Neve1064

Hello and thank you for reading my questions.

Is it possible to start our first trip to Italy by flying into Rome and then leaving for home from a different airport so we don't have to return to Rome? Trip duration is an issue.

We aren't able to stay for very long ( just 5 days in Italy), so I need o plan a trip that covers maybe two locations only. What are your top three?

Should we rent a car (we are in our thirties ) or take trains?

Is there a resource that books short trips like this? I like being able to look for trips on Orbitz and Priceline, for example but they don't seem to book hotels in different cities on different dates after your flight arrives. Am I over looking something?

Thank you kindly for your responses.

N

kybourbon

If you want to book a package you might try either go-today.com or gate1travel.com. The have some that combine airfare, hotels (your choice), trains. You could choose one that is a few nights Rome and a few nights Venice. Check hotel locations first so you don't end up a long way from the tourist areas.

I would choose into Venice and out of Rome because of flight departure times (most flights leaving Venice for the states are really early).

notbob

You might want to consider just staying in Rome only. Five days is not very long. It's a four and a half hour train ride from rome to venice on a Eurostar (fast) train.

you'll burn the greater part of a day, packing, checking out of your hotel, getting to the train staion, traveling, and then getting to the other hotel and checking in etc.

more than enough things to do and see in rome for the time you would be there.

Jean

With only five days, I'd probably just stay on one place and make a day trip or two. Rome is the only destination you specifically mentioned, so you obviously want to go there. From Rome, you could train to Orvieto in about an hour and/or go to the Villa d'Este and gardens at Tivoli and the nearby ruins of Hadrian's Villa.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orvieto

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Villa_d%27Este

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Villa_Adriana

Peter_S_Aus

Five days is not very long - but, if you were to stay in just one place for five days, then you'll get something of a feel for it. Two places in five days really only gives you two days in each.
You can fly "open jaw", which means arriving at say Venice, and departing from Rome. Kybourbon is correct about fly into Venice and out of Rome, if you visit both cities.
The train system in Italy is reliable, cheap and fast. Cars can be hard work, and parking in the larger towns is a nightmare at best, impossible at worst.

Me - I'd suggest five days in Venice. It is just magic. In five days, you have a chance to get a little off the beaten tourist track. We spent six days in Venice a couple of years ago and loved it.

Here's what I thought about Venice:
http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...st-verbose.cfm

Cheers and enjoy the planning.

Neve1064

ok thank you everyone for the responses. So between the major cities or the must see locations in Italy, what is the one we should spend the 5 days in? Venice, Rome, etc?

TIA,

N

WillTravel

For five days in one city, I'd pick Rome.

Peter_S_Aus

For art - Florence
For history - Rome and the Vatican
For just sheer fun, an out of this world experience, Venice.

I'm tragically biased in favour of Venice.

(OK, you other Fodorites, now disagree with me!)

jamikins

I agree with Peter! Depends what your interests are.

Becca001

Just food for thought...It takes every bit of 5 days in Rome just to see the headliners but the question is, do you want any peace and tranquility at all? Rome makes me crazy after only a few days. Just a busy, busy place. Venice is uniquely lovely but I personally would not choose to spend 5 days there. 3 or 4 full days is enough IMHO. Florence can give you a bit more variety in that the city is bustling, much art/history to explore and experience, so much good food/wine to be had AND the countryside is just a stone's throw away. You could spend 5 days in Florence with a day trip or two into the surrounding towns, including Rome. I agree that with 5 days it isn't ideal to move locations. It's such a waste of precious time.

JulieVikmanis

Are you set on being in a city? Would you be interested in staying in one place in a small(er) town in Tuscany and taking many day trips to see the countryside? You could stay someplace in Tuscany and include a day trip to Siena or to Florence for one or two of the days.

Whatever you decide, with the help of answers on this forum, you can certainly book your own hotel(s) and your rental car if you need one.

LoveItaly

Hello neve, not knowing what your interest are it is hard to respond but if it was my trip I would stay in Rome. When you arrive at FCO I assume you will be a bit tired. Getting to a nice hotel room in the historical center of Rome, taking a shower etc., would be so good.

When you say five days I don't know if you mean that includes the day you arrive and the day you depart Italy. How many nights will you have in Italy?

With having a hotel in Rome for how many nights you have in Italy means you only have to unpack and pack once of course.

It is so possible to get away from the "crowds" in Rome if you enjoy walking.

If you find after a day or so you want to see somewhere else in Italy you can take the train to Orvieto (about an hour trip) or if you wish to visit Florence you could take an early morning train to Florence (about a 90 minute trip), spend the day enjoying Florence and come back to Rome at the end of the day. Just two examples. You wouldn't lose a lot of time travelling by train, changing hotels etc.

If you are interested in Venice you could stay there for the amount of time you have in Italy and if in the mood take a day trip to Padova via the train or Verona for example, again via the train.

If you are not sure what appeals to you no doubt your library has some guide books you could check out and enjoy reviewing at home to help you with your decision.

ira

Hi Nev,

It is so easy to plan your own visit to Italy, a TA isn;t necessary.

>So between the major cities or the must see locations in Italy, what is the one we should spend the 5 days in? <

I would choose Florence, Venice, Rome, Naples, in that order.

In addition, you could fly into Venice - 2 nights; drive through Tuscany - 1 night, drop car in Orvieto and train to Rome - 1 night before flying home.

For airfare use: www.kayak.com, www.1800flyeurope.com, www.mobissimo.com, http://www.flycheapabroad.com/default.aspx

For cars use: www.kemwel.com, www.autoeurope.com, www.novacarhire.com.

What's your hotel budget?

ellenem

You can look into flights for the "open jaw" option referred to earlier -- flying into one city and out of another -- by using the "multi-city" option at most airline websites.

I agree with many of the above posters--stay in Rome an perhaps take a daytrip for a change of scene.

Neve1064

Thank you all again for your time and input,


I'm sorry I left out some info to make your recommendations.
We are in our middle thirties. This is a surprise trip for my girl friend.
I'm Playing with the idea pf poping the question while there. If I do I think I should wait tip the end of the trip.
If we did two cities, the place to propose would be Venice, right?so arriving in Venice first wouldn't go in line with that thinking.
My budget is around $3400. We would leave on a Thursday and return home on the following Wednesday. So that's 5 nights in Italy.

I asked my GF what she likes best - art, historical places or just have fun. Fun won first place followed
by historical places. I guess I'm leaning to stating in one city ANC doing day trips as you advised.

We like hiking and we are used to walking a lot. She's a professional dancer and I a singer/ musician. She likes seeing shows. In case that helps.

Thank you so much for your help.

jamikins

Wow, please ensure you come back and do a trip report..sounds so romantic.

I think Venice would be amazing for 5 days, especially with a proposal. But you really cant go wrong. I would vote for Venice or Rome, because Florence is a very artsy place and if she isnt into art the other two locations would be great.

Good luck!

Jean

When is this trip?

Peter_S_Aus

Visualise this:
You are in Venice, riding down the Grand Canal in a gondola.
You ask her if she will marry you.
She says yes.

Afterwards go to Florians and have a champagne.

I think that defines a romantic holiday pretty well!

kfusto

I would personally opt for either Florence or Rome, though flights are easier to find into Rome.

Both offer the option of great day trips and a wide variety of art, architecture and fun. Personally, though Rome is indeed a big, bustling city, we stay in quieter areas and enjoy doing so. Some hotels offer lovely rooftop terraces that are very romantic.

Venice is not one of my favorites and I have never found it romantic or magical. To me, it is too Disneyesque and very, very expensive. And I have found over the course of many trips that I much prefer the food and wine in Tuscany and those are two of the reason I travel to Italy.

If you stay in Florence, you can daytrip easily to Sienna or into the countryside. Do you enjoy wines? There are some great wine bars if you enjoy wine as well as wonderful dining options. And you could spend a day visiting vineyards with a private driver. I find the Tuscan countryside very romantic and beautiful. You could pop the question while in a terraced restaurant overlooking Florence in Fiesole, a short bus ride away. And I am sure your hotel concierge would be very helpful with other suggestions.

From Rome, you could take a one hour train ride to Orvieto and spend the day. We really enjoyed our day there last October.

Not sure of your budget but a special hotel in Florence is Antica Torre Tournabuoni. Small and intimate with private terraces on many of the rooms.

In Rome, our splurge hotel is Sofitel Roma, on a very quiet street yet conveniently located.

Have fun!

ILUVPARIS

I'm with Peter on this, I love Venice as well. When I think of romantic European cities, Venice is one of the first that comes to mind. How about Venice and Lake Como or, Venice and Florence?

On our first trip to Florence we had dinner at the Villa San Michele in Fiesole. Fiesole is a small hilltown just outside the city of Florence. It's an incredibly romantic sight to see and the food is excellent as well!

http://www.villasanmichele.com/web/o...an_michele.jsp

Click on Restaurant and Bars to see a beautiful shot of their dining room. It's magical at night!