Need Italy help fast
 

We usually use this wonderful board for our trips but we are most likely unusal in that we plan part of our own trip and use a travel tour for part. For instance, when we were in Paris, we stayed at the Relais Christine based on wonderfully accurate advise from here and then we went through Trafalgar Tours to then see Provence. Works for us until now........

We were booked to do our own thing in Rome and then go with Insight tours for a tour of the south and Sicily. We just found out is was cancelled and we leave in under 5 weeks.

We now need fast advice. We are planning on staying at the Hotel Lancelot for 5 nights (we just confirmed extending it one night). We already had reservations for Context Tours everyday except the last now. We would like to use that day to see the Catacombs.

We are thinking of taking the train (we will each have one suitcase on wheels and one carry-on with wheels) to Florence for 4 nights, Venice for 3 nights and then train back to Rome for 1 night to be at the FCO airport for a 7:30 a.m. 3 flights home.

Where to stay in Florence and Venice? Day trip companies? Place to stay last night in Rome perhaps with an airport shuttle that can get us to the airport by 4:30 a.m? Will we have room for our luggage on the train? How safe will the luggage be?

Any help would be greatly appreciated. In the meantime, I am trying to wade through searches.

Trains are extremely safe, and there are armed police on them, and they walk through regularly. I've never had a problem with luggage. And yes, there will most likely be more than ample room on the train for luggage.

For Florence, check out Il Porcellino Tourist House:

http://www.hotelporcellino.com/

It won't break the budget and the location is outstanding.

For Venice, check out Locanda Sturion:

http://www.locandasturion.com/inglese/index.htm

I would highly recommend you stay in Rome your last night, and simply contact www.limoservicerome.com for an early morning pick-up to the airport. I've had them do this for me, and have never missed a flight yet. There will not be a lot of traffic that time of morning, and you should have no problem getting to the airport in plenty of time. If the Lancelot doesn't have a vacancy for your last night, try the Hotel San Carlo.

As far as day tour companies in Florence and Venice, try American Express.

Buon Viaggio,
BC

Hi R,

Two suggestions for you. How about taking a night from Florence for Orvieto? One hour train ride non-stop from Rome, very easy. It would be a nice change of pace and is a wonderful, very unique town.

Also, are you planning a day trip to maybe Chianti or some of the Tuscan hilltowns? There are several tours and private drivers recommended highly here.

Do a search for both "Orvieto" and private drivers Tuscany, for lots of background.

You will have a wonderful time! Buon viaggio!

PS - Make SURE your larger suitcase is something you can carry and lift above your head. If it isn't --you'll be very sorry very fast!

You may want to try Enjoy Rome Travel Agency. They are located a couple of blocks north of Termini and I believe they have a trip to the Catacombs.

Do you need luggage you can lift due to the trains and where luggage is stored? Keep the help coming.

The trains have narrow steep steps--perhaps three of them. For your itinerary, you can probably use ES trains, which have a luggage rack at the end of the car--no lifting--some storage between back-to-back seats, or overhead racks. Also, it may be necessary to go up or down stairs in some train stations to reach your track.

I never travel with any suitcase I can't lift above my head.

How difficult will it be for us if we speak no Italian (we will bring a simple language book with us) for us to get around? That is part of our decision to only go to large towns.

be brave and give yourselves the treat of the wonderful and charming small towns ( all over europe, not just italy).

throw at least one in there on this trip. you will surprised at how fun and easy it is.

Many Italians speak English, especially in the touristed areas. You will have little difficulty.

If you do decide to visit a smaller town, Orvieto will be simple and you will find enough English spoken. Or that has been my experience.

I may be a little paranoid, but we carry a metal cord/wire thing that is sold for luggage security. We use this to lock our luggage to luggage compartment/area on ES trains. We also use it when traveling long distances by car to chain our luggage together and to the inside of the trunk.

Your only problem will be getting your luggage up and down the steps of the train. I travel light, and still fumble a bit when doing this.

R,

Yes, small light luggage will be the second best thing you do for yourself. Visiting Italy will be the first best!

The steps up into the train are big and steep. There can also be LOTS of stairs to/from your track (binario), especially if you are uncertain about where you are going and have to do it twice! Trust me, this will happen at least once.

Most of the Italians you deal with will speak enough English to help you as a tourist. It is a good idea to learn as many simple words as possible. It's just polite and will be greatly appreciated. Local people in smaller towns are usually much more interested in talking with you!

Don't think twice about visiting the smaller towns, especially in the Tuscan hilltowns. Tuscany gets so many English speaking visitors that it's not a problem.

One helpful hint: go to the trenitalia site and print out the train schedules for the point to point trips you want to do, such as Roma Termini - Frienze. If you do run into a language problem, you can show the ticket agent which train you want.

Orvieto agents seem not to speak English. The only other place where I experienced this was at the tiny Paestum station (south of Salerno).

Buon viaggio!

In Florence, check out TOURIST HOUSE GHIBERTI. Great location, just around the corner from the Duomo. Or, HOTEL DAVANZATI, or, for a real splurge (!) the amazing HOTEL LUNGARNO, which fronts the banks of the Arno River.

For day trips, you might want to consider LUCA GARAPA of HILLSANDROADS.com. He will customize tours of the hilltowns, Chianti countryside, Siena, etc. We spent several days with him while touring in and around Florence, and had a wonderful time with him. Plus, his rates were much lower than other tour companies that I contacted.

Totally off subject, glad to hear that you enjoyed RELAIS CHRISTINE! We just got back from another enjoyable stay there, and really loved it.

Have fun on your trip!

Let me join the chorus on a couple of points:

1. Make absolutely sure you can lift your luggage above your head. Even if you luck out and don't have to lift it above your head to a rack in your particular "cabin" on the train, you still have to lift it up those nasty steps to get on the train, you may have to lift it sideways and every which way to get it through the narrow passageways on the train, etc. We had rolling carryons and rolling suitcases - the latter filled to the point of exploding and almost impossible to lift.

2. Orvieto - the BEST. It's relatively small, it's beautiful, it's quaint, it's historic, the food is wonderul, all in all a wonderful day trip from Rome. Or you could even stay a night in Orvieto on your way from Rome to Florence.

My trip report has some info on Orvieto you might find useful.

fodors.com/forums/threadselect.jsp?screen_name=knoxvillecouple&f id=2

KC

Be happy that the tour was cancelled. You will see what I mean once you are there. In Florence, the Antica Torre Tornabuoni is nice with lovely views. Their website allows you to see each room vitually and select.
In Rome: Hotel Manfredi, Albergo Cesar, and del Senato are all very nice.

Have you tried Venere.com for booking hotels yet? I would recommend.

This is the best travel talk ever.

one more vote for Orvieto - it's so beautiful, the cathedral is wonderful, the view stunning - very very unique. I speak only a few words of Italian and I did just fine here.