recommendations for 4 days in Italy
 

Will be meeting my daughter in Rome, Italy arrive in 10am in morning for 4 nights. Would love recommendations. Was thinking Sorrento, with visit to Pompeii, then train to Florence and Rome on final day with evening near the airport for our early flight out on 5th day. She's been there for 2 months and seen plenty - I've been to Europe (never to Italy) would like to see Vatican/St. Peters, in addition to sharing a fun experience with my soon to be college grad.

Consider staying in Rome. Four days is not much time and your daughter will doubtless have many favorite places to show you. Maybe you could take her out to a few restaurants she hasn't been able to afford.

If not, consider visiting only one of the two destinations you've mentioned.

Remember that if you follow your proposed itinerary you will have spent about one full day out of your four on the train.

Flying to Italy and spending 12 hours on trains from the time you land to the time you fly back 4 days later sounds a mite inefficient.

What is drawing you away from Rome to Pompeii, Sorrento and Firenze? A request from your daughter to see these places?

Stay in Rome. Maybe a day trip to Pompeii if you'd really like to see it, other than that, there's no time to move around and there's tons to see and do in Rome.

If we dropped the trip to the coast and did Rome, would side trip to Florence be worth it?

Worth it to whom?

What makes you want to go there?

I find Firenze a stunning place. Like many other Italian cities, I could walk around for a day and never set foot in a museum and find it rewarding. However, most people feel they *must* go to Firenze to visit the Uffizi and other museums, and its markets. That makes for a very crammed day if you are starting out from Rome.

I'm puzzled as to why you are so eager to get out of Rome. Has your daughter been there the whole time and wants to see something else? There are daytrips very convenient to Rome that would be less frantic.

Is there is something particular you want to see in Firenze, or are you just looking to see something beyond Rome?

We are both energetic and enjoy being outdoors. As I mentioned, my daughter has been traveling weekends througout the country, and said Florence is her favorite city, she wanted to shop there and share a favorite restaurant with me. Perhaps it would be wise to save that for another visit.
I'm sure we can find plenty of shops in Rome or near the city. She will have spent some time in Rome by the time I arrive, and I didn't want her to have to repeat too much of it just for me - I do enjoy the history. Also, I thought it would be more expensive to stay in Rome.
I was unsure of taking the trip to Sorrento and visit to Pompeii - it was an after thought - something to do get out of Rome for a day.

Pompeii and Sorrento are wonderful, but I agree that if you have only 4 nights it would be better to just focus on one. Either spend the whole time in Sorrento (do Pompeii, Capri, the Amalfi Coast) or in Rome. If you wanted a nice 1/2 day trip out of Rome, head out to Tivoli and go to Hadrian's Villa and Villa de Este. The fountains at Villa de Este are fabulous. If you go with a guided tour, you don't have much time with the fountains and gardens. Maybe just get out there yourself on a bus and then you can spend as much or as little time as you want. As for the cost between the two, I actually found Sorrento a bit more pricey than Rome. I guess it depends on what part of Rome you want to stay in and what level of hotel you are accustomed to.

I changed my mind. I think if Florence is your daughter's favorite city and she wants to shop there and share a favorite restaurant with you, then do it on your third day of travel -- provided your daughter has checked ahead to make sure that restaurant is open that day and made a reservation! Take an early train, hit the markets, have the lunch, then see some of the highlights of Firenze, although I would skip entering musuems in favor of seeing the Duomo and the Bapistery. Your daughter no doubt has things to show you, so I'll only alld that if you like being outdoors, a walk through the hills above the Arno in either Boboli Gardens or up to the Piazzele Michaelangelo gives you fantastic viwes, especially at sunset. Don't be afraid to splurge on cabs to make the most of your day. You'll have to have a plan to making sure you don't starve because you're on a train at the dinner hour.

For the rest of your time in Rome, the Vatican will consume a lot of it. I hope you will see the Pantheon and the Forum/Colosseum, even if your daughter has already seen them. If she hasn't been to the Church of Santa Maria in Trastevere, and it's sweet piazza with many restaurants, that might be a good place for both of you to explore. Likewise the Jewish quarter and the Portico d'Ottavia.

Both great recommendations. I will forward these to my daughter so we can make plans. I am anxious to see the forum/colloseum and pantheon. I spent time touring ruins in Greece and Turkey a few years ago and really can't wait to see these marvelous structures in Rome. Yes, we will splurge on cabs so we have time to take that walk in the hills and take in the views. Thank you

I almost forgot...Any recommendations for B & B's hotels in Rome? Near Trastevere? I believe I read about a place called Duomo Julia (I may have mispelled it)
Thanks

Others will no doubt chime in with their recommendations of good B&Bs in Rome, but you can also check the Slow Travel website for recommendations. They have a lot of budget-minded but quality-oriented travelers. Another place to look for budget hotels is Romeby.com and tripadvisor.com.

I like the Trastevere area very much, and it is convenient to the Vatican. Others prefer the most central locations. Even though you are taking train trips, I would avoid the train station (Termini) area, which tends to be the dreariest part of Rome with a paucity of good restaurants and cafes.

Finally, if you do decide on the Trastevere area and you are taking the airport train in from FCO, there is a Trastevere stop before Termini where you can get off the airport train and get a cab or walk to your b&b in Trastevere. It's not often done by first time travelers, however, and you should get specifics and directions from your b&b about doing it before attempting it so you don't get very lost!

Oh one more thing --

If somehow you end up back in Rome from your day in Firenze absolutely starving at it's 10pm, head straight for Lo Zozzone, right off the Piazza Navona at Teatro Pace 32. It's open until 11pm and serves heavenly pizza bianca, a fluffy warm focaccia the size of you shoe that you can order stuffed with meat or tuna or salads and cheeses. Cart it off to the Piazza Navona and eat it there while you watch the fountains.

Buon viaggio!

thank you for all the tips.... I can't wait - only wish we had more time....Howevver, based upon my daughter's wonderful experiences in Italy this year, I know we will return.

My suggestion is to stay in Rome, but go ahead and do a day trip by train to Florence. Leave early in the morning and return in the evening or even after dinner. It will offer a nice change, and you can see a lot of "highlights" in a full day.

I think we will do that. Thank you. Still trying to find a place in Rome...Does anyone know about the Star Hotel Michaelangelo? I hear it's close to St. Peters. The hotels mentioned, Santa Maria Hotel and also Monastery I have checked and they are booked. We really don't need to stay any place with all the extras, at it will just be a place to sleep.

You might try this place in the Trastevere, about which I have heard good things:

http://www.romeby.com/fonte/index.html

I have stayed at this other hotel, La Rovere, and liked it very much, but you need to know there is only one restaurant within a five minute walk to the hotel. It's very near the Vatican and, once you cross the Tiber, most of central Rome (Pantheon, Piazza Navona) can be reached on foot. Trastevere is a 15 minute walk:

http://www.romeby.com/larovere/index.html

Finally, you can also try Teatro Pace 33, which I like exceedingly well because it is so close to the heart of everything and a historic building, but it books up fast:

http://www.hotelteatropace.com/

I have tried those places and they do not have availability....Do You know anything about the St. Paul Hotel?

No, I don't. But are you looking at tripadvisor.com and the Slow Travel website for reviews?

Although I've never stayed here, a friend of mine recently booked A San Pietro da Susy for an upcoming trip. It's got good prices and a reasonable location.

http://www.italialodging.com/est/susy/

I've never booked through italialodging. You might try booking directly, or through venere.com.

You might also try starting a new thread specifically asking for help in finding a Rome hotel. Name your price and location preference, and say which hotels you know are already booked to avoid repetions.

Buona fortuna!

I wanted to add that if you use the venere.com website as a tool, you can do searches by preferred location, as well as availabity and price.

And they have user reviews!