- My Forums
- Tiger Rant
- LSU Recruiting
- SEC Rant
- Saints Talk
- Pelicans Talk
- More Sports Board
- Fantasy Sports
- Golf Board
- Soccer Board
- O-T Lounge
- Tech Board
- Home/Garden Board
- Outdoor Board
- Health/Fitness Board
- Movie/TV Board
- Book Board
- Music Board
- Political Talk
- Money Talk
- Fark Board
- Gaming Board
- Travel Board
- Food/Drink Board
- Ticket Exchange
- TD Help Board
Customize My Forums- View All Forums
- Show Left Links
- Topic Sort Options
- Trending Topics
- Recent Topics
- Active Topics
Started By
Message
Italy Itinerary (help me fill in some last minute gaps, PLEASE)
Posted on 3/2/17 at 9:25 am
Posted on 3/2/17 at 9:25 am
Here are a few things I need help with, but keep in mind that it doesn't have to be go, go, go. I'm looking for any suggestions of things I NEED to see during my free time in Rome.
I also have two days in Florence that don't have anything firm yet. I know I need to go to the countryside. I would like to go to Montalcino and Montepulciano, but the wine tours all seem to be about $700-$1000/pp. I really like the wines of that region, but I am totally fine with Chianti and Super Tuscans.
We planned the first half of the trip to be semi-blow and go and the last part of the trip, second half of Florence & Positano, is where we will downshift. I want to relax, eat, and maybe do a coastal tour or day trip to Capri.
The things in BOLD are not booked. Just ideas.
Thanks in advance for any suggestions. Also, please throw out dinner experiences.
Friday March 31
21:20--- Depart MSY to Rome on AA6183.
Saturday April 1
17:50 --- Arrive Rome (FCO)
Sunday April 2
Mostly a free day. Seems a lot of big attractions are closed on Sundays. Maybe a Rome Walks tour or something.
LINK
LINK /#
Stroll by big sights that don't need tickets. Pantheon – Spanish Steps – Trevi Fountain
Monday April 3
07:30 --- Pristine Sistine Tour (Sistine Chapel – Raphael Rooms – Belvedere Courtyard – Pinecone Courtyard – Gallery of the Candelabra – Gallery of the Maps – Gallery of the Tapestries – St. Peter’s Basilica – St. Peter’s Square.) Skip the line to Vatican Museums & early access 1hr. prior. Skip line to St. Peter’s Basilica. Small Group.
11:30 --- Lunch or back to condo
14:00 --- Free afternoon
Tuesday April 4
08:00 --- Free morning. Sleep in, café, people watch.
14:00 --- Colosseum underground, arena floor, third tier, and general access – Roman Forum – Palatine Hill – Arch of Constantine
Wednesday April 5
11:36 --- Arrive Florence
Rest of the day is a free day. Maybe consider a simple, walking tour. Or just walk, eat, and drink some wine?.
Thursday April 6
08:30 --- Florence in a day. Michelangelo’s David in the Accademia – Duomo – Ponte Vecchio – Uffizi Gallery – Baptistery Doors – Piazza della Signoria – Palazzo Vecchio (outside) – Piazza della Repubblica – Mercato Nuovo – Orsanmichele Church – Il Porcellino – Vasari Corridor (outside) – Loggia dei Lanzi (open air sculpture gallery).
12:00 --- Lunch w/ tour
15:30 --- Tour concludes
Friday April 7
09:00 --- Day trip to Chianti, Siena, & San Gimignano. (Piazzale Michelangelo – Siena – chianti farmhouse & vineyard – San Gimignano) Includes lunch & wine tasting in Chianti, air-conditioned transport, english-speaking tour guide.
19:00 --- Arrive back to Florence
Maybe look into the wine tasting Chase suggested instead. Tenuta Torciano? The above could be cool, but a little drug out. I wish it was just Chianti and Siena.
Saturday April 8
09:30 --- Food tour: Markets, tastings, lunch, & wine. Piazza dei Ciompi flea market – Tasting at local enoteca inludes crostini, olives, olive oil, and wine – Tasting of Florence’s cucina povera (includes lampredotto I THINK IT IS COW STOMACH) – Sant’Ambrogio Market – Tasting of local cured meats – Tasting of local cheeses – Primi sampling in traditional trattoria – gelato tasting
13:00 --- Tour concludes
Sunday April 9
10:24 --- Depart Florence for Positano
14:00 --- Arrive Le Sirenuse (Reservation XXXXXXX)
Monday April 10
Tour Positano
Tuesday April 11
Tour Positano
Wednesday April 12
Tour Positano
Thursday April 13
Tour Positano
Friday April 14
19:20 --- Arrive MSY
20:00 --- Home Sweet Home
I also have two days in Florence that don't have anything firm yet. I know I need to go to the countryside. I would like to go to Montalcino and Montepulciano, but the wine tours all seem to be about $700-$1000/pp. I really like the wines of that region, but I am totally fine with Chianti and Super Tuscans.
We planned the first half of the trip to be semi-blow and go and the last part of the trip, second half of Florence & Positano, is where we will downshift. I want to relax, eat, and maybe do a coastal tour or day trip to Capri.
The things in BOLD are not booked. Just ideas.
Thanks in advance for any suggestions. Also, please throw out dinner experiences.
Friday March 31
21:20--- Depart MSY to Rome on AA6183.
Saturday April 1
17:50 --- Arrive Rome (FCO)
Sunday April 2
Mostly a free day. Seems a lot of big attractions are closed on Sundays. Maybe a Rome Walks tour or something.
LINK
LINK /#
Stroll by big sights that don't need tickets. Pantheon – Spanish Steps – Trevi Fountain
Monday April 3
07:30 --- Pristine Sistine Tour (Sistine Chapel – Raphael Rooms – Belvedere Courtyard – Pinecone Courtyard – Gallery of the Candelabra – Gallery of the Maps – Gallery of the Tapestries – St. Peter’s Basilica – St. Peter’s Square.) Skip the line to Vatican Museums & early access 1hr. prior. Skip line to St. Peter’s Basilica. Small Group.
11:30 --- Lunch or back to condo
14:00 --- Free afternoon
Tuesday April 4
08:00 --- Free morning. Sleep in, café, people watch.
14:00 --- Colosseum underground, arena floor, third tier, and general access – Roman Forum – Palatine Hill – Arch of Constantine
Wednesday April 5
11:36 --- Arrive Florence
Rest of the day is a free day. Maybe consider a simple, walking tour. Or just walk, eat, and drink some wine?.
Thursday April 6
08:30 --- Florence in a day. Michelangelo’s David in the Accademia – Duomo – Ponte Vecchio – Uffizi Gallery – Baptistery Doors – Piazza della Signoria – Palazzo Vecchio (outside) – Piazza della Repubblica – Mercato Nuovo – Orsanmichele Church – Il Porcellino – Vasari Corridor (outside) – Loggia dei Lanzi (open air sculpture gallery).
12:00 --- Lunch w/ tour
15:30 --- Tour concludes
Friday April 7
09:00 --- Day trip to Chianti, Siena, & San Gimignano. (Piazzale Michelangelo – Siena – chianti farmhouse & vineyard – San Gimignano) Includes lunch & wine tasting in Chianti, air-conditioned transport, english-speaking tour guide.
19:00 --- Arrive back to Florence
Maybe look into the wine tasting Chase suggested instead. Tenuta Torciano? The above could be cool, but a little drug out. I wish it was just Chianti and Siena.
Saturday April 8
09:30 --- Food tour: Markets, tastings, lunch, & wine. Piazza dei Ciompi flea market – Tasting at local enoteca inludes crostini, olives, olive oil, and wine – Tasting of Florence’s cucina povera (includes lampredotto I THINK IT IS COW STOMACH) – Sant’Ambrogio Market – Tasting of local cured meats – Tasting of local cheeses – Primi sampling in traditional trattoria – gelato tasting
13:00 --- Tour concludes
Sunday April 9
10:24 --- Depart Florence for Positano
14:00 --- Arrive Le Sirenuse (Reservation XXXXXXX)
Monday April 10
Tour Positano
Tuesday April 11
Tour Positano
Wednesday April 12
Tour Positano
Thursday April 13
Tour Positano
Friday April 14
19:20 --- Arrive MSY
20:00 --- Home Sweet Home
This post was edited on 3/2/17 at 9:58 am
6
Posted on 3/2/17 at 9:33 am to TheWiz
Jesus...I had to take a Xanax just reading through your post. Sloooooow down.
Posted on 3/2/17 at 9:44 am to HoustonGumbeauxGuy
quote:
Sloooooow down.
Haha. It's really not too much once you step back and look at it. City transfer days are the busiest. The days we did do tours, it's crammed. That's how we like to do it. Rip through the musts and then try to slow it down. We have one full free day and at least another 1/2 day or two built into Rome and Florence.
Positano is for basking, boozing, and hopefully banging.
Posted on 3/2/17 at 9:50 am to TheWiz
I'm really not one to complain but dude...clean it up and you'll get more info. We don't need to know what airport or whatever you have connecting flights.
What city are you in and what are you doing? Keep it simple.
What city are you in and what are you doing? Keep it simple.
Posted on 3/2/17 at 9:59 am to juice4lsu
quote:
I'm really not one to complain but dude...clean it up and you'll get more info. We don't need to know what airport or whatever you have connecting flights. What city are you in and what are you doing? Keep it simple.
Trimmed it up some. I originally left travel info in so people didn't suggest hotels, renting cars, etc.
Posted on 3/2/17 at 10:46 am to TheWiz
Not everyone loves Rome...but I do. The major monuments are lighted at night, and my favorite Roman thing to do is the passeggiata; i.e., to stroll in the evening, with no particular place to go. Stroll from one bar to another for an apero, or hit your favorite gelato shop then stroll to the nearest piazza, sit by a fountain, and watch the world go by, or stroll from one major monument to another. Everything looks different by night.
It is very easy to get terrible food in Rome--don't eat in any place w/a view, with a barker handing out menus, or with a menu in multiple languages. Do a little planning on the food end & Rome will be great. Katie Parla www.parlafood.com won't steer you wrong.
My second favorite thing to do in Rome is to eat pizza bianca,pizza rossa, or just pizza in general: pizza bianca is a plain flatbread, a sort of cousin to focaccia, specific to Rome, topped w/a sprinkle of salt & maybe a few herbs. Some places split it and stuff w/salumi, or figs & cheese, etc. Or try pizza rossa, the same dough only topped with a tomato purée. The Antico Forno in the upriver corner of the Campo di Fiore makes an excellent version (as well as pretty good pizza al taglio at lunch), and the Forno Roscioli on via Giubbionari (between the Campo and the Jewish ghetto slightly downriver) is another good one to try. You could do a flatbread stroll and follow those two up with a stop at the Pizza Florida (on via Florida just off of via Arenula, across from the Largo Argentina historic site/cat sanctuary)...Florida is a little takeout spot that sells pizza by the 'etto (100 grams) slice.
Since you're doing the Vatican museum schlep, you'll need lunch in that general area. Try Pizzarium Bonci, on via Trionfale: LINK. Wild-yeast leavened, very inventive seasonal pizzas. Bonci is opening a place in Chicago, plus a cookbook from several years ago. It's very good stuff.
My single most favorite place in Rome is the church of Sant'Ivo alla Sapienza, which has weird opening hours & is hard to find, stuck in the back of a courtyard on a little college campus near piazza Navona. It is worth the effort, as it is an all-white, geometrically fascinating construction of Borromini's. A triangle, with lopped off corners replaced with semi-circles. Hard to describe, but the visual equivalent of being inside a precise music box.
It is very easy to get terrible food in Rome--don't eat in any place w/a view, with a barker handing out menus, or with a menu in multiple languages. Do a little planning on the food end & Rome will be great. Katie Parla www.parlafood.com won't steer you wrong.
My second favorite thing to do in Rome is to eat pizza bianca,pizza rossa, or just pizza in general: pizza bianca is a plain flatbread, a sort of cousin to focaccia, specific to Rome, topped w/a sprinkle of salt & maybe a few herbs. Some places split it and stuff w/salumi, or figs & cheese, etc. Or try pizza rossa, the same dough only topped with a tomato purée. The Antico Forno in the upriver corner of the Campo di Fiore makes an excellent version (as well as pretty good pizza al taglio at lunch), and the Forno Roscioli on via Giubbionari (between the Campo and the Jewish ghetto slightly downriver) is another good one to try. You could do a flatbread stroll and follow those two up with a stop at the Pizza Florida (on via Florida just off of via Arenula, across from the Largo Argentina historic site/cat sanctuary)...Florida is a little takeout spot that sells pizza by the 'etto (100 grams) slice.
Since you're doing the Vatican museum schlep, you'll need lunch in that general area. Try Pizzarium Bonci, on via Trionfale: LINK. Wild-yeast leavened, very inventive seasonal pizzas. Bonci is opening a place in Chicago, plus a cookbook from several years ago. It's very good stuff.
My single most favorite place in Rome is the church of Sant'Ivo alla Sapienza, which has weird opening hours & is hard to find, stuck in the back of a courtyard on a little college campus near piazza Navona. It is worth the effort, as it is an all-white, geometrically fascinating construction of Borromini's. A triangle, with lopped off corners replaced with semi-circles. Hard to describe, but the visual equivalent of being inside a precise music box.
Posted on 3/2/17 at 10:56 am to hungryone
Awesome! 
I'll check out that blog. I bookmarked it in the other Italy thread.
I'll check out that blog. I bookmarked it in the other Italy thread.
Posted on 3/2/17 at 11:12 am to TheWiz
I just re-read your itinerary and realized you're ending up on the Amalfi Coast. Positano is tiny--so you're going to want to visit Amalfi, Maiori,Minori, Ravello, etc. The public busses aren't bad, or you can hire a driver. We traveled that area in our friends' private car, and it was some of the hairiest/scariest driving I ever experienced. I'm talking car-sick-inducing twists & turns for miles--no straightaways, all with a sheer drop to the ocean. If you can take the ferries (we were there in the off season, so no boats), they're definitely an easier way to travel. You can hike a bunch of different trails into the mountains: LINK
Minori (town) has the incomparable Sal di Riso pastry shop--he supplies many of the fancy hotels in the area, plus a first-century Roman villa site. In Positano, if you're not staying at Le Sirenuse, you might want to consider dining in its restaurant or visiting the oyster & champagne bar there.
Minori (town) has the incomparable Sal di Riso pastry shop--he supplies many of the fancy hotels in the area, plus a first-century Roman villa site. In Positano, if you're not staying at Le Sirenuse, you might want to consider dining in its restaurant or visiting the oyster & champagne bar there.
Posted on 3/2/17 at 11:15 am to hungryone
quote:
In Positano, if you're not staying at Le Sirenuse, you might want to consider dining in its restaurant or visiting the oyster & champagne bar there.
Good to hear. We are staying there. I hope that the oyster & champagne bar is open. We are right at the cusp of when the "season" begins. I think the place is called Franco's.
The car part is going to be tough for the wife. She doesn't do well with motion sickness. I think she can tolerate the big ferries.
This post was edited on 3/2/17 at 11:17 am
Posted on 3/2/17 at 11:18 am to TheWiz
We just got back from Rome and Florence.
Some things that I didn't see on your itinerary:
St. Peter in Chains Cathedral (Michelangelo's Moses)
Michelangelo's Moses statue is one of my favorite works of art, but it's worth it to see the chains of St. Peter as well. Plus it's a beautiful church.
Piazza della Repubblica
Very impressive. If you're on the metro it's worth a stop, there's a train stop right in the middle of it.
Galleria Borghese
No super-super famous works of art here, but a ton of art and sculpture to view.
National Monument to Victor Emmanuel IIThis is at the end of one of the major tram lines and a short walk to the Colosseum. Massive and beautiful building.
Santa Maria in Trastevere
We stayed in a small but very nice courtyard hotel in this area. Small alleyways winding to the church courtyard which has the oldest fountain in Rome. Tons of tiny shops and restaurants, much better than staying in the centrally located tourist hotels. We rarely saw any Americans in this area, which is nice. But then we were there in the off season.
And again, the warning about pickpockets.
And when the street people try to sell you a selfie stick or a flying toy, don't acknowledge them at all. I asked one guy "how much" and he followed me for a mile trying to make the sale.
Some things that I didn't see on your itinerary:
St. Peter in Chains Cathedral (Michelangelo's Moses)
Michelangelo's Moses statue is one of my favorite works of art, but it's worth it to see the chains of St. Peter as well. Plus it's a beautiful church.
Piazza della Repubblica
Very impressive. If you're on the metro it's worth a stop, there's a train stop right in the middle of it.
Galleria Borghese
No super-super famous works of art here, but a ton of art and sculpture to view.
National Monument to Victor Emmanuel IIThis is at the end of one of the major tram lines and a short walk to the Colosseum. Massive and beautiful building.
Santa Maria in Trastevere
We stayed in a small but very nice courtyard hotel in this area. Small alleyways winding to the church courtyard which has the oldest fountain in Rome. Tons of tiny shops and restaurants, much better than staying in the centrally located tourist hotels. We rarely saw any Americans in this area, which is nice. But then we were there in the off season.
And again, the warning about pickpockets.
And when the street people try to sell you a selfie stick or a flying toy, don't acknowledge them at all. I asked one guy "how much" and he followed me for a mile trying to make the sale.
Posted on 3/2/17 at 11:19 am to Fewer Kilometers
quote:
We just got back from Rome and Florence.
Review + pics?
Posted on 3/2/17 at 11:22 am to TheWiz
If your wife gets motion sick, ABSOLUTELY investigate getting to Posi by water. Are you taking the train to Naples or Salerno? I do not get motion sick, or seasick, and the Amalfi Coast highway did me in. So Bonine, wristbands, or whatever usually works for her is a necessity.
Posted on 3/2/17 at 11:23 am to TheWiz
And if you end up not taking the Vatican Museum tour and decide to do it on your own... get there very early if you want to go directly into St. Peters. We got there at 7:30am and walked right in. Later in the day it's a mob of a line.
You can also get into the Basilica by a rear door in the Sistine Chapel, but that's for tour groups only. You can usually sneak through when the guard isn't looking or blend in with a group.
You can also get into the Basilica by a rear door in the Sistine Chapel, but that's for tour groups only. You can usually sneak through when the guard isn't looking or blend in with a group.
Posted on 3/2/17 at 11:26 am to hungryone
quote:
Are you taking the train to Naples or Salerno?
Yes. TGV or whatever they have similar from Florence to Naples. I'm gonna tell her to load up on scopolamine. I'd rather just take a direct car form Naples to Positano.
Posted on 3/2/17 at 11:31 am to Fewer Kilometers
quote:
And if you end up not taking the Vatican Museum tour and decide to do it on your own... get there very early if you want to go directly into St. Peters. We got there at 7:30am and walked right in. Later in the day it's a mob of a line.
We did buy skip the lines and one hour early access passes
quote:
Skip the line to Vatican Museums & early access 1hr. prior. Skip line to St. Peter’s Basilica. Small Group.
This post was edited on 3/2/17 at 11:33 am
Posted on 3/2/17 at 11:43 am to TheWiz
Go look at the map and be sure to zoom in really close--there is no "direct" from Naples to Posi. The last 45 minutes are seriously twisty--are you hiring a driver, or will you do this yourself? It's not hard to navigate, but once you're on the coast road (SS163), it can be slow going. Big tour & municipal buses do the coast route, and the road has an endless array of hairpin turns. Often, the bus will take up both lanes, and you have to stop to let the buses around. There are mirrors to show you what's coming around the corner, and you have no choice but to yield to the huge buses. If you're renting a car, get a small one, and be prepared to fold in the mirrors at times.
I'd allot plenty of time to travel the road w/someone prone to motion sickness...you may need to stop frequently.
I'd allot plenty of time to travel the road w/someone prone to motion sickness...you may need to stop frequently.
Posted on 3/2/17 at 11:45 am to HoustonGumbeauxGuy
quote:
Review + pics?
Delta flying over, no problems.
Stayed in the Trastevere neighborhood, which was our best decision. Stayed in a small courtyard hotel, the only Americans that we saw in the neighborhood were one or two people at the hotel itself. Tons of tiny shops and restaurants, beautiful church and church square surrounded by restaurants. Friday and Saturday nights the courtyard was full of people and had an awesome atmosphere.
Did the Vatican on a Wednesday so that we could attend the Pope's weekly address. Very awesome, got tickets the morning of (free) and walked in to get early and great seats. Within five feet of the Pope as he walked in and out.
Vatican Museum was great, not too full since it was off-season. No line to get in at all. We rushed through most of it to spend time with the important works and the Sistine Chapel.
Loved Florence, saw the David and the works in the Uffizi Gallery. Florence was our only "tour", so they ran us through pretty quickly. But seeing Botticelli's Venus and the Michelangelo works were amazing. We saw The David on our own so that we could spend a lot of time with it. Food in Florence was much better than in Rome.
Did a ton of walking, a lot of tram and train/metro rides in Rome to get around. Did the Colosseum, Spanish Steps (from top down, so we didn't have to climb), Trevi Fountain at dusk so that we could see it in day and at night.
Saw all of the sites listed above. We weren't "let down" by anything really. Nothing that I would avoid... other than any restaurant that is too close to the most famous attractions. When you look around and realize that the entire restaurant is filled with Americans, you know the food will suck.
If I could do it over I'd spend more than one day in Florence and take my time in the Uffizi Gallery. Maybe a full day in the Vatican Museum.
Best things: walking through the tiny streets of Trasteve and checking out the shops, sitting in the outdoor restaurants in the square and eating pasta, sipping coffee.
Seeing so much amazing art.
Being in the presence of the Pope.
Worst thing: We flew Al Italia home. They couldn't find our reservations on the computer and gave us bullshite excuses as to why we couldn't have our reserved seats on the flight home. They bumped us back to the smallest seats in economy and kept our money that we'd paid for upgrades. We're still fighting them to get our money.
Posted on 3/2/17 at 11:46 am to hungryone
quote:
I'd allot plenty of time to travel the road w/someone prone to motion sickness...you may need to stop frequently.
Oh, shite. My wife is going to be a wreck. I planned to hire a driver to/from.
Posted on 3/2/17 at 11:56 am to TheWiz
Hey, think positively--she may be so amazed by the beautiful views she forgets to be sick. I was OK on the drive from Minori to Sorrento, but had to lie down in the back seat on the trip home....it helped to stop in Amalfi & walk around & drink espresso, and to keep the windows down to breathe the sea air.
I don't thnk the town to town water ferries start running until mid May.
I don't thnk the town to town water ferries start running until mid May.
Posted on 3/2/17 at 2:31 pm to hungryone
quote:
don't thnk the town to town water ferries start running until mid May.
I think you are correct. I need to look back into all that. I think I had settled on booking a boat, up to 8 people, to try and get to Capri.
Page 1 of 2
Popular
Back to top
Follow TigerDroppings for LSU Football News