petey4124

Hi All!

My wife and I are planning on taking a vacation in April 2019. Italy is at the top of our list and we would love some feedback/assistance for an itinerary...

Time frame - Leave Friday April 12, Arrive in Rome morning April 13 (11am)

Depart - Saturday morning April 20 back home (11:30am)

Found very, very affordable roundtrip flights to/from Rome...

April 13 - Rome
April 14 - Rome
April 15 - Rome
April 16 - Rome (depart Rome after dinner for Venice)
April 17 - Venice
April 18 - Venice (back to Rome after dinner)
April 19 - Rome
April 20 - Flight home

About 5 full days in Rome and 2 full days in Venice. Thoughts on activites, places to eat, recommended tours, etc.? Any recommendations welcome! On a moderate budget (already have flights, trains and hotels lined up). Simple breakfast and lunch with nicer dinners each night.
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Any recommendations would be welcome!
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tuscanlifeedit

If you already have flights, trains and hotels booked, you'll miss a lot of what people here recommend for a trip like this. Are they really booked?

Breakfasts in Italy are generally included in your hotel.

So it seems you're looking for restaurants for dinner, and possible guided tours. Many people pre-book Vatican Museum visits because lines are long. Same for Colosseum. There are walking tours and food tours too, but I don't have recommendations.
I like Osteria Oliva Nera in Venice, and La Campana in Rome, as well as Gelateria al Teatro in Rome.

petey4124

Nothing is booked yet. We just have everything set up and just wanted to say travel isn't an issue.

If there are other recommendations, we would love to hear them. Better places to visit in 7 days? We stay at Air BnB's. Our thoughts were 5 days Rome and 2 days Venice. Nothing set in stone.

Could really use recommendations for restaurants in Rome first and foremost. Other than the main attractions, anything special or under the radar that should be definitely visits?

StuDudley

It would certainly be more efficient if you flew into Venice & departed from Rome.


What time is "after dinner"??? The only trains I would take depart from Rome at 7:50 and from Venice at 7:25. The restaurants that we've dined at in these two cities don't even start serving dinner until 7:30 PM.


We took a "super" first class train from Venice to Florence last year, and they served a very nice lunch on the train. There might be a similar meal on the train between Rome & Venice - but I'm not familiar enough with Italian trains to really "specify" what the car was like. Except it had only 2 seats across (therefor both seats were window seats), there were fewer than 20 seats in the entire car, and there was a "full time" attendant serving us. We booked super early, and wasn't really very expensive.



Stu Dudley

PalenQ

well they've already booked trains and probably went for cheapest option - 2nd class which is fine but no meals served I think and probably no restaurant car. but can always bring any food and drink aboard so dine on the train too.

Jean

"Nothing is booked yet. We just have everything set up...."

Which is it? Are flights, hotels and trains booked or not?

If possible, I would follow Stu's comment and fly into Venice and home from Rome. As Stu points out, there really aren't trains "after dinner." You can check train timetables here:

Trenitalia - Homepage English - Trenitalia
[Use Italian spellings: Roma Termini and Venezia S. Lucia.]

Before you decide how many days to spend where, you should get some clarity on what you want to do and see in each city and how much time that would take. No one but you knows your interests and priorities, and two days may not be enough time in Venice where you can't just hop into a cab to get around but must walk or use slow-ish public transport. Keep in mind that not everything is open 7 days a week, so doing a little research would help.

I know some people just love AirBnB, but for a (presumably) first time visit to a foreign country you might consider the advantages of staying in a hotel or traditional BnB where staff can help with sightseeing logistics and recommendations. Conversations with fellow tourists in the breakfast room often lead to wonderful, unexpected experiences.

PalenQ

If nothing is booked yet and I believe trains cannot be booked yet then for trains yes check the first class Stu talks about. Sometimes not much more than 2nd class and those solo seats facing each other with table between are so nice for a fairly long train trip. Check Acquista il biglietto con le nostre offerte - Trenitalia and www.italotreno.com - two competing rail companies running trains over same tracks and into same stations - take whatever is cheapest. www.seat61.com has great info on booking own tickets online (can book up to 3 months in advance usually I believe) - general info trains www.ricksteves.com and BETS-European Rail Experts. And yes fly into Venice and out of Rome if possible - saves a long train trip and about a day of travel.

janisj

>>"Nothing is booked yet. We just have everything set up...."

Which is it? Are flights, hotels and trains booked or not?<<

Ditto -- Which IS it??? Is everything set (unfortunate) or id nothing booked yet? (better because then we can help you fix this.

>>just wanted to say travel isn't an issue. <<

What does this mean?

Sassafrass

Definitely, even if it costs a little more, purchase multi-City flights, into Venice and out of Rome. So much simpler, saves some travel time, saves time checking into and out of hotel (or b&b) in Rome twice, saves cost of train from Rome to Venice.
April 13, arrive Venice, jet lag, but afternoon for walk and become oriented.
April 14 & 15, Venice (perhaps one day trip to the islands or Vicenza)
April 16, early train to Rome, 1/2 day in Rome
April 17, 18, 19, Rome
April 20, Fly Home

StuDudley

Trains in Italy can be booked now for travel in April. I was surprised to find this out. Hope the OP hasn't.


When we were in Venice last year for a week, I had plans to visit some places "outside" of Venice. Never happened - we enjoyed Venice so much we just stayed there. It was our 4th trip to Venice.


Stu Dudley

globe_traveller

I've made a couple of trips to Rome but they have both been quite rushed into 2 days. I've seen all the main sights and done a lot of walking around the city, but haven't had the chance to do much "off the beaten path" stuff, so can't help much on that. But back to the point - recommendations. Get to the Vatican at opening, when the lines will not be crazy. And keep in mind that Easter is right at the end of your vacation - just a hunch it may get busy the last couple days. Same advice goes the the Colosseum. In fact, you can get a joint ticket for the Roman Forum and the Colosseum, and getting it at the Forum instead will save you time in line. As a less popular attraction, I did enjoy Castel Sant'Angelo.

If you enjoy art, consider adding 1-1.5 days in Florence on your way to/from Venice. While you won't get bored in Rome with your 5 days, my thought is that you wouldn't miss much trimming that down to 4.

I have one food recommendation in Venice. Superpizza. It's fast food for a quick lunch, but the best pizza I've ever had in Europe. Only thing is you'll have to find it in the maze of streets. The address I have is Calle Castello 6651.

tuscanlifeedit

Yes, I asked about the bookings because it is so much better to fly into one city and out of the other, for this itinerary. Into Venice and out of Rome works perfectly. Sassafrass gives you a very good suggested intinerary.

Jean

In re-reading the original post, I think petey4124 may have already purchased round-trip air tickets into/out of Rome.

petey, as soon as you finalize your plans, book your Rome lodging and make reservations at sights offering them (Vatican, Borghese, Colosseum, etc.). Easter is Sunday, April 21st, and Rome is a popular destination during Holy Week.

petey4124

Not too difficult to figure out, guys....we haven't booked anything but I have flight schedules and transportation set if we choose to pull the trigger....

This is why travel (flights) is not an issue. Flights are there for me to confirm, we just haven't yet.

PalenQ

well decide and book for cheapest rates on trains anyway and what have you found about going into Venice and out of Rome? What do you think?

Jean

Do keep in mind it's Holy Week. Rome will be busy. Make lodging and sightseeing reservations.

MoBro

Well, actually, the OP is confusing: "already have flights, trains and hotels lined up". This sounds like you've purchased flights and trains already.

Definitely do not fly round-trip to/from Rome. You will waste time and money traveling back to Rome from Venice.

Fly into Venice and home from Rome, as suggested above.

thibaut

OP is saying everything is covered, just need to press on the red button to confirm. Seems clear to me.

Well I find it ok. Better not to backtrack but if must, Venice - Rome is not that much of a problem. I found trains to be real cheap in Italy.
In Rome I recommend the Hadrian Villa. fantastic imo. Villa d'Este is also a highlight for me. In Rome the Maximus staidum or what is left of it. Quiet, a little bit excenterd. Nice.
Venice. Just get lost there. Can't go wrong...

Sassafrass

If there is no choice and you must do RT Rome, then immediately on arrival in Rome, April 13, go straight away on to Venice. Stay 3 nights Venice. Still put all days in Rome together at the end of the trip.

Peter_S_Aus

My suggestion, as soon as you arrive in Rome, hop the train to Venice (unless you change your air bookings and fly into Venice an out of Rome).
Rome to Venice is about 4 hours by train. Give Venice two nights, better three.
Train back to Rome, do Rome and fly out.
Saves one hotel check in / check out, and the trains are comfortable.

Our first trip, we flew into Rome, and then Alitalia to Venice, and would not do it again, put it down to newbie ignorance. A bit of a hassle, security lines, the full deal. Train is simpler, and better not to pre-book the train tickets in case your flight is delayed.