Pittsburgh to Italy
Jul 22nd, 1998, 10:29 AM
#1
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Pittsburgh to Italy
We are planning to go to Italy next summer, and we need advise on airlines and tours. Is it best to go with a tour guide, or can we put our own trip together and discover Italy our way? This is our first trip to Europe and although we fly a lot in the US, we are unclear on which airlines are best for International travel. Any advise on which airline to take from Pittsburgh? I have heard try to avoid JFK, is that right? Any help that anyone could offer would be a great help. Thank you all very much, you all seem to be very professional. <BR>
Jul 22nd, 1998, 11:28 AM
#2
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My parents live in Pittsburgh!! First of all, since you have that wonderful new airport, do you have any direct to Europe flights? Our favorite way of going to Northern Italy is BA to Heathrow and then BA to Pisa and rent car there. Saves a lot of time. If that's not possible, I would go through Dulles in Washington or BWI in Baltimore to avoid JFK--I've lost more luggage at JFK than I care to think about--especially if you change airlines there. You might also consider something that sounds rather weird, but how about flying to Chicago (1 hour from Pgh.) on United and then a United flight to Italy. You need to start asking about flights to figure it out. I really don't think it's difficult to plan your own trip to Italy. The people are wonderful and actually like American tourists---get a couple good guide books and then run your tentative plans through this forum when you've gotten further on. You might also check the "how do you plan your trip" post here. <BR>
Jul 22nd, 1998, 11:45 AM
#3
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Vince, <BR>You've said the key words: "discover Italy OUR way" so you may experience what you want to see and do in a leisurely manner rather than in the hurried pace of a guided tour where your experiences are limited to what the tour provides in its hectic time frame. Planning your own trip is eminently rewarding and a dual learning process. In poring over guide books and maps, web sites and travel articles, you learn a great deal about the country you plan to visit and a great deal about yourselves, your interests, your desires, your likes and dislikes. I'll Email you some resources and suggestions directly to assist you in your planning. In the interim, check out the Fodor posting captioned "How do you plan your European trip?". Some invaluable ideas have been posted there by experienced and knowledgeable travelers. You might also want to post another entry to Fodor spelling out your interests, intended mode of travel (train, car or both) and intended duration of your trip. Doing so will prompt a number of intelligent suggestions from forum browsers. <BR> <BR>Traveling through JFK can certainly put a damper on vacation memories. If there are no direct flights from Pittsburgh to Italy, you might consider flying from Philadelphia via US Airways or (brace yourself!) Baltimore via Icelandair. If you're planning to drive, you might not want to fly to any Italian airport but rather to Switzerland where car rentals are dramatically less expensive <BR>
Jul 27th, 1998, 08:27 AM
#6
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We also are scheduled for a Globus tour in late Sept. Originally decided on using a tour group because of the language problems and past reputation on Italian train service. (We have done independent travel in England, France & Holland with no problems.) After reading some of the posts on this site, am very happy I selected the tour method -- if Italian's "like American tourists" according to the posts they demonstrate this in a very strange way -- overcharging for meals, short change in museum lines, plus the hordes of pickpockets. <BR> <BR>If this is your first trip to Europe -- and Italy is the country of choice, be safe, not sorry -- use a group approach.
