Have trip planned to Italy June 10-20 2007. Myself, my wife and 2 college aged daughters.

June 11-14 Rome
June 15-16 Drive from Rome to Pisa/Florence.
June 16-17 Florence
Jun 17-18 Venice
June 19 leave for Milan
June 20 Leav3 for states

First, any recommendations on length of stay in each city . Second, should I rent a car from Venice to Milan or take the train? If so, which train and what can I expect the cost to be. Thank you very much. Lou

train to venice to milan is about 2.5-3 hrs (cant remember exactly) if i remember correct its like 30euros each so it might be less exp to drive- depends on your timing. venice in 1.5 days is quite ambitious. i think its an amazing city and would allot more time there. rome is also amazing though in terms of history but i think the girls will like florence the most. there are a ton of students (Although they might be gone by then!!) dont miss michaelangelos peak in florence. the view is spectacular.

I think more time should be allocated to Venice. Regarding the car rental, unless you're 'exploring' the countryside, towns and villages, it doesn't make much sense IMO. I suggest Rome (4), Florence (2), Venice (3).

Definitely spend 2 days in Rome and Venice, even Florence if you can fit it in (One day in Florence and one day in Siena on a day tour). Pisa can be seen in literally an hour - I stopped there breifly on a train from Florence to Cinque Terre. I saw the Leaning tower ad was on my way. And I definitely recommend taking a train. It's quick, easy, and painless. If you rent a car you will have to worry about the road laws, crazy drivers, directions, paking, returning the car... too much for a vacation.

Although I love driving in Italy, we've done Milan to Venice by train, and Venice to Milan by car. Unless there's some places you just have to stop along the way, the views are pretty mundane by either mode, take the train. Save the hassle and leave yourself an afternoon to explore Milan Duomo and shopping. I imagine college-aged girls would love the latter.

Hi Lou,

I didn't see you say if air tickets are already booked. If not, fly out of Venice! No need to go to Milan on a first trip.

Venice definitely needs at least 3 days.

Buon viaggio!

To Dayle,

Yes, the tickets are already booked so I am pretty much committed to Milan. I am thinking seriously about trying to get more time in Venice, though.

Thanks and thanks to all who have responded

Lou

You have A LOT packed into a very short period of time. I suggest that you consider dropping one of your destinations, to give a little more time to the others.

You arrive June 11, so that will be a jet-lagged day. So you have about 2 1/2 days in Rome, depending on what time of day you arrive on 6/11 and what time you leave on 6/14. Rome is definitely worth more time than that (but then, so is each of the other cities on your list).

On June 15-16, are you planning to take two days to get to Pisa and/or Florence, or just haven't decided yet? I would drop Pisa for this trip; it's not worth the time it will cost you. If you drive straight to Florence, it won't take that long. Use mappy.com for drive times; it's accurate enough to be useful.

Then you have one night in Florence - really, try to make it at least two nights. Florence is a fun city, especially for young people.

Then June 17-19, really, in Venice. I assume you're going to Milan because you're flying out from there. I'd spend as much time as possible in Venice, and leave for Milan as late as possible.

As a great Fodor's rule of thumb, budget 1/2 day for every change of location. So every time you move (i.e., from Florence to Venice) you lose 1/2 day in packing, checking out, travel time, checking in, and so on.

Overall, driving (as opposed to the train) probably makes the most sense for you, as there are 4 people in your group. Keep in mind, however, that parking in the cities is stressful, a big hassle and expensive. Factor that into your calculations.

With only 9 nights, you don't have time to take 2 days to drive from Rome to Florence. Forget the car. Do the whole trip by train.
Either:
4 nights Rome
2 nights Florence
2 nights Venice
1 night Milan (since you have to be back there for your flight home)

or:
4 nights Rome
1 night Florence
3 nights Venice
1 night Milan
Of course, it would be nicer to have more time in Florence, but if you really want to see it, you'd be surprised what you can fit into 1-1/2 days in Florence if you have to!
At this point, you really need to get going on hotel reservations. Many, many hotels will already be completely booked, and you need two rooms.
Have a great trip!

Unless you have specific sites to see between cities,I would recommend taking trains. Its faster and a lot more comfortable. For planning purposes you can count on around $7.00 per gallon for gas.

As far as the trains are concerned, how do I book them? Is there a website or can it wait until I am actually in Italy to do so?

Also, I hotels (save for Florence) and have made several inquiries. Luckily there are openings. Any suggestions for moderately priced hotels in Florence?

I have inquired at Hotel Torre Guelfa, Hotel Nellitini and Hotel Loggiato del Serviti. Has anyone stayed at any of these?

Thanks again

Thanks

That was Bellitini not Nellitini

You can research schedules and book train tickets online at Trenitalia.com.

There is a huge argument on this site about whether booking tickets ahead is necessary.

Pro: You don't have to worry about it when you get there and maybe you'll get a special reduced online fare.

Con: The Trenitalia website can be difficult to use and your particular routes don't offer reduced fares.

Online you can only buy tickets 60 days ahead. You are within that timetable, but I understand the summer schedule still hasn't been posted. You can plug in dummy dates that are the same day of the week to check fares and schedules.

In 20 trips to Italy, I've never booked my tickets before arriving there. Agonzing stories of long lines at ticket windows have been eliminated with the installation of easy automated ticket machines with English translations. If traveling on a Friday or holiday, it might be helpful to buy your tickets a few days ahead.

If you know your schedule, you can buy ALL your tickets at your first station. You can also buy train tickets at some travel agencies--your hotel can direct you to one nearby.

I use Trenitalia.com to research schedules and fares. I bring printouts so I know the trains I want. It's also helpful if you must use a ticket window or travel agent--just hand them the printout and there's no question what you're looking for.

Your trip sounds wonderful, but I agree with those who suggest you narrow it down to allow more time in Rome, Florence and Venice. Skip Pisa and minimize time in Milan. I wouldn't deal with a car, either. It's easy to get train tickets as you go.

Here's more than you need to know about a nice little hotel in Florence, from our visit last May:

"We took a short cab ride from the train station to the Relais Cavalcanti. a very charming little 'hotel', at Via Pellicceria, 2. It occupies one floor of a building located near the Uffizi gallery, in a very good central location. Because my daughter had just finished her semester in Florence, she was able to recommend her favorite location in town for lodging.

The Relais Cavalcanti building has been in the same family's ownership for 100+ years, the owner/manager of the new-ish Relais is Francesca. She said she inherited this one floor of the building, so she recently renovated it to create a little hotel. It's relatively new, with beautiful tile bathrooms, showers, etc. The rooms are very charming, and good-sized. Our rate for a double/twin was 120EUR, which included an extra 10EUR/day for the better view. Francesca also offered a 5 percent discount for payment in cash.

You have the feeling of entering a very nice, private Italian home, when you unlock the Relais door and smell the potpourri set out on the beautiful tables in the hallway and entry way. It has a small elevator and a/c, too. No breakfast is served, but even better I think is that they have a beautiful little dining room/kitchen that is open 24/7 for guests. You have always available the makings for coffee, hot chocolate and tea, plus containers of pre-wrapped pastries and dessert cakes. That's about as much as you get in any Italian B&B for breakfast, and this way you can serve yourself whenever. One evening we bought wine, cheese, bread, and fruit and enjoyed our own private time in this beautiful room.

The only thing to be aware of at Relais Cavalcanti is that the first floor of the building is the Old Stove Irish pub. The good news is that it's a decent little place for panini, and has free wi-fi. However, it attracts a lot of students and young people, so it is quite noisy into the early morning hours. Our room window was directly above the pub's patio, with a nice view of adjoining rooftops. The double windows, plus the wooden shutters, can block out about 90 percent of the noise from the pub below. I found that I could also turn on the a/c fan in our room, which would then totally cover any outside noise.

Francesca also cautions her prospective guests that she does not staff a 24/7 front desk. She is there during posted hours, mostly till 6 p.m., and has an emergency number on the door. But she is careful to tell guests that hers is not a hotel with full-services at night-time. I highly recommend the Relais Cavalcanti."

Have fun!
>-

Hi L,

>June 15-16 Drive from Rome to Pisa/Florence.

I suggest going direct to Florence and adding that night to Venice.