Planning your Italian vacation can be a daunting task. My first trip to Italy years ago began with months of daily research. I wanted to be prepared for every moment — and any obstacle. Despite all of my planning, though, I made numerous mistakes.
Now, after a considerable amount of travel in Italy, I still make an occasional mistake, but I come back to several key concepts on every trip. Here are seven basic tips that I would recommend when planning a trip to Italy.
Consider outside-of-the-box transportation. Transportation is a necessary evil of travel. The key is to keep it to a minimum. A round-trip airline ticket to Rome may be your first thought, but thinking outside of the box is important. If you are going to Rome and ending in Venice, flying into Rome and out of Venice may cost a bit more, but you wouldn’t have to travel back to Rome to catch your flight home, saving precious vacation time.
Secondly, don’t assume the closest airport to your destination is the best alternative. I often start my personal trips near Florence, but I almost never fly directly into Florence. It is actually a shorter trip and far less expensive for me to fly into Rome (or sometimes even Milan) and then take a train to Florence. I can often fly nonstop from the U.S. to Rome and then take a direct train from the airport to Florence.
Don’t try to see it all. Trying to see it all while planning your Italian vacation may be the biggest mistake you could make. Perhaps you have 10 days to enjoy Italy. Your wish list includes Rome, Florence and Venice, but you also heard Cinque Terre was a can’t miss. Can it be done? Yes. Should it be done? No. Consider the logistics of your itinerary. Every time you change cities you will need to pack, check out of your accommodations, get to the train station, wait for your train, find your new accommodations and check into your new accommodations. Doing this will cost you at least 30 percent of your Italy vacation just in travel logistics.
Pace yourself. You can’t see every Italian destination in one trip. You also can’t see every sight within a destination in one trip. Our first trip to Italy started in Florence, and the plan for the first day was this:
9 a.m. – Accademia Gallery to see Michelangelo’s David
11 a.m. – Tuscan Food Tour
1 p.m. – Uffizi Art Gallery
4 p.m. – Wine Tasting
6 p.m. – Dinner
8 p.m. – Opera
What do I remember most about this day? Having to be woken up by an Italian gentleman as I slept through the final act of the opera. No, the opera was not boring — in fact, it was quite captivating — but a long day of sightseeing after 18 hours of travel the day before easily overpowered my vacation excitement. After one day of travel in Italy we learned an important travel rule: Less is more!
Backload your vacation. My advice when planning your Italian vacation is to backload your vacation. What do I mean? First, start slow. The travel to get to Italy can be grueling. Make your first day casual and easy. Don’t plan anything too important as it takes a bit to catch your stride. Getting some rest sets the remainder of your trip up for success.
Secondly, do you have a special sight or experience that you have always dreamed of? Perhaps you have always wanted to see the Sistine Chapel or ride a hot air balloon over Tuscany or take a gondola ride in Venice. When possible, save it for the end of your trip. Anticipation is a wonderful emotion. By scheduling what you will look forward to most at the end of your trip, you will heighten your entire Italian vacation.
Look for experiences, not hotels. Italy has an abundance of great accommodations. When looking for a place to stay for your Italian vacation, look past location and price and look for an experience. Bed and breakfasts and agriturisimos are everywhere in Italy, and often offer guidance and experiences that hotels cannot. When researching a place to stay, look for those that offer a unique experience or where the hosts are overwhelmingly hospitable. Some of our best travel experiences have been due to the wonderful people we have met through the accommodations we book. For more details on accommodations, read our post, “5 Reasons to Stay at an Italian Bed & Breakfast.”
Spring for private tours. I am a big believer in independent travel. I feel so sorry for the masses of tourists following a flag around while a tour guide tries to attend to the needs of 50 people. Have I been a flag follower? Yes. And there are times when it may be a reasonable option.
Most of the time, though, a better option is a private guide or a guide who works with small groups. It can be expensive, but rarely have we walked away feeling it was not money well spent. A good tour guide not only knows the history you can read about but knows how to bring it to life and demonstrate its importance in the Italian lifestyle. A good guide is especially beneficial for trips with large or extended family.
Speak like an Italian. Our first trip to Italy I spent hours researching hotels, restaurants and sights. My wife spent hours trying to learn the language. It could be debated which was more important, but we learned one thing. Knowing a bit of Italian is vital to enjoying your vacation.
Do you need to stress or learn a lot? No. Knowing as few as 10 words can get you by, but the more you know, the better. Why? Italians appreciate the effort. They will help you through it, and I have never felt disrespected for trying. It can be humbling, but our experience has been that our efforts are always rewarded. Want to enjoy your Italian vacation? Bring a big smile and a few key Italian phrases.
A vacation should never be just the 10 days away from home. It should be a life experience starting with the anticipation when you set your dates to the reminiscence of your experience years later. At Your Italian Dreams we create Italy custom vacations. Whether you need a little guidance or a full itinerary, we are here to help you plan your Italian vacation.