First Trip to Italy

I am sure lots of people will respond. However, You seem pretty inexperienced and it seems you could really benefit from buying the RS Italy guide book and read it from cover to cover and watch all the RS videos on youtube and here. Once you do that, most of your answers to these questions will become more obvious and you will have even better questions

tabitha,

If this is your first trip to Europe, my first suggestion would be to read Europe Through The Back Door prior to your trip, as that provides a lot of good tips on how to travel well in Europe. Also buy a copy of the RS Italy 2018 guidebook when it becomes available in November. That will help to plan your sightseeing, transportation, etc.

One caveat about Air BnB's is that it's important to choose which part of each city you'll be staying in. If you pick a cheap apartment that's located way outside the city centre, you'll spend more time and money to get to your sightseeing locations. You might consider some of the budget hotels listed in the guidebook as well.

Rail passes are rarely a good deal for Italy, which is especially true with the few trips you'll be making. The Venice - Florence - Rome route is covered by high speed Trenitalia or Italo trains that travel at up to 300 km/h so there's no need to use Buses. I haven't checked recently but I don't believe Rail Passes cover Buses in Italy.

The best way to save money on high speed trains, is to buy Super Economy tickets when they first go on sale 120 days from the travel date. If you're not able to get those, buy Economy tickets which will be slightly more money. Note that S.E. tickets are non-refundable and non-changeable once purchased. Also note that tickets for the high speed trains are specific to train, date and departure time, so you MUST be willing to commit to a specific departure. If you board the wrong train by mistake, you'll b subject to hefty fines which will be collected on the spot! If you wish to buy advance tickets, I'd suggest using www.trainline.eu as it's a very user friendly site and they sell tickets for both rail networks at the same price.

One other point to mention is that with Regionale trains, Metro or Buses, tickets MUST be validated prior to boarding on the day of travel, or again hefty fines. In Rome you might consider buying one of the 24 / 48 / 72 hour transit passes.

Except for airfare, you might try calculating your expenses in Euro as that's what you'll be using in Italy.

You'll have to address a number of other details......

• ATM / credit cards
• Money Belts and avoiding pickpockets
• Technology such as mobile phones, hair dryers, etc. and the Plug Adaptors that you'll need
• Medical insurance
• etc.

If you need to save money on accommodations, you could also consider staying in Hostels at times. It's a bit of an adjustment getting used to "communal living", but the price is right. A Hostel that I use in Rome from time-to-time charges $35 a night PP in a four bed Dorm. It's close to Termini station so a very convenient location.

It's great that you're getting such an early start on your planning!

EDIT - regarding your recent post, you may want to check your local Library now for Europe Through The Back Door. You don't have to wait for the newest edition, as it likely won't change much from this year's edition. That's a "pre-read" book and not one to pack along, however I often pack along the Italy guidebook as it's a good source of reference.

This is my first international trip so definitely do not have experience. Thanks for the info!

Thank you! I will look into that book as well. That is why I haven't purchased RS book yet, I wanted to wait for the 2018 edition. The AirBnBs we picked are central to where we will be traveling most; usually less than a 10-15 minute walk/bus ride.

To start near the end, more and more Italians speak English, especially in the major tourist areas. It's always good to have a bit of the language, though. Check out your local adult education programs.
On our first trip to Italy, we did exactly what you're planning, namely the big three. It was great.

It looks to me that your budget is a little low on accommodations. You can get a pretty firm idea of the costs for admissions by checking the websites of the places you want to go. Many of them should be reserved ahead.
You can search this site for suggestions on how to save money on food and also for discussions of currency exchanging, and train travel.

buy individual train tickets; do not buy the eurail pass; it is not needed to travel by train in Italy;
and if you do choose it in the future be sure before buying it to read thoroughly for yourself what it covers.
it is over hyped to the point where people think you just wave it and go where and when you want. this is not the case.

i would secure the plane tickets first; there is no standard amount people spend on souvenirs. most able-bodied people not rich take public transportation to hotels not taxis; you should not worry about this until you have set your itinerary . you should get a guide book and refer to the index to answer some questions organized instead of forums.

I've never paid a tourist tax in Italy.
If you have a bank account your atm card is best to use to get money during your trip.

Thanks for the input. I will definitely get a guidebook asap. What about the budget is low? The calculations were based off all the current fees.

I would add one more night to Venice, especially since it is your arrival city. The 1st day will be pretty much lost to checking in and getting your body clock reset.

Did about the same trip you did last October. We stayed in AirBnB's. I would agree with the suggestion to add another night to Venice. A very magical place. We did a Vespa/Wine tasting tour in Florence which if you really want to do the Vespa thing is the only way I would suggest it. http://www.funintuscany.com/funintuscany-vespatour.php
I'm sure that $500 on tours/places is going to be very low if that is for both of you. I would also suggest the early morning tour of the Vatican. Have a great time.

Can you go in May? Weather won't be hot, fewer tourists, somewhat lower prices for lodging, maybe lower airfare too. If you go in February or March, chances are you'll have mostly mild, sunny weather and low season prices.

For train info (prices, travel time, schedules), use trenitalia.com and italotreno.it/en. They operate on the same tracks from the same stations, with slightly different fares. You'll want a train from Venezia S. Lucia to Firenze SMN (S. Maria Novella) and from there to Roma (tutti) - that's all stations. You may get a better fit to your itinerary and/or budget going to Roma Tiburtina, but most trains go to the main station, Roma Termini. You'll probably want the Leonardo Express train from Rome to the airport. As Ken explained, you can get deep discounts by buying no-refund/no-change tickets. This will give you an estimate of train costs (look at dates around 4 months ahead, schedules and prices don't change much, just look at the day of the week you plan to travel). Sounds like one of you will be under 26 next year, so that sister should be eligible for the under-26 tickets.

Most flights from the U.S. to Europe are overnight, so plan to land in the morning. Most departures are morning flights. That means that 12 nights in Italy gives you 11 full days and 1/2 day on arrival. It's most convenient to fly into Venice, but you may find that you can save a lot of money by flying into Milan and then taking the train to Venice. So you have to factor in full-price tickets from Milano Centrale to Venezia S. Lucia.

Venice is small. You should plan on at least one ride on the vaporetto up and down the Grand Canal - about €7 per ticket. Otherwise plan to walk. By the way, this is the city where you want to get lost and just enjoy wandering. . . . not in Rome or Florence where is is more likely to be frustrating than enjoyable. You will have to pay for transportation from the airport to the city. The bus is cheapest, I believe, and drops you near the train station. If you're in central Florence, you'll also walk everywhere. Rome is big and the sights are spread out, so you'll probably use public transportation. How much depends on where you stay. The buses can get bogged down in traffic, the metro is fast - but doesn't get to all parts of the city. If you're going to need bus/metro/tram a lot, you can get unlimited use passes for 48 or 72 hours or 7 days.

If you give us the addresses of the places you've chosen to stay, we can probably tell you the pros and cons of each location.

BTW I would add 1 night to Venice. Even arriving early, it will take time to get through the airport and into town. Then you will have to stash your bags somewhere before you can begin sightseeing. And you're likely to have jetlag and don't expect to get much sleep on the overnight flight. You may even be dragging on your second day. Give yourselves that extra day to relax and soak up the atmosphere in laid back Venice before heading on to more intense experiences.

me and boyfriend are planning my first trip to Italy this november. My accomodation, flight tickets and internal train tickets are done but still brushing up on the itinerary. Even though I haven't been there before and I am not from US but from India I will try answering your questions based on my experience through the process.

1. For train tickets, it's important to do your research. Do you want to travel by the local regional trains or by the high speed trains? Now personally we decided it's better for us to splurge a little bit more on the high speed trains to ensure comfort, more time on ground to enjoy the cities and also due to the fact that we both have check-in bags (carry on rules for Indian airlines is much different from US airlines hence we have to take check-in bags). After the first decision is made, now second thing to check is where to get the cheapest tickets(because budget). We found between eurorail pass + reservation, italiarail and trenatalia website, for La Frecce, we were getting the cheapest tickets ( for same train and time) in trenatalia. Hence we went for those. But based on date and time of your travel, it might be different.

2. Eurorail doesn't cover busses or anything other than train. You can get roma pass for 24,48,72 hours for free public transportation, free entry to first two sites in Rome and discounted entry to the other sites in Rome. This doesn't cover vatican city though. You can get skip the line tickets for almost all the sites you want to see for a little more price online. Again personally for us, we decided it's better to spend the extra 2 euro per site than to waste our time standing in line for 2 hrs per site. Many sites are also free.

3. You are going to be in a different country, don't expect them to know your language. It's always helpful to learn the basic Italian phrases to survive like please, thank you, do you know english?, and other necessities you might have. you can also install any online app on your phone to translate whatever you say to Italian :).

4. Spending on souveneirs, clothes, wine to bring back home definitely depends on your budget. We have a rough budget of $4700 per person for a 18 day trip. And whatever money is saved after our tours and food etc,we will spend on souveniers :)

5. It's best not to roam around with too much cash. People say there are a lot of atms in Italy, just check with your bank about transaction fees.

6.I will tell you how much we have spent already and budgeted for the rest of it, hope that gives you an idea.
Airfare - doesn't matter since I am travelling from India - $625 per person.

AirBnbs - We are staying very close to sites and train stations in private room or entire house - $494 per person for 17 nights

Frecciarossa - Trains for intercity travel between Rome, Naples, Florence and Venice - $149 per person.

Visa fees, insurance etc (pre travel stuff) - $130 per person

We will be left with $3302 per person which is about $195 per person per day which I guess is fine for food, museum tickets and local transportation.

hope this helps, also we are two 25 years old.

We are staying 13 days and 12 nights. Unfortunately, we can only go in June. It's a graduation present. There is not much that we want to personally see in Venice; our only real goal there is to take a gondola ride. I'm sure it's a very majestic place so hopefully a another trip. We are not doing any guided tours at the museums so prices are based off entrance fee (except for wine tour but we haven't decided yet). We planned on taking the fast trains and getting a roma pass.

Please reconsider your time in Venice. It is one of the truly unique cities in Europe and I'm afraid you'll regret such a short stay. As it stands now you will only have one full day after the day of arrival. That day is often pretty much shot by jet lag, getting to the hotel, and such. A day trip to Murano and Burano will consume at least three quarters of a day. Suggest you take a day from Rome and / or Florence.

Only take two or three hundred Euros with you from the U.S. Then use ATMs to resupply as needed.

No need for a rail pass since you'll only have 2 train trips.

When you nail down where you are staying in Venice we can give you pretty specific instructions for getting there from the airport.

This is my first international trip so definitely do not have experience. Thanks for the info!

Since this is your first international trip, I suggest you also consider the Best of Venice, Florence and Rome RS Tour (https://www.ricksteves.com/tours/italy/venice-florence-rome). The cost is close to your budget (you'll have to find some cheap flights). This would be a great introduction and a risk free way of learning how to navigate around Europe.

By taking the tour, you'll have more time to enjoy the experience instead of spending time working on the logistics of lodging and transportation.

I guess it boils down to how confident you are in your skills. You seem to be detail oriented and this will help assure your success. You'll also need to be quick thinking and flexible. It will be helpful to pick up a few phrases in Italian, but don't worry about the language barrier. Carefully consider taking some tours, since they provide special access (skip the line) to the sites. We took tours of the Academie and Uffizi and walked right in. We also took a tour in Amsterdam than included the Ann Frank house. The regular line was 1 1/2 - 2 hours, we walked in in 5 minutes.

You do not need to take a RS tour when you have started to organize the logistics yourself a year in advance.
Just stick to what your interests are based on your own research as no one really can tell you what you will like; and think that this is not going to be your last trip to Italy.

1. Airbnb - stay in the city center and look for a well-organized listing with good photos. In Rome, go for a rooftop gig! I found one near the Pantheon.

2. Trains - go for 120-day Super Economy tickets; they are so cheap you can afford to miss the train. But if you don't miss the train, wear suspenders so you can strut around snapping them and feeling like the smartest eurotraveler ever!

3. Skip the springs in Tuscany. Your time is better spent on touring and eating!

Tabitha, as regards Italian trains, read this webpage, it will all become a lot clearer: https://www.seat61.com/Italy-trains.htm

Start thinking (and budgeting) in Euros. A few basic Italian phrases, and names for foods in restaurants will pay off.
And finally, enjoy yourselves.

Thank you all for the suggestions. My first major question is airfare. We really want open jaw tickets but the price different is major. We will be flying out of PDX. Roundtrip tickets for Venice is around 1000, Rome is 1200, and open jaw is 1400. We could potentially save 800 dollars if we do roundtrip tickets. Everyone says to do open jaw so you don't have to back track but that's a huge savings.

Regarding airfare, have you looked at IcelandAir or WOW for savings by going through Iceland?

WOW doesn't have PDX on their list and IcelandAir doesn't have Venice.

Tabitha
Flying into Venice and doing the big three cities you could take the high speed train from Rome back to Venice. I would check the price of the ticket as in comparison to flying open jaw.
One thing to consider- We are going in May next year and 2 of the hotels in Venice are already booking up for our 2 dates. More and more the hotels (especially ones in RS book) tend to fill up fast. I would not wait until the last 3 or 4 months to book.

We plan on buying our plane tickets are soon as possible. We are just conflicted because we have been told to do open jaw tickets but the price difference is huge; compared to roundtrip

I think you have a generous budget and will have a wonderful trip. To help with some of your questions:

1. Should I buy skip the line tickets ?
   Yes. You are traveling at a busy time of year so it will be a great time saver.

2. Itinerary
   Since you want to do some day trips/wine tours in Tuscany, I think your itinerary is fine. For me, two nights in Venice is enough for a first time trip although many would disagree.

3. Should we do a bike tour instead of a Vespa tour?
   I would not ride a bike or a Vespa in the cities. If you are in good shape, there are some great bike tours out of Florence but you are basically mountain biking. If you are new to Vespas, I would pick any tour very carefully and not mix with alcohol.

4. Language
   Learn Italian! It will make the trip more memorable and be very appreciated. However, you are traveling to cities with high tourist traffic so many people will speak English. I learned about the "coffee break Italian" podcast on this forum and I think it's great for learning phrases and grammar rules.

5. Your budget- Is the budget you have listed total or per person? If it is total, I think you will need to add to your lodging budget but you can easily subtract from your airfare budget. If it is per person, unless you are looking for a premium economy or business class ticket, you will be able to find cheaper airfare. Make sure you are using the "multi city" search when you look at airfare. I said w your post about the differences in price between round trip/open jaw. It is still pretty far out so just keep your eye on the airfare. If the open jaw always remains more expensive, you have to decide what is worth more to you: the money saved, or not having to trek 4 hours back to Venice and at least lose half a day of sightseeing.

6. Souvenir money
   I have trips where I have spent nothing on souvenirs and trips where I have spent 600 (and one where I spent way more because of an impulse buy of a large ceramic table in Positano.....but I love my table). Are you a shopper at home? Are you and your sister planning on getting anything for family members? If yes, plan on the 500. Do you envision buying some designer Italian labels? You will need way more. If you are not normally a big shopper, you may find that your memories and pictures, with maybe the odd scarf or bracelet from a flea market, are all you need.

7. Airport transportation
   In Venice, if you stay by the airport, most of those airports have transportation to/from the airport. If you stay in the city center (which I recommend), you can take a bus to the city center and then a water taxi or walk depending on your hotel. In Rome, if you stay near the train station, you can take a direct train to the airport, 14 euro per person. If the train station is not as convenient for you, or you want door to door service, its a flat fee 48 euro to FCO from the city center. Wherever you stay, the hotel will give you advice on the best way/cheapest way/quickest way (take your pick) to get to the hotel.

8. Money
   I have a credit card where I don't pay any transaction fees so for big purchases, I try to use the credit card. In most restaurants and larger shops in those cities, you will be able to use a credit card. But they do not like to split between two credit cards. For smaller purchases, I use cash. I usually arrive with 20-30 euro left over from a previous trip and use my debit card to get money throughout the trip 200-300 euro at a time.

I think you and your sister will have an amazing time and I look forward to reading about your trip planning and hearing your trip report on your return!

Hi Tabitha
You will have a fabulous trip, don't STRESS you will get more flustered. People here will give you and sister great info, you may like it and you may not. Season travelers looking out for you. DON"T buy your airfare now, it's too early. A few websites to check airfare: google flights, skyscanner, kayak, fareboom. sign up with your email and get alerts when price drops. You are going during the busy season of summer june and july, prices are high for a lot of stuff. Do a multi-city flight, it's so worth it. Venice Florence Rome, During your airfare search look at how many stops, how long layovers, do you pay luggage and a seat, what time you arrive in italy, too early to check in or how late, rolling suitcases over cobblestones, bridges, not fun (been there) unless place will let you store and come back later. I booked my airfare late april for my trip next month to venice, paris, amsterdam ($900) Your accomdations amount is very low (is that $1000 for both of you for all days?) Do not buy eurorail pass, you can purchase at train station or use italotrain, trenitralia, trainline.eu. compare prices with dates and purchase online. sometimes there are sales 2 for 1 during the week, travel times. I have couple sites you can check out for lodging, be careful with airbnb's with new laws and regulations starting soon, read up on them. If you haven't rode on a vespa here, i would not there. If you are driving at all get an IDL (international drivers license) from AAA. Last year we took a cooking class in florence, it was fun. I will PM you with the info, gotta look it up, plus other ideas for you. You can buy cooked food (chicken) at the markets, buy fruit or vegies and eat inside, buy bread, cheese, salami proscuitto, ham, wine in delis, make sandwhiches and enjoy, not spending a whole lot, italian food at off the main plazas down the alleyways. Don't over pack, i either wash in sink or laundry close by, (pack my own soap and downy sheet) A heavy bag is not for me, is there and elevator (lift) what floor, ex:3rd floor is 4th in italy and you could pull it up 50 steps, area within city center to walk cuts your transportation costs. Lots of research you need to look into. Happy Travels
Aloha Princess Pupule

I agree with everyone who recommends extending the days in Venice by at least one more day. Venice is unlike any other city in the world. If all you want to do is ride in a gondola, you can do that in Las Vegas. Don't sell Venice short. It is an amazing city and a lot of fun just exploring the city even if you don't go in any churches or museums.