My 30th wedding anniversary is coming up shortly. Wife wants to go to Italy for a trip, so I'm trying to oblige.

I'd like to have something at least semi-planned by Christmas to give her some hope that I'm finally getting off the "X", but I see so many ads and they're all the same. Dunno who I can trust.

If you've been in recent years, can some of you recommend a reputable travel company? Best areas to go? Time of year that's perfect?

Thanks for all help you can offer.

I got nothing, last time I was in Italy my trip was arranged by Uncle Sam.

Rome was really cool. I coulda spent a week or more soaking in the history

Following, as we're considering the same for our 10th anniversary, and including a visit to the Italian exchange student we hosted last year as well.

Best to travel before or after American school and European vacation times.

How long is your stay? Do you want an organized tour (like getting on a bus with a guide and 80 other people)? Is there a specific city or thing you want to see?

I'd start with those questions. Unless you have unlimited time, I'd confine my trip planning to one of the five major areas of the country. It's really hard to do multiple regions in a single trip if you have a week or so. If you're doing it on a bus trip, you'll spend more time on the bus than out and seeing the country.

You can lump "the south" together, Campania and Calabria easily. That will give you the Naples area, which is a big draw. The Amalfi coast is also wonderfully scenic. Just know that the towns are pretty hard to access and park at, if you're going to drive yourself. They're also more than a little touristy. You could combine Sicily in the south too, but Sicily is really it's own thing. You won't be able to see all of Sicily AND the south of the peninsula in a week.

If you're interested in the middle of the country (i.e. Rome), the Lazio is enough for a whole trip. It's possible to combine Lazio and Campania into a single trip of a week without too much stress.

If you want "the wine country", Tuscany is the place to be. Tuscany is also home to Florence, which is a whole week in and of itself. Florence should be your go-to if you want to do the whole Renaissance thing. This is where you'll find the Cinque Terre, which is a major draw, so touristy, but super nice to visit. Tuscany can be combined with Lazio. Tuscany can also be combined with Emilia Romagna (where Bologna is) relatively easy.

The "north" Piedmont/Lombardy/South Tyrol is a real different animal. It's the Alps, basically. Milan and Turin are your major cities up here. Venice is of course a draw in the north, but it's basically destroyed now by floods, so I'd scratch it off my list. Like if you didn't see it, who knows if you'll see it again. The damage is very, very bad.

In general, as you move north, Italy becomes more industrial. The south was and still is poorer. It shows. Italians generally vacation in the south and Sicily. Check out very carefully whether your trip coincides with an ITALIAN holiday of some sort; that could mean things are closed or you end up with thousands of extra Italians on vacation.

I've done Sicily too. Very pleasant in spring, but I'd avoid it in summer. Too hot. The east coast is really great and packed with good stuff. The center has a lot of historical/archaeological sites, but requires a lot of driving. Palermo is a nice-ish city.

I don't know much about the Adriatic coast. Only ever been on that side of the mountains once, and that was in Venice, so my knowledge of those states if limited.

I went most recently back in 2011 but heres my input. I've been to Rome, Venice, Sicily and Florence.

In Rome we stayed near the Vatican and it was a nice relatively quiet area. Lots to see and do. Prepare to walk ALOT, the bus is a pickpocket fest from what I've read, I didnt take it so I dont know for sure. The train is cheap and goes most places if you are ok with walking from there. Check out the Roma pass, it not only gets you admission but you beat the lines to some large attractions which can be worth it in itself. The food is universally excellent. The airport food was even good so I'm not sure you can possibly have a bad meal in Italy. Gelato will ruin ice cream for you and US "gelato" is not the same. Go to the Vatican even if you dont care about religion, it has a great museum and the view from the Coppola is worth the wacky vertigo stairs.

Venice is great but my biggest warning is that a few cruise ships will pull up in the late morning and it will suddenly be packed until late afternoon. I've heard the best strategy is to stay overnight and enjoy it early and late after the ships are gone. If you are going as part of a cruise then you might want to cruise out of Venice and spend a day before or after.

I hit Sicily on a cruise and enjoyed it but didnt spend enough time to be able to give you tips. I havent been to Florence since I was a boy so cant help you there either but I remember the things I saw and strongly recommend it.

If you give us some more details about your travel plans (duration and places you want to hit) I think it might help.

Whatever time you plan on spending in Pompeii, double it.

In 2016 we did a 13 day tour of Italy and had a blast. We used Avventure Bellissime as the tour company. They customized one of their plans to accommodate our specific city requirements. We went mid May and weather was awesome and not to congested.

We had flights, but they arraigned hotel and day trips as well as transportation between airport, hotel, and train. If your up for an adventure, you could always drive yourself, but I enjoyed not having to worry with the connections. FYI, don't drive in Rome, they are crazy. lane assignments are just a suggestion.

We did Rome, Florence, Positano (Amafi coast is amazing), Siena, Venice, and back to Rome. SHould have arrainged our flight to come in Rome and leave Venice. Lost a day traveling.

Email is in my profile if I can answer any specific questions

Steve

I've been a couple times the past ten years. We are NOT tour types as we would rather plan our own stuff.

One trip we spend 4 days in Rome staying next to the Pantheon and 2 days in Florence. Rome is a can't miss location IMO. Lots of days spend walking. Next trip we spent on the Amalfi coast for 4 days and then 4 days in Sicily. Pompeii definitely worth it. Amalfi coast is spectacularly nice. Back to Florence, I could see spending a week in a villa there doing next to nothing, except drinking and eating

Ah to be in love in Paris.....


Its a shame about Venice, we loved seeing it even though we only had a few days and didn't get to everything,

Rome was great to visit, stay close to a local underground station, buy a day pass, use it to get everywhere, walking will take too long and cabs are expensive like any major city.

Vatican City, Old Rome/Colosseum, Fontana di Trevi, Piazza di Spagna, and while you are at the Piazza dine at Ristorante Nino for some bean soup, been there over 80 years....

https://www.ristorantenino.it/home-english/

Neither of us love the idea of riding a bus on someone else's schedule. The idea of a leisurely trip, seeing some of the less traveled areas, and setting our own pace, is where we're at.

I think maybe the Amalfi coast would be a great fit for us, maybe a few light historical settings but we also really need a battery recharge and time together. Not so much a checklist of sites, if that makes sense.

Thanks for all replies so far!

My wife and I went to Rome for seven days for her 30th. I'm not a city person and I really hate big cities, but I loved Rome. I could have easily spent another two weeks there. There is so much to see.

We went in January and it was fantastic. There were no crowds and no heat. We were able to sit in the Sistine Chapel for as long as we wanted. We found ourselves back in Rome for one day later that year in June and the crowds were huge. A friend said that when he went the Sistine chapel was standing room only and they were herded through to keep the lines moving. So, I recommend going there in the off season.

We found a B&B (actually just a room in an older couples apartment) that was right in the middle of the city about a 2-3, minute walk to Castel Sant'Angelo. It was great being able to walk out the door and be right in the middle of everything. I think we only used public transportation once. I much preferred this over a hotel as it felt more like staying with family. I've stayed at the four seasons there once and while it is very nice, you had to get transport into the city.

Make reservations ahead of time and visit the Galleria Borghese. They allow only so many people in per time slot, so you have to make your reservations in advance. This place is amazing, and that's saying something in a city where art is everywhere. There are marble carvings there that will make you think that God himself turned man into stone.


Download the free Rick Steve's audio guides. He's got a bunch. If you have some fancy headphones that can be shared, then you can listen together and it will make the whole experience come alive. We spent over an hour in the Sistine Chapel listening to him point out all these little details that would go unnoticed as a casual observer. Click here for the downloads: Rick Steves

Typical Touristy places to visit:

Trevi Fountain, Pantheon, St. Marks Cathedral, Colosseum, Spanish Steps, Take the wife window shopping along Via Condotti, poke your head in all the small churches you pass by (they are all pretty amazing), The Roman Forum, Sistine Chapel,

Our last trip was to Rome. I was there for work and my wife flew over to spend a week when I finished up.

No matter what your trip ends up looking like, start your planning with the understanding that you will not have enough time to see everything. If yu try to you will be so busy it will suck the fun out of it.

Make a list of must do items, prioritize it, and then plan 1 major item or 2 not so major items a day. Plan free time to just wander about, you'll find the true treasures of your trip when you are not looking for them.

We went to Italy and Switzerland for 22 days in 2017. It was in October.

We used Abercrombie and Kent as a travel guide. They arranged everything. Daily limo/driver and a tour guide everyday for my wife and I for our 20 yr anniversary. The tour guide that took care of us, enabled us to skip most of the lines and by-pass all the tourists. And they make arrangements ahead of time for visits. Well worth the money. Every time we stepped foot out of some place. The driver was right there waiting with a cold bottle of water and a fresh cool towel.

We toured Rome, Tuscany (multiple hill towns), Florence and Milan. We chose to skip Venice and Pisa as they are reported to be massive tourists meca/trap.

If you want to see St. Peter's tomb in the Basilica, get your dates set and get the tickets early. They fill up.

Cargo pants work great there as it is best to move your wallet from the hip pocket to one on the leg. I got brushed by an attractive young lady in Florence obviously looking for the wallet. A small flashlight was a great deterrent. It let the criminals know that you were watching.

In Florence, definitely get to Santa Croce Cathedral. It has the tombs of Michelangelo and Galileo.

The food and wine are amazing and you'll eat some amazing cuisine. Skip the big restaurants and ask the staff at the hotels where they take their families.

Be prepared to walk....a lot!!! Despite eating really rich food daily, we both lost about 10 lbs during the trip.

It was truly the best trip we've had.

Andrew

Don't be afraid to rent a car for a week or 2 and drive around at your own pace. The way the Italians drive is CRAZY, but I didn't feel like I was out of my league.

If you have a car, or even if you don't, look at Airbnb or HomeAway rentals. You can save a ton of money and be off the beaten path so you can relax and only have to go into the hustle and bustle of a city when you want.

I was in Rome October 2018. If you want to go on one of the special tours of the Colosseum buy as early as possible. I wanted to go on a evening/night tour of the upper levels and look out across the city, but they sold out QUICK.

We did a night time tour of the Vatican Museum thinking it would be less crowded. It wasn't.

quote:

Originally posted by 2000Z-71:
Whatever time you plan on spending in Pompeii, double it.

I'd tend to agree with this. Lots of people take a pass on it. Mistake to do so in my mind, it's very cool.

Highly recommend the APP for your phone ( ours were I phones) Converts Italian to English. Really comes in handy
trying to read road signs and menus, just point and read. Its PFM

We planned everything ourselves so no travel companies, but I can say that March was a fantastic time to go to Venice and Florence. The weather was chilly but very nice most of the time. There was snow on the ground in Paris during the beginning of our stay.

The biggest thing is trying to miss the most dense tourist times, especially American tourist seasons.

Never been to Italy so can't help you there but I do Really Really want to go. So, I will carry all your luggage for you, get your morning paper etc.. All I ask is you get an extra ticket for me.

I have been to Italy several times, but it was always with a tour of singers, arranged by agents who specialized in such tours. In 2003 my church choir went--photos at https://www.flickr.com/photos/...s/72157626519446733/. In 1998 a secular chorus visited many places, including Venice, Italy--pictures at https://www.flickr.com/photos/...s/72157632883225731/. In 2006 the same secular chorus toured Italy--photos at https://www.flickr.com/photos/...s/72157632020979590/.

Just about everyone will recommend visiting Venice, Florence, and Rome; some will add Pisa, Siena, and Assissi; others will shill for Naples and Capri or the Amalfi Coast. However, I think the most unusual (and not heavily visited) place I sent was Bagnoregio, a little mountainntop village I found quite interesting. The only access is via a very long bridge--in 2006 I was still able to walk that far. (See the 2006 tour.) DSC_0408.jpg by David Casteel, on Flickr.

Pompeii is interesting (to history mavens) but it takes most of a day (at least) and I found it tiring. YMMV.

Florence is lovely and there are lots of things to see there: bridges over the Arno River, museums, statues, buildings--it has it all.

If you are looking for a planned tour, there are many fine agencies offering them: Globus, Trafalgar, and Insight come immediately to mind. All of them will have some coach riding, but many offer different levels of tours, some with more walking and less riding. Do a web search and see what you can find. There are also some companies that will customize a tour for you.

flashguy