How long need at Castel Gandolfo?

Hello Friendly Travelers!

We will be in Florene from September 15th - September 19th. Although we are staying in Florence, we are allocating 1 full day for more "tourist" sites. We have been to Florence previously and saw the Uffizi (although somewhat quickly), Accademia, and climbed to the top of the Duomo. This time around we are going with a couple friend of ours who have not been to Florence, but also open to whatever (one is more into museums than the other). That all being said...

Initially I was trying to decide with whether to go back to the Uffizi or to do the Palace Pitti and the Boboli Gardens. I ultimately decided on the Palace and the Boboli because I have not yet seen it and our friends our open. 1. Does anyone have any thoughts on this?

.2. I have now realized that the gardens open at 8:15 AM but the Palace does not open until 1:30 PM (I believe). As I really want to make the most of our day, I am wondering, 1. How long does one need at the gardens? and 2. Could we potentially do the gardens in the morning, walk over and do the duomo and grab lunch and then walk back to do the Palace around 2? I know it is kind of non-sensical to walk back and forth, but it really is not that far and we are into the additional "exercise." Again, thoughts on this would be very helpful.

Just looking for some additional advice or recommendations - here is what we have so far;

8/26 - Arrive at FCO 745am, will take car service to our hotel (Hotel Martis Palace) to drop luggage and start exploring Rome.

8/27 - Rome. Vatican museum.

8/28 - Rome. Colosseum tour.

8/29 - 710am Fresciarossa train to Milan. Arrives 1050am. Already booked the tickets. Pick up car rental and drive to Lake Como. Staying in Diamond Apartments in Bellagio.

8/30 - More Lake Como. Staying same place.

8/31 - Driving to the Dolomites. Staying at the Hotel Angelo Engel in Ortisei.

9/01 - Dolomites. Won’t bore everyone with the list of hikes, but the hikes and scenic pass drives are the main reason for coming to the area. That and some of the lakes in the area.

9/02 - Dolomites

9/03 - Dolomites

9/04 - Dolomites, then driving back to Milan, staying at the Sheraton airport hotel that is literally in the terminal.

9/05 - 1020am flight back to US.

I think having basically 3 full days/nights in Rome is this plenty. Not sure that a day and a half (2 nights) will give us much time in Lake Como, but we’ve never been and would like to check it out unless someone has a better option. I think our time in Dolomites will give us enough time to do some hikes and explore the area. Obviously I’d rather have weeks to spend in each area, but unfortunately that isn’t an option haha.

Any suggestions or recommendations for these areas?

Thank you for your advice on my previous post. We have changed our travel plans a little bit and plan to spend 1 full day in Rome before heading down south and would love advice on how to perfect our first time in Rome. We will be arriving at Fiumicino at 5pm on July 28 and will get our rental car at the airport. We will be then driving to Rome and staying at a hotel about a minute away from the Colosseum and plan to leave the car at an overnight car park. Unfortunately, Colosseum will be fully closed on July 29, so we plan to visit on July 30 before leaving, hopefully. Here is what I have planned so far for the day of July 29 (hopefully everything is within a walking distance)

-Starting off our walk from our hotel near the Colosseum to the Piazza Venezia

-Trevi Fountain

-Pantheon, Piazza Navona

-Spanish Steps

-Castel Sant’Angelo

- Vatican Museum, Sistine Chapel

-St. Peter’s Basilica

I have a few things we need advice on:

1) What is the best way to get around Rome, should we stick to walking? Should driving around with our rental car be avoided at all costs?

2) Please suggest any restaurants or cafes that you have beloved on Rome trips that we must absolutely visit.

3) Any other tips or places we should include on our itinerary.

We plan to leave Rome in the morning of July 30.

I am a bit lost to what we should do as my parents are not avid walkers but it is very difficult to decide what to do in the limited time we have there. Any advice would be appreciated.

I will be staying in Arezzo for 4-5 days in mid-September 2021. I would like to take a wine tour in Montepulciano and/or Montalcino, but I don’t want to drive myself because I don’t want to drink and drive. Can anyone recommend a wine tour leaving from Arezzo or a driver/guide? Or is there a different option, ie., taking a bus and visiting a winery or enoteca without a tour? Thanks!

Has anyone book this tour and can give me some tips on the do and fonts or any addy information

We are arriving in Bologna tomorrow and want to do a day trip to Ravenna this week. We have a rental car so can drive there ourselves. I would love your recommendations on who to use for a day tour that covers all the most important sites. Would be great if it covered all admission tickets as well so that we didn’t have to deal with that. Could be a group tour or a private tour. Anybody you recommend?

We were notified today that we were able to get a reservation for a scavi tour on Friday, September 3! While excited, because the time is assigned by the excavations office, it has impacted the schedule originally planned. Originally we had a large gap between basilica and museums to return to hotel and rest a bit/eat but now the schedule is tighter.

Scavi tour is at 12:30 - so we need to be to excavation office by 12. Tour lasts 1.5 hours which takes is to 2:00 pm

We have Happy Hour tour tickets for the museums at 5pm, so need to get there ~4:30pm.

Question 1 - That means we have a 2.5 hour gap. Weighing going back to hotel (campo d’ fiori) to rest/eat vs finding a restaurant around the Vatican - recommendations?

Question 2-4 - we had planned to get to Basilica before 8am to get in. Do the Dome climb first and then self tour of basilica. With the lines - anticipate this take us until 11 (depends on lines)? Leaving a small gap between that and scavi tour.

- recommendations for a restaurant to have a snack/sit in?

- more a comment/question - I assume the lines (including dome climb) would be too long to do basilica between the scavi tour and happy hour?

- we planned trotting basilica ourselves with audio guide, but give. The scavi tour, would we be better to book a tour (ie walks of Italy) to guarantee quicker access

Thanks for your thoughts on the above

My parents and I will be flying into Rome on July 28 and staying there until the evening of July 30 (planning to drive down to Naples on the 30th). However, my mother has already visited Rome and says one day should be enough for sightseeing, also considering the hot July weather and crowds on tourists. We would like to spend the 30th visiting little towns around Rome and escaping the city bustle. Any towns/places we should include on our itinerary? We were planning to visit Florence but we feel like we would like to escape the touristy sights and cities for a day. Any help would be greatly appreciated!

My family and I will (hopefully) be traveling to Italy this holiday season. Doing five nights of skiing in Cortina (The Cristallo) and then on to Venice for a long weekend and New Years Eve. We are trying to decide between The Danieli and The Gritti Palace. Any advice? It's my husband and I with our two children 11&9. We will need some kind of adjoining room situation and I can't tell from the website if either hotel offers that.

Buongiorno everyone! For context we are a family of 6 (2x40s, 24, 15, 12, 11) all athletic and experienced international travelers only bringing carry ons. I have been to Florence, Venice and Rome but rest have not. Kids and hubs not into art. (I know, I know.) We have an ex au pair that is Italian living in Verona currently that is going to meet us in 5T for the first part of our trip and then leave us in Florence and see us again in Verona for a daytrip later but anyway here goes!

Day 1 (Sat): arrive FCO at 8am on COVID tested flight. Adults are preregistered for tests on arrival but it doesn't currently allow me to register the kids. Booked the 1157am fast train from Termini to La Spezia, hoping 4 hours will be enough time to test, take Leo Express to Termini, grab a bite and hop on train (its the Frecciabianca - should we wait and eat on train instead?) transfer to 5T train at La Spezia, arrive approx 1613 at Vernazza about an hour after our Italian and check in and chill.

Day 2 (Sun): See how we feel, likely do an am hike to either Corniglia or Monterosso. We can come back to apartment midday or do a private boat tour for 3 hours.

Day 3 (Mon): See how we feel, do am hike (whichever we didn't do day before), or do boat tour this day. Dinner at lovers table at Ristorante Belforte for hubs and I at 7pm.

Day 4 (Tues): Early am train to Pisa, stow bags at Stow Your Bags near Pisa Centrale and walk through Pisa to tower. Likely get Tower appointment for about 10am so we are not rushed. See how long kids last in museums, perhaps grab lunch here (any recommendations?) and then hop back on train to Florence and check in, go somewhere for dinner before Italian AP has to leave us. A lot of Americans say ZaZas is fun - recommend or alternatives?

Day 5 (Wed): Florence - the big two plus likely the Galileo museum because our kids love science

Day 6 (Thurs): am in Florence (so maybe split the big two into one each morning), check out and catch 1120 train to Venezia. Apartment is walking distance from S Lucia so check in and then one museum or activity and dinner - recommendation?

Day 7 (Fri): Venice

Day 8 (Sat): am maybe one thing in Venice, then train to Verona, spend day with Italian AP and then fly VRN to FCO at 1930, check in go to bed

Day 9 (Sun): Rome

Day 10 (Mon): Rome - Scavi tour at 1330 for adults

Day 11 (Tues): Rome

Day 12 (Wed): Rome

Day 13 (Thurs): depart FCO at 10am arrive super early to COVID test at FCO before flight

Will definitely do Pompeii one day - any recommendations for day or guide and eats?

Anything else I missed?