What should I prepare for a trip to Italy (23/9

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Kate B

It is completely impossible to do all four - the distances between them are huge. However, it is perfectly possible to have a fantastic break in Italy without going near a big city so you will have a wonderful time anyway.

How you plan your trip partly depends on the times at which your flights arrive and depart.

First of all Milan itself. A great place for shopping and nightlife if that's what you want, but much less of an art city with beautiful sights - you can see the cathedral, La Scala opera house and if you book in advance a trip to see Leonardo da Vinci's last supper. About 1/2 a day on a tour would get you round the city.

Personally, I would base myself in Verona which is about 1.5- 2 hrs away by train from both Milan and Venice. It is a lovely place to visit in itself - an old walled city with a Roman amphitheatre, lots of nice churches and of course the Romeo and Juliet balcony! Good place to stay, easy to get round and cheaper than Milan or Venice.

From Verona a day trip to Venice and Milan are both easily possible and you have the choice of visiting either for a second day if you want. Even in September if you want to visit the Palazzo ducale in Venice you should book your tickets in advance and avoid queuing.

Another lovely town worth visiting is Vicenza, famous for its Palladian archtitecture, about half way between Verona and Venice and another easy day trip from Verona.

If all these cities are too much then Lake Garda is also easily accessible from Verona, by bus and train or by car. You can spend a day sailing up and down the lake on the boat and visiting the beautiful lakeside towns.

The easy access to so much is why I prefer to stay in Verona when visiting this part of Italy.

Finally, if you are arriving rather late and you need to stay close to Milan then I would opt for Bergamo which is a pretty walled town on a hill and also nice for a day trip.

For further information simply type the names of towns etc. into Google and you will get the official tourist sites, alternatively buy a good guide book - there are plenty to choose from on Italy.

Leave Florence and Rome for another time - they take days to see properly.

Al M

I think trying to visit Milan, Florence, Rome and Venice in four days is a recipe for disappointment and exhaustion. In fact, I think what you'll mainly see in Italy is the inside of trains, train stations and hotel lobbies.

If you want to do this itinerary so you can tell people that you've been to these places, that's your choice. But you won't go away with any real sense of where you've been and I'd bet you won't be sitting on the plane flying out of Milan knowing that the pleasant memories of what you've just done and seen will be with you always.

It's not at all difficult to spend four days looking around each one of the cities you mention without getting bored. If you want to sensible, you'll pick no more than two of those cities and limit yourself to them on this four-day trip.

If you want to experience modern, cosmopolitan, high-gloss, high-energy Italy, spend a couple days in Milan.

If you want to see some wonderful Renaissance art and architecture, go to Florence.

If you want to see one of the weirdest and most wonderful places ever built by man, go to Venice, spend a night there and wander around the deserted streets and empty squares late at night or early in the morning when you have the place entirely to yourself. Fantastic!

If you want to be amazed at what the Romans left behind, spend a couple days in Rome.

I don't know where your interests lie, but I would suggest the following as an itinerary that might leave you with pleasant memories of Italy:

Fly into Milan and then travel on to Venice, where you spend your first and second nights. On your third day in Italy, travel back to Milan and spend the remainder of the day, the evening and the following day in the city, then head off to the airport in your own good time to catch the flight back home.

ghothem

I'd recommend taking the train to Florence, stay close to the old city and spend your 4 days soaking up the art, the architecture and the people. You won't need a car in Florence and its a very pedestrian oriented city. Whatever you decide focus on quality versus quantity. Italy is fantastic and very friendly. Have a fabulous time!

gabrielalaura74

if you are the traveler that wants to say u been to alot of places and not see anything then cram everything in those days u are there.

If you want to see beautiful Italia and appreciate it for what it is then I would skip milano not worth much, I'd go straight to Florence and spend the whole time there. But if you are dead set on seeing more then one city then go on the 23 to Florence stay there until the25 mid day take the train to venice (about 2 hours) stay there until the 27th arround 2 if you can then take the train back to Milan I think its about 4 hours by train not sure never did that trip on the train.

dont book in advance.. thats too toursit.. just by your ticket at the train station. do look at the train schedules www.trenitalia.com

TonyZ

Yes it is possible, but only if you step in and then move to the next city.
Only the Uffizzi Museum in Florence takes at least 3 day to visit.LOL

u should choose one of this city ( I would suggest Florence ;)
and then spend all the 4 day there.

I htin you're not giving yourself enough time. Milan isn't really that great so even just a wander around the piazza duomo when you arrive will suffice. Florence is lovely but again you can see all there is to see in a day. Same goes for Venice. On the otherhand, if you spent the entire time in Rome you'd still wish you could stay for longer. I'd say that you leave Rome for another trip. Top of my list would be Venice followed by Florence for this particular trip. Rome is amazing so I think you should do it another time and dedicate the whole trip to it.

fizzygooner

Many European countries have grand and ancient buildings but Rome is unique in having hundreds of grand buildings going back over two thousand years to the height of the Roman Empire. Notable is the Coliseum of course. But above all, whilst not ancient in Roman terms, do visit the Vatican and St Peter's Cathedral - the largest church in the world - and see the breathtaking Sistine Chapel nearby.

Maybe the best preparation would be some ralgex for your neck - you'll be gazing up in awe at the architecture!

love

Fizzy

http://www.pricelesstravel.co.uk/
BuzzWorld

Stan

I'd fly in to Milan and take the train to either Florence (for art) or Venice (for romance). At the end of this message is my list of things to see in those three cities. If your heart is set on a whirlwind tour, I'd say spend the first day in Milan, Spend the next 2 days in Venice and the 4th day in Florence but you'll have to budget your time and won't be able to see everything.

Traffic in Milan is bad. Florence is moderate and Venice has no traffic. I wouldn't drive.

You can purchase your train tickets online at raileurope.com. It's going to cost a bit more, but you'll have the piece of mind having them. Otherwise, you aren't going to have a problem purchasing train tickets at the station.

I recommend going to tripadvisor.com to search for a hotel that has good reviews in the price range that you want to pay.

Tickets for just about everything except the Uffizi in Florence can be purchased when you get there.

Good luck, you're a little behind in planning.

Milan
. Cathedral
. Duomo
. Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II
Venice
. St. Marks Basilica / Square
. Doge's Palace
. Rialto Bridge
. Murano glass manufacturing
. Burano
. Lido
Florence
. Uffizi
. Ponte Vechio
. Galleria Della Academia (David)
. Santa Croce
. Piazzale Michelangelo

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What should I prepare for a trip to Italy (23/9 - 27/9)?