Traveling to Italy- what do I need to know?

In My Humble Opinion
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My daughter, Young Miss Striker, was fortunate enough to have the opportunity to spend her sophomore year of college studying abroad in Rome. Having never been to Italy (or anywhere in Europe for that matter), and not wanting to just stick her on a plane, we decided to make a family vacation out of it. So, we’re going to have roughly 4 days of time in Rome (Sunday-Wednesday), then Thursday- Saturday in Florence, leaving Florence early Sunday morning to fly home. Going with me will be the lovely Mrs. Striker, YM Striker (who will be moved into her dorm on Wednesday, and be left there while we travel on to Florence), and the boy Striker, age 12.

We plan on hitting the bigger sites in Rome, and have hired a guide for a tour of the Colosseum area, and the Vatican museums. We also plan on hitting the Castel San Angelo, primarily so the boy can check out the old weaponry. From Florence, we plan on doing an evening in Pisa for the obligatory “holding up the tower” pictures, as well as taking Saturday for a full day trip to Venice. I know, one day in Venice will not allow to explore everything, but we did hire a guide so we can hit the big sites while there.

We have the Lonely Planet guidebook, and another guidebook that I’ve been reading through, and those can be helpful, but I wanted to reach out to the Dopers for their firsthand knowledge. If you could provide information on what to expect, what to watch out for, great places to eat as a casual family, getting around, things not to be missed, etc, I would appreciate it.

Also, if you happen to know of places a pre-teen boy may enjoy those would be appreciated too. To give you an idea of his tastes, he likes the video games Undertale, Terrarria, Destiny, and enjoys math, science, and robotics. We were thinking the DaVinci Machines places in Florence may be cool for him, just don’t want him to get too bored looking at art and architecture.

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In Florence, the natural history museum (La Specola, or just “La Spec”) is awesome, and I think good for a pre-teen boy. It has a lot of cool, dissected stuff and skeletons and all that.

My other tip for everyone is to order French fries, which are just better than American French fries. I think some people don’t like to, because it seems too “American” but they are so good you should not miss out! A lot of places in Florence offer a side that is like a combo of French fries, fried zucchini, and fried eggplant, so that’s a pretty good solution to order something as an appetizer for the table.

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Chinese trattorias have pizza. Like most Americans, you’re packing waaaay too much in the time allotted, but hey, I’m not going to have to bring you back to life. You may want to avoid planning the bits and pieces you haven’t finished planning yet, and just visit the local tourism offices wherever you are… if there really is time to breathe, that is.

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This might be a little out of your way… Pompeii and the Vesuvius ruins there are fascinating for teens and pre-teens. Seeing the bodies of those who died so quickly in their sleep left a lasting impression on a young me - they died so fast they couldn’t even move! It’s about a 2-hr drive from Rome.

If anyone is a fan of cars (motorcycles too), Florence isn’t far from La Terra dei Motori where Ferrari, Lamborghini, Maserati and several other car and motorcycle companies, and engine manufacturers like VM Motori are.

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Another about Pompeii that left a lasting impression on me were the worn stone streets having deep ruts from the chariot wheels.

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Go to the Colosseum first thing in the morning. I was just in Rome last week . . . the area around the Colosseum at 11:00AM was as bad as the worst crowds I’ve ever seen in Times Square in NY. Really unmanageable.

We walked a few blocks away, got tickets to the Palatine hill and did that (much fewer people). And, those tix are good for the Palatine, the Forum, and the Colosseum, one entry to each over two days.

We went back to the Colosseum the next morning at 8:15 (it opens at 8:30), tickets already in hand. There was still a line, but much more manageable, and had a very pleasant, comfortable experience; not only did we get in and through in less than an hour and a half, but we did it before the day got too hot. I can’t imagine standing in line in the August heat for over an hour just waiting to get in.

Rick Steves has an ‘audio Europe’ smartphone app that is free and has amazing audio tours/guides/maps for many key sites. We used it for the Colosseum and for the Jewish Ghetto.

Rick Steves’ Italian Phrasebook was invaluable on our vacation as well.

We had the Lonely Planet guide to Sicily (which is where we spent the bulk of our vacation) and that was also an amazingly helpful book; I’m sure that their other books are great too.

The Vatican museum is amazing; we didn’t get to go this trip, but it’s definitely worth it. It can (will?) take a lot of time, but there is nothing else like it.

The Spanish Steps are closed for renovations right now (still a beautiful square, and near lots of shopping if that’s your thing, but you can’t walk on the steps, unfortunately).

If you take the train anywhere, you have to validate your ticket at the station after you buy it. Buy your ticket, either from a red trenitalia kiosk or from a ticket booth, then you validate it in the little machines that look like this. Put the ticket in upside-down (I think the ticket itself has that instruction on it) and it gets stamped. Forget to do it and board the train anyway, and there are expensive fees, apparently.

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You can also see this on sections of the Appian Way just outside of Rome. We took the Metro and bus out there fairly easily but you could take a taxi to make the logistics simpler. We rented bikes for a ride out there, and visited the catacombs which was worth it.

If you are going to be in Rome on a Friday see if you can get tickets to the Vatican Museum for Friday night. They let in a very limited number of folks and you get to see so much more. You can even relax a bit in the Sistine Chapel. St Johns Basilica is a must - a tour is a little pricey but worth it to skip the line. I thought it was worth it to go up to the top of the dome, probably not for you if you are claustrophobic.

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Thanks everyone, this is great! I think the Natural History Museum is covered under the Firenze pass, so that may work well. Interesting about the French fries, helpful to know because Mrs. S and the boy are selective eaters.

Nava, you are probably right about packing ten pounds of activity into a seven pound bag, just not sure when we’re going to make it back, so going for it.

I’d really like to go to Pompeii as well, Bullitt, just not sure if time will allow. To me, it’s more important to see than Pisa, but I guess we’ll just see how the week goes.

Eonwe, thanks for every single bit of that post! Our Colosseum tour is in the afternoon, but we’re hoping since we have a guided tour, we won’t have to fight the crowds as much. i will definitely look for the app that you mentioned, I’m sure it will be helpful when exploring a bit. Did you use the Metro at all while you were there? Just wondering if the tourist passes forpublic transport are worth it.

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Good to know, thanks. I’m also planning a trip there next summer, so am following this thread as our plans come together (while also avoiding the overbooking that Nava cautions). I have been to Pompeii but my wife has not, so we will go. Unfortunately we will not be in Rome on a Friday night.

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You’re going to regret not taking a longer trip, spending more time in each city. There’s so much to see and do, more than you can pack into just a few days. And don’t forget to wear comfortable shoes.

Your son might enjoy the schlep to the top of the Vatican dome. If he’s into math and science, he’d appreciate the design of the steps and ramps, within the dome’s walls.

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Don’t forget the crypt underneath St. Peter’s, full of dead Popes. And remember that no bare legs are allowed in St. Peter’s.

Nobody has mentioned the Trevi Fountain yet - my absolute favorite spot in Rome. Go there in the evening and enjoy a gelato watching the waters and the tourists.

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I’m sure the following can be found in the guidebooks, like take a taxi only from the taxi stand, and make sure they turn on the meter (speaking from experience)

Pack light! Expect to carry suitcases up stairs, unless you’re staying at a modern hotel.

We visited Galleria Borghese, but you must pre-reserve tickets. I’m sure the guidebooks tell about reserving Uffizi tickets instead of standing in line.

Are you planning to be in Rome and can make it to the Vatican for services? Check out their calendar for dates. Also see the site for American visitors’ tickets at https://www.pnac.org/visitorsoffice/audiences/; we got ten rows from the front for the Easter mass that way.

Since your son is into science, check out the Museo Galileo which is close to the Uffizi and the Arno and Ponte Vecchio. They have the original telescopes and thermometers plus other old instrucments.

I don’t know if the Florence train station changed its flip-display for LEDs, but the old noisy flip-flops are (were) fun to watch for a couple of minutes.

Eat pizza from food carts. Take-away is cheaper than sitting down. And eats lots of gelato (and don’t bitch about the price like I saw lots of Americans do).

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Are you talking about St. John Lateran/San Giovanni en Laterano? I highly recommend it- it’s sort of an underappreciated jewel. It’s the Pope’s actual church as Bishop of Rome- i.e. where his cathedra sits, and for the first 12-13 centuries of the Church’s existence, IT, not the Vatican was the “capitol” of the Church. Its baptistery dates from the 5th century AD.

The Pantheon is super awesome; not for the church part, or the tombs, but for the architecture, and standing there and realizing that this very cool building, impressive by 21st century standards has been standing for nearly two thousand years.

Read up on the various Roman forums ahead of time- there were 2-3 right there together more or less on the same site.

St. Peter’s is impressive, but in the ways you’d expect it to be. The Vatican grottos are cool though- I recommend the tour down there if you can swing it.

Florence was cool, although I preferred Rome. Definitely go into the Duomo baptistery- the mosaic ceiling is super-cool, as are the outer doors. The interior of the Duomo itself is kind of unimpressive once you’ve seen St. Peter’s and St. John Lateran. The Duomo museum and the excavation of Sta. Reparata (the prior church) underneath the Duomo are really cool though.

Eat Italian food while you’re there- pizza is different than here, and so is the other food, even if it’s named something you recognize. I recommend the Rick Steves guidebooks for this- we’ve taken a couple of trips with his books, and he doesn’t steer you wrong on the restaurant recommendations. I’d think in Rome you ought to get some pasta alla amatriciana and something with artichokes (carciofi), since those are local specialties. The big Florentine specialty is bistecca alla Fiorentina, which is a monster steak.

I don’t know much about avoiding the lines; I went in December, and there were no lines then anywhere in Rome or Florence, except for the Vatican museums, and those were pretty short.

I recommend the high speed trains (Frecciarossa) to get around Italy. Much easier than flying, and overall probably faster, since the train stations are in the city centers, not way out on the outskirts of town.

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Just quoting this for emphasis.

We enjoyed Pompeii, but if you go there also consider Paestum, a very well preserved Greek settlement that’s very quite and has nearly complete temples. Also, many of the originals from Pompeii are in the National Museum in Naples. We had to take a trip there after hearing “This is a copy, the original is the National Museum in Naples” dozens of time on the Pompeii audio tour.

There are amazing churches everywhere in Rome, with art work that rivals many museums. Stop in and take a look around if you’re into that.

Have Capresse salad every chance you get. Eat late. Drink wine. Enjoy.

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Pompeii you can do as a day trip out of Rome. Typically your hotel can probably set you up with a tour.

I didn’t see Pisa, but it was my understanding that there’s not much there besides the leaning tower.

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How are you planning on getting around? If you’re renting a car, know that the credit card as CDW isn’t offered in Italy.

One of the highlights for me was climbing to the top of St Peter’s. It’s not recommended for those who are acrophobic or claustrophobic though.

Don’t eat within a couple blocks of the Vatican if you want good or cheap food.

If it starts raining in Rome, out of seemingly nowhere, umbrella sales people will pop up like mushrooms and sell reasonably priced umbrellas. (About $10 US)

It’s a bit touristy, but having watched the Da Vinci Code before going actually made the trip more fun for me.

The airport is really outside of the city. The train is the cheapest way to get into Rome but still about $16 a person (iIrc).

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This is great everyone. We plan on getting around via public transport, as our hotel is within a less than 10 minute walk to the Termini station. the Greek settlement near Pompeii may seal the deal for going there if we can make the time to do so, the boy for some reason has a slight obsession with the Ancient Greeks.

Thanks for the tip about st. John’s, I don’t think that was on the list, and may be fun to see.

We expect food, including gelato, to be pricier than here in the states, but to me, it’s a worthwhile investment, so I’m going to try not to be an ugly American about that.

Trevi, Piazza del Polpolo, and the Spanish Steps are on the agenda for the first day… things my wife insisted on seeing. We also heard about a flea market that will be open on the Sunday we arrive… anyone have any experience with these?

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This was very good information. Thank you.

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I didn’t use the metro at all. We’re ‘walkers,’ and felt that for the amount we wanted to accomplish (and the relatively close distances), it was better to just build in the time to stroll to where we wanted to go at a leisurely pace rather than deal with the hassle of public transportation.

Also, I see you’re staying near the train station. We had an amazing meal at Culinaria, which was right next to our hotel, and just a stone’s throw away from the train station. The food and service were both amazing; a modern/contemporary take on traditional Italian foods. If you’re looking for something different than typical tourist-centered restaurants, both food and atmosphere-wise, I highly recommend it (and I recommend making a reservation; They were turning people away the night we ate there).

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Oh, also, if you’re going to Trevi Fountain and the Spanish Steps, we ate here one night and were happy with it as well.

Nothing amazing or out of the ordinary, but, after having spent 10 days in Palermo, Sicily (where almost everything we ate was amazing and cheap), it was the only place we ate in Rome that had an ‘authentic’ feel, good food, and reasonable prices. After having eaten at a few places in Rome that were very overpriced and/or pretty unremarkable food-wise, this was the first place we ate where we felt, “ah, finally, something real.”