Trip to Italy- help me plan

[hops&dreams]

We are attending a wedding in Italy, and I’m trying to plan this trip and I feel like I’m in over my head. I have places to stay mostly booked already- my sister and cousin have booked houses for us to stay in for most of the trip. But just trying to book flights- do we pay $1,400 per person to fly directly in/out of Rome, or do I save $600/person and fly into Geneva and train it down to the first house near Pisa? We are mildly flexible with dates of travel and length of trip, so I just feel like this should be easier than I’m making it.

This is so overwhelming, coupled with not speaking the languages when I try to look at the websites for transportation!

Any advice, tips, places I should not miss while I’m there???

Wedding is in late May in Tuscany, near Grosseto.
The week before the wedding, we have a beach house near Via Reggio.

So far, the only things on our must do lists are:
Ufizzi
Puccini’s house (my daughter is in her college’s orchestra and wants to see his house)
Pisa
Cinique Terre (I think we are chartering a boat for a day to take us town to town)
Rome- colosseum, Roman Forum, Vatican. I am trying to do Rome for 2 nights/3 days.

This will be me and my husband’s first trip to Europe. My daughter will be on a 2 week study tour of Austria and Hungary about 2 months before.

Planning a trip to WDW feels a million times easier than this…. what am I missing here???

So sorry to be rambling. I just feel like pulling my hair out when I try to research for this trip!

 

[hrhdhd]

Fodors.com has forums where you can post your questions and get good advice.

 

[AnnaS]

We are also in the process of planning our trip to Sicily this year. It is overwhelming and I speak the language (not great) and my husband and I were both born there (different towns).

If you are on FB there are quiet a few groups - just type in Italy, or the city you are visiting, tours, etc. A bunch will pop up after that.

We have three home bases in the planning stages. One couple/cousins from Toronto meeting us for one home base and a possibility of another family joining us for two home bases.

Having said that - we are debating a round trip from NY to Palermo or return from Catania. Catania's return though is significantly higher. Do we drive back to Palermo (4 hour drive? stay overnight in Palermo to play it safe?).

For us also - if we want to save a few dollars on air - do we want a stop in countries I have no desire to be in? Rent a car, hire a driver? Take public transportation? These FB groups might help with suggestions/tips. Give it a shot. Airfare is expensive

 

[CynBeth]

I know what you mean about the planning. We will hopefully be on a cruise this summer that was cancelled twice due to Covid and then we were not ready last year. It leaves out of Barcelona and ends in the port city outside of Rome. We are flying in a few days before and then after will visit Venice for a few days and Rome for a few days. With all of the issues there have been with possible flight delays I would fly in and out of Rome so you are in the country you need to be and not add any complication. I just looked on the Italiarail website and there is a train you can get at the airport FCO with one or 2 changes or from Rome Termini there are some trains that are direct from Rome to Pisa others have one change in Florence. Unfortunately most attractions if you do them in your own and not part of a tour you can’t book until 30 or 60 days before and I hear certain things go fast. Another suggestion of a travel board is Trip Advisor you can search the message boards by country. I frequently go on the ones for Italy and Spain.

 

[QueenIsabella]

My absolute favorite thing in Italy--and I LOVE Italy!--was an after-hours tour of the Vatican Museum/Sistine Chapel. It was truly life altering. I don't know how easy it would be to book (or how expensive). We did it as part of a tour.

I thought Pisa was pretty lame--a couple hours of your time, at most. You go in, take the iconic picture of you "holding up the tower", and leave. The church is gorgeous, and you can climb the tower, if you like. But, a real yawn, compared with many of our other activities in Italy.

Don't worry too much about the language barrier--most Italians speak some English, enough to get you by. They do appreciate you trying some basic phrases (and don't laugh at you, like the French do). It was funny, we were having a snack in Pisa, and my older DD needed sunglasses. She's really into language--teaches English language learners, just got her masters in applied linguistics. The sunglass vendor was a Syrian immigrant. She spoke Spanish, he spoke accented Italian, and somehow the two of them managed to have a 15-minute conversation--she likes asking people where they're from, how they got to be where they are now, etc.

Good luck in your planning--I'm a huge Rick Steves fan, he has a website with a ton of information.

 

[Karin1984]

If you do not speak the language, do you really want to take the train for 8 - 10 hours with two transfers? Once you are seated it'll be fine, but the getting around after a long flight when you are tired can be a challenge.

If you have plenty of time, the train is the great way to discover Europe. You will see all the differences in landscapes on such a long journey. However, if you are short on time, take the plane to the nearest city you want to be.

If you do a lot of travelling around: rent a car. You will save yourself a lot of hassle.
Pro-tip: inspect your rental car thoroughly before driving off. Let them take note of every scratch you see and take pictures.

I think Americans (generalization, I'm speaking as a European) are easily overwhelmed with planning trips outside their own country. Probably because the USA has so much to offer in different regions, less people travel abroad. I'm in the Netherlands, 2-3 hours in any direction and I can be in 4 different countries. We do speak our languages as well, but even if we don't, we know we can communicate with hands and feet if needed (went on holidays to France as a kid without speaking French, I always found kids to play with and made up our own games without talking). I think because we have had more possibilities to easily get to other countries, we are less daunted by going somewhere we don't know anything.

Pro-tip 2: by late May the weather will be perfect, great for a wedding, and also for tourists. Expect it to be busy at tourist attractions.

I was in Rome during Easter and even with a lot of rain, the Colosseum was packed. I would suggest to either do a tour with a guide to really learn something about the building and the history of Rome, or just look at it from the outside. I was a bit disappointed once I was inside.

Pro-tip 3: If you can, buy tickets in advance, especially for the Vatican. Go in with a plan: how much time do you want to spend there, the Vatican plus museums can easily take a full day.

Pro-tip 4: Cities like Rome and museums like the Vatican can be so overwhelming, it can cause an art attack (also known as Stendhal syndrome). Sometimes too much art and beauty is not a good thing ;-) Dose your exposure to art.
The Pieta in the Vatican was one of those art pieces for me. It's so incredibly beautiful with the surrounding and the quietness. It almost made me cry.

Pro-tip 5: When you go to the Sistine Chapel, keep in mind it's going to be unpleasantly crowded (it's a relatively small room) and they do not allow you to take pictures. Staff will be walking around and yelling every few minutes not to take pictures.

 

[Dreams&wishes]

Hi I'm Italian from Italy I can help you translating if you need me to.
There are lots of nice things to see between Geneva and Rome but it will totally depend on how much time you have on your hand and how long you want the trip to be. I generally prefer to go directly to. The places I need to go but that's just me.

I can help you with a proper plan if you need to but I need to know the total days. For now I would tell you to totally miss Viareggio do include Siena and San Gimignano if you are in the area.

In rome I would spend 4 days.

Did you try flying into Rome and away from Milan? That would give you the option to view more things.

Let me know

 

[RUDisney]

My favorite things in Florence were the Duomo tour, especially in its basement, and The Basilica of Saint Lawrence. In the Basilica, there is a sacristy where many of the Medici are interred. Watch Medici on Netflix for some scope on the Medicis from an historical fiction perspective. You'll at least know the names of the graves you'll be seeing and you'll have an understanding of some of the sites you'll see. The Medicis ruled Florence for 200 years to the day. It started on July 9th with Cosimo di Medici and ended on July 9th with the death of Giangiacomo di Medici. I love useless trivia. lol There were also 3 Medici popes. Pope Clement who refused Henry VIII's request for an annulment was a Medici.

If you want to see The David, you'll have to go to the Accademia Gallery. The David didn't make me cry, but I was awe-struck. The Pieta in St. Peter's Basilica made me cry. It is just beautiful and it could be any mother holding her child like that.

Skip Pisa and spend a few days in Florence. It also had the best food I've ever tasted. I flew into Florence and home from Rome.

Don't worry about taking trains. There are plenty of people to ask where to go. You don't have to purchase your tickets online or at a kiosk in the station. There are actual people who will sell them to you at an information/sales station and they speak English. I don't take trains often, so I even buy tickets through the manned service desks in American subway and train stations.

I find it helpful to learn a few key words and phrases before I go to any country. I study food names, numbers and "where is the toilet?", although saying "toilet?" to anyone outside the US typically gets you to one. The only place where no one spoke English in Florence was in the church store across from the Duomo. I pantomimed with the nun who waited on us. Also, put the addresses that you need into your phone's notes. Many taxi drivers don't speak much English. I had a ball with the taxi drivers because I spoke as little Italian as they spoke English and we would laugh together in every cab I took. You can show the address to the driver from your phone.

A word of warning... the "pregnant" women who hang outside of the churches have been "pregnant" for years. They will beg for money, as will older folks, too. It must make them a lot of money with all the tourists, but you don't have to add to their wealth by giving money to them. Also, when they and their cohorts see you give, more will come up to you and they now know where you have your money so they can pickpocket you.

Enjoy your trip!!!

 

[TwoMisfits]

We are attending a wedding in Italy, and I’m trying to plan this trip and I feel like I’m in over my head. I have places to stay mostly booked already- my sister and cousin have booked houses for us to stay in for most of the trip. But just trying to book flights- do we pay $1,400 per person to fly directly in/out of Rome, or do I save $600/person and fly into Geneva and train it down to the first house near Pisa? We are mildly flexible with dates of travel and length of trip, so I just feel like this should be easier than I’m making it.

This is so overwhelming, coupled with not speaking the languages when I try to look at the websites for transportation!

Any advice, tips, places I should not miss while I’m there???

Wedding is in late May in Tuscany, near Grosseto.
The week before the wedding, we have a beach house near Via Reggio.

So far, the only things on our must do lists are:
Ufizzi
Puccini’s house (my daughter is in her college’s orchestra and wants to see his house)
Pisa
Cinique Terre (I think we are chartering a boat for a day to take us town to town)
Rome- colosseum, Roman Forum, Vatican. I am trying to do Rome for 2 nights/3 days.

This will be me and my husband’s first trip to Europe. My daughter will be on a 2 week study tour of Austria and Hungary about 2 months before.

Planning a trip to WDW feels a million times easier than this…. what am I missing here???

So sorry to be rambling. I just feel like pulling my hair out when I try to research for this trip!

Ummm, why aren't you looking to fly into Pisa, if the house is there? That would be my suggestion. It takes trains and travel stress out of the equation...

Edit to Add: Pisa is kinda a disappointing site (as is Venice) - the leaning tower is nice, but not as amazing as you'd think it would be - when I was in Italy, Florence and Rome were my 2 favorite cities to visit. Lucca and Assisi were also fascinating for delivering a different period of Italian history.

 

[kdonnel]

We had a great family trip to Italy several years ago, I guess soon to be many years ago.

The Cinque Terre is the one place we regret not getting to visit. We tried twice.

The first time was just my family and when we showed up at the train station we learned it was having technical difficulties and they could not guarantee our return trip would happen. If we went we would most likely be stuck overnight and miss our cruise that was leaving the next day. So we didn't go.

The second time we were on a tour with EF Tours, 8th grade Spanish trip, and they tried hard.

Originally we were supposed to take the train but there was a train strike the day we were going.

The year we went train strikes were common, I am not sure if that is still the case. You might want to research if there are any planned strikes as your dates get closer. The strikes are announced ahead of time and if there is one you might be able to adjust your plans before it is a problem.

https://www.italiarail.com/train-strikes-italy

Since the train was a no go they tried to drive the tour buses but were turned around within sight. We had arrived too late in the day to be accommodated by bus and had to settle for seeing one of the villages from the distance on the side of the road.

I hope you get to visit. It looks spectacular.

Edited to add:
Looks like strikes are back on in 2023.
https://www.thelocal.it/20230112/calendar-the-transport-strikes-to-expect-in-italy-this-january/

Further edited to add:
The locals are friendly. My family and I had taken the train into Pisa from the cruise port. We were waiting on the return train when an announcement was made in Italian. A woman came up to us and asked if we were waiting for the train we were waiting for. She told us the announcement was a track change and that we should head to the new track. I am positive we would have missed our train if she had not approached us.

 

[hrhdhd]

Just back to add a vote FOR Pisa. I've been twice and loved it each time. Yes, it's kitschy. But it's also wonderful. If you want to see it, then go.

 

[dvcgirl67]

We are attending a wedding in Italy, and I’m trying to plan this trip and I feel like I’m in over my head. I have places to stay mostly booked already- my sister and cousin have booked houses for us to stay in for most of the trip. But just trying to book flights- do we pay $1,400 per person to fly directly in/out of Rome, or do I save $600/person and fly into Geneva and train it down to the first house near Pisa? We are mildly flexible with dates of travel and length of trip, so I just feel like this should be easier than I’m making it.

This is so overwhelming, coupled with not speaking the languages when I try to look at the websites for transportation!

Any advice, tips, places I should not miss while I’m there???

Wedding is in late May in Tuscany, near Grosseto.
The week before the wedding, we have a beach house near Via Reggio.

So far, the only things on our must do lists are:
Ufizzi
Puccini’s house (my daughter is in her college’s orchestra and wants to see his house)
Pisa
Cinique Terre (I think we are chartering a boat for a day to take us town to town)
Rome- colosseum, Roman Forum, Vatican. I am trying to do Rome for 2 nights/3 days.

This will be me and my husband’s first trip to Europe. My daughter will be on a 2 week study tour of Austria and Hungary about 2 months before.

Planning a trip to WDW feels a million times easier than this…. what am I missing here???

So sorry to be rambling. I just feel like pulling my hair out when I try to research for this trip!

If you've only got 2/3 days for Rome, and if you can swing it, hire private guides to help you navigate lines (meaning you get to skip many)....and see as much as you can. This is especially true with the Colosseum and the Vatican.

If you can...and I'm not sure how far out they take requests, email the Vatican and request tickets for the Scavi Tour, which is a tour under the Vatican...in the necropolis. It was one of the coolest tours we've ever done in Europe. They only allow 250 people to go through a day. A priest who works at the Vatican gave us our tour (and he was quite handsome....he could have been young Matt Damon's twin).....and it was just amazing. You can't get these tickets anywhere but directly from the Vatican....here's an explainer on how to try. I think they only take requests so far out, but if interested, email as soon as you have your dates.

https://partwaythere.com/2017/12/14/the-vatican-scavi-tour-what-it-is-how-to-get-tickets/

Don't worry about not speaking Italian, everywhere you go....most Italians will speak pretty fluent English.

 

[cedricandsophie]

We have been to Italy several times. We have always rentEd a car and driven around. I’m sure the trains are fine but we prefer the ability to stop where we want.
I always opt for the easiest and least complicated air but yiu need to determine How much money you are willing to spend.
rick Steves has a couple books on Italy which give you lots of ideas. Also there is a book or two on road trips within Italy which we have used.
Here are my favorite things to do in Italy thst may or may not coincide with what you Can accomplish.
The Amalfi coast. One of the most gorgeous places on earth, Portofino is about 2 hour drive from ViaReggio so doable as a road trip. I also love the island of Capri but you probably don’t have time for that. Most people visit Pompei when they are close to Naples. we actually prefer Paestum which is on the coast just before you get to the village of Amalfi. Gorgeous,

Tuscany. Just driving around on small roads and stopping in villages. Siena is a wonderful stop to walk around and have a drink in the square. Or montepulciano which is on a hill. Fun little village

the lakes district. Again you may Not have time but lake como or our favorite lake maggiore are stunning, You can see the mountains in the distance.

we also love the area of Umbria for driving around.

as for Rome, I suggest the hop on hop off bus for an orientation and to get you around the city. One fun off the beaten path place is the Mouth of Truth which was featured in the movie Roman Holiday with Audrey Hepburn. It’s not far from the coliseum and we got there on the hop on hop off bus. Another place thst isn’t visited thst often is the Villa Borghese. Beautiful home and gardens Just outside of Rome.

For us Florence was fine but a one and done. If yiu want to see the David, you probably need reservations. Same with Piza…once you’ve seen it…

the beauty of Italy are the villages, the food and the people.

Enjoh.

 

[QueenIsabella]

Pro-tip 5: When you go to the Sistine Chapel, keep in mind it's going to be unpleasantly crowded (it's a relatively small room) and they do not allow you to take pictures. Staff will be walking around and yelling every few minutes not to take pictures.

A couple important notes: Karin is right about a "regular" trip to the Sistine Chapel--very crowded, constantly being "shushed" by the staff, etc. But if you do the after-hours tour, it was ~50-60 people total, including a couple guards to make sure nothing was touched. We could talk and take photos.

Also, La Pieta, which is, truly, amazing---it's not in the Museum. It's in St. Peter's Basilica, across the plaza. During an after-hours tour, the basilica is closed, so you can't see La Pieta or other amazing works there. They have a statue of St. Peter--the faithful line up to rub his feet, as an homage to Jesus washing his feet. So many people have done this, the "foot" is just the supporting brass bar at this point.

I also found Venice to be a disappointment--it reminded me of a drunk, has-been actress, tarted up in a bar, remembering the good old days when she was somebody. OTOH, Sorrento was one of my favorite cities--the entire city is perfumed by the lemon groves in it. But, that's more southern than I think you're going, and you certainly can find plenty of amazing things to do where you plan to be.

 

[QueenIsabella]

Also, don't be afraid to eat in any little cafe you might find. You'll get amazing food, and possibly even a wine that you can't buy, because it's from the owner's uncle private vineyard in Umbria or something. But, it will be wonderful.

 

[cedricandsophie]

We have been to Italy several times. We have always rentEd a car and driven around. I’m sure the trains are fine but we prefer the ability to stop where we want.
I always opt for the easiest and least complicated air but yiu need to determine How much money you are willing to spend.
rick Steves has a couple books on Italy which give you lots of ideas. Also there is a book or two on road trips within Italy which we have used.
Here are my favorite things to do in Italy thst may or may not coincide with what you Can accomplish.
The Amalfi coast. One of the most gorgeous places on earth, Portofino is about 2 hour drive from ViaReggio so doable as a road trip. I also love the island of Capri but you probably don’t have time for that. Most people visit Pompei when they are close to Naples. we actually prefer Paestum which is on the coast just before you get to the village of Amalfi. Gorgeous,

Tuscany. Just driving around on small roads and stopping in villages. Siena is a wonderful stop to walk around and have a drink in the square. Or montepulciano which is on a hill. Fun little village

the lakes district. Again you may Not have time but lake como or our favorite lake maggiore are stunning, You can see the mountains in the distance.

we also love the area of Umbria for driving around.

as for Rome, I suggest the hop on hop off bus for an orientation and to get you around the city. One fun off the beaten path place is the Mouth of Truth which was featured in the movie Roman Holiday with Audrey Hepburn. It’s not far from the coliseum and we got there on the hop on hop off bus. Another place thst isn’t visited thst often is the Villa Borghese. Beautiful home and gardens Just outside of Rome.

For us Florence was fine but a one and done. If yiu want to see the David, you probably need reservations. Same with Piza…once you’ve seen it…

the beauty of Italy are the villages, the food and the people.

Enjoh.

 

[Nora03]

My only suggestion, as others have made, is to arrange private tours. They’re expensive, but worth the money. No standing in long lines. And it’s fun. Our tour guide for 8 of us at the Vatican was arguing with one of the guards and I asked her if we were in trouble. She said No, that’s my boyfriend. She took us past huge crowds, down back stairways and we saw everything we wanted to see in a reasonable amount of time. We purchased all our tickets ahead of time, online. Loved Cinque Terre and chose it over Pisa, but did see the Tower from the bus. We were on a two week Mediterranean cruise so our time was limited. Don’t miss the Amalfi Coast. Spectacular!

 

[TLSnell1981]

We are attending a wedding in Italy, and I’m trying to plan this trip and I feel like I’m in over my head. I have places to stay mostly booked already- my sister and cousin have booked houses for us to stay in for most of the trip. But just trying to book flights- do we pay $1,400 per person to fly directly in/out of Rome, or do I save $600/person and fly into Geneva and train it down to the first house near Pisa? We are mildly flexible with dates of travel and length of trip, so I just feel like this should be easier than I’m making it.

This is so overwhelming, coupled with not speaking the languages when I try to look at the websites for transportation!

Any advice, tips, places I should not miss while I’m there???

Wedding is in late May in Tuscany, near Grosseto.
The week before the wedding, we have a beach house near Via Reggio.

So far, the only things on our must do lists are:
Ufizzi
Puccini’s house (my daughter is in her college’s orchestra and wants to see his house)
Pisa
Cinique Terre (I think we are chartering a boat for a day to take us town to town)
Rome- colosseum, Roman Forum, Vatican. I am trying to do Rome for 2 nights/3 days.

This will be me and my husband’s first trip to Europe. My daughter will be on a 2 week study tour of Austria and Hungary about 2 months before.

Planning a trip to WDW feels a million times easier than this…. what am I missing here???

So sorry to be rambling. I just feel like pulling my hair out when I try to research for this trip!

My Daughter was married near Pisa it was magical!

We've visited numerous times. How long will you be staying In Italy and each area? It may be easier to rent a car. Some small towns aren't easily assessable by train. Although you can take a train to more important towns and rent a car to explore nearby. Many experiences are a happy accident....so many opportunities in Italy.

 

[GAN]

We are attending a wedding in Italy, and I’m trying to plan this trip and I feel like I’m in over my head. I have places to stay mostly booked already- my sister and cousin have booked houses for us to stay in for most of the trip. But just trying to book flights- do we pay $1,400 per person to fly directly in/out of Rome, or do I save $600/person and fly into Geneva and train it down to the first house near Pisa? We are mildly flexible with dates of travel and length of trip, so I just feel like this should be easier than I’m making it.

This is so overwhelming, coupled with not speaking the languages when I try to look at the websites for transportation!

Any advice, tips, places I should not miss while I’m there???

Wedding is in late May in Tuscany, near Grosseto.
The week before the wedding, we have a beach house near Via Reggio.

So far, the only things on our must do lists are:
Ufizzi
Puccini’s house (my daughter is in her college’s orchestra and wants to see his house)
Pisa
Cinique Terre (I think we are chartering a boat for a day to take us town to town)
Rome- colosseum, Roman Forum, Vatican. I am trying to do Rome for 2 nights/3 days.

This will be me and my husband’s first trip to Europe. My daughter will be on a 2 week study tour of Austria and Hungary about 2 months before.

Planning a trip to WDW feels a million times easier than this…. what am I missing here???

So sorry to be rambling. I just feel like pulling my hair out when I try to research for this trip!

I will say the train from Zurich to Milan is stunning, not knowing about the ride from Geneva I’d look into Zurich for flights also.

Cinque Terre from Pisa? I’d say that’s a tough day but if you limit it to one village it‘s possible. Not sure what you’re saying about the boat but from Marina Di Pisa to even La Spezia is liable to be a decent ride. I’d look closer into that but you can probably get a half day in one of the villages and maybe a hike.

I‘m just assuming since you‘ve got Uffizi on the list that you’ve got a minimum of 2-3 days in Florence. There’s a lot in the city to take in.

For Rome, 3-days will give you a taste for sure but its going to be fairly hurried.

My only other suggestion is my standard one -learn some of the language. Use Duolingo or something similar to learn some words and basic phrases. In Rome you’ll be fine, but outside of that it’s best to begin with a small amount of effort as a matter of respect …if you want assistance or good service . They WILL look down on you …but if you show you’re trying(even if embarrassing yourself in the process) they will go out of their way!

 

[leebee]

When visiting my sister in Salzburg (decades ago) we took the train to Rome. Train travel in Europe is so different from Amtrak, and the scenery was amazing! It was one of the best parts of the trip!