This is a long email!
My husband and I are planning to go to Italy at the end of April or May 2008. We have 12-13---days including journey. My husband cannot take off more time. I want to visit Venice (always been my dream-min 2 nights), Rome and one scenic place If possible. Florence is not necessary right now. We are vegetarians and do not need fancy places to eat.

I have semi physical disability, had a major lumbar fusion surgery 11/2 years ago. I can’t sit for too long at one stretch. Once I do too much, I am into pain mode for two days. I am in my late forties and my husband in early fifties.
After my fusion, I can walk for half a day and I start limping. My husband can visit by himself when I can’t walk. I am the major planner in our trip.

I feel it is too much walking carrying luggage if you travel on your own. I do not know how I will do with my back pain? I am thinking of combing partial escorted tour and partial independent travel. We have medium budget for the trip. People have told me that we have to stand in long lines if you go to Vatican and other areas of Rome. I may not go to Italy again for at least five years.

Any input is welcome! Thanks in advance. I spent many nights during my recovery from back surgery reading about travel e-mails from this forum.
Thank you all! take care--

Hello venicego, from reading about your situation my first question would be; are you flying from the US to Italy? And if so what part of the US? Will you be able to handle the long flight? That is a lot of sitting which with the cramped planes is not comfortable for most of us with out your problem. With a medium budget I assume you would not be able to fly in business class. So that would be my first question. But if you live say in the UK the flight would not be nearly as long of course. Best regards.

Hi V,

I agree that your flight to Venic or Rome will be a problem.

My wife and I choose aisle seats so that we can easily get up and walk about the plane.

If you can climb steps, Venice will not be a problem. I suggest 3-4 nights.

For scenery, if you base in Sorrento you can visit the Amalfi Coast by ferry and bus. (Pompei is also convenient)

I suggest:

Fly into Venice - 4 nights.

Take the train to Rome - 4 nights

Take the train to Salerno, and the ferry to Sorrento - 4 nights. (you could also take the SITA bus and change in Amalfi)

For Ferry schedules Positano – Amalfi - Salerno (P.zza della Concordia):
See http://tinyurl.com/3cbhkb

Positano - Sorrento 09.45 - 12.50 - 15.40 - 18.10 4 E

From Sorrento take the www.curreriviaggi.it bus to NAP for your flight home.

Enjoy your visit.

Ira's suggestions are very good. I love Venice as a walking place - you can spend hours just wandering around, getting lost. Buy a vaperetto pass for the amount of time you will be there - they are quite expensive, but as you are never too far from a vaporetto stop, you can just jump on the next one going your way should you get tired or sore.

Similarly the integrated ticket in Rome is very useful (and much better value) - it is valid for all trains, buses, underground and trams within a certain radius of the city centre.

My first concern also from your post is about the plane ride over. Depending your home, that can be a LONG flight in uncomfortable coach seats, where you DO have to sit for long stretches at a time.

As far as Italy, I encourage you to spend more time in Venice. I've been there twice and stayed 5 days each, which was perfect, easily could have stayed a few more days.

I think you will be fine for food sticking to the casual places and even grocery store in Venice. Lots of stand-up espresso bars with pastries, for mornings! One of my favorite things there is sandwiches you'll see prepared in glass cases just off the sidewalk in various cafes with interesting fillings like roasted vegetables or tomato and egg.

Hi,

My mom has back problems as well and after talking with her extensively about a trip we're planning this summer, we decided it was easiest to stick to 1 or 2 destinations. Like you are saying here, it's carrying the baggage that gets tricky, but if it's minimal moving around, I can help her whenever necessary. This summer was my first trip to Italy and we went to Venice for 3 days and 3 days in the Dolomites (with a day at the end in Verona due to our flights). I could easily have spent twice the time in Venice, it's gorgeous.

With my mom's back problems, she thought it best to stick to one place so that she doesn't push it too much trying to get everything in and can take lots of breaks. I think having 2 destinations would be perfect for a 10 day trip. If you really want to see Rome, I would say 5 days in each. Otherwise I hear lovely things about Sorrento.

Good luck and have a great trip.

Sorry - pressed post instead of preview! I mean to say that I went on a trip to Italy with friends and since I only fly from Scotland we were able to get a lot more in. With travelling from the states, it takes my mom at least a day to get ready to explore when she visits me here.

Hi, I traveled to Venice and Rome in 2000. I had back surgey in 1990 and know how you feel about standing for long periods of time. You can purchase tickets at the hotel where you are staying. That will eliminate one line. Then get to the museums before the crowds, earliest in the morning, and take a taxi if you are a distance away. Walking on cobblestones is not good for the back. I would take pain meds and do stretches in the morning and at night before bedtime. You probably have arthritis there also. Celebrex helps me a lot and Tramadol for pain. Have Fun!

Are you doing any driving? That might change your iten. I might suggest Sienna as a stop between Venice and Rome. And many, many glorious little towns in Unbria/Tuscany along the way. If you decide to drive, it might be easier to visit the smaller towns/villages and skip places like Rome. Travel at your own pace, no long lines, etc. But DON'T drive into Rome, or
other long distances in Italy - the drive will take forever! Are you skipping Florence for a reason? Already been there? It is my favorite city.

Frankly I think you're better organizing the trip your self - since that way you can adapt everything to your needs.

On a tour there are many fewer choices (if the bus is leaving at 8 am for wherever you have to get on and go - no choice). And they may schedule two things the same day that require a lot of standing - and if you're between cities and have no hotel you'll be left sitting in some cafe.

I also question how you'll feel after such a long flight (difficult on the backs of people with no problems). I would want to just reserve hotels and organize everything else my self, traveling by cab within cities and by train (much more comfy than bus) between them.

That way if you want to do a 1/2 day tour - you can just pick it up for whatever day you want.

Wow! I am pleasantly amazed and touched to see so may replies in a short time. Thank you for each and everyone.
I am flying from San Francisco it will be long flight. I might break journey in New York or some other place.
I just did not include Florence; I do not know how to fit in everything This is my first trip to Italy.
My husband is thinks it is too much hassle to drive in Italy without language and driving on left side of the road. Thank you! Have a pleasant day! -

In Italy they drive on the same side of the road as in the US.

Italians usually drive on the right hand side of the road (being Italians, it is difficult to be sure of this)

I am sure you will have a great time because it sounds as if you have a great attitude.

A word a caution: I travelled with a relative who suffered from arthritis quite seriously. We did not have a car for the Rome/Venice part of our trip and it was no hardship, except for one thing: BAGGAGE!!!!

The only thing she admitted she would have done differently is to keep her lugggage down to one, easy to lift and lug suitcase, to get on and off trains, vaporettos etc.

Mind you she always looked gorgeous in all her different matching outfits...

I agree with previous posters to maybe just visit two locations. Venice and Rome are great choices.

I suggest staying in a more central area closer to the sites you wanted see so you can pop into your accommodation when you get tired.

The lines to the Vatican can be very, very long especially in the morning. My husband and I went later in the afternoon, and did not wait more then 10 minutes to get in.

Hi venicego, are you any where near the Oakland Airport? I ask as in that you said you might break up your trip in NYC..JetBlue flies into Oakland and in NY they fly into JFK. Their seats are larger I believe and consequently more comfortable.

I wouldn't do it if I planned on changing planes to catch a flight onto Italy when arriving at JFK as you would have two seperate airline tickets so if JetBlue were late arriving at JFK and you consequently missed your flight to Italy you would be out of luck and would have to purchase new tickets for the flight from JFK to Italy. But if your intentions were to stay in NYC say overnight that might be a good alternative for you.

JFK doesn't have a reputation of having great hotels in their vicinity but NeoPatrick mentioned one that was acceptable. I could get the name from him if that would interest you.

Regarding Italy, I too think two locations (Venice and Rome) would be the best. And you could train from Venice to Rome. Do you have the Trenitalia website? If not it is: http://www.trenitalia.com/en/index.html This is the English language version.

If you flew into Venice and home from Rome (this is called an OpenJaw or MultiCity flight) you would not be doing any backtracking. And flying home from Rome is easier than departing from Venice.

I think going on your own (not a tour) would be better because then you can figure out your own pace... even do nothing for a couple days if that became necessary.

Besides the flight which is LONG (I fly from Seattle) I believe you will be able to adapt things to your own pace.

I would simply do Venice and Rome, going by train between the two, and skip renting a car. It's really not required for seeing these two cities. Maybe you could arrange the split between the two cities so you have a full week in one or the other and can rent an apartment?

Thanks everyone, Ihave little more courage to plan the trip. Ira's plan looks good and exciting.

Any air line suggestions to venice? I haven't bookked tickets yet.I am looking forward to stroll in Venice. We will pack light.I need to start from air. thanks again

Great suggestions ... I would only add that it might be wise to choose a hotel very close to a vaporetto stop.
There are steps across the many bridges large and small all over Venice and the pavement too is often uneven. (Hospital regularly gets tourists with broken and sprained ankles, including me)
Many times I have seen husband and wife with 2 large suitcases stuck at the foot of steep steps as cases are too heavy for husband to carry both and wife cannot carry one up the steps on her own. Talk about the fox, the chicken and the corn trying to cross the river!
We always stay at La Calcina on the Zattere but the vaporetto stop is further down the Zattere so it is a little walk with one bridge. La Calcina like many many 2 and 3 star hotels in Venice also has no lift. You might like to check this in your chosen hotel too if stairs are a problem for you?
The vaporettos can be crowded and standing room only so you need to be aware of this - it may not bother you but you can be jostled.
Venice is an expensive city, but worth as many days as you can afford.
Florence is a wonderful city to visit - much more than the sum of its restaurants! So much to see and pretty flat too. (You can get good food much cheaper than you can in Venice too).
One last suggestion - try and have your euro in small notes and check your change to prevent being shortchanged.

Hi V,

>Any air line suggestions to venice?

www.1800flyeurope.com
www.kayak.com
www.mobissimo.com