We are leaving for our first trip to italy in a few weeks and I have a rough good idea of what to do but I am a little nervous. I know it may be a long time (if ever) we are able to do this again. I wondered if you more seasoned travelers had any suggestions for some sites, walks, experiences that would be relaxing and memorable for my husband and I. As you can see by the dates we are trying to see a lot in about ten days time. We have watched some RS podcasts and have the books. We arrive in Rome at about 2pm Thur. 6/16 and have to get to Florence and check in that day. We are staying at the Hermitage near the Uffizi. We will check out Sun. 6/19 and travel to Venice and stay at Hotel Dinesen (near the Guggenheim) until Wedn. the 22nd then go to Rome and stay until the evening of Sat. the 25th, we are staying at the Artemide (not far from the Termini). We have a night flight out of Rome around 6pm and fly into Heathrow at 10 pm and leave the following morning at 8 am. Not sure what to do that night in London? We have a few things lines up, Uffizi(8:15am) and Academia (5:30pm) reservations on Fri. the 17th in Florence and a Scavi tour on the Friday 3:45 in Rome, nothing planned for Venice. I guess the nerves come from high expectations as a trip like this is a rare one for us. We have six kids who will be with Grandparents for ten plus days. Should we plan more? Wing it? Reserve restaurants? Any suggestions would be appreciated.
Thank you so much for any help.
Posted by
OP
Chicago, Il
15 posts
Thanks,
Frank, actually yes they were frequent flier super savers. Two tickets for the cost of taxes
Posted by
Tresana, Highlands Ranch, CO, USA
23340 posts
relaxing and memorable does not come from rushing about. What becomes memorable is how tired and rush you are or were. So don't plan any more. Some of our more memorable experience is when we had nothing planned and stumbled into something. Look for interests to eat - some will be great and some so so. Even recommended restaurants can be so so. Your first day is going to be really tough. Under the best of circumstances you are four to five hours from Florence from the time you land. You will be exhausted. And don't expect much from the following day. You cannot do anything with the time in London. You need to be in line by at least 5:30 the next morning. There are some hourly hotels at the airport which you could use. That has to be a really cheap ticket for the inconvenient ticket. If does help to have the attitude that we will see that the next time. Our next time was 21 years.
Posted by
Catadupa Alamere, CA
515 posts
"The traveler sees what he sees. The tourist sees what he has come to see." G.K. Chesterton In Venice, get hopelessly lost every evening, grazing on cicchetti in the neighborhoods away from San Marco. RS covers this, and you will discover some of your own too.
Posted by
Forest Grove, OR
11362 posts
Our memorable moments happened mostly on the way somewhere. I built our trips around walking tours and it couldn't have worked out better. If you really like to walk, check out the book "24 Great Walks in Rome." You will not only see Rome but experience it. There is also a "24 Great Walks in Venice" which I haven't used yet (will later this year), but we loved walking around Venice. Rick Steves' guides also have some great walks in them, so be sure you have those at hand. You can download his audio to your MP3 player. We are not big gallery people, but I do like in situ art and encourage you to pop into churches here and there. In Venice the Frari Church was my favorite, and the Basilica San Marco is a must see. Wait until mid to late afternoon when the crowds have thinned for San Marco. Pay the 4 euros extra to go to the loggia and see the view and the horses. Also in Venice, take the 5 minute vaporetto ride across the Laguna to San Giorgio Maggiore. The view from that bell tower beats the Campanile. Here's a fun list http://www.frommers.com/destinations/venice/0067020001.html. In Venice, you may want to buy a vaporetto pass. One trip is 6.50 euros, but you can buy a few days worth for 3 to 4 times the price of one ride. We loved the Scavi tour, and I hope you will take time to follow Rick Steves' tour of St. Peter's Basilica either before or after. (It's warm in the Scavi, and "close" so be prepared.) Have a wonderful time!
Posted by
Lansing, MI, USA
85 posts
In Venice, be sure to go to the Piazza San Marco in the evening and experience the "dueling orchestras". The cafes are pricey (though it's fine to nurse an expensive drink) but it costs nothing to wander the square and sit on the steps. I just got back from Italy last week, and that is my favorite memory of the whole trip.
Posted by
OP
Chicago, Il
15 posts
Thank you Lisa, we will be sure to sit and enjoy!
Posted by
Dunwoody, Georgia
338 posts
No matter what you specifically see or don't see you will have a great trip. I think you have time in Florence and Venice to see the main sites with plenty of time to see other sites and to simply enjoy the culture. Rome may be a little bit tighter, but three days will still let you see a lot. A plan that has worked well for me when I've traveled is to identify some key things to see at each location and then develop a list of other things/activities that look good if I have time. You then have flexability for each day to unfold based on your energy and interests. I think the Rick Steves guides have good recommendations for the must sees. Particularly at museums - focus on the marquee items and things that catch your eye or you will quickly burn out on priceless treasures from antiquity and amazing works of art. For some unique and memorable experiences try to see sites in unusual ways. Walk through Piazza San Marco in Venice or the fountains/piazzas in Rome late at night or early in the morning when no one is around. Go up in church or municipal towers or building roofs for good views and nice picture backdrops. Try to visit churches during a service or a concert. This site has some information on concerts in Venice: http://www.innvenice.com/en.Music.htm I wouldn't worry about restaurant reservations, unless there is a specific place you know you want to eat. You can make those once you arrive. Your hotel will know good places nearby and can make a reservation, you can stop at a place that looks good out when you're sightseeing, or you can use a guidebook recommendation. I've found that in general Frommer's has good restaurant recommendations if you want some ideas. Good luck.