aggiemom

tomct - if I can ask you a quick question about AA miles upgrade. How many miles to upgrade to business class? Are you paying full fare for the economy? I couldn't find info on their website, though I wasn't too diligent (okay, I was lazy!). I thought you could only use miles to upgrade if you purchased a full-pop fare.

Thanks, tom, for any information. My DH has decided he wants to go to Italy instead of Ireland now, so I may be watching your posts for suggestions.

tomct

aggiemom, American Airlines lets you upgrade any economy seat, not just full fare. It takes 25,000 miles plus $250 to upgrade a seat. I believe that they started charging the $250 plus the miles some time ago. Considering the cost of business class seats, I thought that the miles plus the $250 was worth it. However, you can only upgrade on American and not any companion airlines.

Italyforme

I first went to Italy when I was 11 years old that was almost 26 years ago, we returned when I was 12 & 13, I have since returned for my honeymoon, a family vacation then again last year with my parents, husband my 2 young daughters and my 11 year old nephew. My nephew loved every part of Italy that he went to Siena, San Gim. Pisa to name a few, unfortunately he was to young to remember his trip to Rome and Southern Italy back in 2000. When I was his age my dad used to drive from the UK down to Southern Italy that used to take 3 days we would then spend 2 weeks South of Sorrento and do day trips, then spend 3 days travelling back,(my dad has also done this trip twice more with my nephew and he loved the travelling it was an adventure for him) if you can extend your trip by as many days as you are able, you will not be disappointed, and I am sure you & your sons will have a holiday to remember no matter where you decide to go. If you do manage to get more days then you could probably get away with 4/5 days in Rome and then spend some time in Venice or some other areas. If you are looking at going this year then the sooner you start booking places to stay the better as accomodation fills up very quickly in August as that is alot of Europeans main holiday season.We have just booked up to go to Umbria next August. We have always planned our own trips, and never used an estate agent, there is more information readily available through books and the internet that I feel there is no need to use a travel agent, especially when you can get good advice and information from people who have been there and done it on this forum. A way to make your holiday even more enjoyable is to learn some of the language, even if it is only the basics, if you do make a mistake when trying to talk the Italians are normally very helpful and help you when/where necessary. You will probably also look back on that experience as one of the most memorable

bardo1

tomct,

I hope you are planning for 2006. If so, it's not too early to start thinking about lodging if you want to stay in a popular spot.

I agree that if you want to see both Rome and Venice, you need at least 10 nights.

I also agree that this is a very easy trip to plan. You don't need a travel agent - the people on this board give great advice.

tomct

A few more questions: What are the daytime temperatures in Rome and Venice in July/August? Generally speaking, do the hotels in Italy allow 2 adults and 2 children in one room or do I need to get 2 rooms?

fun4all4

Hi tomct,
I don't know exact temps, but expect it to be hot (80's and even 90's). It is possible to get lucky and have temps in the 70's, but don't count on it.
As for rooms, most rooms in Italy are doubles. You would need a quad room if you all wanted to share. Most hotels in Italy don't have 2 double beds like in the States. I found it best to email the hotel directly and ask if they could accommodate our family in one room and what our options/rates would be. In some places we are sharing a room and in some we have 2 rooms connecting.

jgg

Yes, you will need to ask for a quad room if you want all 4 of you to stay together. We were only able to get a quad in Rome. In Florence and Venice we had two rooms.

Our kids were 9 and 12 last March when we went. At first I was a bit concerned that they might not want to be alone in a room, and we would each have to share a room with them. However, they loved having their own room!

We were never able to get connecting rooms (I think that is pretty rare in Italy) but our rooms were either right across the hall or right next door. Having two bathrooms was very nice and having two rooms also allowed my husband and I to have romantic evenings in Florence and Venice!!

fun4all4

jgg is right...I really should have said our rooms will be next door or across the hall. I do not think they actually "connect." We started off trying to staying in a quad room everywhere and wound up with 2 rooms in all but one of our stops. We are all excited for a bit more space and privacy.

samber

Not your question, but thought this might be of interest for your trip. Before we left for Rome a few years ago we made prior arrangements (based on info from this site) with a guide to do a walking tour which turned out to be the highlight of our entire European trip. Not the flag waving, bullhorn carrying leader with 50 people, but rather one great girl who met us at noon and took us through ancient Rome, telling us the history and legends that no travel book could have done. After we walked, she called a van to take 6 of us (our friends and their 2 children) on a driving tour that took us to residential areas, to a lookout point with breathtaking views of Rome, and to hidden non-tourist sites. After the van we went for traditional appertifs with the locals and then on to dinner at a local seafood restaurant where she did all the ordering. We stayed until 11:30pm and then walked back to our hotel. All for $350.00. (this did not include the tip or dinner) I don't know if Guilia is still doing this, but I emailed her at [email protected]. Highly recommend this even if you have to seach out someone else to do a private walking tour. It will make the city come alive. The other incledible thing we did in Rome was apply in advance to go to the Scavi which is under St Peters and takes you through the catacombs and then through the fabulous area where all the popes are entombed. Very limited access and you must request reservations. Just thought this info might be of some help in Rome. Regarding can you do Venice and Rome in a week--we did and had no problems. The train to and from Venice would be a treat (make sure you have meal in the dining car), but if time is a factor for a return look into flyeurope.com. One way tickets are $99. ea. Have fun!

MRand

tomct - Two weeks ago the temperatures hovered around 88 - 90 degrees in Rome and Venice, although Rome seemed hotter than that.

In our Venice hotel (Antico Doge), a "junior suite" would accomodate 2 adults and 2 children, but I think there were only one or two of those in the hotel so you would need to reserve such a room in advance. We had to reserve two rooms at all stops because there were 2 adults and 3 kids in our party, but the hotels always gave us rooms that were either immediately adjacent to one another or right across the hall from one another.

Tiff

Hey Tomct, I think the idea of increasing the amount of your vacation days is fantastic!

I don't think ANYONE on this board would ever say, "Oh, dear one, you spent TOO many days in Italy!" LOL

After all, it does take a bit of time "getting across the pond", make it worth it, spend as many days as possible!

With regards to heat and air conditioning, perhaps someone can give you advice on accommodations with good air conditioning. Everything I have read is that the air cooling systems are not even close to what we are used to here in the States.

Would June be a possibility, or does it have to be July or August?

Tiff

guykb

hey tomct - regarding rooms - we spent a month in Italy last year and are spending another couple of weeks there at the end of this year (family of 6). We didn't stay in any hotels. If you are concerned about the kids staying in their own hotel room, then think seriously about getting an apartment instead. Almost certain to be cheaper than two hotel rooms, and so much nicer. Check out vrbo.com and homelidays.com for some great value accommodation. We booked 9 different apartments this way (3 month trip) last year and not one single hitch, and we had a blast!

tomct

Thanks once again for the feedback, we are getting so excited that we wish it were this year and not next year. Anbother question: how far in advance should I book hotel rooms? can anyone give me recommendations on places that are nice (good location, interesting archtecture, etc). My children are great travelers and well mannered, so we would feel comfortable at most any hotel. Thanks again

tomct

Forgot to mention that we are really stuck with July/August as my children do not get out of school until late June. Further, their April vacation next year is over the Easter holiday, which I am guessing would be crazy to plan a trip to Rome at that time. Is it really that hot during those months?

Tiff

Hi Tomct,

I think it is better to ask how you tolerate heat.

I think some may do fine, while others would melt. I would be in the "melt" group, it would not be enjoyable for me, and I LOVE Italy.

You should get some good information now as many are returning from their trips. Start reading, or post a new questions specifically to ask the recent travelers if they enjoyed it, or if the heat was unbearable.

You will know what is best for your family.

Tiff

jgg

When we were in Italy last March it was the two weeks just prior to Easter. We left for home the day before Easter. We planned our two week trip to do Rome first so we would not be there during Holy Week. We did not find Venice nor Florence to be too crowded due to any Holy Week activities. Although Florence did seem a bit crowded with college students on Spring Break. More so than Rome or Venice. Personally, I would strongly recommend going in April during the kids Spring Break, the weather should be nice. There are several other posts on this board about travelling to Italy during Easter time. If you do a search you could probably find some.

About hotels. It is never too early to book a hotel as long as they are willing. We booked most of our hotels about 9 months in advance, which also helped us get the 2004 rate even if we were travelling in 2005.

We stayed at Albergo Cesari in Rome. Excellent, excellent location. We had the quad room which was very spacious and had a good sized bathroom. Good breakfast, and helpful staff. We would stay there again.

In Venice we stayed at the Locanda Orseolo. I can't recommend this place enough. More details are in my trip report. (The link was given in an earliler response above). However, all the glowing recommendations on Trip Advisor are true. Definitely contact them ASAP. They are a small (I think 12 -15 room hotel) that fills up quickly. I believe they have a quad room, but it was unavailable when we went so we had two rooms - which as stated before was definitely not a problem. I wouldn't think of staying any place else in Venice.

In Florence we stayed at theTourist House Ghiberti. This place comes highly recommended here and on Trip Advisor. Very large rooms and bathrooms, as well as a computer and internet access in all the rooms. While, we loved the sized of the rooms and very spacious bathrooms, we did find Claudio (the proprietor) to be a little gruff, although always helpful. Perhaps it was just such a stark difference from our hosts in Venice.

Well, you are on the road to planning a wonderful trip. It was our best family vacation ever!

MRand

tomct - We thought Italy was very hot at the end of June and we're used to hot weather, although we don't usually spend the days at home walking the streets in the heat like we were doing in Italy. Make sure based on reviews posted here or elsewhere that the hotels you reserve have adequate air conditioning, because on hot afternoons your hotel room can frequently serve as an oasis to get out of the heat and catch your second wind before going out again in the more pleasant late afternoons/early evenings. We were very pleased with the air conditioning, location, and other features of Antico Doge in Venice but the air conditioning at our Rome hotel was entirely inadequate. Starting early in the day, dressing as cool as possible, taking frequent cold showers, drinking lots of cold water, and having the afternoon siestas allowed us to offset the heat and still enjoy ourselves, and we did have an incredible trip despite the warm temperatures.

Italyforme

Reading all the comments on aircon. Im from the UK which as some of you are probably aware is alot cooler then some Countries, I have never stayed anywhere that has aircon, its never really been a neccessity at the top of my list, although it might have been nice. I think that sometimes the heat feels more intense if going from an air-conditioned atmosphere to the outside climate. On saying that we have always booked somewhere that has a pool as I have found that a good way of cooling off, also keeping all the shutters closed in the room to keep out the days sun when your not in it has proved fairly successful. Of a night-time when trying to sleep aircon would have been nice. I suppose living in the climate that I do 365 days of the year where its not really feasable to have aircon you dont miss what you dont have.

donnapg

We are going with our 2 sons next year also. Our choices were also July or April.

My husband and I were to France and Italy about 4 years ago in July and it was over 90 every day - made sight seeing tough.

We decided this time to go over April vacation.

Our miles are with Delta so we are able too fly into Venice and out of Rome.

Our itineray is:
3 nights in Venice at La Calcina (2 rooms)
2 nights in Pompeii (this is a must see for my kids and a day trip from Rome was not appealing) we will fly from Venice to Naples,
4 nights in Rome where we rented an apartment from sleepinitaly.com

No matter how you decide to break it up you will have a wonderful and memorable trip.

I can hardly wait to go!

Donna

Melissa5

Book hotels as early as possible as the hotels with good prices and good service will book up in advance! For a family I can recommend 2 places where we stayed: Hotel Silla in florence and Pensione Accademia in Venice.

We loved our rome hotel but with a family it will be more expensive for you: Hotel Nazionale a Montecitorio on Piazza Montecitorio, excellent location near the Pantheon... don't confuse this hotel with 2 other hotels in rome with similar names...

If you have any specific question you can e-mail me at [email protected] but put "Rome family trip" in the subject line as that is how I pre-screen e-mail before deciding whether or not to open it.

You don't need a travel agent that's for sure if you are using fodors.com and if you read at least 1 guidebook cover to cover, and do your research here as well.

Frequent travellers to your destination have the most updated information available right here on this web-site! Pay special attention to feedback from people who have recently been to your destination, especially if they have taken more than 1 trip to your destination.

Buon viaggio! Encourage the kids to help with resarch. E-mail them some web-sites with photos!