The Honeymooners

[jere7my]

No turning back now — we're going to Rome.

(!)

I found tickets at Orbitz that were (a) about 2/3 the price of the lowest tickets I'd seen previously (~$600 each, including all taxes and fees), and (b) non-stop on the return flight, when we'll probably be desperate to get home. We'll stay a few days in Rome, then spend a week touring the north of Italy by train in an easterly arcwise direction, going from Florence to Ravenna and...some other places. (Any suggestions? adfamiliares is down on Venice.)

I've never been to Europe, and haven't left North America since I was eleven. Eep.

Comments

[(Anonymous)]

Having just been there in mid-May: Venice felt like a dying town, and dreadfully expensive. Maybe worth seeing once, but I wouldn't go back. Rome: had a heat wave when we were there, so turned out to be pretty miserable. Consider priceline for hotels (check betterbidding to see what others are getting). I think the Vatican Museum is cool. Get a Roma Pass. Busses are cheap, but you'll need to buy a bus map.

Get a good guidebook: I like Rick Steves'. Only if you're really into the art and want more in-depth museum tour should you go for his city-specific books; otherwise just get his Italy book. If you're driving, get a good road map.

Our favorite part of the trip was the Cinque Terre. We stayed in the smallest of the towns, Corniglia, which we loved, but it can be a bit isolated from the rest of the world (e.g. the last bus up from the train station is around 8pm, so you're basically stuck having dinner in town, which leaves about four restaurants plus the pizzeria, or cooking in your apartment, if you remembered to shop at THE market earlier). But such a nice town. Christina Ricci is the person to rent rooms from there.

Another gem was the sulfur hot springs near Saturnia. There's a cascade that you (and a hundred of your closest friends) can bathe in for free. Google for it. It WILL require a car, and a bunch of twisty driving. Or you can stay in the upscale spa in the town, but I doubt it's as noteworthy of an experience. On our way from there to Rome, we had the best meal of our trip, somewhere off the beaten track in one of Tuscany's little walled cities. I'll try to find the details and send them.

[madrobin.livejournal.com]

Sorry about the anonymous bit; silly me, not realizing I wasn't logged in.

I'll reiterate the heat warning you just got: it was pretty warm in mid-May, nevermind when you'll be there. Rome was brutal. Given the predicted weather, I'd be tempted to avoid the inland cities entirely. Or at least plan accordingly. Rick Steves' suggests splurging on A/C in Rome, at least.