Florence and might spend a day here, but I'd also spend the night. Check out in Rome, take an early train, drop your luggage at your hotel and explore Florence. Spend whatever additional time the next day in Florence you desire and then train to Venice.

Have a great trip!

IMHO Rome is NOT noting but sightseeing. Anyone who thinks that has never experienced the real Rome. I have been at least 9 or 10 times and always find new things to see and do - but always leave time for just relaxing. (Yes, the cafes in the piazza opposite the Pantheon are wonderful, offer free snacks when you buy a drink in the late afternoon and are great for people watching. And a couple of times we were there we heard a choir practicing in a church nearby - just beautiful. And there are similar in aot of other places - as well as picnics.

If you want you could visit one of the hilltowns - possibly stopping for the night between Rome and Venice - to see a different part of Italy - including some of the countryside.

I know the planes from Venice leave early in the am - but I think for a first timer it;s easier to start in Rome - I've seen people start in Venice and be really taken aback by the no roads thing. (I guess didn't understand the extent of the canals.) With rome it's easier to spend your first day just strolling and perhaps seeing some fountains in a pretty square and find a nice place for dinner.

angel025,

I'm one of those who like to balance an Italy trip with cities and sightseeing / countryside and wine! Nothing says you have to do "the bid three" on your first trip.

If you husband wants some relaxing time or if you both enjoy a little physical activity how about -

5 days Rome
5 days Tuscan or Umbrian countryside, wine tasting/biking/hiking?

or

5 days Venice
5 days Dolomites or one of the lakes?

Sounds great to me!

I like Jeans plan--save Naples for later but spend at least one nite in Florence--it is on the path.

I stick by my advice to angel despite the insults!

Discuss with your husband-- not us -- what sounds like a perfect 10-day vacation -- and then figure out how to have it in Italy.

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Hello StCirq, you do realize who the "new" name is I assume. New name but same types of posts which I am sure you have noticed.

Hi Angel025,
I have been to Rome and want to return post- haste. The Pantheon is one of the most marvelous structures that I've seen and I adore the people, food, and ambiance of Rome. The Vespas jockeying for position in the crowded streets, the eccentric people whose images will forever remain in my mind, the beauty of the people and their fashion sense. I love Rome. The music is great, the antiquities are stunning and it was once, after all, the center of the western world. I must see Rome and much more of Italy in the near future.

Hi A,

Looks good to me, except that i would,

Substitute a day in Florence (it's on your way to Venice) for Naples.

Also see if air schedules are better if you fly into Venice (or Milan) and out of Rome.

Enjoy your visit.


>My husband cannot spend his entire vacation sight seeing.<

What does he plan on doing - play golf?

angel025,

Despite several people's attempts to ugly up this thread with snide comments and pick childish fights, I'm going to try again:

I may have misunderstood you when you said you wanted to see "the country." Did you mean you want to see more of Italy than the cities? Many people INSIST that anybody going to Italy for the first time must see Rome and Venice, but it's not true. If you are worrying about a vacation that is overloaded with sightseeing, please know that many people go to Italy for the first time and enjoy it without visiting Rome or Venice (or Florence) and they have a marvelous and educational experience of Italy.

Despite the snide comment about your husband, many people here will sympathize with his desire not to sightsee all the time on a vacation. Fortunately, Italy is filled with ways to enjoy its culture other than sightsee.

However, it is -- in my view -- harder to get off the sightseeing track in Rome than it is in other places in Italy, maybe especially for the first time visitor. It takes some nerve to be in Rome and not know when you will be back and not march to the Vatican, the Forum, the Villa Borghese, the Trevi Fountain, the Pantheon --- and on and on. Yes, for someone who has been there many times, they feel less pressure to sightsee all day and feel free to aimlessly wander. But for people who don't know the city, aimlessly wandering is not even advisable. There are parts of Rome, especially at night, that are not really safe or savory places to just wander. In Venice, you safely wander and get lost any time of day and everything's ok.

Plus, for all the atmospheric fascination of Rome, it is hard not to get caught up in its pace of zooming traffic, hurrying people, lots and lots going on, almost chaotically, 'til late at niht. If you deliberately look for it, you can find relaxing spots. But Rome is not pastoral and it tends to set your pace, not the other way around.

If you are thinking you would like to see and experience Italy but want to relax and don't want to put your pressure on your husband to spend his vacation sightseeing, there are places to go other than Rome that are filled with beautiful sights, scenery, people -- all very much Italian -- along the train lines.

Like I said, if you dearly want to go to Rome, there are altnernatives to non-stop sightseeing there, too. But people could more easily help you find them if you posted more about you and your husband's interests: A soccer match? A trip to the beach? A day trip out of town to gardens or a winery?

steps and loveitaly - you're at it again.

please stop dragging your squabble into every thread.

you BOTH have some very good ideas from which the OP is free to choose, or do something else entirely. personally, I like to combine town and country and my DH is never happy unless there are boats involved, so venice - tuscany- rome would suit me fine, but the OP may be different.

Dayle - your ideas sound great too.

Thank you for all your suggestions. I would want to add the Tuscany countryside to the iternary and remove Naples from it. This would be a good balance. The reason I have not added Florence is because I want to allocate a good amount of time to it and save it for another trip. I know that I will be going back to Rome since it is one of the main points of entry to Italy. So will cut down days from Rome.

For first time visitors the Chianti region or the south of Siena (Pienza, Montalcino belt)is recommended. Any recommendations? Logisctically which one is the most suitable? Will we need a car when we are there? If we take a car from Rome to Tuscany, will it be more beautiful and will we able to see Pisa etc on the way?

May 21 Arrive Rome in the afternoon
May 22 Rome
May 23 Rome
May 24 Rome
May 25 Leave for Tuscany countryside - which one?
May 26 Tuscany countryside - which one?
May 27 Tuscany countryside - which one?
May 28 Leave for Venice
May 29 Venice
May 30 Venice
May 31 Afternoon flight to USA

Thanks

Yes, LI, I figured that out some time ago. Quite clear from the tone and style. ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ.......

Angel, you could take a train from Rome to Orvieto, spend a night there, pick up a car and drive from there through Tuscany. I do think a car is advisable in Tuscany. Then drop it off and take the train to Venice.

Just wondering . . . are you sure you can find an afternoon flight to USA? I second LoveItaly's concern about the limited departure times from Venice to the US.

Yes. it leaves at 12:50p Luftansa. ONe stop over in Berlin. Total duration 11hrs and 30 mins. I've kept it on hold.

I don't want to do multiple check-ins. So u suggest a car? We've never driven a car in a foreign country..specially cause in US it is left hand drive.