Great Airfare 7/07
Oct 27th, 2006, 04:29 AM
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Great Airfare 7/07
My palms are still sweating but I just booked what I think is an awesome fare for summer 07 to Italy. I was looking all around at fares to try to get our family of 4 to Italy for 1st trip ever to Europe. Everything I was finding was $1200...$1400 per person. I hopped on Orbitz & plugged in MIA to FCO with a return from VCE to MIA and 80 mile flexibility on the airports. I ended up with PBI to FCO and Milan to FLL for $685 INCLUDING all taxes 7/20/07 to 8/4/07. I couldn't believe my eyes! I kept reading it & booked it. Is this a mistake? Where to heck is Milan anyways??!! Hopefully we can make it work ok....
Oct 27th, 2006, 04:57 AM
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Can anyone suggest an itinerary that can hopefully include Rome, Venice, Tuscany & Amalfi Coast. Traveling with 2 teens. 14 nights. Open to all suggestions given the time of year and airports we are now locked into...in Rome...out of Milan.
Oct 27th, 2006, 05:34 AM
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I refuse to sugar coat this response:
LOOK at a map of Italy...you want to start in Rome and if all you wanted to do was that and Tuscany and then venice..then no problem..Venice is a couple hours fast train ride from Milan (for your departure).
BUT you also want to include the Amalfi Coast which is south of Rome and means backtracking to get to Tuscany, etc.
In the time you have allotted yourself my opinion is you need to make a choice...
I would drop the Amalfi idea and stick with Rome/Tuscany/Venice for this trip.
Amalfi has great views and ambience but if this is your first trip to Italy I'd concentrate on the other areas.
LOOK at a map of Italy...you want to start in Rome and if all you wanted to do was that and Tuscany and then venice..then no problem..Venice is a couple hours fast train ride from Milan (for your departure).
BUT you also want to include the Amalfi Coast which is south of Rome and means backtracking to get to Tuscany, etc.
In the time you have allotted yourself my opinion is you need to make a choice...
I would drop the Amalfi idea and stick with Rome/Tuscany/Venice for this trip.
Amalfi has great views and ambience but if this is your first trip to Italy I'd concentrate on the other areas.
Oct 27th, 2006, 05:50 AM
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Hi T,
With only 14 days and your FCO/MIL flights, I also suggest skipping the AC.
However, you could train from Rome to Naples and take the Circumvesuviana train to Sorrento, then the SITA bus to wherever
OR
Take the train to Salerno and the ferry to Amalfi or Positano. This is more scenic and easier.
For Ferry schedules Positano – Amalfi - Salerno (P.zza della Concordia):
See http://tinyurl.com/j4ufa
With only 14 days and your FCO/MIL flights, I also suggest skipping the AC.
However, you could train from Rome to Naples and take the Circumvesuviana train to Sorrento, then the SITA bus to wherever
OR
Take the train to Salerno and the ferry to Amalfi or Positano. This is more scenic and easier.
For Ferry schedules Positano – Amalfi - Salerno (P.zza della Concordia):
See http://tinyurl.com/j4ufa
Oct 27th, 2006, 05:56 AM
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I recently booked a trip to Italy for under $600 by doing it this way:
Nonstop Newark to Heathrow on Virgin Air/Continental
Heathrow to Milan (or Rome) on BA
Return from MIlan (or Rome) nonstop to Newark on Continental
I book the transatlantic portion (to and from) as a return ticket on the Continental Airlines website. Most recent price was $475. I book the one way to Italy from Heathrow on the BA website. Depending on what time of day and exactly where in Italy I want to fly, prices range from $70 to $120.
Nonstop Newark to Heathrow on Virgin Air/Continental
Heathrow to Milan (or Rome) on BA
Return from MIlan (or Rome) nonstop to Newark on Continental
I book the transatlantic portion (to and from) as a return ticket on the Continental Airlines website. Most recent price was $475. I book the one way to Italy from Heathrow on the BA website. Depending on what time of day and exactly where in Italy I want to fly, prices range from $70 to $120.
Oct 27th, 2006, 06:00 AM
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That's a great deal on the airfare - congrats. Have been watching summer fares for my family too and I know the more kids you have, the more that $1200 airfare hurts.
We did Rome - Amalfi Coast - Tuscany - Venice last year, in that order, and it's a great itinerary. Don't see why you can't train Venice-Milan the last day. Would shoot for 3-4 days in each city/area, if you have enough to add then add to Rome or Venice. If you feel like you're moving around too much drop one of the four.
Don't think you made a mistake at all & you'll love Italy.
We did Rome - Amalfi Coast - Tuscany - Venice last year, in that order, and it's a great itinerary. Don't see why you can't train Venice-Milan the last day. Would shoot for 3-4 days in each city/area, if you have enough to add then add to Rome or Venice. If you feel like you're moving around too much drop one of the four.
Don't think you made a mistake at all & you'll love Italy.
Oct 27th, 2006, 06:17 AM
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We did this itinerary last summer with our three girls, 10,12, and 14. It is doable, you'll see alot and you'll have your favorite places to go back to.
We flew into Rome, stayed four nights,
hired a driver to take us to Sorrento, stopping at Pompeii for three hours. We stayed three nights in Sorrento, explored the Amalfi coast. Train to Florence for four nights, train to Venice for three nights, flew home. You would have to adjust a day to fly out of Milan.
You'll have a great time, no you won't see it all, but I couldn't think of one place I would have skipped even with the limited days I had.
We flew into Rome, stayed four nights,
hired a driver to take us to Sorrento, stopping at Pompeii for three hours. We stayed three nights in Sorrento, explored the Amalfi coast. Train to Florence for four nights, train to Venice for three nights, flew home. You would have to adjust a day to fly out of Milan.
You'll have a great time, no you won't see it all, but I couldn't think of one place I would have skipped even with the limited days I had.
Oct 27th, 2006, 08:39 AM
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Congrats on the AWESOME summer fare! 
I also think that with such a short window of time, you should drop the Amalfi Coast for this trip... otherwise your vacation will turn into more of an Amazing Race than a relaxing time for you to see and really get to know the areas you plan to visit. So I'd suggest saving the AC for your next trip.
I also think that with such a short window of time, you should drop the Amalfi Coast for this trip... otherwise your vacation will turn into more of an Amazing Race than a relaxing time for you to see and really get to know the areas you plan to visit. So I'd suggest saving the AC for your next trip.
Oct 27th, 2006, 08:59 AM
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I like kraav's ideas of what he and his family did last year. A good overview of a lot of Italy.
tinamidon: your work paid off with some good ticket prices. Since Iberia is Spanish and it's hub is Madrid, I too am wondering if you go to Madrid from U.S. (as Bob the navitgator mentioned)
IF NOT, then that is great that Iberia flies straight to Rome from NY. It's interesting about airlines and their hubs and what good deals one can get by searching.
You and your family will have a wonderful trip....
(Alitalia is the Italian airline, but then you know that)
A lot of the Milan flights out to U.S. leave in EARLY morning and there aren't too many choices of places to stay near the airport the night before. But perhaps you have a later flight and can stay in the city of Milan. IT's really not feasable to try to get to the airport from other places in Italy...however Milan is interesting for the last day.
tinamidon: your work paid off with some good ticket prices. Since Iberia is Spanish and it's hub is Madrid, I too am wondering if you go to Madrid from U.S. (as Bob the navitgator mentioned)
IF NOT, then that is great that Iberia flies straight to Rome from NY. It's interesting about airlines and their hubs and what good deals one can get by searching.
You and your family will have a wonderful trip....
(Alitalia is the Italian airline, but then you know that)
A lot of the Milan flights out to U.S. leave in EARLY morning and there aren't too many choices of places to stay near the airport the night before. But perhaps you have a later flight and can stay in the city of Milan. IT's really not feasable to try to get to the airport from other places in Italy...however Milan is interesting for the last day.
Oct 27th, 2006, 10:23 AM
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I don't want to alarm you tina, but, are you SURE you got round trip flights for that price?
I've been trying to look for flights this summer too, so I went to Orbitz, went to multiple cities and put in JFK to Rome, returning Milan to JFK, and I checked the 80 mile vaiable for all the flights.
I was so excited when a fare of $767 popped up (including taxes), until I realized that was for only ONE LEG of the trip!
Please double and triple check with Orbitz, because if what you got is a real fare and you're flying through JFK, why can't I get the same thing on the same dates?
I hope it is for real, if it is, you got an AMAZING deal. Good luck and read your confirmation from Orbitz!
I've been trying to look for flights this summer too, so I went to Orbitz, went to multiple cities and put in JFK to Rome, returning Milan to JFK, and I checked the 80 mile vaiable for all the flights.
I was so excited when a fare of $767 popped up (including taxes), until I realized that was for only ONE LEG of the trip!
Please double and triple check with Orbitz, because if what you got is a real fare and you're flying through JFK, why can't I get the same thing on the same dates?
I hope it is for real, if it is, you got an AMAZING deal. Good luck and read your confirmation from Orbitz!
Oct 27th, 2006, 10:49 AM
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nina, tina and all,
The deal is by Alitalia, not Iberia. I was just able to duplicate it on Orbitz. I also plugged in FLL to Mil for those dates, just for the heck of it, and got the $685 round trip Alitalia/Delta via JFK, so apparently and amaizingly, tina's deal is for real..
-e
The deal is by Alitalia, not Iberia. I was just able to duplicate it on Orbitz. I also plugged in FLL to Mil for those dates, just for the heck of it, and got the $685 round trip Alitalia/Delta via JFK, so apparently and amaizingly, tina's deal is for real..
-e
Oct 27th, 2006, 11:27 AM
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Like enroute, I was able to duplicate the fare by plugging in the departure and arrival cities at the flight dates of OP but it seems it was a fare mistake because that fare is gone since once you select the $685 fare you are given a message that the fare you selected is no longer avaiable. So congratulations tinamidon for catching an incredible fare!! Now be sure you have ticket numbers issued.
