Rome & Florence Just Back
 

Just Back From Italy <BR> <BR>Our trip to Florence and Rome was wonderful. I have not been to Italy for several years. Some of the changes were dramatic, (cell phones, ATMs,) other impressions did not change one bit. The phones still are terrible, 75% of the people now use cell phones and I can see why. Some notes on our trip. Whatever I post are my personal impressions. If you need any more information, please email me and I will try to respond as quickly as possible. Please forgive any misspellings or grammatical errors. Trying to post quickly and get some sleep. <BR> <BR>1.Italy is very safe. All of the posts on this forum had us scared to death. The ranting concerning pickpockets, gypsies, etc. all proved to be blown way out of proportion. Use common sense just like you would travel in any large city. We did have two small girls (about 5 or 6 years old) approach us at the Duomo in Florence. Just tell them to go away (with a raised hand) and they left us alone. <BR>2.ATMs are everywhere. We did not cash one Travelers Check. Never exchanged one dollar of US cash. Most restaurants, stores take Visa, Master Card, etc. Museums, attractions do not take charge cards. Use the ATM for lira. Exchange rates are great using the ATM. <BR>3.The Italian people are super friendly. I speak almost no Italian and never had a problem communicating anywhere. Just learn a couple of basic phrases, use your hands and smile a lot. A smile, and a please will earn you a friendly response. It's amazing how many people speak a little English. <BR>4.Eat everywhere. The food all over was excellent. We never had a bad meal. Some of my favorites were as follows. All meals were for two and included wine. Wines were about $15.00 a bottle. You could go cheaper or very expensive. Every wine we had was great. You do not have to have all courses. The antipasto, first course were very filling. We usually split the second course. Ask the staff in the hotel for recommendations. They usually know all of the good spots. Both our hotels had great buffet breakfast. We ate lunch standing up (most of the time) at one of the thousand pizza/sandwich shops. Rome must have 10,000 quick eat places. Go in, look at the food and make a choice. Our lunches cost us around $5-7 for two. If you sit down, be prepared to pay a lot more. The restaurants around the piazzas were very expensive. I thought it was very nice to have a coffee and desert at night, sitting under one off the umbrella tables. Ambiance was great. You pay for the privilege of sitting on the squares. Great people watching and entertainment. <BR>Florence- <BR>Orient Express. Phone# 055/2469028 I know the name sounds like Chinese, it's very Italian. Great food. 9 Red Borgo Allegri. $60.00 for two with wine. <BR>Camillo. Borgo San Jacopo. Not as good as orient express; large portions, order half; $70.00 with wine. Waiter was not real friendly. Seemed to Touristy. <BR>Rome- <BR>Clemente. Piazza della Maddalena, 4 Phone# 066833633 Off the piazza della Rotunda. With your back to the Pantheon, street to the right of McDonalds. About a half a block up the street on the right. Food was outstanding. We ate there 3 times. Waiter turned out to be a distant cousin. (small world). Best food we had all trip. $50- $100 with wine. Well worth the price. <BR>Due Colonne. Vial del Seminario, 122. Phone# 06/6781449. Off the piazza della Rotunda. Facing the Pantheon, street to the left, next to the hotel del senato. Up the street about a block. $50.00 with wine. <BR>5. Hotel Hermitage in Florence was great. Very quaint, rooms were nice, modern bathroom. Small lobby is very quaint. Location was super. Near the Ponte Vecchio. We could travel everywhere with ease. <BR>Albergo del Senato in Rome was also super. Our room overlooked the pizza della rotunda. Waking up to the view of the pantheon every morning was a thrill. <BR>Staff at both hotels were extremely friendly and helpful. They recommended places to eat, how to get everywhere, good places to visit, etc. <BR>6. Transportation was very easy. We took the train from Rome to Florence. No problem, easy to find and figure out. When in doubt, ask. Took a few cabs in Rome. Well worth the cost to go across town after a long day of sightseeing. Buses were confusing and we did not use them much. We walked from morning to night. You can see most of Rome and Florence by foot. Distances are not great. The sights while walking were invigorating. Finding your way was somewhat challenging. The local tourist maps available at your hotel or at the tourist information desks were the best. I purchased two maps from the street vendors and ended up throwing them away. When in doubt, ask. Everyone who I asked directions from was very helpful and friendly. Even if I did not understand a work, their pointing and gesturing usually got us where we needed to go. The train station in Rome is huge and very busy. I can see how people get their stuff ripped off. We walked at night and felt very safe. (at least till midnight). Police were everywhere as well as tourists. <BR>7. The audio guides at the major sites were great. Cost around $4.00. We did one tour using the Enjoy Rome Tour service Phone# 064451843 Three-hour tour of Rome. Guide did a great job. Relatively inexpensive. Use your guide books and walk, walk, walk. Crowds were not a problem other than at the Vatican. We went on the same day that the Pope had the audience in the piazza. (Usually Wednesday morning) Major crowds. Vatican museum and St. Peters were crowded. Other than that, we walked in to all sites with no lines. I would like to recommend that you save the Villa Borghese for last. It is a must see. Do not leave Rome without seeing this museum. Book tickets in advance on the WEB or call as soon as you get to Rome. This museum has got to be the, most beautiful museum in the world. The villa itself is a work of art. Walk through the park to get there. Sets the mood. <BR>8. Above all else, enjoy yourself. Rome is a fast city full of beautiful art and picturesque settings. Don't get hung up on small petty details (like smoking). The people were friendly, the sights were awesome. Of all the cities that I have visited in the world, Rome is still my favorite. Ciao'. <BR>

Thans - we leave in three weeks. Your assurances about pickpockets was helpful. We had only planned a few days in Rome and then away to the countryside. Perhaps we will stay a bit longer. The crowds weren't too bad? As awful as this sounds, I owuld rather see Borghese without a tone of fellow americans! <BR>

Thank you! How was the weather in Rome, temperature? How about the crowds? We're leaving this Friday for 3 weeks. Delighted with your post! Thanks again.

Rob, thanks for the report on your trip. We leave for Italy in a few weeks, our second trip, so your info is gratefully received. Regarding the Borgese Gallery, we can't decide if we should visit the day we arrive in Rome or the last thing we do before we leave. Did you reserve tickets before you left or did you reserve them in Rome. If you reserved them in Rome, how did you do this, thru your hotel? How long were you in Rome? Love to hear anything you have to say!! Thanks!!

Dear Rob, <BR> <BR>Mille grazie for your terrific report--took me right back to Rome. <BR> <BR>For the other posters, you only need to make reservations for the Borghese a day or two in advance, your hotel concierge can do it for you. I've been told that the best time to avoid crowds at Rome museums (except for the Vatican), is to go at lunch time or at the end of the day. The museums generally stay open until 7:00 pm, but check the schedules anyway. I'd go to the Borghese at the end of my stay rather than at the beginning.

Hi, Rob; <BR> <BR>Thanks for the report. My husband and I are leaving on April 12 for Rome. I have been there twice and my husband once, but neither of us has used ATM's in Italy. Do you know if they charge any processing fees for an ATM withdrawal? <BR> <BR>Carolyn

I've used the ATMs in Italy (they're called "bancomat" in Italian)and don't recall any additional fees charged by the Italian bank.

Thanks, Carol. Your message came just in time. We are departing for Rome tomorrow!!!

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&quot;Italy is very safe. All of the posts on this forum had us scared to death. The ranting concerning pickpockets, gypsies, etc. all proved to be blown way out of proportion&quot;

Rob, I have to take issue with this comment. It most assuredly is NOT &quot;all blown out of proportion&quot; you must be on guard in these cities in a way that you really don't in others-because the statistics alone tell the story.-over a 100,000 picks A DAY IN ROME. My friends who live in Brussels, husband, wife, child ALL had attempts on them to pick their wallets in Rome last year. So simply because it didn't happen to YOU does NOT mean it is not a serious problem in Italy, it is, and is a matter of great concern to the Italian Government as well-they have extra policing in the metros and at the tourist sites as a result to try and crack down on the gypsy gangs.

Wikitravel Rome has the following to say about the pickpocketing situation in Rome:

A great deal of pickpocketing and bag- or purse-snatching takes place in crowded locations, but there is very little violent crime. Members of the Italian public are likely to be sympathetic if you are a crime victim. Police are also generally friendly if not always helpful. Carabinieri (black uniform, red striped trousers) are military police, and Polizia (blue and grey uniform) are civilians, but they both do essentially the same thing and are equally good, or bad. A particular scam is when some plainclothes police will approach you, asking to look for &quot;drug money,&quot; or ask to see your passport. This is a scam to take your money. You can scare them by asking for their ID. Guardia di Finanza (the grey uniformed ones) do customs work. If you are robbed, try to find a police station and report it. This is essential to establishing a secure travel insurance claim.

Be careful of con-men who may approach you at tourist sights such as the Colosseum or Circus Maximus. Eg. a car may pull up next to you, and the driver ask you for directions to the Vatican. He will strike up a conversation with you while he sits in his car, and tell you he is a sales representative for a large French fashion house. He will then tell you he likes you and he would like to give you a gift of a coat worth several thousand euros. As you reach inside his car to take the bag the coat is in, he will ask you for &euro;200 for gas, as his car is nearly empty. When you refuse, he could turn angry and now demand money from you, any money, of any currency. Don't fall for such confidence-tricks - if something sounds too good to be true, it is.

Another popular trick that occurs at night, when people are leaving the bars/clubs is someone will approach you asking for a cigarette. They will then proceed to walk up towards you and do a funny dance of somesort. As you stare at them trying to figure out whats going on, a second person wil come up from behind and snatch your purse, or wallet.

Currently there are two middle-aged men working near the Spanish Steps. They approach you, asking where you are from and begin to tie bracelets around your wrists. When they are done they will charge you upwards of &euro;20 for each bracelet.

Obviously, it would not be in a Wikitravel article to this extent if it were not in fact a serious problem for the tourists.

GirlSpyTravel Rob posted his review in April of 2000 so maybe the pickpockets, gypsies etc weren't so bad back then.

Ha! I do now see that, however, it makes no difference. The pickpocketing problem in Italy has been around for well over 20 years, as my wallet was lifted in Florence 10 years ago, and the biggest problem areas around the Colisseum, where a friend of mine had his wallet picked, are still problem areas. They are however, getting more creative with the scams in the last few years, and that is not something you see in other countries-Paris/Brussels have a problem on the metros, but not that much out on the streets-in Rome it's both in the metros AND buses and on the streets.