For those who have been here, looking for recommendations for great stuff to see/experience/eat that isn't just the norm ( Spanish Steps, etc)
Thanks in advance
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For those who have been here, looking for recommendations for great stuff to see/experience/eat that isn't just the norm ( Spanish Steps, etc)
Thanks in advance
Buy rick steves book on Italy. It was very helpful for us and saved us money because we didn?t need to buy the audio things at the museums
First, there's nothing wrong with the standard tourist stuff! :)
In Venice, every photo you take will be a postcard. Don't forget to go out in the morning and enjoy the early light, too. It is fantastic. I have stayed at a B&B in the Dursoduro area twice and it saved us $$$, plus a nice walk to St. Mark's Square. If you want to go inside St Mark's, plan to have NO hand bags or backpacks with you. If you must, there is a place to check them but it's not at the cathedral - it's on an adjacent street. If you have time, a trip out to the various islands is good. Everyone is all about Murano and the glass, but we liked Burano too!
In Rome, it may be worth it to invest in a day tour to knock out most of the major attractions in one fell swoop. The 'Rome in a day' tour from Real Rome Tours is excellent. Prepare to walk. There's a restaurant not far from Hotel Prati called Calabascio that was reliably good food on my trips in 15 and 16. If you need a driver to pick you up or take you to the airport, let me know and I'll send you Franco's phone number and email. He'll set it up in advance. Beware, he is fearless.
Have fun!
The most popular words ever spoken in Rome is ?watch out for the pick pockets?. You will hear it often. I can?t imagine trying to get around and finding ?non tourist? stuff without a guide or someone who lives there driving me around.
Venice to me, was a little easier to get away from the main touristy areas without getting lost. All we saw though was more shopping, just without the crowds.
Eating in Italy was not my thing. The decent restaurants drag it out into a three hour event and I don?t have patience or the appetite for that. Food was good though. Be careful about eating at ?pizza shops? owned by non-Italians. You might as well find a McDonald?s. Some of the restaurant people can be assholes because they aren?t very tolerant of non Italians. We heard people talking about it a few times.
That said, I would go back in a heart beat. The touristy places are pretty cool and enough to keep you busy. I don?t know your plans or how you are traveling, but there are some cool areas and towns between Rome and Venice. Orvieto being one that I enjoyed.
My wife got pickpocket in Rome on a bus. Luckily I caught the girl as she was doing it. They use little girls to do it so you can?t grab them.
Yes eating in Italy is not fast, they treat dinner as a social time where you talk and smoke cigs instead get your food out fast. Just a different culture
Other places to check out while in Italy
Vicenza is about as Italian as it gets. Get a room as close to the Basilica as possible in the historic district. And chill. Italians are all out socially starting at 5 and ending dinner around 11. Rigettis is a great little dinner spot and not that expensive.
Florence and The David are awesome. Get a tour of Medicine Palace and climb to the dome at the Duomo. Brunneleski knew how to build and awesome dome.
Sorento, Positano are awesome also. Three days there shopping and checking out the beaches would be awesome. You can see Pompei from there as well. Nothing like seeing what is left of Visuvious.
I've never been to Venice, but I have been to Rome. My advice, unless you have been there before and have done all the tourist stuff you need to go ahead and do it. There is a reason that stuff is touristy. You will regret not seeing it if you skip it just to have a "different" experience. As was pointed out above, hire a guide. We used Miles and Miles in Rome. They will save you a LOT of time you would otherwise spend standing in lines. Don't even THINK about driving in Rome. Traffic laws are considered a challenge there. That goes for all of Italy but Rome takes it to another level entirely.Quote:
Originally Posted by BHildreth3
^^^THIS^^^ With the exception of the Spanish steps and I guess the Trevi Fountain, the touristy stuff in Rome is incredible.Quote:
Originally Posted by Liverpooldawg
The only suggestion I would have that might not be the "norm" would be to do the catacombs. Obviously that's still a pretty popular tourist thing, but a lot of people don't make it to them because they're a little out of the way and down the list as far as the big tourist attractions go.
I've never been to Venice but as two others already said in the thread: 1)There's nothing wrong with doing the touristy stuff. 2) Pickpockets. Be aware of gypsy's holding babies with a shawl wrapped around them. The locals point them out like a scene from Invasion of the Body Snatchers.
1. Catacombs and Appian Way
Besides the 'touristy' stuff in the city, I went to the Catacombs of San Callisto and while there walked the extra distance to get to the part of the Appian Way still covered with the original paving stones. The part of the Appian Way by the catacombs and Domine Quo Vadis are cobblestone instead of the original stones. There are also some little restaurants along the Appian Way.
2. Coliseum
Some friends made the trip before I did and they did a guided tour. My friend told me to just pay the entrance fee and tour by myself. The guided tours get you to the very top level and down in the hypogeum but the self-tour doesn't. However, with the self-tour, you can stay and tour as long as you want and you don't have to move with a group. Also, I got there and hung about an hour before the gates opened so when a line started to form, it was no problem jumping in the front portion.
3. Vatican
If you go to the Vatican, it is imperative that you pre-buy a ticket. The line outside will be at least a mile long and without a pre-bought ticket, you'll be at the back of it. Even with the pre bought ticket there will be a little line due to security but its no worse than a security line at a crowded airport.
ETA: If I ever get a chance, I'd go back there in a heartbeat. There is history around every corner you turn and you'll never see it all. When I went, it was a mini-vacation over a long weekend while I was on the company dime for training in Marseille for 3 months. In my opinion Rome and the people >>>> Paris and its not even close.
In Rome visit the Basilica of St John Lateran, and right down the street is Chapel of San Lorenzo.
St John is the Pope's 'official' church as the Bishop of Rome. Beautiful sculptures of the apostles and a grand architectural marvel. It was virtually empty when I went in, and I had the run of the place all to myself.
Right down the street is the Chapel of San Lorenzo where many Catholic relics/icons are stored and on display. The steps that Christ walked to meet Pilot are there.
I stumbled across both while wandering around Rome. I swear to this day I spoke with an angel in San Lorenzo.
Agreed with others who have said to do the touristy stuff. It's also worth it to pay up for good tours of things like the Colosseum and Vatican imo, since they not only help you cut lines but also get to areas you can't get to otherwise. Definitely have a dinner in the Trastavere area.
For off the beaten path stuff, this is pretty cool - https://theculturetrip.com/europe/it...ntine-keyhole/
or, cab to these places and then walk around - http://www.romeloft.com/highlight/panoramic-rome-view/
finally, while I was there I took my boys to an AS Roma soccer game at Stadio Olympico, which was pretty easy to get to by bus.
As far as Venice - imo there's not much to it other than the amazing views, so you just walk around, grab a drink at a place in one spot and then walk to another spot and do the same over there before walking to another spot to have dinner,etc. I don't think it's a city that requires much more than a day or two; whereas you can spend a week or two in Rome and still have stuff to see.
Enjoy
How are you getting from Rome to Venice? Are your plans set in stone? How much time do you have?
There is some pretty nice country side and small towns between the two. We stopped in Orvieto for a short period to see the giant cathedral there. I wouldn’t have minded staying overnight just to walk the town and take it easy.
Second the Appian Way and the Catacombs. I HIGHLY recommend the guided tour at the Coliseum. You get to go deeper and higher in the structure with the tour. You don't go there without a guide. This includes the basement areas where the gladiators waited to go on. You can stay as long as you like afterwards in the non-guided areas. That ticket HAS to be pre-bought. I second pre-buying for the Vatican. That's essential, as it is for the Coliseum. Again, check out Miles and Miles. They take care of all of that for you. I can't recommend them highly enough, esp if your time is limited. We used them for a whole day in Rome and a half day in the Vatican. We did the Forum and Palace by ourselves the day after we did the Coliseum. The ticket for the Coliseum is valid for 24 hours and good for the Forum as well. Just make sure you get there prior to the time you entered the Coliseum the day before.Quote:
Originally Posted by Mjoelner34
I also second the pickpocket warning. Just about everybody I know who has been to Rome has had it happen to someone in their party, including us. It happened on the subway to one of ours. A group of Asian women jostled this guy like they were moving past him in the train. He didn't realize what had happened till he reached for his wallet at a cafe (he had it ina day bag) after they got off the train. He and his wife spent most of that day reporting lost credit cards and debit cards. Not a way to waste a day in Rome. I have a inside your trousers pouch that has a loop that goes trough my belt. It's will hold money, credit cards, and my Passport. I bought it the first time I went to Europe. Rome has really been the only place I felt I actually needed it.
If you have time check out the Braves games> I hear they have alot of up and coming talent in Rome. Venice is supposed to have a great beach but it's full of weirdos.