Going to Italy next week and still have not gotten my itinerary together. Staying for two weeks and our base is near Venice, as we have reserved condo for 2 weeks there. However, would like to visit Rome for 3 days and Florence. Should I stay a few days in venice on arrival and take the train to Rome and hit Florence on the way back for just a day trip. Or, is a day not long enough to see florence. I don't know what would be the best use of our time and the cheapest, seeing that we have already paid for our condo near
Venice. Also does Anyone know budget friendly place to stay in Rome. The reviews for the Flavius b&b are good, however no ensuite bathroom. Have also checked out The piazza navona apartments from rentalinrome.com. Help!
Posted by
Forest Grove, OR
11375 posts
Teresa:
Nice to have a base like a condo! So much to see in and around Venice and the Veneto, why don't you stay there for a few days before you deside on whether or not to sidetrip? Florence is 2 hours by train from Venice. You can surely see some highlights in a daytrip, staying there 8-10 hours. The highspeed train is 43 euros in 2nd class. Likewise you can see Verona, Vicenza, Padua in shorter daytrips from Venice. If you do decide to go to Rome for a few days, be sure you have a reservation before you go. I've not stayed here, but they are on my list of places to consider since they have some great rates and nice looking apartments http://www.cross-pollinate.com.
Posted by
Westwood, KS, USA
15 posts
Teresa, When I see "best use of our time and the cheapest" I think overnight train. Though most trains from Venice to Rome seem to range around the 4-hr mark, an overnight train would allow you to spend an entire evening in Venice, leave late, and arrive in Rome early the next morning, without having to feel bad about spending an extra night's lodging. It would be something to look into as I do not know the specifics of sleeping coaches for this trip. It may not be the most restful but it would be an economic use of time and money. Two days in Florence for me. Ryan
Posted by
Forest Grove, OR
11375 posts
IMHO, an overnight train is not feasible. You can take one at 11:30 PM, but it takes 7.5 hours to get to Rome, which means it stops a lot. You will get no sleep, arrriving Rome about 7:00 AM. Better to take a high-speed train during the day, which takes about 3.5 hours. Saving one night's lodging is not worth a sleepless night. You'll just be crankly all day. ;-)