italy for the 1st time
 

My son and I are going to Italy on July 11. We plan to see Rome, Naples,Florence, Venice: is this feasible in 10 days? We're going to skip many museums, just see the main sights and get a good taste of atmosphere and culture.

Do we need to buy the Italy Rail card (it costs $163 for 4 days) or should we buy individual train tickets there? Any tips highly appreciated.

For only 10 days? You will be dead! You need no less than 5 for just Rome. It's an amazing place. From Rome I would do Nalples in a day trip and SKIP Florence. Florence is a great city but in my opinion just an expensive over hyped version of Rome. I suggest 3 days in Venice, no more, no less.

So I suggest 6 full days in Rome with day trips to Naples and maybe another trip for another day. Take one day as a relaxing travel by train day to Venice (4 or 5 hour trip), then 3 days in Venice.

Buy your train tickets the first day you get there at a travel agent in Rome.

I guess you could take a day trip to Flornce from Rome but the train proce is high ($50) and I am still not sure if it is worth it since you will already be in the most fab city in Italy.

If you want to see more about Rome check out my websight. I have info on sights hotels and restaurants there.

http://homepage.mac.com/richardab/

Hi soni,

If you are looking for "a taste of Italy", Rome, Florence and Venice are the big three, and readily doable in 10 days.

Why Naples?

Go to www.railsaver.com to determine if point-to-point is cheaper than rail card. (I think it will be.)

Have fun, and give us a report.

Soni,
I agree 100% with Richard. Less is better. I would do Rome 4 days, Florence 3 days, and Venice 3 days. This will give you a taste of these 3 incredible cities. Do not miss Michelangelo's David in Florence. Also the Duomo is incredible. The Uffizi is wonderful also.

In Venice see St. Marks then go as far away from there as possible to the back canals. This is where the "real" Venice is.

Rome is big and has so many sites to see. Concentrate on a few and enjoy those. There is no way you can see everything in a few days. Do not even try. You will be worn out.

I feel your excitement. I have been to Italy 2 times and I am going again in Sept. Have a wonderful time.

My daughter and I did 10 days last Nov. We did 3 nights in Rome (although I would have liked more time, it was enough). We did 3 nights in Sorrento which you could subsitute for Venice and we did 2 nights in Naples. Don't let people talk you out of Naples. It was mine and my daughters favorite part of the trip. Naples is very alive and vibrant.

I would probably skip Florence because on the 10 day scale I could not imagine having fit in another place. Then you just have an excuse to go back and see other places.

Just have a wonderful trip!!!
April [email protected]

Soni -small tip..when in rome - rent a scooter. its NOT dangerous..you can potter about in first gear throught the streets of trastevere. and you won't get worn out. park where you want. PLUS your son will flip with joy!!
I highly reccomend you DON'T do this in Napoli as drivers there are....different.

Naples may be alive and vibrant, but it's just another city when compared to what Rome, Florence, and Venice have to offer in the way high quality sights and activites.

If you want a vibrant city and you're in the USA, save the transAtlantic airfare and go to New York, Chicago, LA, San Franciso, Miami, etc., whichever is closest to you.

Dear RufusT:

You clearly have no clue what you speak of and have never spent meaningful time in Naples.

First, Rome is a no brainer for historical and religious sites. There are good to very good places to eat. The city is not particularly friendly but heh, Romans still think they're the center of an empire.

Florence is magnificent with one BIG caveat --- CROWDS. Line-ups, etc. Plus, its art and culture is intense but relatively limited
in "surprises". I prefer staying just ouside of town at places like Bellosguardo (cooler, calmer)and then interchanging between town visits and exploring the surrounding region where "local" experiences can happen. Florence is almost at a point where they should seal off the city in the summer and hand over management to Disney Corp. ("And on the left is a copy of the famous David...and oh look someone in a folkloric costume...").

Venice. Best time to go is December or before Lent. Summer is beyond packed and very hot. To appreciate Venice and not be overwhelmed stay slightly off the beaten path like in the old Jewish quarter. Its beautiful when its shrowded in misty rain.

Naples. Correctly described as vibrant --- perhaps one of the most vibrant and culturally rich cities in the world. Sure, the approaches to the city look unpromising and the train station area is unsafe but the bulk of this town is PACKED with cultural and artistic and historical treasures, which, because Naples was at various times Greek/Roman/Spanish/French etc far exceeds any other city in Italy for diversity. Plus best food in Italy hands down no argument. Naples is a city which
rewards those willing to BE in Italy. It ENGAGES you and demands a little interaction on your part.

Otherwise, to use RufusT's analogy, stay in the USA and go to Disneyland.

Johnc,
Ah, you warm the heart.....

How old is your son? Is he keen on religious art, or will you be looking for activities to wear him out? Do 3 days Rome, 3 Florence and 3 Venice. It will take 1/2 a day to travel by train from Rome to Venice, so you will have a few travelling days there as well. It's a 1 hour flight from Rome to Venice, and you travel by boat into Venice. If you book your train from home, you can get a seat reservation which means you won't be looking for 2 free seats together all the time. Do Naples and the Amalfi coast another time. Ciao

Suggest 4 days in Rome, 3 days in Florence and 3 days in Venice. Easy to do introduction trip that will leave you wanting to come back again. Skip Naples and the Italy Rail Card.

all of what johnc said about naples with the caveat that napoli is an aquired taste and not for the first timer.

that said neopolitans are the most gregarious and fun loving of the italians. a stroll thru the open market in the western quarter is a delight with neighbors greeting one another and shoppers and merchants bargaining animatedly all under a canopy of fluttering laundry and soccor club pennants.

the hand gesture as code is the most highly developed on the entire penninsula. contrary to popular misconception napoli is very safe altho it is prudent to avoid the fringes of the centro storico and the docks late at night.

while, other than the national archeological museum, naples cannot compete with the big three in terms of art, it wins the gastronomic prize hands down. everything is the freshest of the fresh and prepared with an elan in keeping with the general neopolitan psyche.

if i am going to italy for the art, it's rome or florence. but if i want the actual culture, i go always to naples where the inhabitants have an art for living.

Thanks a million for the great tips, everyone! Railsaver.com is a BIG help, as is raileurope.com. My son is 18, and he wants to see art and history, but not overload on it, and get some atmosphere at the same time. Also, the main reason he's going is to eat, since Italian food is his favorite of all foods, so from your comments about fresh food and fun-loving people, I guess we're going to Naples! I don't know where he puts it, he's skinny as a beanpole, the lucky stiff! I think I'm leaning towards buying the railcards after looking at the fares and schedules. Will run my final itinerary by you all for approval in a few.

Hi Soni,

If you have decided on Naples, I suggest 4 days Rome, 3 days Naples, 2-3 days Sorrento or somewhere on the Amalfi Coast.

You can visit Pompeii or Herculaneum on one of your Naples days.

PS Bologna has the best food in Italy. Your son might want to consider going to the U of Bologna. http://www.unibo.it/Portale/Ateneo/english.htm

I would not skip Florence, it's a wonderful city and we had the best meals there. It is such a great city for evening strolling and many coffees at sidewalk cafes and loads of yummy icecreams.
Whatever you decide, I hope you both have a great first trip to Italy and MANY MORE :-)

I think you should pick out the 3 places that work best with your train connections and just assume that you will come back for the other sites! I say that because that is what we did!

We skipped the Florence the first time, and then came back and spent more time seeing what we missed the first time. And it does take time.
You might want to skip Venice, just because it is the farthest north. (But oh, Venice is wonderful - I can't believe I suggested that)

We had a guide who met us in Naples and took us for a day trip, but he did say some negative things about Naples. Perhaps it was because he was from Sorrento, but he wasn't kidding. He repeatedly told us to be careful in Naples - that it was the most dangerous place in Italy. I have also read that the Neopolitans are very friendly and outgoing, but since I heard that from an Italian (about a year ago), I would suggest that you do go there since you have your heart set on it, but be alert and be careful when and where you go. The museum there has the items removed from Pompeii, so you might be interested in that. Just use your usual precautions.
Have a great trip!

Feasible in ten days, absolutely.

Whether you'll enjoy that pace, or find it frustrating, is another matter.

Ira's advice sounded good until he dropped this bombshell: "Bologna has the best food in Italy"

Correction: the Bolognese THINK they have the best food in Italy. The Neopolitans actually make it.

I think you can do this. I had 6 in Rome, two in Venice and two in Florence and we were just fine. That included a day trip to Ostia Antica (sorry folks, disappointed) and Tivoli (somewhat disappointed). So if you drop those two things and focus on Rome itself, I think you will be just fine and have plenty of time to relax in the evenings with a drink. Rome is hot, hot, hot right now as is Venice and Florence so be prepared for that. If you are thinking of taking anything long sleeved, forget it and take more anti perspirant!

IMHO I think you will regret going to Naples and missing Florence, especially if your decision is based mainly on food. You can find good food all over Italy. I also believe Johnc's passionately positive opinion about Naples is a minority one on this forum. The "interaction" he says Naples demands may not be the kind a first time traveler to Italy needs or wants. Not trying to start a raging debate here, but Naples is an "acquired" taste for most people.