torn between Rome, Florence, and Venice
Mar 27th, 2002, 06:47 PM
#21
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thanks for the tips, if pasta on the ES is anything like burgers on Amtrak, hmmm ....<BR><BR>So more days in florence than venice? Is this to see more art or do shopping in Florence, probably both? What "must do" or "off beaten trail" things in either place that people recommend? <BR><BR>I've seen "Dean's things to do" for Rome and Venice and found them helpful. Does he have a similar thread for Florence?<BR><BR>many thanks for all the ideas.
Mar 27th, 2002, 07:20 PM
#22
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I agree with the poster who says 4 nites Rome, 3 Florence and 2 Venice. You can't see everything, but you will get a marvelous taste. I just came back last night, and spent 5 nites in Rome, 4 in Florence, and 3 in Venice. One of my Rome days was spent on a day trip to Pompeii.(Really worth the trip) I hired a guide to take my group of six(2 families) to the Vatican and the historic sites. We spent the morning in the Vatican and St. Peter's, and in the afternoon, we saw the Colosseum, the Forum, the Capitoline Hill, and the Pantheon. By having an experienced guide, we covered in one day what I previously had figured would take two. In Florence and Venice, we saw the key museums, and also had time to shop, stroll, and relax. One must-do in Florence--from the train station, take bus no 12 or 13 to Piazzale Michelangelo. Take along a sandwich or full picnic and enjoy the view of Florence from a ridge above the city. We went late afternoon and enjoyed the sunset, but a trip during the afternoon lunch break would also be a great idea. Don't miss the Pitti Palace in Florence.
Mar 27th, 2002, 09:38 PM
#24
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Newt - Yes, Dean did a list of esoteric things to do in Florence but for a first time visitor, the post titled "florence-must do's" is better. I'll top it for you. I agree with others who recommend you split your itinerary 4 nites Rome, 3 nites Florence and 2 nites Venice.<BR><BR>Now...purchase a good guide book. Recommend Eyewitness Guide to Italy.
Mar 28th, 2002, 03:44 AM
#25
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I second the Dorling Kindersley Eyewitness Guide to Italy! It is a little heavy, but packed with great info, and broken down by neighborhoods within major cities. It points out so many architectural details that might otherwise go unnoticed. For Pompeii, we bought our tickets for the train one day in advance, leaving Rome for Naples on the Eurostar at around 8 AM. In Naples, we connected on the local train instead of the Circumvesuviana as recommended on this board. This train put us in the town of Pompeii, a 5-10 minute walk from the Excavation. I understand the Circumvesuviana brings you even closer to the site, but we didn't mind the walk, and we had a number of departing trains to choose from. We made our Eurostar seat reservations for 8:30 PM out of Naples; this gave us several hours in Naples to look around and eat something before returning to Rome. We chose to take a bus to the Galleria Umberto I, a beautiful, historic glass-ceiling shopping area. There we were able to see several historic buildings nearby, to see the hectic street activity of Naples, and to enjoy a light meal in a tavola calda in the Galleria. It was well worth the detour. We arrived back in Rome about 10:15 PM. A long day, but interesting. In Pompeii, be sure to purchase the audio guide. Even though you have to occasionally guess at which house or site you are hearing about, it really brings to life the sites. We packed sandwiches and fruit, and ate lunch right in the streets of Pompeii.
Mar 28th, 2002, 05:27 AM
#27
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Just got back from italy with a similar time frame (3 nights in each city) and it worked out very nicely. Personally, I would redo it as you have with only 2 nights in Florence (Florence was my least favorite and I am an art lover/mueseum fanatic. The art there is too similar and some of the best is Venetian anyway) Be prepared for churches closing from around noon to 3 or 4 which will leave you a lot of time for strolling and shopping
Mar 28th, 2002, 05:32 AM
#29
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I agree with the others, go for all 3. it's a great taste of italy. If you haven't been to italy odds are you'll plan a return some time in the future. you can never get enough of any of those cities. I don't vacation much either but over 20 yrs, i've been to italy 3 times (similar type trips as yours). i'm not done yet!
Apr 2nd, 2002, 06:40 AM
#32
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Go for it. We recently spent five in Rome (could see the main sites in 3-4), three in Florence (2 is adequate if you don't have more), and three in Venice (2 is ok but no less). I would not consider two days as travel days. We traveled at night from Venice to Florence (about 3 hours) and were there by around 9:30. We traveled from Florence to Rome in the morning (out sightseeing before 11:00). Look for the faster Eurostar trains with no changes and late or early departure times.
