What is a good plan for a 1st trip to Italy?

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Thomas Talboy, PhD

Rome is a must - it is my favorite city in the world!

The area around the Colosseum (the Forum Romanum) is free. It is a great place to stroll early in the morning or toward sunset. There is not much shade, but the little there is can be quite pleasant. This is the very heart of the beginnings of what we know to be Rome and should not be missed.

You have to pay to go to the Colosseum but the ticket will also get you into the Palatine Hill (where the Emperors lived). You do not have to do both in one day, however.

There are many other sites througout and near Rome. And you can always see various walls as you wander the city.

Some specific places I would recommend: Pantheon (now a Catholic church), the are between the Forum and the river (there are several temples and ruins from a fish market). The Church of San Clemente (just beyond the Colosseum, away from the Forum). Make sure you go into the crypt: you can go back in time to about the 4th c. AD. Just outside the walls on the Via Appia Antica is the mausoleum of Caecilia Mettala--not large but interesting. The ruined baths of Caracalla host operatic events. This is not an exhaustive list, but a good start.

You could also make a couple of nice day trips: The Villa of the Emperor Hadrian in Tivoli (easy bus ride); Ostia Antica, the ancient port of Rome (easy train ride).

A couple of other notes: For the Colosseum you should try to make a reservation or go first thing in the morning. Unfortunately the Domus Aurea (Golden House) of Nero is closed due some significant flooding. After you stroll through the Forum, you should visit the Capitoline Museums on the Capitoline Hill. Just off the cafe there is a fantastic view of the city.

Other places to visit: Tuscany wine region, Cinque Terre (the Five Lands), Florence, and Venice and so much more. Pace yourself and plan to visit Italy again.

Thomas Talboy, PhD, Director
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madonnamwayne

We rented an apt in Florence and did day trips to Pisa and Lucca, and the Cinque Terra walking along the coastline trail national park, then we also did Florence meseums, restaurants, parks, then off to Rome for the ancient City. there are walking tours you can take with student guides that meet at the trevi fountain for a few dollars, a must do, check it out. The forum, the colluseum both day and at night, when it is all lit up. The third stop was Sorrento, where we stayed at the hotel on top of the mountain called "Panna Cotta" where you could dine in a great restaurant overlooking the view of the bay of naples and Mt. Vesuvius. Trip on the day around Sorrento, Ruins of pompeii, Blue grotto, and a bus ride along the Amalfi Coast, get off and walk through the town. Three cities Florence, Rome and Sorrento with days trips from each. Absolutely wonderful, beware of the gypsy children thieves, and Rome resturant (check charges) Vene, vidi, vici.

blondie

Call me crazy but I always have dreamed to get arrested dancing in a fountain in Italy. I probably wouldn't suggest though.

alexeverwander

Go with Rome. It has a little bit of everything - history, art, museums, culture, food, and scenery - all conveniently located. You'll spend a week there and only think you were there for a day. There's just so much.

If you have a lot of time, see Venice too. Perfectly picturesque. Best place in the world to just walk around and look at things.

a7thdeadlysin

I must recommend visiting Italy for your first time with a tour company. Look into goaheadtours.com They are a branch of Education First Educational Tours, with whom I have taken every trip to Europe. I spent three weeks in Europe for 3000 dollars and it included airfare, hotel, breakfast and dinner every day, a tour director to take care of everything, transportation to and from every place, and admission to most attractions. You also receive alot of free time to get a chance to explore on your own. I would recommend the Magic of Italy tour on their site. Its a two week trip and it has an adequate amount of time. Be prepared to move quickly. If that isn't your style, try the Rome City Stay. You'll really learn your way around the city, and your tour director will make sure that you see everything that is important. The Hotels will be economy style, so if you want something more luxurious be prepared to pay alot more. Luxury + Italy = Extremely Expensive, because Italians know what Luxury means. When you get down to the actual counting of pennies its a great deal, because the price of airfare is almost the whole cost of the trip. EFtours (the parent company of Go Ahead Tours) is the most prestigious name in travel abroad, what better way to go to Italy than with the most trusted name in Travel . (Not that I'm biased.)

eucharisto_deo

Depends on how long you have, how much traveling around you can do, etc. I would certainly say Rome is a good place to start. Having just visited two months ago I can say it's worth it. You won't see anything near all the sights in a few days (I plan to go back) but it's a good taster.

Venice is also well worth seeing (been there too) and Florence is also on my list. You'd need a good week in each to make it worthwhile, it all depends what your interests are. There's plenty if you are into art, or history or architecture. Then there's the countryside and also the mountains, especially the Alps with some fantastic scenery. Then there's places like Pisa, Pompeii, Mt.Etna, Naples, Genoa, Turin, to name but a few more.

The more you'll see there, the more you'll realise there is to see.

If you had a decent pot of money and two weeks and you'd never been before and might not go again for a few years, I would say a few days apiece in Rome, Florence and Venice must be top of the list.

samsnedecker

This is difficult question to answer without knowing how much time you have or your interests. Don't cram a bunch of cities into a short trip. You will spend all your time in transit and checking in/out of hotels.

scv

I haven't been, but my parents and brother have, you must go to Rome, to see the Colosseum, and Florence, really everything in Florence is worth it. Those are two cities that have a lot to offer and you can do in one trip.
Of course there is always, Milan, if you like fashion and Venice, if you like water.
But go to Rome, if you love history you won't be sorry.

TheChamp

You'd have to visit the Colosseum, the Vatican city and do not forget 'via Del corso', which is a popular tourist spot with road side cafes, shopping centers..everything you could ask for is in that location. What ever you decide to do, do not forget 'via Del corso'.

Cheekan

My first trip to Italy in 2004 was on the Trafalgar Best of Italy tour. (trafalgar.com) We were there 15 days and saw all the major cities and sites (Rome, Venice, Sorrento, Capri, Florence, Lake Maggiore, Assisi, Pompeii...) We were on a bus with other tourists, our guide was amazing, at least half of the meals were included(all breakfast), we zipped ahead of long lines and didn't have to walk all that much. If you don't speak Italian and want to be taken care of and show around, this is the way to do it.

Nikoletta

I went there 2 years ago. We had 10 days and a car to explore Italy ! It was very tiring but worthwile, my best vacations ever.
We started from 3 days in Rome, went up to Florence, then Venice, 1 day in Genova and left from the airport of Milano. We had all the hotels and the rented car prearranged by an agency. We also drove to France to visit Cannes! I haven't been there,but they say Tuscany is way wonderful.
you can search for italy in www.lonelyplanet.com too

sarium

ROME-(FLORENCE)-VENICE

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