italy for - 2 weeks for a young couple
May 11th, 2011, 06:50 PM
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italy for - 2 weeks for a young couple
hi,
everyone out there,pls can you help me. Me and my husband are planning a trip to italy for 2 weeks but it is very confusing where to fly in where to fly out from. what cities are worth visiting. sugesstions on where to stay how to trave.all help will be much appreciated.
everyone out there,pls can you help me. Me and my husband are planning a trip to italy for 2 weeks but it is very confusing where to fly in where to fly out from. what cities are worth visiting. sugesstions on where to stay how to trave.all help will be much appreciated.
May 11th, 2011, 07:45 PM
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I don't know why it's confusing. You fly into and out of the cities you plan to land in and leave from. As to what cities are worth visiting, you need to do your own research and figure out where you want to go and what you want to visit. Do you really want strangers on the internet to plan a trip for you, and how realistic could their suggestions be unless you gave many more details than you have provided, such as budget, whether you're traveling by car or public transportation, what your hotel preferences are, etc.
In short, you have a load of research to do. Get guidebooks. Get maps. Make a plan. Like everyone else does. It's not hard, it just takes PLANNING.
In short, you have a load of research to do. Get guidebooks. Get maps. Make a plan. Like everyone else does. It's not hard, it just takes PLANNING.
May 11th, 2011, 08:01 PM
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we want to travel by eruo rail..we are not really on a tight budget..we have decided to fly in and out of milan and naples as of now..we are thinking of venice,florence,rome and cinque de terra as of now.also are there are tips when travelling within like how to buy the train tickets,collesuem tickets etc. its a last minute planning that we just started doing.so any help would be much appreciated.
May 11th, 2011, 09:43 PM
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How does Naples come into play when you are going to Venice, Florence, Rome, and CT?
Ok, so it is good that you have not purchased the flight. Many people come to this forum after purchasing a cheap flight only to find that the flight arrangement is incompatible with the itinerary and incur time and money to match the flight to the itinerary.
How to buy attraction tickets are details that bog you down at this point. I think putting items in the itinerary unsystematically would only confuse you.
Here is one way:
1. List all the destinations of interest and what in each destination you are interested. Information overload will bog you down. Get the essence, not the details of what each destination offers. You can do sanity check on whether what you are trying to do is open during your visit later.
2. choose one itinerary to fill 2 wks. It is difficult come up with an ideal itinerary the first time, so don't try. Thinking hard here just frustrates you.
3. choose flight arrangement that matches #2. Try to avoid back-tracking to the starting point. Doing so will consume travel time, money, and even an unproductive overnight at the departure city.
4. What can do you have at each destination? Given the hours available in a day, hope you know that, is the itinerary realistic? What are the things you don't like with this plan - insanely early morning departure, many long train ride days, too many lunches on a run, etc. How much does this cost?
5. leave this plan aside, make up another plan repeating steps 2,3,4.
6. Come up with 5 or 6 itineraries to compare. After going through exercises, you start to get the feel of what destination cannot be the last one, the minimum number of days needed at each site that fits your interest - not someone else, which city is easy to fly into and matches the ground portion of the trip.
If you must fly in and out of the same airport, avoid staying at that city twice - once when you arrive and again when you depart. Of course, if your arrival is in the evening, you don't have much choice other than looking at another itinerary.
Ok, so it is good that you have not purchased the flight. Many people come to this forum after purchasing a cheap flight only to find that the flight arrangement is incompatible with the itinerary and incur time and money to match the flight to the itinerary.
How to buy attraction tickets are details that bog you down at this point. I think putting items in the itinerary unsystematically would only confuse you.
Here is one way:
1. List all the destinations of interest and what in each destination you are interested. Information overload will bog you down. Get the essence, not the details of what each destination offers. You can do sanity check on whether what you are trying to do is open during your visit later.
2. choose one itinerary to fill 2 wks. It is difficult come up with an ideal itinerary the first time, so don't try. Thinking hard here just frustrates you.
3. choose flight arrangement that matches #2. Try to avoid back-tracking to the starting point. Doing so will consume travel time, money, and even an unproductive overnight at the departure city.
4. What can do you have at each destination? Given the hours available in a day, hope you know that, is the itinerary realistic? What are the things you don't like with this plan - insanely early morning departure, many long train ride days, too many lunches on a run, etc. How much does this cost?
5. leave this plan aside, make up another plan repeating steps 2,3,4.
6. Come up with 5 or 6 itineraries to compare. After going through exercises, you start to get the feel of what destination cannot be the last one, the minimum number of days needed at each site that fits your interest - not someone else, which city is easy to fly into and matches the ground portion of the trip.
If you must fly in and out of the same airport, avoid staying at that city twice - once when you arrive and again when you depart. Of course, if your arrival is in the evening, you don't have much choice other than looking at another itinerary.
May 11th, 2011, 10:45 PM
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If you stay in Central and Northern Italy, the distances are just not that large. If this is your first time to Italy, here is THE "classic" trip (this was my first itinerary to Italy), perhaps it will spark some ideas for you:
1. Fly into Rome. See (1) the Vatican (Sistine Chapel), (2) ancient Roman Empire (Coliseum, PANTHEON), and (3) Renaissance Rome (museums).
2. Take a break from all the touring, and time for romantic digs on the Amalfi Coast. If you can afford it Positano is outrageously beautiful (check out the prices to stay at Le Sirenuse if you dare!), but any of the resort towns on the Amalfi Coast are outstanding. You can take a hydrofoil over to Capri to stay or just to walk around for the day, visit the Blue Grotto. If you are a heavy-duty tourist, visit Pompeii while you are down here.
Alternately to the Amalfi Coast, (and this is more convenient roadmap-wise) you can go to the Ligurian Coast to Santa Margharita to hike the Cinque Terre, or visit Portofino.
3. Stay in a hill town, such as Siena (my favorite). Or, stay in another Tuscan village and make day trips (you may want to rent a car here). San Gimignano and Pisa come to mind.
4. Florence. Make sure to book online before you go to see the major museums or it is a looong wait to get in (the Uffizi for example to see Boticelli's "Spring", or the Accademia to see Michelangelo's "David"). Like Rome, this is another heavy-duty touring town...if you want it to be.
5. Venice. Do the gondola ride. And pay the extra $$$ and get a gondolier who sings opera while you are going down the canals in his boat. Certainly will be great to end your trip in one of the most romantic cities in the world.
6. Fly out of Venice.
7. Try cooking what you ate in Italy when you get home so you have a greater appreciation on how difficult it really is to make that great risotto dish ;-)
1. Fly into Rome. See (1) the Vatican (Sistine Chapel), (2) ancient Roman Empire (Coliseum, PANTHEON), and (3) Renaissance Rome (museums).
2. Take a break from all the touring, and time for romantic digs on the Amalfi Coast. If you can afford it Positano is outrageously beautiful (check out the prices to stay at Le Sirenuse if you dare!), but any of the resort towns on the Amalfi Coast are outstanding. You can take a hydrofoil over to Capri to stay or just to walk around for the day, visit the Blue Grotto. If you are a heavy-duty tourist, visit Pompeii while you are down here.
Alternately to the Amalfi Coast, (and this is more convenient roadmap-wise) you can go to the Ligurian Coast to Santa Margharita to hike the Cinque Terre, or visit Portofino.
3. Stay in a hill town, such as Siena (my favorite). Or, stay in another Tuscan village and make day trips (you may want to rent a car here). San Gimignano and Pisa come to mind.
4. Florence. Make sure to book online before you go to see the major museums or it is a looong wait to get in (the Uffizi for example to see Boticelli's "Spring", or the Accademia to see Michelangelo's "David"). Like Rome, this is another heavy-duty touring town...if you want it to be.
5. Venice. Do the gondola ride. And pay the extra $$$ and get a gondolier who sings opera while you are going down the canals in his boat. Certainly will be great to end your trip in one of the most romantic cities in the world.
6. Fly out of Venice.
7. Try cooking what you ate in Italy when you get home so you have a greater appreciation on how difficult it really is to make that great risotto dish ;-)
May 11th, 2011, 10:56 PM
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hey scottinajma,
can you pls give details,how many days at each location??? where did you stay,did you buy the eurorail or was a point to point ticket that you purchased?which hotels did you stay in?
thanks
can you pls give details,how many days at each location??? where did you stay,did you buy the eurorail or was a point to point ticket that you purchased?which hotels did you stay in?
thanks
May 11th, 2011, 11:44 PM
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The roads in Italy are excellent, although the drivers in the cities are nuts. We had a car during the trip between Rome and Florence, and then took the train from Florence to Venice.
I stayed at great hotels, but I am older; it could be too expensive for you. Italy is amazingly costly to visit hotel-wise. Take a look at Fodor's recommendations, or go to the other site I use a lot called tripadvisor.com for price and rankings. But since you asked:
* Rome - Grand (3 nights)
* Positano - Le Sirenuse (3 nights) as a base to visit Capri and other towns along the Coast
* Siena - (I forget hotel, have to look it up) (2 nights)
* Florence - Excelsior (3 nights)
* Venice - Danieli (3 nights)
Obviously, this only lets you scratch the surface and see the highlights, but you may end up saving your $$$ and going back like everyone else anyway as you will be so blown away with how "rich" Italy is in sites and scenery. In fact, I am leaving next week to see Northern Italy in more detail for 2.5 weeks (Milan, Portofino, Bellagio on Lake Como at the foot of the Alps, Verona, the Dolomites (a different section of the Italian Alps in NE Italy), and of course Venice again.
Warning: The amalfi coast may be difficult to drive, particularly if you are not used to narrow mountain winding roads (with Italian drivers). Think about public trans instead, but others will have to help you on what the options are here. Also, in my opinion except for Pompeii/Heculaneum there is not much to see in Naples itself as a first-time visitor, although the people are definitely different from Rome and north... much more casual, and the "Italian" food will seem much more familiar to you if you are from the states!
I stayed at great hotels, but I am older; it could be too expensive for you. Italy is amazingly costly to visit hotel-wise. Take a look at Fodor's recommendations, or go to the other site I use a lot called tripadvisor.com for price and rankings. But since you asked:
* Rome - Grand (3 nights)
* Positano - Le Sirenuse (3 nights) as a base to visit Capri and other towns along the Coast
* Siena - (I forget hotel, have to look it up) (2 nights)
* Florence - Excelsior (3 nights)
* Venice - Danieli (3 nights)
Obviously, this only lets you scratch the surface and see the highlights, but you may end up saving your $$$ and going back like everyone else anyway as you will be so blown away with how "rich" Italy is in sites and scenery. In fact, I am leaving next week to see Northern Italy in more detail for 2.5 weeks (Milan, Portofino, Bellagio on Lake Como at the foot of the Alps, Verona, the Dolomites (a different section of the Italian Alps in NE Italy), and of course Venice again.
Warning: The amalfi coast may be difficult to drive, particularly if you are not used to narrow mountain winding roads (with Italian drivers). Think about public trans instead, but others will have to help you on what the options are here. Also, in my opinion except for Pompeii/Heculaneum there is not much to see in Naples itself as a first-time visitor, although the people are definitely different from Rome and north... much more casual, and the "Italian" food will seem much more familiar to you if you are from the states!
May 12th, 2011, 01:10 AM
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With two weeks I would pick 3 - 4 locations max.
I would:
Fly into Venice (flights leave really early for US so its better to fly INTO Venice, rather than OUT OF.
Spend 3 nights.
Train to Florence spend 3 nights (day trip to Pisa and/or Siena)
Option 1 - train to Cinque Terre and spend 3 nights if you like nature and hiking
Option 2 - rent a car on the way out of Florence (dont drive in Florence - do a search here for find out all the pitfalls) and spend 3-4 nights in a small town in Val D'Orcia
Train to Rome and spend remaining time in Rome.
OR give Tuscany/Cinque Terre a miss and train to Rome for 4-5 nights and then train to Naples and stay on Amalfi Coast or Sorrento for remaining time. Fly home from Naples.
I would:
Fly into Venice (flights leave really early for US so its better to fly INTO Venice, rather than OUT OF.
Spend 3 nights.
Train to Florence spend 3 nights (day trip to Pisa and/or Siena)
Option 1 - train to Cinque Terre and spend 3 nights if you like nature and hiking
Option 2 - rent a car on the way out of Florence (dont drive in Florence - do a search here for find out all the pitfalls) and spend 3-4 nights in a small town in Val D'Orcia
Train to Rome and spend remaining time in Rome.
OR give Tuscany/Cinque Terre a miss and train to Rome for 4-5 nights and then train to Naples and stay on Amalfi Coast or Sorrento for remaining time. Fly home from Naples.
May 12th, 2011, 04:53 AM
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We are doing 12 nights at the following places:
2 nights in Venice
3 nights in Florence (day trip to Siena and one to Bologna)
4 nights in Rome
3 nights in Sorrento (see Pompei on the way there, day trip to Capri)
We fly into Venice and out of Rome. We would have chosen to fly out of Naples, but the flight was too expensive to get using our points.
2 nights in Venice
3 nights in Florence (day trip to Siena and one to Bologna)
4 nights in Rome
3 nights in Sorrento (see Pompei on the way there, day trip to Capri)
We fly into Venice and out of Rome. We would have chosen to fly out of Naples, but the flight was too expensive to get using our points.
May 12th, 2011, 10:24 AM
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Jamikins is correct re: direct Venice flights. I am using a connecting flight to Zurich on Swiss flight 1661 leaving at 9:40AM.
The good news is that it seems the recommended itineraries are in pretty close agreement for you! Have a wonderful time.
The good news is that it seems the recommended itineraries are in pretty close agreement for you! Have a wonderful time.
May 12th, 2011, 10:48 PM
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Having never been to Milan, I understand that the cathedral is beautiful and the Last Supper is worth seeing. My impression is that alot of people go there for the shopping. Based on your timelines and the other places you want to see I would give it a miss.
May 12th, 2011, 11:04 PM
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thank you so much jamikins,really appreciate your help.my husband wanted to see ferrari showroo,=m but i guess he could give it a miss.how is shopping in the rest of italy? i would love to shop there.also would you recommend sorrento or capri or positano? is overwhelming there is so much information everywhere.
May 12th, 2011, 11:18 PM
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No problem! Shopping is great in Italy, and you will find lots of it everywhere - high end shops especially in Rome by the Spanish Steps.
When we went we chose to stay in Positano and just loved it. Sorrento is a larger place and not on the Amalfi coast but others like that. We prefer smaller towns. The views are spectacular, but there are lots of tourists. Depends what you like.
We werent big fans of Capri but maybe thats because we did it as a day trip and there were TONNES of tourists.
Enjoy!
When we went we chose to stay in Positano and just loved it. Sorrento is a larger place and not on the Amalfi coast but others like that. We prefer smaller towns. The views are spectacular, but there are lots of tourists. Depends what you like.
We werent big fans of Capri but maybe thats because we did it as a day trip and there were TONNES of tourists.
Enjoy!
May 13th, 2011, 01:58 AM
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Sounds like you really need to go back and do some basic planning as has been suggested. Make a plan and come back for comments.
If this is the first time you are reading about the desirability of July and August then you have a lot to do - yourself IMO - before you can begin to make a specific itinerary.
If this is the first time you are reading about the desirability of July and August then you have a lot to do - yourself IMO - before you can begin to make a specific itinerary.
