Italy Vacation

[MED]

The wife is really bugging me to go to Italy this fall. So I am looking for a website/travel agency that gives discount to crew members and I am also looking for suggestions on what to see and what to do in Venice, Rome and Florence area.

Thanks,
MED

 

[semperfido]

Sounds like a great vacation. If it were me going, I would forget crew discounts and research small 3 star hotels and B&Bs. I'd go to a good book store or the library and read up on them. TripAdvisor.com is a good resource as well.

 

[parrothead]

Can anyone let me know of a good way to get to Trapani, Italy?

Thanks!

 

[EuroWheenie]

I'd recommend you do a quick turn of both Venezia and Firenze - they are tourist traps par excellence and you'll be falling over your countrymen. Now if you must, sure, breeze past Venezia in an afternoon. Can't give you any hints on Firenze, apart from the fact it's overcrowded with tourists, many of them American.

Set aside at least 4 days for Rome, and even that won't be enough. Know of a lady who's been living there for 25 years, and she's still discovering things! You've got to see, at least, the Colloseum, The Vatican Museum (incl. the Sistine Chapel), the Trevi Fountain, the Spanish Stairs (hold on to your credit card; there's a very posh shopping street leading up to the square in front of the stairs - your wife will go mad), the Forum Romana, find excellent restaurants in the Trastevere area and generally lark about soaking up the atmosphere. It truly is an amazing city, one of the greatest on this planet.

Instead of Firenze, my suggestion would be to visit the Napoli area, specifically to see Pompeij and drive the coastal road via Sorrento to Amalfi. Spend a couple of days in Amalfi - small town but loads of of options if you've got a car. It's so incredibly pretty you won't belive your eyes, and the drive along the SS163 is among the best I've ever encountered. Rent a small Fiat 500 and you'll have a real laugh.

Napoli itself is a dump, and a dangerous dump as well - stay sharp.

I should also mention Modena and Sant'Agata - the homes of Ferrari and Lamborghini.

And, of course, if you could find a way to secure tickets for football match, do yourself a favour and go - the Italian league is one of the top 3 in the world. It's not cheap mind, and forget about getting tickets for any of the big matches.

The drive Venice-Firenze-Rome-Amalfi is around 850 km (530 miles). Along the way, near Firenze as it is, you'll be in Toscana. Probably the most gorgeous province of Italy. So many small villages to visit, so much fine food and wine to be enjoyed. Get off the beaten track and just explore that province for a couple or 5 days.

Avoid Milano - it's a heavily industrialised city with nothing much, apart from the cathedral, worth seeing. Stupidly expensive as well.

 

[2EASYPilot]

My wife and I got married in San Remo...loved that area, it is also very close to Monaco which was fun.

 

[taysha]

Northern and Southern Itlay are very different. Milan is very trendy and has some of the best shops. Lake Maggiore and Como are beautiful and stunning (worth a few days stay). Venice is very unique. There is lots to do in Rome...best to use the subway.

Naples is crime ridden and lots of professional pick pocketers. Take a boat to the islands of Prucida and Anna Capri. Visit the Blue Groto. Sorrento is beautiful and a drive down the Almalfi Coast is spectacular. Brindisi and Bari is a take it/leave it. They are the best towns to take a boat to Corfu.

 

[typhoonpilot]

The wife is really bugging me to go to Italy this fall. So I am looking for a website/travel agency that gives discount to crew members and I am also looking for suggestions on what to see and what to do in Venice, Rome and Florence area.

Thanks,
MED

How long do you have?

I'd buy the Lonely Planet guide to Italy and use that to plan. Backpacking is the best way. Stay at the small one and two star places near the train stations and take the train between cities. The train stations are all right in the center of the cities, with just a few exceptions.

I'd do:

Rome - 4 days
Florence/Pisa - 2 days
Sienna - 1-2 days
Venice - 3 days
Milan/Lake Como 3 days
Cinque Terra - 3 days
Amalfi Coast/Capri/Sorrento/Pompei 3-4 days


Typhoonpilot