Trip to Italy- help me plan

[TLSnell1981]

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!

True but its helpful to pull up itineraries, location of the stations, frequency of trains, and number of transfers involved.

 

[Buzz Rules]

I would recommend public transportation when possible. Italians in general (and I mean no disrespect) are not known for their good driving skills. I would recommend popular historical sites but also ask hotels in the area where locals enjoy going to. I find local favorites are often the most enjoyable and most affordable. Being a soccer guy, I can’t pass up the recommendation to check out a Serie A or Italian national team (Azzurri) match.

https://www.legaseriea.it/en

https://www.figc.it/en/home/

Rick Steve’s Eternal City Rome

Rick Steve’s Italy Travel Tips

 

[GAN]

I would recommend public transportation when possible. Italians in general (and I mean no disrespect) are not known for their good driving skills. I would recommend popular historical sites but also ask hotels in the area where locals enjoy going to. I find local favorites are often the most enjoyable and most affordable. Being a soccer guy, I can’t pass up the recommendation to check out a Serie A or Italian national team (Azzurri) match.

https://www.legaseriea.it/en

https://www.figc.it/en/home/

Rick Steve’s Eternal City Rome

Rick Steve’s Italy Travel Tips

Ahem…..actually most are terrific drivers! They just aren’t afraid to take risks, so you may be holding on for dear life

Just to add …getting from point to point with public transport can be quite confusing and “unreliable”(?). If it were me, I would use Uber when in a city that offers it -for one, you pinpoint your destination so the driver already knows where you’re trying to go rather than explaining in a foreign language if you’re uncomfortable. One thing that might help using local transportation is an app called Citymapper …I use this when in bigger cities I’m unfamiliar with and it is really slick. Right down from telling you where to pick up, when a bus/subway is coming, transfers, etc.

 

[Buzz Rules]

Ahem…..actually most are terrific drivers! They just aren’t afraid to take risks, so you may be holding on for dear life

They take the phrase “everyday is a new adventure in Rome” to a whole new level.

 

[Buzz Rules]

Ahem…..actually most are terrific drivers! They just aren’t afraid to take risks, so you may be holding on for dear life

Just to add …getting from point to point with public transport can be quite confusing and “unreliable”(?). If it were me, I would use Uber when in a city that offers it -for one, you pinpoint your destination so the driver already knows where you’re trying to go rather than explaining in a foreign language if you’re uncomfortable. One thing that might help using local transportation is an app called Citymapper …I use this when in bigger cities I’m unfamiliar with and it is really slick. Right down from telling you where to pick up, when a bus/subway is coming, transfers, etc.

 

[Buzz Rules]

Vespa drivers are crazy too.

 

[GAN]

You’re correct… HE is a bad driver!

 

[Buzz Rules]

You’re correct… HE is a bad driver!

 

[QueenIsabella]

I would recommend public transportation when possible. Italians in general (and I mean no disrespect) are not known for their good driving skills. I would recommend popular historical sites but also ask hotels in the area where locals enjoy going to. I find local favorites are often the most enjoyable and most affordable. Being a soccer guy, I can’t pass up the recommendation to check out a Serie A or Italian national team (Azzurri) match.

https://www.legaseriea.it/en

https://www.figc.it/en/home/

Rick Steve’s Eternal City Rome

Rick Steve’s Italy Travel Tips

Ha! When we were in Italy in 2018, Italy wasn't having a good soccer year. Our guide said, "No matter where you go, just don't bring up soccer!"

 

[Buzz Rules]

Ha! When we were in Italy in 2018, Italy wasn't having a good soccer year. Our guide said, "No matter where you go, just don't bring up soccer!"

2018 was a fluke for many teams (including the USA). Italy did fine in the Euros and Nations League that followed and then this happened last year:

But now Italy’s national team and Serie A is good again.

 

[Buzz Rules]

Ha! When we were in Italy in 2018, Italy wasn't having a good soccer year. Our guide said, "No matter where you go, just don't bring up soccer!"

I would have said “Fine, I won’t say soccer. Instead I’ll say “Azzurri, quando tornerete ad essere un grande paese calcistico?””.

 

[dvcgirl67]

Yes...I'll add that we use public transportation when in Italy....and Europe in general. We take high speed trains when we can between cities, and local trains/buses...etc when in a city. We've explored Tuscany and done lots of wine tasting there, but use Florence as our base and hire drivers....because we both enjoy wine.

 

[Buzz Rules]

https://www.italyguides.it/en/veneto/verona/juliet-s-house

 

[hops&dreams]

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

Oh my goodness - thank you! Many things changed since I originally posted, and planning was put on pause for a long time until things settled a bit more. (my husband's stepdad's health was failing and he's been in and out of the hospital 4 times - via ambulance- since January.)

So, now, it's been decided we will only take our trip for 2 weeks, so that is anything DOES happen while we are gone, it will be a short enough trip to postpone any memorial plans.

So, that being said... the trip is much shorter than originally expected, so we are getting down to what we really want to do, although we already have a few days committed to family (more than I would like, but we're kind of stuck with it now.)

So, here's my current plan:
Sat 5/13-fly out
Sun 5/14- arrive in Rome in the morning (i hope) check in, get settled, explore. (Trevi Fountain? Spanish steps?)
Mon 5/15-Pompeii & Amalfi Coast day trip - 12 hr day!
Tues 5/16- Rome (colosseum tour)
Wed 5/17 Rome in morning (3-4 hr Vatican Tour?), then train to Beach house in Viareggio
Thurs 5/18- beach day in Viareggio
Fri 5/19- Beach (Pisa in morning?) and afternoon biking around Lucca
Sat 5/20 - Cinque Terre and Lemon Festival in Monterosso
Sun 5/21- Cinque Terre/ Portofino
Mon 5/22 - ?? Leave for farm in Grosetto (wedding is 3 miles from farm)
Tues 5/23- Explore Grosetto? wedding activities in evening.
Wed 5/24- Wedding
Thurs 5/25- Wedding
Fri 5/26 - Leave Grosetto and head to Florence
Sat 5/27 - Florence
Sun 5/28 - fly home from Florence


We are already ditching a day with family that I had previously committed to (5/26), but I really want to have more time in Florence. I wish we were doing more than beach days earlier in the trip, but I'm kind of stuck there- family commitments 5/17-5/27.... I'm more of a DO THINGS kind of vacationer, and i guess my sister is more a "lay on the beach" kind of vacationer.... We will see how this goes!

What do you think? Please make suggestions for alterations to my plans!

 

[GAN]

Oh my goodness - thank you! Many things changed since I originally posted, and planning was put on pause for a long time until things settled a bit more. (my husband's stepdad's health was failing and he's been in and out of the hospital 4 times - via ambulance- since January.)

So, now, it's been decided we will only take our trip for 2 weeks, so that is anything DOES happen while we are gone, it will be a short enough trip to postpone any memorial plans.

So, that being said... the trip is much shorter than originally expected, so we are getting down to what we really want to do, although we already have a few days committed to family (more than I would like, but we're kind of stuck with it now.)

So, here's my current plan:
Sat 5/13-fly out
Sun 5/14- arrive in Rome in the morning (i hope) check in, get settled, explore. (Trevi Fountain? Spanish steps?)
Mon 5/15-Pompeii & Amalfi Coast day trip - 12 hr day!
Tues 5/16- Rome (colosseum tour)
Wed 5/17 Rome in morning (3-4 hr Vatican Tour?), then train to Beach house in Viareggio
Thurs 5/18- beach day in Viareggio
Fri 5/19- Beach (Pisa in morning?) and afternoon biking around Lucca
Sat 5/20 - Cinque Terre and Lemon Festival in Monterosso
Sun 5/21- Cinque Terre/ Portofino
Mon 5/22 - ?? Leave for farm in Grosetto (wedding is 3 miles from farm)
Tues 5/23- Explore Grosetto? wedding activities in evening.
Wed 5/24- Wedding
Thurs 5/25- Wedding
Fri 5/26 - Leave Grosetto and head to Florence
Sat 5/27 - Florence
Sun 5/28 - fly home from Florence


We are already ditching a day with family that I had previously committed to (5/26), but I really want to have more time in Florence. I wish we were doing more than beach days earlier in the trip, but I'm kind of stuck there- family commitments 5/17-5/27.... I'm more of a DO THINGS kind of vacationer, and i guess my sister is more a "lay on the beach" kind of vacationer.... We will see how this goes!

What do you think? Please make suggestions for alterations to my plans!

I would do things a little differently, but this is YOUR vacation! Cinque Terre is gorgeous and you're spending a good amount of time there -but cutting short Rome and Florence ...which is fine. If you're going into it with thought of planning a future Rome/Florence trip then it's perfect. Not sure of your budget, but maybe look to hire a local guide for half a day in Rome and Florence to help you cover a little more ground and get a good understanding of the cities -you can probably get some reliable info on Trip Advisor discussion boards. Buon Viaggio!

 

[hops&dreams]

https://www.italyguides.it/en/veneto/verona/juliet-s-house

I've seen that lately in a couple of movies, and it looks awesome! Unfortunately, not near any areas of Italy we will be on this trip.

I would do things a little differently, but this is YOUR vacation! Cinque Terre is gorgeous and you're spending a good amount of time there -but cutting short Rome and Florence ...which is fine. If you're going into it with thought of planning a future Rome/Florence trip then it's perfect. Not sure of your budget, but maybe look to hire a local guide for half a day in Rome and Florence to help you cover a little more ground and get a good understanding of the cities -you can probably get some reliable info on Trip Advisor discussion boards. Buon Viaggio!

Thank you! We ARE planning to come back to Florence and Rome. Our daughter will likely do a semester (or several) abroad. One of the big fashion meccas is Milan - she's a fashion design major, on the technical side- , so we will likely be back to Italy to visit her. And my brother-in-law's hometown when he has the time to travel with us and have a real vacation. He moved to the States in his 20's, so I'm excited to eventually see where he grew up (in Calabria).

I'm definitely looking at tours. I would love to do private tours, but the ones I've seen are over $1,000 USD/day for a family of 3. Any suggestions on places I could look for private tour guides? I'd love to have the same guide for the days we're in Rome and a day down to Pompeii/Amalfi area.

 

[Moliphino]

We did this tour from Rome to Pompeii and really enjoyed it. It looks like the same company also does Pompeii/Amalfi Coast/Positano day tours from Rome.
It may have changed a little, when we did the tour it included a pizza lunch between visiting Vesuvius and Pompeii, but this says food not included.

https://citywonders.com/rome-tours/pompeii-day-trip-from-rome
https://citywonders.com/rome-tours/amalfi-coast-tours-from-rome

 

[Sanchez]

We did this tour from Rome to Pompeii and really enjoyed it. It looks like the same company also does Pompeii/Amalfi Coast/Positano day tours from Rome.
It may have changed a little, when we did the tour it included a pizza lunch between visiting Vesuvius and Pompeii, but this says food not included.

https://citywonders.com/rome-tours/pompeii-day-trip-from-rome
https://citywonders.com/rome-tours/amalfi-coast-tours-from-rome

We did the second tour on your list last spring. No food included but the bus stopped in Cassino to a small convenience store on the way there and back. You have some time to eat in Pompeii and Positano.

Pro
- Fairly inexpensive considering it is a full day +
- Our bus was nice and the guide was very helpful
- Guide in Pompeii was nice (as opposed to walking through on your own)
- this is an easy way to see this part of Italy in a limited time

Con
- this is a long day (12+ hours) and most of the day is on the bus (we brought our own wine and were very popular with our immediate neighbors)
- the Cassino rest stop is . . . interesting
- It takes a good bit of time and effort on the harrowing and winding roads to and from Positano with some beautiful scenery and I'm not sure it was worth the hour+ in Positano
- Positano is beautiful but it is a tourist town. Not my thing but most would disagree with me.

In the end, I am very happy we did the tour. I would not repeat it, but it provided a window into an area that isn't on our list of pressing things to see in Italy. Pompeii and the Amalfi Coast are very popular so I am probably in the minority, but I do not plan to add this area to our future itineraries.

 

[Dreams&wishes]

Oh my goodness - thank you! Many things changed since I originally posted, and planning was put on pause for a long time until things settled a bit more. (my husband's stepdad's health was failing and he's been in and out of the hospital 4 times - via ambulance- since January.)

So, now, it's been decided we will only take our trip for 2 weeks, so that is anything DOES happen while we are gone, it will be a short enough trip to postpone any memorial plans.

So, that being said... the trip is much shorter than originally expected, so we are getting down to what we really want to do, although we already have a few days committed to family (more than I would like, but we're kind of stuck with it now.)

So, here's my current plan:
Sat 5/13-fly out
Sun 5/14- arrive in Rome in the morning (i hope) check in, get settled, explore. (Trevi Fountain? Spanish steps?)
Mon 5/15-Pompeii & Amalfi Coast day trip - 12 hr day!
Tues 5/16- Rome (colosseum tour)
Wed 5/17 Rome in morning (3-4 hr Vatican Tour?), then train to Beach house in Viareggio
Thurs 5/18- beach day in Viareggio
Fri 5/19- Beach (Pisa in morning?) and afternoon biking around Lucca
Sat 5/20 - Cinque Terre and Lemon Festival in Monterosso
Sun 5/21- Cinque Terre/ Portofino
Mon 5/22 - ?? Leave for farm in Grosetto (wedding is 3 miles from farm)
Tues 5/23- Explore Grosetto? wedding activities in evening.
Wed 5/24- Wedding
Thurs 5/25- Wedding
Fri 5/26 - Leave Grosetto and head to Florence
Sat 5/27 - Florence
Sun 5/28 - fly home from Florence


We are already ditching a day with family that I had previously committed to (5/26), but I really want to have more time in Florence. I wish we were doing more than beach days earlier in the trip, but I'm kind of stuck there- family commitments 5/17-5/27.... I'm more of a DO THINGS kind of vacationer, and i guess my sister is more a "lay on the beach" kind of vacationer.... We will see how this goes!

What do you think? Please make suggestions for alterations to my plans!

I wouldn't go to Pompei after a day you are in Rome you will be tired and jet lagged move it to day 3 or 4.
I would also skip Viareggio all together not very Nice the sea is shocking, for nice sea go to Sardinia or the Salento part of Puglia . Instead of Viareggio go to San Gimignano, Siena or monte pulciano.
I would also skip Pisa. You also don't want to go up to cinque terre to then go down to Grosseto again. Just keep all Tuscany visits together and then move to Liguria

 

[slo]

I have no suggestions….I just wanted to wish you a fun and safe trip.