Solo student to Italy in May--Tips and Suggestions???
 

I posted this as well on the solo board, but things seem to be a bit slow over there :)

I post this entirely at my own peril of being put on the list of Fodor's Biggest Concerns to be laughed at by people who actually know what they're doing. ;)

OK, so I am a student living and working in Paris. I should finish work mid-May--my first day free is the 19th. I am dying to visit Italy, and I know I will, but for some reason it's all jumbled up in my head and I can't figure out what a reasonable trip would be. I am not really known for being reasonable--last week, despite being laid up with a cough that resounded like a rifle shot in my apartment, I tried to drag myself around in order to make my train for Chartres. Thank heavens I was reasonable enough not to go. But I am crazy enough to try.

Whoo, rambling. Anyway, I am seized with an inexplicable desire to see the Cinqueterre. Other than that, I just need good Italian food and the sunshine. :)

My list of cities that strike me (besides CT):
Rome (duh!)
Florence
Venice
Naples

In effect, I need to be home by the beginning of July, so I can start out late in May or early June if the weather isn't ideal mid-May.

I am interested in pretty much everything, though I tend to lean more toward archaeology than religious art. I tend to have panic attacks in churches (inexplicable but true.) Also in cemeteries: I live by Père Lachaise, walked in a few days ago to check it out (I know, late!) and almost fainted on the cobblestones. This doesn't mean I won't go into a church, I just can't do very church-heavy itineraries.

Whew. That's probably more than you ever needed to know. Thanks in advance for any tips!

P.S. I know, I know, DUMB QUESTION ALERT: Is Rome really, I mean really, as teeming with pickpockets as I've read? I mean, some people talk about wearing a $ belt and having it busted into with knives ?!?!?

I like your questions; they're specific and you tell us your likes and dislikes. Good for you!

Are we talking about 40 days or so? On a reasonable trip, you can just about everything you want to.

You may want to plan out a circular itinerary on a map. Then (and I'll be as confessional as you have been: I don't much care for no-reservations type of travel) you can reserve the best places in your budget range. If you have a budget, this is important because the best in the lower price ranges can get booked up quickly.

If you have to go back to Paris to get home, I think I would end, rather than begin, in the Cinque Terre. (correct spelling, that, by the way). Why? Because it is a an outdoor-intensive place and the further into summery weather, I think, the better.

So you could pick a city to start in. Say Naples because it is most likely to have good weather in May. See what you like in that area, then work on your circle that will bring to the CT as your final stop in Italy.

Naples > Rome > Florence/Tuscany > Venice/Veneto > Lakes > Cinque Terre.

Now each of these places have a lot to offer that is nearby and you can do a few days or day trips. What do you think you would like?

Maybe an airplane from Paris > Naples, on a discount airline. Then trains. Do you want to see any countryside? Perhaps a car for a few days, if so.

Is this helpful?

Happy New Year!

Hi Tuscan, thanks for the response! It's very helpful. I most definitely will be traveling on a budget--I couldn't dream of being the no-reservations type. I'm practically gnawing off my own leg here b/c of date restrictions on when I can start looking at trains.

The circular suggestion was sort of what I was looking for; seems like a good way of looking at things.

As to getting me specific with the cities:

I always like having the option of day trips. I like more active type things, being outside and walking, than, you know, sitting in a boat looking at fish. I love reading something and then going somewhere and seeing that's where the author lived/died/once stopped to tie his shoe. I am in love with Dante, Botticelli and Titian. Also wine and pretty much any Italian food, which I am sorely lacking any decent facsimiles of here in Paris. I come from a very Italian-centric town, so we at least had something. Oh, I have to stop thinking about the food.

I suppose I'm less interested in seeing "the sights" and "doing" the town and more interested in feeling Italy, consuming it so that it ends up oozing out of my pores just like when I eat too much garlic. :P

Being a perfectionist, I am ashamed of my poor spelling of the CT (should have looked it up) and am also worried that everyone will be speaking dialect and not the standard Italian I learned in school. Eep. I guess I'll just dance around and point a lot. Hee.

Again, I really appreciate your help!

I agree that the circular itinerary makes sense, and so does ending up in the Cinque Terre. Given your interests, you'll loving hiking/walking between the towns!

Definitely spend lots of time in Venice - there's tons of Titian there (of course). Seemed like every place we visited had some Titians.

Try to get over the church problem; there are so many churches in Italy (especially Rome and Venice) that are small, and with amazing interiors and amazing art. And, at least in my opinion, it's not so overwhelming as an entire museum.

Though some Italians speak in dialect, in my experience (visiting the areas that you plan to visit) they all speak regular Italian as well. It's only on this last trip, learning a little more Italian before each trip, that I could even tell people were speaking in dialect (and they weren't speaking it to me). Any Italian you can speak will be received very warmly.

You will get a huge variety of responses on the pickpocket question. We have travelled to western Europe quite a bit, including Rome several times, and have never experienced any problems. Be smart and alert, and protect your belongings in a reasonable fashion, and you should be fine. I've always carried some sort of day bag; usually a (by now old) Eagle Creek bag that's the size of a small backpack, that can be worn as a backpack or a shoulder bag. My valuables are in a small wallet in the very bottom of the bag. I wear the bag across my front, hands usually on it, and in crowded areas, hand on the zipper. To get to my wallet, a pickpocket would need to get under the top flap (snapped closed), unzip the zipper, and reach to the bottom of a 10-inch long bag, underneath the sweater, water bottle and guide books that are usually on top. I never take the wallet out unless I'm in a store or somewhere kind of protected (I'm a small woman, and the neck or belt pouches are just too big for me.)

Enjoy!

Totally agree with Lexma. (By the way, I'm Lex's ma; are you also?)

Venice and Rome have so much great art in churches... that will be a bit of a drag.

Outdoor type, eh? Well, if you like to walk and hike, Rome is your city. 7 hills, you know. And so much to see.

If I were going as far as Venice, I would want to see Verona and maybe Padova and some towns to the north like Bassano del Grappa.

Will you be traveling light?

Go ahead and start planning. You won't get good train information until a month out, but you can plan around current schedules. Changes do happen, but I always rely on the current schedules for basic planning.

So, maybe as you plan, you can post specific questions about each place.

Sheepie,
Trust me, you are exactly the kind of poster who will NOT be made fun of-you asked specific, detailed, reasonable questions and shared enough about yourself to give responders a sense of who we're dealing with.
First, you are young, well travelled and speak Italian-this makes you light years ahead of the uniglot who stands around with a camera bag, fanny pack and money pouch around the neck(outside the clothing!) begging to be pickpocketed. You will probably pick up some dialect that the rest of us would never learn.

For Titian, Venice;stay as long as you can and make sure you sleep in the city. There's nothing like realizing, late at night and early in the morning, that you can't hear a single car. Nothing but church bells. And honest to goodness little brown nuns holding hands and saying things you've only heard in movies.

If you're concerned about language, safety and/or "standing out" start your trip in the more touristy areas, moving off the beaten track as you get comfortable.

For Botticelli, Florence. Having more than one day for the Uffizi makes it more relaxing and less a death march. With a student card, you can afford to take your time. You must go see the frescoes in a few select churches.

Cinque Terre when you're at the end and want to eat, walk and stare at the water, not artwork or ruins.

Coucou everyone--

Just curious, has anyone flown on Meridiana airlines? It popped up on skyscanner when I was looking for flights to Naples. I was thinking about flying in, train to Rome, train to Florence, train to CT (not sure about Venice yet), then overnight train back to Paris. I still have to work out how much time I'll spend in each place; sort of depends on when I buy my return ticket home!

Thanks for any input--you guys are great!