Just spent three magical weeks in Italia - Happy to answer any questions!

Did you take the train from Rome to Venice? We are on a tour starting in Venice and ending in Rome. Depending on airline prices we may decide to fly in and out of Rome and take a train to Venice if it is a lot cheaper AND easy. I can figure out the prices, but not if it is easy enough to take the train

ncangelose asked,
"Did you take the train from Rome to Venice? We are on a tour starting in Venice and ending in Rome. Depending on airline prices we may decide to fly in and out of Rome and take a train to Venice if it is a lot cheaper AND easy. I can figure out the prices, but not if it is easy enough to take the train"

We flew in to Rome, had 5 nights in Rome, then train to Florence; 5 nights there then picked up rental car at the airport and drove to (and all around) the Garfagnana region; 7 nights there then dropped rental car back at Florence airport, then took train from Florence to Venice; 3 nights in Venice then took the fast Frecciargento Trenitalia train back to Rome from Venice. We did 2nd class seats, 4 hour train trip, cost was $191.47 total for the 2 tickets (EUR 99.80). There are less-expensive train tickets if you take a slower train. Hope that helps!

Edited to add: Our only challenge with the train was our ever-growing number of bags as we kept buying keepsakes from our trip! Green pass or US CDC cards required. They gave us a goody-bag at the start of each trip with a mask, anti-bac gel, and some water, which was nice. We got seats facing each other across a small table, didn't share that space w/anyone else on any of our trips (not guaranteed to have them to yourself though, I don't think).

So happy that you had a wonferful trip, cehart1! I'm sure you have lots of helpful insights to share with our gang!

ncangelose, if you feel for some reason that you can't fly into Venice and out of Rome (highly advised) tickets for the fast trains can be even less expensive than the OP got them for IF you know in advance what day you want to travel. For instance, on the Trenitalia website (random date next month) I'm seeing tickets for a 9:26 AM direct train, no changes, from Venezia S. Lucia to Roma Termini for €59.90 pp (abt. $70 at today's conversion rate) super economy; 3 hours and 59 minutes.

On Italo - different train company but competes with Trenitalia for larger-city, fast-train transfers - there are available tickets for their eXtra price tier, random date next month, direct with no changes, for as little as €49.90 pp (abt $58 at today's exchange rate),same amount of journey time as Trenitalia's. As well, I wouldn't plan on returning to Rome

Italian trains are not difficult to use BUT (editing to add) I would not buy advance, non-changeable, non-refundable tickets for a Rome> Venice train FOR ARRIVAL DAY in Rome. Flight delays and cancellations are the exception and not the rule but they sure can happen. As well, I wouldn't plan on training to Rome from Venice on the same day as your flight out, in case you might encounter a rail snag,

It's possible to get them for even better prices if you know your travel date and can book even further in advance. In all cases, the least expensive tickets are usually non-refundable and non-changeable so if booking these, be sure of your date and ability to make the train you've purchased. Fast train tickets are ALWAYS for a specific train, at a specific time, for a specific carriage and seats. :O)

@ncangelose, how about flying in to Milan (much closer to Venice than Rome). Thats what we did for the V-F-R tour. Train from Milan to Venice. Milan has direct flights from the US. A multi-city fare (aka open jaw) in to Milan, out of Rome, should be pretty close to a roundtrip fare to Rome.

Hello,
Where did you get tested before returning to the US?

Hi LMG - I flew Delta, and saw that they had partnered with Ellume/Azova on their at-home rapid tests, so we went with them. We bought the kits with the ability to do a scheduled proctored test - and we did that for our pre-flight Covid to enter Italy and then the pre-flight to enter the US - accepted both places. More info here: https://www.ellumecovidtest.com/

At all the train stations in Rome, Florence and Venice (and on the street in Rome at some pharmacies) they had free Covid testing - but with long lines. I liked that I could schedule a specific time for my test and be assured that it would get completed. $50 US for the test and the appointment. There are cheaper options (the Red Cross ones above are free, I believe). I paid for convenience for sure.

Where did you get tested before returning to the US?

Can't speak for the OP, but we just returned from Rome. We tested the day before we left at a Pharmacy. There were three pharmacies within a few blocks of our hotel that had tents or small building units set up outside.
Show up, fill out a one page form (Name, Birth Place and Date, Passport #, where you are staying, what type of test you want, and if you want a QR code or just a report.). Hand over your form and Passport, pay about 22 euro, stand in line for the test, and in about 20 minutes, you have a report.

Very easy, quick, and you can do it in your spare time as you are walking around.

We had a trip planned for Italy this month, but cancelled it due to a cruise from Italy to the USA was cancelled.

Perhaps next year.

Did you have to wear masks while indoors all the time?
How about the COVID19 testing, how did that go?

What a fun trip you seemed to have had! You mentioned renting a car, so would love to know what town(s) you liked best on that portion of your trip. My husband and I will be there in a couple of weeks and are thinking staying two nights in one town then moving to another. We’re renting the car for one week out of the Florence airport. Thanks in advance and glad you offered this Q & A!

geovagriffith asked:

Did you have to wear masks while indoors all the time?
How about the COVID19 testing, how did that go?

Yes masks indoors pretty much at all venues and locations - hotels, tourist sites, etc. Basically if you want to participate in society there, you have to a) show you're vaccinated and/or a covid test w/in last 2-3 days; b) wear a mask, c) most places get your temperature taken. I felt very safe from a Covid perspective as a result - in more heavily populated outside areas I pulled my mask on to be safe. See above responses for how my husband and I handled the COVID test (at-home test with proctored video observation from our hotel room) but there are plenty of inexpensive in-person options at train stations and at least in Rome on the street outside pharmacies.

drabant6 asked:
You mentioned renting a car, so would love to know what town(s) you liked best on that portion of your trip. My husband and I will be there in a couple of weeks and are thinking staying two nights in one town then moving to another. We’re renting the car for one week out of the Florence airport.

We visited Pisa, Lucca, Cinque Terre, and drove around a bit. We stayed at the Renaissance Il Ciocco near Barga - pretty remote all things considered, but a gorgeous view out over the Serchio Valley. Pisa was fun for the Leaning Tower of it all, and a gorgeous cathedral there, really interesting museum as well. Doable in a day. I LOVED Lucca - felt like a mini Florence to me. The park on top of the city wall was wonderful to walk; great restaurants and cafes, and don't miss the nightly Puccini concert - the soprano on the night we went blew us away. We did Cinque Terre in one madcap day - trains to all 5 towns. Many of the hike-through paths were closed, and we'd had a hard rain the night before, so they advised us that hikes would be very dangerous - all I needed to hear as I didn't really want to hike anyway. :) If you can stay overnight at least one night that might be a more relaxed way to see the towns, and as Rick tells us in his helpful books, when all the day trippers leave it's a different experience there.

Thank you!

Glad that you are back and planning the next trip already.

How crowded are Rome, Florence, and Venice? I am wondering if I should go there before the rest of the world opens up.

Hi Barkinpark - you asked:
How crowded are Rome, Florence, and Venice? I am wondering if I should go there before the rest of the world opens up.

This was my first time in Italy; husband was last there 30 years ago. It did seem like things were alot less crazy with people than I expected from all I've read about Rome and Florence; my husband didn't think we were in the Sistene Chapel when we arrived there (I said, um, look up sweetie, we're here!) and the reason is that when he was there 30 years ago, he was literally cheek by jowl with people and they shuffled you in and out very quickly - on our day, early September, there was plenty of room to walk around the room, they didn't hustle us in and out - i had plenty of time to listen to Rick's 30 minute Sistene Chapel tour. :) The outdoor places that were very crowded were the one's you'd suspect - Trevi Fountain, Pantheon, Spanish Steps - and I pulled a mask up in those places even though we were outside. Only really long line we saw in Rome was for the Pantheon; in Florence it was for the Duomo. As Rick does, I'd definitely recommend advance tickets to make your life easier and reduce waits (in lines with people right near you). From all I heard from locals, they were thrilled to see some Americans coming back, which was nice to hear! I would think that as we get further away from busy season/summer, things will be quieter and quieter re: crowds. Worst crowds I experienced were on a Saturday in Cinque Terre with the trains absolutely packed and throngs coming off the trains into the very narrow streets of Vernazza, for example. But a different day of the week and in October, less crazy i would imagine. Let me know if that helps or if I can give more info! :)