Tips for first trip to Italy

I do not mean to be dismissive but you have many question that are easily answered by the Rick Steves’ Italy guidebook. And there will be so many more things that come up that the book can help you with. I like to say (about having a good guidebook) that you don’t know what you don’t know....

I have to agree with Laurel. Most of your questions are answered in the RS Italy guidebook.

For your cruise questions, go to Cruise Critic. Com and look up the subforums for your cruise line. If you can't find the answers there by using the search function, you can post your questions. You'll get the best, most up to date answers by cruisers who've BTDT.

Once you've looked thru the guide book, feel free to come back if you still have questions.

My tip is....No tips in Italy.

I can answer the Sistine Chapel question. Yes, get the skip the line tickets!
Do a search on "Top 10 things to see in Rome" to see if there is anything else you may want to see. Like the Trevi Fountain and the Spanich Steps.
Your B&B in Venice may be able to help you with how to get to the cruise terminal. You could also do a search on google maps with the address of the B&B and the address of the cruise terminal. It gives you walking, car, bus, and train times. In this case it may have boat time!

For transportation questions, I.e. which stop to get off, this website is very helpful: rome2rio.com. It will give you an idea of transportation times for any global location, etc. and which bus you might want in Rome, vaporetto stop in Venice, etc.

I agree with the previous posts that said to buy the RS Italy trip. It’s packed full of information that you might not even know to ask right now. For instance, when do you need to validate train tickets or be fined?

Enjoy your trip! Italy is my favorite country to visit!

Tip No 1. All of Europe writes dates as day/month/year. Be careful with this. For Eoropeans, 5/6 means fifth June.

As I read it, you have two full days in Venice. Arrive 16th August, 17th and 18th for Venice, board ship 19th. You do not have time for Padua, nor for Murano/Burano/Torcello/Lido, as just the transit time alone for the islands is a couple of hours. Padua takes four hours minimum. Plan on spending your time in Venice proper.

The station for Venice is Venezia Santa Lucia, or Venezia SL. Look for a hotel not far from the station as likely you will have luggage. Avoid hotels near San Marco, unless you have deep pockets.

We have just spent ten nights in Venice. It’s pretty special.

With many, many questions about Italy, a forum can never really take the place of a good guidebook so yes, I'll recommend some time time with one as well. Also, I highly recommend buying a good map of the city before you go: you will need it!!! :O)

But a couple to a few of your questions:

what other attractions should we not miss?

That's completely up to individual interests but with only two full days in Rome, the Colosseum/Forum/Palatine and the Vatican will eat up the lion's share of the time you have. I would spend the rest of your time just walking around and taking in Rome from the sidewalks. Pop into a couple of churches, through a couple piazzas, etc. It will be VERY hot in August so you'll likely be moving more slowly than not.

Since we're staying at a B&B near the Vatican, do we need to purchase
Skip the Line tickets?

Yes, you absolutely MUST to avoid very long ticket lines. In fact, I would recommend a tour that covers both museums and the basilica for the most efficient sightseeing of both. Which tours to book depend on how much you're willing to spend.

The same applies for the Colosseum/Forum/Palatine: buy your tickets or tours in advance. The Vatican and Colosseum are the two most-visited attractions in Rome, and both will be completely mobbed.

I also noticed that there won't be a Papal Audience the week that
we’re in Rome. Does this mean we won't see the Pope at all?

General audiences are only on Wednesdays so you wouldn't be in Rome to see one anyway. Angelus occurs on Sundays at noon but depending on when you're getting into Rome, how quickly you can get to your B&B to ditch your bags and get over to St Peter's Square, you may not be able to make it.

https://www.pnac.org/visitorsoffice/angelusblessing/

http://www.vatican.va/various/prefettura/en/udienze_en.html

We plan on taking the train that leaves at 6 am. Do we take .a cab?
And is it safe to take one at 5:30 am?

A cab is probably the best option in your situation. Yes, it's safe. The day before departure, have your B&N arrange for one as I doubt your hosts will be around at 5:30 AM on the morning you leave.

We leave for Venice on the 16th. We plan on staying near St. Mark's
Square. Which station should we get off from?

There is only one train station in central Venice: Venezia S. Lucia. Do be aware that San Marco is the busiest tourist area of Venice. I'll agree that you probably don't have time for Padua and everything else on your list.

Definitely get skip the line tickets or tours. The lines are LOOONG even at early hours

Yeah I would get the RS Italy or at least the best of Italy book. My addition for something not to miss in Rome is the Borghese. If you like sculptures, it has an amazing collection, and also paintings. It is small, and they only give you 2 hours and limit the crowds so we found it very enjoyable. Buy tickets ahead of time.

Are you going to Venice by plane or train. Makes a difference in how you get to your hotel or B&B. Knowing it's name and address will also help us with suggesting a vaporetto route and stop. The vaporetto does go to Burado, Murano, Torcello, and Lido and the pass does cover it.

The train will be the best way to go to Padua.

In all probability your ship will use the big terminal near Piazzale Roma. If that is the case, simply take the vaporetto to Piazzale Roma. Of course if you are loaded with luggage you may have to get a regular ($$$) water taxi there. Once there, P. Roma is a big open area with buses and such. Facing the square is a big white building that houses the "people mover". Last time it cost one Euro each but I believe it may have gone up. Take it to the first stop and get off. From there it is a short walk to the cruise ship area. If you have baggage that the ship is going to deliver to your stateroom, look carefully for the drop off point. Last trip it was on the right as you walked, but the signage wasn't very good and some people had to backtrack from the ship to the drop off point.

If you are going on a smaller ship it might dock at a terminal on the Giudecca Canal. If so, ask at your hotel about the best way to get there. We've never used that terminal so I just do not know.

If you go to bing.com, and click on maps, and type in Venice Italy, you will find it has excellent maps. You can zoom in / out, move about, and even get aerial or birds eye views of P. Roma, the people mover, and everything. A great way to get a visual lay of the land before you ever get there.

Not sure about best way to get to the Venice Treviso airport as we've never used it. But I suspect a taxi will be the quickest.

There is a site called veniceforvisitors.com that has lots of good information that will help you.

My head exploded about half way.