Italy ...

Candystore

Candystore

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Hi travelers

Any of you who have traveled to Italy before, can I have some insights on places (cities, towns) you would recommend to include? Thus far, I have Rome and Florence on my list. Is Venice worth the hype?
 
Did a organised trip many years back and spent 2 days in rome, florence and venice. All were great. If you can i would try fit a night or two in venice. Walking through the squares and bridges around canals is a great day out.

Pickpockets were rife though in Rome. May be better now but c.2013 it was really bad. Witnessed alot of cameras/bags getting snatched.
 
Loved Florence. Rome is also solid with tons to do and a good transport system.
I didn't enjoy my stay in Venice but that was because I went during the Venice Carnival. Venice is a proper maze with one entrance/exit now imagine that with millions of people in tight corridors where you literally cannot move. Serious stampede risk. I ended up taking a water taxi for $$$ to get out. I'd probably go again as it is very pretty and interesting. Just avoid the busy periods.

Next time I will look at a smaller village in Tuscany or maybe along the coast (Portofino?)
 
Brawler said:
Loved Florence. Rome is also solid with tons to do and a good transport system.
I didn't enjoy my stay in Venice but that was because I went during the Venice Carnival. Venice is a proper maze with one entrance/exit now imagine that with millions of people in tight corridors where you literally cannot move. Serious stampede risk. I ended up taking a water taxi for $$$ to get out. I'd probably go again as it is very pretty and interesting. Just avoid the busy periods.

Next time I will look at a smaller village in Tuscany or maybe along the coast (Portofino?)
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I enjoyed Venice and Rome too, however I should have also gone to the smaller areas as well.

OP, try to incorporate those in your travels.
 
I planned the trip for our honeymoon in 2010. (there may be a thread on it here somewhere).

We flew into Milan (1 night, got to see the Duomo), took a train to Lake Como (regret not spending a night or two there).

From there we went to Verona for 2 nights (was the highlight of our trip). Has it's own mini-Colosseum. Nice central market in the old town. Some nice churches, bridges - the river runs a nice loop through the town and the historic wall to old town. Also, this is the fabled town that Romeo and Juliet hails from, we went to see Juliet's house and all the love letters and a statue of Juliet.

Then Venice for 2 nights (also went to Murano and Burano). We really liked Venice, so much so, that we took our two teenagers there in 2017 on our way to Switzerland. The glass blowing in Murano was nice, the boat trip to the islands was cool too. Venice itself was amazing, did all the sights and had some very lekker chow. You need to stand in one of the many pubs just after work hours and have an Aperol Sprits.

From there we travelled to Florence for either 2 or 4 days. Highlight was having a bottle of wine on the steps at Piazzale Michelangelo at sunset. We contemplated going to Pisa from here for the leaning tower, but had so much to do in Florence that we skipped it.

We travelled on to Rome. Highlight was the Vatican. Really enjoyed the Colosseum too. There is lots to do in Rome. We walked a lot everywhere we went, but felt like the greatest walking distances were in Rome.

We took the subway to Trastevere one day specifically to try and find a non-touristy place to eat. Found a place with a wagon wheel by the door where we had some awesome pasta. The owner didn't speak a word of English, we ordered using Google Translate and showed her on the red checkers from the tablecloth that we wanted red wine (felt a fool that I couldn't remember rosso is red!)

Flew back home from Rome.
 
We went to Italy in 2019 for my 50th and had a great time.

We flew into Milan and out of Rome.

Our itinerary was:

1 night Milan.

Train to Venice.

3 nights Venice.

Train to Florence.

3 nights Florence.

Train to Monterosso, Cinque Terre.

3 nights Monterosso, Cinque Terre. (Had my 50th here)

Train to Siena, Tuscany.

2 nights in Siena.

Train to Rome.

4 nights Rome in the Trastevere area.

Italy is an incredibly easy place to travel in, we did all our own planning and bookings.

If you have your plans in place try to book your train tickets as far in advance as possible, you get better prices and better seats this way.

I will post some more details as I remember everything.
 
Yes, do go to Venice. I would stay either in Canareggio (where we stayed last time) or Punta Sabbiona (on the mainland, but cheaper and the ferry is right there).

Also don't miss Genoa. And if you're a petrolhead there's a little car factory halfway between Milan and Genoa...
 
In Milan we stayed in the Navigli area which was a great place for nightlife and it was within walking distance from the centre.

PFR8kXJ.jpg


We could luckily check into our hotel at 7AM the morning and could spend the whole day exploring the centre.

I always try and get a nice place to stay on our first night of a trip, here we stayed at the Art Navigli Hotel https://www.arthotelnavigli.com/.

The next morning we took the train to Venice.
 
bokka1 said:
In Milan we stayed in the Navigli area which was a great place for nightlife and it was within walking distance from the centre.

PFR8kXJ.jpg


We could luckily check into our hotel at 7AM the morning and could spend the whole day exploring the centre.

I always try and get a nice place to stay on our first night of a trip, here we stayed at the Art Navigli Hotel https://www.arthotelnavigli.com/.

The next morning we took the train to Venice.
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We are going to come visit so you can help us plan for July.

How heavy on cash were they? Is it a concern or can I mostly swipe everywhere?
 
I used my card at most places, just the street vendors where you buy slices of pizza used cash.

You must come, I will make some pizza.
 
Heading to Italy for a week in September, flying to Rome and then working our way up to Milan. Any bucket list items you guys can recommend ? Currenly only have Rome and Lake Como on the agenda.
 
L-Dog said:
Heading to Italy for a week in September, flying to Rome and then working our way up to Milan. Any bucket list items you guys can recommend ? Currenly only have Rome and Lake Como on the agenda.
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Hire one of these:

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That should make it easier to find one of these:

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Then enjoy your holiday!

:thumbsup:
 
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Reactions: 3WA
L-Dog said:
Heading to Italy for a week in September, flying to Rome and then working our way up to Milan. Any bucket list items you guys can recommend ? Currenly only have Rome and Lake Como on the agenda.
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St. Peter's Basilica
Pantheon
Trevi Fountain
Castle St Angelo
Trastevere neighborhood with great food
Coliseum
 
We went also in 2019, if you can only ever visit one country I would say make it Italy.

Landed in Milan, rented a car, went to Cinque Terre, next stop Siena & Florence and ended at Lake Como.
 
Trastevere in Rome is the best place to stay imo, you can walk to the Vatican and the Coliseum. From the Coliseum to Trastevere you walk past most of the main sites or take a tram/bus to the Coliseum and walk back. Book a guided tour for the Coliseum with skip the line tickets as soon as possible, you will see what I mean once you get there and see the queues of people waiting to go in.

In Milan we stayed in the Navigli area, it is walking distance from the main cite centre and at night there are lekker restaurants next to the canals in Navigli.

Maybe try and stop in Florence for one night?
 
GrootVoet said:
We went also in 2019, if you can only ever visit one country I would say make it Italy.

Landed in Milan, rented a car, went to Cinque Terre, next stop Siena & Florence and ended at Lake Como.
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Similiar plan at the moment, how was the drive and roads ? Rented a car in France a couple years ago and was a terrible experience, also couldn't find parking anywhere and roads where crazy busy.
 
bokka1 said:
Trastevere in Rome is the best place to stay imo, you can walk to the Vatican and the Coliseum. From the Coliseum to Trastevere you walk past most of the main sites or take a tram/bus to the Coliseum and walk back. Book a guided tour for the Coliseum with skip the line tickets as soon as possible, you will see what I mean once you get there and see the queues of people waiting to go in.

In Milan we stayed in the Navigli area, it is walking distance from the main cite centre and at night there are lekker restaurants next to the canals in Navigli.

Maybe try and stop in Florence for one night?
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Since Florence is on the way it might be a good over night stop, will probably take the train between major cities and then rent a car for smaller towns.
 
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