Looking for some Italy advice

[husky429]

You can get by with no Italian, but it definitely helps.

For the first couple days my wife was commenting how she thought people were rude in the hotel or restaurants. I told her that it might have something to do with the fact that she spoke English as though she expected it to be their language, too. She finally got over herself started trying to use a few basic words and phrases and was amazed at how much it changed her interactions with people.

It's the polite thing to try to do anywhere but ultimately unnecessary to get by. I've traveled to something like 25 countries now and learn 4 phrases before I go: hello, thank you, do you speak English, where's the bathroom. And that's more than you need in any kind of tourist areas. Shoot, the public transport is easier to navigate than NYC in Rome by far.

Only time I've felt a little out of it because of the language barrier was rural Tanzania, and my dad speaks Swahili fluently so I was fine.

 

[UConnDad]

Have fun in the water closet.

 

[8893]

It's the polite thing to try to do anywhere but ultimately unnecessary to get by. I've traveled to something like 25 countries now and learn 4 phrases before I go: hello, thank you, do you speak English, where's the bathroom. And that's more than you need in any kind of tourist areas. Shoot, the public transport is easier to navigate than NYC in Rome by far.

Only time I've felt a little out of it because of the language barrier was rural Tanzania, and my dad speaks Swahili fluently so I was fine.

I was surprised by how many people spoke little to no English, but I we didn‘t stick only to the tourist areas and did a lot of our food and wine shopping at local grocery stores and markets.

 

[BigErnMcCracken]

Number one piece of advice is don’t overthink it. If you’ve never been it’s going to be cool as hell no matter what you do so just switch your brain to vacation mode and roll with it. Nothing worse than thinking there’s something cooler you should be doing.

 

[AzHusky]

If you go to the Roman Forum watch out at the exit. There is a turn stile there and the pick pockets jam it up with you in the middle. My brother-in-law lost everything. US embassy was great getting him new passports.
Watched the world cup soccer game with thousands of people on a large screen tv at Capitoline Hill.

 

[OkaForPrez]

Hiking between the villages in Cinque terra had me thinking I died and went to heaven. I really recommend you get this on your itinerary if you don’t have it already.

Genoa was surprisingly interesting. HUGE port, decent shopping, great food. Known for its pesto. Can easily be paired with Cinque terra.

Skip Milan. It’s too much like NYC, not enough charm.

Skip Pisa, it’s the tower and it’s not worth the picture of you pretending to hold it up.

In Florence

make sure you go up to the piazza de Michael Angelo at sunset.

Get a drink on a rooftop bar near the duomo At night.

there’s a sandwich spot called da vinattieri. It’s worth the line.

If you’re doing Venice I recommend you do Verona.

Let me know where you’re going and for how long and I can be a bit more detailed.

 

[upstater]

Spend your evenings in Venice in the Jewish quarter. That's what the Italians do.

 

[HooperScooper]

Let me know where you’re going and for how long and I can be a bit more detailed.

He told us in the original post.

OP:
I will be going on my first ever trip to Italy in about 3 weeks. I've always known the Boneyard to be a great (or mostly great) source of expertise on many subjects.....so I'd love to hear people's tips, advice, must-do's, don't-do's, food recs, best "old stuff" to see, best things to make feel like Anthony Bourdain Junior, etc.
The itinerary is pretty much set in stone. We are spending 3 days in Venice, 3 days in the Abruzzo region (Pescara and elsewhere) and 4 days in Rome.

 

[OkaForPrez]

He told us in the original post.

OP:
I will be going on my first ever trip to Italy in about 3 weeks. I've always known the Boneyard to be a great (or mostly great) source of expertise on many subjects.....so I'd love to hear people's tips, advice, must-do's, don't-do's, food recs, best "old stuff" to see, best things to make feel like Anthony Bourdain Junior, etc.
The itinerary is pretty much set in stone. We are spending 3 days in Venice, 3 days in the Abruzzo region (Pescara and elsewhere) and 4 days in Rome.

Whoops!

My only advice is to flex that itinerary down one day in Rome and Venice and add 2 days in Florence.

 

[BigErnMcCracken]

Whoops!

My only advice is to flex that itinerary down one day in Rome and Venice and add 2 days in Florence.

Opinions are like _____. I would recommend skipping Florence entirely.

 

[OkaForPrez]

Opinions are like _____. I would recommend skipping Florence entirely.

To each their own as long as it’s not Syracuse basketball.

 

[superjohn]

I will be going on my first ever trip to Italy in about 3 weeks. I've always known the Boneyard to be a great (or mostly great) source of expertise on many subjects.....so I'd love to hear people's tips, advice, must-do's, don't-do's, food recs, best "old stuff" to see, best things to make feel like Anthony Bourdain Junior, etc.
The itinerary is pretty much set in stone. We are spending 3 days in Venice, 3 days in the Abruzzo region (Pescara and elsewhere) and 4 days in Rome.

Most of the advice has already been given. In Rome and the rest of Italy eat stuff you can't get anywhere else and in Rome spend quality time in Piazza Navona drinking wine and people watching...

Not sure how much you'll be driving but half the fun is driving and stumbling into the small beautiful towns, Pitigliano "little Jerusalem" is one of the most beautiful towns I've ever seen and I stumbled upon it (no smart phone back then.) I think it's about 2 hours north of Rome and about 2 hours from Firenze...

Americans love Florence but I would skip it and walking to the top of the Duomo is a great view of the city but certainly not worth the panic attack getting up there in the heat and insanely tight walking quarters. Ran into some really loud and annoying Brits in Florence which maybe soured me on the city but it was my least favorite of all the cities. I'm also not one who believes in hauntings and ghosts but the medieval hotel I stayed in bugged me out, weirdest experience I've ever had.

About 2 hours south of Rome is Napoli which is right there with Rome as my favorite city in Italy. It's a little grittier and more hectic. Totally different than Rome and it will test your driving abilities but I loved it...

Since you'll be in Venice visit Padua, it's only a half hour away and really nice.

I was young and didn't know anything about wine back then, still don't. My dad who was a big wine guy and lived in Italy for five years told me to just get the house wine because it will always be good and it will save you money. That was good advice.

 

[NJHusky]

Lots of good advice already. my .02 in addition/reinforcement

Rick Steve’s audio tours

Drink the house wine.. it’s cheap and good and unless u are an oenophile u prob won’t pick better

Rome:
join a guided group or hire a guide for the Vatican. U skip the lines. Don’t waste your time waiting to go in. Could be hours otherwise. DRESS CODE…they aren’t kidding.

If you do the forum…get a guide (with visuals), otherwise as posted you will see a pile of rocks. Our guide gave a wonderful history.

Venice:
How r u getting to your hotel? I thought we had a short walk from where our cruise docked…but I had to cross about 10 bridges over canals. They don’t have ramps so I had to carry the suitcases for me and mrs up and over each one. If I was alone I would have dumped the luggage


We took a water taxi to the train station when leaving.

there Is a private tour of the Doge’s palace which was very cool. And a really small group. U need to book it early/in advance as it fills quickly

EAT, DRINK, ENJOY. Italy is one of my fav places to visit

 

[storrsroars]

Drink the house wine.. it’s cheap and good and unless u are an oenophile u prob won’t pick better. EAT, DRINK, ENJOY.

Probably the best Italy travel tip in this thread.

 

[DaveHuskiesFan]

Been to Italy 5 times - most recent was in April when we went to Venice / Florence / Lucca. Heading back to the Amalfi Coast in 4 weeks.

Restaurant recommendation is Enoteca Ai Artisti in Venice. One of the best meals I've had in Italy ever. They don't have online reservations but you can call them. It's only a 6 table restaurant so you won't get in otherwise.

Overall recommendation I have is that if you want to eat at highly recommended / popular restaurants you need to make reservations ASAP, like this week for July. Travel demand is pent up and July is peak tourist season.

 

[storrsroars]

Opinions are like _____. I would recommend skipping Florence entirely.

Kinda depends what you value in a destination. Only been once and that was so we could write off part of that trip as a business expense (we visited the La Marzocco espresso machine factory, there's a video on Flickr somewhere). Once one has seen the Vatican, the Duomo is nothing. Honestly, the things I recall best are not the museums or art or shopping for jewelry near the bridge. It was having a Florentine steak at Natalia's, doing an olive oil tasting, and visiting a tiny wine shop and talking to the proprietor for like an hour, getting some truly great recommendations on local stuff, from which we bought a mixed case to ship home. It's a pretty city, easily walkable, with lots of history and all that Medici stuff, but it ain't Rome. For secondary Italian cities, I prefer Bologna.

 

[uconndogs]

Wife and I went to Amalfi and then Rome a few years ago. It was a wonderful trip, but we didn't do a good job planning for Rome and ended up spending too much time in the "tourist" areas. I never felt we experienced the authentic Rome.

If you are going to the Vatican definitely get on a high-end tour with a small group and go very early.

Enjoy!

 

[Peacefrog]

I lived in the Rome area for three years and there is tons of good advice here already.

A piece of general advice I would give is to not dine near the popular tourist attractions. The food will often be mediocre. At dinner time don't find yourself looking for a restaurant in Piazza Navona or a place like that. Wander over to Trastevere (as many have suggested). You will get a much more genuine experience.

Some specifics on gelato, there are flavors that are common there that we don't get in our iced cream here. My favorites were nocciolo (hazlenut) and amarena (sour cherry).

Choose a day to see the Sistine Chapel and go there first thing. There are no reservations and the line can get crazy long.

Finally, and I don't want to be a Debbie Downer, but you must be aware of your surroundings. Pick-pocketing is rampant in Rome and it can ruin your trip. They have developed it into an art form over there and even when you think you are being careful they can get you. My mother was clutching her purse under her arm going up the escalator from the subway and someone behind her adroitly cut a slit in the back of her purse, reached in and stole her wallet (I had told her NOT to carry her purse around). It all happened within the 15 second escalator ride and she never felt a thing. When you go out for the day, bring as little as humanly possible. And no ID! You won't need it. Bring a little cash and one credit card and leave the rest locked in your hotel room safe. What you do bring with you is best kept in a zipper pouch hanging from your neck and under your shirt. Even this isn't foolproof but its about the best you can do. Beware of anyone approaching you to "help" with a map or some other form of distraction. Or groups of young kids that gather around you; they will jostle you so you can't feel what they are doing. Wave them away immediately. I would occasionally have to go to the embassy for residency paperwork or have pages added to my passport and there was always a waiting room full of forlorn American tourists who had had their license, passport and money stolen. A very sad scene. I don't want to be unnecessarily alarmist about this but I've known too many people that thought it wouldn't happen to them and then it did. And if you are taking an over night "robber train" (this is their term for them, not mine) from one place to the next, well, I would try and avoid doing that.

Back to the good stuff and there is plenty of it. Of the places you are going, Rome would easily be my favorite followed by Venice. There is so much history to see in Rome and Venice is so unique and just has a magical feel to it. Florence is great if you're an art lover/appreciator. You can see more masterpieces here than the rest of the world combined.

If you have the means while in Rome, I would suggest taking a day to go a little south to Nemi and Castel Gandolfo (summer palace for the Pope). These are smallish, charming towns overlooking lakes. They will be less crowded and touristy but pretty neat. Have an authentic lunch perched high above one of the lakes.

 

[Icculus]

Thank you all for your recommendations so far. The Boneyard is unparalleled in it's ability to crowd-source quality travel advice. For those who mentioned booking tours to "beat the lines". We did have the Vatican and the Coliseum already booked. But, based on your responses, I think that we will be adding St. Mark's Basilica to that as well.
One follow-up question: some folks mentioned the Piazza Navona. Our hotel is only a few blocks from there, so I anticipate visiting it multiple times. Does anybody have any specific food/restaurant recommendations for there? Or is it one of those "all of it is good" situations?
Edit: I posted this before I read Peacefrog's comment. I will definitely look into Trastevere for food. But I'd still be interested in any Piazza Navona-specific reco's if anybody has any. Thanks.

 

[Conndog]

Get a map of your city- if big city like Rome, then narrow down to area of your hotel- mark your hotel location & any other places you want to visit on it so you can find & return home easily.

Bring a Euro charger so you can charge your devices. We used our phone a lot for maps & directions- make sure it will work in Europe.

 

[Peacefrog]

Thank you all for your recommendations so far. The Boneyard is unparalleled in it's ability to crowd-source quality travel advice. For those who mentioned booking tours to "beat the lines". We did have the Vatican and the Coliseum already booked. But, based on your responses, I think that we will be adding St. Mark's Basilica to that as well.
One follow-up question: some folks mentioned the Piazza Navona. Our hotel is only a few blocks from there, so I anticipate visiting it multiple times. Does anybody have any specific food/restaurant recommendations for there? Or is it one of those "all of it is good" situations?
Edit: I posted this before I read Peacefrog's comment. I will definitely look into Trastevere for food. But I'd still be interested in any Piazza Navona-specific reco's if anybody has any. Thanks.

I would recommend NOT eating around Piazza Navona. For good reasons it is a tourist magnet and as such the restaurants aren't the best. They're not bad but it won't be anything you couldn't get at a middle of the road Italian restaurant over here. The atmosphere will certainly add something but I would go elsewhere.

edit: whoops, and I responded before reading your edit

 

[storrsroars]

One follow-up question: some folks mentioned the Piazza Navona. Our hotel is only a few blocks from there, so I anticipate visiting it multiple times. Does anybody have any specific food/restaurant recommendations for there? Or is it one of those "all of it is good" situations?
Edit: I posted this before I read Peacefrog's comment. I will definitely look into Trastevere for food. But I'd still be interested in any Piazza Navona-specific reco's if anybody has any. Thanks.

It's closer to the "all is good" category, which does not mean "all is the best food you'll get", but you wouldn't regret it either, you'll just overpay. Personally, I'd opt for lighter fare there, like a cheese/salumi plate or a pizza, and drink lots of wine and just absorb the scene. I'd go elsewhere for more memorable food. But I'm a foodie.

 

[Umami Zen]

A lot of valuable info has already been covered.. Get your walking in so you have room for food and wine! Being respectful and polite to the people you interact with in the service industry goes a long way towards a more pleasant experience. They pride themselves in making the customer feel comfortable and satisfied. Return the favor with gratitude and a smile. They can also be an invaluable source of information/local knowledge if asked.

Grazie and prego are two magical words.

 

[Icculus]

Some specifics on gelato, there are flavors that are common there that we don't get in our iced cream here. My favorites were nocciolo (hazlenut) and amarena (sour cherry).

Thank you, I will 1000% be seeking out these flavors now. I am a huge believer in trying out the "uncommon" when it comes to food.

 

[storrsroars]

Thank you, I will 1000% be seeking out these flavors now. I am a huge believer in trying out the "uncommon" when it comes to food.

If you like citrus, add bergamot to that list. It's native to Italy. Kind of sour orange/lemony.