wrote in message
news:1177520227.498265.320390@s33g2000prh.googlegroups.com...
> Hi! My husband and I (we live in the US) are going to travel to Italy
> for about two weeks in Aug - Sept. Neither of us speaks Italian or has
> prior travel experience traveling to Italy, so we need your advice
> regarding the following:
>
> 1. Time to travel: we plan our trip for late Aug - early Sept. I
> wonder if we chose a good time of the year. We're relatively flexible
> as to when to travel and would prefer still warm, but not too hot
> weather. Did we choose the right time?
>
I think later in the fall -- maybe October -- or the spring would be better.
Still warm, but not hot and with fewer tourists.
> 2. Car rental: we were planning to fly to Milan and then rent a car
> and drive to Rome and fly back to the States from there. What is the
> best place to rent a car in terms of a). rates; b). reliability; c).
> pick up/drop off in different cities. We need the most simple car
> there is. The major international car rentals like Hertz are pretty
> pricy - are there any Italian rentals that are cheaper and just as
> good?
>
> 3. Places to visit: we would like to visit the major cities and sights
> (Milan, Sienna, Florence, Venice, etc.), however we both have really
> limited knowledge of Italy (hopefully more by the time we go on
> vacation, thanks to your replies :-). We would also like to visit
> smaller towns, that are maybe not on a "must see" list of a regular
> tourist guide, but are worth visiting. What are such places?
Since you want to visit cities and larger towns, you'd be better off without
a car. You can't drive in Venice and driving in central Florence is
difficult. Not to speak of the cost of parking in these places. Train fares
are very reasonable in Italy. From Florence to Siena or vice versa, the bus
is better, because it drops you in the center of Siena.
>
> 4. Hotels: I was going to reserve a hotel for our stay in Milan and
> Rome, but look for accomodations in other towns as we get there. Is
> this a good idea or will it be much harder/more expensive to book a
> hotel the same day or a day in advance rather than weeks ahead?
> What is the best way to look for a hotel - expedia, travelocity, etc.
> or are there some Italian websites? We'd like to stay in 2-3 star
> hotels, nothing fancy, not necessarily in the center, but within a
> reasonable driving distance. Also - please tell if it is a crazy
> idea:) - would it be convenient to stay at campings? Are there are
> campings (those that have all major amenities) close to big cities? Is
> it much cheaper than hotels? How can I find those campings online?
Well, ordinarily I recommend a hotel in the center of the city. You see more
and don't waste valuable vacation time getting in and out. Two weeks is not
a long time. Recommended web sites to find good-value hotels in Italy
include www.tripadvisor.com and www.venere.com.
However, camping is certainly possible, especially if you have a car.
>
> 5. Meeting the locals: I would like to meet Iocals, who would like to
> spend a couple of hours showing us around the city, chat about life,
> share a lunch, etc. Since we don't speak Italian, we need somebody who
> speaks English. What is the best way to look for locals who would like
> to show us around? Are their some Italian websites where you can look
> for activity partners?
>
> 6. Books/guides: there's still some time until we go, so I'd like to
> read a good guide on Italy - one that is not too boring, yet gives all
> the major information that you should know as a tourist and one that
> you can use to plan sight-seeing. Any tips on a good book/travel
> guide?
Rick Steves' books are easy to read. Plus he has mini-itineraries: If you
have one day in Florence, see these sights. If you have 3 days, add these
sights....
A standard 2-week trip to Italy would have you fly into Venice and out of
Rome, with a stop in Florence and maybe a couple days in Tuscany. With
transportation by train except maybe in Tuscany. Milan isn't very high on
the must-see list.
Be sure to allow time for jetlag. Leaping off an overnight flight and into a
rental car and into Italian traffic is not a good idea.
Marianne
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