Help with details for Italy trip???

Hi Nicole,

Rick Steves' Italy Guidebook does a great job of answering all of your questions!

1. Most of his hotel recommendations are within walking distance of major sites and public transportation. He makes recommendations in all price ranges and his basic hotel recommendations are usually as you describe--clean with a bathroom in the room.

2. The book also makes recommendations for restaurants and even gelato. I'd ask locals where they eat for an authentic experience.

3. Rick's book rates sites by "must see", etc. He also includes info about which require advance purchase and details about which passes are good value.

4. Rick also describes the best way to get into the main part of the city from the train station. Sometimes it's a bus, a metro, or in the case of Venice, it might be a boat (a.k.a. vapporetto).

I think that you'll find his guidebook a valuable tool for planning your trip!

For No. 4, in Rome, many hotels are within walking distance of Rome Termini. Others will require taking the metro, bus or taxi. In Florence, you are well within walking distance of most hotels on the historical side of the Arno. In Venice, you will most likely take the vaporetto from in front of the train station to a stop nearby your hotel.

As best mentioned by Sharon, the RS book on Italy is a great resource. The information in the book will answer almost all of your questions.

I would echo the advice about the guide book. We also found that tripadvisor.com was very helpful for finding hotels and restaurants. The Hotel Lancelot in Rome was great- was in Rick Steves and an easy walk to the Colosseum, Forum, Palatine Hill. Had a/c and an elevator, and wonderful helpful staff. The neighborhood itself was quiet but convenient with local restaurants. The best gelato we had was at a chain called Grom (Rome and Florence) - more natural ingredients and not brightly colored. We stuck with Rick's recommendations or asked at our hotels for restaurants and were never disappointed. Our favorites were Ristorante Guidoriccio in Siena (if you day-trip there), snd Cantinone Storico in Venice (canal-side). We would definitely recommend Roma pass for the major sites in Rome to bypass lines. We also made reservations for the Borghese Gallery in Rome, the Vatican Museum, Uffizi and Accademia in Florence before leaving. Directions on how to do that are in the guidebook, along with lots of other advice on best times to tour and avoid lines. Since there were four of us we usually took taxis to and from train stations, except for Florence (hotel was a five minute walk) and Venice where we took the vaporetto. Most hotels will allow you to leave your bags before check-in, and we also checked them at a few train stations. It seems overwhelming, but the guidebook, this web site, and trip advisor were huge helps. Have a great time!

We stayed at Le Rose di Bl in Rome, 68 euro, clean big room, A/C and elevator, good location (around the corner from metro stop, 10 minute walk to Termini), breakfast skimpy but overall great value. Check it out on Trip Advisor.

Nicole,

We just got back from 2 weeks in Italy and a suggestion that I have (we were fortunate that we accidentally planned it this way) for major cities; I would suggest a persnal guide the first day. We used ron in rome (He was WONDERFUL!) and he was so much more than a tour guide. He showed us many simple ins and outs of using the public transportation and reading menus etc. The little lessons he taught us were invaluable for the rest of our stay.

Good luck and ENjoy!

Nicole, I can recommend 3 restaurants in Florence, 2 of which are listed in Rick's guidebook. 1) Trattoria Sabatino, filled with locals and some tourists. It is a family-run place, that is, many members of the family work there. Very inexpensive food, some of it very plain and simple but good. Be sure to try the Panzanella salad if they have it. 2) Ristorante La Spada, there are tourists here but the food is very good. 3)Birreria Centrale, tourists and locals, kind of a hunting lodge decor, excellent food and friendly staff. This is probably the best of the three. Also, gelato at Perche No! is my favorite! I think the last 2 restaurants as well as the gelato place have websites.

Nicole,

You don't need to be "consumed" by the planning of the trip, as these aren't difficult issues. A few thoughts.

To begin with you might want to check your local Library for a copy of Europe Through The Back Door. It provides info on lots of things like rail skills, Itinerary planning, etc.

Regarding your questions:

1.) As the others mentioned, the Italy 2009 Guidebook has LOTS of listings for hotels, etc. in various price ranges and located in various parts of each city. Find something in your price range and in the area you want to stay, and send them an E-mail.

2.) The Guidebooks also have listings for recommended restaurants in each area (as they're in the book, presumably they won't take advantage of tourists) and also gelato shops and small grocery stores. The best place to go find out "where the locals go" would be to ask the staff at your Hotel. I've found their advice is usually spot on!

3.) What are "must see sights" is a difficult question to answer. What are you interested in??? AGAIN, go through the Italy Guidebook as there is LOTS of information there on Museums, Art Galleries, historic sites and other attractions, along with ticket costs, opening & closing hours, etc. Read the description and decide what you most want to see.

4.) The "best way to get from the station to your Hotel" will depend on which Hotel you select. In Venice you'll arrive at Venezia S.L. station and then take a Vaporetto to Piazza San Marco (or closest stop to your Hotel). Walk from there. In Florence I usually choose a Hotel within easy walking distance from Firenze S.M.N. station. If I'm staying in the area near Termini in Rome, I walk to the Hotel. On my last visit, I was staying in Trastevere so took a Taxi from Termini. It's really very easy. Once you have Hotels picked out, you can decide on transportation (many Hotels will suggest the easiest method).

Happy travels!

Nicole, Check out Eurocheapo.com for reasonably priced lodging in each city. Also check out venere.com. Enter the dates you plan to be in a particular and the sites will do a search. They will give you prices and let you know what's available. I'd start with Eurocheapo. It will direct you to the venere site once you choose to check out a lodging possibility. Both Eurocheapo and Venere will give ratings of lodging possibilities. If you want lodging in Rome that is in a distinctive neighborhood, check out Trastavere--across the river from the tourist areas. This area is also great for a wander even if you do not lodge there. Excellent pizza places favored by the locals. Check out the Life in Italy website and click on Rome and under Rome click on Trastavere. This site also is good for information on the cities you plan to visit.

As for food, Florence is reputed to have the best gelato, Rome the best pizza (of the cities you plan to visit). Maybe our paths will cross in September.

1. • I had good luck with Hotel Seiler in Rome(see posting under "Budget Accommodations in Rome" for more details). In Florence (May 2001)I stayed at Hotel Aldobrandini near the Medici Chapel. It's a little ramshackle,but nice and clean and you just have to love the family who runs it!
2. • As for transportation from the station to the hotel, that depends on you, your luggage and where you are staying. I was able to walk from the train station to my hotel in both cities, but I was on my own and had only one bag. Rome has a good but limited subway system. I didn't bother with transport, public or otherwise, in Florence. Most everything is within walking distance ( but then, I really like to walk so others might have better information on getting around).---If you arrive early, most hotels are willing to store your bags for you, no problem.

Don't apologize for the questions, most of us are here because we want to share our experiences!

thank you all so much for the information and answering my questions! i will definitely be picking up a guidebook as i am sure it will be very helpful. and i will also check out all of the recommendations you have provided! i am sure i will be back with more questions as i continue to plan this trip and maybe our paths will cross in italy in september. thanks again!

Nicole, excellent advice from everyone above (as usual). May I urge you to follow RS advice re: packing light? This makes everything else so much easier. (ex. train travel and walking to your hotel from the Termini is easier if you're not lugging your kitchen sink) There's an excellent section on packing light linked at Rick's home page as well as in all his books. There's extensive discussion in this forum. My husband and I each had one carryon size bag for 14 days in Italy last October and never once did I wish I had brought more. In fact, I think I could probably pare down further! Have fun planning.