Information wanted on visiting Italy in February?

Question

Hello my husband and I are planning on visiting Italy for about 12 days(feb 09-18). Our tentative plan right now is to visit Venice, Florence, Rome, and Monte Carlo(Maonaco). We plan on being in Venice for the carnival (first 2 days). Can someone please tell me what the weather is going to be like in Feb? reasonable /cheap hostels in these cities? Can we get by speaking only in English? Any tips on do’s and don’t? must see places? Any information to help us see as much as we can in these 10 days? Any idea how much gondola rides cost, i've been told they are expensive?

Thanks in advance

Answer 1

You'll be ok with the waiters etc in Venice. Some of the shop keepers don't speak English though. Beware the gondoliers if you plan taking a ride. Get a price for you both and negotiate how long the ride will be. It's usually around 90euros for a half hour.

Venice - Saint Mark's Square, The Doge's Palace, Rialto bridge, Bridge of Sighs, Arsenal, The Accademia, Giacomo Cassanova's house, The Grand Canal and Murano.

Rome - Vatican Museums which include the Sistine Chapel, St Peter's Basillica, Castel Saint Angelo, Forum, Colosseum, Palatine, Circus Maximus, Via Appia, Gallery Borghese, Capitoline Museums, Trevi Fountain, Spanish Steps, Pantheon and many many churches.

Florence - Uffizi Gallery (tickets in advance), Accademia (Michelangelo's David is there, Bargello, Duomo, Palazzo Vecchio and the Loggia with its sculpture, various churches and family chapels, Palazzo Pitti, Fort Belvedere.

Vinci in tuscanny to see the birthplace of Leonardo da VInci.

Naples- Pompeii, Herculanium.(1.5hrs from Rome)

Padua, Verona, the lakes, the Dolomites etc etc.

I can only list a few things here or I'd be going on for days

If you're pushed for time then train travel in Italy is very cheep and efficient.

Great guide books are the Eyewitness Travel Guides. They have photos, every attraction you can think of, opening times and great maps.

Take a look at these web sites and enjoy your trip.

http://mv.vatican.va/3_en/pages/mv_home....

http://www.polomuseale.firenze.it/englis...

http://www.whatsonwhen.com/scripts/query...

www.venere.com

Keep your valuables safe and money in a money belt. Watch out for children and gypsy pickpockets. Just take the precations you would in any other city and you'll be fine.

buona fortuna

Monte Carlo and Monarco

A sovereign and independent state, the Principality of Monaco has borders on its landward side with several communes of the French Department of the Alpes-Maritimes; from west to east these are Cap d'Ail, la Turbie, Beausoleil and Roquebrune Cap Martin. Seawards, Monaco faces the Mediterranean Sea.

Its surface area is 485 acres, of which nearly 100 were recovered from the sea during the course of the last twenty years. Monaco lies on a narrow coastal strip, which sometimes rises vertically upwards with its highest point at 206 feet. Its width varies between .65 miles and a mere 382 yards. Its coastline is 2.5 miles long. The Principality has only one commune, Monaco, whose limits are the same as those of the state.

Monaco-Ville on the Rock, the old fortified town, with the Prince's Palace, the ramparts, the gardens, the Cathedral and the Oceanographic Museum.







The Condamine is the second oldest area in Monaco. The name comes from the Middle Ages and means the cultivable land at the foot of a village or castle.





Monte-Carlo, created in 1866, named in honor of Prince Charles III, hosts an internationally famous Casino, luxury hotels and leisure facilities, some created recently: Larvotto beach, the Monte Carlo Sporting Club, the Boulingrins Gardens.









Fontvieille is the newest area of the Principality of Monaco and was created from land reclaimed from the sea.  This man-made waterfront area features a harbor, stadium and sports complex, heliport, and a pollution-free industrial zone, as well as some shopping areas and the new Columbus Monaco hotel.









Moneghetti, home to the Révoires and the Exotic Gardens (on the western border with Cap d`Ail).



Monte Carlo is on the Riviera between Provence and Italy, close to the museums of Nice (Matisse, Chagall) and the glamorous shopping boulevards of Cannes. The Picasso Museum and world-famous Maeght Collection are nearby, as well. Trips to the medieval villages of St. Paul de Vence or Eze, the perfume factories of Grasse, Italy’s ski slopes and the boutiques and markets of nearby San Remo are memorable events, as are private parties at Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild in St. Jean Cap Ferrat or La Villa Kerylos in Beaulieu.

Bon chance.

Answer 2

It will be cold in Venice in February.  And you can get by speaking English.  And when in Venice don't stay in Venice, stay on one of the Islands around the city.  Much cheaper and the transportation to the city is a boat bus!!  They run all night and they are very convenient.  Florence, I lived there for three years, see everything!!   Walk the streets, the whole city is history.  Same for Rome, don't waste time with museums this trip, the lines are so long you'll never see enough to make it worth while.  Just remember don't worry about what you don't see, it's all new!  If you want to stay in Venice two more days because you're having fun, stay!!  It's that easy.  Don't feel like your missing anything because it's all new!!   And you have to have a reason to come back soon, right?!!   Venice during Carnival is one of the most romantic times and places I have ever been, the true stereotypical "Romantic Venice" is then.  I'm taking my girlfriend there too!!!  And Monte Carlo is fabulous, just don't gamble your life away!!!  And don't forget to take your time and enjoy this very wonderful, special time of your lives!!!  Toss a coin in the Trevi Fountain, the Romans say if you toss in a coin, you'll return to Roma!!

Buona Fortuna!!  A presto amici!!!

Ciao!!

Answer 3

You can generally get by with English in Venice, Florence, and Rome. (I've never been to Monte Carlo.) Do, however, buy a small guide to learn certain vocabulary, just to please the locals. I recommend checking out some traveling guides and buying your favourite before you go. These guides generally cost around $20, but are priceless. They'll inform you of traditional/favorite tourist sites as well as restaurants and hotels local to those sites, include prices and sometimes reviews.

In Venice, be sure to enjoy the glassmakers and lacemakers. Gondola rides are fun, but relatively short. The cheapest are 20 Euros, and the price will go higher. Rides may be cheaper if you try to find a gondola company away from the main walkways and tourist areas. If you plan on doing any shopping from street vendors who sell rip-off versions of fashion name bags/belt/clothing, keep in mind that the Venice police are cracking down on illegal vendors and anyone who buys from them as well.

Florence has some wonderful walks and views! Make sure to visit alot of the art in that area, and partake in some of the shopping as well.

Rome should include a visit to the Forum and either a paid-for or self governed tour of the old tourist sites. Food in Rome wasn't that great, I found, if trying to save money. Small diners and places made you pay alot for cheap food. If you plan on visiting the Vatican, keep in mind that you need to wear clothing that goes beneathe your knees and keep your shoulders covered.

P.S. Be prepared to indulge in alot of gelato, Italy's amazing frozen ice cream. It's delicious. Always try more than one flavour.

Answer 4

Hi,,,, i was in Italy this past Feb for the Winter olympics... the best I can tell you is you better dress Warm.. it is cold and wet,, and snow in the North and rain in the South....



Go on Hotels.com and look up for hotels you can afford....

Good luck