boybi

Me and wife are planning on a 2 week trip to Italy with the following itinerary:
Rome - Florence (with day trip to Pisa) - Venice - Milan.

How many days should we stay for each of the above places? My wife is a shopper, so we may bring at least 3 big luggages. Should we travel by train or will it be easier by car?

manneca

What are your interests? What are your reasons for going to Italy? I can tell you how long I might stay, but it could be completely irrelevant to what you like to do.

I opt for driving. Lots opt for trains. Lots of luggage would mean for me, at least, a car. Schlepping three bags on a train would be awful IMHO.

Now if it were me, I'd do 3-4 days in Rome, a week in Florence, a few days in Venice, none in Milan, maybe Lake Como. And I'd do 2-3 days or more in Ravenna. There's the Veneto with lots to see and do, too.

boybi

I'm interested in food and sightseeing. My wife, a little of both, and shopping.

Why did you not want Milan? I included Milan because I thought since it's the fashion capital of Italy, my wife might love it there.

PWMTrav

It's common in this forum (me included) to say skip Milan, but when someone is into shopping and fashion, you don't skip Milan. I think it's totally appropriate for you to have 2 days in Milan for that.

You said 2 weeks, I'm going to assume 12 days + your in and out travel days. If that's the case, I'd recommend 5 days in Rome, 4 in Florence, 3 in Venice, 2 in Milan. If you are sticking to cities, it will be much easier to do by train, even if you have to move luggage around. With few exceptions, you can't drive a car into the parts of these cities that you'll be staying; however, the train stations in each are in the historic center.

3 big bags is possible, but stick to the high speed trains (versus the regional or intercity), and try to book first class to have a little more space. They all have luggage racks - use the ones near the doors, it's easier to load and offload. I've done 2 big bags + 1 small bag + stroller without much issue, even if it was more than I wanted to carry.

dsdwe234sfd23

I've only been to Florence - spent 4 days there. Could have used 6.

Everything is walking distance, really, if you stay at a hotel near the main sites. 10 min walk from the train station to the hotel, then 5-15 min walks to Il Duomo di Firenze. No way to get a car to the hotel or park nearby.
The streets in the tourist areas are closed to traffic all day - about 10-15 blocks square. Be aware that GPS bounces all over the place in those tiny streets. Hotels have good paper maps. If you aren't in shape - start working out so you can climb Il Duomo. Beautiful views of the city. Lots of great museums - we did 1 per day to avoid overload. Didn't get in to see the real David statue. Get tix in advance for that and pre-timed entrance tickets for the Uffizi (pick up across the plaza from the entrance).
If you stay in a hotel outside the tourist areas, I suppose there are buses to get close and you will get a different feel for the modern city.

Friends who went to Pisa were unimpressed. Only go if you feel the "neeeeed." Sorta like Stonehenge - is it really worth a full day of out and back to see 1 thing that really isn't THAT impressive to most people? Only you can say. I did feel the draw for Stonehenge, but don't for Pisa.

Never been to Milan proper, just through the train station. I understand it is mostly an industrial city. If you like cars, try to arrange a few factory tours if you must go there - maybe an 1-2 days only if you ask me.

Perhaps renting a car only on the days you need it would be best?

ckendall

If you are into fashion and shopping you should also try to find one of the upper end discount malls; for the one near Florence see here: https://www.themall.it/en/outlet-ita...-the-mall.html

Two days in Milan could involve some extensive shopping in the Quadrilateral (Montenapoleone and Via della Spiga) combined with some of the sites (Duomo, Galleria, La Scale, Brera, Poldi Pozzoli and Last Supper) as well as some nice dining out.

I have been in Milan roughly one month per year for over a decade and never done a factory tour! Maybe I am missing something...can anyone recommend a good one?

sophiesophie

Just be aware of driving:

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/italy...ket-italy.html

Lots of threads on driving in Italy. Search this site for more discussions - Perche is a great authority on all things Italian!

I agree that lots of luggage will be a pain for a train.

A friend last year in Rome - they put their luggage in the trunk of their car although unsure of when they put in the trunk - at the hotel? Or when they parked? I think they checked out of their hotel - stopped by the Vatican. Car was broken into - lost everything. Thieves watch for you to leave your car. I heard they may even follow you from your hotel to see where you park.

Determine if you really need a lot of luggage. Don't bring anything valuable.

I've always traveled by train. I love it - but I wouldn't want the hassle of a car in big cities. I can understand if you want to drive to the country, but if you are going to be in cities for most of the trip, there's lots to be aware of.

boybi

What I am thinking is to drive only between cities, but walk or use public transpo in cities.

ckendall

Train is much better between cities; it gets you from city center to city center which is where you mostly want to be.

boybi

I would actually love to take the train. What I'm worried is the difficulty in transporting our luggages. Read somewhere that there will be flights of stairs to climb in the stations.

rickg523

One more vote for don't drive this itinerary. Cars are also expensive to PARK on Italian cities. You can manage the luggage in the stations, even if you have to do it in shifts. Also Trenitalia offers limited porter service in some cities. Here's a summary from trenitalia.com:
Luggage transport for Frecciarossa customers

The luggage transport service allows customers the facility, at some Frecciarossa stations, to book a station porter for a given time to assist with baggage.

The stations of the service are Roma Termini, Florence S.M.N., Bologna Centrale and Milano Centrale.

You can use the luggage assistance service simply by Calling the Trenitalia Call Center in Italy on 89.20.21 (fee paying number) up to 8 pm of the day before departure. When booking, you must give the operator details about your journey and the PNR code on your ticket; then you can coordinate over time and the place for meeting the porter.

For customers arriving the place to meet is on the platform outside the carriage you have given, and at the actual arrival time of your train. For customers departing the meeting place at the station is agreed on directly with the Call Center operator.

The service cost is 5 euros, which must be paid to the service porter on the spot.

boybi

I don't quite understand this. What does the porter actually do with this service? We meet at the platform outside the carriage, which means I have already managed to bring my luggages up through stairs (if there's any) to the platform. So what else can the porter do?

pbiflyer

We had tywo big and two small bags. Barely fit in our midsized car. You will need to rent a large car to get three big bags in. And as others said, it is a pain to drive and park.
If you were going to explore the countryside or not have definitive destinations, driving would be okay. BUt since you seem to have a planned itinerary, another vote for trains, especially with the cities you have chosen.
Venice is going to be a pain with luggage regardless, as you park outside the city and take water taxi or vaparetto to your hotel.
Florence will be a fortune to park, a nightmare to drive in, same with Rome.

rickg523

When you arrive by train, the porter meets you at the train and carries your bags upstairs to the main concourse, or out to whatever transport you're taking - taxi, bus, metro.
When you are departing, the porter meets you at a prearranged spot (near an entrance most likely) and carries your bags to the train.
I've never used the service, but if you can make it work for you, it's a lot easier than hassling with a car in the city.

boybi

Thanks for clarifying rickg523.

Since this will be our first time in Italy, may I also ask which trains & stations should we take to transfer from city to city?
I won't mind paying for 1st class if it would help me with my big luggages.

1. Rome to Florence
2. Florence to Venice
3. Venice to Milan

Thank you.