A vacation to Italy. I need tips, suggestions and advice?

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Jetgirly

Time and cities really depends on your interests. If you want to see art then you should divide your time half-and-half between Florence and Rome, which are fairly close to one another. If you are interested in a beach holiday you should try to visit the Cinque Terre National Park (in the north) or the Amalfi Coast (near Naples). I would suggest only visiting two cities per week so that you don't feel pressured and you have a chance to discover some off-the-beaten track type places.

Hostels in Italy are usually quite good. There isn't really any need to join HI (Hosteling International) as the best hostels in Italy are not members. The easiest way to travel between cities is by train, within most cities you can get around on foot (if you arrange to stay in the city center).

I am 22 years old, and I lived in Italy for eighteen months. I did some traveling and made a website with my travel tips and suggestions. I will put a link to my site below, and also a like to a good site for hostels.

tosirdanny

check out hostelz.com...get a travel guide ...
prices are cheaper in hostels...stay longer...
go to rappalla italy, near monaco...stay in italy and
visit monaco...italian riveria...
go camping in summer...a lot of people do...bring tent
and bedroll...hostels cheap..

aC.

1...yes..a lot ot time..many sights are short walks or adjecent to each other...but you have to budget your time. Like going to the Vatican Museum; you can easy spend 4 hours there, but if you want to just see the Sistine, than you can shave 3 hours to see the other sights around the Vatican City.

2...Rome, Florence, Venice are great starters, but if you have time (more than 1 week) include Milan and sidetrips to Siena, Pisa, or Naples.

3..I don't like hostels, but penziones are great options...please note that some hotels are pretty cheap, but penziones are great options....they're rooms in people's homes or churches.

4..Best and Cheapest = trains....it's great and reliable. It connects Naples to Milan or Venice.

get a good guidebook like Lonely Planet or Rick Steve's.

aC.

Lucky7tjw

I live in Italy soooo... If you want to do it cheap, avoid Rome. Remember, this is a place where prices change based on your nationality and it's not cheap there! Specially if you don't speak Italian. There are some good places outside of Venice you can get for about Â£30 a night. I recomend going online and talking a lot with a travel agency. You can get a rail pass for the trains that can take you pretty much anywhere you want to go.

Depending on what you want to see, Florenze, Venice, Sicily, all good places. Even Torino has some nice sites and is easy on the pocket book!

Travel With Julie

First of all - ENJOY !! I lived in Italy and miss it terribly. The first time I visited, I only spent one week there and saw a lot - though even living there for more than one year I still haven't seen enough! Here are my suggestions:

1. Yes, it is enough time to see small tidbits of some great places - just keep in mind that you can't do everything and pick and choose what would be the best for you. If you like to see buildings/monuments, then concentrate on those. If you like churches, then visit those. If you like museums, just remember that they take longer to go through and you may not get to see as many as you'd like.

2. Since you're only going to be there for one week, I would stick to the major cities as they are easy to get in and out of (either by train, car or plane) and are easy to get around once there. If I would recommend anything, it would be to either stick to northern Italy (Florence, Pisa, Milan, Venice) or go to Rome and Capri. You can do all of them, but just keep in mind that you will spend a lot of your time traveling instead of enjoying the trip.

If I had to spend one week in Italy again it would be in Venice (one full day and night), Milan (only one day is enough), Genoa (don't be fooled by the industrial sites - the city center is BEAUTIFUL and historical) and near Genoa is Boccadasse (a fabulous fishing village, Nervi (great boardwalks along the Mediterranean and quaint shopping) and then on to Portofino, Cinque Terre (terraced vineyards on cliffs overlooking the sea), Sarzana (medieval village with fantastic castle), and then to Pisa (leaning tower) and Florence (2 days).

3. Keep in mind that the rating system for hotels there is different that in the U.S. So a 4-star hotel there would be like the low end of a 3-star here - if that! Starwood hotels has a number of hotels in the major cities - you can check their Web site (www.starwoodhotels.com) or you can find cheaper Italian hotels, but just keep in mind that they are not always what they advertise, unfortunately. I have never stayed in hostels, so can't give advice on those.

There is one good option to find cheap lodging in Italy - there is a book that I can't remember the name of, but it is in the major bookstores - it is about staying on convents. You don't have to be catholic, but they are supposed to be very nice, very accommodating, and very inexpensive (sometimes as little as $25 a night). And they provide breakfast at many of them as well. It's worth a look!

4. The easiest and most convenient way to travel is by train. The fastest "between cities" is by plane, but you have to take into account the waiting time after check-in, baggage, etc. The trains are usually on time and are frequent. You can get relatively cheap fares if you go second class, but check because some first class fares are only a small amount more and you can get a compartment on the train and a reserved seat.

I hope this helps - good luck and enjoy Italy!

plankton

This should get you started... here's Rome:
http://hotels.hotelsbyrating.com/nexres/city_content/citycontent_show.cgi?src=10014527&id=10962

Katmando

1. Yes, you can visit all of Italy (the good places) in four days.
2. Milan, Peza (will not take long), Florence (Cesar's playground), Venice (something in the air, and Rome (the best)
3. Hostels are ok. Keep in mind that our five star and there five star are COMPLETELY DIFFERENT. Take voltage travel kits!
4. Take a bus tour and break off from the group (cheaper)

lcedwar

My husband is Italian and we spend a lot of time over there. My parents are coming to visit us this summer and they will be there for 2 weeks. We have realized that even in two weeks, one can hardly do anything. First, you must remember that if you fly directly to Italy, you will have jetlag for the first 2 days. You will feel like it's the middle of the night for several mornings. The good news is that there is a cafÃ©/bar on just about every corner (and sometimes several per block) and if you get an espresso (a shot of coffee, strong and dark) or a cappucino (a shot with milk) this can help keep you going. My husband's family is in northern Italy and so my parents will land in Venice. Just in his region (the Veneto) there is Venice, the Alps, Verona, Lago di Garda, Padua, Bologna, etc... so you have to choose. We will choose the Alps, Venice and Lago di Garda, plus many of the small villages around his town. The second week will be spent near the Amalfi coast in Sorrento, a day trip to Pompeii and then 2 days in Rome. The easiest and cheapest way to travel anywhere in Europe is by train. The trains are reliable, relatively clean and there are many different discounted "passes" one can buy to take them. You can also save on hotels and take a night train. On a night train you can choose to sit in a seat or sleep on a "couchette" (a kind of cot that comes down from the wall) or even in a quite nice bed! All in all, this is a good deal. Of course the seat alone is cheapest, but a couchette isn't too bad easier. If you will be travelling with at least one other person, there are discounts for that. Children under 4 travel for free and children between 4-12 travel at 50% the regular ticket. Depending on what is important to you, know that the "touristy" places are lovely to experience since you can say you've "been there" but they are mostly chaotic and expensive, so I would advise that you choose not to only go to those places. Plus, that is not the way in which "real" Italians live. Choose to spend several days in one smaller town and get to know the locals. I have the had the best luck finding inexpensive hotels and hostels on Letsgo.com and also on hostelz.com. One cool place you may want to try is San Marino. It is actually its own country right in the middle of Italy! Many people don't even know that it exists! Buon viaggio!

Nella

I was in Italy for first time in March 2006. I (we) went to Rome only. I cannot imagine attempting to see other cities within a week's time with sooo much to see and do in Rome. Just the travel time, adjustment to jet lag and so on would take up too much precious time. IF you were inclined to see Rome and just HAVE to see one other city...I would chose Venice, which is not far from Rome and easily accessible by train. We stayed at a 3 rated hotel in the middle of the city (near the main Termini station) and it was clean, safe and provided morning meals; was a sight for sore eyes in the evenings after a long days' events! The cost was well worth it! Approx. 50 Euros or $65.00 Dollars per night. I do not know about the train costs to other cities, but I do know the Termini in Rome was cheap and accessed most of the major sites. The bus system was great for all others.

dlw0613

We did a Mediterranean cruise last summer (Spain, Italy, Greece, Monte Carlo). We found Athens to be fantastic, Barcelona is also nice. However, if your going to Rome, we had the best walking tour guide. He is a 27ish American that now lives there. His name is Rich Brunn. You can contact him at rich@rome-day-tours. He wasn't cheap, but well worth every Euro. He had such enthusiasm for what he was doing. I think if you contact him, he could give excellent advice about all of your questions. Tell him Dave & Pat from Cleveland said Hi. Good luck and have a wonderful time.

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