OK, I think dh and I are biting the bullet and going on a quickie trip to Italy for our 30th anniversary. We are leaving June 1 and returning June 9 out of Dallas, flying nonstop because time is of the essence. We don’t have points so we are expecting to pay a lot. The good news is we are spending the whole time in Florence for free with a dear friend and her dh. Here are two questions …
Not being able to be flexible with dates, is it best to just book through the airlines rather than one of these websites like skyscanner.com?
We will be taking the train from Rome to Florence. Anyone know whether the train leaves from the airport, or do we have to get somewhere else to catch it? Also, we likely will do another day trip or two, like to Venice. Just getting individual tix rather than a pass is the way to go, right?
What else should we know? He’s never been abroad and is a nervous traveler, and this will be only my second time to Italy but last time was part of a tour so no thinking was involved.
I normally book through the airlines or Expedia. Google flights is good too.
The trains leave from Roma Termini, the main train station in the city center. Go to raileurope.com and buy tickets in advance unless you're not sure when you leave.
Venice is not a day trip, leave it for another time. There's more than enough to do in these two cities, but if you'd like a day trip from Florence I suggest Siena or Lucca.
I use Kayak, an aggregator, to find the cheapest flights, then usually book directly on the airline’s site.
The trains in Italy are easy. They leave from both Fiumicino Airport (Leonardo di Vinci) which is outside the city as well as in the city from Termini. The Italian train website is very helpful/easy IMO. Let me know if you have any questions. http://www.trenitalia.com/tcom-en
I agree that Venice wouldn’t be a good day trip. Instead, I suggest you take a day trip via an organized bus tour or hire a car/driver to go explore Tuscany a little. I love Lucca but if you only have one day, I’d take a tour of Siena, the Chianti area, or the Crete Senesi/Clay Hills area just south of Siena.
We spent many weeks in Florence/Tuscany in November. Let me know your final itinerary and I might be able to suggest some good restaurants.
Tell your husband not to worry. The Italians are very gracious, kind people and most, especially the younger ones, speak english, although learning a few very basic words is always appreciated.
I don’t know what airline you’re flying, but I flew United to Rome and it seems like the red headed step child of the airport. Not horrible, but it will take 3 hours or so when you leave, and there are several trams to take, including one that goes out on the tarmac to the plane where you get to walk up the steps. Just allocate enough time and be patient.
If you want nonstop from DFW, it’s going to be American. British shows flights but they are actually codeshare with AA. Packs some snacks for the flight back from Italy. Rather than using an Italian food service, for some reason they use British Air for food and it is gross. At least if you are flying coach. The food is excellent in Italy as long as you stay away from tourist traps and they have great duty free shops at FCO.
Get trip insurance. The trains go on strike with some regularity, although all the ones we took in Italy were perfectly on time. We arrived in Europe via Frankfurt and flew to Milan after spending some time in Germany. The plan was to fly back to Frankfurt (round trip airfare being substantially cheaper than one-way) and return to the US the next day. We were in line to check bags at the airport in Milan when a staffer went through the line asking everyone what flight they were on. The reason, we learned, was because there was going to be a strike of various personnel… air traffic controllers, baggage handlers, etc. The strike was planned for 1 and our flight was to leave at 12:45! It was a bit of a tense time, not knowing if we had a way to get to Frankfurt or if our bags would make it (as it was rumored the baggage handlers were already on strike). The plane left on time, arrived early, and we were collecting our bags at the moment we had been scheduled to land. We didn’t have trip insurance, but I won’t make that mistake again!
There is a non stop train between FCO airport and Roma Termini station, from where many other trains depart for other places in Italy. The subway lines also stop there.
There are youtube videos for everything now. I bet you can find some that will walk you through the process and show you how to purchase tickets, find the tracks, etc. I found similar ones for a relative that was anxious about transiting through Amsterdam. Rick Steves might even have one.
I agree with the above. A day trip to Venice is too far to go, we did a trip leaving Rome to Naples and Pompeii, it was very interesting. The train from Rome to Venice is very comfortable but I would plan ahead and make sure you get the high speed train. Beware in Termini station that’s where I was a victim of pick pockets a short while ago. Both Rome and Florence are very walkable and have plenty of transport choices. I hope you enjoy your trip.
Use google flights to find best prices. Watch out for economy pricing on airlines - some of the cheapest fares might not be the cheapest if you factor in “other” costs. Although for international flights, I suspect most will let you check in one bag at the least. We book directly on the airline site.
Rome is a lot of fun. You should try and spend some time there. I believe you can take a train from the airport to the main terminus in Rome easily enough and then transfer from there to the train to Florence.
Do beware of pickpockets in Rome and in Florence - especially while using public transportation.
Was just there this month, a week in Rome with a day trip to Florence via train. Train from airport to main station in Rome is about a half hour. We bought our Florence tickets from the Rome station a day or two ahead - some trains were sold out but we had no trouble finding good times. Trip is 1.5 hours each way. So many things to do/see in both cities, but if you get the chance, stop at the Santa Maria Novella pharmacy on Via Della Scalia 16 in Florence. Not a CVS but a beautiful purveyor of “essences, pomades, spirits” etc.
We didn’t have any bad experiences, don’t speak Italian, found the Italians to be gracious and patient. In 7 days we walked 60 miles - so wear comfy shoes.
We just found a one-stop fare from Houston to Florence for $800 less per ticket than we found nonstop from Dallas to Rome and booked it. The layover is a reasonable 2-3-hour stop in Frankfurt one way and Munich on the way back.
With the money saved, we might train into Rome midweek for a two-day, one-night quickie tour! Any idea how to find a good tour guide for such a short visit? And how much I’m looking at?
ALSO, I CAN’T BELIEVE THAT I’M GOING BACK TO ITALY!!!
@“Youdon’tsay”
“Any idea how to find a good tour guide for such a short visit? And how much I’m looking at?”
The Dark Rome tours are supposedly very good. I have a friend that did a couple of them and highly recommended it. I’m going to Rome and have a Dark Rome tour booked for Vatican City. You can also check out the app, Visit A City if you’re feeling adventurous and it helps you plan out an itinerary. That would be good on those days you want to explore on your own and maybe pair it with the Rick Steves app as an audio companion.
I’ve downloaded all of Rick Steves’ podcasts that are available and have been listening to them on my daily commute. They are very good and I’ve learned so much already of all the sites I’ll be visiting. I’ve also purchased his travel Pocket guide of Rome that came with a free map of the city.
Also, Airbnb will save you a lot of money which you put towards gelato PM me if you’re interested in more of that info
It’s more about getting a real feel for Cinque Terre in just a day. The appeal is to visit the different villages either by local train or hiking. Spending an evening allows you to see the towns when not mobbed with tourists. To get from Florence to Cinque Terre would be around 2.5 hours each way or so therefore you wouldn’t have much time to explore IMO. If you decide to do it, I’d recommend staying over at least one night.
For day trips, my suggestions are Siena, Montepulciano, Montalcino, Pisa, Lucca, Bologna.
PM me if you’re interested in more of that info