Sharon

I'm planning on going to Italy in May. Staying in Rome, Florence and Venice. Are there any day side day trips we can take to other cities, such as Piza, while we are based in the three cities?

Patrick

You don't say how long you will be in each city and there is so much to do in each, I hope you don't make the mistake of cutting your time within the cities to go elsewhere -- something I think a lot of people (including myself) often do.<BR><BR>One of my favorite days in Venice is using the boat navigation pass to go to Murano in the morning, then to Burano for lunch, and then from there go to Lido for an afternoon along the beach, and return to Venice. Basically &quot;free&quot; it is one of the great transportation bargains of Italy in my opinion.<BR><BR>Certainly from Florence you can do a day trip to Sienna or to San Gimagnano or both -- easier and you can accomplish more with a car than with public transportation. Or easy by train from Florence is a trip to Pisa and a stop in Lucca coming or going.<BR><BR>My favorite day trip from Rome is going out to Tivoli and Villa d'Este and the wonderful gardens there and include a stop at Hadrian's Villa. This is easily accomplished by public transportation on your own, but many opt for an organized guided day tour.

vita

On my last trip to Rome, I did day trips to Orvieto and Pompeii. Orvieto is a hilltown to the north and a short train ride from Rome. It may not be worth it if you're planning on visiting some Tuscan hilltowns from Florence, unless you really enjoy that type of setting. Getting to Pompeii is a little more involved but is doable by train - two hours to Naples by high-speed train then another half hour to Pompeii from there. There are also bus tours to Pompeii that you can do but they didn't interest me. I've heard Ostia Antica is nice if you can't make it to Pompeii.<BR><BR>The tours offered by Enjoy Rome might interest you:<BR>www.enjoyrome.com<BR><BR>Siena and San Gimingano are popular day trips from Florence. Fiesole is a 20 minute bus ride. Of the three, Siena is the largest, but they're all charming walking towns. Siena has an impressive Gothic cathedral and a huge shell-shaped piazza (Il Campo). I think either Siena or San. G. are worth a visit, but try to go early or stay late so you're there when the crowds die down. I really enjoyed watching the sunrise from San G. I haven't been to Pisa so can't comment.

vita

I should mention that I spent almost two weeks in Rome on my last trip, which is the only reason why I bothered to do day trips. Patrick is right when he says you'll have plenty to do in each city. Depending on your intinerary and how much time you have, you might want to consider spending a night in San Gimignano either before or after Florence and not bothering with day trips.

Patrick

Oh, I like the way you think, Vita. I loved San Gimagnano because we stayed there three nights using it as a base to explore the region, but many people who only visit it as a day trip hate it. It is really magical at night, so if you go, it would really be nice to spend a night there!

Pam

Florence:I would recommend Siena for a day trip. We thought it was a great place to visit.The duomo alone made the trip worth while. I recommend Osteria Logge there for lunch or dinner.(reserve in advance).Much like Patrick suggests we really disliked San G.(we were among the day visitors). It did have its magical moments..a young woman with an angelic voice was practicing her scales into the cistern in the piazza! Montepulciano might be a long day trip but it was one of our most favorite spots among the hilltowns. It was the first hilltown(we were based in Chianti) where we felt life was going on around us.Montalcino is small but the wine tasting experience at the Fortress is a great one. Venice..I also recommend Burano. We did Murano on one trip and Burano on another day. We never made it to Torcello which many folks(including the Venetians)say is worth it. We had a beautiful day in Burano just after a rain. We tried to eat at The Black Cat but could not because of flood waters. We stumbled upon Da Romano which I also recommend. (particularly the grilled shrimp). The museums on both Murano and Burano are also quite interesting to visit. If you are feeling flush upon your return from the islands. Take the elevator to the top floor of the Danieli and have a drink. You will get sweeping views of Venice. (Be forewarned a Negroni is $16 euros.) And just to thrill you..we recently rented &quot;Summertime&quot; (1955) with Katherine Hepburn. It takes place in Venice..the beauty of it is things have not visibly changed all that much. Also day trips from Florence: We got information a a variety of day trips from Italian Roadrunners. He provided us with historical and cultural information on towns within Tuscany. It was immensely helpful to us as we were driving for the first time in Italy and the directions/parking information made the experience less harrowing.Try:[email protected]. Have a great trip!

Pam

Hey Sharon..are you by any chance married to Dick? This sounds a bit like a trip he has going in May?

Amy

I recommend Padua which is about 30-45 minutes by train from Venice. Go see Giotto's frescos at the Capella degli Scrovengi. We did not get advance tkts, just walked up and got in right away. We got there early and there was only two of us.

al

we took a similar trip via trafalgar tours last february. we recommend pisa near florence &amp; burano near venice. in rome, explore.

Sharon

Hey Pam<BR><BR>No I'm not married to Dick, but if he's willing to pay, I could dump George

pam

Sharon,<BR>Knowing Dick he probably won't pay..so stick with George and do have a great trip!

xxxx

If you take a side trip to San G and Siena from Florence don't use Walking Tours of Florence. It was a rip off -- a very expensive bus ride as the guide basically deserted us in each of these towns. <BR><BR>I really wish I had stayed at least one night in San G. Everyone says Siena is the place to stay and it is nice, but San G. had such charm.