Liadan

Hi, there!

My husband and I are traveling to Italy for the first time, and it would be great to get a little feedback on our itinerary.

Feb 12: Arrive in Rome (~11am)
Feb 13: Rome (Coloseum, Forum, etc)
Feb 14: Rome (Vatican City)
Feb 15: Day trip to Pompeii via Naples
Feb 16: Train to Florence (Santa Croce)
Feb 17: Florence (Uffizi, Accademia)
Feb 18: Day trip to Pisa & Siena OR tour that would hit Pisa, Siena and San Gimignano
Feb 19: Train to Venice
Feb 20: Venice
Feb 21: Depart for US

We know that Pompeii will be a long day, but I think I'd really regret not going. I was a classical archaeology minor in college.

I'm pretty unsure about the day trip from Florence. We found a tour for about 100 Euro/pp, but we're open to doing pretty much anything. We decided to take the day out of town because it's a Monday and so many things are closed. Do you guys have any thoughts or advice?

I'd like to find some kind of fun/interesting walking tour in Rome. Not necessarily a ghost walk, but something kind of along those lines. Does anyone have a suggestion?

Any advice at all would be very appreciated!

kybourbon

Siena and Pisa aren't that close together. You can easily take the Sita bus to Siena for the day (about 7€ one way).

If you take an early train to Florence, you could visit Pisa that day by train (1 hour)in addition to Santa Croce (you would have to visit it first - check opening hours).

I think a tour including all three would not spend much time in any of the towns. Caf offers one and the tourist office in Florence will have lists of others.
http://www.caftours.com/highlights-o...e-tasting.html

Sassafrass

Unless you do take a car tour, Pisa, Siena and San G are not a good combo.

You could do really good (and cheap) trips on your own.

From Florence, you can easily take a bus to Siena yourself. That makes a nice day.

From Florence, you can easily take the train to both Lucca and Pisa on the same day. That makes a nice trip.

Difficult to choose, but I think it would be Siena. It is lovely and great walking.

Liadan

Thanks! We're trying to fit a lot in--this is our first no kids holiday and who knows when we'll get another. But we don't want to go at a breakneck speed either.

So perhaps Siena is the best choice?

pizzocchieri

In February, you really need a flexible plan. Last year in February, Siena was buried under a ton of snow. Other years it has been dry as a bone, but it will certainly be very cold.

With a degree in classical archeology -- unless the courses really bored you -- I would swap out a day in Pisa for a visit to Fiesole.

You should also give serious consideration to seeing Ostia Antica instead of Pompeii. The excavation site in Pompei is HUGE, and coming from Rome in winter hours, you are not going to get more than a gloss. If instead you want to Ostia Antica, you would get a much greater understanding of today's modern Rome, and how it is built upon the layers of old Rome. Ostial Antica makes that very vivid, and it is a much shorter trip, so you can take your time.

With one day in Venice, you are going at breakneck speed. Are you sure you will be steering clear of Carnival? have you already purchased air tickets? If not, I would eliminate Venice. Last year in Venice it was so cold that the canals froze in the first 10 day of February. No knowing what will happen this year, and I appreciate the draw of the city, but if you don't want to be rushing through Italy, then -- don't rush!

Liadan

Thanks!!

I've found some conflicting dates for Carnival, but I'm 99% sure we're missing it by at least a few days.

We've already purchased tickets. It was package thing, and they wouldn't let me mess with the dates except to add extra nights. I would have preferred another day in Rome or Florence.

So you would recommend Fiesole as an alternative to Siena?

nytraveler

Before you make plans for any specific place do check the opening hours. Feb is off season and some sights in Italy are open only shorter hours (9am to 1 or 2 pm) rather than all day as they would be in high season.

pizzocchieri

Liadan,

What I recommend is that you read up on both places and decide if they interest you. If they both do, then when you are in Florence, you can decide which place you would rather visit based on weather and your mood.

If you would have preferred another day in Rome or Florence, don't go to Pompei and don't go on the day trips out of Florence. At a minimum, don't tour the Uffizi in Florence unless that is top of the pops for you in Florence. If there is something you really want to see in Florence and it isn't in the Uffizi, ditch the tour. Florence is a very small place. You won't get lost.

CarrieAnn40

Unfortunately we didn't make it to Ostia Antica so I can't talk about it knowledgeably but it's very close to Rome. You could aim to arrive as it opens, have several hours there and be back in Rome by mid afternoon which would give you half an afternoon and the evening in Rome.

There is loads on info about Ostia Antica on this site including exactly how to get there and a detailed guide. Just type in Ostia Antica in the Search the Forum box at the top of this post.

ParadiseLost

Definitely visit Pompeii, it's one of a kind. A walled and gated complete city frozen in time which gives a feeling of how Rome once was but on a smaller scale.

Ostia was a commerical sea port city also one of a kind but much different than Pompeii.

I haven't checked the schedules in years but this was the timeline back then using the regular ES trains vs the faster more expensive ES trains.

Roughly: Leave Rome 7am, arrive Naples 9am, 15min to buy tickets (easy & fast) and get downstairs to the Circumvesuviana (local commuter train), 40min arrive at Pompeii and in ticket line 10am.

So it's 3hrs with an early start that gets you there at ~10am and gives you at least 6hrs to explore Pompeii and back for a 9pm dinner in Rome.

Yes it's long but the train ride to/from Naples is very relaxing and you can get something for b'fast on the train plus view the scenery.


I think you can get an extra free day from Florence if you are willing to compromise and combine your schedule, a free day that you can use in either Rome, Florence or Venice.

Tourist Florence is small, train station to Accademia 3/4mi, Accademia to Santa Croce 3/4mi, Santa Croce to Uffizi 3/8mi and Uffizi to train station 3/4mi.
This forms a lop-sided square that shows it's all easily walkable.

kybourbon mentions early arrival and train to Pisa and back to visit Santa Croce. Which is a good plan.

I'd like to suggest a couple more;

But 1st you'd want reserved time entry tickets to the Accademia and Uffizi and according to my old Blue Guide Santa Croce is open from 8-12:30 & 3-6:30 but check for more recent info.

Accademia IMO is a short visit basically you'll only want to see David and the 4 Slaves/Prisoners, so 1hr total.

Uffizi, 3hrs minimum.

Santa Croce, 90min.

Pisa, 1/2day trip but there is another option. I'm not a big fan of bus tours but they leave Florence ~1:45 and give a guided tour of the Cathedal, Baptistery(?) and the Tower (outside only).
This would give you the morning and lunch in Florence.

Years ago I took this tour on a whim (I was in Florence for 6 days) and it wasn't bad, I checked 1 site and it's ~$60.


Arrive early Florence, drop bags at hotel and reserved entry (~12-1) at Accademia and Santa Croce at 3pm.
Or do Pisa and return for the afternoon opening at Santa Croce.

Next Day; Reserved entry 9am to Uffizi and then Pisa.
Or if you do Pisa the day before do the Accademia and Uffizi on this day.

Just a thought on how to free-up an extra day if you are interested.
Regards, Walter

Sassafrass

You can take the train to Pisa yourself, a lot cheaper and I think, faster than the bus, depending on when you are going and traffic. I've been stuck in traffic so many times on buses in Italy that if I can take the train, I do. As Walter says though, you could visit Pisa easily in a morning or afternoon.