Tell Me About Italy

[undercoverbrother]

Booked a trip to Italy last night.

Arrive in Rome on May 18 & fly out on May 28.

Looking to spend a few days in Rome then head to Naples area.

I would love some ideas or suggestions on things to do and things to avoid doing.

Also looking for recommendations on places to stay. There will be 6 adults.

Have been to Italy before, but only Venice and NE region.

[Locke]

It is a region in southern Europe renowned for its wine, skiing and feckless ne'er-do-well attitude.

It has long been surmised, but never confirmed, that a certain 'Mario' is from there.

Apparently they are experts at resolving complex plumbing issues. There is no corroboration for this claim.

[fotze2]

Just eat the food everywhere. Only been in the North Riviera area. Carrara because my father in law had a marble quarry there.

I'd recommend not eating pizza because it will forever ruin the abortion that pizza is here.

Stay here and stick to East Side Marios and Red Lobster. Ignorance is bliss.

[Chingas]

The food in Naples is awesome. Eat the baba!! Leave your fancy watches and jewelry at home.

[Nufy]

Bring good shoes for walking...


Hope you like crowds.

Rome was wall to wall people when we were there.

Naples was great if you want to see ruins...WE skipped Pompeii and did a day tour of Herculaneum instead.

Awseome either way I guess if you have time for the bigger tour.

[darockwilder]

We did Rome and Florence in 2008. It was pretty awesome, like people have said just eat food everywhere. Maybe not directly adjacent to tourist sites, walk a couple blocks away and the prices might be more agreeable. Beware of pickpockets, it's common. Someone tried to take my little travel book from my cargo short pocket on a bus because it probably looked like a wallet. May is a great time weather wise! If you want to go to the Vatican book a tour that can skip the line, we used Angel Tours which was great but that was a long time ago. We stayed at a B&B in the Trastavere area and just took the bus everywhere or walked.

[fotze2]

My buddy swears that Naples is an absolute toilet. Garbage everywhere. Maybe get some egress options just in case.

[Wormius]

Book whatever tickets to attractions or museums now. Trains you can wing it. Naples is pretty grungy, but best food we had was there.

[Locke]

Originally Posted by fotze2

My buddy swears that Naples is an absolute toilet. Garbage everywhere. Maybe get some egress options just in case.

Naples is...complicated.

Some parts are amazing, some parts are...just don't go there.

I remember being on a bus in Naples and getting ready to leave and an elderly Italian woman just tapping my arm.

"No...no. You no get off here. No."

I think this is my stop though...

"No. No. You wait 3 more stops. You no get off here. No."

Yeah...I'm not going to argue. If she says don't go here...don't go here.

[fotze2]

Originally Posted by Locke

Naples is...complicated.

Some parts are amazing, some parts are...just don't go there.

I remember being on a bus in Naples and getting ready to leave and an elderly Italian woman just tapping my arm.

"No...no. You no get off here. No."

I think this is my stop though...

"No. No. You wait 3 more stops. You no get off here. No."

Yeah...I'm not going to argue. If she says don't go here...don't go here.

I read that in Consuela's voice from Family Guy.

[Monahammer]

Naples is absolutely amazing if you can get over the smell. That's really a periodic issue and I have no idea if it is currently a problem. Probably.

The food in the old area of Naples is the best. The arancini balls you can buy in paper cones on the street are ####ing amazing.

Do a boat tour of the coast if anyone will take you. Salerno and Amalfi are gorgeous sights to behold, but the Italians will probably think it's too cold.

Pompei is worth it if you like history, lots of people like herculaneum just as much. A bit easier access. I think Pompei was better, but ymmv. I thought hiking up vesuvius was also worth it, but don't waste time eating at the pizza restaurant that's at the train station at the bottom.

Annnnnnd here's my plug to travel into tuscany for at least a night. Stay in one of the hill top towns around the valdichiana. Cortona is where I lived, probably further out of rome than you need to go but worthwhile.

[Monahammer]

FWIW I have an italian friend from Puglia who insists that the food is best there, but I have never been. My experience was that Tuscany and Naples were the best, and different enough for great variety between the two.

[Brendone]

As others have said, eat everything you see, it’s all amazing.

Wear comfortable shoes. You’ll end up walking 20-30000 steps each day without realizing it. Walking to stuff is probably as fast as driving.

Book tours if you want to see the Colosseum, Vatican, etc or you’ll spend half the day in lines. Plus you always get cool information from the tour guides.

Food tours are a fun way to get more information and sample the area.

Naples? Pass unless it’s just to pass through on the way to something cool.

Get a security backpack and pouch that flips inside your shorts / pants for cash, etc. I’ve got one with a belt loop so it’s easy to pull out without looking like you’re working your junk.

[Bring_Back_Shantz]

Originally Posted by darockwilder

We did Rome and Florence in 2008. It was pretty awesome, like people have said just eat food everywhere. Maybe not directly adjacent to tourist sites, walk a couple blocks away and the prices might be more agreeable. Beware of pickpockets, it's common. Someone tried to take my little travel book from my cargo short pocket on a bus because it probably looked like a wallet. May is a great time weather wise! If you want to go to the Vatican book a tour that can skip the line, we used Angel Tours which was great but that was a long time ago. We stayed at a B&B in the Trastavere area and just took the bus everywhere or walked.

Pretty much every tour is marketed as "Skip the line", usually all it means is you don't have to get in line for tickets. Look for tours that have other descriptions and find out exactly what it means before you book.

The best advice for tours (Vatican, Colosseum, whatever), is to get the earliest possible tour you can. I don't mean go as early as you wake up, I mean book the first possible tour of the day.

That's pretty much the only way to get ahead of crowds.

[Fuzz]

I don't think you need to book a tour of the Vatican(and I'd hate to be part of a group for that...) When we did it you just book your entry time and show up. They have a separate line for your time, so you are not really waiting much.


I just checked, and you can still book your time:
https://tickets.museivaticani.va/hom...MV-Biglietti/1

[Locke]

Originally Posted by fotze2

I read that in Consuela's voice from Family Guy.

You're not wrong. Thats pretty much exactly how it went down.

Just without Windex.

[Monahammer]

Also, go to the jewish ghetto in Rome to see a 2nd coliseum with apartments built on top (teatro marcello) and eat a fried artichoke. Really, however much time you think you need to see things in rome you can probably double it and still not see everything you should.

[Fuzz]

And make sure you aren't stuck in a mass of humanity behind this guy.

[troutman]

There must be a few threads with Italy advice from 4x4 and Aeneas.

[bizaro86]

Originally Posted by Brendone

As others have said, eat everything you see, it’s all amazing.

Wear comfortable shoes. You’ll end up walking 20-30000 steps each day without realizing it. Walking to stuff is probably as fast as driving.

Book tours if you want to see the Colosseum, Vatican, etc or you’ll spend half the day in lines. Plus you always get cool information from the tour guides.

Food tours are a fun way to get more information and sample the area.

Naples? Pass unless it’s just to pass through on the way to something cool.

Get a security backpack and pouch that flips inside your shorts / pants for cash, etc. I’ve got one with a belt loop so it’s easy to pull out without looking like you’re working your junk.

I'm not a big tour guy, and we just booked the very first time for the Colosseum and lines/crowds weren't an issue at all (and we went during peak summer). The tickets to go down to the floor sell out very quickly as they limit numbers for that part, and I recommend doing it - was a very cool view. Figure out when the tickets for stuff go on sale, and buy them exactly when that happens. Not a day later, and not later that day. Exactly when they go on sale.