Hello!
we are interested in any tips/ experience you may have regarding our situation,
My husband and I will be traveling to Italy - in (yikes!) 9 days June 6th for 3 weeks -and some of our trip is kinda up in the air
We start in Rome for 4 nights and then go to Naples by train (we hope!) for 2 nights - to see Pompeii and the Archaeological Museum
Then up to Florence via train and will stay for 3 nights -
and then depending - we will go to Venice for 2 nights - and then take a ferry (hydrofoil?) to Rovinj Croatia and rent a car and fly out of Split a week later back to Rome to fly home
or we may bail on the crowds miss Venice and go through the Tuscan Umbrian countryside via car to Ancona and take an over night Ferry to Split - then 1 wk later fly home.
So my question is this: Is this itinerary nuts? do we need to reserve at this time of year for high speed trains? for ferries/boats? Will it be cheaper? As well as popular museums (ie Uffizi? ) I also noted yesterday that the trains are currently on strike for a few days! (as well as the Borghese Museum !) So I am a bit hesitate to buy in advance - in case we need to take the bus!
Appreciate any insight you all may have -
Posted by
Forest Grove, OR
11852 posts
If you buy freccia high speed train tickets in advance, you will get a discount but you have to commit to that train as they are non-refundable. HOWEVER, if there is a strike, these trains run so no worries there. Also, they basically never sell out and there is always another train on these routes.
Check with your car rental agency on the feasibility and expense of taking a car into another country. It will cost a great deal more to drop it off in Croatia.
I have not taken a ferry across the Adriatic, but I think a reservation at least a few days in advance is advisable.
Not having lodging reserved may be your biggest problem, especially Venice and Florence, maybe also in Split. We were in Split at this time last year and it was busy!
Posted by
OP
11 posts
Hi thanks for your in put!
We have lodging for Florence and Venice (which we can cancel if need be)- thanks for tip on Split though! had no idea it would be busy so early in season - can you elaborate on that a bit? is Croatia super crowded now even in June? We were hoping to use Croatia as a bit of an escape route from the crowds in Italy. We were thinking of taking the ferry from Venice to Istria - then down.
We aren't planning on taking a car from Italy into Croatia - but to rent in Croatia - and if we do Tuscany /Umbria - to rent in Italy for a few days(which can be pricey!) If we do this then we won't go to Venice.
Thanks for the tips on the train tickets -lots to think bout !
Posted by
Forest Grove, OR
11852 posts
We were in Split in earlyJune and while not wildly overpacked, every restaurant was full at 20:00 and the old town teeming with young people. (Dubrovnik was worse and we hated the old town there due to cruise ship crowds, though the new town was pleasant.) Friends we met up with had enjoyed a couple of peaceful days at Trogir, and we found Korcula to be pleasant for a couple of nights.
Posted by
11 posts
I suggest you purchase your tickets for the Uffizi before leaving America. The lines at the Uffizi are dreadful. RS gives advice on buying the tickets ahead of time and we're glad we did. We bought our rail tickets the day we travelled and had no problem getting seats. Be sure to check if you need reserved seats before purchasing. On our first trip to Italy, we sat on the floor between train cars because we didn't ask! Have fun!