Italy (Rome, Florence, Venice, coast) honeymoon itinerary, transportation ?s
Dec 18th, 2003, 05:25 PM
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Italy (Rome, Florence, Venice, coast) honeymoon itinerary, transportation ?s
Message: I am loving this board and have already filled a whole notebook with suggestions. We'll be booking hotels probably next week, so I'm doing lots of research now.
It looks like, excluding travel days, we will have 11 nights to spend in Italy. We would like to see the cities of Rome, Venice, and Florence, and spend some time on the coast. This will be my fiancé's first trip to Europe, and my first trip to Italy, so we want to see the highlights.
We are kind of high strung people, and like a lot of activity when we travel. We are Catholic, so some time at the Vatican is a must. We aren't heavy into museums, although I certainly want to see the Sistine Chapel, both Davids, and some Caravaggio and Brunelleschi. But we won't want to spend all day in a museum anywhere. I definitely like to shop, and we both are looking forward to eating a lot of great Italian food. I'd love a day trip to Pompeii and/or Pisa, if possible.
I've picked up on this board that it is probably a good plan to book an open jaw flight, so I've thought of flying into Rome and out of Venice or vice versa. What order would you suggest we see the country, and how many days would you recommend in each place? Also, would we be okay taking the train, or would you suggest we rent a car? I am concerned with how much luggage I generally carry to Europe and having enough space on a train.
Recommendations?
It looks like, excluding travel days, we will have 11 nights to spend in Italy. We would like to see the cities of Rome, Venice, and Florence, and spend some time on the coast. This will be my fiancé's first trip to Europe, and my first trip to Italy, so we want to see the highlights.
We are kind of high strung people, and like a lot of activity when we travel. We are Catholic, so some time at the Vatican is a must. We aren't heavy into museums, although I certainly want to see the Sistine Chapel, both Davids, and some Caravaggio and Brunelleschi. But we won't want to spend all day in a museum anywhere. I definitely like to shop, and we both are looking forward to eating a lot of great Italian food. I'd love a day trip to Pompeii and/or Pisa, if possible.
I've picked up on this board that it is probably a good plan to book an open jaw flight, so I've thought of flying into Rome and out of Venice or vice versa. What order would you suggest we see the country, and how many days would you recommend in each place? Also, would we be okay taking the train, or would you suggest we rent a car? I am concerned with how much luggage I generally carry to Europe and having enough space on a train.
Recommendations?
Dec 18th, 2003, 05:47 PM
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Hi - I had a similar honeymoon this Sept. Here was our itinerary:
* Fly into Naples, drive to Positano (4 nights)
* Drive to Stigliano in Tuscany and explore hilltowns (3 nights - should have been longer!). Visit Pompeii.
* Drive to Florence and immediately drop off car (3 nights - should have been less...not art lovers)
* Train to Venice
* Fly home from Venice
If I were you, I would travel either North to South or South to North. Since you're doing both Venice and the Coast, I would suggest open jaw with Venice and Naples as travel points.
We also are not huge art lovers, so we found 3 nights in Florence too long...whereas we LOVED Tuscany and thought 3 nights was far too short. However, we had fantastic food in Florence - Baldovino (both the enoteca and the trattoria across the alleyway) was fantastic, as was Tarocchi for wonderful pizza.
If you are focusing mostly on cities, I would NOT rent a car. We live in DC, and I can tell you that driving in Italian cities is even worse than driving here in DC! Train travel is great...but definitely be conscious of how much luggage you bring. I know it's tempting, but it's such a pain to carry with you, and you'd be shocked at how small some hotels are (even the "nice" ones) and lack storage area. You're on your honeymoon - you don't need anything but a few outfits, a camera, and your husband to have the time of your life.
Enjoy...we sure did! Our favorite lodging resource was www.italyby.com.
* Fly into Naples, drive to Positano (4 nights)
* Drive to Stigliano in Tuscany and explore hilltowns (3 nights - should have been longer!). Visit Pompeii.
* Drive to Florence and immediately drop off car (3 nights - should have been less...not art lovers)
* Train to Venice
* Fly home from Venice
If I were you, I would travel either North to South or South to North. Since you're doing both Venice and the Coast, I would suggest open jaw with Venice and Naples as travel points.
We also are not huge art lovers, so we found 3 nights in Florence too long...whereas we LOVED Tuscany and thought 3 nights was far too short. However, we had fantastic food in Florence - Baldovino (both the enoteca and the trattoria across the alleyway) was fantastic, as was Tarocchi for wonderful pizza.
If you are focusing mostly on cities, I would NOT rent a car. We live in DC, and I can tell you that driving in Italian cities is even worse than driving here in DC! Train travel is great...but definitely be conscious of how much luggage you bring. I know it's tempting, but it's such a pain to carry with you, and you'd be shocked at how small some hotels are (even the "nice" ones) and lack storage area. You're on your honeymoon - you don't need anything but a few outfits, a camera, and your husband to have the time of your life.
Enjoy...we sure did! Our favorite lodging resource was www.italyby.com.
Best advice there - see the most popular tourist areas and then GET LOST. Venice is best experienced away from the main squares.
Dec 18th, 2003, 05:51 PM
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Hello,
Sounds like you have some great ideas for your trip already. My husband and I are similar (high-strung, not much into museums but want to see the highlights). Even so, I think you're trying to squeeze in too much for 11 days. Rome alone is worth 4 days even for someone high-strung like me. I spent 5 and that was just enough. I would suggest 4 nights in Rome, 3 in Florence, and 2-3 in Venice. Even add a night to Florence if you want to spend time in Siena and / or Pisa.
I wouldn't add too much more, but I understand the allure of the coast, so maybe do a couple of nights in Capri immediately after you arrive in Rome or right after you leave. Anyone have specifics on how they could do this?
Either way,fly into Rome and work your way north. Don't go the other way around or you will be fidgety in the beginning (Venice and Florence are more laid-back and you will be too keyed-up to enjoy) and sick of it all in the end. Rome is pure, undiluted, high-energy Italy and you will be more in the mood for it when you first get there.
You can do day trips to Pompeii from Rome. I did a daylong bus trip but recommend a train or other method instead; I didn't like the feeling of being trapped with the group. For other travel between cities, esp on your first trip, I would do the trains. They get you to the main cities you mentioned, are cheap and easy and frequent, and relieve lots of stress. I would only do a car if you were spending much time (overnight) in small towns which you're not. You won't need a car inside the cities so just get there via train, taxi to hotel (which is hopefully in walking distance of city centers).
Budget more time than you expect for Sistine Chapel, St Peter's, the Vatican. I'm not Catholic and pretty hyper (can't keep still for long), and I still spent most of a day there.
I can't speak for the travel with luggage. I think I am pretty high-maintenance and I have never had a problem.
Good luck! If you need anything else, just post!
Sounds like you have some great ideas for your trip already. My husband and I are similar (high-strung, not much into museums but want to see the highlights). Even so, I think you're trying to squeeze in too much for 11 days. Rome alone is worth 4 days even for someone high-strung like me. I spent 5 and that was just enough. I would suggest 4 nights in Rome, 3 in Florence, and 2-3 in Venice. Even add a night to Florence if you want to spend time in Siena and / or Pisa.
I wouldn't add too much more, but I understand the allure of the coast, so maybe do a couple of nights in Capri immediately after you arrive in Rome or right after you leave. Anyone have specifics on how they could do this?
Either way,fly into Rome and work your way north. Don't go the other way around or you will be fidgety in the beginning (Venice and Florence are more laid-back and you will be too keyed-up to enjoy) and sick of it all in the end. Rome is pure, undiluted, high-energy Italy and you will be more in the mood for it when you first get there.
You can do day trips to Pompeii from Rome. I did a daylong bus trip but recommend a train or other method instead; I didn't like the feeling of being trapped with the group. For other travel between cities, esp on your first trip, I would do the trains. They get you to the main cities you mentioned, are cheap and easy and frequent, and relieve lots of stress. I would only do a car if you were spending much time (overnight) in small towns which you're not. You won't need a car inside the cities so just get there via train, taxi to hotel (which is hopefully in walking distance of city centers).
Budget more time than you expect for Sistine Chapel, St Peter's, the Vatican. I'm not Catholic and pretty hyper (can't keep still for long), and I still spent most of a day there.
I can't speak for the travel with luggage. I think I am pretty high-maintenance and I have never had a problem.
Good luck! If you need anything else, just post!
Dec 19th, 2003, 04:43 AM
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With 11 days to spend, I would make some choices. Rome, Florence and Venice will certainly fill 11 days no matter how "high strung" you are. While June would be lovely on the coast, it will stretch you pretty thin. So you really want to decide what matters most to you. Because it is a honeymoon, I would definitely include Venice. I would start in Rome, go to Florence with perhaps a day trip to the Tuscan countryside and end in Venice - get an open jaw flight if you can. If you spend time in the cities, you will not need a car. And, as for luggage, I am of the school that you can go anywhere for 2 weeks with a 22" suitcase and a small carryon - easy to maneuver on trains.
Dec 19th, 2003, 05:04 AM
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Hi Jun,
My wife and I are in our sixties. We recently did three weeks in Italy with one large suitcase and two carryons. You should be able to do 11 days with that amount of luggage with no trouble if you take the train from Rome to Florence to Venice.
My wife and I are in our sixties. We recently did three weeks in Italy with one large suitcase and two carryons. You should be able to do 11 days with that amount of luggage with no trouble if you take the train from Rome to Florence to Venice.
Dec 19th, 2003, 05:59 AM
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Because of the time of year (mid October), we started in Venice and worked south to Rome. If weather is not much of an issue when you are going, I would take the advice give by others to start in Rome and end in Venice. Rome is fantastic but exhausting and hectic. Florence is not nearly as hectic, but museums can get quite tiring. Venice is definitely the most relaxing of the three, the most romantic perhaps, and has relatively few must sights, so you can have a nice end to the honeymoon. We spent 4 1/2 days in Rome, three in Florence, and about three in Venice. I think that is about right to have a great trip. I wouldn't try to cram more in with a honeymoon. Actually, though, the coast or small town Tuscany would be a great alternative to Florence, unless you really love museums or shopping. If you just want to see a few highlights of Florence and save days for elsewhere, go for 1-2 days and move on.
Dec 19th, 2003, 06:06 AM
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I suggest 3 nts Positano, with a side trip to Capri. You will be able to get over the jetlag there because there is really not a lot of sight seeing to do. On your last day you can stop at Pompeii on your way to Naples train station.
3 nts in Rome. Sistine Chapel and Vatican will take the better part of one day. Consider Borghese Gallery. Small museum with a maximum, timed visit of 2 hrs. Gorgeous. Last day take an early evening train to Florence.
3 nts in Florence. The obvious side trip is a bus tour to San Gimignano & Siena because that is what everyone does. However, if budget allows, hire a driver to take you to Volterra & Lucca instead. Less touristy & just beautiful. Evening train to Venice. In Florence you might want to take a tour of the Pitti Palace and Boboli Gardens that are on the far side of the Ponte Vecchio bridge.
2nts in Venice is plenty. Venice is small, but also expensive. Doge's Palace and St. Marks Cathedral should be on top of the list, and everything else you can squeeze in is gravy.
This is a very doable trip if you are organized and do your train travel in the early evening so you don't kill the days.
Have fun, and please post a trip report when you return.
3 nts in Rome. Sistine Chapel and Vatican will take the better part of one day. Consider Borghese Gallery. Small museum with a maximum, timed visit of 2 hrs. Gorgeous. Last day take an early evening train to Florence.
3 nts in Florence. The obvious side trip is a bus tour to San Gimignano & Siena because that is what everyone does. However, if budget allows, hire a driver to take you to Volterra & Lucca instead. Less touristy & just beautiful. Evening train to Venice. In Florence you might want to take a tour of the Pitti Palace and Boboli Gardens that are on the far side of the Ponte Vecchio bridge.
2nts in Venice is plenty. Venice is small, but also expensive. Doge's Palace and St. Marks Cathedral should be on top of the list, and everything else you can squeeze in is gravy.
This is a very doable trip if you are organized and do your train travel in the early evening so you don't kill the days.
Have fun, and please post a trip report when you return.
Dec 20th, 2003, 04:58 PM
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I did a similar trip in Sept. of 2002. I too am very high strung and active while traveling, and although my husband is not, he certainly tolerated me very well!
First of all, this is your honeymoon, and although you may think it a good idea now to see everything you can jam in, you will probably feel the need to take it easy a bit. A wedding can absolutely exhaust the most high strung of people, as I know from personal experience.
I think flying open jaw is an excellent idea. I think Venice would be a perfect place to start your honeymoon, and agree with the previous poster that you could easily spend more than 2 nights there. (I stayed at the Colombina--just wonderful! Near San Marco, but on a very quiet canal and view of the Bridge of Sighs)I say spend 3 nights, and get a train to Florence next, spend 4 nights there, and do day trips to Pisa and/or other great stops like Lucca or Siena. Take the train to Rome, and spend another 4 nights, and do a day trip to Pompeii, Sorrento, or Assisi.
I did not go to the coast, so I can't speak for that. I toyed with the idea of cutting my time in Rome and Florence to spend time in Amalfit, but decided not to, and was glad in the end because I felt that I was able to enjoy Rome and Florence more, and I plan on going back someday anyway to see Amalfi.
So the bottom line of my advice is: Don't overdo it. This is your honeymoon. You don't want to be so exhausted that you are unable to do honeymoon activities
and be unable to appreciate the wonderful sights and places that you will be able to experience.
Happy planning (both wedding and travel)!
First of all, this is your honeymoon, and although you may think it a good idea now to see everything you can jam in, you will probably feel the need to take it easy a bit. A wedding can absolutely exhaust the most high strung of people, as I know from personal experience.
I think flying open jaw is an excellent idea. I think Venice would be a perfect place to start your honeymoon, and agree with the previous poster that you could easily spend more than 2 nights there. (I stayed at the Colombina--just wonderful! Near San Marco, but on a very quiet canal and view of the Bridge of Sighs)I say spend 3 nights, and get a train to Florence next, spend 4 nights there, and do day trips to Pisa and/or other great stops like Lucca or Siena. Take the train to Rome, and spend another 4 nights, and do a day trip to Pompeii, Sorrento, or Assisi.
I did not go to the coast, so I can't speak for that. I toyed with the idea of cutting my time in Rome and Florence to spend time in Amalfit, but decided not to, and was glad in the end because I felt that I was able to enjoy Rome and Florence more, and I plan on going back someday anyway to see Amalfi.
So the bottom line of my advice is: Don't overdo it. This is your honeymoon. You don't want to be so exhausted that you are unable to do honeymoon activities
and be unable to appreciate the wonderful sights and places that you will be able to experience.Happy planning (both wedding and travel)!
Dec 20th, 2003, 05:08 PM
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With only 11 nites, and on a honeymoon, you should not do more than 3 destinations. Your call, but either Venice or Amalfi needs to go. For a honeymoon in June I would do the Amalfi coast and stay in Positano.
