Venice-Florence-Rome March 2017

It could be quite chilly and damp in Venice, and I'd want some shoes that would keep my feet warm and dry. I'd never travel with boots because of the bulk and weight, but if you're happy with the overall weight of your luggage, why not?

There are some tourist sites and tours in Italy for which you'll either have to book in advance (because they sell out) or will want to do that to avoid lines. I'll list a few here off the top of my head for Rome, but review a couple of guidebooks for other possibilities. I do not mean to suggest that these are places you must go, just that if you want to see them, some advance planning is a good idea:

• Colosseum underground tour. Several posters have found that it sells out early. There are long lines for regular entry into the Colosseum, too.
• The Vatican Museums (incl. Sistine Chapel) are overrun to the point that it seems the only solution is to book a tour that gives you access before the museums open to the public. There are multiple companies offering such tours, and the prices vary.
• Vatican Scavi (underground) Tour: very limited capacity.
• Borghese Gallery; requires timed ticket, and they can sell out. I believe you must arrive quite some time before your appointed hour, so check carefully before committing.

In Venice, I think the Secret Itineraries Tour of the Doge's Palace needs to be pre-booked.

I think you'll find Florence quite walkable and won't need to use much motorized transportation. A good guidebook will provide tips on how to reach the sights that aren't centrally located.

Rome is more spread out. It has a Metro, which may sometimes be helpful. I admit that I seldom take buses in cities other than my own, because I find locating the correct bus stop a challenge. Subways are easier; the stations are marked on a map! Rick's guide books are really good about giving detailed information on how to get from place to place, including exactly where to find the bus.

A couple of years ago we were in Venice in March and there was a snow storm :-(

Check the weather a few days before traveling and make sure you have sturdy shoes/boots - not only warm but also with good traction. I almost fell into the harbor because ice on marble is VERY slippery.

@ acraven
Thank you so much for all the helpful information. I plan to wear my boots on the plane and on trains as we travel (waterproof and comfortable for walking)

One last question - as far as a daily budget how much would you allow?
I have calculated the costs for museums & cathedrals but as far as food, tours, souvenirs etc. - I know that it is best to try and stay away from restaurants right near the main sites and that they can be tourist traps. I also know that my friend and I can share meals (or is that frowned upon in Italy?) Any restaurants you can recommend?

I've only been to Rome recently, and I'm a water-drinker, so my meal-cost information is of questionable use. I can tell you that Italians take their food seriously, and sitting down to eat in a restaurant (some pizzerias excepted) is a commitment to spend at least 20 euros per person. Even in modest places it's easy to hit near 30 for a couple of courses; and of course you do pay for bottled water. The house wine might not cost much more than my water did, but if you want both... In fancier places (or tourist traps) the tab can certainly climb far higher. A lot depends on whether you're OK with what a local person might grab for lunch (remembering that the standard in Italy is quite high) or are looking for special meals. Your trip is short, so I assume you'll be interested in a few special meals.

You can split an appetizer or side dish and each order a main course if you want to, and that will probably be enough food for you. In pizzerias you need to look at the pizzas on other tables to see how large they are. They are often sized for one person (perhaps a bit generously), and it may not go well if you try to order just one pizza and share it.

I only very rarely have two restaurant meals in a single day. I try to find something that looks good from a take-away place for either lunch or dinner, and breakfast is something from a bakery, augmented with cheese or fruit if possible. I keep a small serrated knife in my hotel room for slicing cheese, tomatoes and bread.

In Venice it can be difficult to find a place that's authentic and not a rip-off joint. It's really worth looking at posts on this forum, Rick's guidebooks and internet reviews to try to avoid the bad spots. Venice is by far the riskiest place for ending up with a seriously mediocre but over-priced meal.

In general, restaurants will be 5-20% less expensive in Italy than the USA so that should help with your budgeting.

I've only traveled solo in Italy, so I don't know from experience about splitting dishes, but I've read here and there that it's frowned upon in some places. On the other hand, I've never had an issue with ordering less than a full meal - maybe just an appetizer or soup and a main course or a pasta course. If you are wine drinkers, you can get house wine (usually pretty good) by the carafe in various sizes and share that. You can also share bottled water in a restaurant. While tap water is usually very good in Italy, it can be a challenge to get it in a restaurant. I don't usually eat dinners in Venice. You can easily fill up on cicchetti (the Venetian version of tapas), with drinks, of course, by visiting 2-3 bars in the late afternoon/early evening. There are lots of restaurant options in Rome and Florence for dinner. I usually grab a snack or pick up something at the nearest mini-supermarket for lunch. You'll find lots of gelato even in the height of winter. And there's always a place to stop for hot coffee (and some places for hot chocolate) and people watching.

In Venice you either walk or take the vaporetto. Single rides are expensive but you can buy a pass for the time you are there and ride as often as you like. The passes are for 24, 48, 72 hours - depending on how long you'll be there. Riding the vaporetto up and down the Grand Canal, especially very early in the morning and late in the evening is magical. You can walk to nearly every sight in Florence from the center. One hopes that your agent has booked you into a centrally located hotel. In Rome, you'll need the metro and/or bus and/or taxi to get around as it's much larger and the sights are spread out. As acraven said, the metro is simpler, but some buses are pretty easy to find and taxis are everywhere (insist on the meter).

In Venice the Secret Itineraries Tour of the Doge's Palace does indeed need to be pre-booked as there are only a couple tours a day and in small groups, so they sell out. I found the tour very interesting. You will be taken to parts of the Palace that are closed off to general viewing. Before and after the tour, you'll have free access to the rest of the Palace. A few people have reported back that they really liked a gondola rowing lesson and it's cheaper than a gondola ride.

Weather in March is unpredictable. I've been to Venice twice in February and both times had at least one rainy day and one sunny day. I've been to Rome twice in February, the first time I had mostly sunny days and was happy to shed my jacket in the afternoons. The second time, it snowed (albeit the first time it had snowed in Rome for some 25 years). Even then daytime temps were above freezing and after 2-3 inches of snow fell at night, the next day was full sunshine, not a cloud in the sky (and some fun photos). Whatever winter outer clothes you need to get to/from the airport at home will probably be enough for Italy. Layers are always recommended. If not in Venice, in Florence you'll be able to get good warm Italian leather gloves and warm scarves and hats in and around the market. I'd take one pair of comfortable water-resistance shoes and warm socks. I have no idea what ankle booties are, but whatever shoes or boots you wear during the day you can wear to dinner. I would only take evening wear if I planned to go to the opera - and probably not even then. I always take a good quality rain poncho. I prefer that to an umbrella in the rain because [1] it's less weight and bulk to carry around than an umbrella, [2] it keeps my hands free for taking photos and other stuff, [3] it covers my day bag, [4] it keeps more of me dry than an umbrella.

Blend in - sure, you'll blend in with all the other tourists :-) All the locals will know you're tourists no matter what you're wearing. There's no shame in being a tourist.

I just got back from Italy a month ago on a solo trip--I did not find that restaurants had lofty expectations that you order a full multi-course meal. Plenty of places had a hearty salad for around 12 Euros and a glass of wine for five Euros, and they were fine if that's all you wanted. This is a country with tons of restaurant capacity, even though it was a busy time with Italian tourists due to All Saints Day, most places where I ate in Rome and Florence had plenty of empty tables. I think trying to experience a transcendent meal is going to cost you, but even if you pony up for that it may fall short. But, plenty of moderately priced places can offer a perfectly good meal for around $20 per person. Ordering a salad and splitting it might be pushing it however. For me a lot of the antipasti, salads, and panini were the best choices. I can't eat pasta or (much) pizza and the secondi tend to be uninspiring.

I usually travel solo, and try to find accommodations that include breakfast. Then I have a restaurant lunch, and a lighter meal for dinner. You can reverse the order of that. I also have skinny days and splurge days, so I don't have to budget middle-of-the-road every day.

Your budget goes further (and food tends to be better) away from the major sights, even by just a block or two.

Sharing a dish is fine, but order one other individual dish as well. When I travel with friends, we split an antipasto and contorting and each have either a pasta or secondo piatto each. Plenty of food. For a light meal, there are tavole caldi where you can put together a meal to take away. Grocery stores and delis will make you a fresh sandwich. Groceries also have pre-made salads. You can put together nice picnic lunches (be careful where you eat them, monuments may be off-limits. A panino will cost €3-10, depending on where you buy it and what's in it; a modest sit-down meal should not cost more than €15-20. Remember to budget for snacks, gelato, water, espresso (probably €5/day). Splurge meals can easily double the cost.

I travel on a tight budget and food is the most variable cost.