gladrod

We have now booked our air flights from NYC to Rome. We have 11-12 days and would like to stay in rome except for a side trip to Venice for 3 or 4 days. My problem is that i'm not sure whether to stay in Rome for 3 or 4 days then to Venice for 3 days and then back to Rome to finish up trip, or Rome for 7-8 days then to Venice then to airport for departure or what. We are traveling at the end of May. I would appreciate any advice or help you can give us. Thanks in advance.

bobthenavigator

See if you can change your flights to arrive Rome and depart Venice--it may be the same cost.
The train ride is almost 5 hours but you can also fly on discount airlines---see www.whichbudget.com

With 11 nites, and having Rome at both ends, I would land Rome and train that day to Florence for 2 nites---then Venice for 4---and then train back to Rome for the last 5 in Rome.

daveesl

You can save some money by spending a week straight in Rome and renting an apartment instead of a hotel.

I am guessing that your return flight from Rome leaves early in the morning, so that means you need to be back in Rome the night before and your flight in arrives around 9am on day 1.

Here is what I would do...fly into Rome and then take the train up to Venice the same day. You can doze on the train. Arrive Venice in the early afternoon, just right to check into your hotel. The Venice experts can direct you to great hotels. You can then spend the evening enjoying the beauty.

After 3-4 days in Venice, train back to Rome. Rent an apartment in the Navonna/Fiori area for the remaining time.

Use Rome Shuttle Limousine to take you back to the airport the morning of your flight. They have the best prices and are spot on time, regardless of what crazy hour you need to leave. I've used them at 4:30am, 6am and 7:30am, always ready for me.

dave

daveesl

Bob is correct on the flight, I was just looking at it from the point of having to hang out at FCO, maybe get into Venice too early to even check in to the hotel. With the train, you don't have the problem, but you do have to drag luggage around to the train, around Termini and around Venice. With the flight, you cut out the termini part of the luggage drag.

ira

Good advice from Bob,

>With 11 nites, and having Rome at both ends, I would land Rome and train that day to Florence for 2 nites---then Venice for 4---and then train back to Rome for the last 5 in Rome.<

knickerbocker

I'd almost agree with ira and bob except if you're going to stop in Florence anyway (especially jet-lagged), 1 functional day there isn't worth bothering with. Better to go direct from Rome to Venice and then back again and save visiting Florence for another trip.

IMHO, if you're going to include Florence at all and at the end of May for good measure, I'd break it up as 4-3-4 Florence-Venice-Rome.

But if it's only Venice and Rome that you're interested in, then do whatever you can (within reason) to make yours an open-jaw trip (NYC-Rome, Venice-NYC) or if you can't reasonably change your reservations, then take a budget flight from Rome to Venice

suze

I would not split up the cities because then you have to deal with checking in & out of an apartment or hotel 3 times, instead of only twice.

IF tickets in & out of Rome are already purchased-- I'd either go straight to Venice upon arrival, or at the end of the trip I'd come from Venice direct to the Rome/airport (by flight or train) for departure.

SusanP

You definitely don't want to come from Venice to the Rome airport for departure, you'll need to be there the night before. I would go directly to Venice upon arrival in Rome, either by cheap flight or train, spend your time there, then train back to Rome. As mentioned, this eliminates an extra hotel change.