Going To Italy (Rome, Milan: sales, hotels, home)

[Cobb]

Planning on visiting Italy 2009 between April to Sept. Looking at Florence area and maybe Sicily. Any and all suggestions and tips from former travelers to Italy welcomed. Thanks in advance.

[ramblinwreck17]

I've been to Rome, Venice and Florence. Florence is loaded to the gills with art- the highlight of my trip was visiting the Gallerie de Academie (sp?) in Florence to see the statue of David. It's a must see.

Florence seems to be the most representative of Italy out of those cities. I probably enjoyed Rome the most though- there is just so much to do that it can fill up 10-14 days.

Just try very hard to find out where the locals go to eat out and avoid the touristy spots. It's very tough to do in the bigger tourist spots. We would walk around and look at places that were well patronized by locals and give them a shot. We were pleasantly surprised a number of times.

[Iconographer]

Florence is one of my favorite cities in the world; if Apr - Sept is your range, I would shoot for the 'shoulder seasons'...Apr or Sept, but not the summer months...the tourists will be overrunning the city at that time.
My favorite restaurant there: Oliviero (yum!)
My favorite hotel there: Hotel De La Ville www.hoteldelaville.it/
My favorite things to do there:
Climbing the Duomo (not recommended if you're out of shape or claustrophobic)
Going to the Accademia to see Michaelangelo's David (a must-see)
Going to the Uffuzi (get there early)
Walking the gardens of the Pitti Palace (the view is breathtaking)
Have a wonderful time!

[Merin]

I take two big trips a year and am kind of neurotic when it comes to travel. I am an over planner, and have found this makes the actually trip a lot more enjoyable. With that being said let me make the following suggestions.

Stay at local hotels in a great area, when taking a beach vacation I am very very picky about hotel rooms amenities ect( nothing below 4 star) however when we travel in to Europe I think of things in different terms. A local, clean, nicely run place( that includes breakfast) is your best bet.
Get restaurant suggestions in advance also. There is nothing more disappointing then paying a ton for an mediocre meal.
Read about your destinations in advance, this way you know exactly what you want to see. Additionally you appreciate the sights more when you know the history behind them.
Peek at flight prices. My husband and I book business class overseas and have actually found pretty good sales by keeping an eye on the prices. I don't know what you budget is, but if you are flying economy, and will not be taking Delta non-stop, then seriously take the airline into consideration. Italy is kind of a long flight, and while the flight over isn't as bad( because its at night) coming back from Europe can seem like forever. Especially if you are on a terrible airline with awful service.
If you want suggestions look at a couple travel books, or get on trip advisor or flyertalk, to get suggestions. Good luck!!

[wxjay]

I went to Italy last year for 2 weeks and did a "whirlwind tour" of sorts. Out of the trip, Florence was my least favorite. I think the city is overrated. Yes, great art museums. But other than that, there is nothing great or beautiful about the city. In fact, I found it a tad dirty.

Rome on the other hand is marvelous. Wonderful city with lots of do, great restaurants, etc. Venice also was beautiful.

[kaday]

Sienna is a very cool spot. It it close to Florence and the Tuscany countryside as well. I highly recommend it.

[hequet]

Been to Milan, Rome Florence, Venice, Piza, Naples, and more. Everything over there is beautiful. I personally took the regular train lines and city buses wherever i went and saved plenty. Also, i think southern italy is most beautiful and food tastes great. it seemed more like home to me. so anything further south felt good to me. Naples was my spot, but did not have time to get to Sicily - definitely i would have loved it - check that out for sure and then let me know what u liked about it.

[wxjay]

Originally Posted by kaday

Sienna is a very cool spot. It it close to Florence and the Tuscany countryside as well. I highly recommend it.

I second Siena. I took a day trip over there and loved it.

As another poster said, train travel is fine in Italy. Eurostar is used for long distances while more commuter-like trains are used for intermediate trips. Either way, you'll be fine.

[mxd.Brit]

I have been to Pisa, Rome and Florence. Rome is a very walkable city everything is close by and it is full of history everywhere you turn there is something to see. Loved it. Pisa is not somewhere you stay for more than 2 days as it is limited in things to see. If you choose Florence you can take a day trip about 1 1/2 hour drive to Pisa. Florence was crowded for me but I always recommend taking the bus tours first then re-visit places pointed out another day at your own pace. I love Italy and if we didnt want to travel to other countries so much, i would go back over and over again.
Beware of the espresso charged Italian drivers esp on their scooters, if you do drive. we saw a lot of minor accident and most cars in Rome are dented.
Enjoy

[kaday]

Oops I forgot this one....One other place I have spent some time in Italy is Cinque Terre. It is five small towns etched into cliffs looking out to beautiful blue seas. The locals are friendly, food delicious and views amazing. Hemmingway spent a lot of time there. I think the town we stayed in was Vernaglia but it has been a while. You may want to check it out.