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Started By
Message
25th anniversary trip to Italy, review my revised plan
Posted on 4/10/25 at 4:54 pm
Posted on 4/10/25 at 4:54 pm
July 2nd
Outbound flight
9:58pm depart Dallas to London 12:45pm (premium economy)
3 hour layover
3:40pm depart London to Milan 6:40pm
Relax that evening
July 4th day in Milan
Duomo guided tour
Last supper guided tour
July 5th
Train to Venice business class
12:35-15:03
July 6th
Palazzo Contarini
Doge's Palace and St. Mark's
July 7th
Walking tour of Venice
La Fenice Opera House
July 8th (25th anniversary)
Murano and Murano day trip
Pasta and Tiramisu cooking class
July 9th
Train to Florence business class
12:05-14:20
July 10th
Day trip to Cinque Terre
July 11th
Academia Gallery
Duomo
Giotto's Bell Tower
July 12th (wife's birthday)
Pisa, Siena, San gimignano, Chianti day trip
July 13th
Train to Rome business class
11:43-13:19
Castle San't Angelo
Pantheon
July 14th
Colosseum
Roman Forum
Palatine
July 15th
Vatican museums
Sistine Chapel & Basilica
July 16th
Pompeii, Amalfi coast, Sorrento day trip
July 18th
Rome to Dallas non stop (premium economy)
Tell me where I've messed up, what looks ok, and anything else you can think of. I'm open to all advice. I'm all about learning from other people's experiences.
Thanks in advance!
Outbound flight
9:58pm depart Dallas to London 12:45pm (premium economy)
3 hour layover
3:40pm depart London to Milan 6:40pm
Relax that evening
July 4th day in Milan
Duomo guided tour
Last supper guided tour
July 5th
Train to Venice business class
12:35-15:03
July 6th
Palazzo Contarini
Doge's Palace and St. Mark's
July 7th
Walking tour of Venice
La Fenice Opera House
July 8th (25th anniversary)
Murano and Murano day trip
Pasta and Tiramisu cooking class
July 9th
Train to Florence business class
12:05-14:20
July 10th
Day trip to Cinque Terre
July 11th
Academia Gallery
Duomo
Giotto's Bell Tower
July 12th (wife's birthday)
Pisa, Siena, San gimignano, Chianti day trip
July 13th
Train to Rome business class
11:43-13:19
Castle San't Angelo
Pantheon
July 14th
Colosseum
Roman Forum
Palatine
July 15th
Vatican museums
Sistine Chapel & Basilica
July 16th
Pompeii, Amalfi coast, Sorrento day trip
July 18th
Rome to Dallas non stop (premium economy)
Tell me where I've messed up, what looks ok, and anything else you can think of. I'm open to all advice. I'm all about learning from other people's experiences.
Thanks in advance!
This post was edited on 4/14/25 at 4:10 pm
14
Posted on 4/10/25 at 5:02 pm to hawgndodge
Seems like a lot to try and cram into one trip.
Posted on 4/10/25 at 5:04 pm to jfw3535
Fair enough. Lemme know what I should look at taking out
Posted on 4/10/25 at 5:30 pm to hawgndodge
July 12.
Definitely skip Pisa. It is on the other side of Tuscany (closer to the Cinque Terre) and you won't have time for all of those things.
ETA
The July 16 day trip. No way all that is happening on a day trip. I once did Pompeii as a day trip from Rome. We left early in the morning and got back in the afternoon.
I did the Cinque Terre as a day trip from Florence. That is doable.
That July 16 plan. I would forget about that and spend an extra day exploring Tuscany.
If your wife insists on going to Pisa, make a day trip out of Pisa and Lucca. I enjoyed Lucca more than Pisa and I have been to Pisa twice. You can rent bikes and ride around the rampart surrounding the town.
Definitely skip Pisa. It is on the other side of Tuscany (closer to the Cinque Terre) and you won't have time for all of those things.
ETA
The July 16 day trip. No way all that is happening on a day trip. I once did Pompeii as a day trip from Rome. We left early in the morning and got back in the afternoon.
I did the Cinque Terre as a day trip from Florence. That is doable.
That July 16 plan. I would forget about that and spend an extra day exploring Tuscany.
If your wife insists on going to Pisa, make a day trip out of Pisa and Lucca. I enjoyed Lucca more than Pisa and I have been to Pisa twice. You can rent bikes and ride around the rampart surrounding the town.
This post was edited on 4/10/25 at 11:04 pm
Posted on 4/10/25 at 5:53 pm to hawgndodge
I’d build in a day or two to breathe and have no plans. And skip Pisa.
Posted on 4/10/25 at 5:59 pm to BlackenedOut
I've got nothing on the 9th and nothing on the 17th.
Wife is adamant she wants a picture of leaning tower.
Wife is adamant she wants a picture of leaning tower.
Posted on 4/10/25 at 6:38 pm to hawgndodge
Gondola ride on your anniversary.
Posted on 4/10/25 at 6:46 pm to VABuckeye
Yeah that's in the plans just forgot to put it down
Posted on 4/10/25 at 6:58 pm to hawgndodge
Way too much crammed into the “Florence” part that isn’t Florence.
Florence is amazing and it’s basically getting a day.
And then a day trip to Amalfi? Also insane.
Way too much. Cut that out, cut out some of the side trips.
Florence is amazing and it’s basically getting a day.
And then a day trip to Amalfi? Also insane.
Way too much. Cut that out, cut out some of the side trips.
Posted on 4/10/25 at 6:59 pm to hawgndodge
quote:
Wife is adamant she wants a picture of leaning tower.
I’d say go back another time then. I LOVE cinque Terre but I’d pick either that or your other Florence side trips. Not both
And definitely get rid of Amalfi, or make Amalfi the focal of the trip.
This post was edited on 4/10/25 at 7:05 pm
Posted on 4/10/25 at 7:13 pm to Fun Bunch
Yeah, there’s way too much moving around. It’s all travel. I prefer a base and some little day trips.
Our trip in June.
Fly into Milan and overnight. Train to Venice Mestre station the next day and rent a car and drive up to Ortisei in the Dolomites. Four nights in Ortisei and check out the Dolomites.
Train to Bologna and spend five nights in Bologna. Two days in Bologna checking out the city and relaxing. Take a train one day to Modena and a train another day to Parma. These are 1 hour train rides.
Like I said. I prefer a base to check out and explore from without long train rides and lugging my baggage around what feels like every other day.
Sometimes, less is more.
Our trip in June.
Fly into Milan and overnight. Train to Venice Mestre station the next day and rent a car and drive up to Ortisei in the Dolomites. Four nights in Ortisei and check out the Dolomites.
Train to Bologna and spend five nights in Bologna. Two days in Bologna checking out the city and relaxing. Take a train one day to Modena and a train another day to Parma. These are 1 hour train rides.
Like I said. I prefer a base to check out and explore from without long train rides and lugging my baggage around what feels like every other day.
Sometimes, less is more.
This post was edited on 4/10/25 at 7:17 pm
Posted on 4/10/25 at 7:30 pm to VABuckeye
When we did Rome to Pompeii last year it was a full day. We only did Naples after Pompeii.
Posted on 4/10/25 at 7:32 pm to hawgndodge
Those cities will be swamped with tourists that time of year. You should go off the beaten path a bit and see small to mid sized towns in Tuscany and Umbria provinces, seeing Volterra, Siena, Cortona, Assisi, Gubbio, Todi, Orvieto, Montepulciano, Pienza, and Pitigliano, Civita de Bagnoregio, Castiglioncello del Trinoro, and Monticchiello.
Posted on 4/10/25 at 7:38 pm to VABuckeye
He’s doing the cardinal sin of “we are never going back so we have to see everything”
You could do this trip. Or you could have a great vacation. Can’t do both in my opinion.
You could do this trip. Or you could have a great vacation. Can’t do both in my opinion.
Posted on 4/10/25 at 7:40 pm to hawgndodge
Get it. Happy wife, happy life.
Did an absolute barn burner of an Italy trip last summer. There is a lot of truth and wisdom in this. Italy is an incredibly well visited country. And the tourists go to the same 6 cities. If you can get off the beaten path as suggested and spend time out in the boonies (I.e Modena, Parma, bologna, Ferrara, lake Garda, small towns in Tuscany, puglia, etc.) it pays dividends.
But really there isn’t anything wrong with your trip. Sure maybe a few less trips but if it’s your anniversary and a once in a lifetime thing, go full throttle. End of trip you’ll be exhausted but you’ll say “man we saw a lot”
Congrats and enjoy.
Did an absolute barn burner of an Italy trip last summer. There is a lot of truth and wisdom in this. Italy is an incredibly well visited country. And the tourists go to the same 6 cities. If you can get off the beaten path as suggested and spend time out in the boonies (I.e Modena, Parma, bologna, Ferrara, lake Garda, small towns in Tuscany, puglia, etc.) it pays dividends.
But really there isn’t anything wrong with your trip. Sure maybe a few less trips but if it’s your anniversary and a once in a lifetime thing, go full throttle. End of trip you’ll be exhausted but you’ll say “man we saw a lot”
Congrats and enjoy.
Posted on 4/10/25 at 8:45 pm to hawgndodge
quote:
July 16th
Pompeii, Amalfi coast, Sorrento day trip
You had me until this.
You could do the first and third (superficially) or the second and third (superficially) together in a day trip. But all 3 is virtually impossible with you spending enough time to make any of the visits meaningful.
Posted on 4/10/25 at 9:42 pm to BlackenedOut
My biggest thing is I'm not entirely sure how much my wife will truly enjoy it all so I'm trying to find multiple different places so that I might find one or two she would want to go back to later. Only trip she's ever taken overseas was to Moscow after her senior year of high school, went to visit an exchange student they had. She hated it. Was sick for days.
We're not drinkers at all so just sitting and sipping wine for a few hours is not something we would do so I'm trying to find things to do, things to see.
I'll rework it again and see what I can come up with.
We're not drinkers at all so just sitting and sipping wine for a few hours is not something we would do so I'm trying to find things to do, things to see.
I'll rework it again and see what I can come up with.
Posted on 4/10/25 at 10:00 pm to hawgndodge
I think if you pare it down a bit and think about the distances traveled you’ll have a better time. Even Milan to Venice is get to the train station an hour ahead, take a 2 1/2 hour train ride, then make your way to the hotel turns into 5-6 hours of the day and you’re doing the nine times plus very long day trips. Remember, the signs aren’t in English there. It takes time to find your way.
Break it down that way and you’ll realize that you’re going to spend more time packing and unpacking, getting to and from train stations and on trains than anything else.
I hope you have a very enjoyable trip! Just understand that there’s so much to Italy that trying to cram it all into one trip is more than a bit much.
Break it down that way and you’ll realize that you’re going to spend more time packing and unpacking, getting to and from train stations and on trains than anything else.
I hope you have a very enjoyable trip! Just understand that there’s so much to Italy that trying to cram it all into one trip is more than a bit much.
This post was edited on 4/10/25 at 10:01 pm
Posted on 4/10/25 at 10:33 pm to jfw3535
quote:
Seems like a lot to try and cram into one trip.
Wears me out just looking at that itenerary. Why Milan? It's an OK city but not worth your time. And that flight over, why does it depart DFW so late? That's gonna be a beat down unless you are a sound sleeper on planes.
Posted on 4/10/25 at 11:18 pm to hawgndodge
Where are you staying in Rome?
We returned from a 3 week trip to Sicily & Rome 3 weeks ago today. It was our first trip there. We were in Rome 5 nights.
We did pretty much everything you have on your Rome itinerary and more. My wife wanted to go to Almafi and I had the tour booked but we canceled that and just walked around that day.
We did a lot of walking in Rome; 7 to 9 miles most days. We went in a lot of churches. There are 900+ churches in Rome; we were told. We ate gelato.
In addition to the regular tours one day we hired a guide, a van and a driver (not cheap). There were 4 of us. We went to several of the pilgrimage churches, a Jewish synagogue, ate lunch in a Jewish restaurant cause the guide said it was the most authentic Roman food, and toured one of the catacombs.
We returned from a 3 week trip to Sicily & Rome 3 weeks ago today. It was our first trip there. We were in Rome 5 nights.
We did pretty much everything you have on your Rome itinerary and more. My wife wanted to go to Almafi and I had the tour booked but we canceled that and just walked around that day.
We did a lot of walking in Rome; 7 to 9 miles most days. We went in a lot of churches. There are 900+ churches in Rome; we were told. We ate gelato.
In addition to the regular tours one day we hired a guide, a van and a driver (not cheap). There were 4 of us. We went to several of the pilgrimage churches, a Jewish synagogue, ate lunch in a Jewish restaurant cause the guide said it was the most authentic Roman food, and toured one of the catacombs.
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