Help for Spring Break in Italy
 

I am planning a trip to Italy in late March/Early April. I was looking at tours from Globus and Trafalgar.

I have no flexiblity with dates, other than the length of our stay. I plan to take my 17 yr old daughter on this trip while she is out of school for Spring Break. She can miss a couple of days of school, but we can't leave before the evening of March 28 and we need to be back in the US by April 8 (Easter). We could actually leave 3/29 and return 4/9, but that's about the extent of our options. We will be flying out of Atlanta. After reading some of the posts involving Italy tours...I thought duh! I'll spend half our vacation trying to get her out of bed in the morning if we chose one of these tours. The appeal of the tours was the exposure to so many cities, but I didn't realize how much time would be spent on the bus between cities.

I can certainly plan a trip myself, but I've never been to Italy and was relying on information from my well traveled mother who has been to Italy on several occassions. I was in Spain for a summer semester in college about 30 years ago, and planned many excursions from my home base in Madrid using guidebooks, etc. Of course...that was before the everyone and his brother had access to the internet. One difference was that I turned 20 during my trip and was dragging around my 15 year old sister. And...I was almost fluent in Spanish. We stayed in some hostels where we had to go down the hall to use the restroom or take a shower, and...hot water cost extra.

I'm not quite that adventurous anymore, so I would like to stay in decent hotels. I just started my research, so I was thankful that VitaAnn pointed out that the Trafalgar tour (Real Italy) did not have accommodations in Venice proper...I had missed that point. I don't need anything fancy, but I definitely want a clean room in a convenient hotel. I also generally avoid hotel food, unless the restaurant is known on its own merits. One of my best stops in Spain was a little town south of Barcelona that some guys on the train recommended. We stayed there for one night and had a wonderful paella dinner. Not that I will be that carefree on a trip with my teenage daughter, but I think part of the fun of travel is eating with the locals.

So with that said...although I hate to leave off the Amalfi coast, that is probably what I would drop first in order to make the trip a little more leisurely. The cities I definitely want to hit are:

Rome - at least two nights
Florence - at least two nights
Venice - at least two nights
Assisi - don't need to stay here, but don't want to rush either
Verona - again...no need to stay, but must see as my daughter is quite fond of Romeo and Juliet

Additional nights (or one in the case of Verona and Assisi) would be fine too, but I would probably like some day excursions in that case. Years ago trains in Spain were quite slow, but they have improved. I'm not sure about rail transportation in Italy. I think that would be preferable to a bus, but I'm not sure what type of cost would be involved.

I'd like to visit Pompeii and Sorrento if possible...maybe day trips out of Rome. I don't know if a drive to those cities is right along the Amalfi Coast.

OK...my dilema is because of all you other Fodorites who told me I could do this. You said you would assist in planning, so here you go. Help me out here...I welcome all suggestions, and I apogize for the length of this post.

I've traveled to Italy with my daughter when she was 19 and again the following year. Is you daughter a pleasant traveler? You mentioned the getting out of bed scenario and I can relate. Remember, moving between cities (even if you're on your own)means not only getting up early but alot of packing and unpacking, too. The two trips I took with my daughter were totally enjoyable for both of us. We booked a package and stayed 7 nights in Montecatini Terme, a spa town situated in Tuscany and 50 mins by train to Florence, 30 mins to Pizza, 20 mins to Lucca. We spent some mornings at the spa - mom and daughter mud wraps and massages, turkish bath and whirlpools - we really had fun. Then we would train to one of the cities and have sightseeing time. And shopping time. Breakfast and dinner at the hotel was included and was so good we always made it back in time for dinner so we had lovely evenings together walking into town for gelato or sorbetto. The first time was so lovely we did the exact same trip the following year. At the risk of being called a shill, I'll tell you I booked this trip thru Club ABC Tours and you can find them on the web. My daughter is 24 now and keeps asking when we're going back. Well, we're doing Paris in April!

From the dates you have given, you will have ten nights in Italy. You don't have enough time to stay in Venice/Florence/Rome and still stay overnight in Verona and/or Assisi.

I have been to Venice, Florence, Tuscany & Rome. The best suggestion I can give (without having been to Verona or Assisi) is to fly into Venice, spend three nights there, stop in Verona on your way to Florence, spend three nights in Florence with a daytrip to Assisi (I believe there are good train connections for this daytrip) and then spend four nights in Rome and fly home from there.

Thanks to both SusanP and Margaretlb for their info. My daughter is somewhat of a Tomboy, so I don't know that the spa angle would work. I have convinced her to get her nails done on a regular basis, but beyond that would be a stretch.

I realize that I am probably trying to pack too much into a short time, but that is my nature. Last Spring Break we went from Atlanta to Williamsburg to Phili to Amish Country to Bear Run, had to see Falling Water (the main focus of the trip for me, Mom) to Niagra Falls in Canada and back home via West Virgina.

Again...any input is appreciated.

Hi Deb,

>Last Spring Break we went from Atlanta to Williamsburg to Phili to Amish Country to Bear Run, had to see Falling Water (the main focus of the trip for me, Mom) to Niagra Falls in Canada and back home via West Virgina.<

When I recover from my exhaustion, I'll try to help.

.................
..................
..................

Good advice from SusanP.

What's your hotel budget?

((I))

Fodorites convinced me to boil down my trip plan from five cities to three over almost two weeks. They were right, right, right. Next trip will have only two destinations with optional day trips. I am no expert but I did have a really great trip. I hope you do, too.

In such a short time-frame, I would do just two cities. For me that would be Venice/Rome or Venice/Florence.

I think you are attempting (or considering) WAY too much. And "at least two days" is not enough for me in any location, by the time you get yourself there, get settled, it's practically time to leave again.

This works on an organized tour package because everything is done for you. Traveling independently takes necessarily more time.

Honestly, me, in your shoes, I would go with Venice and Florence only. That would make a beautiful trip without dashing all over the place.

My best tip is ASAP book hotel rooms in Venice. I love Pensione La Calcina www.lacalcina.com. Actually I'd plan dates around their availability. You won't be disappointed. Search this forum for a million great reviews of the hotel.

I like SusanP's suggested itinerary: 3 Venice, 3 Florence, 4 Rome. Last May, my daughter and I stayed three nights in each city, and it's just barely enough time to enjoy those cities, especially Rome. In fact, I might even drop one night from Venice and add it to Rome because there's so much to see there.

You can get so much good advice on this forum, I think you can easily plan your own trip, rather than taking a packaged tour.

Ask lots of detailed questions here, and you'll be well on your way. Have fun planning!
:)>-

OK...I can tell I'm going to spend way more time than I had planned trying to figure things out for this trip.

Based on info from other posts, I need advice regarding whether to fly into Venice and leave from Rome or vice versa. I realized the other day that my original plan of flying into Venice and out of Rome would put me near the Vatican around Easter Sunday. Being Catholic, I thought it would be pretty neat to either attend the Saturday Vigil Mass or possibly even a mass on Easter Sunday and return to the States on Monday. But...other discussions mentioned the crowds at that time and the difficulty I might have getting around and into things.

I really don't want to limit myself to 2 cities, so would like to spend nights in Venice, Rome and Florence. I'm not a big shopper, but it sounds like I could do at least one day trip from Florence, possibly two. I really want to visit Assisi; is there another day trip from Florence that anyone particularly recommends. Also, is it pretty easy to take a day trip to Verona from Venice or does it make more sense to stop there en route from Venice to Florence. How expensive are the trains - I'd rather not deal with driving.

Please keep ideas coming..all help is appreciated. Once I figure out my cities and dates, I'll start worrying about details like flights, hotels and restaurants. Sounds like I need to get my act together to avoid losing options.

Well, I plan exactly opposite of how you are going about this! To me flights and hotels are not "details", they make up the outline for my trips.

Honestly you don't even really need an itinerary until after you arrive, you can plan as you go, and you definitely do not have to figure out restaurants in advance.

I would do this all by train. They are not expensive. No need to rent a car for what you describe.

Since you seem determined to go so many places, what about going back to the Globus or Trafalgar idea? If covering a lot of ground is what is most important, it is easier to do on an organized tour than self-planning.

Suze...you are right and maybe I worded things wrong. My biggest focus now is arrival and departure airports and once that is decided hotels. I will certainly leave the detailed daily activities until later. I originally thought I'd start in Rome and end in Venice, but after reading other posts I'm questioning that idea due to the Easter holiday. I'd love to be at the Vatican at Easter, but if it will severely limit our activities, I'd rather reverse the cities.

You might look at plane tickets, sometimes what is available (since you have fairly exact dates) and prices might sway the decision for you?

I did some preliminary research, but couldn't decide original destination...any airline recommendations...we will fly out of Atlanta.

Try www.flycheapabroad.com for plane tickets - I just booked ours 2 weeks ago and literally saved HUNDREDS of dollars. And check both ways - into Venice, out of Rome and vice-versa. Sometimes, it really makes a difference. So, nail down the airfare first, then go for accomodations. We're taking our 2 teen grandsons to Paris and Rome for spring break next March, and believe me, it takes hundreds of hours of planning if you're an ordinary person. If money's no object,that's another story.
Anyway, this site, plus tripadvisor.com, will give you all the information you could hope for. Have fun planning, and have a great trip!

I would rather be in Venice than Rome on Easter weekend (crowds). You can visit Assisi from either Rome or Florence. I recently saw info on a bus from Rome. I'll post it if I find it again.

I would start in Rome: 4 nights (if you do the Assisi trip from there).
Then Florence: 3 nights (again, add the extra day here if you do Assisi from Florence).
Then Venice: 3 nights

You can train to Verona on the way to Venice---if you like. I wouldn't take that time out of an already short stay in Venice!

You can get train fares at www.trenitalia.com. Look up top for English. But the Italian version works better. Use the Italian names: Roma, Firenze, Venezia, etc. As an example, Rome to Florence will cost about 30 eu 2nd class, 42 eu 1st class.

Also keep in mind that Ryanair flies between Rome and Venice. 1-way fare is only 44 euros for 2 people (1 hour flight).

If Easter in Rome sounds good to you, then you should do it! Of course it will be crowded. The reason it's so crowded is that so many people want to do it!

The itinerary I suggested above was based on what you said you wanted to see. And a couple of days in Florence is not just for shopping. There is an unbelievable amount of art there. My two favorite things were the Baptistry and (of course!) David at the Accademia. But there is MUCH more there, and even more to see in Rome.

Keep in mind that most flights out of Venice leave very early in the morning, requiring an expensive water taxi ride to the airport. Of course, there are early flights out of Rome as well, but it's cheaper to get to the airport there with a shuttle at that time of morning. If you want Easter in Rome, fly into Venice and out of Rome.

If you want to see what I did in these places, here are my trip reports:
http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34687434
http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34780400

If you don't want to do a tour to cover more territory, then I really do think (since you have just 10 days) the 3-city 'grand tour' makes sense... Rome, Florence, and Venice would be perfect.

I'm Catholic myself, and I think being in Vatican City on Easter would be a draw. Or even attending Easter services at another of the beautiful churches in Rome, if you think St. Peter's would be overwhelming.
Last Easter, our daughter was in Florence and she said all the churches there she tried to attend were overflowing. She was arriving at Mass time, instead of being as early as she should have been, though. But my point is that Italy churches in all cities will be full on Easter, so why not go for Rome? Especially since it seems that flying home from Rome is more convenient than Venice.
:)>-

Here's something different (an understatement!). On Easter Sunday in Florence they celebrate the Scoppio del Carro. An ox-drawn cart is driven thru the city to the piazza of Santa Maria del Fiore. The oxen are unharnessed. Then they blow up the cart with a dove-shaped rocket! LOL! If a grand explosion results, Florence will have a prosperous year. I'm sure they take it seriously, though...More here:
http://www.italiansrus.com/articles/scoppio.htm

Maureen: Did your daughter report any explosions?!

BTW, Deb.
In searching airfares, you could also leave from Florence. I noted above that you can fly Venice to Rome or vice versa. You could do those cities first and end in Florence.

JeanneB, that's funny! I didn't hear about it, but I'll ask her.
:)>-

OK all...I'm getting psyched. Now I'm thinking of adding an additional day to our trip. At the moment I'm leaning towards flying into Venice then moving to Florence and then onto Rome. Other desired cities would be side trips once major plans are in place. I figured that I might be better off leaving Rome on Monday instead of Easter Sunday. Don't know if that will make a difference in flights or not. What is a reasonable airfare for those flights. I'd prefer non-stop, but that might be pushing it. Remember I'm in Atlanta.

Someone way back mentioned budget...I guess overall I'm looking at the 4-5K range. I don't even know if that is a reasonable expectation because I haven't done enough research. I don't care about big and fancy...as a matter of fact I generally prefer smaller, unique hotels. Just want clean and convenient.

Keep those ideas coming.

Hi Suze...just sent a request for hotel availability to Pensione La Calcina for our Venice stay. Since they don't have many rooms, I don't know if I'll have any luck. Any other suggestions?

Easter Monday is a major holiday and everything will be closed. Do you mean you intend to fly home that day?

Deb: I am taking my granddaughter to some of the same cities on her spring break (extended) also. In Venice we are staying at the Antico Doge.
http://www.anticodoge.com/en/index.htm
I checked many reviews and decided it suited us. You might check it out as it seems to be a good value.
Someone mentioned flying Ryan Air to Venice and I would check that out as I believe I read a post that they do not fly into Venice but use a small airport that is some distance away. Let me know if I can be of further help.

Just read a wonderful post that is very helpful to me and I thought it might also be of interest to you:
http://fodors.com/forums/pgMessages....22&start=0.

You will find this also in the above post; but if you miss them I am including them as I think anyone consider trains should read this info:
http://slowtalk.com/groupee/forums/a...871#6321047871

The other important one is:
http://www.slowtrav.com/italy/trains/tickets.htm

I think I would fly into Milan and store my luggage at the train station (Milan Centrale) for a few hours and hop the subway to the Galleria, Duomo, opera house. From Milan, I would train to Verona (1 1/2 hours) and spend the first night. The historic center of Verona is very compact so it won't take you long to find the things you want to see. If you prefer to skip Milan sightseeing and spending the night in Verona, just take the train to Verona. Store your luggage at the Verona station and spend a few hours and then train onto Venice.

If you fly into Venice, stay a few nights and train to Verona from there. If you only want to see the balcony, then you don't really need a night in Verona. Have lunch, tour around and then train onto Florence.

I've been in Rome on Easter. The Pope had Sunday service in the square (no tickets required when I was there). Be sure to go if you are in Rome that Sunday.

The Vatican museum usually is open longer hours than their normal Saturday hours the day before Easter. They don't have their 2007 schedule up yet, but you can tell the times by looking at last Easter.
http://mv.vatican.va/3_EN/pages/z-In...fo_Orario.html

Thanks kybourbon...so based on your name...are you a Maker's Mark fan as my relatives from Lexington and Cincinnati are?

Yes...I saw that Easter Monday was a national holiday and that would be the day we would fly back to the states. I assume flight schedules would be fairly normal.

Will have to review details on these most recent posts this evening...off to work...have to pay for this play time.

Sorry Deb, La Calcina is the only one I know personally. I've stayed there twice, originally on the recommendation of friends in Europe. But it has since become an extremely popular hotel here on Fodor's as well. It's really pretty perfect for a reasonable price, hopefully they will have something for you.

What is a reasonable airfare from Atlanta to Venice returning from Rome? At the moment I hope to leave on a late (9-10 PM) flight out of Atlanta to Venice on Wed. 3/28/07 with a return from Rome to Atlanta in the morning of Mon. 4/9/07.

Checking kayak.com it looks like around $750. Watch your connection time...some of them look awfully short. If you could leave earlier from ATL, it gives you more cushion in case of delays.

Deb - I'm a few miles outside of Lexington. My bourbon of choice would have to be my ancestor's, Elijah Craig (arguably the inventor of bourbon - google the name). Elijah Craig 18 year single barrel bourbon - not easy to find and the only one aged this long I believe. There is also a 12 year.
http://www.heavenhill.co.nz/prod01_copy(1).htm

Maker's is fun and will let you dip a glass in the wax when you tour.

Deb, we did a 10-night trip over Easter break with our teen daughters in 2005. We flew in and out of Rome. Our itinerary was 3 nights Rome, 3 nights Venice, 3 nights Florence (day trip to Pisa) & 1 night Orvieto. Of course we would have liked to have more time, but it was a great trip.

In Venice we loved Locanda Orseolo. Do a search here and you will find glowing reviews. In Rome, we stayed at Residenza Coronari. We loved the location and thought the price was reasonable. Some people have found the hotel noisy but that wasn't our experience.

By the way, we were In Orvieto on Easter Monday, and virtually nothing was closed.

Suki:
Is that Residenza Canali ai Coronari? Can you tell me more about the location? I can't locate it on the map.

JeanneB and Suki...Locanda Orseolo does look wonderful...wish they had a better breakdown of rates...it looks like the only way to get a fairly exact quote is to request one online from the hotel.

Appears that Residenza Canali ai Coronari and Residenza Coronari are one and the same, but can't seem to find a link with current prices...have found hits on google for years past. Any additional info?

Also...what kind of budget should I expect for food per person per day in Florence, Rome and Venice. I like good food, but it need not be fancy. My Mom told me she paid $12.50 US in Venice for a cup of coffee!

Yes, Residenza ai Coronari is just off Piazza Navona on a narrow street known for its antique shops. There were 4 of us and we had 2 connecting rooms and 2 baths and I think we paid 250 euro per night for both rooms. We walked everywhere from this location.

It is definitely worth contacting Locanda Orseolo to get their room rates. The folks who run the hotel are the best hosts I've ever had the pleasure of staying with. The breakfasts are great (they include homemade crepes), and are included in the rate. Again, from memory, I think we paid maybe 165e for a courtyard room, and a littl emore for a small canal view room.

I think you can spend as little or as much as you want on food. There is always pizza for lunch. Venice is probably more expensive than the other two cities. I'd figure 100e per day for food for 2, but really this very variable.

Hi, Deb15July,

We have made two trips to Rome --Lent/Holy Week several years ago, and then last Christmas.

First, if you are going to be in Rome near a major holy day, I'd consider that hotel to be the first to reserve, right after the plane tickets. You are not the only one booking a hotel for Rome during this busy time.

There are several right near the Vatican that would make more sense for you than what is usually recommended on this board (staying near Piazza Navona, in the historic center). On Holy Days the taxi stand lines are incredibly long, and the mass transit is limited. How nice to be able to walk back to your lodgings instead of waiting two hours.

On our first trip we stayed at the Hotel Alimandi at the end of our trip. We liked it for the free shuttle to the airport (which would take care of your taxi on Easter Monday). Be sure to mention you need the shuttle when reserving. Rooms were very small, but updated, and nice modern bathrooms.

My uncle stayed there two weeks this past Christmas on our second trip, and it all seemed as nice or nicer than before -- a breakfast buffet was added. (We were in an apartment.) Staying at the Alimandi puts you across the street from the entrance to the Vatican Museums and about two blocks from a Metro stop.

Another hotel quite near the Vatican (saw reviews and peeked when going by, but have NOT stayed there) the Hotel Sant'Anna. Looked very nice.

Other relatives stayed at the Franklin Feel the Sound, but it did cost more than the Alimandi, and was a bit further from Vatican City. They liked it, but said the plumbing was "a bit quirky." Don't know if they have a shuttle.

Finally a number of convents offer rooms, another uncle and aunt both stayed in one and loved the experience. The sisters were very sweet. These were private rooms and theirs included private bathrooms. It depends on the convent.

If you are so inclined, St. Peter's offers confession in English -- look for the signs or ask a guard for help on that.

The Paulists run the parish for American Catholics in Rome, Santa Susanna, a beautiful church. Their website may be very helpful in planning your trip.
http://www.santasusanna.org/index.html

We enjoyed this book, which looked at the churches and monuments less from an artistic perspective and more a historical perspective:
http://tinyurl.com/yg8sdm
(A Catholic's Guide to Rome, by Frank Korn.)

Not sure if it's always the same weekend, but the Roman Marathon was on Palm Sunday. A great day for a daytrip or use the subway if needed. Just don't try to taxi in and out of the historic center. In Italian, the word for marathon sounds like "martona."

Sorry if this rambled but hopefully it helped some.

Deb - I will be in Italy from 4/18-4/30. Months ago I tried to get a room at La Calcina and they were booked. I will be in Venice 4/27-4/30. Maybe something has opened up since then. I am staying at Pensione Accademia which came highly recommended to me by many people. Good luck.

Thanks for the info Madison...I actually was quoted a rate at La Calcina, but am now leaning towards Loacanda Orseolo, assuming I can get a reservation. It's a little more expensive, but got glowing reviews on trip advisor.

5alive,
I'll have to check into your hotel suggestions. You have good points about getting to the airport for departure and being near the Vatican for the holy week activities.

I appreciate everyone's ideas. Keep them coming...