Italy

When are you going?

Not till Sept 19-30, 2010

Hi Elizabeth,

I would say it depends on what type of travel experience you are looking for:

a.) The more touristy "Italian staple cities" with big sites, such as Firenze, Milan, and Venice, and it sounds like Rome either way :) These cities might be more geared towards tourists in terms of mass public transportation, tours, etc. This in turn also equates to being more expensive.
or

b.) More of a cultural exchange in the less visited Southern regions, where IMHO the climate gets warmer and so do the people. I just returned from 8 days in Campania(Naples, Sorrento, Capri, etc.) and all my experiences with the people were of course very pleasant, not to mention the beautiful geography of Southern Italy!
I resent the comment of the previous poster that Italy gets "rougher"... maybe it takes more patience in terms of understanding and not being able to rely on a massive Metro system, but in exchange I think you get a less-spoilt view of Italy in the "less-touristy" regions. Just my 2 cents! Of course Rome is beautiful and a must do, no matter which direction you choose to head.
I can't comment on Sicily as I have not been there yet. However, here's a post I started awhile back about the South including the Calabria province.

http://www.ricksteves.com/graffiti/helpline/index.cfm/rurl/topic/40744/the-less-touristy-south-of-italy.html

As a first trip, go North. Save the South for your next trip. It is a little grittier (although still very nice) down South and so you will want to "cut your teeth" in the North and see the "staple" cities Rome, Florence, Lucca (of course), Siena/San Gimignano and perhaps others as time permits. Tuscany is beautiful and there is lots to see and do in Florence, so you won't want to miss it on your first trip.

Elizabeth,

I'd also suggest limiting your visit to Rome and the north this time, especially with such a short trip. Keep in mind that you'll lose one day in flight times and time zone changes at the beginning, and the last day will be spent getting to the airport and the flight home.

Travel in the north will be a more "gentle" introduction to Italian culture than the south. Also, transportation is not as well developed in the south so travel times will be longer, using up more of your short but valuable travel time.

Buona Fortuna e Buon Viaggio!

Here's another vote for Rome & north. I'd suggest flying into Rome & out of Milan. Save the southern portion for another trip. I agree with Ken that Rome North is a more gentle introduction to Italy. Have a great trip. One piece of advice since it's your first trip to Italy...don't try to squeeze too much into your first trip. Rome deserves at least 4-5 days. Maybe you could rent a car & spend the remainder of your time in Tuscany (including Lucca, Florence, etc). Have a wonderful time.

Elizabeth,

Renting a car is certainly one option, although it's important to mention a few "caveats".....

To drive in Italy, you'll require a compulsory International Driver's Permit. This must be used in conjunction with your normal D.L. and each driver must have an I.D.P. Although it doesn't happen often, failure to produce an I.D.P. can result in fines on the spot!

Secondly (and perhaps more important) is that many towns in Italy are adopting Zona Traffico Limitato (ZTL) zones. Florence is especially bad in this regard. Anyone driving through the computerized Cameras will receive a €100+ ticket in the mail several months after they return home. A ticket will be produced each time you pass through one of the Cameras. Have a look through some of the previous posts in this section regarding the experiences of other travellers with these.

If you do plan on driving, a GPS would be a really good idea, along with a good quality Map for "backup".

Since this is your first trip to Italy, my suggestion would be to focus on the main towns and use well planned rail or bus trips to get around. The rail system in Italy is excellent and it's by far the quickest method to get from centre-to-centre. For example, travel from Rome to Florence via the EuroStar Italia / Alta Velocita is under two hours. No car can travel that fast! With such a short trip, it's a good idea to minimize travel times.

Cheers!

I would also suggest visiting the northern part of Italy, though given that you only have 10-11 days you don't have a huge amount of time, if those days include your flight days.

Another suggestion is Florence, Lucca and Venice, and saving visiting Rome for a trip that includes Agrigento and Calabria.

On the car rental possibilities, if you do only visit larger cities, including Lucca, then you probably don't need a rental car. But if you do rent, I don't view it as a big problem (we've rented a car for some portion of every trip we've taken to Europe). The international drivers permit is easily obtainable through your local AAA - you need a photo of yourself, your current drivers license and a payment of about $30. The permit is simply a translation in several language of a your own existing driver's license.

The traffic cameras are a big hazard in places like Florence, I've heard, but I've not had a problem with them in smaller cities or towns. Either they don't have cameras, or the prohibitions are more obvious and we don't drive into the prohibited areas.

What is the difference in the weather in northern Italy and southern Italy in late September?

Temps are pretty much the same at sea level that time of year. Theoretically, figure a three degree drop for each thousand foot increase in altitude.

Thank you for all your replies. Is the weather the same whether you go north or south in September.

The difference is weather is much like the difference in weather in the US when you move north and south. North could be a touch cooler and the south a bit warmer. The difference will not be significant at that time of year.

The weather is one reason I would say do the opposite of what you planned.

Start in the north and work your way south to Rome. You could start anywhere--Milan, Venice, Florence, Pisa--and end up in Rome.

But I also suggest focusing on northern Italy this trip.