We are planning a trip mid May for two weeks to Italy. Our itinerary is fly to Rome, Rome 5 nights ,train to Florence 4 nights ( day trip by local train to Pisa), train to Venice 4 nights, train to Rome 1 nights. I am plannig on purchasing a rail pass that allows us to take three fast trains R>F>V>R. we have a month to use the trips. I understand I need to make reservations on each of those segments. Local subways, buses and local trains to outer places we want to visit will be purchased when we get there. A soccer game in Florence and a trip to Pisa are boys wishes along with Colesium. Several places suggest getting tickets ahead of time. Is it worth the expense to do a Hop off, Hop on tour in Florence and Rome to give the boys an overall feel for the city? Any suggestions would be appreciated.
Posted by
Gettysburg PA
7247 posts
I love the amount of time you have allocated to each location. The fewer moves, the better.
You might consider heading to Florence on arrival then Venice then back to Rome so all your Rome nights are at end, eliminates that 1 night stay/hotel change.
Lots of help and advice here on how to accomplish that.
(Best would be to fly IN to Venice, OUT of Rome- if flights can be changed?)
Itinerary would be:
Arrive FCO
Train to Florence- 4-5 nights including day trip to Pisa (your arrival day will be jet lag, take that into account)
A 4 night stay here means 3 full days to explore, arrival half day doesn't count. That gives 1 day to Pisa, 1 day for soccer game. 1 for Florence sights so I'd do 5 nights here.
Train to Venice 4 nights
Train to Rome 5 nights
Fly home from FCO
A rail pass is usually not cost effective or necessary in Italy. Just purchase point to point tickets on either actual train site
Trenitalia- fast trains and regional
https://www.trenitalia.com/content/tcom/en.html
or
ItaloTreno- fast trains
https://www.italotreno.it/en
Both have easy to use apps.
Purchasing in advance will allow you to take advantage of great discounts as long as you are sure of your travel dates.
HOHO buses not worthwhile in either Florence (not even sure there is one there) or Rome
Florence is very compact and walkable- you can get most anywhere in historic center in just a few min walk.
Rome historic center very walkable as well, we've never used any public transportation there. We prefer to stay near Pantheon
The HOHO bus can not get near the actual sites due to pedestrianized zones. Much better to explore on foot.
Yes- you will want to book entries to Colosseum, etc- you actually have to book timed entries to most major sites now. Let us know which sites you are interested in and links to official sites and ticket booking can be shared.
Posted by
872 posts
There is a direct train from the FCO airport to Florence at 13:53; others you change trains downtown, all taking about 2.5 hours. Staying on any train for 2.5 more hours you are in Venice. The principle is going to the furthest destination on the arrival day.
Posted by
1045 posts
If you can book advance entry for something then you should. Places like Coliseum, Vatican Museum, Uffizi, and Accademia come with crazy long lines for those who do not have timed tickets. It may take from the spontaneity, but it’s a must.
I’m not a fan of HOHO bus tours. It always seem like you spend a lot of time waiting in traffic or stops. Rome is actually terrific to walk around in, and particularly the “old center” between Piazza Navona and Spanish Steps/ Piazza de Popolo is mostly pedestrianized. I’m not even sure where a bus tour would take you in these cities…
I am a big fan of Eating Italy food tours, and think booking one for your first or second night can be in ideal way to “get familiarized” with a neighborhood, Italian culture and of course food! Your grandsons will probably appreciate knowing what to look for in a gelato stand, and carry that through the rest of the trip.
Seeing a soccer game is probably the trickiest bit here, and hopefully someone comes along with some concrete advice. You will almost certainly have to go through a pricey ticket broker. Tickets are not distributed or sold like they are here in the States. Home and traveling supporters sit in separate sections, and are carefully controlled by security. So, you can’t just hop on the team website and buy tickets. If your grandsons are Fiorentina fans, there’s an outside chance a local supporters group can connect them or they may try to contact the club’s fan services directly. I had a friend get tickets by getting hold of a club representative and talk to them about their love of the club, history, etc. (this was England however.)
Enjoy, I think you have a solid handle on this and nice itinerary :)