Hi everyone

I am trying to book a week in Italy with minimum fuss - usually I love to take months to plan a holiday but we are just back from honeymoon ( which took ages to plan!) so I just want to get this booked!

How does this sound ( and any feeback on the hotels is appreciated)


Arrive Rome 10am 25th of May - stay 4 nights ( hotel Domus Praetoria Roma near Termini - €155 per night)

Morning of the 29th catch the train to Florence ( 29th & 30th ) No hotel booked

Morning of the 31st of May - early train to Venice - stay in Venice 31st and fly out late to Ireland on the 1st June.( 2 days one night)Thinking of staying at the Hotel Gorizia a La Valigia


Thanks for your help
Deirdre

Anything is possible but it sounds like you are cramming to many place into a short time. Is this your first trip to Italy? If so, I would do a maximum of two cities.

As for hotels, the Domus Praetoria gets basically good reviews. Personally I would not like staying in Termini area and would go for Piazza Navona/Pantheon area.

In Florence, if you are looking for a wonderful, small, spotless, family-run hotel in the center I highly recommend Hotel Casci. I have visited four times and there are many others on this board who tout its virtues. Do a search for more info.

Hi--I also think it sounds too much, BUT 30 years ago, I did a quick trip like that--it was good because I was so fascinated with the "little" I saw that I have returned to each of those places to additional exploration--many, many times. It was like taking a survey course--later years I KNEW where I wanted to return, stay longer and study. Just go--if you worry about what you will not see, you stay at home and see NOTHING.

I would personally stick to two cities, but that's just my preference.

Of course most things are possible. The question should be is this desireable? IMHO, I don't think so. Why are you bothering to go to Venice to spend one night? At best you'll have one afternoon in Venice and sleep one night. Unless you've already been to Venice you won't have enough time to see much of anything, and you certainly won't have time to experience the wonders of Venice.

Is there some particular reason you've decided to do one night in Venice? If not, I'd go directly from Florence to Ireland (or however direct you can be).

KC

Hi I,

I would skip Florence rather than give up time in Venice.

Actually, I would skip Rome and split my time between 3 nights in Venice and 3 in Florence.

Fly into Venice, fly out of Pisa PSA or Florence FLR.

I suggest that for your Venice/Rome visit that you fly into VCE and out of FCO. I think that you get better schedules that way.

I agree with Ira - in my earlier post I guess I didn't express my preference for Venice (and it's certainly there). Although I liked Florence, if I had the amount of time you had and wanted to go to two locations, I'd go to Venice and Rome - and save Florence (and Tuscany and perhaps Cinque Terre?) for another trip.

KC

Hi All

Thanks for your responses

I see what you mean and I am usually totally against the type of trip that literally gives you a day here and there but I guess where I am coming from is!

4 days in Rome to see as many sites as we can . We want to see the main sites. Vatican, St Peters, Scavi Tour, Spanish Steps, Trevi, Colosseum.

Leave Rome at about 8am and get train to Florence. Spend 2 nights there - see the ' David' Duomo and just walk around the city and enjoy its beauty

Leave Flor early on the 31st. Get into Venice about 11 am and have all that day, night and we don't fly until 20.45 pm on the 1st so I thought we would have the most part of 2 days to see the main attractions

A litte part of me wants get a taste of both Flo and Venice .

I don't mean this to sound bad but we are not majorily into art/ museums and are happy to see the major sites in each city?? and explore deeper on our next trip

its kind of a ' last trip solo before the kids come along' holiday and therefore I would like to fit it all in

We are in our early 30's and fit so don't mind the travelling too much

I guess is it possible to see the major sites of Flor & Venice in in 2 days ( each)

Last year I did quick week like this. My traveling companion was not very interested in Renaissance art, but was young and energetic and wanted to include Florence "since she had heard about it."

We had one more night than you and reversed your order. Here's what we did:

Days 1-3: Venice--3 nights
(gives you arrival afternoon and two full days)

Day 4: 8:30am departure by train to Rome
11:30am Leave train in Florence
Check baggage at station
Have nice lunch, see duomo, baptistery, stroll historic center, Ponte Vecchio, shop markets
5:00pm Train to Rome; Sleep in Rome

Days 5-9: Rome (5 nights, early departure Day 9)
We also took a daytrip to Orvieto from Rome to get a hilltown experience.

I would not go to Venice for just one night. If you must stay in all three cities, I would steal a night from Florence. It is quick and easy to get from Rome to Florence--only 1.5 hours by train. I'd arrive early there and stay later the following day to maximize time in Venice.

Ideally, I would do Rome and Venice only.

I think your itinerary looks doable.
For a more enjoyable and characteristic experience of these cities, you might want to consider looking for hotels in different neighborhoods. In Rome I would look for a hotel out of the immediate Termini area, which relatively unattractive, commercial and poor in restaurant choices. I would add if you are in that area, there are at least two amazing sights and a fine museum nearby - the church of S. Maria degli Angeli was designed by Michelangelo and set in the remains of Diocletian's baths - with its huge grand pillars and naves it gives a magnificent sense of what Rome must have been like - the nearby smallere church of Santa Maria della Vittoria contains Bernini's beautiful sculpture of Saint Theresa in Ecstacy. Either of these sights is worth 100 of the Trevi Fountain. The National Museum of Rome with the lovely house of Livia (Augustus's wife)and many wonderful classical sculptures are right there too.

In Venice, the area between San Marco and Rialto (together with the strip between the station and the Scalzi Bridge) are the most heavily impacted by tourist throngs, little trinket shops etc. I dont find the streets in those areas very enjoyable places to be You might not get a very good night's sleep either, unless you get a back room. I recommend looking at options in Castello, Santa Croce, Cannareggio for a nicer stay.

Hi all Thanks so much for your suggestions

I am now looking into staying in an apartmentin Rome( "Sleep in Italy "have some central ones - Piazza Nav area )

I really need some help on the Venice hotels so thanks

I am thinking of shaving a night off Rome so I can do 2 nights in Florence and 2 nights Venice.................

In Venice we stayed at Hotel Ala, which is near St. Mark's, but in a quiet area, and a short distance to the Grand Canal.

Your planning is excellent. 4 days in Rome gives you plenty of time to see everything. It should take about 3 hours for the Vatican and the rest of the day plus another day should cover all the other touristy parts of Rome.

If you decide to rent a car, it is only 3 hours drive to Florence.

2 days in Florence is almost to much but you will get to relax. There is nice museums there but not as much to see as in Venice or Rome

I was personnaly a little disapointed with Venice but it's still worth a visit. With your schedule, you will have almost 2 full days there which I think is fine.

HI I,

>I am thinking of shaving a night off Rome so I can do 2 nights in Florence and 2 nights Venice.<

A very good idea.

First, I agree with others that the Termini area in Rome is not that great - though there are many public transportation options there.

Second, I find Venice to be far more interesting than Florence - if you're not interested in the Accademia/Uffizi etc. you could easily "do" Florence in one full day. Florence's other attribute is its proximity to many Tuscan hill towns, but with seven days total you won't have time to sample these.

I think three days in Venice would be the absolute minimum...you need this much time to wander. Try to stay in a central location so you can have the city to yourself after all the daytrippers/cruise shippers have left the island. We liked the Serenissima; between Rialto and San Marco -- yes, it was noisy (bring earplugs) but the rooms were fine and the location unbeatable. I'm not sure of the rates but think it might be within your budget.