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Jenna04
LIF Adolescent
Member since 9/08 526 total posts
Name:
Jenna
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Proposed Italy Itinerary - your thoughts please!
Hi girls! Thank you for all your help in my previous Italy post! I really appreciate all your feedback, it was sooo helpful!
So we put together an itinerary and I wanted to see what your thoughts are and if you think we should make any changes. I am open to suggestions!
We are keeping it to 3 hotels and do not wish to change that. So therefore we will be taking several day trips from our "home bases" Also we are meeting up with friends on day 3 and they will be with us the entire trip.
Wed - pm flight to Rome
Thurs - arrive Rome 7:45am, take train and arrive in Florence around 11-12:00, sightsee Florence
Fri - sightsee Florence
Sat - day trip to Siena and San Gimignano (via bus tour)
Sun - day trip to Pisa and Cinque Terre via private "driver"
Mon - Train to Naples in AM and continue on to our hotel via train in Sorrento, sightsee in Sorrento
Tues - day trip to Capri and explore on our own
Wed - day trip to Pompeii (havent found a tour yet)
Thurs - visit other beach towns Amalfi/Positano/wherever. May rent vespas, then late night PM train to Rome
Fri - Rome
Sat - Rome
Sun - fly home or see * below
Mon - which is a holiday - i will have the day off. Do you think it is important to have a day off after returning from this type of a trip? Will I be jetlagged??
*Our other option is to spend Sun in Rome and leave Monday. The flight on Monday gets us back at 1:45pm. Then we have the rest of the day to recover and unwind and then go to work on Tuesday.
I would rather stay the extra day and deal with sleepiness but want to hear your thoughts! I do late flights back from Arizona and redeyes alot so I know I can handle it.
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Posted 1/13/10 2:19 PM  |
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thewinterone
You make me happy
Member since 5/05 2474 total posts
Name:
cause you are gray.
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Re: Proposed Italy Itinerary - your thoughts please!
I would want the day to relax.
If you plan Rome, you can see everything major in two full days.
I'd be worried about a flight delay.
On the other hand, I can totally see the want to spend more time away lol.
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| Posted 1/13/10 4:31 PM |
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strongisland
All you need is love
Member since 8/07 2474 total posts
Name:
T
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Re: Proposed Italy Itinerary - your thoughts please!
for me it was way harder to adjust to there time when i arrived there...took at least a day or 2....i was really fine when i arrived home!
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| Posted 1/13/10 8:23 PM |
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DiamondGirl
You are my I love you
Member since 7/09 18802 total posts
Name:
DiamondMama
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Re: Proposed Italy Itinerary - your thoughts please!
Jenna--I snet you a FB message 
I wanted to say if I HAD to skip something....Pisa--all there is is the leaning tower--while that is cool--the rest of the town is really any other town--I would rather have the extra time in Florence or Cinque Terra
JMO I hope I didnt offend any Pisa lovers 
Message edited 1/13/2010 8:52:45 PM.
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| Posted 1/13/10 8:52 PM |
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scubashell44
LIF Adolescent
Member since 8/09 790 total posts
Name:
Michelle
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Re: Proposed Italy Itinerary - your thoughts please!
Posted by DiamondGirl
Jenna--I snet you a FB message
I wanted to say if I HAD to skip something....Pisa--all there is is the leaning tower--while that is cool--the rest of the town is really any other town--I would rather have the extra time in Florence or Cinque Terra
JMO I hope I didnt offend any Pisa lovers
so glad you posted this.... I agree with you 100%....Pisa IS the leaning Tower in my opinion, and once you see the tower, that's kinda it. I remember getting there in the morning, and being told that the next available time to climb the tower was at 430. I'd much rather have more time in Florence.
Now, if you are going to Pisa to stock up on the lewd shaped pasta sold outside the wall of the leaning tower, that's different
Message edited 1/13/2010 9:12:14 PM.
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| Posted 1/13/10 9:09 PM |
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DiamondGirl
You are my I love you
Member since 7/09 18802 total posts
Name:
DiamondMama
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Re: Proposed Italy Itinerary - your thoughts please!
Posted by scubashell44
Posted by DiamondGirl
Jenna--I snet you a FB message
I wanted to say if I HAD to skip something....Pisa--all there is is the leaning tower--while that is cool--the rest of the town is really any other town--I would rather have the extra time in Florence or Cinque Terra
JMO I hope I didnt offend any Pisa lovers
so glad you posted this.... I agree with you 100%....Pisa IS the leaning Tower in my opinion, and once you see the tower, that's kinda it. I remember getting there in the morning, and being told that the next available time to climb the tower was at 430. I'd much rather have more time in Florence.
Now, if you are going to Pisa to stock up on the lewd shaped pasta sold outside the wall of the leaning tower, that's different
I tried to word it nicely bc I didn't want to offend..
But when you have only 2 weeks in Italy IMO that is a place to skip , glad someone agrees
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| Posted 1/14/10 10:04 AM |
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Re: Proposed Italy Itinerary - your thoughts please!
Posted by Jenna04
Wed - day trip to Pompeii (havent found a tour yet)
Personally, I don't think you need to go with a tour. Although Pompeii is sprawling, you can do it on our own. There are english speaking guides outside the gate if you'd like to hire one to take you around. They also have pre-recorded devices you can rent when you purchase your tickets. It's very easy to get there from Sorrento by taking the local circumvesuviano. If it were me, I would save the money for a really nice dinner instead or for a pair of handmade sandals in Capri  .
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| Posted 1/14/10 10:18 AM |
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BriBri2u
L'amore vince sempre
Member since 5/05 9320 total posts
Name:
Mrs. B
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Re: Proposed Italy Itinerary - your thoughts please!
So jealous of this...lol I want to go this summer.
DEF skip Pisa. There is nothing there.
I would drive to Portovenere & take the boat that leaves from there & see Cinque Terre from the sea. Its is AMAZING.
It stops at all 5 towns with the purcahse of a daily ticket & you can get back on & go to each or you can walk. Your choice.
Take the boat back to Portovenere & walk up to the remains of the castle on the edge of the town.
You will never see anything like what you see when you walk through the old castle windows. Especially is you see it at sunset. Breathtaking.
Cinque Terre Boat info
Portovenere at night - walking up to Castle
You can climb up to the castle & step out onto the other side of the windows/doors & see amazing views of Lord Byron's Grotto. A swimming hole which allegedly is the spot where Lord Byron swam from his home to the island of Elba.
Message edited 1/14/2010 10:46:28 AM.
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| Posted 1/14/10 10:37 AM |
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Jenna04
LIF Adolescent
Member since 9/08 526 total posts
Name:
Jenna
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Re: Proposed Italy Itinerary - your thoughts please!
GIRLS! GREAT ADVICE, love it, and love the pics, keep them coming!
Also as for Pisa...we have a driver that day that is taking us to Pisa on our way to Cinque Terra - we only plan on staying for like 30 minutes and then getting back in the car. I have seen it and agree its not so great but everyone else in the group wants to see it so we are going for it.
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| Posted 1/14/10 11:19 AM |
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Ophelia
she's baaccckkkk ;)
Member since 5/06 23378 total posts
Name:
remember, when Gulliver traveled....
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Re: Proposed Italy Itinerary - your thoughts please!
Posted by Squiggy
Posted by Jenna04
Wed - day trip to Pompeii (havent found a tour yet)
Personally, I don't think you need to go with a tour. Although Pompeii is sprawling, you can do it on our own. There are english speaking guides outside the gate if you'd like to hire one to take you around. They also have pre-recorded devices you can rent when you purchase your tickets. It's very easy to get there from Sorrento by taking the local circumvesuviano. If it were me, I would save the money for a really nice dinner instead or for a pair of handmade sandals in Capri .
totally. you definitely don't need a tour. there are markers to explain what everything is..
or
you can just walk discreetly behind any other tour being given 
I got my sandals made in Positano...same style, but $20-30 euros cheaper 
ETA: Sabrina's pics are making me cry.  
Message edited 1/14/2010 12:43:34 PM.
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| Posted 1/14/10 12:42 PM |
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Re: Proposed Italy Itinerary - your thoughts please!
Oh, and, as for restaurants in Sorrento, have your concierge make a reservation for you at Il buco. Pricey, but an experience you won't regret.
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| Posted 1/14/10 1:19 PM |
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Siren77
LIF Adolescent
Member since 9/09 828 total posts
Name:
Siren77
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Re: Proposed Italy Itinerary - your thoughts please!
We took a day trip to Pompeii through Viator. Check them out at Viator.com.
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| Posted 1/14/10 10:15 PM |
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donegal419
St. Gerard, pray for us.
Member since 7/07 7650 total posts
Name:
K
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Re: Proposed Italy Itinerary - your thoughts please!
I don't know anything about the south of Italy, so I can't help you there, but really there is nothing in Pisa except the tower. The surrounding town is pretty crappy. I would spend that whole day in Cinque terre and relax!
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| Posted 1/15/10 6:30 PM |
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jps
LIF Toddler
Member since 11/09 435 total posts
Name:
Jennifer
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Re: Proposed Italy Itinerary - your thoughts please!
we did a siena/san g bus tour day trip and really liked it - nice change of pace since it was the only tour group thing we did.
as far as jet lag, it really depends. we were both extremely jet lagged after we got back but we were gone 3 weeks. (ii was waking up at 6am every day and falling asleep by 9 or ten for a while - although it really helped me get used to getting up for work and made our time off afterwards way more productive)
we really enjoyed tripadvisor but fm if you want hotel/restaurant recs
Message edited 1/15/2010 11:05:49 PM.
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| Posted 1/15/10 11:04 PM |
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suvenR
designer mutt
Member since 5/05 4239 total posts
Name:
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Re: Proposed Italy Itinerary - your thoughts please!
Totally doable, but that trip from Pisa to Naples is going to be LOOOONG. I don't think you'll be able to sightsee that night.
And, when you're in Capri- make sure you take one of the boat tours into the grottos! They're small boats and the tour is maybe an hour or so. But, that was my favorite part of Capri!
And, without a doubt, take Monday off!
Have a great time!!
Message edited 1/20/2010 10:38:38 AM.
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| Posted 1/20/10 10:38 AM |
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