Italy 1st time trip
 

We are trying to wrap up the loose ends of our first trip to Italy (my husband, myself, & our 12 year old daughter). We have all of the hotels reserved, but need some final details.
1. We fly into Ciampiano airport 3/30/06 around 9:30 am. Suggestions on taking a shuttle, taxi, train to our hotel (by the Spanish Steps)
2. Does anyone recommend a "private car tour" of Rome, or is the Hop-on / hop-off tour bus ok? Safety issues/??
3.We only have 2 days in Rome and want to see the Sistime Chapel, Collosium, Trevi Fountain, St. Peters) Is this doable?
4. We are planning on renting a car in Rome to drive to Siena on 4/1/06-Saturday. Support or critisism? We heard the drive was beautiful! If so, where is the best (easiest) place to rent it from in Rome? Also, we want to return it in Pisa on 4/4/06? Does anyone have experience with this? Extra fees for dropping off at a different location? The hotels we are staying at, have parking available.
5. Making reservations to see "David". We will be in Florence on Sunday and Monday morning. What is the best time to visit?

All suggestions and tips will be greatly appreciated!!

1) Not sure - how much luggage are you bringing and how close to the metro stop are you?

2) not sure

3) Do you have 2 full days, or are you counting the day of your arrival as 1 day. We spent a full day (9am - 5pm at St. Peter's & Sistine Chapel. Your hotel is close to the Trevi Fountain - so you should be able to see that. You should be able to see everything you identified if you see Trevi and ancient rome (i.e. colosseum) on the day you arrive and St. Peters/Sistine Chapel the next day. The first day might be a bit rushed - you likely won't be ready to sight see until after 1pm - plus you will be jetlagged.

4) not sure

5) I'm not sure if either makes a difference - if you have a reservation, you will walk right in. They only let a certain number of people in at a time. It is a very small museum - you won't need much more than an hour inside.

5. I suspect most museums in Florence are closed on Monday.

There is a long list of museums in Florence that are NOT closed on Monday. If I find it again, I will post a link.

http://www.florenceitaly.net/it/planningit.html

http://www.mega.it/ita/not/mulun.htm

"Musei aperti il lunedi" means "Museums open on Monday"

#2-3 I agree with harrowgirl-you really only have 1 1/2 days for Rome. If you want a general tour, plus St Peters/Sistene and the Colliseum, you'll have to plan very carefully and very full. One advantage of the bus tours is that (I think) most bus tour passes are valid for 24 hrs, so if you took one to the Colliseum the first afternoon (it closes around 4pm I think), you could return to your hotel, walk to Trevi that night, and take the tour bus 3/31 morning to St Peters/Sistene Chapel if the bus started early enough.

As for safety, we used Green Line Tours this month with our kids 11, 9, and 6 and had no issues. The audio guide was not nearly as detailed as we would have liked though, so I'd recommend a different tour bus. This was our first time to Rome, so suggestions/additions/deletions out there greatly appreciated.

Be sure to se the Uffizi museum, while in Florence.

Seeing the David in itself can take all of 20 minutes.

Eloise - thanks for the museum links !!

djman102 - thanks for the tip on the tour line. Did you ever use "public transportation"? Also, any family friendly restaurant suggestions?

Public transportation in Rome is generally very safe. You have to be a bit careful on bus No. 64 - from Termini to St. Peter's - as it's known as the "pickpocket special." I also avoid the Metro, which is no great hardship, as it does not go to very many places.

Here is a link to my trip report. We were in Italy last March (Rome, Venice, Florence - and a daytrip to Siena) with our two kids age 9 and 12 at the time. There are many restaurant recommendations in it. http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34599242.

By the way we do not necessarily look for kid friendly restaurants, as we are looking for good food, and our kids are well behaved. However, all the restaurants we went to were very family friendly - the Italians love kids!

Eloise is right-we used the bus lines the entire trip and had no problems. Be careful with "pick-backpackers" as well as pickpocketers; they're not constant, but enough to take precautions. We did mostly pizzerias, but here's the link on our trip summary if you'd like to see where we ate (including gelaterias) and what we did with our kids:

http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34735492

With 2 days in Rome park your car and don't touch it. If you have lots a money do it private if not take cabs to these sites there fast and you can go from area to area you will save what you need most of time. After you hit your points of interest you can take the sightseeing bus aruond the whole city.Your hotel is not walking distance to these sites unless you want to spend hours walking and getting lost,we did several times even with city maps. As you walk you will see many visitors looking at maps confused take cabs and save tons of time and there reasonable.Iwould exit Rome early or late in the day or on a Sunday,to go to Siena.The beauty of Italy is evident when driving. I used the Autostrada .When you pay the attendant try to have correct change it helps they do not speak any english .Siena is a nightmare unless you know exactly where you are going good directions to your hotel and a good map of the area is very important .In closing if you speak Italian its easier if you don't its hard ,many people will tell you don't worry alot of people speak english thats not true from what I learned. Its kind of like the theory where is a cop when you need one! Good luck and have a wonderful trip.

Any suggestions on where to rent a car in Rome. I checked out AutoEurope.com and thought about renting it at the airport, hoping that would be the easiest, and most direct route out of the city to Siena. If so, should we just take a shuttle from our hotel to the airport early that morning?

1. We took the Leonardo Express train into Rome with very little difficulty last May, then we hoppped on the metro to the Spanish Steps stop. We stayed at the Hotel San Carlo, which is very close to the Spanish Steps. I would recommend a taxi if you have a lot of luggage and can afford it though. We were trying to save money where we could.

2. No experience with this.

3. I think you can, but it just depends on you and your family's fitness level. My husband and I are not exercise people per say, but we're in decent shape. We managed to do the Vatican museums, St. Peter's, the Sistine Chapel, (we booked a tour that lasted from 1:00 until 5:00) and Trevi Fountain on the day we arrived. It was very easy to hop on the metro at the Spanish Steps to get to the Vatican and we didn't have any safety concerns on the metro. There is also a taxi stand by the Spanish Steps. We found it was much faster to go to the taxi stand and catch a cab than to have the hotel call a cab for you. You will be able to walk to Trevi Fountain quite easily. Search out San Crispino for gelato while you there. It was our favorite place in Rome for gelato.

I would recommend a tour of the Collosseum, Forum, and Palatine. A four hour tour covers all the basics. We used Rome Walks and loved them. There is a convenient metro stop right by the Collosseum. We actually walked from the Collosseum back to the Spanish Steps one afternoon and had a lovely walk through the Piazza Navona and by the Pantheon.

4. No experience with this.

5. If you have reservations to see David, you won't have any trouble getting in. We went in the middle of the afternoon after touring the Uffizi in the morning.

Have fun! Italy is fabulous!

Hertz is running a special. I rented a Ford Focus for the weekend of Mar25-27 for 28 euros/day.

Go to their website and enter WWDWEB in the promotions box. They have many locations all over Rome.

suzq_trvlr,
We are definitely trying to do this trip on a tight budget also. Thanks for all of the hints. Did you book your walking tours before you went? What about your tickets for the metro, did you purchase that day.
We will definitely take your advice on the Collosseum, etc. tour. A walk back through those areas will be great. Can you give me a better idea of the location of San Crispino? Also, any other suggestions for family friendly places to eat?

Can anyone advise on the Rome car rental in Rome. Is the airport the easiest and best place to pick up the rental for the drive to Siena. Also, any suggestions on which route. Coast or inland?

Hi April

You can ask your hotel to arrange a car to pick you up. Don't know about your airport, we flew into FCO, cost us 50E one way to historic area Piazza Cavour at Via Colanna along Tiber. From Spanish Steps you can walk to Trevi, Panthenon, Collesium and even Vatican City - about 20 minutes or so -maybe 2-3 miles one way. Double check your check in time at hotel - many list 1pm or 2pm check-in. After you arrive, shower & nap, then in afternoon start walking to Spanish Steps & Trevi, get lunch, walk to Colesium & take tour offered inside. Watch out - we had a fellow offer a private tour for 50E each. Inside you can take a tour for 18E each which includes the entry fee of 8E. On way back to hotel stop by the Panthenon and enjoy the piazzas, stop for dinner, then buy a gelato and walk around all the shops on Via del Corso and people watch. It's unbelievable! Next day start early @ 8am and go to Vatican, see the Museum, St. Peter's, necropolis downstairs & see PP JP II's tomb, then check out St. Paul's just around the corner from St. Peter's square, on the way back, visit the shops on Via Conciciliazione and buy some souveniers. Pick up your car in Rome and start driving on your way out. Getting it at the airport you will be paying for 2 days that you won't drive. The traffic in Rome is unbelievable - you have to see it to believe it - there is a "rhythm" to it, sort of like a dance, and you will hate driving in Rome until you can experience the dance and all the "motorini" i,e, scooters and the way they zip in and out between cars.
Learn some Italian - knowing how to say good morning & evening - thank you will go a long way to a pleasant experience. Ah, Italy - you have to love it!
Ciao

Hi April

Another note - all the restaurants we ate at were family friendly. Before you go in, check the menu and prices.
Food was great wherever we went. But again check the prices. They charge 2E each for "bread" and if you eat outside on the sidewalk the prices are higher. We did pay 9E ($10.80 USA) for 2 Cokes at one outside restuarant.
But the experience - it was worth it
Ciao

Hi April

One last note. We walked the entire time we were in Rome (6 days) probably 100 miles or more - fun getting lost - but we finally learned the streets. Never felt that any area was not safe.
We did make a point not to look like tourists. Dressed in dark clothes like they do, no jeans, t-shirts, or tennis shoes. Kept our wallets in front pockets and cameras out of sight for the most part. Spoke Italian whenever we could. We were actually mistaken for natives by a group of Japanese who asked us for directions in Italian (and we answered in English.
I promise, my last post.
Ciao

Thanks for your info Zakochaney,

We will be in Rome for 3 days and we had planned to do just as you outlined.
We thought we had planned too much, but looks like it is quite doable.

Do we have to reserve tickets in advance for either the Colosseum or the Sistine Chapel? If so, where is the best place to get them.....If not, where is the best place to get them?

I understand that we can't reserve tickets for the Vatican (is that correct?)

aprilo4 - Yes, we did book our tours before we went, but I'm very much a "planner".

We bought the metro passes once we got there. You buy them out of a macine just like in DC, Chicago, etc. It's very easy. The only time I didn't like travling on the metro was with our luggage on the way from the airport. We had to stand up and it would have been SO much easier if we had just taken a taxi from the train station.

Here is a link to San Crispino's web site:

http://www.ilgelatodisancrispino.com/02dove.htm#

It's located on the via della Panetteria. It's two blocks up from Trevi Fountain in the opposite direction from via del Corso. Banana was our favorite, but everything was good. I would pay a lot for some right about now. Enjoy and eat gelato every day!

The best food we had in Rome was in the Piazza Navona area. Like the other poster said, just check out the menus posted outside all the restaurants. There are lots of family friendly restaurants in Rome. Our experience was that a cheap meal for two was at least $30 for just a pasta dish for each of us and bottled water (by the time you added in the cost of bread and converted from euros). We thought the food in Tuscany was better than that in Rome, so my advice would be to save your splurging for then if you're going to try to watch what you spend on food.

Avoid a car rental pickup at Fiumicino if you can. I have read that a pickup there adds 14% to the total cost of your rental.

There are lots of threads about pick-up points from which it is relatively easy to navigate out of the city. I did say "relatively"...

zakochaney... Please post away. All of your suggestions are extremely helpful. We are trying to stick to a tight budget, so all info is appreciated. I think I will check with the hotel as to being picked up at the airport. Although I am certain that the train/metro would be cheaper. I am just afraid that we will be overwhelmed at first, especially not being familiar with the language, signs, etc.
We fly into Ciampiano and have 2 days. We were going to get up early on the 3rd day (Saturday) and pick up the rental car (which I would like to reserve in advance). I thought picking it up at Leonardo airport would be easiest, but a poster stated that it may be more expensive there. Any suggestions of another easy, less expensive location?

suzq_trvlr... thanks for the San Crispino link. It is only about 2 blocks from our hotel!!!! YUM! I am very much a planner also, and that is why I am so anxious to get these last minor (but Major to me) details worked out. Since we have limited time, I want to insure that everything goes as smoothly as possible. Thanks for all of the tips!!

Here are some recommendations I have for you to make people aware of when they travel to Italy:

The biggest one!!

When people are taking the fast, more expensive express trains somewhere you need to let people know to take the train that might not say their destination. For example, when we went from Rome to Florence. We accidentally got on a "local" train that had a destination of Florence rather than the right train which had a destination of Milan! This cost us about 2.5 hrs of time in Florence during the middle of the day; not to mention the comfort factor and lack of beverage service. We spoke with several people while over there and they had briefed on this oddity. Also, just to add confusion those 2 trains were leaving at the same time!! We asked several Italians if we were on the train to Florence and of course they replied "yes". There was literally no way to know we were on the wrong train unless you knew the type of train you were looking for.

The car had a GPS in it but is stopped working within 15 min.. That would have been nice to have but I didn't even think about it when we booked with you.

It might be worth mentioning that Positano doesn't have a nice sunset (in Sept.). Appeared that Amalphi did that time of year. That would have made a difference in my choice I think.. But don't worry, Positano was one of the nicest places I have ever been in my life.

Mention to boaters that boats can be rented for very cheap in Capri; we found out too late. That would have been the most AMAZING way to see the island. Very simple to navigate since it is so small.

All hotels were great by the way!

When you recommend restaurants... Make sure and give ones that can be mapquested ahead of time. The addresses in the Italy (eyewitness)book are wrong sometimes or were ambiguous. The one we did find was pretty nice.

Make sure people know to look for service charges or cover charges (copertito); these can add up if you are not looking for them.

Take boat ride all the way around capri; not just blue grotto... Was soooo nice!!!

I think we picked the best weather and Perfect time of year. I was amazed.

Pompeii; very easy to get to on way to coast or way home but GET A GUIDE!!!! Maps are only in Italian. Maybe just the audio guide will do. Otherwise you are just looking at old bricks for the most part.

Hi Nutrvir
We are adventurous - we did not book anything in advance except the flight and hotel. At the colossium we just walked towards the entrance. You can just pay the fee and walk around on your own, but I would recommend a tour, our was very informative - don't remember the Company name, but the tour guide was Maximillian - very pleasant, easy to understand & funny. They offer a deal if you take both their tours at colossium & vatican. As you approach the entrance the tour guides will be approaching you to create a group. Our guide took about 15 minutes to collect about 20 of us individuals to make the group. You paid him the 18E each and he paid to get you in. You even got to have your picture with one of the "Romans" in costume for free - otherwise they walk around offering to pose with you for a fee. He also offered us a "free" tour across the street at Palatiine Hills, or you can do that on your own. That is where they believe the Roman community began, lots of old ruins - very intertesting. At the vatican you can get in for free to walk in St Peter's square & St. Peter's Basilica & the necropolis below to see Pope JPII. You have to pay for the museum @8E each, but the lines can be long. The day we went we got there about 9:30am and there must have been 1000 people ahead of us. From the museum you get into the Sistine chapel at no charge. On Wednesdays they fence off St. Peter's square for the Papal audience. You need tickets to get in - available from St. Susanna Church - www.santasusanna.org - or if you are Catholic you can contact your local Bishop and ask them to arrange for you. You pick up the tickets in Rome. Tickets are free but they do ask for a donation when you pick up - we gace them 10E. You have to arrive about 8am for the audience to get good seats, first come basis. The square & basicila are closed to the public until about noon on Wednesday. The actual audience is from approx 10:30am to 11:30am. If you have influence with your bishop you might get special tickets that let you sit up by the pope - about 2-3 rows away. Avoid the tours to the vatican they cost about $40 each and you can get in for free on your own. You can connect up with a tour group onsite much cheaper. Don't be afraid to buy books on the vatican & Sistine chapel from street vendors, we got one and it was twice as expensive inside. Also you will find tons of street vendors selling all sorts of rosaries, etc - their prices are as good or better than many stores. I found one rosary outside the gates of St Peter's square for 8E that would easily sell for $35 in the States. If you attend the Papal audience bring all your rosaries & religious stuff with you - the Pope will bless them at the audience - that makes them special, even if you aren't Catholic.
Ciao

April

99% of the people in Rome speak English. when you get into the country that might change in the smaller towns. Learn how to say good morning & evening, thank you and do you speak English. That will endear you to the natives. Also use hand gestures - Italians speak with their hands! The biggest variable will be your meals. There are three types of places that you can eat - the bars, the street carts (wagons with sandwiches) and sit down restuarants. The sit down resturants display their menus outside so look those over first. For 2 Cokes we paid anywhere from 4E to 9E for the same size drink - it all depends where you buy. Go to the St. Susanna site I listed in my previous post. Their site has a ton of info for tourists about dining out etc and it is actually accurate. If you are from the USA the pizza will surprise you. It is about the size of a dinner plate, very thin (Crackers are thicker)with a little sauce on it. Barely enough for one person. Outside the Vatican we got 2 pizza and 2 Cokes - including tip 40E. That was an expensive lunch. For the two of us with lunches, dinner and the mandatory gelatos :) and souvenier, we spent an extra $1,000 in 6 days.
Ciao

It's a bit of an overstatement to say that 99% of the people in Rome speak English. Most of the service workers in the tourist areas do speak English well enough--they have to if they're going to make money.

The further away you get from the heavily touristed areas, the fewer people you'll find who speak English well enough to help out. Though eventually someone will come along who does speak English pretty well and is willing to help if you have a problem.

Hi, april04
I have driven in Italy many times and would find it fairly easy to pick up a car in the city centre and drive to Siena. Have you driven in Europe before? It is basically the same from the UK to Turkey in my experience.

It is more expensive to pick up a car at the airport and you are paying to return your family to the airport. Financially, it would be much more expensive to go to the airport, but, it is a bit more challenging to drive from the city center if you haven't driven in Europe before.

What hasn't been said is that there is no need for a car in Siena. In fact, having driven there just last year, I would strongly suggest you train there rather than drive there. I think the train would be cheaper than renting a car and having to park it in Siena. When you are ready to leave Siena, pick up your car there and drop it in Pisa. I don't think there would be extra fees to drop it, that usually applies to more remote locations or when traveling to other countries, in my experience.

Would it not make more sense to go directly to Florence from Rome, do your thing, and go to Siena at night? Siena is the nicest at this time when the daytrippers and tour buses are gone. The train to Florence can be taken from Termini in Rome and you can bus or train to Siena, a short trip away.
Actually, if you really want a car, pick it up in Florence, near the Arno, and drive out. That's really simple.

Keep it simple, april04, don't over plan, and have lots of fun!
Gigi

We have a fairly similar & tight schedule to yourself April so your post has been really helpful. On the basis of advice given I think we'll not book the colloseum but I would really like to prebook the Vatican if possible, as it allows some queue jumping.Did anyone give info on this, there was a lot to read and I may have missed it. Also when you return I would love to hear how your 12 year old coped with the tours- they seem very long, especially at the Vatican(& for those of us who have to do Australian dollar conversions- very expensive), -not sure how our 12 & 14 year old will go.

Hi April

When I said 99% speak English, I meant in the areas that you will be in, hotels, restuarants, tourist sites in Rome proper per say. When you wander, then you will have to rely on some Italian & gestures.

designergigi,
We have neer driven in Europe before (this is our first visit) Someone suggested a Hertz rental pick up, just past the Vatican, which I think I will check into. Which route to Siena would you suggest? We are into the scenery, but also easy. We did check into the train, etc., but still feel that with our limited time, it will give us more options with having a car. All of our hotels have parking available. Any route suggestions would be appreciated.

We returned a rental to the Hertz at Termini train station. The access frmo the highway to this location was fairly quick and easy.