- 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
Recommendations for Trip to Italy
Posted on 2/10/20 at 6:33 am
Posted on 2/10/20 at 6:33 am
My wife and I will be going to Italy this May and we were wanting to get a few ideas on things to do. Our itinerary is listed below and I have listed some of the things we would like to do. TIA
3 nights In Florence
2 nights in Rome
3 nights in Sorrento
We want to visit Pompeii, the coliseum and Sistine Chapel. We would also like to see the country side, go to some vineyards and eat some good local food while there. What are your recommendations? What tours should we do for Pompeii, coliseum and Sistine chapel. We don’t want to do full day tours and use up to much of our time there. A short highlight tour would be fine.
Thanks
3 nights In Florence
2 nights in Rome
3 nights in Sorrento
We want to visit Pompeii, the coliseum and Sistine Chapel. We would also like to see the country side, go to some vineyards and eat some good local food while there. What are your recommendations? What tours should we do for Pompeii, coliseum and Sistine chapel. We don’t want to do full day tours and use up to much of our time there. A short highlight tour would be fine.
Thanks
10
Posted on 2/10/20 at 7:19 am to wryder1
My wife and I are leaving in 2 weeks for our first Italy trip. We are leaving on a Friday and returning on Saturday (7 nights). We are doing 3 nights in Rome and 3 in Monticchiello, and then a final night in Rome at the airport. Based on my research and planning, you are spreading yourself too thin. Florence, Rome and Sorrento are not very close to each other.
We are staying at an Air BnB in Rome, doing a few tours with Walks of Italy and ViaTour, and then heading to Tuscany. We are using Monticchiello as a home base, but we are doing Florence and Siena in a day with a private guide. If you want to see the countryside, I would recommend one of the 3 M's (Montalcino, Montepulciano, or Monticchiello) as a home base in Tuscany. If you want to see Florence, you can easily get there from one of these towns.
I had to get over the urge to try to see the whole country in a week. I know you get the feeling of "I've got to see it all while I'm there," but you will spend so much time running between destinations that you really can't soak it in. Just my thoughts, I'm sure other more seasoned travelers can provide a more detailed approach.
We are staying at an Air BnB in Rome, doing a few tours with Walks of Italy and ViaTour, and then heading to Tuscany. We are using Monticchiello as a home base, but we are doing Florence and Siena in a day with a private guide. If you want to see the countryside, I would recommend one of the 3 M's (Montalcino, Montepulciano, or Monticchiello) as a home base in Tuscany. If you want to see Florence, you can easily get there from one of these towns.
I had to get over the urge to try to see the whole country in a week. I know you get the feeling of "I've got to see it all while I'm there," but you will spend so much time running between destinations that you really can't soak it in. Just my thoughts, I'm sure other more seasoned travelers can provide a more detailed approach.
Posted on 2/10/20 at 7:31 am to slinger1317
quote:
I had to get over the urge to try to see the whole country in a week
Yep. There's just to much to see and do. We go to Italy every three years and focus on about 3 places. We go for two weeks and explore.
The OP has two travel days in an 8 day trip. As much as I love the Amalfi coast I'd probably cut Sorrento out.
This post was edited on 2/10/20 at 7:33 am
Posted on 2/10/20 at 7:35 am to wryder1
quote:
A short highlight tour would be fine.
Do you want to experience Italy or just do a drive-by? If you stay in Florence and want to go to vineyards that is going to take a full day.
Most walking tours in the cities are only a few hours. It pays to pay a little more and do the "skip the lines" tours. Schedule these in the morning then you have the rest of the day to walk the city and explore.
Posted on 2/10/20 at 7:39 am to wryder1
quote:
2 nights in Rome
Stay in Trastevere towards the river. It is less touristy and there are plenty of really good restaurants.
quote:
We want to visit Pompeii, the coliseum and Sistine Chapel.
Buy your tickets online ahead of time so you can skip the lines and avoid the pushers. They are terrible in Rome.
Posted on 2/10/20 at 7:48 am to wryder1
RE: Florence
I'd HIGHLY recommend looking into Florence View Apartments!
Right on the Arno River. Easy walk to the sites. Has a roof top that's to die for where you can sit, have some drinks and look out over the city. Self-catering options. Reasonably priced.
We booked some day trips to Sienna an other smaller cities around the Tuscan region. Well worth it.
I'd HIGHLY recommend looking into Florence View Apartments!
Right on the Arno River. Easy walk to the sites. Has a roof top that's to die for where you can sit, have some drinks and look out over the city. Self-catering options. Reasonably priced.
We booked some day trips to Sienna an other smaller cities around the Tuscan region. Well worth it.
Posted on 2/10/20 at 8:01 am to wryder1
quote:
3 nights In Florence
-Medici Chapels in the Basilica of San Lorenzo.
-Lunch at Mercato Centrale
-Dinner at La Buchetta (make a reservation)
Posted on 2/10/20 at 8:33 am to wryder1
quote:
Sistine Chapel.
Bar nothing, the Sistine Chapel is the most beautiful, breathtaking, awe-inspiring moment of my life. That said, you need at minimum a day in Vatican City. I have been to Sorrento, but I would consider cutting a day out of there and adding it to Rome.
3 days in Florence is probably the right amount. I do 2 days the first time and it wasn't enough, and 5 the second time and it was probably a little too much.
Posted on 2/10/20 at 11:56 am to lionward2014
quote:
Bar nothing, the Sistine Chapel is the most beautiful, breathtaking, awe-inspiring moment of my life.
We had very different experiences.
I have little to no art knowledge or appreciation. I saw the Sistine Chapel and thought “oh cool. It’s smaller than I thought it would be.” And then I was ready to eat pasta.
Posted on 2/10/20 at 12:10 pm to AbitaFan08
St. Peter's Basilica is the ONE to see on that Vatican tour. It's magnificent.
Posted on 2/10/20 at 12:23 pm to wryder1
Your "wants" list includes stuff in Rome and south.
So why is Florence on your list? Consider dropping it, and instead spending 3-4 nights in Rome and a night or two in Sorrento and a night or two in Amalfi, Positano, etc (the south side of the Sorrentine peninsula).
You can certainly do wine tours and tastings in Campania (region of Pompeii/Amalfi coast). This area is also full of buffalo milk producers, so you might find a dairy to tour & mozzarella tasting.
Pompeii is fascinating, but so is the smaller, less crowded Herculaneum. The Circumvesuviana commuter trains can get you from Sorrento to Ercolano for a modest price.
So why is Florence on your list? Consider dropping it, and instead spending 3-4 nights in Rome and a night or two in Sorrento and a night or two in Amalfi, Positano, etc (the south side of the Sorrentine peninsula).
You can certainly do wine tours and tastings in Campania (region of Pompeii/Amalfi coast). This area is also full of buffalo milk producers, so you might find a dairy to tour & mozzarella tasting.
Pompeii is fascinating, but so is the smaller, less crowded Herculaneum. The Circumvesuviana commuter trains can get you from Sorrento to Ercolano for a modest price.
This post was edited on 2/10/20 at 1:12 pm
Posted on 2/10/20 at 3:36 pm to wryder1
Just went on a 9 day trip with Globus Tours
Slow season (Jan/Feb)was $1399/ person without airfare.
Had the time of our lives. The tours and excursions were great. Guides were friendly and knowledgeable.
https://www.globusjourneys.com/tour/bella-italia-escape-with-sorrento/kie
Slow season (Jan/Feb)was $1399/ person without airfare.
Had the time of our lives. The tours and excursions were great. Guides were friendly and knowledgeable.
https://www.globusjourneys.com/tour/bella-italia-escape-with-sorrento/kie
Posted on 2/10/20 at 8:16 pm to wryder1
If you want to go to a winery and see some of the Tuscan countryside but don't have a lot of time to do so, I have a suggestion. I hesitate to say this because the place is big and touristy and lacks the charm of some of the many smaller family run wineries, but the Antinori winery is right off the highway just south of Florence. Although they have been making wine there for centuries, the facility is new and modern. There is a nice tasting room with glass walls and restaurants on the upstairs terrace overlooking the vineyards. We went there because we were staying at a villa 10 minutes away.
Posted on 2/19/20 at 11:28 am to wryder1
3 nights In Florence - We stayed at Lorenzo E Lorenzo AirBnB. PERFECT location and nice hosts. When you arrive they pull out a map and start circling stuff and telling you all the best restaurants and things they like about the city to go see. It's on the other side of the river on the hillside with a bunch of cafe's and restaurants around you, and it's at the foot of the viewing point hill (Go up right before sunset). La Beppa had the best Antipasta board, l'Brendillone has the best Tbone (better call a few days in advance to reserve)... One thing I didn't think I'd enjoy as much as I did was the statue of David. The museum of Michelangelo's life/work and the David were incredible. Like a poster above said, buy your "skip the line" tickets ahead of time. Also a lot of the tours include a skip the line pass. We did a half-day wine tour into Chianti that was one of the highlights of our two-week trip. We stopped at a small town called Greve' on the way back to Florence, which, when we go again, we will book a night or two in Greve' itself. We took the high speed rail from Rome to Florence that cuts directly through the Tuscan countryside, at 150 mph. Beautiful ride.
2 nights in Rome - You'll need more than two nights in Rome. As said above Trastevere is a good place to stay, It's where we stayed. Pretty much every corner is a bar or restaurant and it's not a bad buss or tram ride to ancient Rome or the Vatican. I highly recommend the Art and Faith tour which will take you through the Vatican museums, into the Sistine Chapel, and concludes in St. Peters. You need to have dinner at Dino e Tony's while in Rome. By far the best pizza we had (which is an appetizer) and best dinner experience we had. For the Colosseum we booked a self guided audio tour which we found was perfect. It explained the history and details but you were free to walk around as you wanted. If you get a chance take a walk to the Pantheon and to Piazza Navona. Cafe Navona had some awesome food and the square itself was enjoyable.
3 nights in Sorrento - I got nothing.
Breakfast was usually around 8-9 every morning, and supper was usually around 9PM every night. Restaurants are still setting up at the time we normally eat. Meals usually last a few hours so don't be in a rush.
Also watch for traffic in Florence especially. Pedestrians don't have the right of way like they do over here so cars or scooters won't take it upon themselves to stop and let you go.
2 nights in Rome - You'll need more than two nights in Rome. As said above Trastevere is a good place to stay, It's where we stayed. Pretty much every corner is a bar or restaurant and it's not a bad buss or tram ride to ancient Rome or the Vatican. I highly recommend the Art and Faith tour which will take you through the Vatican museums, into the Sistine Chapel, and concludes in St. Peters. You need to have dinner at Dino e Tony's while in Rome. By far the best pizza we had (which is an appetizer) and best dinner experience we had. For the Colosseum we booked a self guided audio tour which we found was perfect. It explained the history and details but you were free to walk around as you wanted. If you get a chance take a walk to the Pantheon and to Piazza Navona. Cafe Navona had some awesome food and the square itself was enjoyable.
3 nights in Sorrento - I got nothing.
Breakfast was usually around 8-9 every morning, and supper was usually around 9PM every night. Restaurants are still setting up at the time we normally eat. Meals usually last a few hours so don't be in a rush.
Also watch for traffic in Florence especially. Pedestrians don't have the right of way like they do over here so cars or scooters won't take it upon themselves to stop and let you go.
This post was edited on 2/19/20 at 11:33 am
Page 1 of 1
Back to top
Follow TigerDroppings for LSU Football News