Nothing, why????

Because on each vacation I always find there is something I might do differently--buy museum tickets ahead of time, call hotels to double check reservations, spend more time in one place, try to do more "local things" and less touristy things, be sure to convert money using ATM and not traveler's cheques, etc. It's always good to learn from those who have been there!

Hi
Loved Italy!

If I were to do it all over again, and I hope we do, I would try to book Ron in Rome for two days and not just one. What a wonderful guide. I would also eat more Gelato, and that frozen coffee treat I didn't discover until the last day. I would have bought more ceramics and more leather :o)

i respect the museum and church structures...but i am not a fan of wasting time (i know just my opinion and probably in the minority) going through museums and churches...the whole time i am thinking i could be outside being in the place i am at...my favorite part of the places i have been is walking and walking outside...talking to people...chatting in pubs...seeing the sights...going off the beaten path...sure seeing the mona lisa or the orsay was fine but i would rank it very low of my fave parts of paris...my point is i would rather just walk the latin qtr or walk through rome than being indoors...venice is next and i could care less if i go inside the basilica or the academia...

Nothing that I can think of? Each trip is always a bit different anyway, as I'm visiting some new locations, staying in different accommodations, etc. I'll be back there in May and this trip will be different than the previous ones.

This trip we are staying in Rome before we go to our usual village in Abruzzo (family).

We usually land, get a car and then go someplace else, saving Rome for the end of the trip.

This time we have an apartment in Rome for 3 nights before we head for the countryside.

No stress with getting that car and driving after the long flight.

It took a few tries to get it right, but we've found that the central theme to a good trip for us is to slow down with less activities, and to savor those with out a rigid schedule. In our first three trips, we went "through" Italy to see as much of it as we could in a two week window. Now we like to "be" in Italy. So we now pick areas and stay close with a few day trips - our next trip is Trastevere in Rome. We also ask the locals where good places are to dine and don't follow the guide books at all. We ask, where would you have dinner if you had this much to spend and what is your favorite dish. You'll be able to tell if they really like the place cause their eyes will light up and they'll start talking fast.

We've developed a slightly different system than Steves has. We'll have a small carry-on that has critical stuff. But we'll check the big Rolley Bags that have all the other stuff we want to take. As a back-up we take more euros out at the beginning of the trip using the ATM machines till we've covered the total Hotel Charges. Then we pay in cash and get the discount.

We Stay at Hotels not based on any Guide Book Recommendations, but based on logistics, web reviews, and weighed by cost. It can be a two star - private bath, if it fits the transportation points. You are only crashing there for the night, and need a place for your luggage. From the very first trip, I've liked to make the last few days in another area with a different Hotel and using the open jaw fight method. What this does is it lets you explore the NEXT place you'll want to see and you can decide if its interesting enough to return to.

Psychologically, this makes a great ending to any trip. You are always saying "Hello" to a new area of Italy. And it doesn't feel like an end to a trip since you've opened this other door to explore.

For me personally, I would cut a peak season visit to Venice down from three full days to two and spend more time in Verona, Vincenza, and Padua. Venice is a special place, but the cruise ships & huge crowds of American tourists in the summer make it feel a little too Disney-like for me during the daytime hours. Another change might be to travel off-season with respect to visiting Venice, Florence, and Rome. I wouldn’t change a thing about visiting Varenna and the Cinque Terra…two nights in the former and three in the latter was perfect (made even better by watching the World Cup final match between France and Italy with the entire town on a big screen in Varenna’s central piazza). I might also try to plan an itinerary that would keep me away from Milano Centrale as much as possible. Going through that station more than once on a single trip wasn’t a highlight.

Good question, Mark and Kristy. It's intelligent question-asking like this that helps others to plan more enjoyable vacations. Basically hindsight is 20/20.

1 - Relax. Italy was my first trip to Europe and I was high strung. I have since gotten much better.

2 - never under any circumstances take Tylenol PM to sleep at night. It made my next days a near impossibilty to get out of bed.

3 - drink far more Lemoncello and Brunello.

4 - wear better insoles for standing in museums. amazing how fast your feet can start to hurt standing in lines and museums.

5 - careful of that morning coffee because I will have to pee at the MOST inconvenient time.

that is all I can think of.

1. I would rely less on restaurant recommendations from books and more on recommendations from the locals. Ask "Where do you and your friends go for a special occasion for some really good food?" for example. Too many restaurants that are in guidebooks are now either too busy or are coasting on the guidebook listing.

2. Don't stay in Naples. Stay in Sorrento instead.

3. Strike up more conversations with the people at the next table.

4. Don't worry about what you're not doing. Enjoy what you ARE doing.

5. There is very little to do in beach resort towns during the off season.

6. Find out when the off season is. :)

I think Michael's 1. is the best advice I've seen about finding a restaurant: "1. I would rely less on restaurant recommendations from books and more on recommendations from the locals. Ask "Where do you and your friends go for a special occasion for some really good food?" for example. Too many restaurants that are in guidebooks are now either too busy or are coasting on the guidebook listing." That is one I am going to be using in the future.

Oh, and I would make sure I traveled with people who like to try new foods and (for that matter) will actually EAT.

I love your #4 Michael...that's such good advice. In every day life as well!

Eat more gelato

Drink more Sangiovese

Not spend a day on the islands in Venice

Learn a few more Italian words and phrases

1. Take a sleeping mask for the airplane to block the light.

2. Take earplugs in case your room ends up being noisy.

3. If you had a really good meal and a wonderful experience at a restaurant, FOR HEAVEN'S SAKE GO BACK! Don't tell yourself you have to go to a different restaurant for every dinner. And if you do go back, odds are good that they'll recognize you, especially in the smaller places, and they'll be VERY flattered you returned.

Bring a GPS

Save a highlight to be enjoyed on the next Italian Trip