Rome & Venice - first time questions
 

DH and DD (14) have decided to go to Italy in the beginning of May. At this point we are thinking 10 days. They have both agreed that Rome and Venice are priorities.

This is what I have picked up from reading this forum so far. Please correct me if I am wrong.
1. The train is the best way to get between the two cities
2. Stay in an apartment in Rome for the best deal (Is that the case for Venice, as well?)
3. 2 cities maximum on a 10 day trip

Current questions:
How many days in Venice? We are thinking 2 or 3. I haven't checked into airfare yet. I am hopping they could fly into the Venice area and fly out of Rome. Is this common? They are coming from FL (Miami or Orlando). Any idea what the train fare is from Rome to Venice? I went to the site and they only seem to book a few months ahead. Is the price consistent year round?

Lodging: They would love to be near grocery markets so they can cook two meals in the room. Both are vegan and realize they will probably have to compromise a little but they are hoping to find lots of fresh veggies, fruit, pasta and rice close by so they can stock up daily. If any places come to mind in Rome or Venice, please share. Thanks!

Am thinking 3 days is good for Venice. Would spend the rest of the time in Rome under this scenario, and with this much time, you could also see Tivoli and Naples and Pompeii and such as side trips.

If you wanted to break your "two cities only" rule, you could also easily include Florence which is on the way via train between the two cities, maybe splitting your time up this way: 3 days Venice, 5 days Florence, 6 days Rome. Florence is well worth the visit.

Hello, okwdvc. Flying into Venice and departing from Rome is a very good idea as usually the planes departing from Venice leave very early in the morning.

I have never rented an apartment in Italy so I can't offer any help on that subject but there are so many Fodorites that have so no doubt you will get some very good advice.

With ten days (how many nights will they have in Italy?) staying in Venice and than taking the train to Rome sounds ideal to me. Just want to mention in that you have a 14 year old daughter that all the teens I have known that have been in Italy love Venice and Rome the best.

In that your husband and daughter are vegans you might suggest to them to keep an eye out for pizza that is served with mushrooms (funghi). And when they see peperoni on a menu that is not meat but rather red and/or green peppers.

Your husband and daughter will be making beautiful memores!

For reasonably priced apartments in Rome, I can recommend realrome:

www.realrome.com

Last winter I rented this apartment in the old Jewish Ghetto, a wonderful neighborhood that is quiet at night and within easy walking distance of many sights. There were two grocery stores within easy walking distance and of course Rome has many markets:

www.realrome.com/propreginella1.html

Flying into Venice & out of Rome is a good idea and quite common. Yes the train in between the two cities is the way to go. I'd probably split 5/5 but that's because I really love Venice. If they want a kitchen equipped for cooking full meals, I think you'll need apartments both places (whether it is a cheaper deal or not).

I agree with the idea of adding Florence to the itinerary if you can do it - a 10 day trip is plenty of time for the classic Venice/Rome/Florence tour. But if you are planning to use Rome as a base for day tripping to Pompeii, then just do Venice/Rome. You need a minimum of 4 days in Rome to hit the highlights (and that isn't enough time to get outside of the city at all), and 3 days to get the feel of Venice (including a day to hit the out islands). So if you are set on just Venice-Rome, I would probably split it 4 and 6 nights, and that will give you a little bit of breathing space in both locations. If classic Florence is important, then 3 nights Venice, 3 nights Florence, and 4 nights Rome. Just remember, there are NO wrong answers.

I'd split between Venice and Rome. Train between the two.

If it's ten nights, then 5/5, if it's 9 nights then 4 Venice and 5 in Rome.

Stay in apartments in both cities, by limiting to two places less hassle with moving in and out of accomodations.

We have used these folks in Venice with good luck and they also have an operation in Rome.

www.veniceapartments.org

There are supermarkets is Venice as well as the Rialto Market for fresh vegetables. in restaurants, vegetarian is not usually a problem, but if they are strict vegans they may have a bit more difficulty.

they may want to learn a few key phrases that outline their dietary requirements.

I would stick to 2 cities, 3 or at most 4 nights Venice and the rest of the time in Rome. Rome really has an incredible amount to see/do.
Renting an apartment in Rome would definitely be a good idea. Our family (parents with 16 year old son) also had a great experience with realrome.com. In fact, in 2007 we stayed in the same apartment as Apres_Londee. It is close to the market at Campo de' Fiori and there is a small supermarket nearby. There are several bakeries and a good inexpensive restaurant with veggie pizza and pasta options on Via del Portico d'Ottavia

An ES train is 4 1/2 hrs and 2nd class seats are 61E. Here's a great apartment in Venice with a small balcony/canal view with gondolas going by. We loved this place and would love to stay again on our next trip but we'll be a party of 4. It's 160E a night. http://www.rosadivenezia.com/en/index.htm For a recommended budget accommodation, 95 E w/private bath in May, try: http://www.alcampaniel.com/

For Rome apartments, read reviews here: http://www.slowtrav.com/italy/

Try:
http://www.dolceroma.it/
http://www.domusintl.com/easyStore/i...goriaID=100001
http://www.palazzo-olivia.it/

The 'realrome' website looks really good. I just found an apartment that I'm interested in renting for a week, next May. It's in the Trastevere section, and is actually pretty within my budget.

Thanks so much for all the great advice! DH wants to stick to just two places because he hates moving around on vacation. He likes a base and wants to go from there. Doing it twice without me there will be enough for him! They may do some day trips from Rome. Since neither has been to Italy before, I am certain they will find enough to keep them busy.

Thanks for the great apartment sites. So many cool ones to choose from. I am bummed that I am not going but I am having a lot of fun planning.

I am having a hard time finding a flight from Miami or Orlando that goes non-stop to Venice. There are plenty that go non-stop into Rome. The layovers getting to Venice are too long and most require switching AIRPORTS! I may have them just fly to Rome and take the train to Venice unless I can find better flights into VCE.

I thought of another question. Why do many of the apartments state that they have washing machines but no dryers? How do they dry their clothes? Is it a combo washer/dryer?

Hi again okwdvc, dryers are not used as much in Italy as in the US. There should be a terrace or somewhere to hang up the washed clothes to line dry after being washed in the washing machine..which btw usually takes a lot longer than the washing machines in the US.

Many, perhaps most, Italian clothes washers have settings that run for 20 minutes or less. I have always found my clothes got quite clean using settings marked "delicato" even if I was washing towels.

You will find plenty of clothes pins, clothes lines and double check you are provided with an indoor clothes drying rack.

You can't do it all in one trip, but why not take a break between two cities which are sensory overloads? I'm replying having just returned from Italia and have experienced most, but not all of this amazing country over the years. Rome and Venice offer huge experiential opportunities, no doubt. Florence is amazing, having returned there many times for it's culture and non-city feel. But for you, I would train it and stop at Sienna, a respite from the city scene and fascinating nevertheless.

You can rest your bodies, minds and capture a real Tuscan spirit, while amping up for another city trip, with those tourists, traffic and waiting in lines, etc. Sienna is a train stop, worthy of one or two nights, and then hop on the train to your city of choice. While there, you can sit, watch, reflect, shop, eat, breathe.

As for fresh foods, this is Italia, and you can find fresh food daily in markets ... just ask. Learn in advance how to say basic phrases that you would use in your hometown farmer's market.

If you want to experience cooking, then hire a real cook, take a cooking class or ask for what you want (Craig's List, perhaps) so that you can have fun purchasing the food, learning a bit about preparing it and enjoying the experience. The restaurants in Venice are expensive, but just one trip to the fish market will be an adventure that you can bring home in the form of really fresh food.

An apartment in Roma might be nice, and my only suggestion is that you make sure it has adequate air conditioning, there's a washer and dryer (very hard to find) and how close is transportation. The taxis in Roma are very pricey, so public transportation and waking is preferred.

Buon Viaggio

LL