Italy in 16 days
Dec 13th, 2010, 05:20 PM
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Italy in 16 days
The trip started as a surprise to my husband for our 25th wedding anniversary and I had been setting aside money each week for 10 months to pay cash for the trip. With 8 weeks to go, I gave him a general overview of where we were going and a little bit of itinerary information.
For those who are trying to understand if they want to keep reading, we stayed 6 nights in Venice, 3 nights in Chianti Tuscany, and 5 nights in Ladispoli on the Tyrrhenian Sea outside of Rome.
We arrived at the Marco Polo airport and had a private taxi to the dock of our apartment on Venice. Knowing what I do now, I would never reserve a private taxi. The water level was higher than normal, the taxi dropped us off at San Marco Sq. instead of the apartment dock and still charged us the full fare. We had notified the apartment contact of the change of drop-off point & they arranged to meet us under the Lion statue in San Marco Sq. right away. However, after 90 minutes of waiting with all our luggage & crowded streets we finally made it to the apartment with the cleaning boy - not the apartment contact. For all the praises I heard about this apartment and its owner, we did not find the experience to be one we would recommend. It was a lovely apartment - make no mistake - but the owner is not someone we would recommend doing business with. Even after we returned there continued to be problems with the owner. We stayed 4 nights in La Rosa di Venezia; again nice apartment but there are plenty of accommodations in Venice & working with the owner of this apartment is not worth the trouble!!! We then stayed 2 nights at Sant'Elena, a peaceful setting close to a park. We moved to the hotel because my husband ran in the Venice Marathon & the hotel was near the finish line, otherwise I would not recommend moving to another location. I would recommend this hotel though. Very nice personnel, helpful, very accommodating, and a nice location as it was not too far to walk to San Marco. Venice was a wonderful place to get lost! We looked specifically for restaurants that were not trying to pull in tourist, and menus were not translated. We wanted to find restaurants the locals were "regulars" at & we did find several lovely restaurant like this. I do not recall the names but if you are traveling to Italy, you should look for restaurants such as these to find truly good food & service. We did take a Gondola ride one evening at dusk & it was peaceful - expensive - but peaceful. We took a valpereto down the Grand Canal got off at the last stop & walked back to our apartment. On the way back, we stopped at a chocolate shop called Viziovirtù. I have never had chocolate that tasted so amazing! We would go out in the morning for coffee & fresh bread, went to a concert, and walked for miles! Venice was wonderful!
We left Venice by high-speed train to Florence, picked up a rental car & drove to Chianti Tuscany. The train was fun to experience & I do not regret that choice, getting to the car rental from the train station though was very difficult. It required pulling luggage through busy & crowded streets following our GPS. We had been encouraged not to drive in Italy - least of all Rome - but my husband did an amazing job driving in Italy, even Rome! Our accommodation in Chianti was wonderful! We stayed at Fattoria Tregole, a Bed & Breakfast, in room #5 the Garden room. They have a suite on the first floor but it was booked during our stay. Regardless, Edith was wonderful. She spent time telling us about good drives & sights to see, Edith is a true host. The night of our arrival, she was preparing supper for the guests & she had us join the meal - she does charge for supper but no more than the local restaurants would have & the food was incredible! The views from this location were beautiful & it was nicely located so we could take drives to Florence or Siena for sightseeing. I would recommend Fattoria Tregole always! Tuscany is a beautiful drive! We had a hot air balloon reserved but all 3 mornings proved to be too windy - so we did not make it up. Our favorite restaurant was in a little town called Radda, where my husband had a berry pasta & I had pear ravioli.
We left Fattoria Tregole and went to La Posta Vecchia located in Ladispoli on the Tyrrhenian Sea. It is a place to go & be spoiled. However, if you read a review that states it is a 30-minute drive to Rome, do not believe it. We used their free shuttle service 2 days, and drove into Rome 1 day and each time it was an hour drive one-way. It was disappointing to spend so much time on the road, but the views of the Tyrrhenian Sea was breathless. It is a very expensive hotel that has a fascinating history. It is a once-in-a-life time accommodation. Celebrating 25 years of marriage & 20 years for our business anniversary made this splurge worth it. We did sightseeing in Rome 2 days & my husband ran a 10K in Rome for All Saints Day. Two days in Rome was enough for us - it kept us moving & we were able to see everything we wanted.
All in all: Venice is a "must" for us & staying in Venice is the only way I would want to experience Venice. Chianti Tuscany is a must for us & having a rental car is the only way to do it. Rome is a one-time visit for us. It was great to see the history but we do not have a need to return. The next time we want to take our kids and go back to Venice for 6 days, Chianti for 5 days, and then maybe the coastal towns.
Do Italy. Save, save, save your money - it really works to put back a stash of cash each week. Go for 2 weeks, stay in Venice for at least 2 nights but longer if you can afford it, drive through Tuscany & stay at a Bed & Breakfast, enjoy the simple pleasures of the country locals. Oh, and if you do not know the language, purchase Rosetta Stone. It is expensive but has a good teaching method. My husband used it for 3 -4 weeks before we left for a few hours each week. He learned plenty for us to make it around with no problems. Do your research on Fodor's & Trip Advisor, they are both helpful sights. I am so grateful I found this sight before the trip. I did not use a travel agent but spent nearly 60 hours planning our trip & making all the reservations. I did not want any surprises. We were surprised with the the owner of the apartment in Venice & that put a "wet blanket" on the very beginning & then for 2 weeks after we returned, but I am proud of myself for planning such a large trip by myself.
For those who are trying to understand if they want to keep reading, we stayed 6 nights in Venice, 3 nights in Chianti Tuscany, and 5 nights in Ladispoli on the Tyrrhenian Sea outside of Rome.
We arrived at the Marco Polo airport and had a private taxi to the dock of our apartment on Venice. Knowing what I do now, I would never reserve a private taxi. The water level was higher than normal, the taxi dropped us off at San Marco Sq. instead of the apartment dock and still charged us the full fare. We had notified the apartment contact of the change of drop-off point & they arranged to meet us under the Lion statue in San Marco Sq. right away. However, after 90 minutes of waiting with all our luggage & crowded streets we finally made it to the apartment with the cleaning boy - not the apartment contact. For all the praises I heard about this apartment and its owner, we did not find the experience to be one we would recommend. It was a lovely apartment - make no mistake - but the owner is not someone we would recommend doing business with. Even after we returned there continued to be problems with the owner. We stayed 4 nights in La Rosa di Venezia; again nice apartment but there are plenty of accommodations in Venice & working with the owner of this apartment is not worth the trouble!!! We then stayed 2 nights at Sant'Elena, a peaceful setting close to a park. We moved to the hotel because my husband ran in the Venice Marathon & the hotel was near the finish line, otherwise I would not recommend moving to another location. I would recommend this hotel though. Very nice personnel, helpful, very accommodating, and a nice location as it was not too far to walk to San Marco. Venice was a wonderful place to get lost! We looked specifically for restaurants that were not trying to pull in tourist, and menus were not translated. We wanted to find restaurants the locals were "regulars" at & we did find several lovely restaurant like this. I do not recall the names but if you are traveling to Italy, you should look for restaurants such as these to find truly good food & service. We did take a Gondola ride one evening at dusk & it was peaceful - expensive - but peaceful. We took a valpereto down the Grand Canal got off at the last stop & walked back to our apartment. On the way back, we stopped at a chocolate shop called Viziovirtù. I have never had chocolate that tasted so amazing! We would go out in the morning for coffee & fresh bread, went to a concert, and walked for miles! Venice was wonderful!
We left Venice by high-speed train to Florence, picked up a rental car & drove to Chianti Tuscany. The train was fun to experience & I do not regret that choice, getting to the car rental from the train station though was very difficult. It required pulling luggage through busy & crowded streets following our GPS. We had been encouraged not to drive in Italy - least of all Rome - but my husband did an amazing job driving in Italy, even Rome! Our accommodation in Chianti was wonderful! We stayed at Fattoria Tregole, a Bed & Breakfast, in room #5 the Garden room. They have a suite on the first floor but it was booked during our stay. Regardless, Edith was wonderful. She spent time telling us about good drives & sights to see, Edith is a true host. The night of our arrival, she was preparing supper for the guests & she had us join the meal - she does charge for supper but no more than the local restaurants would have & the food was incredible! The views from this location were beautiful & it was nicely located so we could take drives to Florence or Siena for sightseeing. I would recommend Fattoria Tregole always! Tuscany is a beautiful drive! We had a hot air balloon reserved but all 3 mornings proved to be too windy - so we did not make it up. Our favorite restaurant was in a little town called Radda, where my husband had a berry pasta & I had pear ravioli.
We left Fattoria Tregole and went to La Posta Vecchia located in Ladispoli on the Tyrrhenian Sea. It is a place to go & be spoiled. However, if you read a review that states it is a 30-minute drive to Rome, do not believe it. We used their free shuttle service 2 days, and drove into Rome 1 day and each time it was an hour drive one-way. It was disappointing to spend so much time on the road, but the views of the Tyrrhenian Sea was breathless. It is a very expensive hotel that has a fascinating history. It is a once-in-a-life time accommodation. Celebrating 25 years of marriage & 20 years for our business anniversary made this splurge worth it. We did sightseeing in Rome 2 days & my husband ran a 10K in Rome for All Saints Day. Two days in Rome was enough for us - it kept us moving & we were able to see everything we wanted.
All in all: Venice is a "must" for us & staying in Venice is the only way I would want to experience Venice. Chianti Tuscany is a must for us & having a rental car is the only way to do it. Rome is a one-time visit for us. It was great to see the history but we do not have a need to return. The next time we want to take our kids and go back to Venice for 6 days, Chianti for 5 days, and then maybe the coastal towns.
Do Italy. Save, save, save your money - it really works to put back a stash of cash each week. Go for 2 weeks, stay in Venice for at least 2 nights but longer if you can afford it, drive through Tuscany & stay at a Bed & Breakfast, enjoy the simple pleasures of the country locals. Oh, and if you do not know the language, purchase Rosetta Stone. It is expensive but has a good teaching method. My husband used it for 3 -4 weeks before we left for a few hours each week. He learned plenty for us to make it around with no problems. Do your research on Fodor's & Trip Advisor, they are both helpful sights. I am so grateful I found this sight before the trip. I did not use a travel agent but spent nearly 60 hours planning our trip & making all the reservations. I did not want any surprises. We were surprised with the the owner of the apartment in Venice & that put a "wet blanket" on the very beginning & then for 2 weeks after we returned, but I am proud of myself for planning such a large trip by myself.
Dec 13th, 2010, 06:42 PM
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Good for you, and thanks for sharing.
We also stayed at Rosa di Venezia in 2009 and our only problem was with the local Venice contact person---she sent a cleaning lady who spoke no English to meet us at the apt.
We also stayed at Rosa di Venezia in 2009 and our only problem was with the local Venice contact person---she sent a cleaning lady who spoke no English to meet us at the apt.
Dec 13th, 2010, 06:55 PM
#3
Thanks for your report!
Curious though... <<getting to the car rental from the train station though was very difficult. It required pulling luggage through busy & crowded streets following our GPS>>
Why didn't you stay with the luggage at the train station while your husband went to pick up the rental car?
Curious though... <<getting to the car rental from the train station though was very difficult. It required pulling luggage through busy & crowded streets following our GPS>>
Why didn't you stay with the luggage at the train station while your husband went to pick up the rental car?
Dec 14th, 2010, 05:01 AM
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Thank you for the report Jen. I feel the same way about Venice and the next time we go we will think about renting an apartment or something with a kitchen. We love to dine out but I was so blown away by the quality of the produce at the Rialto markets....even in late November that it would really be nice to be able to toss a lunch or dinner together on our own.
Next time you go you might consider adding a couple of days in the Lakes area. Lake Como is spectacular and Bellagio is otherworldly in it's beauty.
Next time you go you might consider adding a couple of days in the Lakes area. Lake Como is spectacular and Bellagio is otherworldly in it's beauty.
Dec 14th, 2010, 05:06 AM
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its beauty!! Sorry.
Star Wars filmed a scene at Villa del Balbianello (how is that for otherworldly!) on the other side of the lake from Bellagio. Casiono Royale also used the villa for scenes in the Bond flick. You can tour the house and grounds also. Beautiful.
Star Wars filmed a scene at Villa del Balbianello (how is that for otherworldly!) on the other side of the lake from Bellagio. Casiono Royale also used the villa for scenes in the Bond flick. You can tour the house and grounds also. Beautiful.
Dec 14th, 2010, 05:59 PM
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quinnsmom: Having an apartment was so nice for breakfast in the morning, it does save on the expense of eatting out. There are so many options in Venice for apartments.
joannyc: Had we known the distance to the car rental we truly would have done just what you suggested. The other thing we would have done differently is pack lighter. We were concerned about space for items purchased, and the ability to do laundry. It is not difficult to do laundry in Italy and I was more interested in spending cash on activities rather then more "stuff" to sit around the house.
joannyc: Had we known the distance to the car rental we truly would have done just what you suggested. The other thing we would have done differently is pack lighter. We were concerned about space for items purchased, and the ability to do laundry. It is not difficult to do laundry in Italy and I was more interested in spending cash on activities rather then more "stuff" to sit around the house.
Dec 14th, 2010, 07:26 PM
#8
<<Had we known the distance to the car rental we truly would have done just what you suggested.>>
Maybe you already know this but, just in case... you can put your GPS on Pedestrian mode and, in any mode, it will tell you the estimated time of arrival. Just trying to be helpful!
Maybe you already know this but, just in case... you can put your GPS on Pedestrian mode and, in any mode, it will tell you the estimated time of arrival. Just trying to be helpful!
Apr 2nd, 2011, 07:37 PM
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Good work planning your own trip, I remember how nervous I was the first time about things I had booked. We had one accommodation that was a bit of a disaster in that it was further out of the centre of Rome than I anticipated, but nevertheless it's a great achievement.
Start saving, I'm sure you will want to return!!
Start saving, I'm sure you will want to return!!
Jul 13th, 2011, 04:24 PM
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I am working on the budget to save & take our kids next summer. Our oldest is married, so we'll have a total of 7 of us going. We're not sure what we'll have to do about renting a vehicle for that many people.
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