"Italy with a reluctant travel partner" is back from 2 weeks in Italy
Apr 20th, 2008, 05:38 PM
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"Italy with a reluctant travel partner" is back from 2 weeks in Italy
“Italy with a reluctant travel partner” is back from 2 weeks in Italy
Several months ago I made my first Fodor’s posting, requesting advice for traveling with my DH, my reluctant travel partner. With the encouragement of many on these boards, I progressed from planning to take a tour to planning my own trip. We returned this weekend from 2 weeks in Venice, Florence and Rome. I am nowhere near ready to post a full report, but thought I would do a picks and pans post. Here goes.
Favorite city – Venice for both of us. It was different – magical – just a lovely place.
Favorite hotel – Locanda Orseolo in Venice. Outstanding place, outstanding breakfast including phenomenal pear and chocolate crepes, outstanding owners and staff. We immediately felt like family, and there is no doubt that this is their goal. This was our splurge hotel, and even though we had probably the smallest room in the place, it was beautifully designed and decorated.
Favorite church – St. Marks in Venice – the mosaics were awe-inspiring.
Favorite museum – Borghese in Rome. It was compact, the audio tour was good (until the battery ran out – but they actually refunded my 5E for that), the sculpture and painting collection was outstanding.
Least favorite museum – Uffizi. Too big, too crowded, even with reservations it takes too long to get inside. But, I didn’t like the Louvre either. I guess I like my museums smaller and more personal.
Favorite gelato – Fantasy, about 2 blocks off St. Marks Square in Venice. Overall, I was not wowed by most of the gelato we tried, and we hit many of the recommended places. I might be sacrilegious saying this, but I think a good quality ice cream here in New York would be just as good as what we had in Italy. Maybe gelato wonders are more apparent to the summer travelers.
Biggest disappointment – Me. I got sick within 24 hours of landing in Venice and ended up seeing a nice Italian doctor who put me on antibiotics (horse pills!) and told me to go to bed. I had to take things slowly, but I was a New Yorker in Venice – I was not going to bed!
Unexpected pleasures – sitting at a café on the Zattere, in the sun, for 2 hours, just relaxing and enjoying the canal side seating; slowly walking up Gianocolo Hill for the views of Rome.
Unexpected reaction to the food – I realize that in assembling a list of recommended restaurants from these boards, I had all Italian food places – nothing ethnic, nothing different. We found much of the cuisine became boring, and tired of the constant pastas. We could not wait to get home and eat something with whole grain.
Tour book and audio guides – we brought Rick Steve’s books and had his audio tours on our Ipod. I found his approach distasteful too much of the time – some of his audio commentary is downright disgusting and insulting. I realize he is trying to be funny, but to me it just came off as being inappropriate.
Maps – we took Streetwise maps, and in the end rarely used them. They were hard to read. For Florence and Rome, I had obtained free maps from a website that has long slipped from memory – they were far better then anything else we saw.
Biggest grab for the buck – Context tours. We used them for their Arte Vaticana tour. After being 3 times as expensive as everyone else, they have the nerve to suggest a tipping rate for their guides. Truthfully, for what they charge, tipping should be prohibited.
Worst experience – taxi driver in Rome. Yes, he was in an official white Rome taxi. He still had broken seatbelts, broken meter, drove like a maniac, overcharged us (23E from Termini to Piazza Navona), and then palmed the 20E we gave him and claimed we had given him two 5’s instead. My husband didn’t cave, so the guy shut our luggage up in his trunk and threatened to take it back to the train station. Then my husband looked into the cab, and there was the 20, hidden under the driver’s seat. The driver then took our luggage out, refused to give us our change, and drove away.
Delta Airlines – they must think that the average traveler is a pygmy. No leg room, no video screens on seatbacks, no way to see the screens in the aisles from our seats, awful food. We were on time though.
Would I plan my own trip again – I honestly don’t know. I started out the planning process with enthusiasm, that gradually ground down to exhaustion with the process. By the time we got to Rome, those ladies with the stupid umbrellas followed by tourists were looking mighty tempting.
Would I do a 2 week trip like this again – No. For us, it was too tiring touring 3 cities with all of their ‘must sees’. Next time, I will mix it up – some touring, some relaxing on the beach or at a resort, where my biggest decision will be whether to face my lounge chair into the sun.
And finally – how did my reluctant travel partner do – much better than expected. He says he is glad he saw this part of Italy, and has admitted that he would like to see other places – specifically Greece and the Canadian Rockies. Yeah!
Several months ago I made my first Fodor’s posting, requesting advice for traveling with my DH, my reluctant travel partner. With the encouragement of many on these boards, I progressed from planning to take a tour to planning my own trip. We returned this weekend from 2 weeks in Venice, Florence and Rome. I am nowhere near ready to post a full report, but thought I would do a picks and pans post. Here goes.
Favorite city – Venice for both of us. It was different – magical – just a lovely place.
Favorite hotel – Locanda Orseolo in Venice. Outstanding place, outstanding breakfast including phenomenal pear and chocolate crepes, outstanding owners and staff. We immediately felt like family, and there is no doubt that this is their goal. This was our splurge hotel, and even though we had probably the smallest room in the place, it was beautifully designed and decorated.
Favorite church – St. Marks in Venice – the mosaics were awe-inspiring.
Favorite museum – Borghese in Rome. It was compact, the audio tour was good (until the battery ran out – but they actually refunded my 5E for that), the sculpture and painting collection was outstanding.
Least favorite museum – Uffizi. Too big, too crowded, even with reservations it takes too long to get inside. But, I didn’t like the Louvre either. I guess I like my museums smaller and more personal.
Favorite gelato – Fantasy, about 2 blocks off St. Marks Square in Venice. Overall, I was not wowed by most of the gelato we tried, and we hit many of the recommended places. I might be sacrilegious saying this, but I think a good quality ice cream here in New York would be just as good as what we had in Italy. Maybe gelato wonders are more apparent to the summer travelers.
Biggest disappointment – Me. I got sick within 24 hours of landing in Venice and ended up seeing a nice Italian doctor who put me on antibiotics (horse pills!) and told me to go to bed. I had to take things slowly, but I was a New Yorker in Venice – I was not going to bed!
Unexpected pleasures – sitting at a café on the Zattere, in the sun, for 2 hours, just relaxing and enjoying the canal side seating; slowly walking up Gianocolo Hill for the views of Rome.
Unexpected reaction to the food – I realize that in assembling a list of recommended restaurants from these boards, I had all Italian food places – nothing ethnic, nothing different. We found much of the cuisine became boring, and tired of the constant pastas. We could not wait to get home and eat something with whole grain.
Tour book and audio guides – we brought Rick Steve’s books and had his audio tours on our Ipod. I found his approach distasteful too much of the time – some of his audio commentary is downright disgusting and insulting. I realize he is trying to be funny, but to me it just came off as being inappropriate.
Maps – we took Streetwise maps, and in the end rarely used them. They were hard to read. For Florence and Rome, I had obtained free maps from a website that has long slipped from memory – they were far better then anything else we saw.
Biggest grab for the buck – Context tours. We used them for their Arte Vaticana tour. After being 3 times as expensive as everyone else, they have the nerve to suggest a tipping rate for their guides. Truthfully, for what they charge, tipping should be prohibited.
Worst experience – taxi driver in Rome. Yes, he was in an official white Rome taxi. He still had broken seatbelts, broken meter, drove like a maniac, overcharged us (23E from Termini to Piazza Navona), and then palmed the 20E we gave him and claimed we had given him two 5’s instead. My husband didn’t cave, so the guy shut our luggage up in his trunk and threatened to take it back to the train station. Then my husband looked into the cab, and there was the 20, hidden under the driver’s seat. The driver then took our luggage out, refused to give us our change, and drove away.
Delta Airlines – they must think that the average traveler is a pygmy. No leg room, no video screens on seatbacks, no way to see the screens in the aisles from our seats, awful food. We were on time though.
Would I plan my own trip again – I honestly don’t know. I started out the planning process with enthusiasm, that gradually ground down to exhaustion with the process. By the time we got to Rome, those ladies with the stupid umbrellas followed by tourists were looking mighty tempting.
Would I do a 2 week trip like this again – No. For us, it was too tiring touring 3 cities with all of their ‘must sees’. Next time, I will mix it up – some touring, some relaxing on the beach or at a resort, where my biggest decision will be whether to face my lounge chair into the sun.
And finally – how did my reluctant travel partner do – much better than expected. He says he is glad he saw this part of Italy, and has admitted that he would like to see other places – specifically Greece and the Canadian Rockies. Yeah!
Apr 20th, 2008, 06:22 PM
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That was an excellent succinct mini report and I really enjoyed reading it. Thanks for sharing.
The Canadian Rockies are fantastic and the Greek Islands of Santorini and especially Mykonos will definitely provide you with a "relaxing" next trip!
The Canadian Rockies are fantastic and the Greek Islands of Santorini and especially Mykonos will definitely provide you with a "relaxing" next trip!
Apr 20th, 2008, 06:39 PM
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Another thank you for reporting back in. And for being truthful and telling us your high and low points.
I particularly like your comment about the pastas. I love pastas, and could eat them every day (though I don't!), but friends of ours who visited Italy last year had the same comment that you did - they got tired of the pasta!
I particularly like your comment about the pastas. I love pastas, and could eat them every day (though I don't!), but friends of ours who visited Italy last year had the same comment that you did - they got tired of the pasta!
Apr 20th, 2008, 06:49 PM
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I agree with you regarding the RS guidebooks. I find them useful for the planning stage (has lots of practical info) but I don't use them for the actual sightseeing. I have bought one book of his and never again. Nowadays, I borrow his guidebooks from the library and jot down the practical info, then return them.
The taxi experience was terrible. That's one reason I try to avoid taking taxis in a foreign country - not that I'm cheap, but I feel that many taxi drivers do try to rip off unsuspecting tourists. The only place outside of the US where I'll take taxis is London.
In any case, there's no way I will ever find taking tours better than going on my own in Western Europe. However, for places where the logistics of getting around are difficult, I will consider taking tours.
I have to disagree on your comment on Streetwise maps. I love them and will continue to use them.
Lastly, your experience on Delta isn't really any worse than other US airlines. I fly AA trans-atlantic. Most of the routes I fly are 767s which do not have individual seatback videos or edible food.
The taxi experience was terrible. That's one reason I try to avoid taking taxis in a foreign country - not that I'm cheap, but I feel that many taxi drivers do try to rip off unsuspecting tourists. The only place outside of the US where I'll take taxis is London.
In any case, there's no way I will ever find taking tours better than going on my own in Western Europe. However, for places where the logistics of getting around are difficult, I will consider taking tours.
I have to disagree on your comment on Streetwise maps. I love them and will continue to use them.
Lastly, your experience on Delta isn't really any worse than other US airlines. I fly AA trans-atlantic. Most of the routes I fly are 767s which do not have individual seatback videos or edible food.
Apr 21st, 2008, 03:46 AM
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Hi,
I really enjoyed your mini trip report. It was honest and concise.
I totally agree with you about the Uffizi and the Zattere. I totally hated the Uffizi because of its market-like crowds and I totally loved the Zattere because of its relaxing atmosphere.
You're right about mixing up relaxation and landmarks in one trip so as not to get tired of always doing the same thing. I learned that the hard way.
Castellanese.
I really enjoyed your mini trip report. It was honest and concise.
I totally agree with you about the Uffizi and the Zattere. I totally hated the Uffizi because of its market-like crowds and I totally loved the Zattere because of its relaxing atmosphere.
You're right about mixing up relaxation and landmarks in one trip so as not to get tired of always doing the same thing. I learned that the hard way.
Castellanese.
Apr 21st, 2008, 09:29 AM
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I'm sorry you got tired of Pasta. It's not obligatory to have pasta though. You can just order a main course with a side of vegetables instead. But I know what you mean about craving some whole grains. One thing they do have in Northern Italy at least is farro, which is a kind of wheat, cooked like rice or in a soup, and it is nicely chewy and flavorful. so next time try those things.
Apr 21st, 2008, 09:58 AM
#10
Thanks for this nice little report... Inspires me to finish a few reports of my own and to be a lot more succinct...
I hear you on the pasta! I don't much care for pasta and it's not great for my blood sugar, so I have the same problem in Italy. You can order meat or fish but it's a lot more expensive and not always the best choice on the menu.
OTOH, the rest of my family loves Italy, mostly because of the pasta!
thanks again...
gruezi
I hear you on the pasta! I don't much care for pasta and it's not great for my blood sugar, so I have the same problem in Italy. You can order meat or fish but it's a lot more expensive and not always the best choice on the menu.
OTOH, the rest of my family loves Italy, mostly because of the pasta!
thanks again...
gruezi
Apr 21st, 2008, 11:07 AM
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Hello butnotrmpt,
I wish I could vacation for 2 weeks! How fortunate you are - 1 week is all we're allowed. In any case, I'm curious - how did the ContextTour personnel ask for a tip? I ask because we've taken 3 different ContextTours and they've never hinted nor asked for a tip. (We're returning to Rome next month and will be taking more tours with them.) Thanks!
I wish I could vacation for 2 weeks! How fortunate you are - 1 week is all we're allowed. In any case, I'm curious - how did the ContextTour personnel ask for a tip? I ask because we've taken 3 different ContextTours and they've never hinted nor asked for a tip. (We're returning to Rome next month and will be taking more tours with them.) Thanks!
Apr 21st, 2008, 06:22 PM
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Great, short, and to the point. We are going in May for 9 days and just decided to skip the Uffizi, glad we made that choice! Realizing that you just can't do it all. Can't wait to hear the full report!
Apr 21st, 2008, 07:00 PM
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We had the 25 euro taxi from Termini to Piazza Navona! I still hate that guy, and it's been years.
If I ever do take a taxi from Termini again, I will ask the rate before I get in the taxi.
We have used taxis in other Italian cities (although not in the South) and never had this problem. Also many taxi in rides in Paris with no problem.
I've also been shortchanged more than once in Rome.
Thanks for reporting back.
If I ever do take a taxi from Termini again, I will ask the rate before I get in the taxi.
We have used taxis in other Italian cities (although not in the South) and never had this problem. Also many taxi in rides in Paris with no problem.
I've also been shortchanged more than once in Rome.
Thanks for reporting back.
Apr 21st, 2008, 07:08 PM
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The same happened to me in Rome (also an official taxi) - the driver hid whatever liras I gave him and said I handed in a smaller bill.
I was too tired an jet-lagged to realize what was going on.
In more than 30 years of traveling
this was the only time I have been ripped off.
However, it did not stop me from returning to Rome.
I was too tired an jet-lagged to realize what was going on.
In more than 30 years of traveling
this was the only time I have been ripped off.
However, it did not stop me from returning to Rome.
Apr 22nd, 2008, 11:04 AM
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I'm happy to see that so many posters appreciated my mini trip report.
To yk - we spent hours in Barnes and Nobles choosing maps, guidebooks, and a phrase book/dictionary. The Streetwise maps looked better than the others there, but we were under the bright store lights. We found that in more average lighting situations, the contrast on the Streetwise maps was not strong enough for us. For accuracy, they were excellent.
to dorkforcemom - in the past our travel time was always limited by my husband's school schedule - yes, we could take long vacations (I co-owned a small health related practice, so the amount of time I had for travel related to how much income I was willing to give up), but they had to be in the heat of the summer or when everyone was vacationing with their children. Now, he is semi retired, so we have more flexibility. Re Context - the guide was excellent, and he did not come out and ask for a tip. BUT - the Context info that came after we bought the tour included a recommended tipping guide - we didn't notice it until we were looking at the printout on the day of the tour.
to skkz1984 - I had my doubts about visiting the Uffizi, and found myself resenting the time commitment as soon as I spotted the reservations line. There are so many opportunities to see smaller amounts of this art - in the many Italian churches especially, and also in your hometown museums - that I agree with passing up the Uffizi. Obviously that is not the right choice for all though.
to tuscanfeedit and others who commented on the taxi story - this was a horrible way to begin our stay in Rome. It left a bitter taste that never went away. What annoyed me even more was that I thought I had made sure that we were not in a rogue taxi since I had read about this problem in Rome. It seems to me that the authorities should be able to do a better job of preventing these scams.
to everyone - if you are interested in additional details about this trip, let me know what would like to read about. Hotels? Restaurants? Tours? Trains? Sights? Italian doctors
.
To yk - we spent hours in Barnes and Nobles choosing maps, guidebooks, and a phrase book/dictionary. The Streetwise maps looked better than the others there, but we were under the bright store lights. We found that in more average lighting situations, the contrast on the Streetwise maps was not strong enough for us. For accuracy, they were excellent.
to dorkforcemom - in the past our travel time was always limited by my husband's school schedule - yes, we could take long vacations (I co-owned a small health related practice, so the amount of time I had for travel related to how much income I was willing to give up), but they had to be in the heat of the summer or when everyone was vacationing with their children. Now, he is semi retired, so we have more flexibility. Re Context - the guide was excellent, and he did not come out and ask for a tip. BUT - the Context info that came after we bought the tour included a recommended tipping guide - we didn't notice it until we were looking at the printout on the day of the tour.
to skkz1984 - I had my doubts about visiting the Uffizi, and found myself resenting the time commitment as soon as I spotted the reservations line. There are so many opportunities to see smaller amounts of this art - in the many Italian churches especially, and also in your hometown museums - that I agree with passing up the Uffizi. Obviously that is not the right choice for all though.
to tuscanfeedit and others who commented on the taxi story - this was a horrible way to begin our stay in Rome. It left a bitter taste that never went away. What annoyed me even more was that I thought I had made sure that we were not in a rogue taxi since I had read about this problem in Rome. It seems to me that the authorities should be able to do a better job of preventing these scams.
to everyone - if you are interested in additional details about this trip, let me know what would like to read about. Hotels? Restaurants? Tours? Trains? Sights? Italian doctors
.
Apr 22nd, 2008, 06:44 PM
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butnotrmpt,
I have to disagree about tipping your Context tour guide. Tipping tour guides is normal and expected, how much is up to you, as with any tipping. Yes, tour prices and quality vary from company to company. I was extremely happy with both my tours from Context and look forward to doing others with them as soon as I can get back to Roma!
Glad the reluctant hubby did ok!
I have to disagree about tipping your Context tour guide. Tipping tour guides is normal and expected, how much is up to you, as with any tipping. Yes, tour prices and quality vary from company to company. I was extremely happy with both my tours from Context and look forward to doing others with them as soon as I can get back to Roma!
Glad the reluctant hubby did ok!
Apr 28th, 2008, 11:55 AM
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RE ; Context tour; I've viewed the
website and the tours sound in depth and scholarly; just what we are looking for. anyone taken any of these tours with them? Roma Antica; Imperial Rome; Rise and fall of Rome; Medieval basilicas; we'll be in Rome a week at end of May
website and the tours sound in depth and scholarly; just what we are looking for. anyone taken any of these tours with them? Roma Antica; Imperial Rome; Rise and fall of Rome; Medieval basilicas; we'll be in Rome a week at end of May
