Planning a trip to Italy, what should I not miss?

Show all answers

MikaB

You didn't say where so I am listing what you can see in Rome. If you are going somewhere else, I can check back later. I went to Rome, Venice, Florence and Milan. I also saw Verona and Capri a few times but they are not tourist places. You should learn a little Italian, some stores will only speak Italian even in tourist areas. Just pick up a few tourist lines just in case.
Rome: Colosseum, the Roman Forum, St. Peter's, the Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel, Piazza Navona, the Borghese Gallery, and the outdoor market at Campo de' Fiori.

trabia

hi, i'm italian, sorry for my english
if you go to rome i suggest you

The Flavius amphitheatre is the biggest and most imposing in the Roman world, but is also the most famous monument in Rome and is known as the "Colosseum" or "Coliseum". Started by Emperor Vespasian of the Flavia family, it was opened by his son Titus in 80 A.D.

The Pantheon is the Roman monument with the greatest number of records: the best preserved, with the biggest brick dome in the history of architecture and is considered the forerunner of all modern places of worship. It is the most copied and imitated of all ancient works.

- Piazza of Knights of Malta -

Not far from the complex of Sant'Anselmo, high on the Aventine Hill, via di Santa Sabina opens onto the quiet Piazza dei Cavalieri di Malta. Bordered by a high wall, decorated with neoclassical obelisks and military trophies, it leads to a famous and fascinating broad wooden door.
Known affectionately by Romans as the "hole of Rome" its abiding attraction draws queues of visitors to this peaceable "out of the way" spot. No key is required: it is sufficient to put an open eye to the keyhole, and focus. With kaleidoscope charm, a vision of St Peter's dome (affectionately known to Romans as the "Cuppolone") perfectly in perspective, framed by the tops of trees in the foreground, opens up. Often wrapped in a thin mysterious mist, seems to stand at the end of the garden path, just beyond the door.

- The Mouth of Truth (La Bocca della VeritÃ ) -

In the portico of the Paleochristian church of Santa Maria in Cosmedin, at the foot of the Aventine hills, a Roman statue is conserved that has attracted the attention and curiosity of tourists from all over the world. It is the "Bocca della VeritÃ ", which in English means the Mouth of Truth, an ancient stone mask from the Classical period that represents a river god with an open mouth, wide eyes and a flowing mane of hair.

The reason for its unshakeable fame is a rather macabre legend associated with the mask since ancient times. If a liar puts their hand inside its mouth, they will lose it.

if you go in sicily you have to visit agrigento
The summit of a nearby hilltop affords a pleasant view of the ancient city of Agrigento, inherited by the Romans from the Greeks who had founded it in 581 B.C..
and then you have to "find" la scala dei turchi that's nearby
http://www.panoramio.com/photo/4161327

grandpa522

All the suggestions below are good, as well as others not mentioned. I am a Certified Travel Consultant and a Certified Italy Specialist. I would be happy to consult with you and assist you in putting together the trip of your dreams. My services are free, except for a small service fee for airline tickets. You are welcome to e-mail me at the grandpa522@yahoo.com address or larry@customitalytours.com. I go to Italy several times a year and am very familiar with the "must see" sites.

Jane

Yes, you can totally survive in Italy without speaking Italian. English is compulsory in elementary, middle and high school now, so everyone should at least be able to understand you. And even if they won't be able to answer you back, you'll understand them because they gesticulate a lot.
The most interesting cities in the country are Rome, Florence and Venice. If you go to Tuscany (where Florence is), you can travel around and see also some amazing smaller cities like Siena, Lucca, Pisa and so on. So if I were you, I'd go there.
Rome is my favourite Italian city and there's plenty of things to do there, of any kind...you can look for your own cafes and restaurants (the more you go south, the more food gets amazingly tasty), you can walk around the city admiring all those old historical buildings America doesn't have, you can walk along the Tevere river and just enjoy the warm weather (well, it also depends on when you want to go!).
So, basically, if I were you, I'd choose between Rome and Tuscany.
If you need some info, just email me, I'll be glad to help you out.
And again, don't worry at all about the language. We (Italians) speak an useless language, so we don't expect foreign people to speak it too.

Stan

You aren't going to have a problem if you don't speak Italian. Maybe get a dictionary so you can pronounce some words, but you'll be fine...

Rome is #1 and if you can only go to one city, this is it.

. Vatican
. Coliseum
. The Forum
. Spanish Steps
. Pantheon
. The Borghese Museum
. Gianicolo
. Piazza Navona
. Trevi Fountain

Since you are taking your husband on a surprise trip, Venice is #2 and I recommend taking him there first ;-)

. St. Marks Basilica / Square
. Doge's Palace
. Rialto Bridge
. Murano glass manufacturing
. Burano
. Lido
. Basilica di Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari
. Ca' Pesaro
. Santa Maria dei Miracoli
. Santa Maria Formosa
. Fondazione Querini Stampalia
. San Giorgio dei Greci
. Santa Maria della Salute
. Accademia
. San Rocco
. Tolentini
. Ponte degli Scalzi

Third is Florence, Italy's artistic center.

. Uffizi
. Ponte Vechio
. Galleria Della Academia (David)
. Santa Croce
. Piazzale Michelangelo

Fourth is Siena. For me Siena is what I imagine most Italians througout the ages have experienced.

I don't have a stand-out fifth. There's Pisa / Lucca, Sorrento / Pompeii / Capri, Cinque Terra...

You didn't say how many days you were planning on staying. If it's 10 - 11 days I recommend 3 days in Venice and 4 days in Rome. Much of your remaining time can be spent in Florence taking day trips to Pisa, Lucca, San Gimignano, Sienna, Assisi and Orvieto, etc.

Additional days can be spent in Rome, taking day trips to Vesuvius, Pompeii, Capri, Sorrento, Ostia Antica, etc.

If you can get a flight that flies into Venice then returns from Rome, that would work well. If not, it may be easier to fly into Rome and take the train to Venice to begin your vacation.

l.m x

I suggest you give Milan a miss. I went there 3 years ago and it was the dirtiest, plainest city around! My cousin and I searched the city for anything fashion and couldn't find a thing.

Only good thing was they had an amazing church there that was SO big, but it was under renovations at the time.

Denis

yes... you can survive without learning italian. We (italians) can be a bit rude sometimes but we never meant bad! ;)

Where to go in Italy... depends on the area. If this is your first visit you can try Rome, Venice or even Naples.

Angela S

what an amazing anniversary present!! I know of a wonderful travel agency-do you want their info? One of their agents will plan everything (if you want) and offer some excellent suggestions. They all have over 15 years experience,so I have been told.

Enter Your Message or Comment

User Name:
User Email:
Post a comment: