Fodor's Travel Talk Forums - Please comment on my itinerary for Rome/Florence/Venice

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Susan, Your itinerary sounds great! Since you've done a lot of research you might know this already, but just in case.... The lines to get in the Uffizi Gallery and the Accademia are incredibly long. It is well worth it to make reservations for these galleries. Then, you just cruise to the front of the line and in you go. We used the web site below to make reservations and were very glad we did! www.weekendafirenze.com Have a great trip.

Too bad you have no time for Siena and Assisi. Fantastic places. The Lake Como district and the countryside outside of Florence are also wonderfully beautiful. You will just have to come back again! Kelly

Wow--Eye Spy you are good ! You must be that guy from the DC area with the Georgetown affiliation. Good stuff--take heed !

Thanks Bob! I'm always listening to you too by taking notes on your Tuscany/Umbria/Como advice you post for everyone so I'll have it handy for my next trip. If I have any pre-departure questions, I'll be sure to email you from my haunt at Georgetown. Let's hope Susan has a great trip with her family; I am so jealous but happy for her! Happy New Year everybody.

Hey, Bob and Eye Spy, - I still need some help fitting your suggestions into my itinerary. Do you think it is a good idea for me to see the Borhese first thing in the morning and then head to the Forum and Collosseum? How should I best fit in the sites you mention in Venice? And Florence? More advice please! Also, Eye Spy, I attended Georgetown Law in the early 80's! I love D.C. and visit frequently. Happy New Year! Susan

Sharon. Small world! Go Hoyas! Galleria Borghese: http://www.galleriaborghese.it/tickets.htm You are right on about Villa Borghese. Go see that first thing in the morning. Depending on where you are staying, you can easily take the bus by the Excelsior Hotel on via Veneto. It's about a 7 minute ride or so if that (via Veneto goes uphill so if it's cold, I'd take one of the ATAC buses). It drops you right across the street from the Gardens and the Villa is right there. I think 2 hours will be enough time to see everything, i.e. the Picture Gallery on the top floor and then the Bernini and other sculptures on the lower floors. You can then proceed back to the bus stop or simply hail a cab to the Colosseum. Now let me caveat this as well. If, for example, you are done with Villa Borghese around noon, you probably will have missed San Pietro in Vincoli before it closes for lunch and reopens around 4pm. It may be closed for lunch but then again, it may not. My advice would be to go directly via cab or bus to San Pietro in Vincoli. If open, great. If not, no big deal. Have some lunch in the neighborhood, then walk to the Colosseum - 10- minutes walk at most. After the Colosseum and lunch, you can go back to San Pietro in Vincoli and get in Moses. Then, you can walk back to the Forum (that's 5 minutes) to via dei Fori Imperiali. Then you can proceed to Santa Maria in Aracoeli, then the Campidoglio (as I mentioned above). So literally you are doing the itinerary I recommended previously in reverse. I think this is better. I'll post comments for Florence and Venice shortly.

Susan, my apologies for Sharon! Do excuse me.

My 2 cents regarding Venice On Thursday, walk from the Accademia Museum to the Frari Church and San Rocco. Have lunch in Campo Santa Margherita. End up at the Salute Church (a landmark) and from there I believe there is a vaporetto that goes to San Giorgio. The same day you see the Basilica and the Palazzo, you can walk to the Arsenale and go or return via the San Zanipolo and/or San Zaccaria churches, plus you will be exploring a different part of Venice. The Correr Museum is delightful and is right at one end of Piazza San Marco. You can easily work it in at some point, it is a small museum. There is a combination ticket that includes the Palazzo Ducale and the Correr Museum.

Venice Susan, you should have no problems fitting in the following. Since the Museo Storico Navale closes at 1:30pm, you could follow this plan and get it in along with the Accademia on the same day. You can start at Rialto, walk to San Zanipolo (Castello), then down to San Zaccaria (Castello) and then onward from over Riva degli Schiavoni, over the bridge onto Riva di Ca' di Dio, then over bridge to Riva San Biagio and then left onto Fondamento dell'Arsenale to the Museo Storico Navale (Castello). My sources confirm the Museo Storico Navale (Castello 2148 / Campo San Biagio) is open: 8:45am-1:30pm, M-F; 8:45-1pm, Sat. This walk will give you memorable views from the Riva degli Schiavoni to San Giorgio Maggiore, the Giudecca and Santa Maria della Salute. Venice is not that large so walking is a real pleasure and goes very quickly. But it'll take all of you longer with all the views from the bridges you'll have and amidst your "oooo's" and "aaaaahs." On the days the Accademia is open later, you could visit it in the afternoon following Museo Storico Navale (that closes at 1:30pm depending). Just retrace your steps to San Marco or hop on the vaporetto up to Accademia or choose one that stops on the Zattere (Dorsoduro) and then walk through the back streets to the Accademia before entrance. The Zattere is very nice at sunset - there are nice caffès and you have a great view onto the Giudecca and Il Redentore church. So do that or have lunch somewhere, stroll around San Marco, take the Vaporetto to Accademia or simply walk over the Accademia bridge and you're there. Accademia (Dorsoduro 1050, campo Carità (Tel: 041 522 2247). Open: 8:15am-2pm, Monday; 8:15am-7pm, Tue-Sun.) From Accademia, you could then walk through Dorsoduro, through Campo San Barnaba (remember when Katherine Hepburn falls into the canal in "Summertime"?). That's Campo San Barnaba! And onward to the Frari (in San Polo). The Frari does not close during the day so you won't have to worry about that. Depending on your stamina and your husband and kids, you can see Scuola Grande di San Rocco but that may be pushing it but it is, nevertheless, very close to the Frari. You are then not that far from Rialto where it all begin and you will have done one huge "loop." The day may be "charged" but all in all, you could do this. However, I doubt you'll have the stamina to visit Museo Correr after all this! Have you been able to follow this plan on a map of Venice? Let me know. I'll post Florence comments shortly.

FLORENCE Susan, This is what comes to mind. Of course, there are tons of ways to get everything in. The more you acquaint yourself with the maps of the cities you are visiting, the easier it'll be to orient yourself once you are there and estimate because you'll have memorized the general lay of the land in your head. My sources indicate: Bargello: Tues-Sun. 8:15am-1:50pm / plus same hours 1st, 3rd and 5th Monday. Gli Uffizi: Tues-Sun. 8:15am-6:50pm Galeria Palatina: Tues-Sun. 8:15-6:50pm. CLOSED MONDAY You are arriving on Sunday. After hotel, you can go to Uffizi (which you will have reserved in advance hopefully). Then, you could meander over to Santa Croce (check times it's open. Email your hotel now and find out; they'll know). Bring some coins for the light boxes to the Bardi Chapel by Giotto to the right of the main altar. Also, wander into the Sacristy further down past the Bardi Chapel. After Santa Croce, you could stroll around the streets, through Piazza della Signoria, hit the Ponte Vecchio or visit other churches like Santa Maria Novella (Tornabuoni chapel with "Cycle of Life of the Virgin" by Ghirlandaio is very famous. Admission Charge). Monday, you could take in the Duomo, Campanile and Museo dell'Opera del Duomo (Museum open Mon-Sat. 930am-6:30pm, Sun. 8:30am-2pm). This would take up your morning. Then have lunch and hit the Medici Chapels at San Lorenzo (but check to make sure it's open on Monday because I am not positive). You could then stroll down via dei Calzaiuoli, over Ponte Vecchio, into the Oltrarno section and to the Galeria Palatina mid afternoon. Afterwards, you could stroll to Santo Spirito church (check times but it should be open around 4pm if it's closed for lunch) and on to Capella Brancacci (Santa Maria delle Carmine). That is open: Mon, Wed.-Sat. 10am-5pm, Sun. 1-5pm. It wouldn't take long to see the Brancacci Chapel if there is not a long wait. It was cleaned about 6 years ago and the colors are quite vivid. You can then stroll over the Ponte Santa Trinità, onto via dei Tornabuoni and go into a church many people overlook but that is charming and peaceful: Santa Trinità (across from Ferragamo). There is a beautiful fresco cycle here too by Ghirlandaio in the Strozzi Chapel to the left of the main altar. Bring some coins for the light box. I love to visit this quiet church; not many people visit it. Then you can stroll the fashionable streets of via de'Tornabuoni, via della Vigna Nuova and others. By that time, it's a day! Tuesday: Accademia (8:15am-6:50pm) – you will have reserved this as well at the same time as the Uffizi. Afterwards, you can take your train to Venice, or go to San Lorenzo/Medici chapels if they were closed the first time. Now would be your chance to see them. If you have already visited San Lorenzo, you can squeeze in Piazza della Santissima Annunziata / view the Ospedale degli Innocenti with the roundels by della Robbia and briefly go into San Marco. If not, you'll have to come back to Florence some other time. I am just throwing some ideas at you and I've tried to take into account stops, lunch, shopping, etc. I sincerely believe if you take a train to Venice (Eurostar) that leaves Florence around 3pm, you will arrive in Venice, still have the evening to explore before/after dinner. And then hit Venice fully charge the next day. You will have technically had one-half day in Florence and another one-half (more or less) in Venice. I'm sure other posters will have great tips too!

OK, Susan I have goofed and apologize. Both the Uffizi and Galeria Palatina are closed on Monday. Therefore, you may have to do the Uffizi on Sunday as suggested. It's a toss up for the Accademia or Galeria Palatina on Monday. I'm sure the Accademia is your first choice.

Again! What is wrong with my typing. Toss up on Tuesday for Accademia or Galeria Palatina. Whew. I'll never get it right!