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I will be going to Rome, Florence, and Venice!! I can't wait to pick my favorite! Thanks for your input.
Good choices for two weeks.
I found a couple days in Venice was about right. You could fruitfully split the rest of your time between Florence and Rome. Also consider day trips to Siena and Pisa (from Florence) and Tivoli and Ostia Antica (from Rome). Ostia Antica is reportedly a worthy substitute if you're not headed south to Pompeii.
I found a couple days in Venice was about right. You could fruitfully split the rest of your time between Florence and Rome. Also consider day trips to Siena and Pisa (from Florence) and Tivoli and Ostia Antica (from Rome). Ostia Antica is reportedly a worthy substitute if you're not headed south to Pompeii.
Unfortunately my time in Italy is only one week!! Starting in Rome then taking the train to Florence for a couple of days before boarding the train for Venice. I'll fly back to Texas from Venice. I have some tours in each city anf Pisa/Lucca is one of them!! I really want to explore on foot and find some true, authentic restaurants and cafes, and eat gelatto!!
My precautions are more for the scamming than anything dangerous.
When you give a cab driver or a ticket taker money say, here is a 10 or here is a 20. It is common to take the money and palm it for a lower bill and say you only gave me a one. Same precaution when buying a ticket like for a water taxi. Say here is X. If you give exact change they will palm some of the money and say you are short Y.
We had excellent luck having our hotels set up restaurant plans, tours and travel guides. Not all places are friendly to foreigners and they picked out the ones that gave their guests the best service. Also some things have funny schedules like different times or days off. They are familiar with this and can help you make the best use of your time.
Check your hotel bill carefully. Question any charges that you don't know about. We had one place bill us for a bunch of meals we didn't use. At another we had paid for breakfast in advance and then were told it wasn't included and we had to pay extra.
When buying tickets for the train the counter person tried to charge an amount over the posted amount. When I pointed it out they immediately backed off and said it was just a mistake. I don't think it was. They were going to keep the extra.
They generally count on your not being familiar with the charges so there is lots of skimming in their favor. We encountered this with taxis, the train station, hotels, restaurants, water taxi fare etc.
Beware of "stranded" travelers begging for money or help. Beware of people asking you for directions when you clearly are not a local and are standing there with your guide book or map. Pay extra attention to your bags and belongings. Do not put your purse under your chair or on the back of it. Wear it on your body at all times. Better yet have your valuables under your clothes. Socks with zippers aren't a bad place to keep extra money or cards accessible but yet not easily lifted. Beware of groups that hustle around you and jostle and crowd. They are opening your bag while someone engages you.
That being said, Italy is fabulous! The history and the food are unreal. Rome is my favorite out of your three cities but you will enjoy them all. They are all special.
My precautions are more for the scamming than anything dangerous.
When you had a cab driver or a ticket taker money say. Here is a 10 or here is a 20. It is common to take the money and palm it for a lower bill and say you only gave me a one. Same precaution when buying a ticket like for a water taxi. Say here is X. If you give exact change they will palm some of the money and say you are short Y.
We had excellent luck having our hotels set up restaurant plans, tours and travel guides. Not all places are friendly to foreigners and they picked out the one that gave their guests the best service. Also some things have funny schedules like different times or days off. They are familiar with this and can help you make the best use of your time.
Check you hotel bill carefully. Question any charges that you don't know about. We had one place bill us for a bunch of meals we didn't use. At another we had paid for breakfast in advance and then were told it wasn't included and we had to pay extra.
When buying tickets for the train the counter person tried to charge an amount over the posted amount. When I pointed it out they immediately backed off and said it was just a mistake. I don't think it was. They were going to keep the extra.
They generally count on your not being familiar with the charges so there is lots of skimming in their favor. We encountered this with taxis, the train station, hotels, restaurants, water taxi fare etc.
Beware of "stranded" travelers begging for money or help. Beware of people asking you for directions when you clearly are not a local and are standing there with your guide book or map. Pay extra attention to your bags and belongings. Do not put your purse under your chair or on the back of it. Wear it on your body at all times. Better yet have your valuables under your clothes. Socks with zippers aren't a bad place to keep extra money or cards accessible but yet not easily lifted. Beware of groups that hustle around you and jostle and crowd. They are opening your bag while someone engages you.
That being said, Italy is fabulous! The history and the food are unreal. Rome is my favorite out of your three cities but you will enjoy them all. They are all special.
Great advice. I have traveled often to Europe, solo and female, and have heeded this advice. I have never had a problem because I was careful.
Unfortunately my time in Italy is only one week!! Starting in Rome then taking the train to Florence for a couple of days before boarding the train for Venice. I'll fly back to Texas from Venice. I have some tours in each city anf Pisa/Lucca is one of them!! I really want to explore on foot and find some true, authentic restaurants and cafes, and eat gelatto!!
A great gelato place in Florence is Vivoli. In Rome, try Tre Scalini and if you like chocolate, get the "tartufo."
For Rome, spend one day at the Vatican. See St. Peter's and the Vatican Museum. Spend a second day at the Forum and Coliseum, and include the nearby Capitoline Museums (fine sculpture collection). Include the Pantheon in one of these two days. A third day could be one of the day trips, or consider the Etruscan Museum, Borghese Gallery (was being renovated when I went, so didn't see this, and get tickets ahead of time), or some of the pilgrimage churches like the Basilica Santa Maria Maggiore, San Giovanni in Laterano, Santa Maria in Trastavere, or San Pietro in Vincoli.
For Florence, go to museums, especially the Uffizi, Pitti Palace, Galleria dell'Accademia, San Marco, and Il Bargello. Check to see if you can get timed tickets ahead for any of them. Definitely include the Medici Chapels. For churches, the Duomo is a must, and also consider ones like the Basilica de Santa Croce and Basilica di San Lorenzo.
For Venice, see Saint Mark's, the Doge's Palace, and art museums like the Peggy Guggenheim Collection and the Accademia. Also consider the Scuola Grande de San Rocco (room covered in murals), the Frari Church, and two historic homes, Ca' Rezzonico and Ca' d'oro. Also, wander around -- and don't worry if you get lost, it's part of the fun.
It is your first solo trip so obviously you will be quite nervous but don't think too much just be aware and safe..Italy is a modern country and women are equal to men..Any kind of violence against women or any crime is never seen as acceptable..you should employ the same precautions for your own safety that you would employ in your own country..you just avoid to go in dark places because you are stranger for that place and kept address and phone number of your hotel or the contact number of the local taxi services..
My daughter went to school there and had some uncomfortable experiences with men not recognizing boundaries and getting too aggressive (Florence). She also says Italians are somewhat more racially and ethnically prejudiced than in the US. Those are walkable places but stay in public areas.
I visited Rome by myself. It was the first European city I traveled alone. I was scared before going. I spent lot of time booking hotel, reading review. I wanted a safe place that is crowded. I choose a hotel near Spanish step. I had the hotel sent cab for me to airport because I wasn't sure how safe it was to hop on random taxi.
I loved it, it was very safe. The city is walkable and the shopping streets are well lite and very populated. Saying that I still didn't stay out late. I had my hotel receptionist book tours for me. I walked everywhere. The food is amazing.
Guys there are flirty but in a cute way. I am not very good looking girl & yet I had 2 guys offer to show me the city. I refused. So don't hop on a good-looking guys motorcycle because he promised to give you tour of the city or he is a history student who knows everything lol
There are lot of street vendors. When it started raining all of sudden these Asian vendors popped out of no where selling umbrella. I thought it was so cute. Rome reminded me of NYC. so if you are familiar with NYC, you will be at home. Oh they charge you extra money at coffee shop for sitting down and taking a table vs. just standing and drinking. Well I think they do or maybe they just charged me more
Loneliness is probably a bigger issue than safety. But some people prefer solitude, I've tried solo travel a few times, so I know my preference.
America is probably the safest place for tourists, when I travel in the US I don't have to be too alert. I'm Europe, you have to be more cautious. Most locals are great people, but people who approach you aggressively are almost always malicious.
Unfortunately my time in Italy is only one week!! Starting in Rome then taking the train to Florence for a couple of days before boarding the train for Venice. I'll fly back to Texas from Venice. I have some tours in each city anf Pisa/Lucca is one of them!! I really want to explore on foot and find some true, authentic restaurants and cafes, and eat gelatto!!
That's a lot to take in in a week but doable. 3 days Rome, 2 Days Florence, 2 days Venice. I love Italy. Been there 4 times. First time we flew into Venice, then train to Rome then drive to Amalfi coast. Second time Florence, Rapallo area, then Lake Como, last two times were cruises. Enjoy
ETA: Make sure you go to the Piazzale Michelangelo in Florence. It is at the top of the city and you might take a cab, but it is a beautiful place to sit have a glass of wine and enjoy the view of the city. See my photos on this page at the bottom http://everypikturtellsastory.blogsp...-and-late.html
Last edited by NorthofHere; 03-02-2017 at 12:08 PM..
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