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Trip to italy

Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
edited January 2023 in General Chat
Ok, so currently planning a holiday in italy to do all the touristy things. Our plan as it stands is... fly to milan, stay one night, go to venice, spend 2 nights, rome for 5 nights, florence for 4 nights, including a day trip to pisa, and then back to milan for 3 nights.

I think this will cost in the region of £350-£400, including flights.

Does this sound like a good spread of cities? How long could you reasonably spend in each city?

Any other tips for travelling in italy?
Post edited by JustV on

Comments

  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Never been to Milan, but there are lots of shops etc. You might want to consider staying another day there, as it is Italy's second city.

    Venice is cool, you could spend a couple of nights there. Just make sure you get a map or you will get lost (believe me) I found Venice to be like a maze.

    Rome is good, wish I had stayed in Rome longer, quite a bit to do and see. I'm sure 5 nights in Rome will be enough.

    Florence, boring as fuck. Maybe its just me, but if your not into art or religion, you will be bored out of you tree. It was like torture for me. I was ready to slit my wrists after a day :D

    Pisa is good if you like being sold a wooden elephant every five minutes. There are people everywhere trying to sell you wooden goods and watches. Still its good to see the leaning tower, other than that there isn't must to do in Pisa.

    Have a good trip though :thumb:
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I was in milan in february, i absolutely loved it was brilliant city and not as expensive as i was told it would be..

    If you can try fit in a trip to Beragamo its 45 mins outside of milan but is a beautiful town. if you do decide to go to Beragamo go to Citta Allta its the old part of the city and the views are breath taking. i feel in love with this place.

    most places close in milan on a sunday and some parts of the city can become very isolated especially at night.

    Enjoy your trip :)
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Are you travelling intercity via train? The Italian railways are great in some areas, really piss poor in others and have (or, at least, had) a pretty shockingly high crime/safety record. Don't travel on them alone and try not to do so at night. I had some really grim experiences on overnight trains in Italy such as masturbating pervert in next seat, makes me shudder to think about it.

    As for the cities, I only really have a good knowledge of Rome of the ones you mentioned, though I have been to Venice twice too. I'm a southern Italy kinda gal myself, I guess you want to stay mostly oop north :) I adore both of those cities though Venice has regularly gotten a good slating on these boards, the majority of which I don't agree with at all! I think I would knock a night off Rome and add it to Venice, personally, but thats just me.

    Also, have you thought about spending a day/night in Verona? If you're interested in Roman history and architecture then I actually enjoyed visiting The Arena in Verona more than I did the Colosseum. Possibly just because it was less crowded, I guess. The Castelvecchio is a fantastic museum in an ancient castle with loads of artwork and sculptures. There is also the San Zeno Basilica which is just stunning. Not forgetting the fake Romeo & Juliet balcony at Villa Capelletti which obviously doesn't really have any connection with Shakespeare, but is a place worth visting in itself because of the thousands upon thousands of slips of paper with "lovers' graffiti" on. It's a special kind of place.

    As for generic advice about Rome, well there is the usual checklist of touristy things to do, most of which I'm sure you've researched. Get up early and go to the top of St. Peter's Basilica for a spectacular view. The Vatican museums and the Sistine chapel are must-see... you can either do this stuff independently or there are a million and one tours operating. On Wednesdays the Pope gives an outdoor mass and blesses all the newlyweds which I just loved, but the crowd was heaving. Fantastic atmosphere, if you're interested in the religious aspects of Rome/VC, as well as architectural and historical. Something else you should do is go to the Palatine Hill ancient ruins -- one-time home of the Vestal Virgins -- and Palatine Museum. Lovely gardens and grotto, and more statues than you could shake a big shitty stick at. We got a combined Colosseum/Palatine Hill ticket that you can buy in either location, good money (and time) saving tip!

    Trevi Fountain is swarming with tourists but that's to be expected, it's gorgeous at night - don't forget to chuck a coin in and make a wish! Mine came true as we went for dinner that night at THE best pizzeria in the world, Osteria del Tempo Perso in the Piazza del Popolo. Loads of street musicians, which was a bonus for me but not for my ex who hates them. Haha, guess it depends on your view. I imagine you would anyway, but avoid the McDonalds in Rome and in Italy in general. I witnessed quite a few dodgy tum incidents, not nice. Rome is fantastic for sitting around drinking coffee and feeling sophisticated though, I recommend the Piazza Navona for all your coffee drinking, posing and chilling out needs :thumb:

    If you want to take a nice little day/half-day trip then Hadrian's Villa at Tivoli is a nice little jaunt away from the city. Rome is beautiful but once you've spent five days there I reckon you'll be itching to get away!

    Oh, another general tip about Italy, guard your possessions well. There are loads and loads of pickpocketing gangs in operation - in Rome and Venice especially.

    Also, eat LOADS of ice cream. It's so, so good :yum:

    Have a fabulous time!
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    We are interrailing, but only during the day, my friend and I are travelling together, so we should be OK. We are going to hostels only with decent safety records, and personal lockable safes, and yep after Barcelona and all the lovely pickpockets there we shall be very careful. (We didn't get anything stolen but lots of horror stories).

    Florence with all its 'religion and art' seems right up our street - I've just spent 6 months studying Renaissance Art :D , and my friend is also in her final year of an art history degree..... All those altarpieces are the main reasons we chose Italy.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    talia wrote: »
    Florence with all its 'religion and art' seems right up our street - I've just spent 6 months studying Renaissance Art :D , and my friend is also in her final year of an art history degree..... All those altarpieces are the main reasons we chose Italy.

    Well then you will love Florence :D

    Not my thing though :thumb:
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I travelled all around Sicily a while back...brilliant place...planin on going to Rome at the end of summer its supposed to be brilliant...if your going out for meals go to the family run businesses they are always the best and very friendly...
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I totally second verona - I'd also say go and see some of the lakes as well - either Como or Garda as they are beautiful - though maybe not for swimming in.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Start off up north in the Italian Alps/Dolomites because it'a just stunning up there. Then move south and check out Lake Garda. Verona is right next to Garda and is a nice city although the Romeo and Juliet shit is a load of crap.
    Venice is an absolute must, I don't give a shit what people say about it being too touristy, that's only if you stick to the touristy areas. Venice is a beautiful and in alot of places, totally unspoilt city and definately something different.
    Visit Tuscanny aswell, really pretty and typically Italian countryside. Then move down to Rome and see the Colluseum e.t.c.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Personally, after working in Milan for a bit, I totally didn't like the place. Just another big dirty city with only the shopping going for it. I would, if the trip were mine, invest some time in Bologna (250km East) as an alternative. It's a lot smaller, but has some stunning things to see. 1-2 nights would be perfect.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    If you like old, dead things, head to Pompeii and Naples.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    And if you still itching for more art & religion after Florence- visit the Vatican City in Rome.

    If that doesn't put you off nothing will. :D
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I'd love to go to Italy.Nothing to say really but have an amazint time :)
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    talia wrote: »
    Any other tips for travelling in italy?

    Get a good phrase book, cos when I went hardly anyone spoken English - would have taken one myself but for years my friend had been telling us he speaks Italian and when we got there we found out he was talking crap all these years ..
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Also italian hotels tend to be really over priced and the hotel rooms realllllly small.

    And everything shuts in the middle of the day for siesta even in big towns - so you can't really do much at all in the afternoon - which is great if you have a hotel room to sleep in but crap if your moving between towns.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Oh - and as a note, please bear in mind that pretty much EVERYTHING is closed on a Sunday. This is pretty standard throughout mainland Europe, but seemingly more-so in Italy.

    You'll find McD's and a couple of pubs open, but that's if you're lucky.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    g_angel007 wrote: »
    Oh - and as a note, please bear in mind that pretty much EVERYTHING is closed on a Sunday. This is pretty standard throughout mainland Europe, but seemingly more-so in Italy.

    Thats right.

    Cant remember where I was (somewhere in northern Italy) but everywhere was closed on Sunday. It was sooo boring :banghead:
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    damn havent been to Italy yet, but the most desired destination in Italy that i want to visit would be Venice...looks very nice! and it is sinking so i'd want to go there just incase it wont be there someday.
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