sumit90210

Hi
We plan to travel to Italy this spring (Mid March). We would be travelling with a toddler. We plan to fly to Rome and fly out from Venice with a stopover at Florence in between. Each stopover is for three days so the trip would be for 8/9 days. Kindly advice on the following:-
- Is march a good time for travel?
- We plan to take public transport for transit between Rome-Florence-Venice. I presume with a toddler, train is the best option. Or is bus also fine? Please advice on the best railway/bus service and ways to get good deals.
- Places to stay in centre of city in all the cities including Budget options. We would prefer historic places are at a walking distance rather that a painful ride away.
- Any specific etiquette to be kept in mind while travelling with a toddler so that we don't end up offending a local.

greg

That is in less than 2 months?
Look at Rome-Florence-Venice routing and Venice-Florence-Rome routing. Look at arrival and departure times. If you stay in the historic center of Venice, it is time consuming to get to the airport and the train station from the hotel. For this reason, if the departure from Italy is early in the morning, it is easier to leave from Rome than from Venice.

RonZ

If you have less than 8 days on the ground, subtracting flying in and out, then you really only have time for two cities.

Train schedules and tickets here, using italian city names:

http://www.trenitalia.com/cms/v/inde...005817f90aRCRD

sumit90210

I plan to keep eight days excluding days when I am flying in and out.
please tell me how many days should I keep for each city? Is the 3-2-3 combination okay for Rome-Florence-Venice route? We plan to see the major historic attractions of these cities.

mamcalice

WIth 8 full days on the ground, I think I would choose only 2 stops. Which 2 are up to you. But traveling with a toddler, you will go slower than if you were traveling with an adult. Keep in mind jet lag and the time it takes to move from city to city. And if you have any choice at all, I would consider visiting in April or May rather than March.

Public transport (train)is the way to go. Don't worry about offending locals - by and large, the Italians love children.

sumit90210

Hi,
Have done all the bookings for a nine day Italy trip from 02 to 11 March. Please help me with certain queries:
1. I am trying to take a guided day tour for Vatican. However, all the websites say that the tours are not wheelchair accessible. We would be travelling with our baby in a stroller. Please inform about any reliable tour companies that can accommodate us.
2. If we dont go through a tour company for local sight seeing and plan it on own then should we book the tickets for local attractions in Rome and Pisa online? Is it worth it or should we buy them there itself?
Thanks

greg

1. Not wheelchair accessible does not imply strollers not allowed. The former requires barrier free access while the later is less restrictive assuming you can just carry your baby and the stroller to go up and down stairs.

Ask the tour companies.

sumit90210

Thax Greg.

bvlenci

There is a wheelchair itinerary at the Vatican Museums, which avoids the stairs. (There are elevators there, but they're only for use of people who can't manage the stairs.) I don't know if they'd let you follow that itinerary with a stroller, but I suspect not. If one of you can carry the baby for a while, while the other carries the stroller, you could use the stairs.

I myself wouldn't take a toddler to the Vatican Museums. It's far too crowded for a small child. It can be very stressful even for an adult.

nytraveler

Agree that a toddler - especially in a stroller - will not be happy in the Vatican Museums.

First of all they will be surrounded by knees and not able to see much of anything else, and second you may find people tripping over the stroller since the rooms are so packed. If you do take a toddler - and I don;t reco it - I would definitely carry the child versus using a stroller.

kybourbon

>>>1. I am trying to take a guided day tour for Vatican. However, all the websites say that the tours are not wheelchair accessible<<<

While a stroller isn't a wheelchair, the Vatican does have wheelchairs for people that need them. The only area they state that doesn't have access is the Vatican Gardens. I'm not sure outside tour operators want to fool with them or the Vatican doesn't allow access to elevators to outside tour groups.

http://www.museivaticani.va/3_EN/pag...o_Servizi.html

I assume the Vatican is calling strollers pushchairs(since they use the term wheelchair for handicap access) and they seem to be allowed (at the bottom of link).

>>>Pushchairs
Pushchairs are permitted in the Museums.<<<

http://www.museivaticani.va/3_EN/pag..._Consigli.html

I would email the Vatican and ask if you can take a stroller on one of their tours.

[email protected]

sanderskn

With a toddler, I would choose just two cities.

sumit90210

Just Checked with the official website. Stroller is not a problem.
Please advice which is the best time to visit the Vatican Museums with regards to crowds? I plan to book a skip the line tour and I am traveling in first week of March.