iluvpink
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 4,274
Location: Michigan
Jul 13, 2014 12:40:31 GMT
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Post by iluvpink on Jan 13, 2021 21:16:13 GMT
Well let's hope for 2022.
Dh and I would like to go to Italy for our 30th anniversary. Neither of us has been overseas before and we both would love to see Italy. I get nervous thinking of it, navigating an airport and traveling in a country where we don't speak the language etc. I'm not even sure how long or exactly where we would go/stay. I think we'd need two weeks, dh thinks a week. I want to mostly see Rome and Florence. Dh wants to also see Tuscany and Lake Como. I don't want to try driving so I guess we'd have to take trains?
Any general advice/tips? I have Rick Steve's book and the whole internet, but I find it so overwhelming. I also would love to go to the U.K. and that would be less stressful from the language point of view, but dh is set on Italy.
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Post by hop2 on Jan 13, 2021 21:18:45 GMT
Be very aware of the driving laws especially Rome. There are parts of Rome where you can’t drive there if you don’t live there basically
Get tickets/passes to as many places ahead of time online as day if lines are long and a waste of time ( ha ha advice I wish I’d taken )
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Post by CarolinaGirl71 on Jan 13, 2021 21:27:01 GMT
We went on a cruise with a few stops in Italy - make sure you include Positano and the Amalfi coast - I thought it was absolutely gorgeous!
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Post by catmom on Jan 13, 2021 21:33:10 GMT
We’ve been to Italy 4 times - it’s our favourite country and we don’t speak Italian. No need to be afraid of the language barrier, everyone speaks good to excellent English.
I absolutely love Tuscany. We rented a car and had a great time, but you can take a train to see some of the main areas.
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Post by belgravia on Jan 13, 2021 21:34:15 GMT
We’ve been to Italy a few times. Venice is absolutely magical and I think you should try to get there for a day or two. We also love the Cinque Terre. We stayed in an amazing villa in Tuscany, just outside of Mercatale, that is to die for, but you would need a car. Florence and Rome are full of must sees, but are hot and crowded! My husband loves the Amalfi coast (I haven’t been there). I don’t think a week is long enough.
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Post by gar on Jan 13, 2021 21:36:48 GMT
Just wanted to say that you won’t be disappointed 😊 But one week is not enough.
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pilcas
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 2,903
Aug 14, 2015 21:47:17 GMT
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Post by pilcas on Jan 13, 2021 21:38:44 GMT
Would you consider taking a tour? If it is your first trip abroad you might feel more comfortable doing that. Perrillo Tours specializes in Italy. Personally I have very much enjoyed tours with Globus. There are pros and cons to doing it on your own and doing a tour. The tour is obviously very easy, all is taken care of but they can keep you very busy. The use of time is also optimized. You can be a lot more impulsive if you make arrangements on your own.
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Anita
Drama Llama
Posts: 5,642
Location: Kansas City -ish
Jun 27, 2014 2:38:58 GMT
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Post by Anita on Jan 13, 2021 21:39:49 GMT
We lived there for almost two years, but that was a while ago and we were in the southern part of Italy (Naples). I can tell you about the driving (insane) and the people (very warm and friendly) and the dangers (guard your wallet!) but that's about all I recall. I hope you have an amazing trip. The light is just different there. It's an enchanting place.
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pilcas
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 2,903
Aug 14, 2015 21:47:17 GMT
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Post by pilcas on Jan 13, 2021 21:40:04 GMT
A week is not enough. Remember there will be time spent going from one place to the next.
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Post by scrappinheather on Jan 13, 2021 21:41:22 GMT
I’ve been at least 4 times. The trains work great for travel. The analog coast is amazing. Rome has so many must see sites abd places to eat. Venice is magical abd definitely take time to visit Murano am& Burbano when you are there. Tuscany was beautiful. We stayed in Florence and took a day trip to Tuscany so you can do that in more compressed time. Sicily was very interesting and amazing coffee but I think if you hit the amalfi coast, Rome, Florence and Venice you will have an amazing trip. Pizza in Naples is delicious the olive oil in the amalfi coast is incredible. People are really nice and it’s easy to get around.
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Post by summer on Jan 13, 2021 21:47:33 GMT
I have! I went for 17 days. We went to Milan, Venice, Perugia, Rome, Florence, Pisa. It was the best trip of my life. I think a week would be rushed, especially since you are on Italian time and things will be at a much slower pace. My favorite was Venice, followed by Florence. Definitely see the statue of David, it’s more increadable in person than you can imagine.
I went with my best friend who is fluent in Italian and lived in various parts of Italy for 8 years. I would not have survived without having her interpret for me, English was not spoken anywhere other than on my tours and this was just a few years ago, not that I expect anyone to speak English since that is not their language, but it did feel isolating being surround by a language I can’t understand or communicate in. Sign up for English speaking tours. Try to learn whatever Italian you can in the meantime! There was only one high end restaurant that discreetly handed me a menu in English. All other menus were in Italian throughout the trip.
She had friends in every city we traveled to, so it was nice to have them to go out to dinner with after our days of sightseeing and tourist attractions. They knew all the best restaurants.
We took trains between cities. Definitely book everything ahead of time, otherwise you may miss out on certain attractions or waste hours on lines to get tickets.
There are a lot of street vendors in the major tourist areas that are very aggressive and annoying. There is a lot of pick pocketing so you always have to be on alert. A lot of beggars, who your tour guide will tell you they are there every day and make plenty of money begging, one woman pretended to be pregnant and the next day her big baby bump was gone, so be careful of the scammers. I would say that was the worst part of the trip.
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Post by scrapbookwriter on Jan 13, 2021 21:55:07 GMT
Florence is one of my favorite places on earth. It’s not just the beauty and the history and the art and the architecture (as though that isn't enough) - there is something about the quality of the light, all pink and gold.
We were supposed to go back to Italy last spring for a week-long Venice river cruise. We added an extra week in Florence to our itinerary. One week in Italy is definitely not enough.
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Post by ntsf on Jan 13, 2021 22:00:53 GMT
avoid national holidays.everything is closed. I would actually suggest going in late fall or early winter and avoiding crowds to see rome and florence. I was there in dec and it was lovely since you haven't been there. consider a tour. where they set up all transport, hotels, and some activities and you just follow the plan. you don't have to do a bus together type of tour. rick steves company can do that I think
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finaledition
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 4,896
Jun 26, 2014 0:30:34 GMT
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Post by finaledition on Jan 13, 2021 22:06:32 GMT
I’ve been a few times, but short periods. The longest was 5 days just in Tuscany. We had a trip planned for last June-6 days along the Amalfi Coast and 4 days in the Lake Como region. Whenever we can we will be rebooking that trip. I put too much effort into planning to not go.
We were planning to take an Easy Jet Flight into Milan from Naples to save some time.
I had also was taking a conversational Italian class which was shut down. I might start doing Duolingo and see how that works for me. **this is purely for my own interest and being able to have short communications with people. Google translate is a great option if ever in need.
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Post by Delta Dawn on Jan 13, 2021 22:13:38 GMT
I did a 3 week tour and loved it! Italy is magical!
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Post by Basket1lady on Jan 13, 2021 22:14:15 GMT
I’d definitely go for longer than a week. By the time you adjust to the new time zone and the foreign country, you will be back home again if you only go for a week. Also, meals are long social affairs and can easily take 2-3 hours. It’s nice to have a rest and sit down, but the long meals make me a little nuts when there is stuff that I want to see. We usually pack cheese and sausage (and bread!) or eat street food for lunch and save the long meal for the end of the day.
One thing to consider is to fly into London or Dublin, spend a few days, then fly to Italy. Ryan Air is super cheap. I’ve flown for as little as $12 a person (each way). It’s bare bones and there are some rules that Americans need to follow, but it’s all there in English. (Ryan Air is an Irish company).
But really, people will speak English in the major cities. Any tourist area will have English speakers because tourism is how they earn their money. Sure, you may run into a few who don’t speak English, but if the need is great enough, they will find an English speaker. I have food allergies and still was able to make my way.
The Google Translate app is your friend. You also have plenty of time to learn a little Italian. Duolingo is a free app that is really helpful to learn a language. The rest you just work your way through.
It’s fun to explore on your own, but I’d probably book a day tour here and there. Find one that captures your interests—a winery tour, a Vespa tour, a food tour, an art or architecture tour... there are tons. I don’t care for a full group tour because you spend time waiting for others when you aren’t interested and not enough time on what you want to see. It’s also a nice breather to have someone else do all of the planning and transporting!
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Elsabelle
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 3,602
Jun 26, 2014 2:04:55 GMT
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Post by Elsabelle on Jan 13, 2021 22:15:48 GMT
I’ll be following this thread. 2021 was supposed to be our year for two weeks on the Amalfi Coast.
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Post by Really Red on Jan 13, 2021 22:15:58 GMT
Many times. How many times have you been to Europe? Are you both seasoned travelers? If so, then you guys know yourselves.
If not, I also recommend a tour. At least for a little part of it. And you definitely need 2 weeks. You need at least 3-4 days in Rome alone!
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Post by ~summer~ on Jan 13, 2021 22:26:53 GMT
I’ve been to Italy a couple times - my advice is to be careful to avoid the hottest and most crowded months (but I hate heat and crowds).
For me personally- 10 days is a good trip length. And I’m now a fan of tours and would do a mix of independent site seeing and a tour. Like if I were going for 10 days I would include a 4-5 day tour in there.
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Post by cadoodlebug on Jan 14, 2021 0:15:23 GMT
We spent 16 days in Italy in 2019 and have a trip to Croatia/Slovenia with a week in Italy planned for 2022. We go with a group of 30+ people through a tour company and, for us, it is perfect. We know the guy who organizes it and we've traveled with a lot of the same people before. We did Lake Como, Florence, Bologna, Tuscany, Naples, Sorrento & Amalfi coast. We don't speak any Italian and were fine.
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Post by auntkelly on Jan 14, 2021 0:30:58 GMT
We’ve been to Italy twice and traveled all over by ourselves w/out speaking a word of Italian and we were fine. Both of our trips were two weeks long. We traveled by train.
If you are going for two weeks, I would pick two or maybe three cities to use as a base for travel. You won’t have time to see everything in Italy in two weeks. Just pick a few places and enjoy what you have time to see. The Rick Steve’s books are a great resource. I also like the travel forums at RickSteves.com and TripAdvisor.com.
Have fun!
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Post by Karene on Jan 14, 2021 3:27:52 GMT
We went for 5 weeks in May 2019. And loved it! We will definitely be returning.
We used the trains exclusively and it worked out really well. I purchased all the tickets before we left. Some were digital and some were paper. A few times we hired a private to take us to a specific place that wasn't easy by train.
We spent 9 days in Sorrento to see the Amalfi Coast and Pompeii. We rented an apartment in Rome for 11 days and took a day trip to Florence. We were one day in Ravenna to see the amazing mosaics and then 4 days in Venice. We then went to the Italian Alps for 3 days and then up to Munich for our last week.
We don't speak Italian and had no trouble. You will not regret going, but make sure you give yourself enough time in each place you go. Eleven days in Rome and we just scratched the surface.
Check out Fodor's Travel Forum. That was really helpful to me.
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Post by catmom on Jan 14, 2021 3:28:50 GMT
If you're going for a week, keep it to two areas at most so you don't lose too much time traveling. If you pick Florence and Tuscany they are close and easy to travel in one week. Driving around Tuscany is mostly very easy because it's pretty rural BUT many of the cities don't allow driving within the city limits without a permit. Since it's your first visit you might want to stick to the cities available via train, and maybe take some day tours from a base. For example, you could stay in Siena as a base. Rick Steves guidebooks are great, and TripAdvisor will be your best friend. LOTS of ideas on Trip Advisor. If you are nervous of traveling alone, then Rick Steves does tours.
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Post by Jessica on Jan 14, 2021 4:06:41 GMT
You've got some good advice upthread. As many people have said, you'll never spend enough time in Italy. Any and all time you can add, do it. 😍 I lived in Florence in 2003-4 and it is something I still think about on a daily basis. I've been lucky enough to go back a few times since then and each time I add on many things I'd like to do "the next time." Trains are so easy and fun -- you can stare out the window the whole time and then you don't have to worry about a car (and the Italians driving, fuggedaboutit). My aunt and uncle now live on the Almafi Coast so I'm trying to figure out how best to save my pennies for a trip once it's safe.
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Post by patin on Jan 14, 2021 9:39:20 GMT
We were in Italy for 3-1/2 weeks from mid- September 2019. We took a 9 day tour with Cosmos for Southern Italy - Rome, Capri, Sorrento, Amalfi. Would highly recommend. The sites in Rome were almost impossible to get into without a pre-book or a tour.Then we took the train to Florence & rented both a car & a lovely VRBO near Castillina in Chianti. We took day trips to Pisa, 2x to Florence (wish we had left the car & taken the train in. Parking was impossibe.), Siena, Volterra.
I spent 30 min. Per day on Duolingo for 6 months before we left. Most everyone spoke English in the big cities. In Tuscany , however I was glad to know some Italian. There were moments that took my breath away- entering Pisa, rounding a corner in the Academia & seeing the David. I'll never forget it. We are scheduled for a cruise leaving from Venice. We are going a couple of days early to explore Venice. I can't wait! Time to start reviewing my Italian on Duo!
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Post by Bridget in MD on Jan 14, 2021 13:40:27 GMT
I was hoping to take DD to Italy when she graduated from HS this year, but that won't happen. Maybe it will be a college graduation gift now! I am hopeful travel will be back to normal by 2022, but then I worry the crowds will be astronomical.
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StephDRebel
Drama Llama
Posts: 6,663
Location: Ohio
Jul 5, 2014 1:53:49 GMT
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Post by StephDRebel on Jan 14, 2021 13:48:06 GMT
You will have the best time. i went once and cant stop. I wont go back without staying here, we finished our trip with them but i would move in if they let me. their tours are phenomenal. www.casalespietro.com/
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Post by juanita on Jan 14, 2021 13:50:02 GMT
I have been to Italy 3 times so far and it is one country that I keep wanting to return. One week is just not enough time. It would be really rushed. Also take in account the flight and time change. That take a toll on your body. I would do Rome, and Venice if I was only able to do a week.
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Post by juanita on Jan 14, 2021 13:52:45 GMT
We were in Italy for 3-1/2 weeks from mid- September 2019. We took a 9 day tour with Cosmos for Southern Italy - Rome, Capri, Sorrento, Amalfi. Would highly recommend. The sites in Rome were almost impossible to get into without a pre-book or a tour.Then we took the train to Florence & rented both a car & a lovely VRBO near Castillina in Chianti. We took day trips to Pisa, 2x to Florence (wish we had left the car & taken the train in. Parking was impossibe.), Siena, Volterra. I spent 30 min. Per day on Duolingo for 6 months before we left. Most everyone spoke English in the big cities. In Tuscany , however I was glad to know some Italian. There were moments that took my breath away- entering Pisa, rounding a corner in the Academia & seeing the David. I'll never forget it. We are scheduled for a cruise leaving from Venice. We are going a couple of days early to explore Venice. I can't wait! Time to start reviewing my Italian on Duo! We did a b2b out of Venice and it is such a beautiful port to sail in and out of. Venice is my favourite city to get lost in.
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Post by gar on Jan 14, 2021 14:03:09 GMT
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