We are planning a trip next spring either to Portugal or Italy. We are more thinking of Portugal at the present because of the cost of living in Italy. Almost everybody is telling us that if you go to Italy...don't visit by car...take the train. Is it that bad ? We where also thinking of renting a country house and visit around from there. Arriving in Rome, visit 3 days, take car and ride up in Tuscany..stay in a house 4-5 days and visit Pisa, Florence, Sienna. Then go further north, visit there and go for 2-3 days to visit Venice. All comments would be apreciated.

Some people do mostly city trips to Italy - Rome, Florence, Venice, etc. For that type of trip, you really don't need a car. If you're planning on staying in Tuscany, you'd probably do beter with a car. If you're staying in Siena, both Florence and (I think) Pisa would be accessible by bus.

Both countries are beautiful.<BR>How long are you planning your trip for? Overall Portugal is a cheaper place to stay and eat, and there is still a lot to see. If you don't mind touristy places, Italy is also a great place to visit. I wouldn't suggest getting a car in Italy's main cities, but I think getting one in Portugal would be worth it. Good luck and have a safe trip.

If you decide in favor of Italy, it sounds as if you've planned a great itinerary. You could take the train from Rome to Orvieto and pick up a car there (check out AutoEurope at www.autoeurope.com). For your Tuscany rental go to www.slowtrav.com and www.slowtalk.com, both non-commercial websites with lots of info on Tuscany rentals. I prefer southern Tuscany to the more northern Chianti region. Turn in your car in Florence and take the train to Venice. Could you fly into Rome and out of Venice?<BR><BR>Start making your hotel reservations as soon as you've decided on an itinerary. A lot of the good places book up early.<BR><BR>Buon viaggio

Gede:<BR>My vote is for Italy, we'll be in Rome/Amalfi Coast October for our 3rd trip to Italy (which we love). <BR>Most important Don't try to do more than a few areas per trip, take the time to enjoy the areas you choose, instead of running from place to place.<BR>We always rent a car just don't drive in the big cities, the country side is wonderful and you'll enjoy driving in the Tuscany area. Pisa is good for a quick visit would not recommend staying overnight and watch out for the gyspy woman with babies, don't even acknowledge them or you can't get away from them. Out of three weeks visit last year that is the only bad experience we had. Rome American Express tour is a great introduction to the city. The Italy itinerary you chose is great, so enjoy.<BR>

I've been to both. Portugal is much cheaper. In both countries, I would choose a home base city for each 2-5 days, and do day trips around it. I would use trains in Italy and rent a car for intercity trips in Portugal. It looks like you are planning to go for about 10 days. That will let you see some of the highlights in either country. Your Italy itinerary looks doable. If you go to Portugal, many of the highlights are within a short drive of Lisbon, or between Lisbon and Porto.

Have been to Italy twice & Portugal once. To me, there's no comparison: my vote goes to Italy all the way! Fantastic country, history, great people, wonderful food.<BR>Maybe if we'd rented a car instead of relying on local transportation, we'd have a more positive impression of Portugal but to me, there's no comparison. I want to return again & again to Italy - once was enough in Portugal.

Hi there,<BR>I have been to both several times. Italy and Portugal are wonderful countries, laid back and great with kids. The villas are much less expensive in Portugal. If you choose Portugal, I would recommend Lisbon, Obidos, Sintra, Evora and Marvao, all doable with a rental car. I don't have much experience in the North and the Algarve is nice, but for the first trip, I would concentrate on Central Portugal. If you could squeeze in a side trip to Madeira, I would highly recommend it. We found the people to be incredibly gracious and the country beautiful. I often think of Portugal as similar to Italy in the nature of the people and the attitude of the country. Both are relaxing to visit (again, from a family perspective).<BR><BR>Italy is difficult to go wrong in. I second the suggestion of renting a car if you are touring Tuscany. I think the food and wine is better in Italy (though the fresh fish in Portugal is fabulous). I did enjoy our bottle of Vinho Verde at lunch daily in Portugal, though! ;-)<BR><BR>Bottom line is you can't go wrong. Both countries are worthwhile. Italy is more on the beaten track, but that is not necessarily a bad thing as long as you go off season.<BR><BR>Enjoy,<BR>Jan

Hi. Since I am Portuguese, I will try to be fair. I also went to Italy twice.<BR>Well. The two countries have things in common, but also lots of differences. As for the people, Portuguese are as latin as Italians, and the way we welcome tourists is very similar. I felt very well received in Italy, and I have seen torists beeing well trated also here. So, whatever destination you pick, you won't find "cold" welcomes.<BR>As for the food, once again there are some common points. Both countries have a Mediterranean climate, that "shapes" the basic ingredients. Both in Italy and in Portugal, fresh fish, olive oil, tomato, and vegetables are part of our daily food. The more significant differences are, that in Italy, pizzas and lasagnas are as common as cod fish in Portugal.<BR>As for the climate, once again things are similar. Both countries have hills on the North, and dry weather in the South, so for both places, the best weather is in the South.<BR>As for costs, well...here are the differences. Italy is slightly more expensive than Portugal. But once again here, there are differences. Lisbon and Porto, are a bit more expensive than the rest of Portugal. As for Italy, I consider Rome more expensive than Lisbon (20% - 30%), but Florence compared to Lisbon is more expensive around 10% to 15 %.<BR>As for what to see. In terms of monuments, both Lisbon and Rome have plenty to see. Bothe cities are very different. Lisbon is "dominated" by the river, while Rome has a skyline of churches and monuments that is amazing.<BR>There is though, one small detail, that i think it's more enjoyable in Lisbon, and that is the gardens. I found very little number of gardens in Rome, while in Lisbon, you easily see trees and gardens, which reduce the pollution (either air pollution and car noise).<BR>Whatever destination you pick....have a great GREAT holidays.

<BR>Portugal is a beautiful country full of great value. For example, you can dine luxuriously with 3-4 courses and port wine for less than $20 per person. My wife and I visited Porto and absolutely loved the authentic atmosphere of the downtown Ribeira, old Se, and the port-wine houses (Taylors in particular). <BR><BR>Go visit before it gets too touristy and the Starbucks cafes start to spring up! Renting a car is essential if you are doing daytrips around Porto or Lisbon. Would highly recommend visits to Coimbra, Batalha, Obidos, and of course Sintra (which is better than anything in Lisbon!) <BR><BR>Northern Italy has magnificent art and of course, wonderful cuisine. But it's significantly more expensive. It's the road well-travelled for tourists - but still worth visiting. If you seek a unique destination that is less likely to elicit a "ho hum, been there, done that" reaction from friends at home, go to Portugal!