Italy Itnerary for a pregnant woman help!
Jan 25th, 2016, 11:19 AM
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Italy Itnerary for a pregnant woman help!
my husband and I are planning a trip to Italy when I will be about 5 months pregnant. we have 9 nights and are thinking 2 in venice, 3 in Florence and 5 in Positano with a day trip to Capri.
Is this too much traveling for 9 nights? We will be flying directly into Venice and then likely taking a train to Florence and a train to Naples.
Any advice is greatly appreciated!
Is this too much traveling for 9 nights? We will be flying directly into Venice and then likely taking a train to Florence and a train to Naples.
Any advice is greatly appreciated!
Jan 25th, 2016, 11:45 AM
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Some will say you are crazy. Some not. Depends also on how you behave when not pregnant.
We were in Cuba when my wife was 5 months pregnant and I could barely follow.
You may want to discuss it with your doctor. Some pregnancies request more quiet. Some not at all.
We were in Cuba when my wife was 5 months pregnant and I could barely follow.
You may want to discuss it with your doctor. Some pregnancies request more quiet. Some not at all.
Jan 25th, 2016, 12:18 PM
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You don't say time of year - that is very important to know as Positano in June/July/August is very hot. If you are travelling in these months and can afford it, a hotel with a pool and minimal stairs are a must.
Jan 25th, 2016, 12:37 PM
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It warms up by the end of May however it's not as bad as summer. I would still recommend in Positano that you are very careful choosing a hotel with limited or no reliance on stairs to get around. They do exist. The Palazzo Murat is one, the Marincanto is another. It depends on your budget as those two I just mentioned are pricey and the Marincanto is probably sold out in May.
Try searching on Booking.com and read the reviews. If you can manage some stairs you'll be fine but some Positano hotels (like the Vittorio) are on pedestrian stairs with 70 up to the street and 150 down to the beach.
If you're going in May this year you may find your options are very limited.
Try searching on Booking.com and read the reviews. If you can manage some stairs you'll be fine but some Positano hotels (like the Vittorio) are on pedestrian stairs with 70 up to the street and 150 down to the beach.
If you're going in May this year you may find your options are very limited.
Jan 25th, 2016, 05:40 PM
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OK - you don't mention if you have been pregnant before and if you know what to expect.
For many women the second trimester (after morning sickness but before you have trouble getting out of chair and can be no more than 5 minutes from a toilet) is when they have the most energy and is the best time to travel.
But for some women, the situation is different and you may find the travel very tiring. I assume you have spoken with your MD and he sees no issues. But I would definitely have travel insurance and make sure it covers pregnancy as a reason for canceling a trip.
(One colleague of mine had morning sickness that lasted forever and she had trouble getting to work - 30 minutes away from a toilet - and was nauseous whenever moving - car or bus or subway.
For many women the second trimester (after morning sickness but before you have trouble getting out of chair and can be no more than 5 minutes from a toilet) is when they have the most energy and is the best time to travel.
But for some women, the situation is different and you may find the travel very tiring. I assume you have spoken with your MD and he sees no issues. But I would definitely have travel insurance and make sure it covers pregnancy as a reason for canceling a trip.
(One colleague of mine had morning sickness that lasted forever and she had trouble getting to work - 30 minutes away from a toilet - and was nauseous whenever moving - car or bus or subway.
Jan 25th, 2016, 11:54 PM
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If you are traveling in May, and you'll be 5 months pregnant then, you are only a very "little bit pregnant" now, and while you should certainly ask your doctor now rather than us, I don't know how much he or she will be able to tell you. Even if you've been pregnant before, any new preganancy can be different.
Somethings you need to consider and talk over with your doctor are, I think, in addition to how well you personally will be likely to handle heat, stair climbing and boat/bus rides, is the advisability of spending hours on high-speed trains. Also, while it is certainly possible to avoid all seafood in Venice and the Amalfi Coast, you will need to plan for that, since most restaurants in both places offer mainly seafood menus. You can find restaurants that offer alternatives, but not easily by just walking around. Helps to have done some minimal research. No problems with menus in Florence except for the usual warnings not to eat soft cheeses without inquiring about pasteurization.
If there are very specific things you are looking forward to seeing in Venice, Florence and the Amalfi coast area, then no point in considering alternate destinations. But if you are mainly interested in a beautiful vacation in Italy that includes great art and scenic seaside, and loads of relaxation, there are other flatter places with fewer stairs and fewer tourist crowds you could go in May that are very beautiful and have wonderful sights, and are closer to each other so you wouldn't be traveling such long distances inside Italy.
I would avoid booking unrefundable hotls or train tickets in case you decide in a few months you'd prefer other destinations in Italy. And certainly buy trip insurance when you finally move from the planning stage to the buying stage.
Somethings you need to consider and talk over with your doctor are, I think, in addition to how well you personally will be likely to handle heat, stair climbing and boat/bus rides, is the advisability of spending hours on high-speed trains. Also, while it is certainly possible to avoid all seafood in Venice and the Amalfi Coast, you will need to plan for that, since most restaurants in both places offer mainly seafood menus. You can find restaurants that offer alternatives, but not easily by just walking around. Helps to have done some minimal research. No problems with menus in Florence except for the usual warnings not to eat soft cheeses without inquiring about pasteurization.
If there are very specific things you are looking forward to seeing in Venice, Florence and the Amalfi coast area, then no point in considering alternate destinations. But if you are mainly interested in a beautiful vacation in Italy that includes great art and scenic seaside, and loads of relaxation, there are other flatter places with fewer stairs and fewer tourist crowds you could go in May that are very beautiful and have wonderful sights, and are closer to each other so you wouldn't be traveling such long distances inside Italy.
I would avoid booking unrefundable hotls or train tickets in case you decide in a few months you'd prefer other destinations in Italy. And certainly buy trip insurance when you finally move from the planning stage to the buying stage.
Jan 26th, 2016, 12:03 AM
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Meant to add that you should also ask about cheeses and pasteurization wherever you go in Italy, and a great many pregnant women would avoid eating mozzarella from southern Italy, even if others say it's okay.
Jan 26th, 2016, 05:22 AM
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First I would suggest that you extend your time in Venice by at least one day. Then, if you still want to go to Florence and if you don't mind driving, I suggest that you pick up a car after visiting Florence and either go to Lerici or one of the beaches along the Tuscan coast. To return home, fly out of Pisa or Milan if you go to Lerici, or Rome if you are on a Tuscan beach.
If you don't care to drive, then you might consider relaxing at one of the northern lakes instead of the seaside. I would pick Lago di Como, and fly out of Milan (get a car service to take you to the airport).
If you really want to see Florence, don't let me stop you, but despite being a small city, the typical tourist experience is to spend a lot of time on one's feet inside museums and churches, standing around and looking at art. If you think that might be wearing in the middle of a pregnancy, you might consider instead a route that keeps you mainly in Northern Italy, visiting Venice, Verona and the lakes, either by train or with a car. Or you could also have a beautiful vacation driving through the wine country of Tuscany or Umbria in May. Fly out of Rome or one of the Tuscan airports.
Or, if what you really wanted most out of this trip was the Amalfi, then one possibility is to go to Rome but also do a day trip by train to the hilltown of Orvieto as an option. If you were willing to rent a car, you could combine a trip to the Amalfi with some beautiful hilltowns closer to it -- in the Sabina hills -- and then fly out of Rome. Staying south obviously eliminates Florence and Venice, but gives you a more relaxed trip.
If you've never been to Italy it may seem hard to believe that if you just spent 9 days in one place and flew home you would have had a rich and beautiful vacation, but so much of Italy is like that. The streetscapes are generally extremely intricate and loaded with architectural and historic interest, there is always natural beauty close by, and the life of the towns if very open and fascinating. Much of what is in one place is "duplicated" in another -- these small cities and towns were built to be self-sufficient and to have their own beautiful showpieces to rival the other towns. Strolling around this or that part of Italy is really quite interesting in itself, and you don't feel like you are missing out but not getting on a train every 2 or 3 days to go elsewhere.
If you don't care to drive, then you might consider relaxing at one of the northern lakes instead of the seaside. I would pick Lago di Como, and fly out of Milan (get a car service to take you to the airport).
If you really want to see Florence, don't let me stop you, but despite being a small city, the typical tourist experience is to spend a lot of time on one's feet inside museums and churches, standing around and looking at art. If you think that might be wearing in the middle of a pregnancy, you might consider instead a route that keeps you mainly in Northern Italy, visiting Venice, Verona and the lakes, either by train or with a car. Or you could also have a beautiful vacation driving through the wine country of Tuscany or Umbria in May. Fly out of Rome or one of the Tuscan airports.
Or, if what you really wanted most out of this trip was the Amalfi, then one possibility is to go to Rome but also do a day trip by train to the hilltown of Orvieto as an option. If you were willing to rent a car, you could combine a trip to the Amalfi with some beautiful hilltowns closer to it -- in the Sabina hills -- and then fly out of Rome. Staying south obviously eliminates Florence and Venice, but gives you a more relaxed trip.
If you've never been to Italy it may seem hard to believe that if you just spent 9 days in one place and flew home you would have had a rich and beautiful vacation, but so much of Italy is like that. The streetscapes are generally extremely intricate and loaded with architectural and historic interest, there is always natural beauty close by, and the life of the towns if very open and fascinating. Much of what is in one place is "duplicated" in another -- these small cities and towns were built to be self-sufficient and to have their own beautiful showpieces to rival the other towns. Strolling around this or that part of Italy is really quite interesting in itself, and you don't feel like you are missing out but not getting on a train every 2 or 3 days to go elsewhere.
Jan 26th, 2016, 05:26 AM
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Just to be clear, in mentioning Orvieto I was suggesting combining several days in Rome with several days in the Amalfi, but during the time you are in Rome, you have the option of taking the train to Orvieto to visit a classic hill town. Or, if you werent' so keen on spending time in busy Rome, then stay in Orvieto and visit other towns in the countryside from there, and then go to Amafli. Would help if you could use the Naples airport if you are including the Amalfi in your ultimate trip.
Jan 26th, 2016, 08:05 AM
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Don't know if you are already consdiering this, and others may disagree with me, but I would look into flying from Venice to Naples rather than taking the train. I believe Easy Jet flies the route non-stop. It's about a 75 minute flight. The fast train to Napoli is 5 hours.
Jan 26th, 2016, 11:29 AM
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The flight time may be 75 minutes but transport to Marco Polo on the Alilaguna is one hour plus having to be at the airport two hours before your flight adds to the time. Easyjet's check in at Marco Polo require you to pay extra for checked bags - and this line is always, always long with people waiting to check bags even before the check in desks open. Then you need to retrieve your bags at the other end and that can be a long wait, depending how many flights land at or close to yours.
At least with the trains they leave from Venice, you can get up and move around on a train and you can get very cheap fares if you book 120 days ahead.
For your comfort I would suggest a car service from Naples to Positano which costs around 120 euro.
A hotel with a pool will be expensive - do some searching now. Covo dei Saraceni is right on the beach but comes with a hefty price tag.
http://www.covodeisaraceni.it/
The hotel Poseidon has a pool. It is higher up in the village but no stair access to the street. It is on the sloping road, Via Pasitea, and not far from the shops http://www.hotelposeidonpositano.it/eng/bar_e_pool.html
You will find many things to eat in Positano - the menus are not all seafood. Just up the road from the Hotel Poseidon is Saraceno D'Oro - a great restaurant with a wood fired pizza oven, great pasta, chicken and veal dishes. Of course they have seafood too if you like that. This is just one example - there are many great places to eat.
At least with the trains they leave from Venice, you can get up and move around on a train and you can get very cheap fares if you book 120 days ahead.
For your comfort I would suggest a car service from Naples to Positano which costs around 120 euro.
A hotel with a pool will be expensive - do some searching now. Covo dei Saraceni is right on the beach but comes with a hefty price tag.
http://www.covodeisaraceni.it/
The hotel Poseidon has a pool. It is higher up in the village but no stair access to the street. It is on the sloping road, Via Pasitea, and not far from the shops http://www.hotelposeidonpositano.it/eng/bar_e_pool.html
You will find many things to eat in Positano - the menus are not all seafood. Just up the road from the Hotel Poseidon is Saraceno D'Oro - a great restaurant with a wood fired pizza oven, great pasta, chicken and veal dishes. Of course they have seafood too if you like that. This is just one example - there are many great places to eat.
Jan 26th, 2016, 11:53 AM
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Five months pregnant, I'd rather pay what it costs to take a water taxi to the airport and fly 75 minutes (and do my walking around an airport for 2 hours than do the walking on a high-speed moving train over 5 hours), and for a 9-day trip, 5 of it at the seaside, do carry on (or ask my husband to wait on line for check in if I were 5 months pregnant), but other people differ.
