Tips/Suggestions on Itinerary v 6.0
Aug 10th, 2012, 11:46 AM
#1
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Tips/Suggestions on Itinerary v 6.0
After several posts and many adjustments to our schedule, I have our final itinerary set. My wife and I are starting to get very excited now that we have flights & hotels set along the way. It will be fun to fine tune our stops and learn about all things we must see and do along our route. Thank you to everyone who gave input to help us get to help us 'trim down' or trip and get to this point.
I know many of you scoff at the night & 1/2 day in Rome but as I explained in a previous thread, we hope to return in a few years to share Rome and all of it's history with our kids. This trip is just for my wife and I to celebrate our 10th anniversary/40th birthdays. So ... here we go:
Friday September 28th
Day 1 - Sat. 9/29 - Arrive evening & stay in Rome
Rome55 - Via Delle Carrozze 55, Rome
Day 2 - Sun. 9/30 Morning in Rome: Trevi Fountain, Spanish Steps & Pick up car rental at Termini - Travel to Positano (or train to Naples & pick up car there?)
Hotel Maricanto - Via Cristoforo Colombo 50, Positano
Day 3 - Mon. 10/1 Positano
Day 4 - Tues. 10/2 Positano
Day 5 - Wed. 10/3 Travel to & stay in Montepulciano (Stop at Civita di Bagnoregio)
Palazzo Carletti - Via Dell'Opio Nel Corso 3, Montepulciano
Day 6 - Thurs. 10/4 Montepulciano
Day 7 - Fri. 10/5 Montepulciano
Day 8 - Sat. 10/6 Travel to & stay in Florence (Stop at Volterra for market)
Granduomo Apartments - Via Piazza Del Duomo, 1/ 7, Florence
Day 9 - Sun. 10/7
Day 10 - Mon. 10/8 Day trip: Trek to Cinque Terre
Day 11 - Tues. 10/9 Florence: Museo Galileo, Duomo & Boboli Gardens / Dinner at Leo's
Day 12 - Wed. 10/10
Day 13 - Thurs. 10/11 Travel to & stay in Bevilacqua
Relais Castello Bevilacqua - Via Roma 50, Bevilacqua
Day 14 - Fri. 10/12 Travel to & stay in Venice (Return rental car)
Ca' Dei Polo - Via Santa Croce 203, Venice
Day 15 - Sat. 10/13 Venice
Day 16 - Sun. 10/14 Fly Home early
Monday October 15th
I would love input for stops that we can make along our way, for places to eat and must see sights. Thanks in advance again for helping us to make our first trip to Italy an unforgettable one!
I know many of you scoff at the night & 1/2 day in Rome but as I explained in a previous thread, we hope to return in a few years to share Rome and all of it's history with our kids. This trip is just for my wife and I to celebrate our 10th anniversary/40th birthdays. So ... here we go:
Friday September 28th
Day 1 - Sat. 9/29 - Arrive evening & stay in Rome
Rome55 - Via Delle Carrozze 55, Rome
Day 2 - Sun. 9/30 Morning in Rome: Trevi Fountain, Spanish Steps & Pick up car rental at Termini - Travel to Positano (or train to Naples & pick up car there?)
Hotel Maricanto - Via Cristoforo Colombo 50, Positano
Day 3 - Mon. 10/1 Positano
Day 4 - Tues. 10/2 Positano
Day 5 - Wed. 10/3 Travel to & stay in Montepulciano (Stop at Civita di Bagnoregio)
Palazzo Carletti - Via Dell'Opio Nel Corso 3, Montepulciano
Day 6 - Thurs. 10/4 Montepulciano
Day 7 - Fri. 10/5 Montepulciano
Day 8 - Sat. 10/6 Travel to & stay in Florence (Stop at Volterra for market)
Granduomo Apartments - Via Piazza Del Duomo, 1/ 7, Florence
Day 9 - Sun. 10/7
Day 10 - Mon. 10/8 Day trip: Trek to Cinque Terre
Day 11 - Tues. 10/9 Florence: Museo Galileo, Duomo & Boboli Gardens / Dinner at Leo's
Day 12 - Wed. 10/10
Day 13 - Thurs. 10/11 Travel to & stay in Bevilacqua
Relais Castello Bevilacqua - Via Roma 50, Bevilacqua
Day 14 - Fri. 10/12 Travel to & stay in Venice (Return rental car)
Ca' Dei Polo - Via Santa Croce 203, Venice
Day 15 - Sat. 10/13 Venice
Day 16 - Sun. 10/14 Fly Home early
Monday October 15th
I would love input for stops that we can make along our way, for places to eat and must see sights. Thanks in advance again for helping us to make our first trip to Italy an unforgettable one!
Aug 10th, 2012, 12:18 PM
#2
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Looks like a very busy trip. Having visited Positano recently, I would HIGHLY recommend AGAINST having a rental car on the Amalfi Coast. There are lots of transportation options for seeing the sights on the Amalfi Coast, and parking and traffic are horrendous.
You could take the train to Salerno and then bus or ferry to Positano. Then you could pick up the rental car in Salerno or Naples and drive to Montepulciano.
I am sure you have heard it before, but it bears repeating, be very mindful of the ZTL's - not just in Florence but in all the little towns as well.
You could take the train to Salerno and then bus or ferry to Positano. Then you could pick up the rental car in Salerno or Naples and drive to Montepulciano.
I am sure you have heard it before, but it bears repeating, be very mindful of the ZTL's - not just in Florence but in all the little towns as well.
Aug 10th, 2012, 01:35 PM
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A day trip from Florence to Cinque Terre is VERY ambitious. It's a 2-hour train ride each way, and that's if you encounter no issues with the train service. Even if you are not planning on walking from town to town in CT, the trains are somewhat sporadic and unreliable (from a schedule perspective). The CT is beautiful and warrants more than 1 day. By the time you get there, and plan for getting back to Florence, you will have a few good hours at best to see anything.
Aug 10th, 2012, 01:40 PM
#4
I don't "scoff" at the idea of landing in Rome and just spending one night then beginning your trip. That part seems OK if that's what you want to do.
I do think the "day trip" to CT from Florence is not that grand (or realistic) of an idea.
I do think the "day trip" to CT from Florence is not that grand (or realistic) of an idea.
Aug 11th, 2012, 06:22 AM
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We do realize that the rental car situation will need to be adjusted especially for Florence. We may return it there after maybe one day of visiting hilltowns(?) and then do a quick second rental from Florence to Venice via Bevilacqua. I do want the car in Positano and have parking at our hotel. I have researched and am not worried about that drive, in fact is one of the highlights!
THe day trip from Cinque Terre is a tour with http://www.walkaboutflorence.com/tou...que-terre-trek and seems like a long, busy day ... but has great reviews.
Thanks for the tip ekc, this is the kind of things I am looking for. Some nice suggestions that would enrich our trip.
THe day trip from Cinque Terre is a tour with http://www.walkaboutflorence.com/tou...que-terre-trek and seems like a long, busy day ... but has great reviews.
Thanks for the tip ekc, this is the kind of things I am looking for. Some nice suggestions that would enrich our trip.
Aug 11th, 2012, 01:37 PM
#9
I would re-order this slightly.
On Sat. 10/6, I'd drive from Montepulciano to Volterra (about 2 hours), then to La Spezia (about 2 hours) and turn in the car. Spend one night in one of the CT towns and explore on your own or hire a local guide for a half-day tour.
On Sun. 10/7, I'd train to Florence in the late afternoon (3 hours) and spend 4 nights. During your time in Florence, if you run out of things that interest you (Uffizi, Accademia, Bargello, Santa Croce, Brancacci, Piazzale Michelangelo, etc., are missing from your mentions), then you can easily day-trip somewhere using public trans (which would be much easier than driving out/in of Florence and in/out of smaller towns). (I doubt you'll be able to park anywhere near your hotel on Piazza del Duomo, and most likely it will be a longish walk or a taxi ride away.)
If it were my trip, I wouldn't rent a second car just to go to Bevilacqua for one night and onward to Venice. Such a short rental period will be expensive, and the time lost getting and returning the car could be better spent in Bevilacqua and Venice. You can train from Florence to Bevilacqua (about 3 hours) and from Bevilacqua to Venice (2+ hours).
On Sat. 10/6, I'd drive from Montepulciano to Volterra (about 2 hours), then to La Spezia (about 2 hours) and turn in the car. Spend one night in one of the CT towns and explore on your own or hire a local guide for a half-day tour.
On Sun. 10/7, I'd train to Florence in the late afternoon (3 hours) and spend 4 nights. During your time in Florence, if you run out of things that interest you (Uffizi, Accademia, Bargello, Santa Croce, Brancacci, Piazzale Michelangelo, etc., are missing from your mentions), then you can easily day-trip somewhere using public trans (which would be much easier than driving out/in of Florence and in/out of smaller towns). (I doubt you'll be able to park anywhere near your hotel on Piazza del Duomo, and most likely it will be a longish walk or a taxi ride away.)
If it were my trip, I wouldn't rent a second car just to go to Bevilacqua for one night and onward to Venice. Such a short rental period will be expensive, and the time lost getting and returning the car could be better spent in Bevilacqua and Venice. You can train from Florence to Bevilacqua (about 3 hours) and from Bevilacqua to Venice (2+ hours).
Aug 11th, 2012, 01:53 PM
#10
Well, I should have focused on the days on the week more than the geography. My Montepulciano-Volterra-La Spezia plan will not work on a Saturday. The car rental office in La Spezia will probably close at noon that day.
I'll have to give this another think, but my aim would be to turn in the car before Florence.
I'll have to give this another think, but my aim would be to turn in the car before Florence.
Aug 11th, 2012, 02:24 PM
#11
I guess I would still go Montepulciano-Volterra-Cinque Terre, keep the car and turn it in the next day (Sunday) at the Florence Airport. Take a taxi from the airport to the apartment in Florence.
If you choose to end up in Florence on that Saturday, I would still return the car at the Florence airport and take a taxi to the apartment. I would not have a car for any of the days of the trip after arriving in Florence.
If you choose to end up in Florence on that Saturday, I would still return the car at the Florence airport and take a taxi to the apartment. I would not have a car for any of the days of the trip after arriving in Florence.
