Solo Through Italy
Oct 17th, 2010, 01:33 PM
#1
Original Poster
Solo Through Italy
I don’t post too many questions but I read the forums extensively, especially trip reports. I have found people to be very knowledgeable and helpful. I want to return the favor by sharing my experiences.
Through Fodors I have become aware of other travel forums – from Tripadvisor and Slowtravel to Rick Steves. I used them all along with a number of guidebooks (from the library) in planning my 18 night trip to Italy in September of 2010. I had over a year to research and I did become concerned that I had over planned and would be disappointed when I finally got there – not a problem with one or two minor exceptions.
I’m a female in my fifties who has traveled solo many times. I’ve been to Italy before, but not alone. It’s been over twenty years since I was in Venice or Florence and over thirty since I was in Rome. I am not a “Foodie”. I enjoy good food but it is not the focus of my trip (other than gelato), I’ve even been known to eat in “gasp” tourist restaurants. I prefer to stay in very centrally located hotels – I know some people want more residential or quieter areas but staying where I could pop into the hotel for a short rest between sightseeing worked for me. I traveled with a carryon only and used only public transportation – mostly trains.
I flew into Venice from Berlin where I had been visiting family. I stayed three nights at the Hotel Ai do Mori literally one street off of Piazza San Marco. 69 steps up to my room (no elevator) but clean and affordable. I did avoid the Piazza during the middle of the day when the tour groups were the heaviest. I bought tickets for my entire trip at the train station. I had a printout the exact trains I wanted which helped overcome language barriers.
Main Venice experiences:
• The Clock tower (Torre dell’Orologio) tour – I’ve always been fascinated by the clock tower. Most guide books call it “C” rated sight if they mention it at all. We were able to go through the entire tower (Did you realize that it has the first digital clock? The blue dials for the numbers are six foot high!) We also got to go up to the level of the Moors (yes, they’re men, even though they don’t have on pants – they’re anatomically correct). Maybe not for everyone, but definitely the highlight of my time in Venice.
• Sitting at Quadri’s with a drink for an hour while the orchestra played. Expensive, but worth it. I grabbed a take out sandwich to eat in my room afterwards.
• Vaporetto ride down the entire Grand Canal. I got a seat up front outside and listened to Rick Steve’s podcast tour. Yes, he’s a bit dorky, but lots of good information.
• It was amazing to walk under the arcades in St. Marks one morning in the pouring rain with no one in the piazza. The old gargoyles on the church were working well – the water was shooting out.
• Secret Itinerary tour of the Doges palace – I wasn’t sure if I wanted to do this but it was very interesting, especially to see the beams under the roof.
• Accademia – it was fairly empty in midafternoon with no line at all to get in. I know it’s one of the “top sites” in Venice but I could have skipped it. I much preferred Ca' Rezzonico, a palazzo with an actual garden behind it.
Through Fodors I have become aware of other travel forums – from Tripadvisor and Slowtravel to Rick Steves. I used them all along with a number of guidebooks (from the library) in planning my 18 night trip to Italy in September of 2010. I had over a year to research and I did become concerned that I had over planned and would be disappointed when I finally got there – not a problem with one or two minor exceptions.
I’m a female in my fifties who has traveled solo many times. I’ve been to Italy before, but not alone. It’s been over twenty years since I was in Venice or Florence and over thirty since I was in Rome. I am not a “Foodie”. I enjoy good food but it is not the focus of my trip (other than gelato), I’ve even been known to eat in “gasp” tourist restaurants. I prefer to stay in very centrally located hotels – I know some people want more residential or quieter areas but staying where I could pop into the hotel for a short rest between sightseeing worked for me. I traveled with a carryon only and used only public transportation – mostly trains.
I flew into Venice from Berlin where I had been visiting family. I stayed three nights at the Hotel Ai do Mori literally one street off of Piazza San Marco. 69 steps up to my room (no elevator) but clean and affordable. I did avoid the Piazza during the middle of the day when the tour groups were the heaviest. I bought tickets for my entire trip at the train station. I had a printout the exact trains I wanted which helped overcome language barriers.
Main Venice experiences:
• The Clock tower (Torre dell’Orologio) tour – I’ve always been fascinated by the clock tower. Most guide books call it “C” rated sight if they mention it at all. We were able to go through the entire tower (Did you realize that it has the first digital clock? The blue dials for the numbers are six foot high!) We also got to go up to the level of the Moors (yes, they’re men, even though they don’t have on pants – they’re anatomically correct). Maybe not for everyone, but definitely the highlight of my time in Venice.
• Sitting at Quadri’s with a drink for an hour while the orchestra played. Expensive, but worth it. I grabbed a take out sandwich to eat in my room afterwards.
• Vaporetto ride down the entire Grand Canal. I got a seat up front outside and listened to Rick Steve’s podcast tour. Yes, he’s a bit dorky, but lots of good information.
• It was amazing to walk under the arcades in St. Marks one morning in the pouring rain with no one in the piazza. The old gargoyles on the church were working well – the water was shooting out.
• Secret Itinerary tour of the Doges palace – I wasn’t sure if I wanted to do this but it was very interesting, especially to see the beams under the roof.
• Accademia – it was fairly empty in midafternoon with no line at all to get in. I know it’s one of the “top sites” in Venice but I could have skipped it. I much preferred Ca' Rezzonico, a palazzo with an actual garden behind it.
Oct 17th, 2010, 01:50 PM
#2
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Thank you so much for your impressions of Venice. And, I'm glad you liked the tour of the Clock Tower. It would be so good to be in Venice on January 6 some year, and see the parade of the Magi. Hmm, I'll have to go on the tour again .. I didn't find out about the "maleness" of the Moors! 
Oct 17th, 2010, 02:04 PM
#3
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I enjoyed the Secret Itinerary tour on a previous visit. Thought it was very interesting indeed. I haven't done the clock tower on any of my trips before, so maybe I'll find the time to do it next time.
Oct 17th, 2010, 05:13 PM
#6
Original Poster
I took the train to Milan, checked my bag and took the metro to the Duomo. I enjoyed the Duomo and walking on the roof (even though you can only go a short way due to reconstruction). Stopped in the Galleria for a quick peek, but the best part of Milan was definitely seeing the Last Supper. I had a tour and while the guide is giving you background info you go through several dehumidifying chambers. You think you are going into the next one when you turn around and there it is – absolutely amazing. The guide did point out a number of things I may not have realized had I been on my own.
Train to Stresa on Lago Maggiore for three nights. I stayed at Hotel Elena on Piazza Colonna (an easy ten minute walk from the train station). It’s not an upscale hotel (most websites give it a one or two star) but perfectly adequate with an elevator and I even had a balcony overlooking the square. I actually preferred the location to one of the many times more expensive hotels on the promenade that seemed a little more isolated. There were half a dozen restaurants literally outside the door and a grocery store two minutes away.
Main Stresa experiences:
• Islands & Gardens – I got the all day boat pass and was able to visit:
• Isola Bella – an eight for the house and a ten for the fabulous gardens.
• Isola Superiore – miss-able in my opinion – souvenir stands and restaurants. Can get everything on Isola Bella and skip this.
• Isola Madre – garden a nine and house a six.
• Villa Taranto – extensive gardens, very enjoyable, big enough to not feel crowded.
• All of the gardens were very good now but I could see from the azaleas and rhododendrons that they would be absolutely fabulous in the spring.
• My second day in town was a little hazy so I didn’t take the cable car up Mount Mottarone. I ended up shopping and taking Il Trenino, the small train that travels around Stresa (on the roads) for an overview of the town. I’ve ridden similar ones in other towns – here there was absolutely no commentary, not even a location announcement - not worth it.
I'm glad I eliminated Lake Como from my original itinerary as I felt I could not do both lakes justice in the time I had - it would have been much too rushed and this was a time to relax.
Train to Stresa on Lago Maggiore for three nights. I stayed at Hotel Elena on Piazza Colonna (an easy ten minute walk from the train station). It’s not an upscale hotel (most websites give it a one or two star) but perfectly adequate with an elevator and I even had a balcony overlooking the square. I actually preferred the location to one of the many times more expensive hotels on the promenade that seemed a little more isolated. There were half a dozen restaurants literally outside the door and a grocery store two minutes away.
Main Stresa experiences:
• Islands & Gardens – I got the all day boat pass and was able to visit:
• Isola Bella – an eight for the house and a ten for the fabulous gardens.
• Isola Superiore – miss-able in my opinion – souvenir stands and restaurants. Can get everything on Isola Bella and skip this.
• Isola Madre – garden a nine and house a six.
• Villa Taranto – extensive gardens, very enjoyable, big enough to not feel crowded.
• All of the gardens were very good now but I could see from the azaleas and rhododendrons that they would be absolutely fabulous in the spring.
• My second day in town was a little hazy so I didn’t take the cable car up Mount Mottarone. I ended up shopping and taking Il Trenino, the small train that travels around Stresa (on the roads) for an overview of the town. I’ve ridden similar ones in other towns – here there was absolutely no commentary, not even a location announcement - not worth it.
I'm glad I eliminated Lake Como from my original itinerary as I felt I could not do both lakes justice in the time I had - it would have been much too rushed and this was a time to relax.
Oct 19th, 2010, 02:47 AM
#7
Original Poster
Train to Florence – I was concerned when my reserved train from Stresa was cancelled but I was able to catch a regional train 15 minutes later and made my connection with 5 minutes to spare. I spent four nights in Florence at Hotel Europa – directly across from the Medici-Ricardi palazzo, just two blocks from the baptistery. I even had a view of the Duomo from my window.
Main Florence experiences:
• Climbing the dome of the Duomo first thing in the morning was great – there were only about twenty of us at 8:30 so no wait and not crowded. Reading Brunescelli’s Dome made me notice the walls and appreciate the experience more.
• The Uffizi and the Academia – I had 8:30 reservations for each (on different days) and was able to enjoy them before the crowds swarmed in.
• Palazzo Vecchio "Secret passages" tour – interesting and not expensive.
• I enjoyed wandering the streets – just the general atmosphere.
• I was debating on taking a tour to Siena and San Gimignano. I ended up taking the bus to Siena for an afternoon. I stopped at the market by the bus stop, the Duomo itself, the cathedral museum (and panorama) and il Campo. I didn’t try to do any more and I was happy to slow things down.
• I visited too many museums, they had all sounded so good when planning. By the end I was just zooming through. I could have used another day here to spread things out.
• I went to the Pitti palace in the late afternoon and got the Silver rooms / Boboli gardens ticket. When I tried to go in the gardens at 5:30 I was told they were closed, even though all the documentation I had seen said they were open until 6:50 – lesson learned – always ask closing times.
Main Florence experiences:
• Climbing the dome of the Duomo first thing in the morning was great – there were only about twenty of us at 8:30 so no wait and not crowded. Reading Brunescelli’s Dome made me notice the walls and appreciate the experience more.
• The Uffizi and the Academia – I had 8:30 reservations for each (on different days) and was able to enjoy them before the crowds swarmed in.
• Palazzo Vecchio "Secret passages" tour – interesting and not expensive.
• I enjoyed wandering the streets – just the general atmosphere.
• I was debating on taking a tour to Siena and San Gimignano. I ended up taking the bus to Siena for an afternoon. I stopped at the market by the bus stop, the Duomo itself, the cathedral museum (and panorama) and il Campo. I didn’t try to do any more and I was happy to slow things down.
• I visited too many museums, they had all sounded so good when planning. By the end I was just zooming through. I could have used another day here to spread things out.
• I went to the Pitti palace in the late afternoon and got the Silver rooms / Boboli gardens ticket. When I tried to go in the gardens at 5:30 I was told they were closed, even though all the documentation I had seen said they were open until 6:50 – lesson learned – always ask closing times.
Oct 19th, 2010, 03:06 PM
#9
Original Poster
I had heard about the Palazzo Vecchio tour on the forums - I'm not sure which one now. You can book it ahead of time - I think on the website (or have your hotel book). Since I had already had my hotel book both the Accademia and the Uffizi I decided to wait until I got to Florence as I didn't want to tie myself down too much.
I arrived in Florence on a Tuesday about noon and after a visit to the Baptistery and Santa Maria Novella I made my way to Piazza Signoria shortly before 3pm. When I asked about the tour they were totally booked, but I was able to book the tour for Thursday afternoon right there.
We went up several small staircases between the walls and visited rooms you wouldn't know were there without the tour. We were able to be in the "Sculio"? - treasury room and saw the secret storage places behind the pictures on the walls. Then we opened one panel and ascended a staircase behind the wall to another small secret room.
After some explanation in the hall of the 500 we got to go up under the roof and saw the beams and ties holding up the ceiling paintings.
When the tour was over we could explore the rest of the Palazzo. I throughly enjoyed this tour.
I arrived in Florence on a Tuesday about noon and after a visit to the Baptistery and Santa Maria Novella I made my way to Piazza Signoria shortly before 3pm. When I asked about the tour they were totally booked, but I was able to book the tour for Thursday afternoon right there.
We went up several small staircases between the walls and visited rooms you wouldn't know were there without the tour. We were able to be in the "Sculio"? - treasury room and saw the secret storage places behind the pictures on the walls. Then we opened one panel and ascended a staircase behind the wall to another small secret room.
After some explanation in the hall of the 500 we got to go up under the roof and saw the beams and ties holding up the ceiling paintings.
When the tour was over we could explore the rest of the Palazzo. I throughly enjoyed this tour.
Oct 21st, 2010, 12:59 PM
#11
Original Poster
Train to Rome – eight nights at the Albergo Cesari. Great location on a pedestrian only street between the Pantheon and the Trevi Fountain with a tourist information booth half a block away on Via del Corso.
Main Rome experiences:
• Borghese Gallery – I enjoyed the entry hall a lot and absolutely loved the Bernini statues, especially Apollo and Daphne. I circled back to see it about four times. I really like their limiting the crowd size and even didn’t mind checking my stuff.
• St. Peter’s – I arrived at 7:45 on a Monday morning – very few people and the security line moved quickly. The cathedral is overwhelming in size. It was great to be able to roam around when it was so empty that there was a man on a mini zamboni cleaning circles around the altar. I had plenty of time before my 9:30 Scavi tour to appreciate the cathedral and the square. I found the Scavi tour fascinating. You could not go back into the cathedral after the tour – you had to go back through security, which wasn’t bad as they had more lines open. One word of advice for the dome climb – take water. The view over the city and the gardens is great. The difference in the number of people in the cathedral when I came down from the dome was substantial. It’s so big that it didn’t feel crowded, but the difference in the noise level was noticeable.
• The Vatican museums – I did so much research for these my head was spinning. I found 14 different companies offering tours besides the Vatican itself. I ended up booking an 8:00am time slot on a Tuesday with no tour. Everyone whipped through to the Sistine Chapel. It was incredible to be able to spend quiet time with a minimum number of people. I was glad I had read Michelangelo and the Pope’s Ceiling before my trip – great background and made me know what to look for not only in the Sistine chapel but the Raphael rooms as well. I went back through the museum (no problem getting back to the beginning) and took my time. My second time in the Sistine Chapel underscored how different the feeling was when it was about half full – still ok but not nearly as nice. I left about 1pm through the museum entrance. Many people swear that the lines are shorter in the afternoon. On this day the lines were down the first three long walls – definitely not short.
• The Roman Forum, Colosseum and The Palatine hill. This is the only place in Rome that I booked a tour before I left home. I used Through Eternity for the 3 hour morning tour of the Forum and Coloseum and the 2 hour afternoon Palatine hill. I found them to be very good with a lot of background information and really made the sites come alive.
• Warning for Roma Pass users – My tour guide said they were questioning entrance to the Palatine hill if the pass had been used for the Forum earlier in the day. Evidently this is something new as they are concerned that multiple people are using the same pass. The tour guide was able to talk them into letting me in, but some people have had problems.
• I loved the feel of the Pantheon and went in several times.
• Churches – I visited about 20 churches over my eight days, some a very quick in and out, some a longer, more appreciative visit. This is purely subjective – my favorites were St. Paul Outside the Walls with the alabaster windows, Santa Maria Maggiore, Basilica Santa Maria degli Angeli and Sant’Andrea della Valle. I found the trompe-l'oeil ceiling in Sant’Ignazio di Loyola disappointing – I had read how great this was, but it was not at all impressive - not even when lit
• I enjoyed spending time in the various piazzas - just sitting with a glass of wine watching the world go by.
• A day trip to Ostia Antica was a good way to spend a Sunday. A few hours wandering the site was enough for me. I didn’t feel the need to explore every byway.
• Day trip to Tivoli – I had looked at tours to Villa d'Este and Villa Adriana but they all seemed to be only a half day. I felt that would not be enough time as I thought Villa d'Este was a much larger site. I took the metro and bus to Tivoli using Ron in Rome’s directions which worked very well except that I wouldn’t have known where to get off if the nice little Italian ladies around me hadn’t asked me “Villa d'Este”? (I was wearing a sunhat, an obvious tourist) I skipped Villa Adriana as it seemed too complicated to try to get there. In hindsight, a tour would have been a better way to go.
• Castel Sant'Angelo – very poor signing, not much to see – best part is the view from the top.
• Rome is the only place I took cabs. I had the hotel call a cab twice for the Vatican and I know that radio cabs can have some time on the meter when they arrive, but the one already had over 6 euros, which seemed a bit excessive to me. I should have gone the taxi stand two blocks away.
I booked my own transport to the airport when I was in Rome. The hotel would book a car for you for 55 euros. I booked through Rome Shuttle Limousine for 40 euros.
Overall thoughts:
• The amount of time in each city – I could have used another day in Venice and Florence. A day less in Rome would have been OK.
• I saw far more than I’ve listed here. The secret is to know what is available and when for your interests. I did visit a few places that were “must sees” that really didn’t appeal to me in the beginning of my trip.
• If your schedule allows, split your time in Vatican city to two days, one day for the museums and one for everything else. Both St. Peters and the Vatican museums are so overwhelming that you get sensory overload very easily.
Sorry to be long winded, but if you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to ask.
Main Rome experiences:
• Borghese Gallery – I enjoyed the entry hall a lot and absolutely loved the Bernini statues, especially Apollo and Daphne. I circled back to see it about four times. I really like their limiting the crowd size and even didn’t mind checking my stuff.
• St. Peter’s – I arrived at 7:45 on a Monday morning – very few people and the security line moved quickly. The cathedral is overwhelming in size. It was great to be able to roam around when it was so empty that there was a man on a mini zamboni cleaning circles around the altar. I had plenty of time before my 9:30 Scavi tour to appreciate the cathedral and the square. I found the Scavi tour fascinating. You could not go back into the cathedral after the tour – you had to go back through security, which wasn’t bad as they had more lines open. One word of advice for the dome climb – take water. The view over the city and the gardens is great. The difference in the number of people in the cathedral when I came down from the dome was substantial. It’s so big that it didn’t feel crowded, but the difference in the noise level was noticeable.
• The Vatican museums – I did so much research for these my head was spinning. I found 14 different companies offering tours besides the Vatican itself. I ended up booking an 8:00am time slot on a Tuesday with no tour. Everyone whipped through to the Sistine Chapel. It was incredible to be able to spend quiet time with a minimum number of people. I was glad I had read Michelangelo and the Pope’s Ceiling before my trip – great background and made me know what to look for not only in the Sistine chapel but the Raphael rooms as well. I went back through the museum (no problem getting back to the beginning) and took my time. My second time in the Sistine Chapel underscored how different the feeling was when it was about half full – still ok but not nearly as nice. I left about 1pm through the museum entrance. Many people swear that the lines are shorter in the afternoon. On this day the lines were down the first three long walls – definitely not short.
• The Roman Forum, Colosseum and The Palatine hill. This is the only place in Rome that I booked a tour before I left home. I used Through Eternity for the 3 hour morning tour of the Forum and Coloseum and the 2 hour afternoon Palatine hill. I found them to be very good with a lot of background information and really made the sites come alive.
• Warning for Roma Pass users – My tour guide said they were questioning entrance to the Palatine hill if the pass had been used for the Forum earlier in the day. Evidently this is something new as they are concerned that multiple people are using the same pass. The tour guide was able to talk them into letting me in, but some people have had problems.
• I loved the feel of the Pantheon and went in several times.
• Churches – I visited about 20 churches over my eight days, some a very quick in and out, some a longer, more appreciative visit. This is purely subjective – my favorites were St. Paul Outside the Walls with the alabaster windows, Santa Maria Maggiore, Basilica Santa Maria degli Angeli and Sant’Andrea della Valle. I found the trompe-l'oeil ceiling in Sant’Ignazio di Loyola disappointing – I had read how great this was, but it was not at all impressive - not even when lit
• I enjoyed spending time in the various piazzas - just sitting with a glass of wine watching the world go by.
• A day trip to Ostia Antica was a good way to spend a Sunday. A few hours wandering the site was enough for me. I didn’t feel the need to explore every byway.
• Day trip to Tivoli – I had looked at tours to Villa d'Este and Villa Adriana but they all seemed to be only a half day. I felt that would not be enough time as I thought Villa d'Este was a much larger site. I took the metro and bus to Tivoli using Ron in Rome’s directions which worked very well except that I wouldn’t have known where to get off if the nice little Italian ladies around me hadn’t asked me “Villa d'Este”? (I was wearing a sunhat, an obvious tourist) I skipped Villa Adriana as it seemed too complicated to try to get there. In hindsight, a tour would have been a better way to go.
• Castel Sant'Angelo – very poor signing, not much to see – best part is the view from the top.
• Rome is the only place I took cabs. I had the hotel call a cab twice for the Vatican and I know that radio cabs can have some time on the meter when they arrive, but the one already had over 6 euros, which seemed a bit excessive to me. I should have gone the taxi stand two blocks away.
I booked my own transport to the airport when I was in Rome. The hotel would book a car for you for 55 euros. I booked through Rome Shuttle Limousine for 40 euros.
Overall thoughts:
• The amount of time in each city – I could have used another day in Venice and Florence. A day less in Rome would have been OK.
• I saw far more than I’ve listed here. The secret is to know what is available and when for your interests. I did visit a few places that were “must sees” that really didn’t appeal to me in the beginning of my trip.
• If your schedule allows, split your time in Vatican city to two days, one day for the museums and one for everything else. Both St. Peters and the Vatican museums are so overwhelming that you get sensory overload very easily.
Sorry to be long winded, but if you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to ask.
Oct 21st, 2010, 06:28 PM
#15
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Inge, this is a really informative report, thanks so much for posting! Quick question re: the Sistine Chapel -- when you say you booked an 8:00 am appointment with no tour, do you mean through the Vatican itself? Or was this with a private company or guide? If the latter, could you share the name? So far, I've only found 8:00 am tours. Many thanks!
Oct 22nd, 2010, 04:54 AM
#16
MoonGirl - You can book entry only tickets directly with the Vatican with times starting at 8:00am. The Vatican website calls this ticket a tour, but it isn't. The way to tell the difference between just admission tickets and tour tickets on the Vatican website is the price. Admission only tickets are 15€ while tours are 31€.
http://biglietteriamusei.vatican.va/...action=booking
http://biglietteriamusei.vatican.va/...action=booking
Oct 22nd, 2010, 02:38 PM
#17
Original Poster
Yes, I booked my 8:00 time with the Vatican itself. They don't let the people in line in until 9:00 so for me it was definitely worth it. I arrived about 7:45 and there were about 50 people ahead of me and a tour group or two, but with the size of the museums it was not a problem.
They know that everyone will make a beeline for the Sistine Chapel - some of the areas like the Raphael Rooms aren't even open that early, but it's easy to go back to the beginning and take your time the second time through.
They know that everyone will make a beeline for the Sistine Chapel - some of the areas like the Raphael Rooms aren't even open that early, but it's easy to go back to the beginning and take your time the second time through.
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