Travel agent claims flying in/out of Venice is doable but costly, suggests in/out of Rome.
Any thoughts? Wanted to fly into Venice and out of Rome?

Thanks

D.

Costly? It might cost a bit more, but also think about how much of your valuable vacation time will be spent trying to get to Venice from Rome and then back to Rome--you'll eat up at least half a day going one way--plus there is the added cost for another train trip.

Try pricing it yourself at an airline web site--be sure to choose the multi-city (open jaw) option.

Thank you so much, will do.

What about Eurstar, Amica Fare or Regional Trains to get from Venice to Florence, Florence to Rome...I am getting confused.

D.

For trains, don't book ahead. Just buy your tickets at the vending machines at the stations. It's dead easy. But it is a good idea to buy your tickets a day (or two if you can) prior to the day you want to travel - sometimes they can be fully booked.

Train tickets from Venice to Rome cost about 60 Euro per person, travelling second class. I think they were Eurostar. The vending machines take credit cardas, and cash too.

I think your interest is the total cost, right? Then look at the TOTAL COST of your trip.

What it means is to challenge conventional wisdom, such as "it is cheapest to fly in and out of a same airport," etc.

Do you need to use a travel agent for your flight? The online bookings are so easy these days and allows you to try all kinds of what-ifs. I take that you are visiting several places. In this case, consider multi-city option, that is flying into one city, depart from another. Fly into Venice, return from Rome. I do this all the time.

This is DIFFERENT from booking 2 one-way flights -- which hits you with out-of-this-world prices. Instead, you choose "multi-city" option which is usually next to "round-trip", "one-way" options. Enter COMPLETE itinerary and ask for a total price of all your flights as one reservation.

Not having to backtrack nearly always save time and money,

I have noticed many U.S. travelers automatically book roundtrip flights because that is what they are used to do for domestic flights and realize after the fact that a multi-city flight would have suited their itinerary better.

We flew open Jaw(into Rome and out of Venice) for the same price as RT from SFO-Rome and back. If it is a few dollars more I still think it is immensely worth it.This was on British and we had to go through Heathrow and then Gatwick on the way back.

My advice fly into Venice and out of Rome. Getting to the airport in Venice can be laborious. I'd rather take my time getting from the airport in Venice to Venice itself. Then take the train to Rome and eventually fly out of there. It will be so much easier.

We just got back from Italy. We flew into Rome and out of Venice. In between, we went to Florence and Lake Como, and took day trips while in Rome (to Naples and Pompeii) and Florence (to Siena and Pisa), all were done through train (Eurostar).

We figured since Rome has much more to see and while we still have lots of energy, we would do that first and leave Venice last where the city is much smaller and less walking is required (compared to Rome).

We purchased all train tickets as soon as we arrived in Rome at the Trenitalia ticket office at Rome airport and were able to secure the "Amica" fare (20% discount) on most of our tickets.

jgliu - just sawn this after asking these quws in last blog. Thanks. Question... we are flying into Venice..is Trentitalia the same thing there as in Rome?

How long were you gone overall? Your trip sounds like what we want to do. We have 10 days. 3 days in each. (2)1/2 's to travel back/forth. Sounds smart the way you did Rome first...need to rethink this. Fri-Sun Home to Rome, Mon-Wed Florence, Thurs-Sat Venice, Sun Venice to Home. Roma Pass for Rome is 3 consec Days which Fri-Sun would work, only thing closed on Sun is Vatican which we could do another day, rest of places open. A huge flea market is Sun a.m. so that would work....next would Florence, with Flor on Mon, Pisa Tues and Siena Wed...next is Venice, gonola ride sometime for sure and other sites, rest and wind down, fly home. Sorry to list all this but am I thikning it through correctly....buy Roma Passes and day trip tickets for Venice and Florence when we get there, is that right? Any hotel suggestions??? Nothing fancy, just a pillow and blanket. Ha.

Dawn - here's our day itinerary (hope it helps):
Day 1 (Thurs) - Arrive Rome. Went to Colosseum, Roman Forum and dinner at Spanish Steps. Used Roma Pass for Colosseum.
Day 2 (Fri) - Rome - Borghese Museum (Roma Pass), Vatican Museum, St. Peter's, etc.
Day 3 (Sat) - Rome - Pantheon, Piazza de Popolo, Spanish Steps, Campo de Fiori, etc. Dinner at Tratesvere.
Day 4 (Sun) - Rome - Vatican in the afternoon (Pope's blessing), Tratesvere (Porta Portese flea market), Jewish Ghetto. Dinner at Testacio.
Day 5 (Mon) - Day trip to Naples and Pompeii (train)
Day 6 (Tues) - Train to Florence and Duomo
Day 7 (Wed)- Accademia, Duomo, Uffizi
Day 8 (Thurs) - Day trip to Siena (SITA bus)
Day 9 (Fri) - Train to Pisa (1/2 day) and evening in Florence
Day 10 (Sat) - Train to Bellagio, Lake Como (stop in Milan for few hours). Arrive Bellagio in late afternoon.
Day 11 (Sun) - Lake Como
Day 12 (Mon) - Lake Como
Day 13 (Tues) - Train to Venice.
Day 14 (Wed) - Venice - St. Mark's Square, Grand Canal Cruise
Day 15 (Thurs) - Venice
Day 16 (Fri) - Flight home to U.S

Trenitalia is the name of the train in Italy. We bought the Roma Pass there across our hotel at the tabacchi (tobacco) store. Bought all the train tickets (I have listed the travel day in advance so it's easy to tell the ticket officer) once we landed in Rome at the train ticket office (Trenitalia office).

Below are the places we stayed at (our budget was under Euro 100/night) and we did good! We love all the places and would recommend them. You can check them out at Tripadvisor too!

ROME - Hotel Roma - Euro 81/night
Via Palestro No. 49, 00185 Rome
Telephone + 39 064463554
[email protected]

FLORENCE - Panella's Residence (Owner: Graziella Panella) - Euro 85/night, cash payment
Via della Pergola n° 42, 50121 Firenze
ph. +39 (0)55 234 7202
[email protected]

BELLAGIO (LAKE COMO) - Residence Il Borgo (Owner: Flavio) - Euro 75/night, cash payment, no breakfast
salita plinio no. 4, 22021 Bellagio (Como)
tel. 031952497
[email protected]

VENICE - Locanda Marinella (Owner: Nick & Dan) - Euro 85/night
S. Croce 345 (rio terà dei pensieri), 30135 Venezia
tel. +39.041.2759457
[email protected]

I've listed how much we paid (remember we went during shoulder season thus we paid less). All include breakfast except the one in Lake Como.

Feel free to ask me anything else. I've had lots of helps from Fodorites before my trip thus it's only right to give back

I agree,as I said, flying into Venice will be easier. Here are two tips for your trip. I just sent cousins to these two places and they loved them.

In Forence: The Santa Maria Novella Pharmicia
absolutely some of the most divine potpourri, lotions and perfumes you could ever want. If nothing else do get the Pomegranate soap.

In Siena(if you are driving...look for the parking garage/exit that says Campo). You can also take the bus to Siena(which you catch next to the train station in Florence. It will be so much easier than driving. Make reservations for lunch at Osteria Logge(which is right off the campo). If you google this place you will get lots of great feedback on it. Our meal there was one of our best in all of Italy.


DO not pack big bags for this trip. It will be immensely difficult to load them onto the aqualinge boat(Venice from the airport then into a vaporetto if you still have some travelling to do after the aqualinge stop) and more difficult yet to load them on the train. You must load everything on overhead racks on the train and it's just you,babe, to do it.

It’s a sort of open question whether you fly into Venice and out of Rome, or into Rome and out from Venice. Flying out of Venice can be difficult because west-bound flights frequently leave in the early morning. Getting from “downtown” Venice to the airport can be a hassle - waterbus or walk to Piazzale Roma, then a bus to the airport. An early departure can make it hard.

Rome to the airport is no more than a cab ride (in our case, a bit of a white knuckle ride as the driver was doing 140 km/hour down the autostrada).

Arriving in Venice is like a dream come true. You can either take a bus from the airport to Piazzale Roma (in my opinion a pretty horrible way to arrive, but it is quick), a water taxi (about 100 Euro each way, but I may be very wrong on this) or take the Alilaguna ferry (which is just lovely).

The Alilaguna ferry terminal at Venice Airport (Marco Polo) is about 500 metres from the airport terminal. It’s an easy walk, about ten minutes, but it’s a good idea to use an airport baggage trolley to haul your stuff, as the walkway is cobbled. The Alilaguna ferries depart about every half hour, and I think the fare is about 15 Euro. There’s a ticket kiosk at the ferry terminal, and it’s all clearly signposted.

And then the most enjoyable voyage of your entire life starts, and it takes about an hour. Venice rising out of the lagoon as the ferry brings you closer. Through Murano, quick stop at Fondamenta Nuove, call at the Lido, and then you are at San Marco.

Disembark. You've arrived, walking into the most recognisable streetscape in all the world.

Fly into Venice and out of Rome. Open jaws are well worth extra dollars. I would go first to Venice because it is an easier, quieter city (no cars!) and a better place to recover from jet lag. The trip across the lagoon to the city, which suddenly emerges before you is truly magical. We splurge and get a water taxi (when we did it last closer to $100 than 100euro).

Buon viaggio!

I would also vote for into Venice and out of Rome, for the same reasons: flights returning to the U.S. from Venice tend to leave real early, and getting to the airport in Venice at an early hour is not so easy. And arriving into Italy by way of Venice cannot be beat - later this year, we are making our third trip to Italy by beginning in Venice, primarily because it's so wonderful to see the city appear across the water.

jgliu- Man, I owe you. This is fabulous. I think I will switch Venice first and end with Rome due to all the hassles I keep hearing re: departing(airport) from Venice, plus it sounds wonderful to arrive in Venice...breathtaking views, can't wait to experience.

To all, Thank you, thank you. Cana't wait to share these memory making days with my mom and sister.

D.

Let us know if you regret it, but I am sure you won't. If you would like some tips on crowd avoidance, both in Venice and in Rome, I'd be happy to share them.

cmstraf- share, share!

In Rome, make your first day a classical one. First, get in line for the Colosseum around 8:45, your reward for the 15 inute wait will be to see this magnificent structure before it is filled with tour bus crowds. After you leave the Colosseum, stroll through the Forum--it will still be early and not too crowded. You can end up near the Capitalene museums, which are wonderful(cafe at top with knockout city views), walk down Michelangelo's campidoglio and find a place for lunch in what was once the Jewish ghetto.

For San Pietro--same advice. Get there between 7and 8 in the morning, when the cathedral will be empty except for services in small chapels. See Michelangelo's moving Pieta. At around 8:30 or a bit later, get in line for the Vatican museum. At 9 when it opens, RUN through the Vatican museum, stopping for nothing (come back at lunchtime when the tour groups are all eating, and enjoy the museum) until you end up at Sistine Chapel. You will have some time in it before it gets crowded (taking ear plugs can also help).

In Venice, the Piazza San Marco is at its best early morning (expensive but wonderful breakfast of croissants and hot chocolate at Cafe Florian) or in the evening. If you are there on a Sunday, attend a 9 oclock mass--the mosaics will be lit up. Be sure to be respectful of those there to worship and leave something in the offering.

Stroll down the Zattere where Venetians take their evening stroll, get lost on the small streets of Dorsoduro. Try to get to the Accademia museum either early when it opens or late in the day.

I see most of my suggestions could be succinctly summed as "start early". It's really worth the extra push.

Buon viaggio!

Just read in today's paper that they changed the hours for the Vatican museum (and its most famous work, the Sistine Chapel) to opening at 8:30 a.m.

I just got back from Italy a week and a half ago; we flew into Venice and out of Rome for $480 on Iberia. It was around the same price to fly in and out of different cities as it would have been in and out of Rome. I have no complaints about Iberia at all, other than the layover in the large Madrid airport. We spent one night in Venice, three in Florence, and four in Rome. We took the IC train from Venice to Florence, and the Regional train from Florence to Rome. The IC train was much nicer, but both got us from point A to point B lol.