Honeymoon in Italy Itinerary Suggestions/Changes, April 6-19th

If it were me (and it's not) I would drop the CT and either add an extra night to Venice and Florence or add both to Florence.

I would save CT for another trip.Especially considering your interests in history and art you really need more time in Florence. Just my opinion.

Congrats! Less time in Rome (3-4 nights was plenty for us) and more in Florence would be my preference. Rome is huge and tiring and hard to get one's mind around, with layers of history on top of one another...expensive and exhausting. Clearly one must visit Rome, but I suspect you would enjoy a bit less time there and more in Florence (include Siena, too, just an hour from Florence by bus?). I'd also add a night to Venice. Finally, unless the soccer game is an absolute must, the order of cities has you taking longer train rides than is necessary...perhaps Venice to Cinque Terre (train though Milan) to Siena (train to bus) to Rome (bus) to Florence (train)? You could do 3 nights Venice, 3 nights Cinque Terre, 2 nights Siena, 4 nights Rome, and 2 nights Florence? So much depends on personal preference, but if I was making this trip with your flight arrangemens, I would go this route.

Florence has so much art & history. I don't think, especially considering your interests that you'll have enough time for it. I too am from Calif and while you would enjoy that hike, you can experience many great hikes in Calif but you will experience nothing like Florence here. (actually reminds me as I admire all the art & antiquities in Europe how many Europeans have told me of their enjoyment of the coast of Calif). Ostia is an easy great half day trip -go to www.ostia-antica.org to check it out. It's way easier, less time consuming and you can wander among the ruins much easier than in Pompeii. This trip we discovered the Galleria Doria Pamphili in Rome which is great as you also learn about the society and it's in a very peaceful palazzo in hectic Rome.(see RS). You can also take a daytrip to Orvieto from Rome & enjoy a hilltown with an amazing cathedral although I love a night there too.

Definitely go to Ostia Antica! Yes it used to be the old Roman port town, but the river moved away so it's actually no longer on the coast (the newer town of Ostia is, however). You can tour OA in half a day and either stack a visit to the catacombs as well or just return to Rome and see something else terrific. I know another poster found 3-4 days in Rome enough, but I loved it and wanted to go back, even after 6 days!

I think you will feel much better dropping CT and adding time in Rome and Florence. Try to pay a visit to Trastevere in Rome after dark. It's charming and the gelateria mentioned in Rick's book is excellent.

Finally, I do encourage you to visit Orvieto, even as just a day trip (though it really deserves a night or two). It's a charming town with some really interesting sights, particularly for history fanatics, and makes a nice change from the larger cities. We really enjoyed just wandering the streets.

Thanks for the replies, I'm definitly leaning towards scratching out the Cinque Terre and adding a day in Rome and another day in Florence, my only concern is getting overloaded with museums and ruins and not having anytime to relax. Unfortunatly the Soccer match is something I've always wanted to see and I want to be in Rome at that time. I don't want to shorten any nights in Rome, if anything add another as history and ancient ruins are our #1 interest, and there's just so much in Rome too see. Also, I don't think we will mind the hustle and bustle of Rome since we also considered New York as a Honeymoon destination. Anyone know of any day trips from Rome where we can see an old town or castle on the Mediteranean. Aren't the Ostica Ruins right on the coast and wasn't Ostica an ancient port city.

Does anyone have any experience being in Rome during Easter? How are the crowds and will it be worse the week before or after Easter Sunday? Will places be open the Monday following Easter or would this be a good day to take a day trip to Ostica Antica or Tivoli.

I appreciate all your help!! This is a once in a lifetime trip for us, our first time to Europe but hopefully not our last.

I think Ostia is closed on Mondays as many places are. RS book has a great recap page of all the main sites and their hours of operation. Not sure about Easter week. Ostia was a port town before it filled with silt which is what I believed preserved it. I don't think the coast there is particularly scenic. I love Rome! Hopefully you've watched RS videos on PBS-we have them at our public library too. They'll give you some good ideas but I'd sure pick Ostia over Tivoli.

Thanks alot Karen! Since we are both from the Bay Area I think I will take your advice and drop the CT for this trip and add a night in Rome and Florence. There's seems to be so many good day trips from Rome and Florence is gaining more interest the more I look into it. I am leaning towards also dropping Pompeii and doing Ostica Antica instead, which is so close to Rome that it wouldn't take up the entire day. I was actually leaning towards Herculaneum over Pompeii anyway due to less crowds and better preservation so I think Ostica would be a great choice. I will also look into Orvieto and the Galleria Doria Pamphili. Thanks for your help!

Its all a little overwhelming with so many great places in Italy and only 2 weeks, especially since my job is to organize the Honeymoon and she is handling most of the wedding plans. Trying to find that balance of not fitting too much into our schedule, but still making the most of our time in Italy and enjoying our honeymoon.

Thanks!

Trey, I would drop CT & add a day in Venice. By the way, since you are planning to be in Rome over Easter, have you checked to see if you can get hotel reservations? We were there Easter on the first visit & there were more Italian tourists there than foreigners! We did almost the same trip with no CT & moved from Rome to Pompeii for 2 nights, saw the ruins on the day in between and really enjoyed the town of Pompeii. It was very relaxing around the town square and Hotel Amleto was great! Whatevery you do, Have fun! And I hope you have the confirmation for the Scavi tour?

Yes, Ostia Antica is closed on Mondays. Pompeii is open daily and Easter Monday should not effect the sight but verify before you go.

Make reservations for the Vatican Museum if you plan on visiting April 14. The museum will closed on Easter Monday meaning big crowds the next day. The Vatican Museum now offer reservations for a fee:

http://biglietteriamusei.vatican.va/tickets/index.html

My sister/husband, Dad & I were in Rome for Easter quite a while ago. The Italian tourists outnumbered the foreign tourists. Every hotel was full, restaurants, trains and buses also. My husband and I have been to Rome 3 more times, never at Easter and it's much more fun. that's my opinion, but my sister & her husband loved being there at Easter as they are devout Catholics. Seeing the sights will be a lot harder and will take longer if you are in Rome at Easter.

Forgot to tell you, check on when St. Peter's is open if you want to see it. I remember that they closed it for sightseeing 1 or 2 days before Easter so that they could prepare for the Easter Sunday mass that you had to have advance tickets for.

Thanks for the insights. I think I will push back the Vatican visit until one of our last days in Rome, to avoid even larger crowds (I don't expect to ever escape the Vatican crowds) and all the Easter activities, so maybe the 15th.

Hi Trey
You may want to reconsider the Coliseum on Good Friday (April 10). I believe the Pope celebrates the stations of the cross in the Coliseum or at least that has been the tradition in the past.