Has anyone ever been to Italy? I'm going in a few months to Rome and Florence and am a bit overwhelmed by all there is to see, especially in ROME. If you have any suggestions for a 28-year old going with two friends, please post!! Also, any suggestions on decently priced hotels inteh ROme area...

Any help is greatly apprecaited.

My wife went to both Florence and Rome. She didn't like Rome.....very dirty and over crowded. Florence was nicer. Expect to pay a bit more for a better hotel. Their idea of a 3 star hotel is our version of a 1 or 2 star.

I've been to Florence, Venice, Rome, Capri etc...

However, I was 4 at the time, so I'm afraid I'd have no appropriate advice! Have a great time though!

Diva said:

Fat lot of good that was!

althom said:

I try!

I loved Rome...

All the ruins, such history still standing among the present...I personally think the Vatican is a definite must-see. The place is HUGE, and seeing the Sistine Chapel was a must as well..

Florence (or Fierenze or whatever it's actually called) was nice, too...beautiful drive there...

Whatever you do, enjoy it fully... *smile*

Byron said:

Are there any tours in Rome that you recommend? What about hotels? Is there anything online where I could book a hotel...maybe even through expedia or travelocity?

venice is cool. try to see it before it sinks

purplegypsy said:

I've been to Italy, lived in Laggo Maggiore, North of Milan for a little while. Although I can't help you by recomending cheap hotels & such, I guarantee you will love your trip. Rome is so interresting, because of its dramatic history and just its grandeur in general... go see the colosseum, the old ruins. I didn't spend lots of time in Florence. Its beautifull and a treasure if you're into art museums. I would strongly recommend going to Venice. It was a highlight of my travels in Italy. Its so unique and colorfull !
The architecture is amazing. Have fun.

purplegypsy said:

Been to Rome, Florence, Venice. Stay in hostels is okay. Watch out for gypsies - they work in groups and will distract you and take your money without you knowing. Learn and use Italian. Keep plenty of change on hand. Most public toilets you have to pay to use and keep a toilet roll or tissue handy. Drink bottled water. Enjoy all the sights. Italy is beautiful.

purplegypsy said:

Check it out with a travel agent. Make sure your passport is in order and if you require any other documents. You have to decide if you want to use the Lira or Euro currency. Also you can barter for merchandise. I did this and it is great and fun to do.

I've been to quite some Italian cities in the last 2 years (including Venice, Naples, Milano...)and I really liked Rome, it's beautiful, actually most Italian cities are. The only problems I had while travelling through Italy was that most people (my guess is 99% of the Italians ) only speak Italian and nothing but Italian, that means not even one word in English (or German or French) so it was difficult at times to book hotels, ask for a street you want to find and things of that kind.

luv4u said:

There are no more Lira used in Italy these days, they are gone for good, the only currency is the Euro

Serious said:

Oh darn no more Lira.

Oh, Italian men like to "pinch" your butt.

Florence is fantastic, but watch yourself around Piazza Santa Maria Novella (next to the train station), quite a lot of pick pockets around there, and you'll no doubt end up there at some point. Its going to be mobbed in a few months too. Speaking Italian is helpful, but most people I found spoke at least a bit of English. Some great places 2 eat as well

Same goes for Rome, except it is bigger and less people speak English, and they don't have the Tuscan charm

luv4u said:

There was only a very short period of time where you could use both currencies, I think it must have been from December 2001 until March 2002

sermwanderer said:

You were very lucky that most Italians you met spoke English, I wonder why nobody was talking to me

Serious said:

Hehe, only in Florence, and it was broken English. I speak Italian a bit too, so it was a mixture of the two to get understood.

When I was in Sicily last year, my god, they never understood any Enlgish or Italian

Rome is amazing. I liked it better than Florence, but mayb that was because of the weather we had on our trip. Florence is much smaller, Rome is grand. I'm not sure they still do it today, but when i was there they locked down parts of the city for traffic, and you could walk the big lanes. At nighttime (if the weather allows it), visit the Piazza Navona and the Spanish Stairs, people just hang out there. Walk by the Tiber. Visit the Vatican and the Vatican musea. Beware, they are huge!!!! I would highly recommend taking your time and a guide . If you are somewhat into art and stuff, count at least two days, they are unlike any museum i've ever seen for renaissance art. And of course visit the old Forum Romanum and the Colloseum. There is a beautiful park between these two sites. Try Italian icecream, they are famous for it.

People are nice, the food is good and rather cheap, go to smaller pizzerias outside the heart of the touristic centrum. Pickpockets are a problem. There are many street vendors and they are fun to negotiate with, but they often draw a small crowd and your wallet is gone before you know it.

Oh, and IF you would go to Venice (which is nice but you get tired from walking across little bridges), make sure u stop in Verona (u know, the city of Romeo and Juliette). It's small, and you can walk across it in half a day. Find the tourist center in the central station. They hand out maps with a 5-hour tour of the city on it. It's really beautifull and charming.

I've never been there. My sister went though. If you like shopping, the May issue of Lucky magazine has a whole review of stores in Italy.

luv4u said:

All of what he said . And be particularly careful where you keep your money. Try to keep it in some kind of change purse or fanny pack attached to the front of your body so it makes it harder for the thieves to get to. It is very true that they work in bands and they are so smooth you'll hardly realize whats happening til it's too late. You will be particularly susceptible in train stations, or on public transport, or walking in heavy crowds. The problem as a girl, with carrying a "regular" purse, is that the little gypsies walk right past you and manage to get your purse unzipped or reach directly inside before you even realizing what's happening, then they've already disappeared into a crowd or manged to hop aboard the public transport once you've figured out you've been robbed. The last gypsy that robbed me was a sweet faced angel all of 10 YEARS OLD! Lifted my wallet out of my purse as I was going through the turnstyle for the subway! In the really metropolitan areas like Milano and Rome this is a VERY common occurance , so be careful on that tip.

Venice is a little easier to handle, and extraordinarily more romantic. Unlike Rome or Florence, it' actually easier sometimes to find your hotel once you get there. There's a reservation office right at the main train station, but expect to stand in a long line to get hooked up. You can also get your tourist map there , which you will NEED, because the street set up of the city gets complicated. The restaurants closest to the train station have the cheapest food, but it's HORRIBLE. be adventurous and try to find smaller more out of the way restaurants instead...real Italian cuisine (vs. cheap tourist meals) is absolutely orgasmic and your tummy will thank you for the experience for the reset of your life.

In Venice, make sure you go to the Guggenheim Museum. It's housed in the villa that was actually Peggy Guggenheim's HOUSE! They also have a restaurant on premises and the food is to die for. If I'm not mistaken, it's in the Dosoduro neighborhood of the city, which is a good place to hang out because it's near Academia, where the University is. So the area is full of young attractive artists and intellectuals (If that's your cup of tea), and they have a lot of cool bars and cafes where people sit around enjoying life ,and well, the men are looking really GOOD.

A word about men: they're going to be ALL over you. When you see how many FINE men there are in Italy you will die; but eventually it will start to irritate you because they ALL are going to try to hit on you. When you get there you're totally going to understand waht I mean. It's a great ego booster in the beginning though, and makes it very easy to play out romantic movies in your head aboout being swept up in some worldwind type of romance. But I would suggest you go to Blockbuster and rent the Katherine Hepburn movie "SUMMERTIME" if you really want to know what you're up against being a single woman roaming around Italy, espcially Venice. Rent that before you go so you can brace yourself for how the Italian men kick their "game" . The damn movie was made 40 some years ago and is so on point even for today that you won't believe it; you will probably in fact, LOVE it .

SpcMs said:

But in Venice don't forget that you can take a "waterbus" when you get tired of walking.

If you stop in Verona, you can go see the "wall" that Romeo scaled to meet his fair Juliet, as well as Juliet's crypt, if I'm not mistaken. I haven't been to Verona for a few years, but, people used to visit that wall and touch or write little messages on it as a good luck charm for "love"

wow thank you all...i have to print this thread out and save! lol.

I am sooo JEALOUS purple gypsy!! I was just there last month and can only say you are going to fall in LOVE with Italy!
I have a few things that might be helpful for ya though...

First, I went in what is considered the "off" season and all I can say is that if that's off, then I'm scared of what "on" is!! It was super-crowded-- SO my advice, especially for the time of year tha you're going, is to get tickets in advance for anything remotely touristy, e.g. The Acedemia (in Florence- has David), The Vatican Museum (in Rome- has the Sistine Chapel), etc...

Second- As far as Hotels go, it depends on what you want. I stayed at "Pensiones" which are sort of like low maintenence B&B's. Most of them I stayed at had no TV and you can save some money by sharing a bathroom (note: this initially scared me but once I experienced it it wasn't bad at all!). In Rome I stayed at a Pensione near the Vatican ---VERY safe and QUIET area and not far from most of the main sights. The man who runs it is the sweetest, most accomadating person!! (send me a message if you want the name of it)

Third- TRY TRY TRY to learn some Italian before you go! I was soooo glad I had studied a bit and brought along a phrase book, cuz I was surprised how few people spoke English. Besideds, it's a nice gesture to show them that you've at least tried to speak their Language.

Fourth- Don't EVEN try to be on some sorta diet or anything while you're there. THE FOOD IS OUTRAGEOUS!!!! Most everything I ate was leaps and bounds better than the Italian food here in the States. If you want I can send you some names of Places I went. Note: TRY to get off the beaten path to get the REALLY good food. If the menu is in english chances are it's catering to tourists and probably not gonna be the best. Ask locals what their favorites are!

I could go on & on but hopefully this gives you some more insight. If you need any more help send me a message.
By the way, I went to Florence, Sienna (gorgeous!), Venice, Naples (yuck-avoid it if u can), Positano (unbelievably beautiful), Pompeii, and Rome. I used a trenItalia flexi-pass and I guess this is my fifth note: TAKE TRAINS-- Cuz, honey, if you try to drive in that country you are either brave or stupid--their crazy drivers!!

Anyway, GOOD LUCK and have a wonderful trip!!!

Been to Florence, Rome, Amalfi coast, Tuscany (Sienna), and Naples. Skip Naples. Dirty and too crowded. I would live in Florence if I could. My favorite by far. And Rome was wonderful too. Do try the gelatto, especially in pistache (pistachio, mmmm)!!!!

Can anyone tell me if there's some sort of "Shuttle" company that transports people to and from airports to hotels? I'm looking for a less expensive means that the traditional CAB. Thanks!!

Hmmm, best bet is getting transfers from airport to city centre . If ur going to Florence from pisa airport, u can get the bus/train every half hour or so (to the trian station in Piazza Santa Maria Novella, centre of Florence). And if u go to Amerigo Verspucci (Florence Airport), then really a cab will cost you next to nothing, its so close, just make sure you don't get ripped off, try and pay up front. But I'm not sure if there are shuttle companies


Man I wish I was going back! Florence is my joint fave city in the world!

sermwanderer said:

ooh thanks...we're actually flying into Rome....is that what you meant by the city centre?