First trip to Italy - help!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Do Rome, not Tuscany. Reason: DO NOT plan to drive a car there if this is your first visit especially if it's only a week.

You can do plenty from Rome and have more options for train travel to smaller locations for day trips/hikes.

I love Rome but it’s a totally different experience than what OP seems to be after in terms of wineries and hikes, and she did say she wanted Tuscany.

I’m one of the PP’s who talked about Rome during Holy Week (including side trips like Orvieto). Apologies to OP -I’m late to realizing what is the actual desire is. OP, Florence was the first place I went to in Italy. I might use that as my point of entry (a couple days exploring Florence, followed by time in smaller towns and touring wineries). It’s beautiful, a manageable, and a lovely gateway to Tuscany. It’s a Mediterranean climate, so it’s beautiful, even when not in full bloom. I hope you have a wonderful time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Do Rome, not Tuscany. Reason: DO NOT plan to drive a car there if this is your first visit especially if it's only a week.

You can do plenty from Rome and have more options for train travel to smaller locations for day trips/hikes.

I would not drive a car around the cities, especially since parking is impossible, but you do need a car to explore the Tuscan countryside. The best way to travel from Florence to Rome is the high speed train.

NP here. Is there no way to see Tuscany via public buses or arranged tours (like van tours, arranged by the hotel)?

I was hoping not to rent a car, deal with parking, etc

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Do Rome, not Tuscany. Reason: DO NOT plan to drive a car there if this is your first visit especially if it's only a week.

You can do plenty from Rome and have more options for train travel to smaller locations for day trips/hikes.

I would not drive a car around the cities, especially since parking is impossible, but you do need a car to explore the Tuscan countryside. The best way to travel from Florence to Rome is the high speed train.

NP here. Is there no way to see Tuscany via public buses or arranged tours (like van tours, arranged by the hotel)?

I was hoping not to rent a car, deal with parking, etc

You can certainly find organized bus trips if you want. Or you could take trains or buses. A car is more convenient and will let you visit smaller towns on your own schedule

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Do Rome, not Tuscany. Reason: DO NOT plan to drive a car there if this is your first visit especially if it's only a week.

You can do plenty from Rome and have more options for train travel to smaller locations for day trips/hikes.

I would not drive a car around the cities, especially since parking is impossible, but you do need a car to explore the Tuscan countryside. The best way to travel from Florence to Rome is the high speed train.

NP here. Is there no way to see Tuscany via public buses or arranged tours (like van tours, arranged by the hotel)?

I was hoping not to rent a car, deal with parking, etc

I would contact the hotel concierge directly. You can almost arrange to hire a local taxi driver for daytrip excursions if bus tours aren’t available. It’s not cheap of course.

Driving around Tuscany is quite easy, but we had to return the car to Florence which was really quite tricky.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Holy Week can be completely insane in Southern Europe. Huge crowds, massive parades, lots of things closed. Just fyi. We went to Spain over Holy Week this past April and were not prepared for the chaos.

I imagine it wouldn’t be insane in Tuscany though right? Just the cities?

I assume you’re going to Florence? I would do a bit of research to see what people say about Holy Week there.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Do Rome, not Tuscany. Reason: DO NOT plan to drive a car there if this is your first visit especially if it's only a week.

You can do plenty from Rome and have more options for train travel to smaller locations for day trips/hikes.

I would not drive a car around the cities, especially since parking is impossible, but you do need a car to explore the Tuscan countryside. The best way to travel from Florence to Rome is the high speed train.

NP here. Is there no way to see Tuscany via public buses or arranged tours (like van tours, arranged by the hotel)?

I was hoping not to rent a car, deal with parking, etc

Try Luca @ Hills and Roads. We did a private day tour of the smaller towns in Tuscany with him. https://www.hillsandroads.com

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:No way would I miss out on Rome for a first visit to Italy if you are interested in historical sites. Easter week is a vacation week for Italians so things will be crowded. It is worth checking schedules ahead of time. They may differ from other times of the years. There are also big sites where you can book a tour to jump the line (coliseum and vatican come to mind).

Our first Italy trip is coming up and we are skipping Rome. Instead we are basing ourselves in Florence and doing the final two days, of our week trip, in Venice. For just a week everything is a trade off. You would go nuts trying to do it all- at least I would, so we’ll save Rome for another time.

[Anonymous]

Is there a reason you’re set on Holy Week for this trip? (Like, are you a teacher or otherwise tied to a vacation calendar?) Because that will be a high-stress, high-cost, high-crowd time to travel. Not to mention, it’s likely that many places will have reduced hours or even be closed altogether on Good Friday, Holy Saturday and Easter Sunday.

If you’re not into the whole church/religious celebration aspect of Easter in Italy, try zeroing in on other dates.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Is there a reason you’re set on Holy Week for this trip? (Like, are you a teacher or otherwise tied to a vacation calendar?) Because that will be a high-stress, high-cost, high-crowd time to travel. Not to mention, it’s likely that many places will have reduced hours or even be closed altogether on Good Friday, Holy Saturday and Easter Sunday.

If you’re not into the whole church/religious celebration aspect of Easter in Italy, try zeroing in on other dates.

Not OP, but we are also going to Italy over spring break. For us it works best because spouse teaches and kid’s school schedules. Also prices for spring seem much cheaper than summer.

[Anonymous]

Just google 7-10 days Italy
See what appeals to you.
Eg
https://www.earthtrekkers.com/10-days-in-italy-itinerary/

[Anonymous]

Italy is overrated. Much better choices in Europe for what you want, OP.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Italy is overrated. Much better choices in Europe for what you want, OP.

I strongly disagree. I’ve traveled in Europe extensively and Italy is my favorite.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Italy is overrated. Much better choices in Europe for what you want, OP.

OP wasn’t asking about other choices.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Is there a reason you’re set on Holy Week for this trip? (Like, are you a teacher or otherwise tied to a vacation calendar?) Because that will be a high-stress, high-cost, high-crowd time to travel. Not to mention, it’s likely that many places will have reduced hours or even be closed altogether on Good Friday, Holy Saturday and Easter Sunday.

If you’re not into the whole church/religious celebration aspect of Easter in Italy, try zeroing in on other dates.

+1

Unless you need to go that week due to school, I would pick another time. The weather’s not that great then either, it’s still cold.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Italy is overrated. Much better choices in Europe for what you want, OP.

Don't listen to this OP. If you love history, wine, and hiking, you will love Italy. Don't try and do it all in one trip. Figure out a couple of things that are must-sees for you, then plan your trip.