topic Re: Italy trip Suggestions in Community Chat

Italy trip Suggestions

springers — Sat, 24 Oct 2015 23:06:30 GMT

Going to Milan, Lucca/Pisa, Florence, Chianti, Sienna,Parma. Any do's and donts appreciated. restaurants, and attractions. Thanks

Re: Italy trip Suggestions

Zhills — Sat, 24 Oct 2015 23:11:49 GMT

DO put me in your carryon; DON'T forget!

Re: Italy trip Suggestions

muttmom — Sat, 24 Oct 2015 23:13:35 GMT

Make reservations ahead of time for the Uffizi and the Accademia Gallery in Florence. The same is true if you want to see the Last Supper in Milan. The lines can be extremely long depending on the time of year.

Re: Italy trip Suggestions

Stray — Sat, 24 Oct 2015 23:54:25 GMT

@springers wrote:
Going to Milan, Lucca/Pisa, Florence, Chianti, Sienna,Parma. Any do's and donts appreciated. restaurants, and attractions. Thanks

I love Lucca, many fine restaurants there as in Sienna and Parma but if you like steak, you must try Florentine steak at Il Latini; always a long line so it is best to go to their website and make reservations before you leave...well, worth it...Parma has an excellent restaurant by the cathedral, it has an angel on top....the name escapes me...but all the food In Italy is excellent....not fond of Pisa, after tower, not too much there...

Re: Italy trip Suggestions

fortune — Sun, 25 Oct 2015 00:20:08 GMT

@springers wrote:
Going to Milan, Lucca/Pisa, Florence, Chianti, Sienna,Parma. Any do's and donts appreciated. restaurants, and attractions. Thanks

My only suggestion is that you try to include Venice on your itinerary! It's like no other place in the world and was my favorite destination in Italy!

Re: Italy trip Suggestions

Stray — Sun, 25 Oct 2015 00:34:34 GMT

@Greenhouse wrote:
@springers wrote:
Going to Milan, Lucca/Pisa, Florence, Chianti, Sienna,Parma. Any do's and donts appreciated. restaurants, and attractions. Thanks
I love Lucca, many fine restaurants there as in Sienna and Parma but if you like steak, you must try Florentine steak at Il Latini; always a long line so it is best to go to their website and make reservations before you leave...well, worth it...Parma has an excellent restaurant by the cathedral, it has an angel on top....the name escapes me...but all the food In Italy is excellent....not fond of Pisa, after tower, not too much there...

Angiol Di Or was the restaurant in Parma and Fuschetta

Re: Italy trip Suggestions

Irshgrl31201 — Sun, 25 Oct 2015 00:40:46 GMT

@Zhills wrote:
DO put me in your carryon; DON'T forget!

Hahaha!! I like the way you think!!!

Re: Italy trip Suggestions

KathyPet — Sun, 25 Oct 2015 00:43:40 GMT

As someone else has already said you really must get your timed entry tickets o the major museums on line ahead of time. That will allow you to bypass the incredibily long lines waiting to buy tickets. I would also sketch out at least in broad terms what sites you definitely want to see and write out some sort of a schedule to follow.

Re: Italy trip Suggestions

Drythe — Sun, 25 Oct 2015 02:54:17 GMT

@springers wrote:
Going to Milan, Lucca/Pisa, Florence, Chianti, Sienna,Parma. Any do's and donts appreciated. restaurants, and attractions. Thanks

@springers

Read Romeo & Juliet again > you reach Sienna. The story is from there.

Don't miss the Navigli District in Milan the flea market on Saturday morning is amazing. The Navigli district is a wonderful neighborhood with amazing shopping.

Re: Italy trip Suggestions

Bellabutterfly — Sun, 25 Oct 2015 06:49:22 GMT

I did Italy in 1985...I took my time and did ALL the cities. I would also suggest you add Venice and Rome. It was one of the very best trips I ever did.

I also suggest (as someone else here did) buy your attraction tickets to major Museums, etc. online. I did this the last time I traveled to France, you won't regret it. What a time saver, you by pass the long lines...

Do have a safe and wonderful trip...Arrivederci!

Re: Italy trip Suggestions

Burnsite — Sun, 25 Oct 2015 12:22:19 GMT

Beautiful itinerary--you can't go wrong.

I guess my advice would be a don't--don't overschedule. Leave lots of time for sipping coffee and people-watching. And for shopping. Milan is a shopping mecca; the plaza in front of the gorgeous cathedral is great for people-watching and picture-taking.

Also, take chances on restaurants that might not be in the guidebooks; I don't think I've ever had a bad meal anywhere in Italy. I sniff the air; if it smells good, probably the food will be.

If you use guidebooks, I have found that Rick Steeves's offer the advice that has worked best for me. That advice could be summarized as "Keep it simple."

Re: Italy trip Suggestions

tobes — Sun, 25 Oct 2015 16:04:57 GMT

Watch your pocketbook. Or better still do not carry a purse but your credit card, ATM Card and small Euro somewhere on your person.

Re: Italy trip Suggestions

Alter Ego — Sun, 25 Oct 2015 18:27:04 GMT

@Burnsite wrote:

Also, take chances on restaurants that might not be in the guidebooks; I don't think I've ever had a bad meal anywhere in Italy. I sniff the air; if it smells good, probably the food will be.

I actually disagree with this statement - it is very easy to get a bad meal in Italy particularly if you are in a very touristy area. I haven't been to Lucca, but I have been to Parma, and am going to say that you will likely have better luck in these small locations by just walking into a restaurant if it looks good. But, you should probably do more research when in Florence and Milan (don't eat in main squares, for example). Not all gelati is equal, as well. This isn't always the rule, but the better gelaterias will use stainless steel to store the gelato - they'll keep it covered. No artificially green pistachio, for example!

I did Parma in a day trip from Milan a few years ago. Less English speakers here. I can't give better details on where it is, but I can tell you that there is a tourist office in town where you can use the washroom and they speak ok english. They also helped us with a place for lunch (ended up being in the top 10 on Tripadvisor). Are you staying overnight? If I was there overnight, I would have done one of the food tours (Parma ham and cheese, natch! What kind of wine is from there?) Find out what the location is known for and have that (when we were in Parma, I had these little puffs of bread and added parma ham as appetizer. Had ravioli for main.) We carried home a 1/2 circle of parmasan cheese from there. Freezes well.

I did The Last Supper via a tour. There is a very limited number of people who get in at one time - very regulated. Plan in advance. You don't need to do it via a tour, but you should reseach how to get the tickets in advance (as others have noted already).

Pisa is a side trip, not an entire day.

I also liked Rick Steves

Edited to add...I liked going to the top of the Duomo in Milan. If I recall, there was an elevator up (line may be longer). Not that you'll need this, but the Duomo was serious in their dress code to go inside. Cover knees and shoulders (relevant for all churches.)

Not sure how many days you are planning on staying in each place, but Venice IS a doable day trip from Milan. I actually didn't do this, but I did go to Verona, which is nearby. Don't want to add too much to your trip, but I mention only in case this was a dream to see. Check the train schedules.

Re: Italy trip Suggestions

springers — Sun, 25 Oct 2015 20:15:11 GMT

Thank you for all of the great suggestions. My son got married last March and this is their trip. If anyone is going in the carryon its me, and he said I was a hovering parent, Silly! Good to know about Pisa being less eventful, I will share all this info with them and you recommendations, and warnings (money). Please add if anyone has any other suggestions. They are flying into Milan, driving to Montecatini and going on day trips from there.

Re: Italy trip Suggestions

lulu2 — Sun, 25 Oct 2015 20:33:49 GMT

@springers wrote:
Thank you for all of the great suggestions. My son got married last March and this is their trip. If anyone is going in the carryon its me, and he said I was a hovering parent, Silly! Good to know about Pisa being less eventful, I will share all this info with them and you recommendations, and warnings (money). Please add if anyone has any other suggestions. They are flying into Milan, driving to Montecatini and going on day trips from there.

Venice is less than 3 hours from Montecatini. If this is their first trip to Italy and they have a car at their disposal, I'd save all those smaller towns for their next visit and do Venice. Most first timers concentrate on Rome, Florence and Venice. Those 3 cities give you the biggest bang for your time. It is easy to travel by train between them.

I know many bus tours stay in Montecatini and if this is the case, there usually isn't a lot of free time, to travel on your own. Out of the smaller cities and towns you lisited, I think Lucca is the prettiest. Bologna is an interesting city and not far from their home base.

Re: Italy trip Suggestions

Mz iMac — Sun, 25 Oct 2015 20:44:23 GMT

Soak up the beautiful Italian men!

Wear a fanny pack and/or a money belt. Some of the young street urchins are expert pick pocketers.

Wear stretch waistband type pants & skirts. A 10 course meal is not unusual.

You can't leave Italy w/o seeing Pompii & Venice.

Soak up the beauty of the Italian men!!!!

Re: Italy trip Suggestions

Justice4all — Sun, 25 Oct 2015 21:09:48 GMT

This may be redundant, but, DONT MISS THE DAVID!! So much of Italy is unforgettable, but The David might be the most unforgettable!

Re: Italy trip Suggestions

bebe777 — Sun, 25 Oct 2015 21:25:24 GMT

@Burnsite wrote:
Beautiful itinerary--you can't go wrong.

I guess my advice would be a don't--don't overschedule. Leave lots of time for sipping coffee and people-watching. And for shopping. Milan is a shopping mecca; the plaza in front of the gorgeous cathedral is great for people-watching and picture-taking.

Also, take chances on restaurants that might not be in the guidebooks; I don't think I've ever had a bad meal anywhere in Italy. I sniff the air; if it smells good, probably the food will be.

If you use guidebooks, I have found that Rick Steeves's offer the advice that has worked best for me. That advice could be summarized as "Keep it simple."

Rick Steve's and the Let's Go (Harvard University Press) series have been my go to guides for the last 25-30 years.

I think the Let's Go series gets overlooked by a lot of people, because it's written exclusively by Harvard students primarily for people on a very tight budget (i.e. other students). While this is true, the mass of students who are putting this series together each year are some of the finest minds in the country. These kids will go on to become CEOs of major corporations, etc. So you're getting an amazing amount of top brainpower in all the guidebook advice.

Let's Go also redoes every single guidebook each year so the info is always current. Depending on how you like to travel, some of the higher end (for Let's Go) accommodations can be quite user friendly. And they have a vast supply of interesting and affordable restaurants.

I've found that their museums listings are just about always the most comprehensive of and of the guidebooks. And they have a lot of interesting, off beat arts & leisure suggestions.

I usually purchase the current Let's Go for the region that I am going to. Then I surgically slice and dice the book up, only taking with me the sections to the areas that I am going to.

As someone previously mentioned, take in Venice if you can. It's a truly amazing and unique city. There's no other city quite like it. Also, you might want to check out the Amalfi Coast and/or the Cinqua Terra.

Have a wonderful trip to Italy!!

-- bebe

Re: Italy trip Suggestions

winamac1 — Sun, 25 Oct 2015 23:25:35 GMT

Springers...I am SO jealous. I SOOOO want to go to Italy. Have fun and be safe!!

My parents took us when I was only 11. I remember so little, and I want to go back now that I could appreciate it.

Re: Italy trip Suggestions

Bibione — Mon, 26 Oct 2015 01:35:27 GMT

I always spend half of every summer visiting my family near Venice.This year I also had to go back last February for my dad's funeral.You should tell your son to visit Venice and to be careful with wallets and documents.We have millions of illegal immigrants and crime has never been so high.Until 20 years ago when I was living there we used to sleep at night with the windows wide open all summer.My mom told me today the priest's residence was just robbed while he was in church.I recently read an article about a tourist complaining in a restaurant in Venice about his 35.oo dollars steak not being cooked properly.He was beaten up by the waiters.They were immigrants from Albania.The restaurant owner is also from Albania and he owns 4 or 5 restaurants.There was speculation that he didn't obtainl the money legally.