Limited time in Rome in Venice

Brooke, Congratulations! I want to get your timeline straight - it looks like you're flying into Rome and have the rest of that day and the next full day? Then what - you train to Venice on the morning of the 3rd day? How much time in Venice? For the price of tickets, go to http://www.ferroviedellostato.it/homepage.html Don't try dates beyond Jan 2011; they apparently aren't loaded yet...but this will give you a good idea what prices are. For planning purposes (schedules only - no prices), use the German train site Deutsche Bahn: http://www.bahn.com/i/view/USA/en/index.shtml This will allow you to look at the actual dates you need, now. And my 2 cents - are you leaving the day after your wedding? I ask, because you'll be exhausted. That means the first day in Rome will be basically lost. EXCEPT that you're in ROME!!! So, no big plans for that day! You don't want to start your honeymoon/marriage on the wrong, & grouchy, foot. We didn't take our European honeymoon (or any other kind) until 16 years after our wedding, so we could roll with the grouchies a bit better LOL! ( a BIT better... 8-/ )

Yes, unfortunately we've gotta maximize our time off with getting off for work so we've basically decided that once we land in Rome on Monday the 21st we won't do anything except eat and sleep! Our cruise doesn't leave until 4pm in Venice on Thursday the 24th. We have to load at about 2pm. I figured we would get into Venice the evening before to have some time in Venice to hang out. At the end of our cruise we dock at 9am and will have the rest of that day to hang out in Venice before our flight home the next morning. Should we hang out in Rome for all of Tuesday and most of Wednesday too? My friend showed me this other train site http://www.trenitalia.com/cms/v/index.jsp?vgnextoid=ad1ce14114bc9110VgnVCM10000080a3e90aRCRD
but it doesn't leave until late on Wednesday evening and looks like it doesn't get to Venice until 1 am! Is this the right train we are suppose to take?

3:48 travel time from Roma Termini to Venezia Santa Lucia every hour all day, then another half an hour to get to your destination. Your arrival time is dependent on your departure time. Use www.bahn.co.uk for good accurate information.

But do turn in early that first day (around 9pm or so) - you'll probably be exhausted before you've even gotten on the plane, and you don't want the rest of your trip to be a mess. As for what to do and where to go, some may have some personal favorites, but you really need to peruse a good guidebook and perhaps watch some videos...I'll put in a good word for the Rick Steves' series ;-) If you can't find them on this website or on YouTube, please send me a PM and I'll help you out! (go to the homepage on this website, click on "Public Television" at the bottom right-hand corner, and go from there...) You need to be making hotel reservations RIGHT NOW!!!

"we've basically decided that once we land in Rome on Monday the 21st we won't do anything except eat and sleep!" Can I respectfully suggest that you consider not doing that? If you sleep the day away you will only delay your recovery from jetlag. The best recovery is a gentle day with loads of fesh air and sunshine (if available). Please don't write off the day...

It's funny that you just mentioned that because I talked to my friend last night who's traveled all over the world and she said the same thing! Advice taken! Thank you for your response!

The RS books for Rome and Venice do a really good job of prioritizing the sights for both places. (You can read about them and decide what's most appealing to you, rather than hearing what a handful of people did while there.) And the RS books provide lots of good (and vetted) recommendations for lodging and places to eat. Do you have those books yet?

No, I think I am going to run to a bookstore and get them this weekend.

They'll be the smartest money you'll spend on your trip.

Brooke, I just noticed that all of Rick's tour books, including the 2011 versions, are 30% off in the "travel store" section of this website. The sale is through December 14.

one suggestion for travel books- look at maybe buying a used copy. I bought one for Paris when I went there in September this year. I was only staying for 1 night...I bought Rick's 2009 book for like $3 on Amazon...just a thought. I did buy the 2010 Rome book as I was staying there for 3 days. I don't know how much difference you will find in the year to year books especially when many of the sights are so old. Rome- Vatican, St. Peter's Basilica and the Vatican Museum. Coliseum, Palatine Hill, etc..Pantheon. I went to St. Peter's on Sunday and the line wasn't too bad, it kept moving. I was there late in the afternoon as per Rick's suggestion. The Spanish Steps...I stopped at a wine bar at the top of the steps. Venice- night time at St. Mark's Square...you can not beat that. Some people hate the gondola ride, some love it. I loved it. If you do that, I would take one that goes through the "back canals" and not float around too much on the Grand Canal. St. Mark's Basilica is great to see, the Accademia- I liked it more than the Uffizi...but Art is always different things to different people. and if your tired when you land, that Italian coffee will wake you right up ;)

The cost to get a current RS book (versus a used one) is not much compared to the entire price of a trip. Personally, I would rather have one with the latest information, considering that museum hours change, transit times and routes change, etc.

Brooke, We'll be in Rome and Venice in March 2011, but celebrating our 35th anniversary. We typically arrive in Europe in the morning after an overnight flight. I never sleep, but get in a rental car and drive all day. That way I'm damn good and tired by that first night and sleep the jet lag off. Tired or not, I'm not going to sleep in the daytime in Rome, there'll be plenty of time to sleep when I'm dead.
We're also going from Rome to Venice, but I'm renting a car. It is cheaper to rent a car than to buy two train tickets and I can stop along the way. Florence anyone?

One other suggestion in addition to the RS books is to look for the RS travel shows on TV or at your library. I've found it worthwhile to get a glimpse of what the destination looks like before we go. And there are other good travel shows such as Rudy Maxa or Samantha Brown.