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Emreet Nov 2nd, 2014 05:04 AM

Venice-Florence-Pisa-Rome
 
Hi everybody,

This is my first time in italy and I have 8 days to spare. Please advise on how many days would I need in each of these places. Im planning to travel by train and will celebrate Christmas in Rome. Also if I have missed out anything.

Thank you

Em

Mimar Nov 2nd, 2014 05:50 AM

Well, 4 places in 8 days comes out to 2 days each or about 1.5 days after travel. In only 8 days I think two stops are better, Rome and one of Venice or Florence. You can do Pisa as a daytrip from Florence. Rome needs a lot of time.

Personally I'd pick Venice. Nice to be there when it's not so crowded. Florence has more museums, good for winter visits, but the countryside won't be at its best.

To cut more travel time, you could fly into Venice or Florence/Pisa airport and fly out of Rome -- or vice versa. (Should cost the same as round-trip. Use the multi-city option on airline websites.) If you already have your plane tickets, might be worth a change fee.

GLM Nov 2nd, 2014 06:08 AM

What a fun trip. I definitely agree with Mimar regarding 2 stops in 8 days versus 4. That blow and go approach might leave you too tired to enjoy certain aspects of the trip on the final days. You could spend your entire time in Rome & Venice, IMO.

Sassafrass Nov 2nd, 2014 06:56 AM

Day 1 - arrive Venice mid-morning, get to hotel, 1/2 day for recovering from Jet lag, rest, walking. Stay in hotel near train station so you can leave luggage the next day while you tour and pick it up quickly to catch train.
Day 2 - Venice, sight see until 4:00pm. Train to Florence in time for dinner. Sleep in Florence.
Day 3 - Florence
Day 4 - day trip to Pisa and Luca, sleep in Florence
Day 5 - travel to Rome, arrive mid to late morning. 1/2 day for sightseeing
Day 6 - Rome
Day 7 - Rome
Day 8 - depart

Rushed, but best you can do if you want to visit all four places.

neckervd Nov 2nd, 2014 08:10 AM

I suppose you know that some sites are closed over Christmas; all depends on your interests.

Dukey1 Nov 2nd, 2014 12:22 PM

Re the Sassafrass itinerary suggestion: have dinner IN Venice and take the last possible train to Florence. I wouldn't take away ANY time from Venice just to have dinner in Florence.

sandralist Nov 2nd, 2014 02:41 PM

Where you eat dinner may depend on how much food is part of your enjoyment of travel, plus what you like to eat. Venice is very much a fish-eating place, while Florence is very much a meat-eating place.

I know when Christmas is, but are you flying out or Rome Dec 26? What exactly are your travel dates and have you bought air tickets yet?

Sassafrass Nov 2nd, 2014 03:38 PM

I suggested that only because it starts to get dark early, the OP will have already had one evening to stroll Venice at night, food is expensive in Venice, and they would have only one day in Florence, but as Sandralist says, it depends on the OP's preferences. Either way works - kind of a toss up. Venice is probably my favorite place on earth, and if it was warm and lovely for sitting out, I would stay in Venice. If not, then I might want to be in Florence and kind of settled in early.

Emreet Nov 3rd, 2014 01:28 AM

Thanks for all your replies.
I have narrowed down my itinerary to Venice 2 nights, Florence 3 nights (including day trip to Pisa & Chianti for wine tasting (is it really worth it?) and the final 3 days in Rome for Christmas.Flying out of Rome on 26 Dec. May I also know where I can get train tickets for all these places and would they be mor expensive if I buy them in december itself? Also thinking of squeezing in Milan. I have extended my trip to 9 days now. Wheres a good spot for Prosecco hapy hours in Venice?
Thanks
Regards
Em

sandralist Nov 3rd, 2014 05:35 AM

You really should buy your train tickets ahead of time. You will save money and, more importantly, Christmastime is a VERY busy time for people to travel inside Italy, so sometimes the trains get completely full and you won't get a ticket if you don't buy in advance.

But I think it would be a bad idea to book a Chianti wine tour in advance. The only reason to leave Florence to taste wine is to also see the beautiful scenery. You should wait until you are in Florence to see what the weather is. If the weather is terrible, you can still taste wines inside Florence at many lovely places. You can find this information on the internet.

What qualifies as a "good spot" for prosecco happy hours in Venice depends on what you think is fun. Some people think it is fun to go to a famous place with lots of history and beautiful decor. Other people think it is fun to go someplace with lots of locals that is hidden away and cheap. Other people think it is fun to go someplace with lots of different kinds of snacks, and where they can meet people who speak English.

Remember that in December it will start to get dark early in the day. Where it might be best to have a drink would be somewhere near your hotel.

Also remember that in December there is a bigger chance of the "aqua alta" flooding many streets, especially in the areas around San Marco and that side of Venice. The water can get as high as your knees, and while it doesn't last all day it can be a huge problem if it happens on the days you are arriving or leaving and are carrying luggage. Book a hotel in the part of Venice that is between the Rialto bridge and the train station and you are unlikely to have a problem no matter how bad the tides get.

AndreaNewEngland Nov 3rd, 2014 11:15 AM

I'm wondering if anyone is concerned about what there is for a tourist to do on Christmas Day. We recently realized we were going to be in Firenze on Easter--April 5th. Our understanding is everything will be closed. What do you think?

PalenQ Nov 3rd, 2014 12:22 PM

Land in Venice - 2 full days -

Train to Florence - 3 full days - one day a day trip to nearby Pisa

Train to Rome - 3 full days - fly out of Rome

That is the minimum time you would have in total - 8 days - can't you add a few days on?

For trains be sure to book your tickets very early - weeks in advance to score nifty discounts - www.trenitalia.com or its competitor www.trenoitalia.com - the latter often has dirt-cheap tickets without much or any advance purchase it seems - each system runs their own trains on the same tracks but the latter may serve secondary stations in Florence and Rome. For loads of great info on the nitty-gritty of Italian trains check out these IMO informative sites: www.seat61.com; (great info on discounted tickets); www.ricksteves.com and www.budgeteuropetravel.com - note that advance purchase tickets on Trenitalia.com at least are I believe non-changeable from its specific train nor refundable so be sure of your exact times and dates. But you can often save quite a bit by booking discounted tickets way in advance.

Emreet Nov 4th, 2014 07:04 PM

Thank you for all your comments. I have checked the trenitalia website managed to book for my travels. Regarding accomodation - which are would be best to stay in Venice, Florence, Rome and Milan? Please advise.
Thank you
Em

Surfergirl Nov 4th, 2014 07:13 PM

Let us know your budget and what you want in terms of accommodations, including location.


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