When is the best time to go and how long would you suggest traveling in order to see everything.
Thanks!
JessicaM.
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Re: For those that have traveled to Italy
a few months to see 'everything'
it really depends on what you are looking for. I prefer one concentrated area to explore, rather than traipsing across the country trying to hit the 'hotspots'
are you looking for relaxing/romantic/beach
are you looking for wine country/site seeing
are you looking for historical view....
M&S Sept12006
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Re: For those that have traveled to Italy
Posted by JessicaM.
a few months to see 'everything'
it really depends on what you are looking for. I prefer one concentrated area to explore, rather than traipsing across the country trying to hit the 'hotspots'
are you looking for relaxing/romantic/beach
are you looking for wine country/site seeing
are you looking for historical view....
Hmm, well I guess we should start off with the historical sightings first...Mike wants to go and so do I...I've been to Venice but very briefly...
itslaurie.
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Re: For those that have traveled to Italy
Posted by M&S Sept12006
Hmm, well I guess we should start off with the historical sightings first...Mike wants to go and so do I...I've been to Venice but very briefly...
if you are going to the historical sites, and not so much the beach - I would go Mid-Septemberish.
Comfortable weather for standing in lines, walking, walking and more walking, etc.
If you are planning to chill out on the beach - then that's a whole other story.
ant n tilde
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Re: For those that have traveled to Italy
avoid August - Ferragosto is then and everything is basically shut down - all the Italians go on vacation and you are just left with SUPER touristy stuff ( this is when i love to go bc my whole family doesnt work or have school)
I went at the end of October to Sicily and it was still 80 degrees! of course in Milan it was snowing, so you have to be careful which part you want to travel to
I went for 6 weeks and i feel like i saw everything i wanted to see and had a great time
Some recommendations:
Rome and Vatican City - you need at least a week there is so much to see
avoid Venice in teh summer, it smells
you can skip Florence - the most Americanized city i have ever been to (JMO) it was like DIsneyland Italy - very disappointing.
if you are religious i would go to Assisi - most amazing experience but you only need a day or two
THe islands of Capri and Ishcia are AMAZING - just beautiful tropical islands to relax not too much to actually see there. . . i went for 4 days to Ischia ( MUCH cheaper than capri, same beauty) and it was perfect
AND PLEASE try to go to SIcily, most people dont go that far South but my fmaily is from there - go to TOarmina, TIndari, etc its just AMAZING
FM if you need anything!
JessicaM.
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Re: For those that have traveled to Italy
Posted by itslaurie.
Posted by M&S Sept12006
Hmm, well I guess we should start off with the historical sightings first...Mike wants to go and so do I...I've been to Venice but very briefly...
if you are going to the historical sites, and not so much the beach - I would go Mid-Septemberish.
Comfortable weather for standing in lines, walking, walking and more walking, etc.
If you are planning to chill out on the beach - then that's a whole other story.
Laurie is right. you could even push it to October, if you don't mind a jacket/sweater combo.
our first time over there, we did the following
Rome, Venice, Florence, Siena, day trip Verona, Milan & Turin (for soccer)
for you, I would do same as above, but replace Milan and Turin with Pisa and possibly another Tuscany city. Milan is a fav or mine (but it's my team and my family there) as for historic sites, Milan basically has the duomo and the Last Supper painting.
Turin has the shroud of Jesus, and is on the river Po. It is both picturesque and industrial. but it was a trip on our soccer tour (Juventus-blech LOL)
these are all north of Rome. you could do south of Rome/Sicily in another trip.
itslaurie.
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Re: For those that have traveled to Italy
you can skip Florence - the most Americanized city i have ever been to (JMO) it was like DIsneyland Italy - very disappointing.
that's funny, I LOVED Florence! So did dh.
But I had the same sentiments, (Disneyworldish) about Venice.
We had 4 days in Rome and saw it all - without feeling rushed.
JessicaM.
Posted:
Member since
Re: For those that have traveled to Italy
Posted by ant n tilde
avoid August - Ferragosto is then and everything is basically shut down - all the Italians go on vacation and you are just left with SUPER touristy stuff ( this is when i love to go bc my whole family doesnt work or have school)
I went at the end of October to Sicily and it was still 80 degrees! of course in Milan it was snowing, so you have to be careful which part you want to travel to
I went for 6 weeks and i feel like i saw everything i wanted to see and had a great time
Some recommendations:
Rome and Vatican City - you need at least a week there is so much to see
avoid Venice in teh summer, it smells
you can skip Florence - the most Americanized city i have ever been to (JMO) it was like DIsneyland Italy - very disappointing.
if you are religious i would go to Assisi - most amazing experience but you only need a day or two
THe islands of Capri and Ishcia are AMAZING - just beautiful tropical islands to relax not too much to actually see there. . . i went for 4 days to Ischia ( MUCH cheaper than capri, same beauty) and it was perfect
AND PLEASE try to go to SIcily, most people dont go that far South but my fmaily is from there - go to TOarmina, TIndari, etc its just AMAZING
FM if you need anything!
this is all true. tho, for historical sites, Florence is a must. it IS americanized, but the Uffizi, the Boboli Gardens, and the money & majesty that was the Medici family is all there. plus all of the leather goods. it is STILL a must see in my book.
Sicily is unsung and awesome. I went for Christmas a few years ago and loved it. One of my cousins was living there at the time. I was in Catania, and visited Taormina and Syracusa BOTH are amazing. food was great! I also went to a few small towns near Catania...unfortunately a few are like living in Smalltown USA b/c of the Navy base there (Sigonella) but there are a few that are beautiful (my fav was Misterbianco-funny name, but I went on Christmas Day night, and it was beautiful)
again I say though, for your first time, go NORTH young people.
Julybride08
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Re: For those that have traveled to Italy
We went the end of April to the middle of May. I love it!!! It was beautiful weather. Not to hot and not to cold. We stayed with FH grandmother and all of his aunts and uncles and cousins showed us around. We stayed in Gravina which is about 20 min from Bari. And also about 15-20 min from Matera (Where they filmed Passion of the Christ). We also took the train up to Rome, and stay there for 2 days. We got to see the most important things. But you need alot more time to see everything. We stayed a total of 2 weeks in italy. We had a wedding the first weekend we were there also. But all in all we had a great time. Well I did. FH lived there so it was no big deal to him..lol
ant n tilde
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Re: For those that have traveled to Italy
Posted by itslaurie.
you can skip Florence - the most Americanized city i have ever been to (JMO) it was like DIsneyland Italy - very disappointing.
that's funny, I LOVED Florence! So did dh.
But I had the same sentiments, (Disneyworldish) about Venice.
We had 4 days in Rome and saw it all - without feeling rushed.
yeah people often think i am wierd with the Florence thing, lol but i have heard the same about Venice although i have never been!
ant n tilde
Posted:
Member since
Re: For those that have traveled to Italy
Posted by JessicaM.
this is all true. tho, for historical sites, Florence is a must. it IS americanized, but the Uffizi, the Boboli Gardens, and the money & majesty that was the Medici family is all there. plus all of the leather goods. it is STILL a must see in my book.
Sicily is unsung and awesome. I went for Christmas a few years ago and loved it. One of my cousins was living there at the time. I was in Catania, and visited Taormina and Syracusa BOTH are amazing. food was great! I also went to a few small towns near Catania...unfortunately a few are like living in Smalltown USA b/c of the Navy base there (Sigonella) but there are a few that are beautiful (my fav was Misterbianco-funny name, but I went on Christmas Day night, and it was beautiful)
again I say though, for your first time, go NORTH young people.
ok i have to agree - for a first timer, i GUESS north is better, lol - but i am just so in love with Sicily it is hard to admit it!
and I DID get an awesome leather jacket in Florence - all of the historical/ artsy stuff was AMAZING - i guess i was just disappointed in the restaurants.shops.hotels. . .
My entire family is from Catania - the town is called Linguaglossa - it is right on Mount Etna, that is another thing - try to see if you can do a volcano exursion it is the best - and if you do, you will probably meet someone from my family because they all do various things involving the volcano, lol - i forgot about Siracusa - another beautiful place
