Planning 1st trip - need help/advice

Sure, it can be all a bit overwhelming at first, but the planning is supposed to be all part of the fun. You first need to decide if you would prefer to book one tour where everything is covered including accommodation or plan your trip around the thing YOU would like to do and see. The second way can involve a lot more preparation but in my opinion it is well worth it. Rick Steves has various tour options -just click on the banner above- but we wanted a little more freedom with our trip and so planned and booked each place online. For example in Florence we found a beautiful little B&B near the station well within our budget- http://relais-tiffany-firenze.com We booked the galleries and museums in Florence online and found a day trip into the countryside via Trip Advisor which was one of the best days of our two week stay- http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Attraction_Review-g187895-d2169783-Reviews-A_Slow_Day_in_Tuscany-Florence_Tuscany.html We deliberately left one day free without any plans (and I highly recommend you do the same!) and the owner of the B&B pointed us towards doing a cooking class not far from where we were staying with Cook Eat Italian- http://www.cookeatitalian.com It's really not that hard. 1.Make a list of the things YOU (+ your partner) want from your trip 2.Check out the reviews eg Booking.com and Trip Advisor etc
3. Get booking. Good luck!

i just returned from my first trip abroad, to rome and can offer some suggestions. most of these suggestions are amplifications from rs. i purchased his rome eguide and travel map. i also downloaded several of his mp3 walking tours. i found the maps and walking tours invaluable and read the eguide before departure. during the trip the eguide is less valuable since it is hard to locate info on the kindle, more so than in a printed guide. i took his advice and used public transportation at a fraction of the cost of taxis...bus or train to and from airport, metro or bus around city. i stayed my first night at a regular hotel near the colliseum to get acclimated, then switched to a b&b for the remainder of the stay. I recommend The Arches B&B, located near the Vatican, which i found on-line. Next time i shall stay just at a B&b, less expensive and managers/owners take extra care in helping you discover unique places to eat, visit, etc. i did not find my english dependency difficult at all since everyone i met was friendly and eager to share their city. i took one tour at the colliseum, which was included in a multisite ticket, otherwise i used rs audio tours downloaded on my ipad. these are wonderful, personalized tours, giving you little tidbits of info along the way. i plan on doing the same next summer when i tour more of europe but will pack a print guidebook as well.
feel free to contact me if you have questions

You can do it yourself and save tons of money but it does mean some work. Start with buying the RS Italy book and read it cover to cover. You can stay in as fancy a hotel as you want, but I really recommend the small family-owned hotels and B&Bs. If you don't want to do the research and work yourself, then the RS tours could well be the way to go, though they sound a bit rushed for my taste. Happy travels.

We second the recommendation for small family run hotels. If you spend the money to go to another country you probably want to feel like that's where you really are. Small hotels or pensions allow you to interact more with the owners and other guests and we feel they enhance our experience. We also vote to do it yourself, if you have the time to research. We also rely on RS books, booking.com, tripadvisor, and virtualtourist. It is time consuming but also as someone else mentioned one third of the fun. The other thirds are actually going and being there, and then going over your pictures and your memories. Whatever you decide, have a great time!

alison, You can easily plan the tour yourself, using the excellent Italy 2012 Guidebook. However, if your budget will allow, I would also very highly recommend the RS tours, as they're excellent! They offer a number of Itineraries in Italy, of varying lengths and covering slightly different "themes". These range from the 17-day "Best of Italy" tour to the shorter one-week city tours. The method I prefer is to book a short tour, along with some self-guided travel. I find that's "the best of both worlds". You'll learn far more on one of Rick's tours, and it will be a more rewarding and interesting travel experience (that's what I've found - I'll be embarking on my sixth tour this year - they're kind of addictive!). If you'd prefer to travel solely on your own, post a few details here (ie: destinations, time frame, budget, sights you want to see, etc.), and I'm sure the helpful group will be able to offer lots of suggestions. Happy travels!

I'd look in to tours perhaps at some of the major sites- like say the Vatican museum... everyone is different. I like to wander around. Pick out things you like doing not just things you think everyone should do. Some people can spend all day at the Uffizi and some people get bored after an hour. Go off and eat at your own time and place... one thing to watch out for with the hotels, I would say the star system can be pretty sketchy. Not all 4, 3, and 2 stars are the same. I always try to check the reviews at different web sites to see what people say...check Ron in Rome blog for Rome info...really great. have fun

Buy and read the RS Italy Guidebook. Decide what is important for you to see. For all things Rome, also take the time to check out www.roninrome.com. Absolutely the best website about the ins and outs of the Eternal City. Secondly, as it is your first visit definitely stay in B & B's. Having hosts who are willing to share their knowledge can be very beneficial. Plenty of B & B recommendations if you use the search engine here as well as review the Graffiti Wall under "Sleeping, Heroic B & B Friendliness." Italy is lovely. Enjoy.

Planning your own trip is more fun! Anyway, the one piece of advice from Rick's guidebook that was a godsend for Italy is to book the big cultural sites in advancewe missed out on having to wait in HUGE lines at the Uffizi, Accademia (in Florence) and the Vatican Museum. Even my husband, who hates too much advance planning when traveling, was grateful and relieved that we had those reservations. I think this is the most important thing you can do if those sites interest you and you decide to plan on your own. Good luck!

planning is half the fun! Just be aware that you WILL return to see all the things you missed the first time...read some more history so you will know what you were looking at the first time also! HAPPY TRAVELS!!!

We have made several trips and have done the planning ourselves. It does take alot of time and effort but I think it is worth it. It really does get you to study up on things in advance so it does give a greater appreciation when you see them. You can take the local site tours if you want to enrich the trip without signing up for a tour for the entire trip. I would start out with RS book on Rome and Florence. I also would highly recommend his videos. List the sites you would like to see than prioritize them becuase it is hard to see everything in your first trip. Than see what days are things are open, start to find hotel or apt reservations, and see what reservations need to be made in advance. It takes a lot of planning but can be very fun. After you read the RS material comeback and ask lots of questions.

We spent two weeks in May in Rome and Tuscany. We spent the first three nights in Rome at the Hotel Sonya and would happily recommend it.We then drove to Tuscany and stayed 9 nights in San Gimignano at the Leon Bianca in the Piazza de Cisterna and definitely recommend this terrific hotel for the people,excellent, and location, unbeatable. We then returned to the Hotel Sonya in Rome for another 2 nights prior to departure. Some suggestions, DEFINITELY pre-book your trips. We used Tickitaly who were very efficient, for the Vatican,Colosseum,Ufizzi and Accademia and everything went smoothly. On a personal note we liked both Rome and Siena more than Florence. We loved San Gimignano and used it as base for our day trips. If we were repeating this vacation the only change would be to take a train to Siena and rent a car from there reversing the process on the way back. The Hotel Sonya is well placed for the Termini (and everything else).Driving in Rome was horrendous among the worst I have ever experienced and with very few road signs. Good luck and have a great time.