Rome , Pompeii , Florence & Venice in 5 days - To be or not to be ?
May 5th, 2012, 04:15 AM
#1
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Rome , Pompeii , Florence & Venice in 5 days - To be or not to be ?
We are planning to take a short (more like whistlestop ) family ( 2+2) vacation in Rome over the 2nd week of July.
I want to see the whole of Rome , my son wants to visit Pompeii and the Mrs, Venice and Florence ! Is this do-able ? Might sound crazy if I add I would like to spend a day on the Amalfi Coast as well....
My itinerary is :
9th AM - Rome by mid-day
9th PM & 10th whole day - Rome
11th AM - Off to Pompeii ( Early start ) to be back at night.
12th AM - Off to Florence early in the morning OR Pisa by train and then return to Florence for the evening.
13th AM - Off to Venice
13th PM & 14th AM - Venice
14th PM - Return to Rome to fly out
On the travel, we will look to use the trains. Trains seem to be quite frequent.
I can add a day if the need be but need ideas on where to - Rome , Florence / Pisa or Venice.
I have seen some posts for accomodation and will give them a try to see the costs etc.
Any ideas , more than welcome. Thanks. Ciao.....
I want to see the whole of Rome , my son wants to visit Pompeii and the Mrs, Venice and Florence ! Is this do-able ? Might sound crazy if I add I would like to spend a day on the Amalfi Coast as well....
My itinerary is :
9th AM - Rome by mid-day
9th PM & 10th whole day - Rome
11th AM - Off to Pompeii ( Early start ) to be back at night.
12th AM - Off to Florence early in the morning OR Pisa by train and then return to Florence for the evening.
13th AM - Off to Venice
13th PM & 14th AM - Venice
14th PM - Return to Rome to fly out
On the travel, we will look to use the trains. Trains seem to be quite frequent.
I can add a day if the need be but need ideas on where to - Rome , Florence / Pisa or Venice.
I have seen some posts for accomodation and will give them a try to see the costs etc.
Any ideas , more than welcome. Thanks. Ciao.....
May 5th, 2012, 04:25 AM
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I think it's too much. I would either stick to 1) Rome with a sidetrip to Pompeii, or 2) Venice and Florence.
However, if you could add 1 night and fly into one city and out of another (rather than into and out of Rome), you could always do Venice 2 nights, Florence 2 nights, and Rome 3 nights.
However, if you could add 1 night and fly into one city and out of another (rather than into and out of Rome), you could always do Venice 2 nights, Florence 2 nights, and Rome 3 nights.
May 5th, 2012, 04:30 AM
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Rome-Pompeii-Sorrento-Napoli OR Rome-Florence-Venice. And even those options are really pushing it. Only one day in Rome is just too little for such a fabulous place. With all there is to see, I'm sure your son will have his fill of historic sites! And do remember that Pompeii in July will be hellishly hot!
May 5th, 2012, 04:30 AM
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This is nuts! Not only will you see nothing, you will come away not liking Italy because all you will do is pack/unpack, check into and out of hotels, travel to train stations, wait in train stations and ride trains.
To see even a little of Italy, choose Rome and Pompeii, Rome and Florence or Rome and Venice. Fly into Rome and out of Naples, Florence or Venice. It will still be a rushed trip but you will allow yourself time to appreciate your destinations.
To see even a little of Italy, choose Rome and Pompeii, Rome and Florence or Rome and Venice. Fly into Rome and out of Naples, Florence or Venice. It will still be a rushed trip but you will allow yourself time to appreciate your destinations.
May 5th, 2012, 04:30 AM
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Opps, I meant to add that 2-2-3 is still very rushed, and I would only do it if you could fly open jaw.
If you're locked into flying into and out of Rome, you could add 1 day and maybe include Florence. Hop on a train as soon as you land at the airport and do Florence 2-3 nights, then back to Rome for 5-4 nights.
Rome has a lot to see however, I really don't think you'd get bored spending an entire week there.
If you're locked into flying into and out of Rome, you could add 1 day and maybe include Florence. Hop on a train as soon as you land at the airport and do Florence 2-3 nights, then back to Rome for 5-4 nights.
Rome has a lot to see however, I really don't think you'd get bored spending an entire week there.
May 5th, 2012, 04:31 AM
#7
I want to see the whole of Rome ,>>
you'd need more than 5 days to do this, even if you spent the whole time in Rome. Truly, this is madness - and in July when it will be HOT.
firstly, can you change the flights so as to do open jaw? ie into Venice, out of Rome or vice versa?
if not, consider going straight to venice once you arrive in Italy - the express train from Fiumicino will take you into termini station, where you can get on a train to venice without having to go into Rome at all. this means that you will save precious time at the end of the trip, and start to recover from any jetlag while you are doing the longest train journey.
stay 2 nights in Venice.
then get the early train to florence, [forget Pisa, you don't have time] stay 1 night.
finally evening train to Rome, stay 2 nights. forget about Pompeii and the amalfi - you don't want to spend more time travelling than you really have to when your trip is so short.
alternatively, toss a coin and see who wins - stay there.
you'd need more than 5 days to do this, even if you spent the whole time in Rome. Truly, this is madness - and in July when it will be HOT.
firstly, can you change the flights so as to do open jaw? ie into Venice, out of Rome or vice versa?
if not, consider going straight to venice once you arrive in Italy - the express train from Fiumicino will take you into termini station, where you can get on a train to venice without having to go into Rome at all. this means that you will save precious time at the end of the trip, and start to recover from any jetlag while you are doing the longest train journey.
stay 2 nights in Venice.
then get the early train to florence, [forget Pisa, you don't have time] stay 1 night.
finally evening train to Rome, stay 2 nights. forget about Pompeii and the amalfi - you don't want to spend more time travelling than you really have to when your trip is so short.
alternatively, toss a coin and see who wins - stay there.
May 5th, 2012, 05:05 AM
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Way too much!
You have a lovely tour of the train stations of Italy and next to no time to see anythng. And you are counting some days twice -- so you don;t really know how little time you have. You said you want to see the "whole of rome". Well, IMHO to see the most basic sights in rome will take 3 full days (as in spending FOUR nights there) - not one days plus a few hours extra. and that's not the "whole" of rome - but only the most major sights.
In the very little time you have I would stay in Rome and just do one day trip.
Separately, you haven;t said how old the kids are - which makes a big difference. ( if they're small - 5 or less - what you have planned is simply impossible. If they are elementary age I think you will have a whole lot of overtire and cranky kids. With teens - they can probably kep up - but will they want to?)
Nor do you seem to be taking into account how hot it will be in italy then - likely 90s - perhaps higher and humid- so you won;t be able to rush madly from one thing to another without any down time except by risking heat stroke.
Please, rethink this.
You have a lovely tour of the train stations of Italy and next to no time to see anythng. And you are counting some days twice -- so you don;t really know how little time you have. You said you want to see the "whole of rome". Well, IMHO to see the most basic sights in rome will take 3 full days (as in spending FOUR nights there) - not one days plus a few hours extra. and that's not the "whole" of rome - but only the most major sights.
In the very little time you have I would stay in Rome and just do one day trip.
Separately, you haven;t said how old the kids are - which makes a big difference. ( if they're small - 5 or less - what you have planned is simply impossible. If they are elementary age I think you will have a whole lot of overtire and cranky kids. With teens - they can probably kep up - but will they want to?)
Nor do you seem to be taking into account how hot it will be in italy then - likely 90s - perhaps higher and humid- so you won;t be able to rush madly from one thing to another without any down time except by risking heat stroke.
Please, rethink this.
May 5th, 2012, 05:27 AM
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Putting together the best suggestions, you might try this to fit in most on your list. it is still incredibly hurried, but at least you are safely in Rome a few days before your flight rather than making this extra connection on the day of the flight. In this scenario, if you have the energy, you might make the long day trip to Pompeii on the 12th or 13th. Or better yet, visit Ostia Antica, an ancient city similar to Pompeii but much closer to Rome.
Jul 9 - arrive Rome; train immediately to Venice; sleep Venice
Jul 10 - Venice
Jul 11- early train to Florence; check luggage at train station and see a bit of Florence for a few hours; late afternoon/early evening train to Rome; sleep Rome
Jul 12- Rome
Jul 13- Rome
Jul 14- fly home
Jul 9 - arrive Rome; train immediately to Venice; sleep Venice
Jul 10 - Venice
Jul 11- early train to Florence; check luggage at train station and see a bit of Florence for a few hours; late afternoon/early evening train to Rome; sleep Rome
Jul 12- Rome
Jul 13- Rome
Jul 14- fly home
May 5th, 2012, 06:02 AM
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Be sure to account for the most important part of any visit to Italy... eating!! The food is one of the true joys of any visit to Italy, and an important part of the cultural experience. Remember that Italian food is intended to be savored and enjoyed with the family. Most restaurant meals will take a couple of hours... and that is the whole point of visting Italy! Allow your self time to linger over a meal, or a glass of wine, or just sit in a piazza and people-watch. More than any individual site you will see, this is what you will truly remember about a visit to Italy.
May 5th, 2012, 06:04 AM
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Whistlestop tour alright! But really, even just Rome with a side trip to Pompeii & Sorrento is going to be tight. Not to mention the heat, we did this circuit end May/early June last year and boy, was it hot! Strongly suggest you pace yourselves out and keep Florence/Venice for another trip 
May 5th, 2012, 07:06 AM
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A few otehr things to remember... assuming you are coming from the US, you will be quite jet-lagged on your first day, and will still be tired on your second and third days. And also assuming you are from the US, a helpful way to consider this same question is what advice would you give a European visitor who suggested they'd planned to see Washington DC (with a side trip to Baltimore), Philadelphia and NYC all in five days?
May 5th, 2012, 07:37 AM
#17
Oh, and another thing to consider is that Florence and Venice will be PACKED with tourists the second week in July.
If you are around St. Mark's Square in Venice or near the Duomo in Florence, you will experience a TSUNAMI of tourists.
This will slow you down--long lines to get into churches, museums, and other attractions.
If you are planning on visiting Uffizi, Doge's Palace, etc. you better make reservations.
Rome isn't so bad during the high tourist season because it is such a big city.
Thin
If you are around St. Mark's Square in Venice or near the Duomo in Florence, you will experience a TSUNAMI of tourists.
This will slow you down--long lines to get into churches, museums, and other attractions.
If you are planning on visiting Uffizi, Doge's Palace, etc. you better make reservations.
Rome isn't so bad during the high tourist season because it is such a big city.
Thin
May 5th, 2012, 11:15 AM
#18
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Ladies and Gentlemen , I've never been called crazy 16 times in a day and this was only 5 hours !! An achievement of sorts...
I was being too ambitious but as you all have said , Italy is all about the beauty , food & drink and enjoyment rather than a whistlestop tour of train stations. The heat will certainly be a deciding factor and so will be the Tsunami of tourists.
Rome and Pompeii it is ! 4 days in Rome and a day and a half in Pompeii.
We are flying in from East Midlands (UK) and this is a part of our 3 week sojourn home from Muscat ,Oman.
Suggestions for a 4 day stay in Rome are welcome please..
Thanks again.
I was being too ambitious but as you all have said , Italy is all about the beauty , food & drink and enjoyment rather than a whistlestop tour of train stations. The heat will certainly be a deciding factor and so will be the Tsunami of tourists.
Rome and Pompeii it is ! 4 days in Rome and a day and a half in Pompeii.
We are flying in from East Midlands (UK) and this is a part of our 3 week sojourn home from Muscat ,Oman.
Suggestions for a 4 day stay in Rome are welcome please..
Thanks again.
May 5th, 2012, 11:23 AM
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Here is a recent thread on staying with a family in Rome regarding the accomodations:
http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...amily-of-4.cfm
http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...amily-of-4.cfm
May 5th, 2012, 11:24 AM
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I'm sure this Will be rented, but just in case.... One of the best rental apartments we've rented... http://www.flipkey.com/rome-condo-rentals/p144965/
