rexmor

My wife and I finally have the time to make our first trip to Italy after an early retirement. I've researched this as much as possible, but would appreciate comments from seasoned Italian travelers.

Depart September 15
Five days in Rome- Hotel Palatino

Train to Venice- three days- Hotel Duodo Palace

Train to Florence- six days- Hotel Carolus
Day bus trips to Pisa and Lucca while staying in Florence.

Rent car- Drive to Siena- Hotel Pallazo di Valli- Two days, with side trip to San Gimignano

Drive to Montepulciano- Two day stay at Fattoria Terrarossa, side trip to Montalcino and back.

Drive to Cortona- Two day stay at Hotel Portole- Side trip to Arezzo

Drive to Assisi- two day stay at Hotel La Terrazza- Side trip to Spoleto

Drive to Orvieto- one night at Hotel Corso

Train to Naples- Private car to Amalfi Coast, Praiano, Four nights at Hotel Onda Verde [we're meeting friends here who have been cruising the Med all summer after crossing the Atlantic last spring]. Side trips to Capri and Pompeii

Return to Rome- one night at Airport hilton, Return flight October 14.

atcken

Wow - a month in Italy. We just got back from a 2 week trip and would have liked to stay another 2 weeks at least.

We stayed at the Duodo Palace in Venice - excellent hotel, nice breakfast included every morning, close enough to Piazza San Marco for a short walk but far enough away from the crowds. Free internet access at a computer terminal off the lobby. If you splurge for a water taxi (55 Euro) from the train station, they will drop you right at the water entrance to the hotel (down a small canal).

Restaurant recommendation near to the hotel (and also recommended by Rick Steves) is Osteria Entoca San Marco at #1610 Frezzeria. Excellent wine selection, great and attentive service, fantastic food, nice atmosphere - and not overly expensive (for Venice).

Only other comment I can add on your itinerary is that we did a day trip to San Gimignano. Was well worth it (parked down at the bottom of the hill in P1 - not a bad walk up to the village and easy access out). I paid 5 Euro to climb the tower near the central plaza and it was worth it. Fantastic views all over the village and the valley.

Ken

yipper

It sounds wonderful!!!!!!!!!

bobthenavigator

You have 9 nites in 5 locations in Tuscany and Umbria. I see it as 9 nites in 2 locations. Why change hotels 5 times? Also, I am curious where you found these hotels. I thought I knew most of them but only one of yours. Did you have one primary source?

Betsy

If you need someone to carry your baggage, I'd like to volunteer!

Buon viaggio~

tashak

Can't comment on the hotels, but it looks like an excellent overview of cities/ regions, with a well-balanced division of time. You've done your research very well!

If you are in the Naples area, I highly recommend a side trip to Herculaneum, in addition to Pompeii...it is different, and complementary.

The only other thing I'd recommend is Italian lessons before you go...you won't really NEED it, but a trip this long is much more fun if you try to speak a little of the language. And some reading beyond the research and guidebooks... art, architecture, history...

Melissajoy

We just returned from a wonderful first family trip to Italy in June. Your 5 nights in Rome is an excellent idea. Don't know where your Rome hotel is...a central hotel in rome is a good idea, you will see more with less hassle, especially if you stay in an area convenient for evening walks, such as staying near the Pantheon...We stayed on Piazza Montecitorio near the Pantheon and walked to lots of neat things at night.

3 nights in Venice is good...

6 nights in florence would personally drive me crazy, as I found florence to be a crowded, noisy, trafficy city, but many people love Florence...I was happy when we escaped from Florence to Siena!

Tuscany and the Chianti countryside is beautiful! Siena is wonderful, medieval, and relatively tranquil...I would suggest you try to choose 1 hotel/villa/B&B as a base in the region and visit the other nearby little towns from there...It's really annoying to keep having to repack your stuff, if you have fewer than 3 nights in 1 place you start to think wow, should I take out my shampoo, how annoying, I have to pack it again tomorrow...Think about this idea of reducing the number of times you're changing hotels.

Sue_xx_yy

As it stands, your itinerary has the three major cities in a row. You might want to consider splitting these up, else you overdose on art and museums.

Normally I would reverse the order of your 1 night and 5 nights in Rome, i.e.

Depart September 15
1 n Rome
Venice and Florence
Tuscany stuff
Amalfi Coast
5 nights Rome

Aside from breaking up your art-and-museum stuff, this order also gives you a bit more breathing room between your commute from the Amalfi Coast to Rome and your flight out.

I assume your flights are fixed,though, and consequently given that your meeting time with your friends in Amalfi is also fixed, this isn't possible. Also for the same reason that you can't fly into Venice to avoid backtracking.

If you are going to be backtracking, you might want to consider splitting the time in Florence and the Tuscany-by-car portion, i.e.

5 n Rome (art and museum stuff)
pick up car, Tuscany stuff. Drop car in Siena. Easy bus to Florence and on arrival train to Venice
Venice (consider maybe a bit more time here)
Train back to Florence for art and day trips
Train to Naples, private car to Praiano.
Amalfi Coast stuff
1 n Rome

This means you aren't doing all your Tuscan exploration at once, either.

Bon voyage.

ira

Hi rexmor,

Good advice from Bob and Sue.

You could have the driver who picks you up in Naples take you to Pompeii on the way to Praiano. It's easier than going from Praiano to Pompeii and back.