AVOID Globe Postal Service (GPS)

from everything I've read online (much of which is now outdated), it is clear an Italian EU Green card will be necessary for traveling on trains and entry into restaurants and museums. But as of recently there was no way for nonEuropeans outside of Europe to get one online.

I know the Italian gov't had previously said the US CDC cards would be equivalent and acceptable.

But I have also heard some Americans have had problems having the CDC card accepted at restaurants (in particular).

Has anyone been able to use their card or had problems getting it accepted.

Thanks

Hey there. We are planning a trip to Italy (and Paris) next June. We are bringing our DDs, first timers to Europe, ages 21 and 16. I’ve been reading through itineraries, guide books, youtube videos of Italy and getting so excited. We have limited time (only 10 nights in Italy) and we are packing in A LOT I know. We are considering using Zicasso or another company to make the most of our time, especially since we are trying to do so much...Here’s our latest itinerary so far. (we like to see as much as possible/get a taste so we know where to spend more time the next time:)

. Summary. 2 nights, 1 1/2 full days in Venice,

4 nights in Florence with day trip to Cinque Terre, 5 nights in Rome with day trip to Pompeii and Amalfi

*We already bought our tickets flying into Venice

Day 1. Arrive Venice from Paris on the 13th. Half day in Venice

Day 2. Venice

Day 3. Take a late train from Venice to Florence.

Day 4. Florence

Day 5. Florence. (Day trip to Cinque Terre)

Day 6 Florence

Day 7. Train to Rome by 7pm. Stay near Piazza Novana

Day 8. Rome

Day 9 Rome

Day 10. LONG day with private guide to Pompeii/Amalfi

Day 11. Rome

Day 12. Departure day

Grazie!

HI there

I spent a week in Italy in Bologna, Verona and Pisa in July 2016. In January 2017, I have received a whopping 7 tickets on the mail (I live in the US) from the different municipalities. They all are asking for payments for strange infractions that I don't even understand. I have requested information/prrof from the website they provided on the notices and no answer. All they responded is PAY. They also immediately increase penalties if you don't send the money withn 5 days. The total amount is over $1000 if you add the international wire transfers. To me this seems a total scam. I keep questioning myself about validating legal scam. Also they don't accept credit cards and only wire transfers which are expensive. I wanted to get your opinion. in the US, you have a process by which you can schedule a hearing and dispute this if needed. Here, they give you 5 days to pay and when I requested proof, no answer. I am reluctant to be scammed. What would happen if I don't pay? Will this be at one point, reported on credit collection agencies if you don't pay? Spending $1000+ on tickets that you don't even know what they are for, seems absolutely ridiculous. Your feedback is greatly appreciated.

Thanks

David

First off- this may be a bit of a 'bouncing around' post. Sorry! Trying to keep it clear...

I'm planning a trip for Spring 2022 Italy and France. So far, I have booked:

A) Flight into Rome and out of Paris

B) 3 nights in Rome and the following 4 nights in Cinque Terre (Riomaggiore).

This leaves 8 nights before my flight home.

I planned to get from Rome to Riomaggiore by train, via Florence, but this isn't booked yet.

I had thought after check out in the CT that I would go to Milan on an early bus or train, spend the day, and take a night/sleeper train from Milan to Paris, which I would then make my base, and do day trips here and there. I have been to Paris before, as well as Marseille and Nice. LOVE all three - want to see more of France, but also want to have a home base, to feel less nomadic.

I've found plenty of advice to take the Thello train for this. However, I also saw somewhere credible (of course...I can't find it again to quote here... it was on the Thello or Eurail website or something like that...), it looks like the Thello Paris-Milan/Venice is discontinued. Is this true? Are there any other sleeper train options Milan to Paris? I would really like to be able to do a few hours/day in Milan, but am completely open minded.

As a follow up question - I had thought it may be worth it to get the Eurail global 10 day pass. I believe it's good for 10 random days within a one or two month time period. Is this a better plan, to get me to my base camps, and use for the day trips from Paris, allowing me to do them solo rather than booking viator, or some such tour company?

Appreciate all friendly pieces of advice and responses!

Hello all:

Has anyone flown into Italy since July 29th, or is anyone flying in prior to Monday? I am getting conflicting information on what is needed to get through Italiian customs, from and from very smart travel sources.

We are Flying into Italy on Tuesday. 5 of us. My wife, 3 boys 15, 13, 11. Trip of a lifetime, and celebrating my wife beating cancer last year. This trip was delayed a year bc of Covid.

Everyone except my 11 year old is vaccinated. I understood that all we had to do was bring our vaccination CDC Cards with us to enter. And my youngest simply needed the antigen rapid test.

However, I'm a centurion card member. And a senior staff member at Amex Centurion, with 30 years experience, and massive expertise in Italy, disagrees. He said we all need PCR tests (they cost 250 each), and we won't be allowed into Italy without it. Here is the email I just got 2 hours ago.

=======

"To recap, the Italy Green Pass requirements for US travelers to Italy are ALL of the following:

Your official Covid Vaccine card as authorized by the CDC. Carry this everywhere, as you will need to produce for dining, museums, shops, etc.

Proof of negative Covid PCR test for each traveler taken within 3 days of flight departure to Italy.

Same negative Covid PCR tests for each traveler taken within 3 days of flight departure back to U.S.

FAILURE TO HAVE YOUR VACCINE CARDS AND PROOF OF NEGATIVE TESTS UPON ARRIVAL TO ITALY WILL RESULT IN YOU NOT BEING ADMITTED INTO THE COUNTRY VIA ITALIAN CUSTOMS.

I left you a message stating that your 11 year old son does not have to have vaccine card, as he is too young for vaccine, which is the same for Italy. HOWEVER, he WILL have to have a negative Covid test within 48 hours of going to a museum, cultural attraction, and indoor dining.

Which means since you are in Rome for 10 days he will need multiple tests to continue to visit museums."

=====

Has anyone just landed in Rome that can tell me if this is correct? Or is anyone traveling before Monday I feel sick about this. Delta says only CDC Cards needed for those the are vaccinated. I would rather not pay the $1250. And don't want my son to be swabbed every two days. But more than anything just want the right answers. Thanks in advance.

Long story short, I had two other trips in planning that my teen daughter eventually vetoed :)

She has requested a culture/sightseeing/city trip over the 'nature' and 'beach' options. She's had a really tough year and with all the anxiety about heading into high school, I would love to make this happen for her. I have about a month to plan this trip, so here's my first attempt at an itinerary. We will be flying in and out of Rome (only option for a direct flight), which we'll be skipping as we have previously visited:

Day 0: overnight flight into Rome, arrive 7:30 am

Day 1: Rome to Naples via high speed train, Napoli, Overnight in Napoli

Day 2: Pompeii tour, Overnight in Napoli

Day 3: Amalfi coast tour (bus tour or private driver), Overnight in Napoli

Day 4: Napoli in the morning, leave for Florence via high speed train, Overnight in Florence

Day 5: Florence, Overnight in Florence

Day 6: Tuscany day trip (bus tour or private driver), Overnight in Florence

Day 7: Train to Cinque Terre w/ stopover in Pisa, Overnight in CT

Day 8: Cinque Terre, Overnight in Cinque Terre

Day 9: Train to Milan, Overnight in Milan

Day 10: Milan in the morning, train to Venice, Overnight in Venice

Day 11: Venice, Overnight in Venice

Day 12: Venice in the morning, Venice to Rome via high speed train or flight, Overnight Rome near airport

Day 13: fly home

Would love to hear your thoughts:

- We like fast paced, but is it too fast paced? Any suggestions?

- I feel like Milan is a bit of a 'detour' and I wonder if it's worth just for one day?

- Should we get TrainItalia passes? Which one?

- I would love to have some flexibility and not prebook hotels in case we want to linger in one area more - is this too much of a risk? (I wouldn't have considered it but i feel like we could 'wing it' this year?)

- Is there anything else I need to pre-book? (ie. tours, transportation, admission tickets, etc).

Thanks all in advance!

We are arriving in Venice on the 19 th, 4 nights. Then on the 23 rd transferring to Florence for 5 nights.

We would like to do the Bologna food tour which starts at 7 am. The train schedules now are little help. Is there normally an early morning high speed train from Florence? Would it be better to do the tour on the 23 rd, leaving Venice very early? If so is there somewhere to store our luggage in Bologna?

Thank you.

Hi Everyone,

Re-planning my postponed trip from 2020 this year. I seem to have forgotten all the valuable tips I had received for my previously planned trip. Is August a bad time to travel in terms of closures and holidays? Since I have nothing book yet, would it be better to travel in September instead?

I am thinking the following itinerary for now:

Aug 5-10-Roma

Aug 10-13-Florence with day trips to Sienna, Pisa?

Aug 13-15-Venice

Aug 15-16-Train back to Rome and fly home.

Is this too ambitious?

Will be travelling on a Covid tested flight in and out from Rome from Canada

Hello - we are staying in Rome and Venice and would like to take a short day trip to Pisa on the way. Traveling with luggage is obviously the problem. Ideally, the thought is to take the train from Rome to Pisa, store our luggage SAFELY at the train station, see the leaning tower, have lunch, then come back to the station to retrieve our luggage and jump on a train to Venice. All sounds good in theory… but is there actually a safe, secure place to store our luggage while we do the Pisa day exploring?

Thanks in advance!

Hi all - my sincere apologies if this has been discussed but I'm having trouble finding a clear answer. I have to fly last minute to Florence, leaving LAX on Wednesday. I have a layover at CDG in Paris for an hour or so, then on to Florence. It seems I can enter Italy with just my vaccine card...but does the layover in France mean I need a test? Or will my vaccine card be enough?

Thanks in advance!