How to get around Italy
 

I'm planning to take my parents to a european holiday this April. I'm starting with Italy. I already have an idea where to stay in Rome. After Rome, the next places on my list will be Florence, Venice, then on to San Marino for the Formula One Grand Prix and then to Venice before going back to Rome to watch a tennis match. After Italy, I hope to visit all places covered by the Schengen Visa. My main concern now is going around Italy. What is the cheapest mode of transportation going to the places I've mentioned and do you have any idea where to stay in these places which are relatively cheap. Do you think with these itinerary, I can actually say that I've seent he real Italy? Thank you.

Hi Mylene,
Let's follow your schedule and add some time:
- Rome, 5 days
- Florence, 3 days, one daytrip to Siena included
- Venice, 3 days
- San Marino, 1 day
- back to Venice, 1 day, just travel?
- 1 day travel to Rome
- 1 day for the tennis match
- 1 day before leaving

A total of about 16 days, is that what you had in mind?

About your and your arents tastes,... what do you want to see, to visit?

About your organization...
Try to arrange you trip with an open jaw ticket, flying into Venice, leaving from Rome. Do the 'Venice part' before the 'Rome part', and try to fix the SM Grand prix and Florence in the middle.

About seeing the real Italy, after 20 years of visits, I still can't say that I've seen all of it.
And I wonder if the SMGP and a tennis match in Rome could help me in saying that i have seen the real Italy...
Cheers

Hello baldrick,
Tnx for the info. I'm still fixing my travel schedule. Tentatively I have a 2-month period for my travel. I'm thinking on making it a 3-month vacation. I have to include the SMGP because I'm a big F1M fanatic, and so is my dad. I'm also trying to figure out how I can put the Monte Carlo circuit in my trip. I'm from the Philippines and this is actually my very first big trip to Europe. So I would like to mix some sporting event (because I'm a sports fanatic) and some sightseeing while I'm there.
Again, thanks for your suggestion.

The best way to get around Italy is the trains. They are very efficient and a great way to travel. You can certainly do the Rome, Florence and Venice stops by train and probably San Marino. However, if you are visiting other parts of Europe, you could make your Italy visit a bit more streamlined allowing you to visit Rome, Florence, Venice and San Marino only once each, thus saving time to perhaps visit Tuscany or Umbria and see more of the "real Italy". When you have decided on the other places you want to visit, you should consider an open jaw air ticket.

Hi my,

>What is the cheapest mode of transportation going to the places I've mentioned and do you have any idea where to stay in these places which are relatively cheap.<

The cheapest mode of transportation is the train.

Enter your entire itinerary at www.railsaver.com to see if a railpass will be good for you. Remember to click "only if it saves me money".

Keep in mind that you will have to pay about 9E extra for seats on the high-speed trains, ES*, TGV, THALYS.

What's your hotel budget?

((I))