2Aquilas

Background: We're a young married couple going to Italy for ~2 weeks in Sept. 2010. We're on a tight budget, but eager to eat well, explore, buy unique souvenirs and take some great pictures. My husband has been to Italy once before but I have never been (I've always wanted to go!)

Here's what we've got so far:

Sept. 1: Leave Washington, DC at 10PM and fly Air France to Italy (brief layover in Paris)
Sept. 2: Arrive in Venice at ~2PM local time. Find our hotel and get settled in. Wander a bit.

Sept. 3: Find the Rialto (sp?) Market and stock up on yummy things. Splurge on a gondola ride? Visit St. Marks

Sept. 4: Go to Murano and see the glassmakers.

Sept. 5: Travel to Florence. ???
Sept. 6: Florence ? (What's open on Mondays??)
Sept. 7: Uffizi, Medici Palace and Ponte Veccio
Sept. 8: Synagogue, Duomo and Academy
Sept. 9: Day Trip to Pisa??
Sept. 10: Medici Chapel + ????
Sept. 11: Travel to Siena. ???
Sept. 12: Leave Siena to travel to Rome. ??
Sept. 13-16 ROME (Colosseum, Pantheon, Trevi Fountain ?????? Which spots? In what order?)
Sept. 17: Leave Rome at 1PM Local time

Does anyone see any glaring problems that we've missed? Any suggestions for specific sites and timelines? We want to travel light, eat tons of gelato and enjoy a comfortable (not rushed) pace. Our budget is small, but we're prepared to cut corners on some things (lodging, sit-down meals, transportation) in order to splurge on other things (fresh local food, souvenirs/gifts, museum fees, etc.) As always, your advice is appreciated. Thanks a million!

LoveItaly

Hello 2Acquilas, I would stay one extra day in Venice as I think you are short changing your time there. Especially if you are planning to go to Murano on the 4th, your only second day in Venice without arriving or departing.

On Mondays the major museums are closed in Florence. That might be a good day to travel to Pisa and also stop and visit Lucca. Or if you spend one more day in Venice than you could take the train to Florence on Monday. Since you want to see the Synagogue in Florence I would imagine that you would enjoy visiting the Ghetto in Venice (north of the San Marco) while in Venice. Do take time to wander around Venice to get away from the hoards of day time visitors.

Will you be taking the bus from Florence to Siena and stay overnight there and will you take the bus or train from Siena to Rome?

You do have a relaxed feeling about your trip in my opinion which is good as you do not have every hour planned for "something". Good for you!

Do a bit more research regarding your trip. Do you want to visit say the Roman Forum after visiting the Colosseum. The Trevi fountain will just take a few minutes of your time actually, well after you get there. Just a few thoughts for your consideration along with many good wishes to you two that you have a wonderful time in Italy.

Andrew

If you want to eat well, consider a stop in Bologna, which is on the train line between Venice and Florence. Bologna is in Emilia–Romagna, known for its fantastic food. You could stop over for just a few hours and have a meal somewhere or even overnight, though know that hotels there can be very expensive, since the area gets a lot of conventions. When I stopped for a night in Bologna in 2007, the hotel I stayed in was probably the most expensive of my entire trip and one of the least nice...but the food was the best.

baldrick

Hi,

I would add 1 day to Venice, which means:
6: travel to Florence,
7 and 8: Florence,
9 in the morning go to Pisa, visit and then continue to Siena
10 and 11: Siena and surroundings
12: travel to Rome
13-16: and so on.

You don't need more than 2 hours in Pisa.
Siena has some nice little towns in the surroundings.

Or you could do the following:
10: Siena
11: travel to and visit Orvieto
12: travel to Rome,...

Have a nice trip!

Vttraveler

Your itinerary looks basically good to me. Only you can decide how many days to allocate to Venice vs. Florence. There are many threads with suggested itineraries, "top 10 sights," etc. for Venice, Florence and Rome.

A few random thoughts:
If you are really interested in glass making then a trip to Murano makes sense. Otherwise the other two lagoon islands, Burano and (my favorite) Torcello are more attractive. Personally I would not spend the money for a gondola trip if you are on a tight budget. Do take the vaparetto down the Grand Canal at least once.

In Florence there is plenty to do on Mondays. Churches are an obvious choice. Two of my favorite museums, the Bargello and San Marco, are open Monday mornings to early afternoon. You do have to check opening times carefully in Florence since some museums are only open to 2 and many churches close during the mid day hours. (The same is true of churches in Rome). Monday would also be a good time to visit Fiesole

In Rome the Synagogue and the Jewish ghetto neighborhood are close to the Campo de' Fiori and Pantheon and well worth visiting. There are many good restaurants with traditional local specialties in this area.

There are good food markets in both Florence and Rome as well as Venice

Books with walking tours can really help you organize your time efficiently and give you information on the things you see along the way between the major destinations.

JAX9000

Hi
Don't do the gondola ride... it's a recipe to become agravated and it's really not worhty. Wander through Venice,c heck the small stores. sit and watche people... my best memories of Venice are siting on the steps of St Mark and watching people. Another very interesting tour is through the old ghetto. You have to take a guided tour but it is worthwile.
In Florence, buy Uffizzi and Accademia tickts on line before you go there or you can spend hours in line. Also, it is sometimes difficult to get to the synagogue, due to odd hours. In Rome don't even try. It is almost impossible to get in. Also in Florence, I think that the Pitti palace, though beautiful is too much for a short trip.
For Rome, be sure to aloow you time to walk and explore small streets. the circuit Spanish Steps - Pantheon - Trevi Fountain - Piazza Navona and then to Campo di Fiori is my favorite. You can than walk to Trastevere or to the old gheto area. Be sure to spend one day on the Vatican museums and St Peter (buy the tickets to the museum in advance). The coloseo is ok but the forum can be overwhleming, especially in a hot muggy day. Go instead to the Museu Capitolini where you can wnjoy a wonderful view of the Forum. Also, check the Capuchine church in Via Veneto, it is all receovered with monks bones. Drink a lot of cappucino (the coffee) and becareful, in all cities with touristy restaurants. You can have wonderful meals if you do your homework.

jelopez33

Hi:
Related to the Rome leg of your trip,you can read my report about our stay there last september.You will certainly eat well and you can do a lot of things,and some of the best are not expensive!!!Go to the Campo dei Fiori Market and eat a porchetta paninni and may be some fragole dei bosco(little strawberries),if they are in season.Also go to Blue Ice(there are many) for the best gelato in your life.You can read the full report if you click on my name.Have a nice trip!!!!!

2Aquilas

OK. We've made some slight adjustments (based on the wonderful advice above- thank you!)

Sept. 2: Arrive in Venice at 2PM
Sept. 3-5 Venice (Go to Murano on Sept. 4)
Sept. 6: Go to Florence
Sept. 7-10: Florence (Day trip to Pisa, when?)
Sept. 11: Go to Siena- stay overnight
Sept. 12: Depart Siena for Rome
Sept. 13-16: Rome
Sept. 17: Leave Rome at 1PM

I've heard two people say not to go on a gondola ride. Anyone else have an opinion? I've always dreamed of trying it, but will I be disappointed? Is a vaparetto just as good?

Thanks again, everyone! You are so insightful!

Andrew

A vaporetto ride is just a crowded water taxi with some nice views, if you aren't stuck in the middle. I've not done a gondola ride myself so I can't tell you whether it's worth doing or not. My guess though is that the average person would be disappointed, just because their expectations for this supposedly romantic "Venice" experience are so high.

No need to decide now; you can always decide when you get there.

franco

I, too, like the relaxed pace of your trip - except for Venice, to which you didn't assign enough time. Even with one day more, I think Murano is a total waste of time for everybody: the glassblowing shows are a boring, uninspired tourist routine, so if you're not really interested in glassblowing, you won't learn much about it, and if you ARE really interested, you'll be thoroughly displeased with that kind of (tourist) mass processing. Plus Murano is the one place in Venice that is really NOT pretty. So I suggest to take one day from Florence and add it to Venice, and to skip Murano nonetheless.
If you are interested in the (gorgeous!!) fresh food from the Rialto market, you should actually consider to rent an apartment instead of a hotel - or how are you going to prepare it? On the question of hotels vs. apartments in Venice, there's this long thread: http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...comodation.cfm

franco

Ah sorry! I was typing too slowly and didn't see you new post, where you've already added one day to Venice. The rest of my posting still applies...

nytraveler

I wouldn;t plan on spending a lot on souvenirs/gifts. If you want to bring people something get them postcards. The dollar is still low versus the euro and most things (except local wine) are more expensive in europe than in the US. If you want something specific and local (gold or stone jewelry or leather goods) you can get excellent quality and different styles in Italy - but the prices will NOT be a bargain (assume higher than in the US).

I have bought things that I really like because they were different that what you see in NYC - but nothing was a bargain. Last trip my beau got an exquisite leather jacket for about 600 euros and I got a beautiful gold bracelet - but it was more than 500 euros. Also - if you buy jewelry look carefully at the quality - in europe often they sell 10 carat (unknown in the US - versus 18 carat - or even 14).

A gondola ride is very expensive - to be done at night in a romantic setting with wine - and a gondolieri who does not sing. It needs to be late enough that the canal is NOT crowded. IMHO a walk through the city after dinner can be just as romantic and save you $100.

Vttraveler

I don't think a vaporetto ride is "just as good as" a gondola ride. I have never taken a gondola ride, never thought it was worth the money. As others have indicated, you can decide when you get there. I agree that walking around Venice in the evening can also be very romantic and much less expensive.

Either way I would still take the vaporetto down the grand Canal in daylight for the view it gives you of the buildings built along it.

Andrew

2Aquilas, I think you have plenty of time in Venice, given your limited time in Italy. I've been to Venice twice and have spent only three days each time. Wonderful place; I expect to go back in the future, but not everyone needs a week there each visit.

Murano is a fun diversion and not a waste of time in my opinion, but I do agree that the glass blowing itself is a bit overrated and not the main reason to go there.

mamcalice

Sounds like a great trip! I will chime in that, having taken the vaporetto down the Grand Canal and other places, it gives you a splendid view of Venice. We did a gondola ride once, because we thought we should but it wasn't nearly as scenic as the various vaporetto trips. You dicide while you are there.

In Florence, there are many wonderful museums - the San Marco with great Fra Angelico frescos, the Bargello with wonderful sculpture, the Museo del Opera del Duomo with the artifacts of the Duomo including the original Ghiberti doors, a fascinating Donatello Magdelena and the Pieta that Michelangelo originally intended to mark his own gravesite. And don't miss the art in Santa Croce and the cloisters.

Peter_S_Aus

The trick with taking a vaporetto down the Grand Canal is to take it from Piazzale Roma, rather than the station. Get on, and grab a seat right in the bow. You get a great view from there, excellent photo opportunities. Those seats are taken by the time the vaporetto gets to the station.

I agree with the comments about Murano – the glass blowing is generally simple (by Venetian standards) and you’d be lucky to see any exceptional pieces being blown. If you get a chance to visit the Moretti workshop on Murano, though, take it. Moretti glass is pretty special, there are pieces in The Museum of Modern Art in New York. There’s a shop selling Moretti glass near San Marco, San Marco 1468, Campo San Moisè. It is really worth a look, but not cheap.

If you do go to Murano, expect a hard sell from the sales people in the shops

Gondolas. About 80 Euro for 40 minutes. We have never taken a gondola ride, and it’s not something we anticipate doing. I suppose it is a personal preference, but the gondola fleet exists only to service tourists. BUT, take a traghetto – traghettos are ferries, a gondola with two at the oars, that cross the Grand Canal at a few places. There’s one just upstream of the Rialto Market, and one downstream from the Rialto Bridge. You’ll see them, a gondola with a dozen people standing in it, maybe shopping trolleys, tradesmen with power saws, perhaps a dog. It costs half a Euro for the trip, pay the guy in coin as you get on. It is a fun way to avoid the crowds of people and the shops selling tourist tat on the Rialto bridge.

Consider going to Burano and Torcello. That's a nice day out on the lagoon. Burano is picture postcard, Torcello was the big city in the lagoon before Venice happened. It had a population of tens of thousands, now has a resident population of about 30.

Click on my name and you'll find the rather long trip report that I wrote when we were in Venice 18 months ago.

Gina817

Just a quick tip about the gondola ride. We were thinking it over and saw another couple doing the same. We weren't sure whether or not we wanted to spend that much money.

We decided to share the gondola ride...one couple on each end. We bargained the price from there as well. We were very happy with the experience. Yes, we had another couple there, but it was still a nice experience. We figured where else can you ride a gondola but in Venice (oh and the Venetian Las Vegas, ha!).

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Sassafrass

I'm one of the people who have wasted money on a gondola ride - four times. DH & I have always shared it though, so saved half the cost. If I ever go to Venice again with friends who had not done it, I would do it again.

I absolutely love taking the vaporetto late at night up and down the Grand Canal. So, you could do that more than once.

You mentioned the synagogue in Florence, so you might enjoy the synagogues in Venice and a tour of the ghetto there. It is very interesting. The area is also a quiet area, sometimes with lots of clothes drying on lines connected from building to building over the canals. It looks like flags flying and is quite beautiful.

In Rome, the Borghese Gallery is wonderful! IMHO, a not to be missed place.

Peter_S_Aus

It's bit rough for me to post extracts from a trip report, and I found the ghetto (the world's first ghetto) in Venice very moving. So I'm quoting myself, with apologies:

I sighted some sobering monuments in Canneragio, in the Ghetto, a sequence, a story.
Monument No 1. A tablet, let into the wall, generally detailing the things that Jews were allowed to do in Venice, and providing for a reward for anyone denouncing people (i.e. Jews) for blasphemy. The reward to be funded from the property of the blasphemer, punishment fully detailed, secret denunciations invited. It is dated 26 September 1704, but I find it hard to believe that such persecution was still happening at that time, but two hundred ant thirty years later it certainly was. Every Jewish child in the Ghetto would have understood fully the significance of that tablet on the wall. The restrictions on Jews only ceased in 1797, with the arrival of Napoleon, barely two centuries ago. The Lion of Venice has been hammered off this tablet, and I can imagine the enthusiasm with which this little piece of civic vandalism was conducted.

Monument No 2. A tablet, listing the names of Venetian Jews who died in the 1915-18 war, patriotic Italians, who happened to be Jewish, and supported Italy in spite of Monument No 1.

Monument No 3. A tablet, immediately opposite No 2, erected by the remnants of the Venetian Jewish community, abhorring the deaths of 200 Venetian Jews, 8000 Italian Jews and six million European Jews in the Holocaust. The Venetian Jews branded as undesirables, in spite of the patriots named on Monument No 2.

Monument No 4. An apology by the Mayor of Venice, in Hebrew, Italian and English, to the 200 Venetian Jews who were carted out of Venice on the fifth of December, 1943, and the seventeenth of August, 1944. Signed by the Mayor, Mario Rigo, I believe in 1979, well after the erection of Monument No 3, but an apology none the less.

Monument No 5. A structure made of horizontal timber boards, bound with vertical steel straps. The names of the 200 Venetian Jewish victims are engraved on the boards. The whole effect is of a cattle truck, and is most profound - I spent a time reading the names, Elena Serini, aged 14, Scandiani Diena, aged 81. I have no idea what their story is, and possibly this is the only monument they will ever have.

Monument No 6 is not meant to be a monument at all, but I can’t help but see it in the sequence. It is a small kiosk in the Ghetto, to contain the three or four security guards on duty there all the time. That’s a monument to intolerance, and can too easily lead one back to Monument No 1.