Vacation in Italy?

Question

Also...Would like to learn a little Italian so we don't look too much like ugly Americans..Wink...I know there are any number of foreign language instructionals...Who thinks what is best?

Also, thank you for all the responses so far...haven't had time to check out links yet but will be sure to paste them into our vacation folder!!

Answer 1

Now that I can help you with my dear. If your looking for a nice warm spot to hang out and enjoy the Beach I'd definately start looking in Sicily. Look for an area near a city because most of the Sicalian resorts out in the country side are dull and boring. Look for a costal location. If u like warm weather then go to western Sicily along the coast. There are buetiful little houses that can be found along the rocky cliffs of the mainland. Usually u find cruiliners along Sicily's western coast. So if ur looking for an hour long cruise on the gorgeous Medditteranean Sea then that be the spot.

Although I must tell u that on some days it can get very humid there. Some summers the AVERAGE HIGH for the WHOLE MONTH is 35 degrees Celcius(95 degrees Farenheight). So just a fair warning.

Answer 2

It depends on what aspects of Italy you'd prefer to explore.

If you like art, make sure you don't miss Rome, Venice and Florence at the very least. Milan is good for fashion shopping and little else. If you are after wonderful beaches and uncontamined nature, pop to my region, Sardinia (better said then done as it is an island pretty far away from the rest of Italy). But then there is so much to see...

The train option is a good one, hopefully there won't be any strikes!

Answer 3

When my family and I went to Italy we loved it!

We stayed for about a mouth and each week stayed in a different place. We stayed in an apartment each week which was somewhat easier because it wasn't so rushed and you could relax every so often. They also had kitchens which you could use if you don;t feel like eating out.

We also hired a car which was probably more convenient becasue it meant we could travel to smaller towns. This was nerve racking for us becasue we had to drive on the other side of the road (we're from Australia) if you're going to hire a car, i suggest you get a GPS or get one on your phone.Belive me, it made life SO much easier for us. If you get a GPS also get a map so you can look a head to see where its going to take you, when we didn't loook at the map we would somtimes end up on small dirt roads, which was in fact sort of more fun and interesting but you should still have a map just in case.

Rome and Matera are two places that I loved, I suggest they should be atleast two of the places you go,.

In Rome we stayed in the suburb Trastevere. I loved it there becasue it wasn't very touristy.

If you have any problems you can ask any Italians, they are VERY friendly and the majority of them know a least a little but of english. But I think it's still good that your going to learn a little Italian before you go, its best to learn the basic pleases and thankyous (perfavore, grazie, scusa)

Loney Planet books are good also Collins.

I suggest you bring books with you they become very helpful!

I hope you have as much fun as we did!

Answer 4

Italy is a big place so the first thing that you need to do is get an idea of where you want to go. I spent two months there last summer and I still haven't seen it all!

The most popular places to visit are: Rome, Florence, Venice, Cinque Terre, Milan, and the Amalfi Coast. This could be a ton for three weeks if you spend two days in each place... the train is a great way to get around but it can often take a whole day to get somewhere. What is great is that these big cities have high speed rail between them. A trip from Florence to Venice is around 2 hours.

I suggest that you sit down with your family and come up with a list of things that you can't miss. Its a great place to start. Then you should buy a map that is designed for rail travel and plan an itinerary based on where things are located.  After you have an idea about where to go and how to get there, you should take a look at a rail pass and see if it is worth getting one, or if point to point tickets are going to be cheaper (In Italy point to point is usually cheaper on a short trip of three weeks and allows for more flexibility). If you have questions about rail travel you should contact a travel agent. They will be able to help you with any questions of combat any fears you have about it.

The only other suggestion I have is READ READ READ! Do as much research as possible so that you know what you want to see while you are there and also what the significance of seeing them is (often this is the best part of a tour group because they tell you the background).

Also, if you have ANY questions about your trip and travel to Italy please don't be afraid to let me know... I'll gladly respond to any messages sent to me. I know way too much about Italy for my own good and this is how I use my powers...

Oh, almost forgot. As for the languages... you can get by pretty easily with English in the big cities. Its going to be obvious that you are an American, I've had three years of Italian language courses and I can't hide it. But you can get a simple phrasebook to help you when you get into a rough spot... and also so that you can use your manners. (Grazie, per favore, etc.) I suggest Rick Steve's Italian Phrasebook.

Enjoy your trip!

Answer 5

We went to Italy for two weeks in March of '07.  After a little research we ended up getting a "Let's Go Itay" book.  I have to say without that book, we would have been lost.  There are detailed descriptions of housing, restaurants, and transportation routes.  I don't know what we would have done without it.

The first thing I would suggest is deciding which cities are most important for you to visit and decide how long you want to visit them.  For example, I loved Florence and Tuscany.  You might want to book an apartment there for one week.  There are a ton of busses out of Florence (not tour busses) and trains to surrounding towns.  You don't need more than a day to see Pisa, believe me.  But there are a ton of small towns in Tuscany that are very interesting.  With a family it would be nice to have a home base.  The breakfasts in Italy were delish, but by the end of the trip I just wanted some bacon, eggs and a bagel.  

You might want to do that in the north, mid and south sections of Italy.  You would be surprised how small the country is, and how small the cities are.  The trains are great, but within the cities the busses are a great cheap mode of transportation.  By the way, you don't need to buy all the bus passes, I think only tourists pay for the busses.  When you take the train from city to city take the Eurostar, the time difference is amazing.

After I came back from Italy I was so anxious to get back I was speaking to a colleague about bringing my daughter and niece with us.  His suggestion was to really check out a lot of hostels.  They have so many of them, and if you don't mind being in the same room with your family you can get a 4 person room pretty cheap.  Like $100/night.  And they give you breakfast.  

Bring an iron, great walking shoes, casual and dress clothes (I think there are just as many foreigners at any moment as Italians - so your sticking out like a sore thumb isn't likely).  Don't sit down and eat in a restaurant at lunch time.  It's just as good to eat a pannini in a piazza and people watch and about 1/4 of the price.  If you smoke menthol cigarettes bring them with you, they are about $8 a pack.  Find a supermarket whereever you are, they are so much cheaper.  

Many Italians in the larger cities speak at least rudimentary English, you can get by.  Italians are actually really nice people (different experience in France), talk to them and they will share all types of information with you.  One told me about a flea market in Rome that I bought a ton of silk at that was amazing.  Another was a floutist that took us to dinner at this fabulous locals restaurant, it cost us less than 40 Euro with a meal for 3 and 2 caraffes of wine.

And have a blast!

Answer 6

email me and I'll make a perfect plan for you, I am from there and I have a lot of suggestions but we need to im each other its too long otherwise.

Answer 7

Italia sei magnifico il migliore vacanza!!!!!! I am Italian and I love Italy. Start planning on which cities you want to visit... Rome and Florence are fantastic.....I strongly Recomend Positano and the Amalfi coast!!!! The most beautiful!!!! Beware of Napoli there are many people who will try to steal your wallets (best pizza i've ever had though). Milan is pretty nice but not the best food.....Siena is breathtaking......I also liked Orvieto....never actually been to Sicily....but I am from Pescara which is also nice city on the coast of the Adriatic.... Assisi (Perugia to) is nice located in the only land locked region of Italy: Umbria. You can't go wrong with Italy......but be careful of Naples...Rome to of course (be careful in any city).....

Enjoy!

and eat lots of gelato!!!!

UPDATE:

I am very pleased that you want to learn Italian here are some good Italian movies:

Johnny Stecchino

La Vita e Bella (Life is Beautiful)

A night on Earth (The Rome segment)

Il Mostro

Biggest Mistake American's Make:

Do not wear any of the following at all when you are in Itlay:

-a money pouch

-Crocs

-sweats, gym clothes, running shoes, anything with the name of a place on it like a college sweatshirt or something

Italians are High Fashion

they believe in the "Bella Figura"

Italian girls mostly wear black because it's chic and s**y but they'll wear any color as long as it's in style

They always wear heels! .....

Anthing s**y will do in this country!

I also love an Italian rockstar named Piero Pelu.....

I'll shut up now peace <3

Answer 8

hey I just wanted to say thanks for wanting to learn Italian.. most tourists come here and expect us to speak their language :P.. it is also a very very good idea not to go with a tour group!! you will be able to see and enjoy things our country has to offer.....where all were you wanting to visit? I hope you and your family have a great time!!!

Answer 9

All right...now, I am Italian and I stay in Rome...I am absolutely in LOVE with my country, it's cuisine, it's traditions...and I would be glad to help anyone who wishes to visit it...

I suggest starting your vacation in Rome, (depends when you want to go in summer, but remember, this country is bloody hot!!!) in which you will find a lot of b&b's if you dont want to spend too much, and in which you can get around quite easily with buses and trains...Then, after visiting Rome, you have two choices:either hiring a car (which will allow you to see smaller cities and the lovely italian countryside) or travelling by train (which will limit your journey to bigger cities).

If you can afford the first option, I suggest you go through Umbria (don't miss out on Spoleto, Assisi and Narni, which inspired the chronicles of Narnia) and Tuscany (well, Siena and Chianti-shire are a must) stopping a few days in Florence. You might be able to hire a car with the possibility of dropping it off in another city (such as Florence), and at this point I suggest carrying on by train and going straight to Bologna and then Venice...

Well, I can give you a few italian sites (which aren't for tourists, so people tend to be usually more honest) to help you find accomodation, places to eat, places to visit etc, but for some of them you'll have to find someone who speaks italian to help you have a look...

...one last suggestion for the guide: Lonely planet, I think they're the best!

Enjoy your vacation! ;)

http://www.slowfood.com/ (typical restaurants)

http://www.bed-and-breakfast-in-italy.co... (accomodation everywhere)

http://www.ferroviedellostato.it/ (trains - national company)

http://www.maggiore.it/index.jsp (car rent)

http://www.bellaumbria.net/ (umbria)

http://www.turismo.toscana.it/new/index.... (tuscany)

...and I usually suggest http://www.expedia.com/default.asp ,cause I've always been very happy with their services.

Answer 10

For starters.... Along with you family make a list of the 10 things you all know about Italy. It could be a city, a word or an idea. Now each of you do some research on what you've come up with (Google, Wiki, ect...). This little game is great to dispel myth and help you begin to discover Italy.

Remember, the more you know before you go the better questions you'll ask when you get there.

Answer 11

Hi,

I suggest you look at www.fodors.com (Fodor's is the very popular publisher of travel guides). They have a "talk" space where you can post questions or search on questions others have asked.  I have found great hotels and apartments in Italy using this site.  Also lots of advise about itineraries.

Cid

Answer 12

I back packed thru europe alone a couple times. Never used anything but the internet. My fav sites are:

www.tripadvisor.com

www.virtualtourist.com

www.kayak.com

First thing, Get a map and decided where your going. Once you get you start and stop locations you can plan from there. On the virtual tourist site there is a forum, you can ask almost any question. People are VERY friendly on there and will answer. If you have specific questions feel free to ask me. I've been to italy twice. kayak ic a good place for airline tickets. Since your planning in 09...start by joining all airline web site mailing lists. They'll send out air specials. Twice I got round trip  Phx- london tax included $387, Thats awesome:)  I had to buy my tickets 8 months in advance, but so what .

Please email me if you have questions.

also just an FYI....buy a journal and write in it, even just a paragraph a day, bring tape and tape receipts to it and tape postcards and leave spaces in to add in photos. I do this every time I travel and it is by FAR the best souvinor I ever have. Keychains and shirts dont compare....a few months after your trip youll start to forget names of hotel and sites...youll cherish the journal for life:)

Have Fun!!!!

Answer 13

Get the Lonely Planet or Rick Steves Guide book. Most of the info you need is in there. (I prefer the Lonely Planet.) You could buy it used on amazon.com or ebay. You'll need the latest edition about 2-3 months before you leave for your trip, but for the initial planning a cheap old book will do.

The trip is going to cost you a lot of money, btw. Think 100-150 EUR per day and person travelling plus airfare if you stay at hotels and eat out. For 2 adults and a child under 12 this means around 12000 USD at the current exchange rate. (It is possible to do it cheaper at around 8000 USD, but this means always taking the cheapest possible lodgings and buying all food from the supermarket.)

Answer 14

I grew up in Italy. Here are some cities/places I love:

Venezia

Roma

San Gimignano

Firenza

Sardegna

Milano

It's a great idea to start planning now. A good way  to learn Italian is to read (like somebody already said) and to watch Italian movies so you can hear how they are pronouncing the words.