Italy - 1st Timer Help Needed
 

Hi there!

I took advantage of an airfare sale and have a one week trip for Italy booked. We are flying into Rome and plan to spend about three days there. My question is, for a first (and brief) visit to Italy, would you recommend spending the entire time in Rome or visiting one additional place?

Outside of Rome, (and from what I've read in guides), Perugia and Venice really appeal to me (I would love to do a separate trip for Florence & Amalfi when I have more time). I would love to hear your thoughts/recommendations on Perugia, Venice,or even other suggestions that I may have overlooked.

If it helps, we like a mixture of quiet time and things to do. Also, we had looked at agriturismo in Umbria, but really do not want to rent a car. Has anyone done a farm stay without a car? Did you find it to be difficult to not have a car to get around?

Thanks,
Katina

Hi there,

You could do two places in a week, or the whole week in Rome. Trains are very easy to use in Italy so getting between two places is easy.

I would definitely not stay on a farm without a car...how would you get anywhere? They are usually really isolated and not necessarily walking distance from towns.

Florence to Venice is about 4 hours by train. Rome to Venice will be longer - say 6 hours plus extra time if you have to change in Florence. This will take up virtually a full day.

Perugia makes better sense as it is closer to Rome, however it will all be much easier if you do hire a car.

Florence lends itself to Rome as it is only 1 1.2 hours by train. A few days in Florence will give you a lovely taste of what there is to see without wasting too much time travelling. I can't think of any logical reason to want to do Florence and Amalfi on another visit? They aren't geographically close to each other.

Assuming you are flying in from the US you will be jetlagged on the first day, so don't forget to keep that in mind.

Plus, of course, you could easily spend the entire week in Rome and enjoy seeing everything without having to rush. You would have plenty of time for espresso and pastries ;)

Trains from Rome to Venice take 4.5 hrs with no change required. Departures every 2hrs throughout the day. The train will run non-stop from Rome to Florence (1.5hrs), then proceed on to Venice with stops in Bologna and Padova (3hrs).

Katina,

Important questions - WHEN is your trip? HOW many nights do you actually have on the ground? Does 1 week include flying days? Makes a big difference on recommendations.

Assuming you're coming from the US and arriving in the early morning, it's good to use that first (jetlagged) day to get to your non-Rome destination. So take the train from the Rome airport into town to the Stazione Termini and switch to a train for Venice or Perugia. Then you can train back to Rome for the rest of your week.

I wouldn't do more than 2 stops in that week. Jetlag takes us 2 or 3 days to get over. I prefer to spend that time in less intense location than Rome. And in Venice you don't even need to watch out for cars or figure out how to cross that busy street.

How about the Amalfi coast and Capri? Less than two hours from Rome and very beautiful. You could do four days in Rome and then three in Sorrento with a side trip to Capri via ferry. Then take the plane home from Naples.

I live in Italy (near Genova), I adore Perugia (I'm less keen on Venice, which in increasingly feels less and less like Italy and more and more like a tourist destination).

For a week's stay, you really wouldn't get bored with staying in Rome the entire time, with one day trip to Orvieto and one day trip to Ostia Antica. Each trip is an hour each way. The rest of the time you could have your mix or quiet time and activity. If you split the two destinations, you will have far less relaxation.

But if you really feel like you don't want to miss out on seeing more of Italy, Perugia is a fantastic, unique destination -- as unique as Venice in its own way -- and the national gallery of art there is one of the very finest in Italy, and will give you a wonderful basis for appreciating later tours of Italy (including Umbria, when you decide you are reading to rent a car. Driving in Umbria is quite easy).

Have a great trip.

Rome has so much...I would rent an apartment and spend the entire week in Rome.

hi katina,

being more of a fan of Venice than zeppole, i would not discourage you from going to Venice as well as Rome. I agree that if you did so, using your first day to get there would be a good idea.

but I do agree that you could easily spend the whole week in Rome. as well as the more usualy day trips to Tivoli and Ostia antica, you could always do a day trip to somewhere like Orvieto or even Assisi to give you an idea of a different part of Italy.

have a great trip,

regards, ann