brian81077

Congratulations on getting married. After four months of being married, my wife and I are planning a trip to Paris, Venice, Florence, and Rome (what a cooincindence!). I used frequent flyer miles for round-trip tickets from Miami to Paris / Paris to Miami. However, I am wondering how if we have enough time to see all of these cities. We are arriving in Paris on the 3rd of May and flying back from Paris on May 15. I was wondering how you are planning on getting from city to city and how far these city's are from each other by train or car? Another dilemma is getting back to Paris from Rome. I am thinking about flying back to Paris from Rome to catch our flight back to the states.

luvtotravel

Another vote for an extra night in Venice. It must be one of the most romantic cities in the world.

mjs

Another vote for an extra night in Venice.

hoya_rambler

My husband and I are planning a similar itinerary for next summer (5 nights Paris, 5 nights Rome, 2 nights Florence, 3 nights Venice). We too debated how to spend our time. If you and your fiancee love museums, then spend your time in Florence. For us, however, my husband HATES museums so he is basically just obliging me. On the other hand, he is planning on waterskiing and golfing on the Lido in Venice. Not exactly typical Italy, but, hey, everyone has their preferences!

gotta_luv_the_foie

Hello all. As true to my word, I am posting my first trip review. I am still in Rome, my first day here and my last leg of the honeymoon.

It has been many miles of walking and siteseeing so I am taking a little down time right now.

I hope this post helps many of you as the many Fodors posts I have referenced has helped me out a lot during the planning.

Paris...
First city we arrived in. We used Yellow Shuttle from the airport to our hotel. They are a great and reliable company. When you get there, you call them free from any phone in the airport. They will meet you outside of baggage claim.

Our hotel was Hotel Duret. It is on the modern side, which both my wife and I like. Very clean hotel, staff spoke great English and were very helpful. Breakfast was not included. The hotel is in the backside of the Arc, about a 10 min. walk. Around the corner and on the same street were a market, bakeries, the metro 1 line. The metro took us directly to many main spots and also to convenient transfer points in the subway. The room was a good size for a European hotel. In summary, I would stay at this hotel again.

We arrived in the morning around 10am so we got the whole day for exploring. Of course, we head to our closest landmark, the ATM...to get money of course! Hah hah. But after that, we walked along Avenue Foch towards the Arc De Triomphe. We took the brave route, and headed up the stairs to the top of the Arc for a great view of the city. After, we headed along the Champs Elysees.

As my wife was on a mission of shopping, I did learn some information. After converting the EUR back to the dollar and approximating the 12% VAT refund, items at the Louis Vuitton store would have been anywhere from 10-30% cheaper. Took me by surprise too since the EUR is stronger than the dollar. So shopaholics, save up!

During the evening, we headed to the Eiffel Tower. We were on a search for some good places to eat but didn't realize most places opened at 7pm. This was out first day and with the time difference and all, we were starving at 5pm Paris time. We ate at some random cafe that had decent food.

Mental note....most restaurants open around 7 so keep yourself nourished.

We took the lift up to all the floors of the Eiffel Tower and the view is spectacular. A bit windy but it's a must do. I didn't know this but the tower sparkes with light every so often too, that was a treat.

Day 2, we head to Basilique Sacre Coeur. We took the metro line 1 from near our hotel to the closest point and walked from there. It was great to explore the streets and try the many sandwhich stands. We did try Starbucks there. It cost 6 EUR for a mocha which was the biggest rip off in Paris. Serves us right for going to Starbucks.

The Basilique was great. It was on a high point in Paris so the view was overlooking the city. The interior was stunning and the top was even more stunning. We took the tormenting and sometimes claustrophobic stairs up to the top of the church. Maybe a stupid move on our part but the end result was worth it.

We headed next to see the exterior of the Centre Pompidou. Didn't go inside the musuem, just wanted to see the interesting "inside-out" design.

We ended evening two with a dinner cruise with Bateaux Parisiens. It wasn't the best of dinner I've had but the evening itself was a must do. The dinner cruise along the Seine River was great, we saw many of the Parisian landmarks lit up beautifully. Diners sit inside an enclosed glass on the cruise ship and sail around the Seine River. I would recommend this cruise for anything bringing a significant other. It was quite an experience.

Day 3 will come soon, maybe later but I will continue.

LoveItaly

Hello gotta_luv, what a nice surprise to see your post! I so enjoyed reading about your first days in Paris as I did remember your thread. Attaching your report to your orginal thread is great IMO. Enjoy Rome and my best wishes to the two of you. May your have a long and joyful life together filled with many memorable trips. CinCin!!

gotta_luv_the_foie

Sorry, I'm finding myself writing way too much so let me get down to the nitty gritty.
Day 3 was the Lourve, Notre Dame and the Pantheon. The Lourve was of course enormous so we did what all the books say, choose what you want to see and go for it. The Mona Lisa was of course very surreal, to see it in person. During the evening, we went to the Moulin Rouge. That's a definite must. It's a cross between Cirque De Solei(Alegra) and Vegas showgirls. Very entertaining.

On Day 4, we were supposed to go to Versailles but of course, they wante to strike. Luckily, the guy at the metro station told us. We ended up going to Hotel Invalides(Napolean's Tomb) which was nice to see. We roamed around the city for the last day and took the overnight train to Venice.

The overnight train was not bad at all. Both my wife and I were able to sleep in it and it was definitely something to experience.

Venice: We stayed at the Locanda Orseolo and we were greeted by name when we walked in. These guys are VERY prepared. It's a Bed and Breakfast. The room was quite big, which a separate area to watch TV. It's worth a revisit. We were lucky to be in Venice during Carnevale. Man people walked around in their Venetian masks and costumes and we just snapped the camera away at some of the awesome costumes. We enjoyed our 2 day, 1 night stay and both of us thought it was the perfect amount of time there. A word of advice, of the gondolier wasn't lying to us, rides are no longer negotiable in rates as they are part of a "taxi" system where rates are set, much like taxi rates. It cost us 80 EUR for 30 mins. We had to do it, it was our honeymoon. And, it was worth it.

By the way, I have taken almost 250 pics at this point so you do want to load up on a pretty hefty card for the digital camera.

We ate at Alla Testiere as sugggested by many. The food was great but wasn't so great as made out by everyone. Still, we enjoyed dinner very much so. It's on the average price side so worth the visit and reservations are a must. We went there and every table had a reservation tag on it.

Next up is Florence and Rome. I will probably update in a few days. I am off to enjoy the rest of my evening in Rome.

Thanks for reading.

Tim_and_Liz

GTLF- I am so glad you are enjoying your honeymoon! Enjoy the remainder of your time in Rome. We are happy you enjoyed your time at the Locanda Orseolo as we'll be there in a few weeks.

Thanks for writing!

Liz

anotherjudy

Hi, Mr and Mrs Gotta.
Sounds like a wonderful honeymoon. Congratulations and best wishes to you both.
Judy

gotta_luv_the_foie

unpacking is definitely not enjoyable so I have limited time. I thought I'd post some must and must nots and tips that we experience on our honeymoon.

-The metro in Paris is very convenient.
-If you like to shop, LV in Paris is cheaper than in Italy.
-The guys that try to sell you souneviers on the streets, they will easily go down less than half their original asking price, just by walking away.
-Don't try and do the Louvre in a day. Pick what you like to see and go for it.
-Try and walk up stairs to the top of a site to experience the cityscape.
-Check before going to Versailles if it's opened that day,we've learned from locals that Parisians like to strike or don't like to work. I didn't say this, the local vendor told me this himself.
-In Venice, if you're there on a day or night with high tides, it's an experience to see San Marco Plaza flood.
-Restaurants that were great for us:

FLORENCE-Ristorante Toto on Borgo S.S. Apostoli off of Via Por S. Maria. This is the big street heading on to the Ponte Vecchio. Borgo is one street before you hit the Ponte Vecchio. It's about half way down the street on the right. The BEST Florentine steak we've had.

ROME-sorry, I don't have many addresses for these but I'm sure you can find them via the Net or your hotel.

Ristorante San Marco between Villa Borghese and Barberini area. Great pastas and huge portions. About 10 EUR for pastas.

Osteria del Sostenga near Pantheon. The best carbonara we've had onthe trip and absolutely the best fusilli there. 8,50 EUR for each dish. Main dishes were ok.

Da Sergio(was in the Lonely Planet book was looked up at our hotel). Near Campo Di Fiori. They had the best pasta/main dish combo on the entire trip. We each had pasta, then a main dish, with a side of eggplant, and a bottled water for 53 EUR.

-In Rome, the customs office DID stamp our invoices for purchases in Paris and Italy even though we had a change of flight in Munich, Germany. I believe you get custom stamps at the last EU city you visit but it appears the lay over EU city does not count.

-Used www.romeshuttlelomousine.com for a private Mercedes E series sedan from Rome city center to the airport for 35 EUR. One of the best 35 EUR we spent.

-Used www.driverinitaly.com for a private tour to Tivoli. 200EUR. It was the best price I can find for a private tour. Great driver, great tour of the Villa D'Este but the owner didn't come through with providing us with a luxury sedan as requested. We sat in a VW van which wasn't as comfortable.

-Walked almost everywhere in Rome. Didn't try the metro or bus.

-Our hotel staff said petty crime, including pick pocketing, happens to locals and tourists so it's always good to be aware of your surroundings and keep valuables close to you.

-Trains between cities are very reliable and was very easy to buy tickets at the train station.

-For the sleeper train from Paris to Venice, there's a private lounge for people who hold sleeper train tix versus 2nd class seating. The lounge was spacious and had complimentary drinks(2nd floor of the train station)

-In Rome, the best gelatorias we tried we San Crispini, near Barberini area and Giolitti, near Pantheon. There are so many gelatorias there but many have become chains and some just weren't as good as others. We happened to like these two the best, suggested by our hotel staff.

-Shopping in Florence is better than Rome, per our travel books.

-Not everything in Itlay is cheaper than the US, do comparitive shopping if you can.

That's all I can think of for now. I'll post Florence and Rome soon.

gotta_luv_the_foie

So here is my update on Florence and Rome.

Florence: We spent day an equivalent of 3 full days and nights here. Hotel Caravaggio was home furing this time. It's about a 5-10 minute walk from the train station.

HOWEVER, if you're bringing anything more than a rollie with you, I would not suggest the walk. The sidewalk is narrow and it's not worth the trouble. We walked to the hotel and took a taxi to the train station upon leaving. The hotel is very close to the San Lorenzo street merchants, then you hit the Duomo, then Ponte Vecchio...so, everything is very walkable.

The hotel was a the cheap side, 125 EUR during our stay. It's not on the classy side but it's clean, updated, and close to central Florence.

During our stay, we visited the Accademia, Piazzale Michaelangelo, and walked around the Duomo area(via a bus/walking tour). We also went to Santa Croce, the Pitti Palace(Boboli Gardens), the Duomo, Ponte Vecchio and shopped a lot. All this in 3 days/nights and we didn't feel rushed at all.

Rome was our last stop. We were there for 5 days and nights and the timing was perfect. We stayed at Daphne Inn Veneto. A pretty new B&B right off of the Bernini station. We took a taxi from the train station. If I knew it was half a block up the street after exiting the train station, I may have braved the metro ride. Nice staff, clean and modern rooms and Daphne Inn Veneto has a lift. The Trevi location does not. Breakfast was typical, cappuciono, deli meats, yogurt, fresh fruit. They provide wireless access and also have a community laptop on each floor. Dislikes did pile up but not enough that we wouldn't go back. Walls were on the thin side, our room, #303 had the time capsule shower that wasn't very spacious, and the rooms didn't have tempurature control. No TVs and phones in the room. They did give us a cell phone to use and we paid only if we made calls. That was very convenient.

Everyday was a new adverture and again, nothing felt rushed. During our stay, we were able to go to the Spanish Steps, Fountain of Trevi, Piazza Venezia, walk around the Borghese Gardens, go to the Vatican Musuem/Sistine Chapel, St. Peter's Basillica, Piazza Navona, Campo Di Fiori, Castel San' Angelo, Imperial Forums, Ancient Roman Forums, Colosseum, and Pantheon.

We walked everywhere from our hotel and I tell you, you can eat pasta twice a day for lunch and dinner and gelato twice and day and not gain any weight if you just walk everywhere. I was surprised myself that the pastas and gelato didn't do us in when we got home.

We're glad to be back but of course, we miss Europe like most people do when they go back home to the states.

Any other details I missed, please ask.


Mr. and Mrs. GLTF

Tuni01

Congratulations on your marriage! My husband and I spent our honeymoon in Italy 17 years ago. What a wonderful place for starting your marriage. We're planning another trip in May and I enjoyed your report and will take notes from it.