Italy trip for friend

[kayling05]

A good friend of mine has recently been informed by her parents that they will give her a plane ticket to Italy (her top choice for destination) for her college graduation. Her graduation won't be until at least August 2012, possibly Dec 12, depending on class availability. The trip would either be early fall (Sept 12) or spring (Apr-May 13) depending on when she graduates. She is going to pay for the rest of the trip herself, besides plane ticket.

I would just like to get some ideas for her on stuff to see and do. She asked me for ideas, since I am one of the few people she knows that has traveled internationally, but I've never been to Italy so I have few recommendations for her. Her boyfriend lived in Europe til he was 15 and visited Italy around age 12 but that was 11 years ago so obviously many things have changed.

Basically I'm just wondering what a sensible itinerary visiting the major cities/attractions in Italy would be: Venice, Florence, Rome, Naples/Pompeii area. These are the places she expressed alot of interest in. I told her 2 weeks would probably be a good amount of time for those places, but other than that, I'm not well versed enough with travel in Italy to help her plan an itinerary as I've never been.

She invited me to go with her, though I'm not 100% sure I'll be able to go (it is 2 years away, I have no idea what I'll be doing then, as I am already out of school and wanting to go abroad sooner). She has never been outside the US before (actually she's never even been on a plane), so I would like to go with her to sort of "show her the way" if possible (she's one of my best friends but I'd be worried about her going alone since she's been a bit sheltered in her life and has a hard time saying no to people sometimes; also, she has expressed to me that she would be scared to go alone anyway).

I've been doing a bit of hostel/hotel research (she is unsure about staying in big hostel dorms, but said she'd be ok with private rooms or small dorms if she's with someone) and found that they seem to be fairly expensive in Italy compared to other hostels I've stayed at in the UK or Amsterdam. Recommendations for good budget accomm. would be highly appreciated.

Anyway, thanks so much! Sorry if this is a bit long-winded but I'm really excited for my friend to have this opportunity (I've been trying to get her to travel internationally, particularly to Europe, for a while now) and I want to help her however I can.
Kaylin

[Eagle]

kayling05,

It's great that you're getting such an early start on planning the trip. That will provide lots of time to work out all the details, and of course get the funds together for the trip.

My first suggestion would be to check some Guidebooks to get some ideas on places she might like to visit. As this is her first trip to Europe, pre-reading Europe Through The Back Door would be a really good idea, as it provides lots of good information on how to travel "well" in Europe. It should be available in your local Library or larger book stores. Country specific Guidebooks will provide more detailed information on sights in each city, costs and other details. She might enjoy having a look at some travel programs on TV also, as that's a good way to see the sights (check your local PBS station for Travels in Europe).

With only two weeks to spend in Italy, it would be a good idea to limit the trip to Rome and the north. Some of the cities to consider are Rome, Florence and Venice, but you can add a few others as well. The Cinque Terre is a very popular spot, and also Siena. In planning the trip, try to avoid the tendency to fit a lot of places into a limited time frame. Each change of location not only costs money, but also uses at least half a day (or more).

Using open-jaw flights would be best, perhaps inbound to Venice and outbound from Rome. I'd suggest starting in the north as the culture becomes somewhat more "intense" as one moves south. Beginning in Rome could be a real "culture shock"!

Don't forget to allow for two travel days at the begining and end of the trip. She'll lose the first day due to flight times and time zone changes (arrival in Europe will be the day after she departs), and the last day will be spent on the flight home. Also, it's not a good idea to plan too much touring for a day or so after arrival in Europe, as she'll be jet lagged and won't be up to full "touring speed".

Good luck with the planning!

[kayling05]

Hi Eagle! Thanks for your response!

I think I am probably doing more planning than she is at this point LOL, but that's because I love to travel and researching about traveling is fun to me (yeah, nerd alert). Plus this is somewhere I've never been before so I want to learn about it too in order to help her.

I did look into open jaw flights but it seems like they are quite a bit more expensive than in and out of Rome. (if it were $100 or less, I'd be like well we'll almost make that up traveling back to the arrival city, but I'm talking like $300+) Of course this is searching for this upcoming April as an estimate only.

I have Europe through the Back Door somewhere (an older copy from 2008 but I imagine they don't change much) so I will be sure to give that to her.

I was thinking 2 weeks "on the ground" (meaning, I guess, 16 days total) but perhaps she could go for longer. I don't know how long she will want to go for, considering she's never been abroad before. 2 weeks is a long time for a beginner, I think.

She is very adamant about seeing Pompeii (and so am I, if I go with her! it's one of my must-sees in Italy too), so that will definitely have to be worked in somewhere. I personally would prefer to spend 2-3 days in the Amalfi area and see it then, although I've heard it can be done as a(n albeit very long and sort of exhausting) day trip from Rome. She has also said her main priority (besides Pompeii) is Rome, but she would LIKE to see some other places like Venice, Florence, etc.

How many days would you recommend in each of the "Big 3"? I've heard Venice is 2 days, Florence for 3-4 (possible side trip to Pisa for half-day) and Rome for 4-5. Add in Sorrento/Amalfi Coast/Pompeii for 2-3 days and that's 2 weeks there.

Also I was just checking into accommodation and it seems like Venice is a really expensive place to stay. Are there ANY good budget places there??

[Eagle]

kayling05,

A few comments on your most recent questions....

Regarding open jaw flights, when you add the cost and time of having to return to the starting point, they are actually not that much more expensive than return flights. However, this varies a bit from one area to another, and I'm not too familiar with the flight options in your area. You might want to speak with a Travel Agent for advice.

The 2008 edition of Europe Through The Back Door will be fine. Be sure she reads it, especially as she's never been abroad before and you've never been to Italy! The aspect of "culture shock" in Italy can be especially "intense" for those not used to it, and it becomes more intense when venturing south of Rome. I hesitate to mention this, but she will have McDonald's if she get's homesick (although the Menu selections are slightly different than in the U.S.). There's also a Burger King in Termini station.

Both of you will need to be aware of scams and pickpockets - be sure to wear Money Belts! Don't fall for the hard luck stories of the scammers that inhabit the train stations and other locations. It's actually a well organized criminal enterprise. Have a look at www.cbc.ca/documentaries/passionateeyeshowcase/2010/gypsychildthieves/ for a short description which highlights activity in Madrid and Milan.

Two weeks is not a long time, especially given the number of places you want to visit. It's important to allow for adequate travel times between locations, which will usually be about half a day minimum.

As you're both adamant about visiting Pompeii, I'd suggest basing in Sorrento for a few days rather than taking a LONG day trip from Rome. It's a beautiful city and you could perhaps take a day trip to the Isle of Capri. I'd recommend using a local Guide in Pompeii, but of course that will add to your cost. Have a look at the website for Gaetano Manfredi - he's an awesome Guide! The trip from Rome to Pompeii is not difficult but it's a bit "unusual".

Given the short time that you have available, I'd suggest 2-days in Venice, 3-days in Florence, 4-5 days in Rome and 3 (or so) days in Sorrento. Open jaw flights (into Venice, out of Rome) would be the best idea. I wouldn't bother with a day trip to Pisa, as it's not worth the effort or cost IMHO. However a trip to the Cinque Terre would be good (it will be a LONG day trip from Florence though). Try to get as much time for the holiday as you can!

I've also found Venice a bit "pricey", however it's such a unique location, I really think it's worth a visit. Florence is cheaper so it should all balance out.

Regarding budget accommodations, it would be a really good idea to invest in a copy of the RS Italy 2011 Guidebook. Investing $20 for the book will save money on Hotels, sightseeing and other details (and possibly some aggravation). I recommended that particular book, as that's what I use. Some of the others here have their own preferences in Guidebooks.

Hope this helps.

[kayling05]

Yeah, I know about the "gypsies" as they are all over Paris too, which is somewhere I am quite familiar with. I've heard that they are even worse in Italy, so we would definitely be watching out for that. I told her about money belts (I used one on my 2-week trip to the UK last fall) and that she will need one.

I was thinking about Sorrento as I know it is near Naples, Pompeii, and other cool places. We don't want to stay in Naples because I've heard nothing but bad things about it pretty much, but we do want to go see the museum there at some point (maybe on the way to Sorrento from Rome?) to see the stuff from Pompeii.

We would be flying out of Atlanta (we live about 1.5 hrs from there; nearest major airport to us). I talked to her about flying into Venice and out of Rome and she said if it's not too much more expensive that would be a good idea (I was searching for April 2011 as a reference and found one for about $890, and I think that's a pretty good deal! The cheapest flight I saw for the same dates r/t from Rome was around $820). I feel like we would make up the difference in price trying to get back to Rome, plus it would be alot more convenient.

Since we are not leaving probably until at least next fall (2012), or spring 13 I won't invest in a guidebook yet but I will go to the library and see if they have a recent Rick Steves Italy (maybe 2010 copy?) and check it out.

How do you feel about an Italy rail pass vs point-to-point tickets?