Traveling to Italy soon

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whiskeyman510

In Rome, the Hotel Cosmopolita is a great boutique hotel right in the center of everything. Friendly service and great rates. Check out their website here:

http://www.hotel-cosmopolita.com/english/hotel.htm

For Florence, I really liked Antica Torre Ornabuoni. A bit pricey but a great place and very centrally located. Their website is here:

http://www.tornabuoni1.com/indexeng.html

For Venice, where I have only been once, I did like where I stayed, largely for it's location, but it was nice. It was called: Bellini, A Boscolo First Class Hotel. I don't know if they have a website, but you can find them on Hotwire, Expedia & the like.

I did Hotwire for Rome & Venice, but of course you don't know what you're getting that way until you pay. Antica I believe you have to book directly.

If you have more than a couple of days marked for Florence, don't stay there the whole time. Stay a couple days in San Gimignano and some of the other quaint little Tuscan villages between Rome & Florence. Those towns are much less touristy and much more beautiful that Florence (which is great, but just a large touristy city).

I would rent a car in Rome and just work your way North, then drop off the car in Florence and take the train to Venice. In Venice (actually everywhere) plan to do a lot of walking, and do check out the other islands like Lido and not just the main island.

Rome is great for shopping and seeing ancient ruins. 3 days is about right here.

Florence is great for museums and day trips throughout Tuscany. Staying in Florence exclusively, 3 nights is about right, but if you can take a week, then stay in some of the Tuscan towns that are South of there too.

Venice is overcrowded, very touristy, more expensive and the food isn't as good, but it is breathtakingly beautiful and is very romantic and should be seen. I would do 3 days here max.

Oh, and if you're going in July it will be HOT and muggy almost everywhere so bring cool, comfortable cotton clothes and good walking shoes.

Dana C

For B&Bs check out this site

www.cross-pollinate.com

In Venice we stayed at Ca'Riccio. Very nice.

Pick up Rick Steves Italy 2007 book. It's a good read and he does a good job of weeding through things to do.

ery

Go to tha site http://www.bbplanet.it/

it is really good!

in rome I stay at the "ck " bed and breackfast....wonderful!

Buzzy

1. The Vatican from top to bottom
The Colliseum at night
2. Acadamia , The David
, Uffizzi and all museums
The gold stores on the bridge over the Arno River
The churches that have other Michaelangelo sculptures
Medici Chapel
Bronze Doors
3. St Marks Sq. and church Gold Altar
Bridge of Sighs
Accompaning prison
Murano

cindra

Go to your local AAA office and get some hotels and tours booked through TravelBound! You'll get your best deal through AAA. Do NOT try and visit the Vatican in Rome or Uffizi Museum and Academy Galleria in Florence on your own or you will blow your vacation, wasting at least a 1/2 day in line. The lines are very, very, long in Italy so booking tours will take you to the front of the line. Make sure the AAA agent books a tour in ENGLISH only or you will be hearing a tour in split english and chinese. At a minimum, you must take a tour of the Vatican AND Sistine chapel and the catacombs. You can easily do the colleseum on your own. Do not book more than one tour a day and do not book a tour that lasts longer than 3.5 hours. Take time to shop, eat and relax. You must see the Uffizi in Florence as well as the Academia. And, you don't need to pay $100 to ride in a 1 hour gondola ride. You'll be walking enough and taking water taxis anyway. Ask the agent to book you in a hotel that has a free HOT buffet breakfast in the morning, else you will get the same old mistery lunch meat with cheeze and bread. Stay in hotels that are centrally located so most major sites are within walking distance because cabs are expensive. You do not have to pay $400/night to get a nice hotel. Remember, you're only sleeping there, but get the free breakfast. Pre-book the train rides between your cities (go first class, it's cheap). Pre-book only one transfer (from the airport to your first hotel) cause you'll be tired. The other taxis, do on your own. Do not overpack. You do not need anything more than a 22" carry-on, plus an oversized purse or bag for a 2-week long vacation. If you have anything more than that, you are overpacking. How many times do you wear your jeans at home before you wash them. Did I hear you say 3 times. Ok, then. Italy is industrialized. It's hard to find someone in those cities that doesn't speak English and all hotels have laundry service. Take an umbrella. Take one pair of flat, comfortable shoes other than the ones you are wearing. No, you don't need hi-heels and a fancy dress and don't you want to purchase something anyway? Never pack any expensive items; clothing, jewelry that could be stollen. Purchase a small suitcase lock and use it. Never wear flashy jewelry. Wear silver. Always ask where the locals go to eat and eat there. It's cheaper and the food will be better. Be friendly with waiters; you'll get freebies. Carry a money pounch to carry travel docs and cash. Get a Euro card from AAA that you can use to take out cash advances (free of charge). Do not use a credit card to take out cash advances UNLESS that credit card is a money card from your bank. Before you leave, make darn sure that your bank card can be used at the ATM machines over there. You can only get 200 euros on average max withdrawal per day. That's not much so be careful. To be safe, get that euro card from AAA. Also ask them to print you out info about each city where you are going. It will tell you sites you need to see. Wear your purse over your chest for safety, esp. in museums and train stations. There are professional pick pocketers. Remember that tipping is optional. There is no 15%. So, if you give a nice tip and go back to the same restaurant, you'll be treated royally. If you purchase breakable, espensive items, have them shipped. Yes, it will cost you a bundle, but you'll be safe. Or, you can purchase another carry-on bag and check in your existing bag. But, until you get to your final city it will be a pain in the bug lugging that stuff around. Don't be shocked if the 22" carry on bag that you left the U.S. with with will be ordered to be checked in at the Italian airport due to weight. Things grow when you're on vacation so be careful that you don't leave pricy stuff in there if it gets checked in. Be early when you get to a train station and airport. You need to find where to go. Don't go to all three of those cities unless you have two weeks. Allow at least one full day of doing nothing in each city so that you can shop and relax. enjoy.

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Traveling to Italy soon - Need Help?