In Italy now - lessons on the go

First time? I've got stories too!! I always advise people to go to roninrome.com to look at the train ticket/train station tutorial no matter Where they're going. I also love to get an Ambien from my doc to take on the plane. Helps with jetlag!

Great idea to post as you go!

Angela,

I hope the rest of your trip goes well!

Thanks for the travel tips!

Love the on-the-go posts!

1. Be flexible! I've heard there is supposed to be a general strike today. I don't know whether there will be busses along the Amalfi coast, ferries to Capri, or whether the circumvesuviana train will run today as a result. This is why I went ahead and saw Pompeii yesterday on my way to Sorrento, because that was highest on my priority list of things to see and because the weather was beautiful so it was a pleasure to be outdoors (if the weather was iffy I had planned to see the archeology museum in Naples en route). I will check out the situation after breakfast. If any local buses, ferries, or trains are running then I will adjust my sight seeing accordingly. If not, guess I will be enjoying the charms of Sorrento and just taking things easy.

2. Also in regards to #5, make sure you stay long enough in each destination so that IF there is a general strike or other circumstance that disrupts your plans, you will not be disappointed because you couldn't see the things you wanted to. Thank goodness I am staying in Sorrento for 4 nights anyway! Also, thank providence that the strike wasn't a day earlier and that I had advance knowledge of this so I could adjust things accordingly.

I'll update later in regards to the general strike and what I end up doing today.

Edit - for some reason I am unable to number these correctly. They should read as #5 and #6, and they DO until it's posted. Stupid program!

Thanks for your updates -- both of you!

The best advice on this post has to be number four. Pack light. I am still learning, but the lighter I go, the better! :)

What a great attitude you have! I am still learning lessons after several years of travel. Italy has a way of teaching you....

Update on the general strike: no trains or ferries running in the area, but the bus going to Amalfi was a go! Hopped on first thing this morning, and got back about 2pm.

Some general observations I have made. DO NOT DRIVE YOURSELF in Italy if you can avoid it, unless you have nerves of steel! The bus I was on was involved in a bit of a fender bender, which was entirely not his fault. Seriously, the roads are so windy and so friggin' narrow, and there is very limited parking along the route. I noticed quite a few cars alongside the road that have obviously been in accidents. And if this is what it's like in the off season, I certainly would hate to see the traffic in peak tourist season.

Another thing, I'm very glad I'm here at this time of year. The weather has been pretty nice so far, and number of tourists is reasonable. Accommodations are cheaper, as well.

My pack light mantra really was reinforced on our trip to Italy in Sept. Hubby and I always take carry-on, but we met up with my mom and she joined us to Italy (she was visiting my sister in the UK for 3 weeks before we flew over). My mom had both a larger bag and a carry on. In her defense, she has only ever travelled to visit with my sister and hasn't had to lug a bag from point to point, and a lot of times she is taking over things that my sister had to leave here in Canada when she moved to the UK. Poor hubby mostly had to do the large bag carrying (weight about 35-40lbs), I got stuck hauling 2 carry-ons most of the time and mom had one. It really opened our eyes to the hassle of having a large bag - on and off trains, buses, metros, up and down stairs...packing and unpacking. If our brains had realized how much of a hassle it would be, we would have left the bag with my sister in Portsmouth and had her daughter come to London with it (and paid for her train ticket) as we flew back into London from Venice the day before going home. Even the savings from having to store the thing at various train stations about 4 times would have been probably about $40 or more. Ahhh...hindsight...

And one other thing...when we were on trains, of course most people will start getting their things together before their stop so they can jump right off. I am in that group. My husband (and mother) unfortunately weren't (hubby is like...what's the big rush?). On the train from Naples to Rome, here I am off the train in Termini and people are rushing and crowding to get on, no hubby or mom in sight - they of course got stuck trying to get past the people getting on...to which I said...this is why you have your stuff and are ready to get off instead of farting around! He learned his lesson...

Amen to the advice to have your bags ready and be standing at the door before your train pulls up to your station. Nicole's experience shows why that's sooo important.

And count me as another follower of the "pack light" school. We do only carry-on and it's the greatest feeling to land at Fiumicino and sail past all the people waiting for their bags (assuming they even arrived).

Sorry, I have to disagree with driving the Amalfi Coast. We did it in May and had no problems. I have seen worse roads and curves in the Rocky Mountains which I drive in a motor home. Driving the Amalfi Coast in a car was easy in comparison. Now, the Italian drivers are another story.

Decide for yourself: Driving the Amalfi Coast

Another lesson learned, don't bring up driving in Italy on the RS travel forum. You all must have nerves of steel, which I don't. And as a solo traveller, a car is not cost effective when I can get a day pass for the Amalfi coast buses for 6,80 euros.

One more lesson: Sorrento is very noisy in the wee hours of the night. It's after 1 am here, and the street noise is such that I can't do more than doze for a bit before some idiot is honking their horn or revving their friggin' engine, or fighting with someone. Sheesh, don't Italians ever sleep?

Yes, I'm cranky. I admit it.

I will certainly agree that it is a lot easier for the car on the Amalfi Coast drive to have a passenger. Having an extra set of eyes when reversing around a corner or zig zagging with a truck is much easier than doing it on your own.

My wife was particularly useful for pulling in the wing mirrors when we stopped next to walls or passed very close to other vehicles. My mirrors don't pull in electrically, and by doing that we got that vital extra 6 or 8 inches.

I love driving anyway, and I really enjoyed our trips along that coast. But it was also my own car and I know its size exactly and exactly how it will respond. And being a good sized diesel it is really happy just ticking over in first gear, we get along well.

I'm not sure that everybody would enjoy it as much as me. For example, the previously mentioned wife did cover her eyes a couple of times, even though she "trusts me completely".

Today's lessons: Any time can be "gelato o'clock". And there are so many delicious flavors to try, so never loose an opportunity to try a few out.

So this morning after a particularly rough night trying to sleep and waking up just barely in time to grab some breakfast before the hotel puts everything away, I walk and walk and walk down to the pier to catch a boat to Capri. I was barely in time to buy a ticket and hop the next boat ( or I'd have to wait 1.5 hours for the next one). Well, the ticket office wouldn't accept credit card. And exact change only. I tried to pay the 18,30 euros with a 20 euro bill. Nope! So I walk all the way back up the hill, back to my hotel, drop off most of my stuff, then hop the circumvesuviana to Naples. Ate pizza for lunch from a little hole in the wall place. Then spent some time at the museo archeological. Then made some friends on the train back to Sorrento. So the lesson is, if the day starts out crappy do something about it. Don't let a few small setbacks ruin your trip! Attitude is everything :-)

If I really wanted to go to Capri, I would have paid 20 euro for the ticket and let them keep the change. In the overall cost the trip what is another 1,70 euro. If the cost of the ticket was posted as 20 euro, would you have gone?

"So the lesson is, if the day starts out crappy do something about it. Don't let a few small setbacks ruin your trip! Attitude is everything :-)"

I love that. From my point of view, you missed absolutely nothing not going to Capri. It's very expensive to get there and back and we don't like it at all (been there many times). Changing your plans was so smart, and going to Naples to the museum was a much better choice imo.

Maybe some places in Italy some people shouldn't drive (nervous drivers) but I've driven all over Tuscany and Umbria and it was super easy and very fun.

We've stayed in Sorrento 3 times, 10 minute walk from the center of town on the cliff overlooking the bay, at Hotel La Tonnarella, and it was super quiet. So maybe next time a quieter location for you... ; ) And spending an entire day in Sorrento is a must imo, we love the town. Too many people use it as a base but never spend much time there. And the passagenta (sp?) each night was the most fun of anywhere we've been in Italy.

@Bob - I TRIED to give the guy 20 euro bill, and he refused to take it! I didn't want to spend a lot of time arguing over it, it was about time for the boat to leave and there were people behind me waiting to buy tickets and hop on board. I figure if the guy didn't want my money I'd go spend it elsewhere, and so I did. Yes I'd love to see Capri, and I'm sure I will someday when my husband is able to join me. It's always a good thing to have a reason to go back.

Haha! I KNEW what you meant. They get audited and there was no way the guy was going to "keep the change!" Good Girl! I think I'd travel with you any time!

"don't Italians ever sleep"? we had that problem in Florence.....and the other foolish mistake we made was the only nights the 4 of us shared a room to be frugal was nights one and two.....trying to manage jet lag, sharing a modest double bed with someone you are not accustomed to sleeping with, and four women, one bathroom.......we maybe could have managed it a few nights in, but not initially. but back to the noise. two of my travel companions live in climates where there are not thunder storms....so they wanted to sleep with the windows open......I heard only the sounds of drunk girls shrieking about their shoes being wet............yeah, I could translate that as I tossed and turned......

DoricB, having wet shoes in Florence is indeed tragic! Your post reminded me of some of the "traveling with friends" mistakes I've made.

We need another traveling with friends mistakes post.

True that! My first trip to Italy I went with a friend. You'll notice I'm traveling solo this trip! I think it was all good except that I do like to do a bit of reading at bedtime. I tend to get into the book and fail to notice how late it gets, and I think the light bothered her because sometimes she'd wake up and give me the stink eye, at which point I'd quickly turn the light off and try to sleep. Oops. We are, however, still friends. We even travelled to Victoria B.C. for a weekend, but I did not bring any books on that trip.

Wet shoes can be MISERABLE!!! My shoes got soaked in Venice during a gondola ride in the rain, and it took 3 days for them to dry. Those poor shrieking girls. But you know, if it hadn't been them there would have been someone else making noise. I also recall how noisy Florence was. I think there must have been an ambulance garage behind the hotel I was at, and every so often there was a lot of noise as they took off to wherever.

Today is my last day in Sorrento. Wish me luck getting to Naples in time for my 10:31 train to Orvieto. The circumvesuviana takes about 70 minutes, so I better be on a train from here no later than 9 am. I've only been waking up about that time the last few day thanks to all the late night craziness outside my window. I hope tonight it'll be quieter since it's a Sunday.

Angela, I think I could eat gelato for breakfast!

I think the trick to Capri is an overnight stay. The town centers can be heaving masses of humanity during peak sightseeing hours but we hiked all over the island during those times and enjoyed it very much. Oh, and we gave the Blue Grotto a wide berth: that was a circus neither of us wanted to deal with. Early mornings and later evenings before/after the day trippers arrive/depart also make a difference where avoiding the hordes is concerned.

But good on you, Angela, for making lemonade out of a few lemons - which, BTW, are wonderful in the Sorrentine! Did you sample any of the local limoncello?

Go for gelato! or sorbet as the case may be. A couple of weeks ago in Orvieto I had some white peach sorbet. Wonderful. If they still have that flavor, give it a try. I also had wonderful sorbets of pear and green apple a bit further north. So tasty!

I got to Orvieto today, and I'm loving it! Such a charming place, such marvelous food! Oh, and I tried a black cherry gelato, yum!

And I'm stressing again the importance of giving yourself plenty of time when taking the train, particularly if you are trying to catch a connecting train! I researched yesterday that I would need to catch the circumvesuviana train no later than the 8:52 run in order to make my train to Orvieto at 10:31. Thankfully I was ready earlier than that and made it to the 8:26 "direct" train. That train left 20 minutes late! That was not a problem for me, but I was talking with 2 gals on the circumvesuviana who were from Arkansas and were trying to make it in time for a 9:40 train to Rome and I'm afraid they probably missed it.

Orvieto was one of our favorite places. Unfortunately, we spent only two nights there. Should have done three.

My next suggestion is this: if you are not in very good shape, try your best to boost your fitness level before your trip. You will be walking A LOT!!! I spent the 2 months prior to my trip walking 3 to 5 miles everyday, and it has been so helpful. I also lost 4.5 pounds, a great bonus!

This morning I walked from one end of Orvieto to the other, plus I hiked to the bottom of St. Patricks well and back to the top. It was a very tight squeeze getting thru the gate at the top.

Another tip: if you are on a budget (and who isn't?), spend only a minimum of time in the big cities. Your hard earned cash goes so much further in the smaller towns. In Rome my single room w/ toilet down the hall was 70 euros per night. In Orvieto I have have a double bed and en suite bathroom for 45 euros per night. Dinner in Sorrento was running me about 22-30 euros per night for antipasti, pasta, and wine. I ate a similar sized but better quality meal last night in Orvieto for 19 euros. Lunch in Rome was 9,50 euros while panini and soda in Orvieto cost me 4,50 euros.

Angela, love your posts. You are absolutely right about the money going further in smaller cities, in general, but large cities can also provide a greater range of accommodations and food options, if you figure out where to look. I tend to travel on a budget (turning money into time) and am always surprised at how much more value per item I can get in a smaller town. But if I want a view of the Pantheon...

I guess when looking for somewhere to eat - it you can get off the beaten path in a large city, you'll get much better food for less money. I know in Venice - we had such a variety of prices and quality. We ate at one restaurant down a little past the bridge of sighs (it was mid-afternoon, we were hungry, and it was one of the few with any seats available) - well, I swear the price of a soda was over 10 euro. No - we didn't drink the soda, and my husband thinks I was making that up - and I was starting to wonder if my eyes were playing tricks. The pizza was pricey and was OK. It was because of location that they could charge exorbitant prices for mediocre food.

On the flip side, we ate at a nice little restaurant by where we were staying (near Sant Aponal, about 5 min from Rialto) and had a lovely meal - prob the best we had in Venice, prices weren't crazy, and the food was GOOD! We bypassed a few more expensive restaurants on the square and found this one down an alley (All Amarone).

I'm in Assisi now, and I'm LOVING it! This is about the cutest town ever! Unfortunately it is all uphills and downhills, and my left ankle is very unhappy with me today. I will go out and explore some more while trying to be careful of the ankle, and meanwhile be thankful I will be heading for flat Florence tomorrow. I guess the lesson to be learned is if you have any sort of physical limitation you should avoid touring 2 hill towns in a row! It can be very hard on the joints.

Well, I'm in Florence now. I should have studied my guild book a bit more, and I would have realized that most sights here close very early. I'd been to Florence before, so I thought I'd do ok without much prep work. WRONG! Yesterday I didn't get to Florence until noon, then had to check into the hotel and find some lunch. By the time I started to explore, most things I was interested in seeing were already closed! I did see the Medici chapel and Medici palace though. This morning I finally got to see the Bargello museum, then after lunch I went to Pitti palace, the Boboli garden, and since the church of Santa Maria Novella is near my hotel I saw that on the way back. And now I have very sore feet.

I leave for Venice tomorrow. Seems like I just got here and it's already time to leave! At least Venice is getting 3 nights, all these 2 nighters are getting to be a bit much.

Ahhhhhh, yes. Lesson learned. Checking in/out takes time. I did two and three nighters my first trip to Spain and never, ever again.

Angela,

If you are at least 65, ask if there's a senior discount if you go to a museum etc. A fellow traveler told me this a few years ago. Most of the time the discount is not posted, you have to ask about it. One area of Europe that doesn't go for senior discounts is Scandinavia.

I got married in Florence a long time ago. It involved quite a bit of planning, getting all these papers from the local Italian counsel, and topping it off having to get this revenue stamp from a tabacchi shop to put on the marriage certificate. The pope was coming to Florence during the stay, and everyone was cleaning the front of their houses.

Bruce, I don't think that's always the case anymore. Most senior discounts at state museums were for EU citizens only, and those were discontinued this past summer.

http://www.italymagazine.com/news/opening-hours-and-fees-change-state-run-museums

Rules may vary for municipal or private museums. For instance, free entry for seniors is only possible for Musei Capitolini for residents of Rome, but a reduced fee is possible for anyone of over age 65. Anyway, I've found that most of them do post their applicable fees on their own websites or official ticketing/tourism sites - such as http://www.coopculture.it/en/ for Rome.

Decide for yourself: Driving the Amalfi Coast

I've now just seen the linked video. I note that it was uploaded in March, presumably a little while after being shot, and with time for the few titles to be superimposed.

You won't find roads there with such a small amount of traffic in the season.

Regarding the over 65 discount - as I now am at that age I note that earlier this year many Italian places which previously offered a senior discount have replaced that with a one day a month free for everybody policy and scrapped the 65 discount.

Couldn't agree more about the two-nighters. I try to avoid those whenever I can. If they're inevitable, I try to arrive as early as possible on the first day, and leave as late as possible on the third.

this is a great thread, but the best quote has to be this from Angela herself:

"Another lesson learned, don't bring up driving in Italy on the RS travel forum. You all must have nerves of steel, which I don't. "

haha!!

We have just returned from Sicily and we got the senior discount at several places there. You did have to ask for it, and many places said no, so it never hurts to just ask. :)

Senior discounts are 20+ years away for me... But I'll try to keep that in mind for my golden years :-)

Well hey, if you live there then you can figure out the best way to get around, know all the local laws, and all the caveats involved with driving in Italy. I grew up in Oregon where we were not even allowed to pump our own gas BY LAW!!! Now I live across the river in Vancouver and had to learn to pump my own gas. But before that it was always a pain to drive any distance out of the state of Oregon because I'd have to pump my own gas and I didn't know how. I don't know how to drive a stick shift, either. I don't care for driving on curvy roads. And driving in unfamiliar places stresses me out. So for me, getting around Italy by trains and buses is ideal. And cheaper.

Angela, I agree with you about driving. When I travel solo (about 90% of the time), I use public transportation only. Occasionally I can't get to a place but that's usually poor planning or lack of current information on my part, and I figure out how to get there the next time (example: towns with one bus per day, plan on an overnight the next time).

I'm in Venice now, and today's lesson is to not be afraid to try new things. I took Alessandro's chichetti bar tour tonight. I am not much of a drinker, and generally only drink very sweet white wines when I do drink. Well, I tried 4 or 5 different wines tonight, half of which were red. I enjoyed them all. And the chichetti? Probably better not to know what some of those things are, but they all tasted great! I know I ate calamari (something I'd had before and not really cared for), yet it was all tasty. I'm sure I also ate octopus, and fried anchovies, along with a variety of other tasty things that I couldn't identify. If you are in Venice and have a chance to take Alessandro's tours, do it! It was great fun.

Poor Angela! A string of two-nighters are real time and energy sappers, aren't they? Sorry you learned that the hard way but now you can polish up your veteran's badge! :O)

You can also squeak with some of the rest of us when we see those 21-day itineraries with 19 moves? I'm exhausted just looking at them!

Fun reports: I'm enjoying them all.

Still loving your reports, Angela.

This is my last night in Venice, and probably the last chance I'll get to be on-line until I get home since the hotel in Milan won't have wifi.

My last bit of advice will be this: be careful what you wish for because you just might get it! I thought it might be cool to see the aqua alta in Venice. Well it looks like I might just get my wish, there is supposed to be high water tomorrow morning peaking about 9 am. I'll need to leave for the train station no later than 10am, so yay I get to walk thru the salt water while dragging my suitcase! Thank god I packed some really old shoes just in case, and a pair of Capri pants. Hopefully that will be enough to keep me from getting soaked in salt water! Oh and now I am super duper glad that I brought a smaller suitcase that can actually be picked up kinda like a duffle bag instead of the larger suitcase I originally planned to take. This will certainly make the job of getting out of here easier tomorrow!

Arrivadercci until Saturday or Sunday when I get home :-)

Loved reading about all of your adventures! Hope the high water doesn't come till after your trek to the airport!

As far as acqua alta goes, Venice is far from level, with some places being much higher than others. That means that some places flood while others do not. Try to find out what the driest way is to get where you're going with your bags.

Angela,

I hope you don't get too wet!

I've enjoyed reading your posts, thanks!

Safe travels back home!

I've been home for a bit over 24 hours now, and I feel like I've been run over by a bus. I seem to have caught a cold. I didn't sleep much on the trip home (very typical of me), so once I got home I took a couple naps, and in the evening I went out and played Bunco. Probably NOT the best idea I ever had. I'm thinking the better approach is to rest up for a few days before you rejoin regular life.

The aqua alta wasn't quite as bad as predicted. I was able to use the raised platforms to get to the traghettos for the ride to the rail station and my tootsies stayed dry. You could certainly tell the locals apart from the tourists. The locals all wore tall rubber boots, even if they were otherwise dressed to the nines.

Milan was nice. I was able to see the Last Supper. Up close it looks bad, thanks to the centuries of abuse and bad restorations, but viewing it from the other side of the room it takes on a very pleasing blurry softness. I also saw the copy of it in the Pinacoteca Ambrosiana, which gives an excellent idea of how vibrant the originals colors of the painting were. Plus they had some pages of Leonardo's original writings and drawings on display, which were interesting. Another thing I did was go to Sforza castle and look around, plus enjoyed the park for a bit and a lovely fountain. I did not pay to see the museum because I was running low on cash, but just the bit of wandering around the castle was enough for me. The duomo was really nice but after seeing so many others around Italy the interior didn't impress me very much. I probably should have taken the elevator to the roof, but I was pinching pennies. All over Milan they are getting things spruced up for the world expo next year. It should be pretty nice when they finish.

Welcome back! Re-entry is always tough for me, too. I'm looking forward to your next trip.

Angela,

I also always seem to have a worse time with jet lag on the trip home, and this year was no exception. It took me at least a week to start feeling normal again.

Hope you get over your cold soon. While you're convalescing, time to start planning the next trip!

For others traveling to Milan, the roof of the Duomo is definitely more appealing than is the interior, imho.

Angela - great reports.

When you go back, stick a few extra euro in your pocket and go up to the roof. Unique and fun.

I'm glad you stayed dry in Venice.

Angela,

Jet lag is definitely worse coming home. Rest up & get better soon!

Thanks for sharing your trip adventures with us!

Angela. Thanks for your reports. We got back from Italy and Sicily (for a month) last month and it took me 2 weeks to feel normal. And I used to work night shift before I retired. I think jet lag gets worse as I get older. But thanks for taking the time to keep us posted on your trip. I really enjoyed it.

Angela, I hope we'll have another local Portland/Vancouver travel group meeting so we can hear more about your trip!

Absolutely loved reading each and every one of your posts. You write well. From the heart. Get well!

My next trip? I'm feeling so crappy from this cold that I've caught that I don't want to even think about another trip for a while! It likely won't happen in the next 2 years anyway, possibly a high school graduation trip for my daughter. I think she is interested in France. Or Greece.

Almost every trip I end up with a cold when I get home - or a few days before coming home. Never fails! I'm assuming all the go-go-go and being around people on planes and public transport just make things worse. Actually - this year, I had a cold a few weeks before going away, so I never caught one!