I am planning a trip to Italy over the christmas/New Year break (27 Dec to 5 Jan) covering the following cites : Rome, Pisa, Florence, Venice, Milan

I have been to Rome on business trip and like it very much but have not been to the other cities, it is kind of rush but we are trying to cover as much as possible and perhaps return to the places that we really like again :D . I have some question and would appreciate any advice.

1. We are planning to travel by train and bus, I am thinking of buying a Italy Flexi Rail Card and have checked out the TredItalia website but can't figure out how to purchase that online and make reservation, I am thinking of buying the first class saver, any ideas ? From other threads in the forum, it seems like it is advisable to make reservation as it could be crowded over the Christmas/New Year period. If we make reservation but decide to leave the city early, will there be any penalty ?

2. I would like to see the Last supper in Milan, I am planning to take the 12:51pm train from Venice and will arrive 3:55 pm on Sunday, is there enough time to get from the train station to the church ? I wouldn't want to bring my luggage around the city so I am thinking of checking into the hotel first (Staying at Park Hyatt Milan), what is the best way to do that ? I am trying to make my reservation for Last Supper before leaving US, is there a website where I can do that ?

3. Which cities is best for spending New Year's eve ? Any advice on where to go ?

4. I am looking for a cheap one-way airticket from Milan to Rome to save some travelling time as I am flying out from Rome, I looking to open-jaw ticket and they are a lot more expensive that roundtrip to Rome (USD 500 more expensive per person. The cheapest that I can find so far is ~150 USD per person on LH with $25 for ticketing outside europe as they need to fedex the ticket. Is there a cheaper way to do it ?

5. I have been ripped off by the taxi driver on my last trip to Rome and I am thinking of taking the train instead but my travel companion has heard horror stories about theft and pick-pocket on the train from FCO, any recommendation ? I will be staying at St Regis Rome.

Thanks so much for your help.

I am planning a trip to Italy over the christmas/New Year break (27 Dec to 5 Jan) covering the following cites : Rome, Pisa, Florence, Venice, Milan
That's an awful lot of travel in just one week. Are you sure you want to do this kind of whirlwind? Rome, alone, is worth a week or more. Pisa isn't worth the diversion, unless you're driving past. There's the tower, of course, but it doesn't take more than an hour or so to explore it. Old Pisa is nice, but you'll be in Florence, which is far nicer.

I have been to Rome on business trip and like it very much but have not been to the other cities, it is kind of rush but we are trying to cover as much as possible and perhaps return to the places that we really like again :D . I have some question and would appreciate any advice.
Well, you asked for advice -- split the week between Rome and Florence, Florence and Venice, or Rome and Venice.

1. We are planning to travel by train and bus, I am thinking of buying a Italy Flexi Rail Card and have checked out the TredItalia website but can't figure out how to purchase that online and make reservation, I am thinking of buying the first class saver, any ideas ? From other threads in the forum, it seems like it is advisable to make reservation as it could be crowded over the Christmas/New Year period. If we make reservation but decide to leave the city early, will there be any penalty ? There's no penalty, as far as I know. Remember that you need two things in frist on an Italian train: a ticket and a seat reservation. You can travel without the reservation but, as you indicated, it can be a problem during busy travel times. Note, too, that on a really, really packed train, having the seat reservation may be of only academic interest, and you still may wind up standing in the hallway.

2. I would like to see the Last supper in Milan, I am planning to take the 12:51pm train from Venice and will arrive 3:55 pm on Sunday, is there enough time to get from the train station to the church ?As I recall, the church isn't too far from the train station. However, reservations to view the Last Supper are recommended. When we went (mid-day, March) we waited on line almost two hours to get in.


I wouldn't want to bring my luggage around the city so I am thinking of checking into the hotel first (Staying at Park Hyatt Milan), what is the best way to do that ? I am trying to make my reservation for Last Supper before leaving US, is there a website where I can do that ?Ah, good, you know about reservations. Sorry, can't help with a website.

3. Which cities is best for spending New Year's eve ? Any advice on where to go ? It depends on what you like. We spend New Years overseas every year, and have done that in Italy (we were in Taormina, Sicily). We usually book with our hotel -- in fact, many hotels make attendance (or at least paying for) the hotel's New Years celebration mandatory. We've also spent New Years at nice restaurants. We've found ti tends to work out the same, and what makes the holiday memorable is who we spend it with.

5. I have been ripped off by the taxi driver on my last trip to Rome and I am thinking of taking the train instead but my travel companion has heard horror stories about theft and pick-pocket on the train from FCO, any recommendation ? I will be staying at St Regis Rome.

Thanks so much for your help.I've never been ripped off by a taxi driver in Italy, and only ran into trouble, from time to time, in Prague and Budapest. When I go to Rome I stay at the Marriott Grand Flora. I'll usually call them and ask them to send the "hotel car" to meet me. This is really a private car service that has an arrangement with the hotel. They use nice, new cars, usually Mercedes, are prompt and courteous and charge only slightly more than a taxi. I've never taken the train from FCO, but I suspect the usual precautions apply regarding pickpockets.

I am planning a trip to Italy over the Christmas/New Year break (27 Dec to 5 Jan) covering the following cites : Rome, Pisa, Florence, Venice, Milan

That is quite a bit to do in a week, in all honesty, I would put more time in a few rather than to try to see everything

I would spend my week on Rome and Venice. Florence if time permitting.

I really would just make a stop in Pisa and Milan.

Rome is just absolutely wonderful, make sure you spend enough time there

IMHO

For your trip, as planned, just hire a small plane, fly over the 5 places selected, and throw in tuscany and chinqua terra. Reminds me of my neighbor who saw 18 countries in 17 days, or some such.

If you are to be in Italy 8 full days, just skip Pisa and consider not going to Milan. If 10 full days, then consider adding one.

In unorganized order, find the Alitalia italian site, see if they have a cheap fare.

The mid winter pickpocket problem is not as bad as the summer problem, but still a horrible nussiance. They take things of no value to them, but of value to you. They took my wife"s bifocals once. She spent 10 days in rome in Feb in very dark sunglasses. The waiters all thought she was from milan. Keep your bags zipped, your pockets zipped, and get one of those hang around the neck things.

Buy rail tickets as you need them, a day or two in advance. First class on the locals is so cheap, you will ask if you understand the currency(Eurostar for two BLQ-VCE is €100, the local is €12 or 15!) the local takes 10% longer. Bring food and wine on the local.

Forget Pisa and Milan on a 10 day, or an 8 day, or a 20 day.


I just did IAD-FCO MIL-IAD and got $504 on Orbitz. Save a day, and spend the 500

Thanks so much for all the reply. I change my flight to an open-jaw so that I can fly out of Milan and I decide to spend a few more days on this trip, Dec 24th - Jan 5th, probably stay 4 nights in Rome, 3 nights in Florence and Venice each and 1 night in Milan before flying back. Really want to stop by Milan as I wanted to see the last supper for quite a while. I will either stop at Pisa for an hour on my train from Rome to Florence or skip it if that will be too rush. Is that reasonable or still covering too many places ?

Thanks so much for all the reply. I change my flight to an open-jaw so that I can fly out of Milan and I decide to spend a few more days on this trip, Dec 24th - Jan 5th, probably stay 4 nights in Rome, 3 nights in Florence and Venice each and 1 night in Milan before flying back. Really want to stop by Milan as I wanted to see the last supper for quite a while. I will either stop at Pisa for an hour on my train from Rome to Florence or skip it if that will be too rush. Is that reasonable or still covering too many places ?

Pisa for an hour is about right, and leaving from Milan is an excellent idea.

You are going to have a wonderful time :) ^

Pisa for an hour is about right, and leaving from Milan is an excellent idea.I completely agree - an hour is plenty (worth seeing, but no real need to linger).

I also concur with your decision to spend your final day/night in Milan. One factor concerning the Cenacolo is this: who knows how long you will be able to see it - they only take in small groups at a given time, as the effect of the exhaling breath of the visitors has an adverse effect on the fresco (rememebr, it's painted on a refectory wall - it's not a framed painting on a canvas). Think of all the people who can no longer experience Stonnhenge close-up - see it while you can.

To make your timed reservation, call direct to + 39 02 89 42 11 46.

English-speaking operators will give your a choice of time ranges for your reservation. You show up about a half-hour before your appointed time, and go to a special line (much shorter than the non-reservations line) to pick up your tickets (you pay the reservation fee (about €1,- in addition to the standatd admission of €6,50) when you pick up your ticket. Yoi can take the Metro (Line 1 to either Conciliazione or Cadorna stations, or Line 2 to Cadorna).

There's a website - it's down right now but keep trying:

http://www.cenacolovinciano.it

If you are going to do Florence and Venice, you will have to take the train through Bologna. I highly recommend that you stop at Bologna, get off and eat at least one meal there. It's amazing. See the other thread about eating in Bologna. When I lived there, they had a gigantic Christmas tree in the Piazza Maggiore, which is beautiful. Take a few hours and explore the city - it's overlooked by many people, unfortunately.

I also think that you are trying to do too much, though. I'd skip Pisa if I were you. It's a very nice town, but there's not that much to see, really, especially in the wintertime.

Was planning to stay in one of the starwood hotel in venice for New Year but everything is sold out, thinking of staying in Florence or Bologna instead, will there be a countdown in either of this place. Read through some of the thread on Bologna seems like the food there is pretty instead so perhaps I can have a nice New Year Eve dinner there with my s/o any recommendation on hotels ? Thanks so my for all the advice and recommendation.

I have quite a basic question, on the website the fare was shown something like :

First class: 32,54 euro
Second class: 22,72 euro

Not sure what does the mean, is it 32.54 Euro or 32 Euro for certain fare and 54 for another ? Would like to make sure before I purchase the ticket

In many parts of Europe, currency anounts are written with the comma where US/Canada people put periods, and vice versa.

For example, "Thirty two Euros and 54 euro cents" is written as €32,54

"Thirty two euros" (exactly) is written as €32,-

"Ten thousand five hundred Euros" (exactly) is written as €10.500,-

Was planning to stay in one of the starwood hotel in venice for New Year but everything is sold out, thinking of staying in Florence or Bologna instead, will there be a countdown in either of this place. Read through some of the thread on Bologna seems like the food there is pretty instead so perhaps I can have a nice New Year Eve dinner there with my s/o any recommendation on hotels ? Thanks so my for all the advice and recommendation.
Most major hotels have a special New Years party -- in fact, in many it's compulsory (and not cheap!).

The premium hotel in Bologna is the Baglioni. It is a very nice hotel, but not up to the level of the Danieli or the E&R. The rest are decent, but not 4* by any means.


Bologna restaurants and hotels fill up. Not sure about NY eve, but on a general business day, dinner reservations are not easy, even in Feburary(when I am there).

The Royal Hotel Carlton may be the best property in BLQ after the Grand Hotel Baglioni. The exterior is a nondescript modern building, but the interiors are very nice.

http://www.monrifhotels.it/carltonliv2.htm


In addition, Golden Tulip has just opened a new hotel (new construction), the Golden Tulip Aemelia Hotel . It is listed as being 0.7 km from the Piazza Maggiore.

http://www.goldentulip.com/site/PropertyInformation.asp?data_set=Complete&PropCode=GT;43180&HotelName=Golden+Tulip+Aemilia+Hotel&InDate=&OutDate=&Submit=&LandCode=IT&ShowLanguage=EN


Both of the above are 4* hotels.


The Sheraton Bologna is also quite nice in a modern vein (surprisingly quite for a near-the-airport property), but it really requires a car.

Bologna actually has over 20 hotels that claim to be 4*. The only place I have seen worse abuse of the term has been in Russia.

I have stayed in about 6 of the various 4*. My current choice is a new, ultramodern botique hotel, the Novecento. Has great location, and lovely suites.

Any recommendation on where to go for countdown and dinner in Florence or Bologna ? The New Year Eve gala at the grand florence that I have a reservation right now cost € 280,00 per person, don't think I am willing to spend that amount of money.

I have never been to Bologna, but we will be in Rome this New Year's. We were in Amsterdam last Dec. 31. There was so much going on in the street that I never considered looking for a party. It was a little disquieting to have cherry bombs going off inches from us, but the only problem we found was that most of the restaurants we tried were closed for New Year's Eve. Not closed for a private party; just closed to allow their employees the night off. I hope we have better luck in Rome. If not, we will just have to call room service! Hope we both have a great time!