Help Italy -Itinerary Please Urgent
Jul 7th, 2011, 05:06 PM
#1
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Help Italy -Itinerary Please Urgent
I'd like some help in regards to planning Italy Trip which is the First time Trip here.
I will be leaving mid July and was wondering if this is too much:
I have generally 14 nights to play around with: (nothing is set in stone yet, but I have to get the ball rolling, because I basically only have 5days left to plan).
I'd like to travel to the following: Rome, Venice, Florence and possibly the Amalfi Coast.
Is this a good Idea for all those places to get a feel of it?
What would be the best bet itinerary, I arrive in the afternoon in Rome around 1:30.
I was thinking because already half a day is gone..should i settle in Rome that evening and stay another night to become familiar with the land (2 nights Rome). Then Ship off to Venice for (2nights), then hop on to Florence for (2nights), then ship to Amalfi for (3nights), then back to rome for (5 nights).
Is this feasible? Like are the trains hard to find etc.
Any advice would be great, Thanks,
I will be leaving mid July and was wondering if this is too much:
I have generally 14 nights to play around with: (nothing is set in stone yet, but I have to get the ball rolling, because I basically only have 5days left to plan).
I'd like to travel to the following: Rome, Venice, Florence and possibly the Amalfi Coast.
Is this a good Idea for all those places to get a feel of it?
What would be the best bet itinerary, I arrive in the afternoon in Rome around 1:30.
I was thinking because already half a day is gone..should i settle in Rome that evening and stay another night to become familiar with the land (2 nights Rome). Then Ship off to Venice for (2nights), then hop on to Florence for (2nights), then ship to Amalfi for (3nights), then back to rome for (5 nights).
Is this feasible? Like are the trains hard to find etc.
Any advice would be great, Thanks,
Jul 7th, 2011, 05:29 PM
#2
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Hmm, 5 days to plan a trip - first question, have you booked flight yet? If so, where are you flying into/out of? And I hope you've booked openjaw tickets to save backtracking.
Trains are the best way for you to get around Italy, are relatively inexpensive and yes they are rather simple to find. As you only have 14 nights, work out which places interest you the most and go from there. Your proposed itinerary in terms of time in each place is a little rushed (esp Florence), and I terms of direction, look at Rome (why not start here and stay 5 nights, then move on and fly out of, say, Venice - aka open jaw), then Amalfi (do you mean the town or the Amalfi Coast? Either way, 3 nights = 2 full days, so decide if you'd like longer to explore/relax), then train it north and end in Venice (again, 2 nights = 1 full day, which won't IMO be enough). Don't try to cover too much ground just for the sake of being able to say you've been somewhere. Have a (very) quick look at the sights in the places you've listed, see if they interest you and then you'll be able to work out where to go and how much time to spend there.
Of course, all this will depend on your budget and what accommodation will still be available at short notice. It's the height of Summer in Europe which means it's very busy and the decent budget accommodation will already be booked. I'd suggest deciding on a route nd checking accommodation in your budget range ASAP.
Trains are the best way for you to get around Italy, are relatively inexpensive and yes they are rather simple to find. As you only have 14 nights, work out which places interest you the most and go from there. Your proposed itinerary in terms of time in each place is a little rushed (esp Florence), and I terms of direction, look at Rome (why not start here and stay 5 nights, then move on and fly out of, say, Venice - aka open jaw), then Amalfi (do you mean the town or the Amalfi Coast? Either way, 3 nights = 2 full days, so decide if you'd like longer to explore/relax), then train it north and end in Venice (again, 2 nights = 1 full day, which won't IMO be enough). Don't try to cover too much ground just for the sake of being able to say you've been somewhere. Have a (very) quick look at the sights in the places you've listed, see if they interest you and then you'll be able to work out where to go and how much time to spend there.
Of course, all this will depend on your budget and what accommodation will still be available at short notice. It's the height of Summer in Europe which means it's very busy and the decent budget accommodation will already be booked. I'd suggest deciding on a route nd checking accommodation in your budget range ASAP.
Jul 7th, 2011, 05:40 PM
#3
Two nights in a place gives you only one full day there.
It sounds like you already have your flights booked. Flying into one end of your itinerary and out of the other end would have been a better plan.
I wouldn't stay in Rome twice. I'd look for a connecting flight Rome to Venice. If the wait is too long, I'd take the train to Venice and arrive in time for dinner. I'd spend a minimum of 3 nights in Venice.
Florence to Amalfi (via Salerno) is probably 5-6 hours from hotel door to hotel door.
You can check train schedules here:
http://www.fsitaliane.it/homepage_en.html
And the bus schedule from Amalfi and Salerno here:
http://www.sitabus.it/wps/portal/OrariCampania
IMO, before you get bogged down in creating the 'perfect' itinerary, you should do some searches for lodging in each destination in your budget range for the proposed dates. You are very late in planning, and availability (unless you have a very high budget) will be scarce.
It sounds like you already have your flights booked. Flying into one end of your itinerary and out of the other end would have been a better plan.
I wouldn't stay in Rome twice. I'd look for a connecting flight Rome to Venice. If the wait is too long, I'd take the train to Venice and arrive in time for dinner. I'd spend a minimum of 3 nights in Venice.
Florence to Amalfi (via Salerno) is probably 5-6 hours from hotel door to hotel door.
You can check train schedules here:
http://www.fsitaliane.it/homepage_en.html
And the bus schedule from Amalfi and Salerno here:
http://www.sitabus.it/wps/portal/OrariCampania
IMO, before you get bogged down in creating the 'perfect' itinerary, you should do some searches for lodging in each destination in your budget range for the proposed dates. You are very late in planning, and availability (unless you have a very high budget) will be scarce.
Jul 7th, 2011, 05:54 PM
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Yes so the flights are already booked. The reason for thinking of staying in rome for the night/or two because coming from flight may be tiring. At the same time, reason to end off in rome for the remaining nights is due to flight out of fiumicino.
Thanks for input.
If you were to take something out, what would it be. I really would like however to see all the above.
Thanks for input.
If you were to take something out, what would it be. I really would like however to see all the above.
Jul 7th, 2011, 06:16 PM
#6
I'd probably drop Amalfi because of the time/logistics of getting there, and, with the number of days you're considering, I doubt you'd have time to see Pompeii and Naples. I'd make another trip to the area when you can devote more time to seeing all the area offers. Visiting this area isn't like exploring a big city and IMO is better seen at a slower pace.
If you added some of the Amalfi time to Florence, you could make a day trip or two to Siena, San Gimignano, Lucca, or Pisa. The time you're now considering in Florence isn't even enough to see what I would consider the very best of the city.
We fly from the U.S. West Coast, connecting in Frankfurt, Munich or Zurich, so I certainly know about tiring flights. I'd still continue on to Venice on arrival in order to add a night there and reduce the hotel check-ins by one. Many people like starting in Venice because, although it's crowded, there's no car traffic so it feels a bit less hectic.
If you added some of the Amalfi time to Florence, you could make a day trip or two to Siena, San Gimignano, Lucca, or Pisa. The time you're now considering in Florence isn't even enough to see what I would consider the very best of the city.
We fly from the U.S. West Coast, connecting in Frankfurt, Munich or Zurich, so I certainly know about tiring flights. I'd still continue on to Venice on arrival in order to add a night there and reduce the hotel check-ins by one. Many people like starting in Venice because, although it's crowded, there's no car traffic so it feels a bit less hectic.
Jul 7th, 2011, 06:43 PM
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As much as it pains me to write, I'd drop Florence. You still haven't noted what you're interested in, so going to Florence for 2 nights (1 full day and a bit on arrival day) won't really let you experience much.
As you're flying in and out of Rome, then staying there for the first 2 nights is not a bad idea, especially if you arrive at 1.30pm. Get to your hotel (stay central - you proabably won't actually check in until 3-3.30pm after clearing Immigration, luggage and the 30min train into the centre), go for a walk to orientate yourself (and grab a gelato!), have dinner and and early night. The next day, go to the Colosseum and Roman Forum and perhaps something else like the Cappucin Monks (if that interests you) and make it a day for wandering and finding your feet. Then the next day you can train it to Naples, change to the Circumvesuviana train to the AC - depending on the place you decide to stay in, and spend a few days exploring (4 would be good). Plenty to keep you occupied - Capri, Pompei (easy to reach from the AC on the same train that brought you there), Amalfi, Sorrento, or lie in the sun doing not a lot. Then you can make your way north to Venice, stay there for 2-3 full days, again depending on your interests and accommmodation availability, then make your way back to Rome for the remaining time.
Train from Rome to, let's say Sorrento, will involve a fast train (Eurostar Italia) to Naples (1hr10mins ), then the Circumvesuviana will take around 1hr to Sorrento (just using it as an example, going further to Amalfi, Positano, etc will involve changing to a local bus). The train from Sorrento to Venice will involve the 1hr back to Naples, then change to the Eurostar (Italia) train to Venice which takes 5hr30mins with a change in Rome(to Venezia Mestre station - change to the next train to Venezia Santa Lucia which is the station for Venice proper). So you see that you need time to travel everywhere, hence the suggestions for more time in places. Check websites like www.eurocheapo.com for available hotels in the cities you choose and you can select within your budget too. I can't stress how much you need to get that part nailed down next as you may need to reverse travel direction to fit in with accommodation availability or may find it hard to book accommodation at short notice in the high season.
As you're flying in and out of Rome, then staying there for the first 2 nights is not a bad idea, especially if you arrive at 1.30pm. Get to your hotel (stay central - you proabably won't actually check in until 3-3.30pm after clearing Immigration, luggage and the 30min train into the centre), go for a walk to orientate yourself (and grab a gelato!), have dinner and and early night. The next day, go to the Colosseum and Roman Forum and perhaps something else like the Cappucin Monks (if that interests you) and make it a day for wandering and finding your feet. Then the next day you can train it to Naples, change to the Circumvesuviana train to the AC - depending on the place you decide to stay in, and spend a few days exploring (4 would be good). Plenty to keep you occupied - Capri, Pompei (easy to reach from the AC on the same train that brought you there), Amalfi, Sorrento, or lie in the sun doing not a lot. Then you can make your way north to Venice, stay there for 2-3 full days, again depending on your interests and accommmodation availability, then make your way back to Rome for the remaining time.
Train from Rome to, let's say Sorrento, will involve a fast train (Eurostar Italia) to Naples (1hr10mins ), then the Circumvesuviana will take around 1hr to Sorrento (just using it as an example, going further to Amalfi, Positano, etc will involve changing to a local bus). The train from Sorrento to Venice will involve the 1hr back to Naples, then change to the Eurostar (Italia) train to Venice which takes 5hr30mins with a change in Rome(to Venezia Mestre station - change to the next train to Venezia Santa Lucia which is the station for Venice proper). So you see that you need time to travel everywhere, hence the suggestions for more time in places. Check websites like www.eurocheapo.com for available hotels in the cities you choose and you can select within your budget too. I can't stress how much you need to get that part nailed down next as you may need to reverse travel direction to fit in with accommodation availability or may find it hard to book accommodation at short notice in the high season.
Jul 7th, 2011, 06:55 PM
#8
Sorry --but any suggestions where to go and what to drop are next to useless unless you start booking your rooms ASAP -- like 3 weeks ago.
You are leaving in less than 5 days and you will be lucky to find <i><B>anything</i></B> in some of your destinations -- at any price.
You are leaving in less than 5 days and you will be lucky to find <i><B>anything</i></B> in some of your destinations -- at any price.
Jul 7th, 2011, 07:04 PM
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Jul 7th, 2011, 07:19 PM
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Yes the contemplation is between whether to drop florence or venice; even if at all. Venice I would love to see the canals, architecture, travel on vaporetti's just the romantic side of the city. Of course the main tourist places Saint Mark's square, Saint Mark's Basilica, Peggy Gugenheim House/Museum,its more so for the scenary, little shops; really I just liked to see a city that lives in the wake of waters. Burano I heard is beautiful. As for Florence, the arts; I am fascinated by art.
I do appreciate all responses.
I do appreciate all responses.
Jul 7th, 2011, 07:41 PM
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Your itinerary may be dictated by where you can find a place to stay .... which, by the way, when you bought your plane ticket didn't you consider planning for this trip at that time ??? Well, que sera ..... this may be an opportunity to snag a 3 or 4 star hotel at lower rate by going thru one of the last minute sites. Check Priceline or lastminute.com or http://www.ratestogo.com/City/EN/Rome.
Jul 7th, 2011, 07:47 PM
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The information on your interests is helpful in recommending places - if you are fascinated by art, then 1 day in Florence will be nowhere near enough time. In fact, with this new information, I would now recommend dropping the AC and just do "the big 3" in the 14 days you have. The more details you give us as to what interests you, the more we can offer in advice.
Now, get to finding hotels/accommodation in Rome, Venice and Florence and the rest will fall into place.
Now, get to finding hotels/accommodation in Rome, Venice and Florence and the rest will fall into place.
Jul 7th, 2011, 07:56 PM
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janisj - I thought the same thing (as I'm planning a last-minute trip to Italy), but I've had no problem finding great, affordable (even discounted!) rooms in Rome and Tuscany. The OP won't have trouble getting a room now or even when he/she arrives.
Gurl - check Tripadvisor if you want to book ahead. You can set your price limit/dates and it'll display rooms in a map format. Also, check to see if a hotel lists rooms on multiple sites (venere, Booking.com)... sometimes they'll be full on one site but open on another. (And it's not a mistake)
Gurl - check Tripadvisor if you want to book ahead. You can set your price limit/dates and it'll display rooms in a map format. Also, check to see if a hotel lists rooms on multiple sites (venere, Booking.com)... sometimes they'll be full on one site but open on another. (And it's not a mistake)
Jul 7th, 2011, 07:58 PM
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Well after booking flights, I thought I knew what I wanted to do, only to figure out that I'd like to visit other areas and thought it may be possible to fit it in.
But as for the AC, I enjoy the waters and coast line. I thought this could be a pit stop to relax and have some down time (due to all the tourist attractions), and enjoy the beach. I'll visit Pompeii along the way (at some point). Perhaps, (Is it safe to take night trains?) maybe would it be good to take Venice to Naples train at night (that way I'll stay one night in venice and after exploring Venice for the day take night train and arrive morning?)
But as for the AC, I enjoy the waters and coast line. I thought this could be a pit stop to relax and have some down time (due to all the tourist attractions), and enjoy the beach. I'll visit Pompeii along the way (at some point). Perhaps, (Is it safe to take night trains?) maybe would it be good to take Venice to Naples train at night (that way I'll stay one night in venice and after exploring Venice for the day take night train and arrive morning?)
Jul 7th, 2011, 08:24 PM
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You're really trying to do too much with the time you have. The AC is hardly a pit stop as it's south of Rome and therefore not one the way to any of your other destinations. This is your first trip to Europe, I'm sure there will be more so don't fall into the trap of trying to see everything the first time around. Do you really need "down time" in 14 days? Well, I guess you will if you try to do too much!
Night trains don't IMO offer a good night's sleep and can often result in you being tired at your next destination and not enjoying it as much. It may seem like they will save you time, but in Italy, the distances you'll travel don't really warrant night trains.
Night trains don't IMO offer a good night's sleep and can often result in you being tired at your next destination and not enjoying it as much. It may seem like they will save you time, but in Italy, the distances you'll travel don't really warrant night trains.
