Help with planning first overseas trip

There is no reason to fear Italy. It has been hosting non-Italian-speakers for centuries.

It's often easier for solo travelers to make connections with others than it is for people traveling in pairs or with family groups. If you crave additional human interaction, take a walking tour. They are typically very informative, and the price is usually very reasonable.

There's nothing in your post to make me think you'll have problems accomplishing what you want to do, though you may need to resort to hostels to stick to your lodging budget. While $50 (not much more than 40 euros) may be workable in smaller, less touristy towns, it will be very difficult in Rome-Florence-Venice, which are the common destinations of first-time visitors. Venice, in particular, is going to be tough; I'm not sure about the availability of hostels there, but I'm sure other forum posters are more knowledgeable.

One thing to consider is flying in and out of different cities so you don't have to spend a good part of your last full day in Italy traveling back to Rome. Take a look at "multi-city" fares into Venice or Milan and out of Rome. Sometimes they are about the same as a round-trip to Rome. Don't forget that you'll be saving the cost of a train trip back to Rome.

Your first day may be pretty much a total loss in terms of sightseeing, because you may be seriously sleep-deprived and jet-lagged after the overnight flight. Therefore, don't count it as a real day in Italy. I'd figure an absolute minimum of 4 nights in Rome (meaning 3 days of sightseeing), and 5 would be better. Time in Florence would be affected by how much you are interested in art and how many side-trips you might like to take to other Tuscan towns (like Siena and Lucca). I wouldn't go to Venice for fewer than 3 nights.

As you continue planning your trip, you'll learn more and more about what there is to see and do in and near your planned destinations. Save yourself a lot of grief and make this trip as long as you can. That will get you a lot more bang for your buck, because you won't be one of those travelers with 1-1/2 days in Rome, 1 day in Florence, etc. The idea is to minimize the time spent on trains and buses and maximize the time actually seeing Italy.

I'm sure others will comment more fully on your post, but I just wanted to say three things.

First - congrats on your Master's degree. A trip to Italy is a wonderful way to celebrate that accomplishment!

Second - language. I have traveled to many countries. I know a fair number of words/phrases now in various languages, but the only language in which I am fluent is English. This has not been an impediment to my ability to travel. Start studying the basic polite phrases now. Good morning. Please. Thank you. Where is the toilet? And then work your way up to bigger phrases? Do you know where...? How much does this cost? Be prepared to carry a map and point if necessary. Download something like Google Translate and make sure you've downloaded Italian for offline use. (That one really saved me on our last trip.)

Third - food and wine. As long as you don't have any food allergies, diet-related medical conditions or religious dietary restrictions, you should feel free to try things that look good to you. If you're on a budget, think about hitting a market for your own breakfast supplies. Grab a sandwich from a shop for lunch. Splurge on a real dinner or mix that up a bit - splurge on lunch and make grocery supplies/sandwiches your supper.

Wine is often cheaper than water or soft drinks in Italy. When you're having a sit down restaurant meal, it's fun to order a half carafe of the house wine. It's usually very cheap. It's usually quite good. And ten to one, it'll go just fine with whatever you are eating.

Just enjoy the fact that you are sitting in Italy and drinking wine while writing postcards, reading a book, watching people, etc., etc.

I hope you have a wonderful adventure!!

[ETA: Fixed typo}

All the above is good advice. With your budget I expect you'll be staying in hostels. You'll also save money by spending more time in a few places rather than moving around to many place. Maybe stick to Rome and Florence this time.

See if you can get Europe Through the Back Door from your library, full of good advice about planning and travel. Plus of course a good guidebook to invest in, maybe Rick Steves Italy or his low-cost pocket city guides. And get going on this, if your studies allow, because April and May are coming up fast and air fares won't get any lower, only higher.

You've posted your thoughtful questions on a board that usually contains reviews of people's experiences with particular hotels and restaurants. You might get more responses if you post again on the "Italy" board (left hand column of the listings on the forum page). Have a great trip and congratulations on your achievement.

Congratulations on your new degree, and what a wonderful way to celebrate! I wanted to mention another possibility for accommodations - monasteries and convents in Italy have to be self-supporting, and some accomplish this by housing travelers. You can book through MonasteryStays.com.

jerickson2010,

Congratulations on your M.A.! Part of what makes European travel so wonderful is that you are walking through history. You are surrounded by cobblestone streets and architecture that reminds you how far back the story goes on that continent, and how young ours is in comparison. But that said, it is a westernized culture. Many people speak English, there are Gucci stores, and lots of people on scooters zipping around and everyone wearing the same styles we wear. What's anachronistic is that these recognizable things all exist in a place that looks like it is from another long-ago time. Such a buzz! Add to that the museums, and artwork in buildings (frescoes!), and architecture. Navigating is easy. If you've been to Chicago and can read a train schedule, there's nothing more to it. My 13 year old daughter figured it out quickly. My only reservation is that you've waited until airfare will be much more expensive than it would have been a few months ago, and considering your budget, I would have loved for you to get a great deal on airfare and have more to spend while there. Just know that if you plan to do this more, it is possible to find great deals when you plan ahead. I will also say that the first solo trip I took to Europe was when I was 21 and there was no internet (gasp!). This was 1991. I bought an airline ticket and a Eurail pass, and with a vague idea of where I would go and how I would use the pass, I just got on a train one night and went. And it all worked just fine! I would start by reading Ricks Steve's books. He goes you all the practical info you need, as well as descriptions of sites with ratings also you can start to get an idea of what you would like to see. Rome Florence and Sienna would be a great trip. You could add on as time permits. Check various airports that you would be willing to drive to for departure. You will likely get cheaper fares from Chicago than Iowa.
best,
Jessica

I think AirBnBs where the host also lives there would be a great opportunity to meet people. Some of my friends did that in Spain and ended up spending the evening with their host. It will be a good way to stay within your budget. I'd see Venice for 2 nights while you're already in Italy :) it sounds like a great trip!

Besides hostels, try monasterystays.com. They have rooms from 36 - 50€ in all three cities you mention. I haven't used them but am looking at staying for a future trip to Spain.

Lodging at $50 per day is not poss unless u stay at a hostel. There are many vgd hostels with high stds. It is also a gd way to meet other travelers that share common interests. Many hostels are more than just for backpackers. Be prepared to picnic so that u can save alittle for entry fees. Your fare will prob be quite expensive for mid June. Check Norwegian air if at your airport.
As your budget is tight , model your trip bef u purchase air, trains and museum
Entries can add up. Language will not be a prob. Select your first choice of country rather than substitutes.

Since you'll be on a budget, it may be useful to know that individual rides on the vaporetti in Venice are very, very expensive. There are some passes that save money if you will want to ride often, but they are still expensive on a per-day visit when you're not in the city long. This website has a summary chart.

Venice is not a large city, so you can generally get around by walking, but I gather that the hostel is not centrally located and will require use of vaporetti.

I'll be traveling alone, and while I'm an introvert, I want to be as interactive with others as possible on the trip.

It won't be difficult to interact with people particularly those who you identify as tourists. I was in Rome recently with three other friends and we sat at a large table in a small delicatessen where there was a chap on his own. He soon piped up and explained that he was a lone traveller from Toronto and joined us in conversation. Sharing that one thing in common, travel, is a great and easy way to start up conversations with strangers.

I live in rural Iowa. While I have flown in the United States about 10 times, that is about the extent of my experience with public transportation. I've used Chicago's Metro train, and a few taxis, but have had my own vehicle for most of my life.

You'll cope, it's not difficult. You've managed to get a masters, I'm sure you can work out public transportation.

As of now, I don't speak Italian, but will work to become familiar with phrases before leaving.

I don't speak Italian. I can say Yes, No, Please, Thankyou, Good morning/Good night and a few other phrases all carried off with a poor attempt at an Italian accent. Many Italians speak at least a basic level of English (far better than my Italian) and those who work in the tourist areas frequently are very fluent. I have never experienced any problems conversing with most Italians throughout Italy.

My interest have mainly been around my career in education, and sports - baseball, basketball, football, fishing, and golf.

Forget baseball, basketball and American football. Italy is all about proper football (and less so rugby). You might find the odd aficionado of American sports but they're often viewed with scepticism ; )

My palate is very, very basic right now. I am hoping this experience will help me improve. 95% of my adult drinks would be domestic beers. I couldn't pick out the correct pairing for wine with a meal, let alone tell you by name if it is red or white wine.

I wouldn't worry. Much of Italian cuisine is simple food done well but don't let your palate prevent you from trying out new foods and drinks. Italy is not famed for its cuisine for nothing and their charcuterie for one is excellent. One thing I do suggest you try is porchetta. A plate of well done porchetta, some rustic bread and oil and a bottle of robust red wine (I prefer Sicilian) and I'm in heaven. When you refer to domestic beer I'm assuming the likes of Budweiser, Coors, Miller etc rather than the excellent range of craft beers available in the US? If so then you won't really notice a great deal of difference. The most popular Italian beers are lager style and not too dissimilar to the major American beers. As for wine, I'm no expert by any stretch although I have a reasonable idea of grapes that I like and regions however when abroad I often ask the server what wine they recommend to go with my order or I plump for the house red. I've yet to be served with anything I'd consider bad.

Monasterystays.com is a good resource for safe, clean, and convenient single rooms in Italy. I used them to book 3 convent stays last year. Some of them have moderate curfews and all require respectable dress. They accept both men and women.
However, the mark-up is probably about 30% so since you are on a budget I would encourage you to look at their website and then try to google the various convents to see if you can locate a direct contact. Someone on their end likely will speak English.
$50 a day, or something close to that, might just materialize!
And congrats on earning your Masters degree!

I don't think you need to feel shy about visiting Venice by yourself. Many of us have. I think you'd enjoy it, particularly since you're a stalwart walker (wow, first time I've ever used the word 'stalwart')! If you do include it, though, it would best to lean more towards 14 days than ten, and you'd do well to book an 'open jaw' or 'multi-city' ticket, probably into Venice and out of Rome.

Congratulations and “hello” from a former Iowan! What a great way to celebrate this milestone achievement!

You might want to consider flying into Rome and immediately taking the train to a smaller town such as Orvieto (an hour away) for a few days to get over jet lag and acclimate to Italy. Rome is intense, so I would put it at the end of your trip after Florence.

If you purchase your train tickets on-line a few months ahead, you can save money. The Super Economy are non refundable, so know which date and time you want. We like to take the 9 or 10 am trains, so we’re at the next town by noon.

Picnic lunches and slice of pizza lunches can help you save money.

Enjoy your trip!