hahahoney

@mimar if we start doing what if analysis then anything could happen anywhere anytime. It can even snow in rome. So this risk is there and I am ok with it and understand the same.

@justshootme: yeah I agree , flying into milan and flying out of rome is better but that will waste the complete day I would be reaching milan and then to venice the same.

I might go ahead and plan on flying into venice and flying out of rome.
But these open jaw tickets are still a puzzle for me. It seems on some airlines it there like : emirates and egypt air. But not on others like turkish,swiss and austrian.
Let me redo the calculation.

mamcalice

Just one more voice for not visiting the Amalfi Coast in December. I know this is your honeymoon and you picture the Amalfi Coast and Capri as very romantic. They are! But not in December. We're going in September so I was recently talking with a friend who went a couple of years ago in December. He said it was gloomy and a little depressing - rainy and gray. They had a hard time getting around on their schedule and a hard time finding good places to eat. I'm sure businesses (hotels and restaurants) will be open but I also think the area will not be at all what you are picturing at that time of the year.

Consider adding a day or two to the cities instead.

hahahoney

I agree it would be grey, gloomy , rainy(at times) , many eateries would(might) be closed, I may not be able to visit capri/ischia , but I don't see coming back too early to Italy in near future, not in atleast next 2 years, so want to have a feel of the place which may be not at its best but still worth the risk.
Thanks for advice

nochblad

I concur with those who say that it is not the time of year for the Amalfi coast. Visit it some time in the future late spring or early autumn. With the other places the difference is that they are lived in throughout the year. Venice is always magical - it is of course your honeymoon! You may want to consider Milan if you are interested in opera as the season starts December 7 the Feast day of Saint Ambrose(Sant'Ambrogio) the patron saint of Milan - http://www.teatroallascala.org/en/st...2010_2011.html

At the same time there is the centuries old street fair of O Bei O Bei (or O Bej O Bej). You are also in time to book to see the Last Supper - http://www.vivaticket.it/index.php?o...nge_language=1

If in Tuscany I presume you will visit Florence. If it is within your budget consider dinner at Villa San Michele on the road to Fiesole. In December you will eat inside but you will still have the opportunity to wander the Portico and admire the view of Florence from on high - http://www.villasanmichele.com/web/o...an_michele.jsp

What you must experience - in view of the time of year - is the new olive oil. Try it simply with the tuscan (unsalted) bread, The new oil is a dark green colour, cloudy and, as the French say, pétillant - slightly fizzy and peppery. In live there are truly few things more pleasurable than freshly pressed olive oil!

I am not a great expert on Rome even though I have been there a dozen times or so but I am sure that Franco and others can fill you in here.

For more specific tips on Milan and Florence I can help if you indicate what your budget (are you a 3, 4 or 5 star traveller) is and what interests you may have.

franco

Excellent point about fresh olive oil, nochblad!!!!
As far as sightseeing in Rome, there's a current thread that's quite interesting IMO: http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...tineraries.cfm

hahahoney

@nochblad Thanks! for wonderful advice, would surely try to incorporate all/some of these.
We more of a 3 star traveller and I wanted to visit some beach during that season.
Ok on recommendations from so many people , I am rethinking on AC(yeah finally). But still on that note:

Can I add cinque terre or Lake Como or any other similar place.
I am not sure whether I would love to be in villa in tuscany for complete one week.But Cinque terre looks promising.
Comments invited.

In terms of other interests, we have never been to opera, not sure how would I take that , definitely worth a try I guess.
We want more of a slow travel, but still want to see atleast 4 places in two weeks.

I may not want to include Milan in the list. But let's see.
Still invite comments.

justshootme

Do not substitute the Cinque Terre or Lake Como for the AC, what everybody has said of the AC in Dec also applies to these two places.

Milan is worthwhile, if you are going there anyway (because of flights), but definitely spend longer in Rome, Venice and Florence than Milan.

hahahoney

I believe its better to drop Milan and either fly rome to rome or pay some extra money and make it mum-rom-venice-mum.

Ok so cinque terre and lake como are also crossed out.
But somehow AC is still back in the head, still doable I believe.

Let me re-check on the flights.

hahahoney

After thinking and re-thinking, I believe flying into rome and flying out of venice makes sense.
Only issue is from Venice the flight is at 7am. How early I need to reach there. While browsing the forums , I found the airport opens at around 5am. In early the options I read are:
[1] Water Taxi : ~100 eur
[2] Bus: ??
[3] Any other transport ??

Please advise.

franco

Vaporetto and bus is the reasonable option, taxi the comfortable one. You don't need to be there at 5 am - Marco Polo airport is small, arriving at 6 am is perfectly sufficient. Check schedules at www.actv.it (vaporetto and bus) and www.atvo.it (bus only, different company).

PalenQ

Excellent point about fresh olive oil, nochblad!!!!>

NPR carried a report from Italian olive growers who said that it is almost ubiquitous that foreign and cheaper oil is added even to stuff certified as all Italian or local.

franco

This is unfortunately very true, PalenQ, but for industrial olive oil - not at the local oil mill run by owner, wife and daughter, who will proudly show you around their facility. And not for olio novello (the one nochblad was referring to), which cannot be achieved with industrial methods. In general, though, you are more than right. Simple rule: never buy "Italian" "extra vergine" olive oil in a supermarket, neither in Italy nor abroad. It's inevitably and always a fake: NEVER extra vergine (impossible for any price anywhere compatible with a supermarket), and mostly, as PalenQ pointed out, not even Italian.

hahahoney

@franco so I can easily rely on actv/atvo to reach airport se about 5:30am or something like that.
So I finally I have reduced on day of the journey final

rome : 4 nights
AC : 2 nights
florence : 3/4 nights
venice : 3/4 nights


Given I would be reaching rome before noon , flight will land at 9am in rome. I have one extra day which can either be added to venice or florence.

franco

My personal opinion is that your plan is definitely improved now. Have fun!

hahahoney

Thanks everyone for all the info will keep asking about the next things, but really ac not worth the hype in dec

hahahoney

I believe I will add one more day to florence/tuscany and try to rent a villa for 4 nights within the city rather than countryside villages , so car rental is not needed.
Any advise on the same

Mimar

Your plan looks good now. (Though I see the AC is still in it.) But consider reversing it. Flying into Venice and out of Rome might avoid that early departure in Venice, which robs you of some time on the ground.

hahahoney

Flying into venice and flying out of rome is bit higher in terms of price, otherwise its possible to do that.
Even 2 nights is AC is more ? I believe atleast this is doable , get a feel of the place and surroundings.

Let me see the other way around with flying into venice and flying out of rome

hahahoney

Just one more query, I would be landing in rome(according to the plans right now) around 9am, so what is normally check-in time in rome apartments/bnb/hotels. This is important given I have heard normally check-in times are around 2pm or something which could be difficult then.

franco

As far as Rome, you have to check with the individual accomodation that you want to choose, there's no general response to that question. (I guess in December, it won't be a big problem to check in earlier since they won't be booked up.)
As for Florence, I'm afraid I don't completely understand your question. Do you also want to tour the Tuscan countryside (hilltowns, small towns, wineries...) or do you just want to see Florence? For the countryside, a car is indispensable. For Florence, it's not only nonsensical, it's a major hindrance. If you want to tour the countryside by car, stay outside Florence. (Going out of and back into Florence is too time-consuming since there is so much traffic.) If you want to see Florence, stay IN Florence (same reason as above). If you basically want to see Florence, but tour the countryside for just one day, base yourself in Florence, rent a car for that single day, but try to get an early start, all the more in December.