ROME, UMBRIA, TUSCANY
 

IN THE PLANNING STAGES FOR TRIP TO ROME, ASSISI AND SURROUNDING AREA, AND POSSIBLY FLORENCE AND SAN GIMIGNIANO, PROBABLY IN SEPTEMBER '07. ANYONE HAVE ANY SUGGESTIONS/ THINKING OF FLIGHT-PHILA TO ROME, THEN RENTING CAR TO TRAVEL TO ASSISI- STAY IN ASSISI 2-3 DAYS AND FROM THERE VISIT NEARBY TOWNS. MAYBE DRIVE TO SAN GIMIGNIANO AND SIENA- STAY 1 OVERNIGHT- DRIVE TO FLORENCE -GET RID OF CAR- STAY 2 DAYS- TRAIN IT TO ROME FOR 3-4 DAYS ALSO WONDER IF WE CAN DO THIS ON $5500-$6000. WOULD LIKE NICE, CENTRALLY LOCATED HOTEL IN ROME; THOUGHT HOTEL OR B&B IN ASSISI MIGHT BE RELATIVELY CHEAP. NO GOURMET MEALS FOR US, EITHER! ANY THOUGHTS....

Hi ss,

Please turn off your caps key.

It is very difficult to read all caps.

((I))

Reading my mind, it's really hard to understand like this.

Oh, so sorry...

Actually, I think you will get a better response if you rewrite and resubmit your post, losing the caps. It will come across not just more readable but more friendly all the way around.

Right now Alitalia has a Summer Sale from JFK and EWR (Newark) to Italy. You have to book by February 19:
www.alitalia.com
For where you want to go, you could fly in or out of either PISA or Rome or into one and out the other. They are showing fares of $749, but there is are additional taxes and fees of around $150.
Eurofly, a discount ailine, advertises a similar fare from JFK:
www.euroflyusa.com

Start with the basic logistics --figure out when you want to go, buy your ticket, see how many nights you have, and then plan the rest of your trip.

It's cheaper to take the train everywhere than to rent a car for 2 people. Trains are relatively cheap and cars comparatively expensive.

Everybody wants a nice centrally located hotel in Rome for a moderate price. Set a per night budget, a location preference, and see what places people suggest. Rome, like Manhattan is expensive.

So break your budget down, assuming 10 lodging nights for example:

Airfare - probably around $1000 each =$2000
Lodging 10 nights @ $200/night = $2000
Food $50 each day 2 people =$1000
Transportation car 1 week plus
gas & tolls =$700
Museum Entrance, local trasportation,
miscellaneous =$300

The above is just an example, but anyhow how long you stay, where you stay, and the kind of transportation you use will effect everything.

I would at least double that food allowance. $50 per day would not allow you many choices.