My father said he would take me to Italy, but he also said I would have to plan everything.........?

Question

.....and by everything I mean EVERYTHING. I'm only 16 and have never done anything like this before. His secretary is going to help me, but still yet. So....any general advice is appreciated. It'll be a 3 week trip in March....he said we could visit several cities.

Thanks!

Answer 1

Try to book a ticket that allows you to fly into Rome (or better yet, Naples) and out of Venice. Then, you can start in the south at the beginning of the month, and travel north as the month progresses and weather improves.

Start with the Amalfi Coast area, where you can visit Naples (for pizza!), Capri and Pompeii. If you're interested in seeing Ancient Greek temples, you can add in a day trip to Paestum (this is one of the most amazing places I have ever visited).

From there, go north to Rome and spend about five days exploring the city. Then, move up to Florence to take in the charming little town. From Florence, you can do a day trip to see the Leaning Tower of Pisa.

(Interlude: From Florence, you can go a wee bit northwest to check out the Cinque Terre (5T), a beautiful national park right on the Mediterranean Sea... there are five tiny towns inside the park and you can hike through all five towns in one day. Most people prefer to spend a night or two in the 5T).

Then, go even further north! If you want to check out the designer clothes and The Last Supper, stop in Milan. Otherwise, head straight on to Venice where you can spend some time riding the canals and checking out the glass factories. Consider overnighting in Verona, the home of Romeo and Juliet.

I lived in Italy for two years and would highly recommend that you spend more time in fewer cities, rather than less time in more cities. The longer you stay somewhere the more you get to know the "real" city, meet interesting locals and find insider deals on things like restaurants and unknown attractions.

I agree with the person who suggested you look at the Rick Steves' books and websites. Sometimes his writing isn't great, but his hotel and restaurant tips CAN'T BE BEAT, and he often has good suggestions about things like which city bus gives the best city tour.

Answer 2

A good start is to get the Lonely Planet guide to Italy, available in the travel section at most bookstores. It has several suggested itineraries depending on the length of your visit and what you like. Don't miss Rome; the history is amazing. Everything else will depend on your interests; flip through the guidebook and see what sounds good to you.

The book also has hotel information; you can reserve in advance, or alternatively, major cities in Italy have hotel reservation desks in the train stations. That allows more flexibility, since you can arrive in town and book a hotel room for that night, for a fee of about 3 Euros (in addition to the room rate). Just don't go with the people walking around the train station who show you brochures and offer to walk you to the hotels. Only use the official desk.

A secretary's job is to get things organized, so definitely enlist her help! You could decide what cities you want to visit, then ask her to make all the phone calls, reserve tickets, hotels, etc.

I don't recommend renting a car. The street layouts in Italian cities are confusing mazes, and the drivers are insane. You can get everywhere you need to go on trains and buses.

Have fun! Italy is a fantastic place to visit.

Answer 3

I went to Italy for 3 weeks this past March. We visited Florence, Rome, Venice, Siena, Turin, and Francavilla Fontana (small town in southern Italy). We did alot, though we're also fortunate that we have friends who live in Turin, Florence, and Francavilla Fontana. I honestly think that Rome can be traveled through in 2 or 3 days. And Venice can be a day trip, along with Siena. If you're interested in going to Milan or another city like that, then take a couple of days to go there and also to see Turin [where the Olympics were, obviously]. Southern Italy is beautiful; we spent 3 or 4 days there alone. Traveling by train overnight is the best way, so you don't lose your daytimes. We went from Florence to Venice to Siena to Turin to Francavilla Fontana to Rome back to Florence within the 3 weeks, mostly all by train. Rome is a little overrated; Venice is beautiful, but again, its not that big, so it can be seen in just one day; Florence is wonderful- we spent a week there in total. I LOVE Turin; it is such a great city, and there's not that many tourists there, so its nice.

Answer 4

Go to a local travel agent after you decide on a few places you would like to visit. The travel agent can also recommend more places to visit. If you are in Sourthern Italy, Sorrento is a beautiful place to see. From there you can take short boat rides to Capri, Amalfi, Positano, Pompeii, and more! Venice would be a good place to go also. Rome is a very historical place - lots of neat things to see. I have been to all those places. I'm sure that Tuscany and Florence are also nice. When you talk to a travel agent, ask them about popular destinations in Italy, that will give you even more ideas!

Answer 5

Oh, dear. Honestly, it doesn't sound like your daughter really understands just what she's getting into. She may be one of those brides who has an emotional breakdown after her wedding, because her "big day" is over and gone, and now she has to live regular life. She sounds like a bit of a spoiled brat, too. That's not entirely your fault... she's legally been an adult for the past 7 years, and for those years no one is responsible but her. I think she IS at very real risk of reducing her life to being "Mrs. _____," followed by "_______'s Mom," which she'll eventually realize was a mistake -- not for being a wife and mom, but for ONLY being a wife and mom. Still, it's her life now, and there's nothing anything poignant enough that you can say to make her wake up and smell the coffee in just one conversation. And besides, her wedding day isn't the time for that conversation anyway. So keep it simple. Tell her you're happy for her, your sad to let her go, you think Brad is a great guy, etc. And add this: "Always remember this, my dearest. Love isn't just a feeling. It's also a choice."

Answer 6

First visit travel agency sights they will have packages you can get. That will make it alot easier. You'll need dad's credit card too!! Lots of places ask for deposits for reservations.
Air Fare
Lodging
Transportation while in country...(you have to be over 25 to rent a car)
museums, restaurants
Lucky girl!! Have a good time. Hope this helps

Answer 7

Use Rick Steves website. He is the best at planning trips to Europe. I used his site almost exclusively to plan my trip to Italy and Greece. I will use it every time I go to Europe. He gives you details on how many days to plan if you want to do something, as well as general travel tips for the destination you are going to.

Answer 8

Hi,

You've got a nice challenge there -
But it can be lot of fun and instructive for you too!

Here is a good place to start:
http://www.italyexposed.com

Through the menu on the right side of the page you'll be able to
search for most of what you need.

PS!
To get some more ideas, read some of these Articles:
http://www.italyexposed.com/Article_archive.shtml

I hope this was useful information for you.

Answer 9

wow! ur lucky!
1st i suggest checking the weather during the time ur gonna b there.
2nd Check 4 hotels.
3rd check flights or get the secretary to check that while u do the hotels.
4th- Get a Italian phrase book. I suggest 'Hide this italian book!'. Search the web or Barns and Nobel.

Answer 10

Go to a travel agency tell them your problem, and ask them about some local tours. They will be happy to do the planning for you.

As a suggestion, I visited Pompey/Sorento, Rome and Florence. (was in Naples too, but didn't see much there).