Italy First Time Visitor Guide

Thanks, Jennifer! I’m glad you’re enjoying the site, and finding it helpful – and I hope you have a great time in Italy!

Hi, Carlo:

I think your idea of choosing one place per week and making day trips from a central location is a good one. Renting an apartment or a house is also a great idea, as it’ll allow you to cook for yourself with all the goodies you’ll find at the local markets!

You said you wanted to choose towns that are centrally located regarding places you intend to visit – but you didn’t say what those places are, so it’s impossible for me to offer suggestions on where you might make your home base. I think your first priority should be to determine where you want to visit, whether it’s particular musuems or festivals or just specific towns, and then mark them on a map of Italy. Once you’ve done that, you should be able to figure out some towns in the areas of the things you want to visit that might make a good base for each of your three weeks. Remember that some of your day trips, depending on where you’re staying and where you want to go, could be easier if you go by train than if you went everywhere by car – some of those historic towns are really difficult to drive and park in.

I hope that helps, and I hope you have a great trip!
Jessica

Hi, Malchik:

As much as I’m flattered by you planning your whole trip based only on what I say, I think it would be smarter if you looked around at other resources, too – I’m certainly not the only person worth listening to when it comes to Italy travel! Personally, I like the Rick Steves guidebooks.

If you haven’t already seen it, it sounds like my article on the “perfect two-week itinerary in Italy” would be useful to you. You can adjust it to suit your specific trip duration and the things you want to do and see.

http://www.italylogue.com/planning-a-trip/italy-itinerary-the-perfect-two-weeks.html

Have a great trip!
Jessica

Hi, Hugo:

There are pickpockets in big cities all over the world (and often in smaller ones, for that matter, as long as there are lots of tourists around), and I don’t think you need to be any more careful in Italy than you would in any other place you travel. I’m not sure what you mean here, either, in that I assume you’re not going to be pulling your luggage with you everywhere you go? If you just mean is it safe for you to pull your luggage from, say, the train station to a taxi or to your hotel, or something like that, then I’d say yes. Just be sure you’re paying attention to your surroundings, don’t leave your bag unattended, and don’t hand your bag to someone who claims to be a “porter” or something like that.

Have a good trip,
Jessica

Hi, Robert:

It sounds like you’ve got most of your trip planned for you, since you’re taking a cruise, so I’m not sure what you need my input on… With only three days before you leave on your cruise, I think you’re definitely doing the right thing not trying to do more than one city. So if that’s what you’re asking, then yes – stick with three nights in Rome, enjoy a few days in the busy city before you relax on your cruise!

I do recommend that you read through my Rome articles, especially the survival guide for first-time visitors and the “things you should know about Rome” article, because it can be overwhelming. It’s a hectic city, and just crammed with people, but I’d hate for you to come away from your first overseas trip not liking Rome. Both of those articles (plus many others) are linked from the main Rome travel guide: http://www.italylogue.com/rome

I’m glad you’re enjoying the site, and that you’re finding it helpful – and I hope you have a great trip! Do send me a note when you get back and let me know how you like Rome.

Ciao,
Jessica

Hi, Sue:

Thanks for your note. I think limiting yourself to just a couple places – like Genoa and Rome – if you only have one week is a good idea. For getting from Genoa to Rome, you have a few choices.

TRAIN – It’s about a 5-5.5 hour train trip from Genoa (Genova in Italian) to Rome (Roma), and one-way tickets on the fast train will cost roughly 65 euro for first class or 47 euro for second class. Most trains are direct, so you wouldn’t have to change trains somewhere along the way.

FLY – I’m finding only one “budget airline” that connects Genoa and Rome (blu-express), and for a round-trip ticket (assuming you’re going back to Genoa and not directly back to London) the best prices I’m finding right now are in the 25 euro range. Most of the tickets are in the 70-100 euro range, however, and because your trip is far enough in the future that I’m not able to search for May fares it’s impossible to say what the fares would be for a May trip. The flight itself is about an hour, but it arrives at Rome’s Fiumicino Airport (further away from the city center, so it’ll take an hour or so to get into the city from the airport).

DRIVE – It’s more than 500km from Genoa to Rome, and according to the Via Michelin site it should take you roughly 5 hours (and that’s without traffic). It also says you’ll pay roughly 33 euro in tolls along the way.

With as little time as you have, I might suggest taking the plane – or at least looking at that as your best option. And if you’re flying from Rome directly back to London, be sure to check out one-way fares first to make sure it’s not so much more expensive that it puts it well beyond your budget.

Hope that helps,
Jessica

Hi, Diana:

I don’t know that there’s a specific date when hotel rates go up all over Italy – it seems (from what I can tell) to be sort of on a hotel-by-hotel basis. The high season in some places does stretch all the way into May now, however, so you might find higher rates right through the start of May in many cities (especially the more popular ones).

I’d suggest that you start looking up specific hotels in places you’re going to be visiting and seeing what they say their high/low seasons are – most hotel sites will list the dates for their high/low seasons, so you’ll be able to tell easily. And if they don’t, you can email and ask them. That will give you a better idea of whether it’s worth it to reschedule your trip or if the price difference isn’t as great.

Hope that helps,
Jessica

Hi, Carly:

Yes, you’ll be fine. Italy is an easy country for novice travelers, especially if you’re planning to stick to more touristed cities (Rome, Florence, Venice, Milan, etc.). There are some places where you might not feel comfortable as a woman traveling alone, but I’d suggest that would have more to do with being a novice traveler than it being in Italy – because there are places all over the world (including in the US) where you’d be uncomfortable going by yourself.

I hope that makes sense; if you have more questions, let me know!

Ciao,
Jessica

Hi, Tim:

You might try starting with my “perfect two-week itinerary” and tailoring it to your needs from there:

http://www.italylogue.com/planning-a-trip/italy-itinerary-the-perfect-two-weeks.html

For instance, you might want to skip Rome and spend more time in the north (the Piedmont has fantastic food & wine, and the north is also where you’ll find those Alps!). Tuscany is also full of retreats with spa-like services, which could be ideal for spoiling your wife (Piedmont may have some of those as well, come to think of it.)

If you really don’t have a to-do list, other than your skiing dream, then I’d say start with the Piedmont region and see what comes up for you there. It’s famous for its food & wine, and you’ll have the added bonus of being sort of off the beaten path a bit – which will help price-wise and also crowd-wise.

I hope that helps.

Ciao,
Jessica

Hi, Tarek:

Just in case you didn’t see it, here’s my article on traveling from Rome to Venice:
http://www.italylogue.com/planning-a-trip/how-to-get-from-rome-to-venice.html

Regarding your luggage, there’s two things that come to mind.

First, most train stations – especially big ones like the one in Florence – have luggage lockers where you can store a bag for awhile. The problems that could arise with relying on luggage lockers are that if you’re carrying a large bag you may not find an available locker that’s big enough for your suitcase, and all the lockers – regardless of size – may already be taken. You can always show up and take a chance on it, but there’s no way to guarantee that there will be an empty locker waiting for you when you get there.

Some train stations do have luggage services where they’ll store your bag for you instead of putting it in a locker – it costs more than a locker, but it’s still fairly cheap. I’ve only done this at the Pisa station, so I don’t know whether there’s a similar service in Florence.

The other thing you need to know about this trip you’re talking about is that not all trains going from Rome to Venice will stop in Florence – so it’s important that you talk to the ticket agent when you book your trip about exactly what you’re going to do. You’ll likely have to buy tickets and reservations for these trains (assuming you’re taking one of the faster trains), so you need to tell the ticket agent that you want to go from Rome to Florence, then stay in Florence for 2-3 hours, and only then get on a train from Florence to Venice – so they sell you the right reservations and tickets.

I also have to say that 2-3 hours in Florence is hardly enough time to see anything, so I hope your brief visit to the city makes you want to return another time for a longer stay!

Ciao,
Jessica

Hi, Kris:

Here’s the post I wrote about nudist beaches in Italy:

http://www.italylogue.com/things-to-do/nude-beaches-in-italy-yes-they-exist.html

Hope that helps!
Jessica

Hi, Mike & Marina:

Have you investigated all the possible rooms for rent in the Cinque Terre? Many of them aren’t listed on traditional hotel booking sites, but some of them do have websites. You can often find listings for websites or email addresses in guidebooks like Rick Steves and Lonely Planet, so check those, too (borrow a copy from the library if you aren’t planning to buy one).

From Santa Margherita Liguria to Florence’s SMN station, it’s about a 3.5-4 hour train trip, sometimes with one change in La Spezia and sometimes with two changes en route. I’ve not been to Santa Margherita, so I’m afraid I don’t know the to-do list there would look like – but I know an expat travel planner who lives in Liguria who might be able to help you there. Her name is Megan and her site is: http://www.bellavitaitalia.com/ – tell her I sent you.

Ciao,
Jessica

La Spezia isn’t technically one of the Cinque Terre towns, but it’s very close via the train to Riomaggiore (the southern-most town), so that should work. There are usually two routes you can choose from for a Venice-Cinque Terre trip – via Milan, or via Bologna. Here’s an article about getting from Venice to the Cinque Terre:

http://www.italylogue.com/planning-a-trip/getting-from-venice-to-the-cinque-terre-and-vice-versa.html

Hi, Sarah:

The backpack/suitcase question is a very personal one, and although you’ll find evangelists on both sides I think it depends mostly on what YOU’RE comfortable with. There are circumstances in Italy (as there are anywhere) when a suitcase is a better idea, and other circumstances when a backpack is the best option. If you’re packing light overall and want to remain mobile, then a backpack is probably better. Personally, I have trouble with backpacks because of my back, so I stick with small roller-bags that I can still easily lift on and off trains. But I also don’t stay in hostels, where you might find your room on the 8th floor with no elevator (or some such thing).

I think the more important thing is to pack light, so that whatever you’re carrying your stuff in is more mobile. A large and overstuffed backpack isn’t going to be any easier to schlep around than an enormous suitcase.

Hope that helps.
Jessica

Hi, Nellie:

If you look through this list of day-trips from Venice, you’ll find some places that are nearby and might suit what you’re looking for:

http://www.italylogue.com/planning-a-trip/day-trips-from-venice.html

Most of them are within an hour’s train ride from Venice.

Ciao,
Jessica

Hi, Ravit:

I think if you wanted to stop in Italy for 2-3 days both on your way to Israel and on your way back, you could definitely see a couple of cities. For instance, if you stopped in Rome going one way and Venice on the way back, and only stayed in those cities, that would be a nice way to get a taste of Rome and Venice en route between New York and Israel. I would not advise trying to fly into (for example) Rome and then getting to any other destinations in just 2-3 days, however.

Because your time would be so limited, I would recommend choosing a destination on both ends of the trip that has easy access via an airport and an airline that you could fly, so you don’t have to spend too much time in transit. And since it’s actually quite easy to spend a week in Rome and not see everything, you could easily pick Rome on both ends of the trip – but for a sample of something else, I’d say other good options might be Venice or Florence.

Ciao,
Jessica