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-   -   Need help with first time to Italy (https://www.fodors.com/community/europe/need-help-with-first-time-to-italy-271099/)

C Nov 5th, 2002 11:44 AM

Need help with first time to Italy
 
We are beginning to plan a summer vacation to Italy and need help. We would like to cover all of Italy and were wondering how long that would take? Should we book a tour or go on our own? Would like help with an itenery to citys (what hotels to stay in if we go on our own and how long in each city and area? Any help would be very much appreciated.

BOB THE NAVIGATOR Nov 5th, 2002 11:58 AM

Wow--that is a tall order--do you have an hour? The answer is about 6 weeks if you skip Sicily. Rather than reinvent the wheel, here is a list I did before.<BR>You will love Italy, but the tough part is deciding what to miss. Most travelers prefer to break it up. I hope this gets you thinking:<BR>SO, YOU WANT TO SEE ITALY !<BR>FIRST, GET A GOOD MAP ! Having planned more then sixty personalized itineraries to southern Europe and Italy, I have learned that the best trip plans start with a good map. It takes about six weeks to see most of Italy, and that does not include Sicily.<BR>So, any typical two week sojourn requires a geographic orientation and thoughtful planning to optimize the total experience. The temptation is to try to see too much, and that is a big mistake. My advice is to limit yourself to FIVE DESTINATIONS OR LESS for any two week itinerary. Perceive Italy as geographic regions and plan accordingly. Here is a menu to help you to plan well. Let your total time<BR>in Italy, and a good map, determine your feasible choices !<BR><BR> THE BEST DESTINATIONS IN ITALY---BY CATEGORY---NORTH TO SOUTH<BR><BR>REGIONS OF NATURAL SPLENDOR:<BR>1. The Lakes of Lombardy/Piedmonte [ Maggiore, Como, Lugano, Orta]<BR>2. The Dolomites/Lake Garda [ Cortina, Ortisei, Merano, Riva del Garda]<BR>3. The Ligurian Coast [ Portofino, Cinque Terre, Portovenere]<BR>4. Tuscany/ Umbria [ quaint and historic hill towns]<BR>5. The Amalfi Coast [ Sorrento, Positano, Ravello, Capri] <BR><BR>THE HISTORICAL ART CITIES:<BR>1. Venice &amp; Veneto [ allow 3 days---more if you include Vicenza, Verona et al]<BR>2. Florence [ it all happened here--plan for 2 days just in Florence]<BR>3. Siena [ deserves a full day, perhaps as a day trip from Florence]<BR>4. Rome [ the Eternal City demands 5 days---some would say two weeks]<BR><BR>ROMANTIC RESORT DESTINATIONS:<BR>1. Bellagio [ the best of Lago Como]<BR>2. Cortina [ the Vail of Italy--ski resort in heart of the Dolomites]<BR>3. Portofino/ Santa Margherita [ splendid sea-side venue]<BR> 4. Positano [ the best location to explore Amalfi coast] <BR> 5. Taormina [ fabulous sea-side location in Sicily]<BR> 6. Ravello [ la dolce vita above the Amalfi coast]<BR> <BR> <BR><BR><BR> <BR>

a Nov 5th, 2002 12:02 PM

Need a little more info to be able to help! Who is &quot;we&quot;....older travelers, college-aged, parents with young children....<BR><BR>What are your interests? What is your budget? Most people on this site prefer to travel independently, but are you comfortable with the hassle of getting around yourselves (and therefore having the freedom of making your own choices about where to go and how long to stay), or would you rather have someone else (a tour group) make all transportation and lodging arrangements, relieving you of that headache(therefore sticking with someone else's itinerary). <BR><BR>What do you like to do on vacation? Hang out on beaches; party all night; history; art; laid back pace or hectic?<BR><BR>What kind of budget do you have? Are you looking for very cheap (hostels) or 5 star?<BR><BR>With a little better idea of what you want to do, you will find some very helpful people on this site. With very little information, I'm afraid you will find some very rude people here who aren't tolerant of new people who need help in getting started.

KAM Nov 5th, 2002 04:52 PM

I'm a terrible person and have not yet posted my honeymoon trip report - but in June 2002 I did 14 days in Italy and it was amazing! <BR><BR>In order to see the whole country I would guess you would need 2 months minimum. In 14 days we stayed in 5 different cities and easily could have turned that into 3 weeks! Our itinerary was:<BR>4 days Lake Garda<BR>2 nights Venice<BR>2 nights Florence<BR>3 nights Rome<BR>3 nights in CT (Cinque Terre)<BR><BR>The only part we did not enjoy was Rome, but I can hardly imagine a trip to Italy and just skipping Rome! It is just a very crowded, dirty city - but still has it's merits! <BR><BR>Good luck and if you post a more comprehensive question I've learned that the Fodorites will come to your rescue!<BR>Kristy

goto Nov 5th, 2002 05:05 PM

I'm also beginning to plan a first trip to Italy for sometime late next fall . . . two adults, probably 10 days or so. Would like to spend maybe 3-4 days in Rome, then head out without a really rigid schedule. <BR><BR>We prefer independent travel, usually rent a car. We like small hotels, mid-range budget ($200 or so per night), museums, good but not outrageous restaurants (either in price or cuisine). Please keep ideas coming -- and C, thanks for starting this thread! Can't wait to see what ideas come up . . .I can't decide whether I want to spend all our time in Tuscany or someplace similar, or try to see a couple of cities and maybe some countryside.<BR><BR>Decisions, decisions . . .

BOB THE NAVIGATOR Nov 6th, 2002 07:31 AM

a does make a good point. Any trip like this needs to start with the basic parameters of:<BR>WHEN--HOW LONG--HOW MUCH--CAR OR TRAINS<BR>These will determine the feasibility of WHERE you can go. Start with these and then come back and we can help with the final parameter of destinations. If you need help on a feasible budget, find my budget article at www.slowtrav.com

Sue Nov 6th, 2002 07:52 AM

I'd start with my constraints rather than my interests. You can start with your GT - grand total of what you want to spend; estimate your airfare - AF; estimate your PD - per diem rate; and come up with a number N of nights like this:<BR><BR>N = (GT - AF)/PD.<BR>For example, if you've got 10,000 widgets to spend, and a PD of 300 widgets, and AF of 2000 widgets, then that's<BR>N = (10,000-2000)/300 = 26 days. Now, what can you cover in 26 days?<BR><BR>Even if you plan to travel independently, bus tour websites and brochures can be handy as time and cost planning guides. I do emphasize the word 'guide' - nothing out there, including guidebooks, are bibles! Bear in mind that brochures usually low-ball prices, i.e. the tour per diem rate won't cover all meals and all sightseeing. Commercial tours usually cover more ground in a given period of time than is feasible (or desirable) for the independent traveler; even as someone who likes to keep moving, I generally like at least 25 per cent more time to cover a given area than is allowed by a moderate or upscale tour (e.g. Insight, Tauck.)Their average distance between stops seems to be about 3.5 hours; I prefer a spacing of average 2 to 2.5 hours. Once you're on the road for more than 2 or 3 weeks, you will need to slow down and add more rest time; don't assume that you can keep up a touring pace indefinitely.<BR><BR>I hope this helps as a start. Good luck.

Rex Nov 6th, 2002 01:22 PM

I resisted answering this one at first because - - as bob says - - I could type for an hour and only barely scratch the surface of your information needs.<BR><BR>But I like sue's initial analysis:<BR><BR>What can we NOT do (time, money, energy-wise)...<BR><BR>then add add my traditional question: WHY? what makes you think you want to go to Italy? what does Italy mean to you? what do you see when you close your eyes and think &quot;Italy&quot;?<BR><BR>And then you can graduate to specific answers to Bob's questions of where and how...<BR><BR>Best wishes,<BR><BR>Rex<BR><BR><BR>

todd Nov 6th, 2002 05:23 PM

Just returned and I would take the train to any major city.Driving there is hard in the city.Very stressful and hard to find places with all the small streets.If you have to drive the only place I would drive is away from the city like Tuscany.

xxx Nov 7th, 2002 09:39 AM

Article? Do you mean the website? It's www.slowtrav.com.<BR><BR>not slowtravel<BR>

Diana Nov 7th, 2002 10:04 AM

Thank you. I found it. I had the wrong web address.


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