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Itinerary for 9 days in Italy with family

Itinerary for 9 days in Italy with family

Old Dec 10th, 1999, 04:45 AM
  #1  
Judith allen
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Itinerary for 9 days in Italy with family

Our family-girls 15 and 11 will be in Italy for nine days flying in and out of Milan in late March. We would like to go to Venice and Florence, but we wonder if we would have enough time to go to Rome as well. We will rent a car. Any ideas would be appreciated. Also, any things that the girls would especially like? Thanks for your help.
 
Old Dec 10th, 1999, 05:59 AM
  #2  
Rex
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Judith,

I'd be glad to share our experience with you (and more) with regards to 8 days (out of 17 in Europe total) in Italy with our 3 daughters (plus 8 other teenagers) - - ages 14-22 in summer of 98.

I don't know if I can recommend repeating what we did, but you CAN do it. Everyone felt that it was great to see so much, but all wanted more time in Venice, and most wanted another day in Florence.

It went like this:

Arrived on a Friday in Milan (Linate) - - around noon, and no jet lag to overcome (previous two days in London) - - picked up cars and spent about 3-4 hours in Milan. Primary focus was shopping. Drove onward to Venice (bad timing - - terrible traffic jam getting into Tronchetto) - arrived at dinner about 9 p.m. (spectacular - - a pre-planned highlight of the trip at Antico Martini) and still took in a midnight gondola ride.

Saturday - - morning in Venice (wasn't enough) - - then drove onward to our rental villa - about 90 minutes south of Florence (rather too isolated, in hindsight - - but the price was unbeatable). Arrived late, tired and NO groceries and nothing open. More bad timing. Still there was enough stuff at an Autogrill (like a gas station/restaurant) to make do for 36 hours - - no grocery stores open on Sunday either!)

Sunday - - morning by the pool - - some went to mass in our little town (didn't understand any of it) - - left for San Gimignano about 1 pm (heavy tour bus traffic there) - - still a magical day, had dinner there - - again back to house very late at night.

Monday - - mostly a rest day - - I finally got to a grocery store while all the kids slept in - - big happy (late) brunch and an even more terrific big dinner grilled out that night - - went briefly to a little winery and church (45 minutes total duration) right in the area late in the afternoon.

Tuesday - - big day; went to Florence which consumes a lot of time figuring out where to park the cars and ride a bus into the center. But magnifico - - had to cut short to get everybody home to bed at a reasonable hour because - --

Wednesday - - everybody up at 4 am and on the road at 4:30 to go to Rome to make it to the weekly public audience with the Pope. Made great time (driving way too fast) to the outerbelt of Rome, but then almost 2 hours to get to pick up the tickets, park the cars and catch cabs to St. Peter's square. Made it just in the nick of time (11:00 a.m. - - in retrospect we probably should have been three by 9:30 a.m. for better positions - - but we did get to see him from less than 50 feet). Took in the Colosseum (good guided walking tour - - DO spend the money for this!) and the Vatican museum - - then faced the 3 hr drive back to the house. Not surprisingly, the late night swimmers (a few of them) pooped out after about 15 minutes horseplay in the pool.

Thursday - By design, vacated our villa two days ahead of our full week rental to move onward to France. But we stopped for 2 hours in Pisa - - a little dorky, but everybody loves all the pictures we took there. Drove onward to San Remo - - once again, our supper was just in the nick of time before the hotel's dining room stopped serving. And still some went to the pool at midnight! Oh, the nergy of teenagers (who, of course, did not have the fatigue/burden of driving).

Friday - - arriverderci Italia - - turned in the cars in San remo and boarded the train for a 30 minute ride to Nice (and new cars!)

I'll keep the final 6 days a secret - - you have to write me to hear the end!

So - - whaddaya think? You want to repeat this story? I'm not saying you should, I'm not saying you shouldn't. Notice that we couldn't keep up the pace without essentially one "down" day (which was still VERY, VERY memorable!)

They all want to go back - - my youngest for more of Rome (but not the other two - - too much automobile exhaust, too little interest in antiquity), my middle for more of Florence and to get a leather coat as cool as the one her little sister got - - and my oldest (she's a sophomore in college this year) is now in first year Italian (not her major, obviously) and she wants to do a whole semester junior year.

For what it's worth, each of my kids had been to France once for 3 weeks (fifth-grade exchange student program in our town since 1980). single biggest oversight - - as has been mentioned many times over on this board - - I did not succeed in getting them all that involved in the planning - - but oh well (it led to more than once - - "so what's there to say in this place we're going today?") They know where Tuscany is NOW - - and they watch "Much Ado about Nothing" over and over with their mother and me - - almost as much as they watch "When Harry Met Sally".

I won't use the cliche "you're going to change their lives" with this trip - - you're probably already giving them a terrific upbringing, and this will be yet one more piece of the puzzle - - but oh what a wonderful piece.

Best wishes,

Rex
www.allexperts.com
 
Old Dec 10th, 1999, 07:27 AM
  #3  
BOB THE NAVIGATOR
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Judith, Given only 9 days makes it tough. I would stay north and include
either the Lakes or Cinque Terre into
your itinerary as a change of pace.
Italy is so much more than big cities.
 
Old Dec 10th, 1999, 10:00 AM
  #4  
lisa
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Here's my opinion: If you do go to Rome, you should allow at least 3 nights there, otherwise don't go. It is a very large city and can be overwhelming, particularly if you don't have enough time to enjoy it. You really need more time, but I do think that you could get a taste of each of these cities in 9 days. It will only be a taste though. With 9 days, I would try to allow 4 days for Rome, 3 for Venice, and 2 for Florence. Don't stay fewer than 2 nights in any one place. There's almost nothing in the world worse than arriving someplace one day and leaving the next, with no time to see or do anything. It's like smelling the food without being able to eat it.
 
Old Dec 10th, 1999, 10:25 AM
  #5  
Dawn
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I agree with Bob the Navigator. 9 days isn't very long, and Rome is very encompassing. Not to mention that it will be extremely crowded in Rome due to the Jubilee. There is much to see in the Northern area of Italy. The Italian Lakes are incredible, as is the Cinque Terre, and surrounding areas. I would forget Rome till your next trip. I would spend a day in Milan, the Duomo is definately worth seeing. I would spend at least a day at the Lakes. The Bormorean(sp.)Islands are a wonderful day. I spend 3 days in Venice and the surrounding area. The girls would probably like Murano (glass blowing, etc.)I'm sure you would too. And another 3 days in and around Florence. There is more than enough to see. Many Tuscan wonders are very close to Florence. Pisa, although not always popular is an easy couple of hours, it need not take up a whole day, I'd plan a morning if you want to go.
 
Old Dec 11th, 1999, 11:43 AM
  #6  
kam
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Judith, I would stay in the north. Verona comes to mind--how romantic to visit the home of Romeo and Juliet when you're that age! I think Rome is another trip and would require a day of travel plus a minimum stay of 3 days. You can spend all your time in just Venice and Florence easily!
 

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