I am traveling solo for my first trip to Italy in May, 2009 and would very much appreciate someone reviewing my tentative itinerary to see if there are any "holes" in it.
Arrive 5/5/2009 into Rome at 9:00 am. Catch train to Venice (arrive 5-8 hours later). Check-in and catch a nap. Eat dinner, hit the sack early to be refreshed for next day sightseeing. 5/6 Sightsee Venice. 5/7 Sightsee Venice. Morning of 5/8 take train or bus to Florence. 5/8 Sightsee Florence. 5/9 Sightsee Florence. 5/10 day trip to Siena/San G. 5/11 Cooking class (TBD) 5/12 train to Rome, sightsee. 5/13 Sightsee Rome. 5/14 Sightsee Rome. 5/15 10:10 am flight to US.
Posted by
OP
Atlanta, GA, USA
51 posts
I hadn't considered the Bologna proposal, but will certainly look into that - thank you! As far as the 5-8 hour train ride from Rome to Venice that I quoted, that is the time given in one of my guidebooks. What train would I look into that will cut the time to four hours?
Posted by
US Pacific Northwest
10344 posts
Lisa: Venice to Rome, station to station time by the fastest train is 4 hours. Most do it in 4 to 5 hours.
Posted by
OP
Atlanta, GA, USA
51 posts
GOT IT!!!!! I can't thank you enough!
Posted by
OP
Atlanta, GA, USA
51 posts
I know it does seem like a lot of time on a train during my stay, but I doubt I'll sleep a wink on the train because I will not want to miss any of the countryside outside my train window.
Posted by
Tresana, Highlands Ranch, CO, USA
23278 posts
One simple suggestion which may be too late. Fly open jaws into Milan or even Venice. The train ride to Venice will be brutal. Doubt if you will need a nap in Venice since you will sleep during most of the train ride. If committed to a RT Rome, would suggest first stop to be Florence.
Posted by
Seattle, WA, U.S.A.
251 posts
It looks good to me, except I agree that it would be good to check and see if you can fly open jaw (that being into Rome and out of Venice or vice versa) so you wouldn't have to do that extra traveling on land which is going to take a lot of time. Plus, you'll be paying more for the extra train travel so even if it costs a little more for the open jaw, the prices may still work out evenly, and you'll still be saving all that time.
Posted by
Atlanta
3250 posts
Hi Lisa,
If it's too late to fly "open jaw" I like the idea of doing the long train ride (Rome to Venice) on the day that you arrive.
If it were me, I'd do one less day in Florence and add it to Rome. The day trip from Florence to Siena/San G. is a good idea. These are just suggestions--you itinerary looks fine as it is.
Posted by
OP
Atlanta, GA, USA
51 posts
I should have mentioned in my original email that I got a very good airfare rate by flying round trip out of Rome. If I were to change my ticket now, I'm sure it would cost an additional $100 or more. One reason that I did not do open jaw is the additional $100.
Posted by
Washington, DC, Washington, USA
110 posts
Why is the train you taking to Venice 5 - 8 Hours. Take the fast train it is 4.5 hours. I would also suggest taking the train to Bologna from Venice spend the night and take the train from Bologna to Florence. This will cut up the travel time and you will get to spend a nice evening in Bologna. They have great food and a nice square.
Posted by
Elk Grove, CA, USA
6898 posts
Your schedule is OK. It's a bit of a rush and you'll be on the train quite a bit, but it will work just fine. For your Venice to Florence journey, you'll want the train. For your day-trip to Siena, you can either take the train or SITA bus. Both run frequently during the day.
For cooking classes in Florence, three that I know of that you can look into are Accidental Tourist, www.divinacocina.com and Scoula de Arti Culinaria. We took a one-day Tuscan cooking class at Scoula de Arti Culinaria. No visit to the market but we really enjoyed the class. CLICK HERE for the link to their web page.