Getting to Italy

[Game_Day_Sports]

My old neighbor grew up in Italy and was a tour guide over there as a young man. He is now closing in on 80 and his kids can't afford to take him to Epcot let alone Italy.

I want to take him and his wife over there with our family because I would get to see the real Italy and not the Americanized version.

I have never travelled outside of North America and the Caribbean. Should I fly into Rome or some other part of Europe and take a train?

I know a few have traveled Europe extensively and I am just starting to put this together so I am looking for suggestions.

 

[KMF-UCF]

Me and you share the same sentiments. You'll probably be spending most of your time in northern Italy and the west, unless you take a puddle jumper to sardagnia.

 

[Game_Day_Sports]

Me and you share the same sentiments. You'll probably be spending most of your time in northern Italy and the west, unless you take a puddle jumper to sardagnia.

He and his wife have been like grand parents to our kids and he probably only has a few years left and it would be great to go over there with him and just follow him around to the little towns and see the countryside for what it really is. I can always go back and take a picture of me trying to hold up the tower in Pisa on another trip down the road.

 

[UCFKnightfan08]

I went to Italy for my honeymoon but flew into Greece, went to Paris, and took a train from there so can't help you on how to get in (we flew back from Rome though).

Most of the interesting cities are on the west coast and seriously don't waste a day going to Pisa. It's cool and all to see the tower but it's not worth the trip to see the tower when you could be in Rome, Florence, Naples, etc.

 

[KnightedIbis]

I went in to Rome from Zurich when we lived there. Rome was very easy to get into and the train system through Rome was pretty good to access other points of interest. But to be honest, I didn't have any experience going in anywhere else.

 

[CommuterBob]

The trains in Italy are good and fairly frequent. I went to Italy on a cruise a couple of years ago and I wish I had simply booked train passes and hotels on my own instead. Guided tours are available in every city - sometimes even from cab drivers. I'd definitely do at least 2 days in Rome, 2 days in Sorrento/Amalfi Coast/Pompeii, and 2 days in Venice, with optional days in Florence, Cinque Terre, Taormina, and Milan. If I could, I'd try to fly into Rome and out of Venice or vice-versa.

 

[UCFKnightfan08]

Cinque Terre was awesome. Very pretty and chill.

 

[KnightedIbis]

with optional days in Florence, Cinque Terre, Taormina, and Milan. If I could, I'd try to fly into Rome and out of Venice or vice-versa.

Florence was probably my favorite place in all of Europe, absolutely gorgeous, great for couples.

 

[UCF-icenhl-06]

Dont forget south of Rome is Amalfi Coast which is amazing as well.

 

[1ofTheseKnights]

Meh too many smelly foreigners for my liking. You people can have it.

 

[UCFKnight85]

My old neighbor grew up in Italy and was a tour guide over there as a young man. He is now closing in on 80 and his kids can't afford to take him to Epcot let alone Italy.

I want to take him and his wife over there with our family because I would get to see the real Italy and not the Americanized version.

I have never travelled outside of North America and the Caribbean. Should I fly into Rome or some other part of Europe and take a train?

I know a few have traveled Europe extensively and I am just starting to put this together so I am looking for suggestions.

There are plenty of options for flying directly into Rome from the US. I've flown back from Rome a few times and there are daily flights to many cities; I've always done Atlanta since I fly Delta.

Or, you could fly into Milan and see northern Italy first (or meet the guy there). There's a daily flight from JFK to Milan and there might be an Atlanta flight now too. The train from Milan to Rome is extremely fast and only takes about 2 hours. It's a nice ride through the countryside too.

I personally prefer northern Italy as a region, although Rome itself is amazing. I usually stay in Lecco which is on Lake Cuomo, and sometimes go further west to the area around Lake Iseo. That entire area is like out of a book with regards to scenery.

I haven't liked much when you get south of Rome. I spent a weekend in Naples and found it to literally be a shit hole- trash everywhere, thugs in streets, insane traffic, etc. If you want to see Pompei then take the train down (1 hour), see it, and take the train back to Rome.

For Rome itself, you should give yourself at least 3 days to see everything. I spent 5 hours in the Vatican museum itself last time I was there since it's so huge.

 

[UCF-icenhl-06]

I haven't liked much when you get south of Rome. I spent a weekend in Naples and found it to literally be a shit hole- trash everywhere, thugs in streets, insane traffic, etc. If you want to see Pompei then take the train down (1 hour), see it, and take the train back to Rome.

I went to Sorrento for a couple of days and it was awesome. Just keep going south of Naples to Amalfi Coast.

 

[Game_Day_Sports]

The problem is what I am seeing is about $2500 round trip per person into Rome, but if I fly into London, I can get there for $1,200 per person round trip and about $50 per person each way on the train into Rome. I am going to be paying for 6 people so I am not worried about adding a half day train ride to the transportation to shave $6k off of the trip, but if I could find flights into Rome that affordable, i would do that instead. I am not doing first class either. I am looking at the level between business and economy on some of the airlines. I am a big dude who isn't going to sit still in one of those economy seats for 8 hours so I need to go a little bigger, but will sacrifice my comfort to be able to add the two extra travelers.

NOTE: I just saw 85's Delta note and looked at that and it is way more in line around $1,500 a passenger into Rome from Orlando with a stop along the way and only 12 hours of travel time which is much more palatable.

 

[UCFKnight85]

The problem is what I am seeing is about $2500 round trip per person into Rome, but if I fly into London, I can get there for $1,200 per person round trip and about $50 per person each way on the train into Rome. I am going to be paying for 6 people so I am not worried about adding a half day train ride to the transportation to shave $6k off of the trip, but if I could find flights into Rome that affordable, i would do that instead. I am not doing first class either. I am looking at the level between business and economy on some of the airlines. I am a big dude who isn't going to sit still in one of those economy seats for 8 hours so I need to go a little bigger, but will sacrifice my comfort to be able to add the two extra travelers.

Uh, you may want to check that train fare again. London to Rome for $50 per person? I've done the Chunnel (London to Paris) a few times and I don't recall tickets being cheaper than $150 per person, one way. And you have to take that route getting out of the UK via train. Once you're to Paris I'd wager it'll be another couple hundred to reach Rome via train.

Hell, my ticket from London to Bristol (2 hours) is typically $40-50 USD.

Now, you may be able to get a cheap air fare on EasyJet or Alitalia from London to Rome.

 

[Vendsit]

It's not worth the hassle and extra time with a group that size to try to fly in to London or Paris and then arrange a train to get to Rome. We've been to Rome several times and the last time we flew Alitalia (Delta) and booked their premium economy seat. It was comparable to a US domestic first class seat. It's not a lay flat but still very comfortable.

Florence - worth the trip.
Pisa - meh, it's a tower that leans in the middle of a neighborhood. Not worth buying a ticket to walk up. If you do want to go, you need to buy the tickets ahead of time because they're usually sold out.
Amalfi Coast, Pompeii (Mt Vesuvius) - well worth it and beautiful. Climb to the top.

I would suggest at least 4 or 5 days in Rome and you need to get tickets for the hop on hop off bus tour. It's well worth the $25 a day or so for each person but it takes you everywhere and you can see everything. If you get the multiple day pass, you'll get free admission to several attractions.

http://www.hop-on-hop-off-bus.com/rome-bus-tours?_sm_au_=iVVnq4fLnj0TQFRj

Make sure you book your tickets to the Vatican on their website or you'll be waiting in line for hours just to buy them.

http://biglietteriamusei.vatican.va/musei/tickets/index.html

 

[UCFWayne]

Venice and Rome are must visits. Pisa and the surrounding Tuscany area are also at the top of the list. Napoli with Pompei and the surrounding cliff side cities like Sorrento are so unique.

I would suggest a straight line visit. You fly into one and fly back home from the other. That way you maximize your travel time.

 

[crambone]

Beepiddy boppity boopity!