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10/01/2005 03:51:35 AM · #1
Hello there! I was wondering if I could get some tips from people here who live in, or have visited Italy.

My husband and I are making plans to visit Italy either in the summer or fall of 2006. We're planning about 10 days, hitting Rome, Venice, Florence, and Pompeii.

And, of course, I would like to know where I can find some GREAT photo opportunities!!! :-) We're gonna hit some of the main stuff in Rome, especially the sites of historical/archaeological value....but we'd really like to know about those tucked away treasures....those secret wonderful places that you can only find if you're intimately aware of an area.

So, if you have any tips or suggestions, PLEASE help us plan our trip!!! :-) Thanks!
10/01/2005 04:04:21 AM · #2
Italy is a BIG photo op everywhere you look...Covering the main sights will keep you busy for more than 10 days....Venice is a Photographer's paradise, photo op literally everywhere...I'd go in fall instead of summer avoiding the huge summer crowds and getting slightly cooler weather.
10/01/2005 05:20:07 AM · #3
...Take 2... I had this really long post typed when my stupid window closed and i lost everything, so here it is again.

Summers can be hellish in southern Italy and Venice can get pretty smelly so I'd definitely recommend fall. Keep in mind that right now it's starting to cool down here (naples) so it's already coldish in the north. Plan to dress in layers.
Florence is an awesome city. If you have time, go up to Piazzale Michelangelo, it has AWESOME views of the city. You can take a bus there, you can drive or you can walk (quite a hike) but it's worth it. Depending on how long you have you may want to visit San Gimignano. It is a small Tuscan town nicknamed "The Medieval Manhattan" because of it's many towers, some of which still stand. One day here is enough and totally worth it, the views of the town from the Tuscan countryside is just jawdropping.

As far as Rome, what can I say? It's noisy, it's dirty, it's crowded, I love it! So much history, so much to see, usually so little time. The obvious sights are a must. If memory serves me right, the ticket for the Colosseum is good also for the Roman Forum just accross the way. FYI, if you're anything like me you've always thought the Colosseum is round......it's not, it's actually oval shaped, I was quite surprised by that. Don't make the same mistake I made, don't go to the Vatican on a Sunday. No only is it insanely crowded due to Sunday mass, but everything is closed. All you're gonna be able to do is stand in St Peter's Square along with ten thousand other people and watch the mass inside on gigantic screens. I guess if you're catholic it's alright.

That brings me to Naples.....it smells bad, it's dirty, it's noisy, it's SUPERCROWDED and sometimes unsafe... I hate it..but then again.....I live here. There are good aspects to it though. The food can't be beat. You will not find better food anywhere else in Italy. The further south you go in Italy the worse everything gets but the better the food gets....or so they say. Besides the food, and I will emphasize, it's THE best, Naples is close to Pompeii, only about 20 minutes on the Circumvesuviana train from Napoli Centrale. A lesser known site is Herculaneum. It got buried along with Pompeii during the same eruption but unlike Pompeii, it got buried by a river of volcanic mud and thus is MUCH better preserved. It is also smaller, much more manageable than Pompeii and A LOT less crowded. If I had to recommend one over the other, I'd recommend Herculaneum. Then of course is the Amalfi Coast and that itself can be turned into a vacation of its own.

I hope this helps. I'll stop now cause my fingers hurt from typing so much :P Enjoy Bella Italia!

June

edit: typo

Message edited by author 2005-10-01 05:23:17.
10/01/2005 05:52:39 AM · #4
Don't go during the summer. It can be downright miserable. It's pretty hot and almost nowhere has air conditioning. Cold stuff to drink (particularly in Rome) can be outrageously expensive and hard to find. If you do much walking, you'll be covered in sweat all day without much you can do about it.

Don't expect it to be like the U.S. Much of the country is very dirty, smelly, run-down, smokey, and you have to pay for a lot of the little things that are free in America. In terms of standard of living and modern conveniences, I got the impression that Italy was about halfway between the U.S. and Mexico. Just be prepared for that. Otherwise, there are some awesome sites to see. I second the recommendation of Herculaneum. It's also a short bus ride from the top of Mt. Vesuvius, if that's your kind of thing.

Venice, Verona, Florence, and Pisa are some of the nicer cities in Italy. Venice is awesome, especially if you walk around at night or early in the morning before it gets too crowded. It even seems relatively clean and safe, and is surprisingly inexpensive. Rome is a must-visit, but you might be better off not staying there too long.

I hope that helps!
10/01/2005 06:14:27 AM · #5
I went to Rome in the first week of October 2004 and it was blistering, average temp that week was about 30C one day it did hit 42C.
As the others have said it is a great photographic place.
Don't go during August as it is their annual holiday month most places will be shut.
Don't know how you usually plan holidays but make an itinery for each day, and get up early to get the best lighting, the noon day sun can be very harsh.
Making an itinery will allow you to get the best out of your stay, dont forget to build in traveling time.
As chiqui has said don't go to the Vatican on a Sunday, also on a wednesday morning it is very busy as it is audience with the pope.
You are not allowed to take pictues in the room that Michealangelo painted, can't remember the name of it.

Have a good time and take loads of pics.
10/01/2005 06:14:31 AM · #6
We just left Calabria, which is the Southern most part of Italy. Bear in mind that the month of August is miserably hot, and a large portion of Italy is closed, and on vacation in Calabria.
I would definitely plan for fall or spring to visit further North, (in fact I do plan to do so).
Too continue the plug for down South, the services are not what you might expect or desire, but the food is worth the trip by itself, particularly on the coast, if you like seafood. Amalfi, Pompeii and Herculaneum are all fairly close together, so you could easily spend some interesting times there. When in Amalfi, be sure to drop in Willies Pub.
Good luck, and have fun.
10/01/2005 04:20:41 PM · #7
Wow, thanks so much for all of the info from everyone!!! I'm glad to hear that the site at Herculaneum is worth the visit. I took Latin in high school, so I'm a bit of a geek for much of the history of Italy from that era.

I think that the cities planned so far should keep us busy for 10 days :-) But is there anywhere in Italy that we just HAVE to see? I know there are quite a lot of wonderful places to visit, but I'd hate to miss anything just absolutely superb! :-)
10/01/2005 05:12:19 PM · #8
What about Milan? Bergamo? Plaza Diomo?
10/01/2005 06:36:42 PM · #9
of all the places i have visited (mostly islands, granted), italy is still my absolute favorite. it has been years since i went, yet i still picture it vividly. perhaps parts are dirty, smelly, old, what have you--but if you look beyond that to the fascinating and amazing culture and history, well, it isn't that much of a hardship. i had a classical literature minor in college, so perhaps i was trying to see it through ancient eyes, either way, it was unforgettablly perfect.

my friend had just moved there, and neither of us spoke enough italian to make a difference, but i found that i was able to converse with most people with the small amount of spanish i knew--enough to carry on a pretty interesting conversation with some people in a bar one night, so that was encouraging, seeing as how both of us are the kind of people that would rather get lost (which we did, repeatedly) and avoid americanized places (which we did at all costs) than go along with the flow. which also made for a fasciating trip. :)

let's see. rome reminded me a bit of manhattan, as far as what one would expect from a big city and all that one entails--traffic, trash, etc., but still delightful. my first view of the city was of st. peter's from the balcony of the hotel michaelangelo--awesome view to start a trip. :) we did some touristy things like throw coins in the trevi fountain (to ensure a return visit), visit the vatican, the collisium, forum, spanish steps, etc. i recommend not eating at the touristy places surround these tourist spots--but rather find a quiter spot where there is no english on the menus. ;)

from rome we drove to florence--what can i say--florence is indeed one of the most beautiful cities on earth. we went in march, so it was pretty cold, (sometimes 4C, so gloves and boots were a must) but not enough to stop us from walking all over that city. here you must vist the uffizi--the line may be long but it is more than worth the wait. also visit the accademia which at the very least, houses michangelo's david. so many places to see here--the duomo (unreal), bobili gardens...the sights are limitless. i still have a bottle of chianti from buca poldo--a restaurant not far from ponte veccio if i remember correctly--fantastic food. here too--make a point to explore the less than touristy areas for good food and great shops and culture. and again, dont worry about getting lost--trust me, you cant get worse than taking a wrong turn and discovering that you are trying to drive onto the piazza of the duomo at 1 in the morning. :D

dierdre had to go back to work at this point, and although i regret not being able to visit the tuscan countryside--from florence we finally made it back to naples. which i loved. yikes, i am out of time, but i will say that i had a blast in naples--go to capri, almafi coast (i bought amazing ceramics in positano--) and eat all you can! one restaurant we went to somewhere on the water didn't even have menus--they just started you with wine and kept bringing out tapas size plates of food until you were ready to pop. so many great restaurants in naples--make sure to drink the limoncello. :) i personally liked the crema version better, and the strawberry flavored as well. hm, i know there is tons more to tell about naples (or anything) but i'm late so pm me if you want more info! :)
10/01/2005 06:47:00 PM · #10
I was lucky enough to visit rome a few years ago, I wish I'd had a digital camera back then.

Unfortunately it was in the run up to Rome's millenium celebration so many great land marks were scaffolded up for cleaning or renovation.

10/01/2005 07:08:36 PM · #11
I lived in Italy for a few years - definitely hope to make a trip back there. If I went I would head for the Amalfi Coast and Capri. Rome is also very interesting being able to see the ruins in the middle of a modern day city.

My sister lived in Milan area and therefore this is her preference.

I agree with those who recommend not going in the summer. Late October or early November would probably be a better time - imo.

Enjoy your trip!
10/01/2005 07:14:17 PM · #12
I suggest here if you can fit it in.
10/01/2005 07:36:33 PM · #13
Ania(sp?) Capri is a great spot and be sure to get the local bus down to Capri - really is worth the ride (unless you are really scared of madmen hurteling buses down a road on the side of clifs meant for goats)! I would catch the cable car up the hill from Capri (good view from there also) if time limited but I walked up and it was great meeting the locals in less tourist mode - I guess most don't climb the hill manually. Last trip we were there in late Sept early Oct and it was great without the huge crows of summer proper.

Florence is my favourite city - soooo much to see. For photos try getting down on the river bed for shots of the bridge. I forget the name but there is a lookout that gives great views of the dromo. Not that you can miss it but there is a white church in the middle that is worth a visit (church of the holy ghost?).

Plan to spend more time at Pompeii then you expect because it's never enough (can be crowded with all those buses) but Herculaneum is also great minus a lot of the crowd.

I would skip pisa unless you had a need to see the tower.

Rome is pretty amazing - basically point the camera at anything. I think you can get on the roof and look down on St Peters square (we didn't have the time) but not sure if that is still possible - if so take a real wide lens.

Venice - what can you say. We were lucky to be there when St Marks flooded (sinks is the better term - I think it happens in Oct most years). Amazing memories walking around in a foot of water. It's common and the locals are all on elevated walkways thinking the tourists are mad (they are). The clock tower has a pretty good view of roof tops e.t.c.

Edit: Damn, I REALLY ned to get all those 35mm negs/slides scanned!! It's been on my list for some long now.

Message edited by author 2005-10-01 19:39:23.
10/01/2005 08:36:12 PM · #14
Originally posted by ladyhawk22:

I think that the cities planned so far should keep us busy for 10 days :-) But is there anywhere in Italy that we just HAVE to see?

You'll be run off your feet to see just the most obvious places in only 10 days, don't ever plan on sleeping in, you can do that at home.
I adore most of Italy, but my personal favorite is the Gargano area (the spur of the heel), in particular a little town called Peschici, but you simply don't have enough time to worry about places like that.
I'm sure you'll have a wonderful time - just try not to blink, or the 10 days will have flown past.
10/02/2005 12:47:39 AM · #15
I've been to Italy and stayed in Naples. The best food I had was there. I would again recommend Pompeii maybe climb MT Vesuvius if you still can. The Amalfi Coast was the best take a drive down there visit Amalfi and Sorrento absolutely beautiful.

I also went to Rome we were able to see Midnight Mass in the Vatican. I didn't get to do any touring there but would have liked to. Hope you have a great trip when you go.
10/14/2005 04:58:37 AM · #16
I'm Italian and I live in Genova, the city of Christopher Columbus.

I think in 10 days you will be pretty busy in all the cities you want to visit. Definitely I would avoid Summer. The most crowded months are from May to September.
Now it's Fall and in my city there are still more than 20 degrees and someone still sunbathe on the beach, so you can find bearable temperatures in this time of the year.

Maybe I'm not impartial, but I think you can find wonderful places to visit in every Italian city. For example the old part of Genova is one of the biggest in Europe.
If I were you I wouldn't miss the leaning tower of Pisa, Rome is great, Florence is wonderful, and if you go to Pompeii, you have to go to Capri that is quite close to Naples. I'm sure that everything you'll see won't disappoint you!

About the food, well, North or South of Italy is the same, the food is wonderful and often, the less showy restaurants are those places where you eat better and spend less.

If you want to know more, feel free to PM me!
10/14/2005 08:26:40 AM · #17
I live in Rome. Suggest you plan a visit in April-May or September. June to August might be too hot to walk around (anyway, free-drinkable-fresh water is available anywhere from public fountains).

Feel free to PM me for any organizational detail in this wonderful town.
10/14/2005 08:46:08 AM · #18
Herculaneum is a good bet especially of you are limited on time - it's more compact than Pompeii which takes a day to really do justice to. Venice get up early and go to St Mark's Square as it is just light - less people and wonderful light for photos. Avoid Venice in the summer - Easter or earlier at the time of the carnival is better. In fact the carnival time is fantastic even thought the city is busier - costumes and atmosphere great and lots of exhibitions and events in the squares.

Amalfi coast and Sorrento are worth the drive and a trip to Capri can be incorporated. Florence is lovely and full of places to see. If you are driving it is worth going off the beaten track to Orvieto, lago di Bolsena (50 miles north of ROme) and Orvieto - get the real Italy rather than the touristy bits - medieval villages and beautiful scenery.

Driving in Naples is lunatic but not impossible if you realise no-0ne obeys any road signs and the horn is the best part of the car!

Have fun - eat in local places and try new foods and wines.

Pauline

10/14/2005 09:43:33 AM · #19
Make sure you leave LOADS of time after your holiday to work on your photos, I've still to look at the majority of my photos from a couple of months ago in Venice, Naples, Pompeii and the Amalfi coast. The Amalfi coast villages at sunrise and sunset can be spectacular.
I love Naples, my wife lived there for a short while as a student and although it does feel very edgy, the town has a lot of heart. Every time I pulled my camera out, many people would tell me it was dangerous and to put it away... the people are very caring! Hussle and bussle doesn't come close to describing it, it's frantic but good fun. Be prepared for lots of walking at Pompeii, but you'll struggle to get good photos. I did get some I'm pretty happy with which I've yet to work on but bear in mind how many thousands (millions?) of tourists come with cameras.
10/14/2005 09:54:55 AM · #20
I got back from a weeklong business trip to Germany and Italy. I really liked Italy and I could have stayed another 2 weeks beyond my 3 days. I was pretty busy with work most of the time, but I loved walking around in Varese where I was staying. If you get a chance, go to the dome in Milan, it is simply spectacular. I did not get to the southern part of Italy, but that's for my next trip.
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