<p>My H is not a great sight-seeing traveler (hates to get up early on vaca for tours, etc), so I’ve decided to take a trip to Rome with a friend and money is tight for her.</p>
<p>We will probably share a room to help her save on costs. However, I need all kinds of advice on how to truly cut corners and not have her return home upset that she had to spend more than she budgeted. </p>
<p>The destination is Rome, but if possible, could include other regions of Italy if it could be done on an economical basis…inexpensive train travel or whatever. </p>
<p>I’m guessing that the trip would be about 14 days long…so as to be able to see much of Rome, the Vatican, and possibly include other regions/cities. Love to be able to include Tuscany region and Venice, but those may not be possible because of distance and add’l costs.</p>
<p>The timing of the trip is open. So, when would prices be best while weather would still be decent?</p>
<p>So…what’s the best way to get best prices for the following, AND what kind of prices should I expect with these suggestions?</p>
<p>travel to Rome …best priced airlines for that destination, etc.
lodging (not picky, but needs to be clean)
restaurants, cafes, etc.
travel to other regions</p>
<p>yes…valid passport is already obtained, so not an issue (thankfully!) Hers is up to date, and so is mine. :)</p>
<p>Proposed budget for the trip… She hasn’t yet given me a firm figure. I don’t mind contributing some money to make it work for her (such as paying more than half for the hotel, etc). In some ways, she is doing me a favor since my H is such an awful sight-seeing traveler (rarely will get out of bed before 11 am on vaca…and then wants to include a “work-out” several days a week…so just not conducive to a stereotypical “see everything” and “make the most of your time” kind of trip. I’ve given up trying to change him in this regard…promises to “get up early” for the “next trip” have not worked out. He’s better with the cruise/beach/lay-around kind of vacations.</p>
<p>I’m fine with the idea of a “package”…are some better than others? which ones?</p>
<p>Yes, we are fit…well reasonably for women in our 50s…lol. We’re both petite women.</p>
<p>That’s another reason why H isn’t good with this…he’s had a hip replacement and needs the other one done. He works out a lot, but that’s not the same as being able to walk long distances, etc.</p>
<p>From there you will be able to research to your heart’s content as well as discuss options with experienced travelers. Be sure to check the extensive reviews of hotels, vacation rentals and restaurants.</p>
<p>It’s not that far from Rome to Venice, Florence, Siena, Cinque Terre, Tuscany and in 14 days you have time to see plenty besides Rome so check on the prices of the trains to see if any of them are within budget. If you did 14 days in just Rome - that would be quite a long time for just the one city IMO. You can see all the major tourist sights in Rome in just a few days. If you’re big into slow shopping and sitting sipping coffee all day watching people walk by then more time will be consumed of course (I don’t do either of these).</p>
<p>I drove a rental car around Italy the times I’ve been there so I don’t know what the trains cost but it s/b easy enough to determine on the internet.</p>
<p>Consider renting an apartment in Rome for a week and then an apartment in Venice or Florence for a week. There are plenty of day trips one can make from any of those cities. For example all of the following are under an hour from Florence: Pisa, Arezzo, Lucca, Fiesole and Siena. And from Venice: Verona, Padova, Viceneza and Mantova. Trains are cheap and easy. And an apartment (with its kitchen and washer/dryer) allows you to travel lightly and cheaply.</p>
<p>^ Renting an apt is wonderful- they dicuss brokers on tripadisor. Shopping alongside the natives is one of my favorite things.<br>
Stop in a bakery/deli sort of place for a take-away lunch- panini, foccacia, etc. Buy sliced meats and cheeses, a loaf of bread, wine and have your own meals, occasionally. </p>
<p>My all time favorite time for Rome is January- decent weather, far fewer crowds. You just have to watch for Italian school holidays or religious holidays. But, it can get much colder in Venice, eg. Check the weather hi/lo info.</p>
<p>We stayed in the second one. 4th floor walkup but nice and right on Campo de Fiori where there was a open market every morning where you could easily get fruit and breakfast. Also walking distance to everything. You can find cheaper also, esp off season.</p>
<p>Train tickets can be dirt cheap depending on time of travel etc. You happen on them also. We went from Rome to Venice for 9 euros each this past June arriving at 8 pm.</p>
<p>You can also eat cheap, esp if you eat in some, and having an apt makes that easy.</p>
<p>IMHO the optimal time for visiting Italy is late October into early November. Cheaper, temperate weather, uncrowded and the seasonal cuisine is fantastic. If you do go at this time you might want to take advantage of agriturismo. A brief cheap stay on a farm that is having their olive harvest or grape harvest is a real treat. Better food can’t be had anywhere else in the world.</p>
<p>A FOURTEEN day trip isn’t going to be cheap. That’s 14 days of some kind of lodging, travel costs and food.</p>
<p>I agree that renting an apartment is a good idea. Another thing you might want to consider is some kind of group tour to Italy. We had friends who found this to be economical and much of the “logistic” work was handled by the tour group. That way, they had a fixed cost for certain things and were then able to budget discretionary money in addition.</p>
<p>We used to stay near Campo dei Fiori- great location, can walk later at night, pretty- near the antiques restorers, a walk to Piazza Farnese and Piazza Navona and not far from busses. There are places called Campo de (or de’) Fiori and Campo dei Fiori- ? Are we talking of the same neighborhood?</p>
<p>Apartment rental can be nicer and economical when you are traveling with your family, so instead of having 2-3 rooms, you could rent an apartment for less. It would also provide you with a kitchen to cook if you so choose. As most of us know, in order to cook, one needs some basic ingredients - salt, pepper, spice, oil, floor…Most of that do not come in small packages. In my opinion, if you are traveling with just one other person, I would just rent a hotel room.</p>
<p>Rome for 14 days is too long. I think you could do it in 4-5 days, few days in Florence and few days in Venice. If money is an issue, a tour package maybe the way to go. </p>
<p>We were in Rome last summer for a week with my family. A CC poster recommended a private tour guide for us, and she was wonderful. She knew the city inside out. We spent 3 mornings with her, and she showed us a lot of things we wouldn’t have otherwise gotten to see. It is a very large touristy city. One could end up wasting time wondering around or waiting on a long line. For us, it was money well spent.</p>
<p>As pointed out by thumper1, 14 days in Europe is going to be expensive. If this woman is doing you a favor and you have more disposal income, you may want to consider paying for lodging and splitting meals with her. Money could be a big source of friction if travelers have different budget.</p>
<p>Just a side note - Starwood has a lot of nice hotels in Italy. You could use your points from AmEx to get free rooms or at 50% discount.</p>
<p>We went to Rome for 10 days in early November, for reasons of economy. The weather was in the sixties and seventies, so it felt like summer to us Seattlites. It wasn’t crowded. We were able to get a room in a nice small hotel in a freat location for around $120 a night including breakfast (Hotel Parlamento - check it out on tripadvisor, and book directly on the hotel website.) </p>
<p>Recommend the slowtravel forums for researching good hotels, travel itineraries, and restaurants. This was our second trip to Rome. The first was with our children and in the summer. It was much less relaxed in the summer, and the heat takes a toll on your endurance for sightseeing. </p>
<p>Two guided tour companies that people we know have used are Rick Steves, and Earthbound Expeditions. </p>
<p>For a couple of partial day tours, we used Context travel - led by professors, archeologists etc.</p>
<p>oldfort,
could you please share the name and contact info for the private tour guide in Rome? We’ll be there at the end of the month and still have one day that hasn’t been planned. </p>