Need Help Planning Italy Trip
 

Edit: They will be flying into Milan and basically want to spend 10 - 14 (quiet and romantic) days travelling through Italy and are looking to spend under $2k per person without the flight.

All,

I am helping my aunt and uncle plan a trip to Italy. Any reccomendations as far as the cities to visit, the sights to see and the hotels to say in. They are approximately 60 years old. I guess it's like a second honey moon :).

I checked out a couple of websites and found Cosmos to be decently priced.

Here is the link for the detailed itinerary

http://www.cosmos.com/Default.aspx?t...&tourcode=6390


Day 1 BOARD YOUR OVERNIGHT TRANSATLANTIC FLIGHT.


Day 2 ARRIVAL IN ROME, ITALY. Check into your hotel. The rest of the day is free for you to explore this ancient capital. Tonight meet your tour director and fellow travelers.


Day 3 ROME. Included sightseeing with local guide starts in St. Peter’s Square, followed by a visit to the Roman Forum and the mighty Colosseum. (B)


Day 4 ROME-FLORENCE AREA. This morning vistas of undulating hills, austere rows of cypress trees, terraced vineyards, olive groves, and rural villages form the backdrop of your journey through beautiful Tuscany. Reach Florence in time to enjoy the included walking tour with a local guide, featuring most of the city highlights. You will see the Piazza Santa Croce; the beautiful Piazza Signoria; the Palazzo Vecchio and its courtyard; the Loggia dei Lanzi; and, to top it all, the Piazza del Duomo and its cathedral with the Giotto Campanile, and the magnificent East Door of the Baptistry known as the “Gate to Paradise.” (B,D)


Day 5 FLORENCE. EXCURSION TO PISA. An easy drive this morning to see more of the Tuscan countryside on the way to Pisa. Stop for a visit and see the Square of Miracles and the amazing Leaning Tower. Return to Florence for the afternoon. End the day by joining the optional Tuscan dinner in a typical restaurant. (B)


Day 6 FLORENCE AREA-SANTA MARGHERITA-MILAN-LAKE MAGGIORE. An interesting drive northwest to the Italian Riviera and a stop in the charming resort of Santa Margherita. Next north into the plains of Lombardy crossing the great River Po with new and quite different scenery as you approach Milan for a stop to see its great Duomo. Overnight in the Lake Maggiore area. (B)


Day 7 LAKE MAGGIORE. Time to relax and get to know the area. Lake Maggiore is one of Italy’s largest lakes and is located on the very edge of Alpine Switzerland. In fact on clear days you can see the peaks of the Swiss Alps. Take advantage of the included excursion to visit Lugano and its lake in Switzerland. (B)


Day 8 LAKE MAGGIORE-SIRMIONE-VERONA-VENICE AREA. This morning journey eastwards for a first stop in Sirmione on the shores of Lake Garda. Next Verona for another stop to see Romeo and Juliet’s balcony before the relatively short drive to the Venice area. (B)


Day 9 VENICE. It’s really more like a marvelous film set than a real live city, with its criss-crossing canals, gondolas and water buses, arched bridges, palaces and little quiet piazzas. The included tour starts with a boat ride and is followed by a visit to St. Mark’s Basilica and a chance to watch Venetian glass blowers fashion their delicate objects as they did centuries ago. Don’t miss out on the optional gondola trip, gliding along the picturesque canals with a local troubadour to serenade you. (B,D)


Day 10 VENICE AREA-RAVENNA-ASSISI AREA. An interesting drive southwards right across the Po Delta to Ravenna. In the afternoon, journey to Assisi enclosed by ramparts and little changed since the Middle Ages. This is the town of the deeply mystical and poetic St. Francis — see the Church of St. Clara, founder of the Order of Poor Clares, the medieval castle, and cathedral. Overnight in nearby Foligno. (B,D)


Day 11 ASSISI AREA-SORRENTO. Bypass Orvieto, then drive south on the excellent autostrada to Pompeii. Time stopped for the rich, aristocratic town of Pompeii with the terrible eruption of Vesuvius in 79 AD. On the included visit you can see the luxurious villas, temples, theater, and forum. Next Sorrento — clinging to a cliff high above the waters of the Bay of Naples. Wander the winding streets lined with shops and stalls, and sit with a glass of wine absorbing the easygoing life of this charming resort. (B)


Day 12 SORRENTO. BOAT TRIP TO CAPRI. This legendary island is surrounded by rocky coastline where the crashing sea has formed awe-inspiring caves. The town with its pretty piazza, maze of streets, fashionable boutiques, and smart restaurants is a mecca for the jet set. Optional excursions are available to see more of the island. Join Tiberius, Emma Hamilton, and Axel Munthe, who all fell in love with this exquisite spot. (B,D)


Day 13 SORRENTO-ROME. A comfortable drive northwards this morning for arrival in Rome well in time to enjoy most of the afternoon and evening. (B)


Day 14 YOUR HOMEBOUND FLIGHT ARRIVES THE SAME DAY. (B)

HOTELS

ROME Pineta Palace (ST), FLORENCE AREA Europa (ST) at Signa or Diplomat (ST), LAKE MAGGIORE Simplon (ST) at Baveno or Splendid (ST) at Baveno, VENICE AREA Poppi (ST) at Mira, ASSISI AREA Holiday Inn Express (ST) at Foligno, SORRENTO Reginella (ST) at St. Agata or Rivage (ST)

How do the hotels look? Are they any good or are they cheapies that should be avoided.

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks a bunch in advance.

Piyush

That Cosmos thing is not a plan. It is a rat race. It will exhaust them, and they are going to see little more than the back of the head of the person in front of them on the bus.

If they are remotely independent, and can read a guide book, Have them fly into Rome, spend 3-4 days wandering around, train to Florence, spend 3-4 days, and train to Venice and spend 3-4 days. Then fly home from Venice. Will probably cost more than the Cosmos 4 grand, but will be much more enjoyable.

If there is interest in that kind of a trip, I would be glad to advise. I am 67, and wife is 60. We have done 1-2 weeks in Italy about 20-25 times in the past 15 years.

I'd be very concerned with hotels that say "Florence AREA,' 'Venice AREA,' or Asissi 'AREA.'

Exactly. Pineta Palace is kind of off the beaten track. I can think of many reasonably priced hotels near the city centre. Also the itinerary is kind of strange: start in the south, go north, go back to the south...

YGPM. Thanks :) !

Thanks for the suggestions :). Guess it's back to the drawing board!

fully agree
 

I totally concur with the other posts. That itinerary is lunatic. My wife and I, both late 50s have spent months in Italy and the past three years and are experienced travellers and would never attempt that itinerary in that timeframe. Even doing half of it would be onerous. Unless it is booked and paid for, I would be seriously cutting back on it. Any travel agent putting that together is incompetent. Italy is not the USA. There are no shuutle flights to anywhere taking off every 30 minutes.

I strongly urge you to take action and reduce the number of trips.

If they can afford it, I'd look into a Travcoa or Abercrombie & Kent tour. They include everything, so be sure you're comparing apples & apples. I used to be a tour guide - one of the worst parts was requiring people to have their bags outside their doors the night before or very early in the morning & 8am or earlier departures - not a relaxing way to travel at all! Or many specialty tours emphasizing wine, food, culture, etc, would be much more interesting.

I would also suggest Tauck Tours. They are more expensive but they do a first-class job, IMHO. Most meals are included and they stay at higher-end hotels in good, centralized locations. Their pace is a bit less hectic as well -- they usually spend at least two nights in each city (with some exceptions), with at least one afternoon free for doing things on one's own.

Tours, however, tend to be a bit hectic by their nature -- get up early to go on the next city tour or head to the next town. It is a nice way to see a lot of cities/sights with a minimum of hassle (at least with good, reputable tour companies), but they are not by any stretch of the imagination "quiet and romantic" -- you are spending most of your time (traveling, sightseeing, eating) with 20-40 other people.

I too, agree with the posts here. I get the impression that most travellers here are "free-wheelers" and do a lot on their own. Sitting on a tour bus is not the way to go.

Besides getting some superb advice from Slawecki (I learned so much from his posts), you can also try some airline web sites to check some itineraries, and compare them. UA, AA and especially Alitalia have some web site tours where you can get some good ideas.

I would also suggest visiting Fodor's travel forum for some hints.

In this situation, a good travel agent might be priceless in putting together a trip, if they don't feel comfortable doing it on their own. It is stressful.........but lots of memories and fun.

I don't mean to thread-jack, but don't want to start a similar new thread. I am also planning a trip to Italy. I am actually going to be taking a 7-day cruise, so I will only have about 4-5 days in Italy. I haven't decided which port to use (Rome/Civitavecchia vs. Venice) either. I don't want to be too hectic because this is supposed to be a romantic trip with my spouse. I have never been to Italy, but I think Venice is supposed to be a more romantic city than Rome, so I am leaning towards Venice. I don't think I will have time to see both on this trip without being too rushed/hectic, right? Any suggestions appreciated. Thanks in advance.

LAX

IMO, Venice is as romantic as it gets. :)

Stay at the Cipriani in Venezia- that is about as romantic as it can get. Beware this is the busy time of year- so during the day you will find Piazza San Marco etc absolutely jammed to the brim with tourists- not so romantic- but you can easily get out of the way- go to the area near Ca Foscari (the university) and wander around, find a quiet little restaurant that caters to students, and eat a fantastic meal for 25% of what you would pay in the tourist horde jammed section.
Have fun!

Forget about both Rome and Venice in 4 to 5 days for the 1st time, in my opinion. Make it Venice, and take the time to wander, sample the great food and taste the fantastic wines. It's a magical place, especially outside of the usual tourist areas. However you must vow to return to Rome for an anniversary. If you happen to get bored (which I doubt), you can always hop on an early train to Florence for the day to see why you should return there too. :D

Cut out half of the itinerary, or make them stay for AT LEAST four weeks. Anything else is madness.