Italy, late January 2011. Help needed, please, please!
Jan 23rd, 2010, 11:20 PM
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Aug 2004
Posts: 73
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Italy, late January 2011. Help needed, please, please!
We are an Australian couple in our late 60's and my husband is retiring in November.
We have booked a cruise from Cape Town to Fort Lauderdale via Rio arriving in Florida on the 6th January,2011.
Using frequent flyer points (miles) for all our flights we have been told by Qantas that for the same number of points we can return home via Europe rather than crossing the U.S. and flying out of LAX. ( we have travelled in the US extensively).
So, as time is no longer a hindrance, we have decided to fly to London after a week in Miami , spend a couple of weeks in the U. K. and then go on to Italy where we would like to take apartments for around 8 weeks in Florence, Venice and Rome. using these as our home base for day trips, or longer to enable us to see Italy at a leisurely pace.
Help from you wonderful Fodorites is needed for the following:
1. Luggage. Our 32 day cruise will be in hot weather all the way. Any suggestions for a reliable shipping agent in Miami with whom we can ship our summer clothes home . I will make enquiries here in Melbourne about shipping a suitcase of winter clothes to our hotel in Miami.
2. We know the weather will not be great , very cold etc. but I'm sure the advantages of less crowds and cheaper hotel/apartment rates will help make up for this. My worry is whether to fly to Naples first (from London) and work our way up by train/bus to Rome , or fly into Rome, take an apartment for a few weeks and travel by bus to Naples staying overnight at a few places enroute while still keeping the apartment in Rome. We would love to stay around Amalphi, Sorrento a couple of nights and of course visit Pompei.
Will the weather be any warmer down south? Should we consider Sicily and where should we stay there?
What are the Italian trains like? I have severe arthritis and am limited in the distance I can walk, I mention this as perhaps it may be a better option to do bus tours from the various cities as I don't want to hinder my husband's sight seeing in any way.
If we stay in Rome first and then go south we will of course be back tracking to spend time in Florence and Venice but the country is so small that I don't see that as a major problem.
Accommadation wise I have noted a number of recommended apartments on Fodors in the three major cities but would love any further suggestions particularly in Sorrento or along the coast which would be suitable for me e.g not many steps and with elevators.
Apolagies for this long winded message but any suggestions at all relating to our proposed trip will be so very much appreciated.
I was in Italy for 6 weeks when I was 22 and am so excited at the prospect of returning again after all these years with my husband. It will be a very different experience I know but none the less amazing I am sure.
Thanks in advance for for your help with this vacation.
We have booked a cruise from Cape Town to Fort Lauderdale via Rio arriving in Florida on the 6th January,2011.
Using frequent flyer points (miles) for all our flights we have been told by Qantas that for the same number of points we can return home via Europe rather than crossing the U.S. and flying out of LAX. ( we have travelled in the US extensively).
So, as time is no longer a hindrance, we have decided to fly to London after a week in Miami , spend a couple of weeks in the U. K. and then go on to Italy where we would like to take apartments for around 8 weeks in Florence, Venice and Rome. using these as our home base for day trips, or longer to enable us to see Italy at a leisurely pace.
Help from you wonderful Fodorites is needed for the following:
1. Luggage. Our 32 day cruise will be in hot weather all the way. Any suggestions for a reliable shipping agent in Miami with whom we can ship our summer clothes home . I will make enquiries here in Melbourne about shipping a suitcase of winter clothes to our hotel in Miami.
2. We know the weather will not be great , very cold etc. but I'm sure the advantages of less crowds and cheaper hotel/apartment rates will help make up for this. My worry is whether to fly to Naples first (from London) and work our way up by train/bus to Rome , or fly into Rome, take an apartment for a few weeks and travel by bus to Naples staying overnight at a few places enroute while still keeping the apartment in Rome. We would love to stay around Amalphi, Sorrento a couple of nights and of course visit Pompei.
Will the weather be any warmer down south? Should we consider Sicily and where should we stay there?
What are the Italian trains like? I have severe arthritis and am limited in the distance I can walk, I mention this as perhaps it may be a better option to do bus tours from the various cities as I don't want to hinder my husband's sight seeing in any way.
If we stay in Rome first and then go south we will of course be back tracking to spend time in Florence and Venice but the country is so small that I don't see that as a major problem.
Accommadation wise I have noted a number of recommended apartments on Fodors in the three major cities but would love any further suggestions particularly in Sorrento or along the coast which would be suitable for me e.g not many steps and with elevators.
Apolagies for this long winded message but any suggestions at all relating to our proposed trip will be so very much appreciated.
I was in Italy for 6 weeks when I was 22 and am so excited at the prospect of returning again after all these years with my husband. It will be a very different experience I know but none the less amazing I am sure.
Thanks in advance for for your help with this vacation.
Jan 24th, 2010, 05:55 AM
#2
Join Date: Nov 2009
Posts: 387
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
>>What are the Italian trains like? I have severe arthritis and am limited in the distance I can walk, I mention this as perhaps it may be a better option to do bus tours from the various cities as I don't want to hinder my husband's sight seeing in any way.<<
Your arthritis means that you will have to very carefully consider where you go it Italy as well as how you get there. Italian trains are very often extremely difficult to board and descend, as are Italian buses. They have steep steps. The platforms are not "at grade." In addition, the train stations most often do NOT have elevators or escalators, meaning that you must walk up and down stairs to reach the platforms.
You also need to realize the a city like Venice and to a large extent Rome can present great challenges to people who are limited in the amount that they can walk. Venice forbids car traffic in its historic center, and walking requires navigating hundreds of small but often steep bridges. In Rome, taxis can travel in the historic center, up to a point, but even so, there are often no sidewalks, and the antique cobbled streets are a very difficult walking surface.
Sorrento and Firenze (Florence) are flat and can be easier to navigate, but you will still need strategies for getting around. Pompeii is almost inaccessible for people with walking limitations. No buses are allowed past the entrance gate, and it is a vast site. Be aware that most of the Amalfi requires climbing stairs up steep hills.
Bus tours in Italy are likely to only get you to a parking lot and expect you to walk from there -- which may mean a steep hill or an antique road with poor surfaces.
You should probably invest time in researching travel for people with mobility issues. I have heard the Rick Steves' books and website is a good place for that.
As for weather, it is presently chilly but dry in most of Italy, and yes -- the more you go south the more the temps inch up, but only a bit. All through the winter, you can get unlucky with storms that include ice and snow, so you will have to be prepared for that. As for Sicily, you would probably find it easier to drive there from the mainland, and tour it by car. It is a wonderful destination, but can be stormy. Don't go for the weather!
Given your arthritis, one very rewarding destination you might consider is the hotsprings of Montecatini Terme or Monsummano Terme, in between Firenze and Lucca. You might consider basing in Montecatini, with a car.
I think with the right research, you could have a great and rewarding adventure. But you need to be aware of just how challenging Italy is for people with walking limitations.
Your arthritis means that you will have to very carefully consider where you go it Italy as well as how you get there. Italian trains are very often extremely difficult to board and descend, as are Italian buses. They have steep steps. The platforms are not "at grade." In addition, the train stations most often do NOT have elevators or escalators, meaning that you must walk up and down stairs to reach the platforms.
You also need to realize the a city like Venice and to a large extent Rome can present great challenges to people who are limited in the amount that they can walk. Venice forbids car traffic in its historic center, and walking requires navigating hundreds of small but often steep bridges. In Rome, taxis can travel in the historic center, up to a point, but even so, there are often no sidewalks, and the antique cobbled streets are a very difficult walking surface.
Sorrento and Firenze (Florence) are flat and can be easier to navigate, but you will still need strategies for getting around. Pompeii is almost inaccessible for people with walking limitations. No buses are allowed past the entrance gate, and it is a vast site. Be aware that most of the Amalfi requires climbing stairs up steep hills.
Bus tours in Italy are likely to only get you to a parking lot and expect you to walk from there -- which may mean a steep hill or an antique road with poor surfaces.
You should probably invest time in researching travel for people with mobility issues. I have heard the Rick Steves' books and website is a good place for that.
As for weather, it is presently chilly but dry in most of Italy, and yes -- the more you go south the more the temps inch up, but only a bit. All through the winter, you can get unlucky with storms that include ice and snow, so you will have to be prepared for that. As for Sicily, you would probably find it easier to drive there from the mainland, and tour it by car. It is a wonderful destination, but can be stormy. Don't go for the weather!
Given your arthritis, one very rewarding destination you might consider is the hotsprings of Montecatini Terme or Monsummano Terme, in between Firenze and Lucca. You might consider basing in Montecatini, with a car.
I think with the right research, you could have a great and rewarding adventure. But you need to be aware of just how challenging Italy is for people with walking limitations.
Jan 24th, 2010, 05:57 PM
#3
Original Poster
Join Date: Aug 2004
Posts: 73
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Thank you so much "stepsbeyond". Your reply has given me much to think about and reserch.
I will definitely look at the Rick Steve's web-site.
You mentioned Sicily by car. This appeals a lot as we hate being tied to a strict time table.
I will also look into Montecatini.
Yes , I had great doubts about Amalfi and did not intend visiting Pompei myself (was there in my youth) but know my husband will find it fascinating so I will probably stay in Sorrento when he goes there for the day.
Thank you again for your very helpful reply. I am sincerely grateful and will now start my research in earnest.
I may be back on Frommers in the next couple of months with further questions but you have given me a good start.
I will definitely look at the Rick Steve's web-site.
You mentioned Sicily by car. This appeals a lot as we hate being tied to a strict time table.
I will also look into Montecatini.
Yes , I had great doubts about Amalfi and did not intend visiting Pompei myself (was there in my youth) but know my husband will find it fascinating so I will probably stay in Sorrento when he goes there for the day.
Thank you again for your very helpful reply. I am sincerely grateful and will now start my research in earnest.
I may be back on Frommers in the next couple of months with further questions but you have given me a good start.
Jan 24th, 2010, 06:38 PM
#4
Join Date: Aug 2007
Posts: 5,830
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
If you go to www.slowtrav.com there is a page there on Italy with a wheelchair and I believe a number of people have commented on how to get around with mobility issues.
If you want to visit some ruins, go to Ostia Antica just outside of Rome, where the terrain is quite flat. It's easier to navigate.
BTW you are on FODOR's here, not Frommers.
If you want to visit some ruins, go to Ostia Antica just outside of Rome, where the terrain is quite flat. It's easier to navigate.
BTW you are on FODOR's here, not Frommers.
Jan 25th, 2010, 01:23 AM
#5
Original Poster
Join Date: Aug 2004
Posts: 73
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Thanks Charnees. Re the Frommers slip, must have had a "senior's moment" ! I really did of course mean Fodors.
Will certainly look at the slowtravel site and Ostia Antica sounds great for me. Cheers.
Will certainly look at the slowtravel site and Ostia Antica sounds great for me. Cheers.
