trautmak

Would you have spent more time in Siena and less time in Rome? More time in the country and less in the cities? Stayed at a different hotel? Taken trains rather than renting a car? Bought more jewelry, less pottery? Visited more museums and fewer gardens? With all the hindsight you now have, what would you have done differently on you last trip to Italy?

Mary Kay

Great Question! I would have spent much more time in Venice (we were there only two nights, in October when it was not really crowded). Would have rented a car for a Chianti tour (we were traveling by train). Would have bought much more pottery in Siena. Spent plenty of time in Rome, but we are still not finished with it! Are you planning a trip, or reminiscing about a trip you've taken?

trautmak

Mary Kay --Yes, we are planning a trip for one week during my 15 year old daughter's spring break in March. Last year we took the Go-Today.com package to Paris and it was great! We are thinking of taking the package to Florence this year and visit towns in the area. I posed this question because I often find it very useful to hear what people would have done differently on their trips rather than just aske if they liked a certain hotel, etc. I imagine others will find answers to this question helpful also-- and thanks for your response!

Book Chick

Interesting question. Probably, in truth, would not have returned! Really, just little stuff: would've sent out more postcards. Italy is a country of which I never tire, and I know I'll be back. I've never driven there, but have friends there, so maybe I'll get down the Amalfi coast that way sometime in the future. I think I would have researched Venice restaurants a bit more thoroughly, but eating at the "less than perfect" one was just part of the adventure of having gone, I guess!

Buon Viaggio,
BC

Red

Not come home; I would have stayed there. Seriously though, I wish I had bought the earrings to match the necklace I bought in Venice. I wish I has stayed longer in Venice; we were there only two days. I don't have any other regrets because Italy was so magical. I can't wait to go back.

Laura

I would have spent longer in Rome and less time in Tuscany. I loved the hilltowns but they can be somewhat repetitous(I know others on this board would disagree). Ordinarily, large cities are not my favorite destination but Rome is special. So exciting and so much to do and see.

Grasshopper

Bought all the pottery I thought about but didn't buy. And a million other things I wish I had done or seen but didn't have time for everything. I'll just have to go back. I think I could live in Italy a good long time and not get all the things in I want to do.

Sherri

The first thing I would have done differently is I would have done alot more research ; and I would have made it a point to know how to get where I wanted to go before I got there. For instance I did an overnight train from Paris to Florence which was so lame because to save $125 was not worth the time I was missing not being where I wanted to be; and by the time I bought food ect. I did not save that much time or money.
I would have made at list of at least 3 things I wanted to do/see each day and done them. I would have been less afraid of being a tourist and getting lost. I have learned that the Italians will go out of their way to help you (they actully like Americans).
I would have bought alot more of everything: olive oil ; wine; Venetian galss/jewelry; ceramics; leather goods; beautiful fabrices from Florence etc.
I would have tried to get personal recommendations on restaurants and hotels; I would spend more money for convenience such as the locations of my hotel ; airport pick up etc.
I am gald I've discovered this forum to get info. from peoples personal experiences with restaurants/ hotels. etc.
Much thanks Fodorites
la Dloce Italy
Sherri

Melissa

Probably, I would have run the marathon. had I done more research, I would have known it was on while I was there!

Also, I would have eaten more truffles and more local cheeses.

Teresa

I would pick a different hotel in Florence. I would've gotten more recommendations for restaurants. But we do look back at our experiences with restaurants and laugh. But overall our trip went very well due to all the help of fellow Fodorites.

michele

Skipped the two nights in Sorrento--would've gone for the day and taken the bus to Ravello and gone back to Naples that evening.

Wish I had booked an overnight in Capri.

M.

Nancy

I regret trying to do too much in one day and hurrying around like a chicken in a pen. I would take more time to just "be" as another thread suggested and not "do" so much.
I would drink wine at lunch and more lemoncello after dinner. I would walk at night more. I would stay in one town or city longer to get to know it. I would keep my sense of self and not get irritated at times with their different way of seeing life.
Viva Italia!

BOB THE NAVIGATOR

IMHO, any trip to Italy should include as much time in villages under 10k population as in cites larger than 10K. And, every day must include gelato.

xx

Would not have been to Naples. But it was interesting to know some city in a first-world country can be so horrible.

Billie

My huaband and I agree:

Stayed two nights, not one, in Capri and maybe stayed in Anacapri. (Make sure you walk up to Tiberius's Villa).
No Grappa!
More Pottery!
More Leather Albums!!
More time on the Amalfi Coast.
Bought and shipped home more wine!
Have a blast, it's magical there.

Julie

I would have bought two or three things that I debated over and walked away from at the last minute. I definitely would have skipped Rome in favor of more time in Tuscany, but that's just me (and I must admit that St. Peter's is one of the most awesome places on earth). I would have used my inadequate, minimal, broken, embarrassingly bad Italian more instead of falling back on English and hand gestures. I would echo the comment about more gelato, but I'm not sure that would have been physically possible. Mostly I think I would have been quicker to pull the trigger on purchases (it's actually the little things that I now regret not buying) and I would have been more inclined to change plans mid-trip--if you find a place you love, spend an extra day or two there instead of rushing off to the next stop on your itinerary.

Buon viaggio!

Susan

My husband and I loved our trip to Italy. But looking back, I would have:
(1) put on sunblock before visiting the Forum and Palatine Hill;
(2) spent more time studying my Italian language books and tapes; and
(3) purchased a beautiful little painting my husband and I noticed in a gallery in Positano.

My husband would like to jokingly add that he would have:
1. NOT declared to the Canadian customs officials that we were carrying a delicious prosciutto ham from Peck's deli in Milan.
Oh well. Live and learn!

Carol

Great ideas everyone. Carol

Jill

we spent the firstnight in Pisa. one week in ghianti, and 2 nights in Lucca. Would not stay in Pisa, glad Isaw the tower, but 2 hours would have sufficed, I should have stayed inLucca the first night and spent that evening morning in Lucca. Chianti was perfect. Eat more gelato. I should have elminated the day trip to florence, it's just too much to try to see in one day. I wish we would have spent 2 days at least in Umbria - Todi or speleto maybe. I would try to take at least 2 full weeks and opearte out of 2 cities only for one weekeach! I brought a case of wine back but should've bought more olive oil and linens!

Jim

Great Thread!!
I would have added another week to the two weeks we did. More nights in Venice. Spent more time in the south. Ate more gelato. Bought more Muraano glass paperweights.

I definitely, would learn more Conversational Italian. We got by with what I knew, and a phrasebook. But I so wish I could have carried on better conversations with the wonderful Italian people we met.