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Traveling to Italy in February for ten days, what to know?
I'm traveling with my wife to Italy (Rome, Florence) for our Honeymoon. We're American and looking for any suggestions on what to bring/wear, tips/tricks we might need to know, or anything you feel would be relevant. We have a basic itinerary with some guided tours through the "main" tourist attractions like the Vatican, Colosseum, The Pantheon, The Accademia Gallery, the Uffizi Gallery, and a few day trips. But we know not everything is going to take all day.
Do you have recommendations for things to do to "fill" the day? Anything to avoid? Things to bring that we might not think of? Any general tips/thoughts would be appreciated.
I just got back and boy was it incredible! Link to a more in depth write up here on the food and drink with some linked recommendations.
First, it was waaaay colder than I expected. Bring a big winter coat. If you have a black one that looks classy, take that. Most folks look pretty put together and blending in will help. I'm a big history buff so that part of Rome was the most impressive to me. We did a Fat Tire Bike Tour of the city (very worth it!) and that led us to finding a personal guide for the forum and colosseum for about $150 euros for 3 hours. It was sooooo worth it. The history is incredible and the local expertise gave us a great insight into it. Pantheon was incredible too. I know folks talk a lot about pick pockets, but my advice is be a savvy traveller. Don't linger in tourist areas, look like you know what you are doing/going, wear a big coat with zip pockets if you have it. But also, relax you'll probably be fine. I'd check out the Trastevere and Mondi neighborhoods. There is an endless amount of good eats and I'd be happy to share additional recommendations if you want them. We "filled" our day by mostly walking the city (around 10 miles a day), checking out the sites (there are some fun alternative ones on Atlas Obscura, and eating and drinking an outrageous amount.
Big Tip! Don't order food like you would here. Things are cheap so we usually each ordered a pasta and an appetizer. My advice is to split a pasta course, they are enormous. We overate too much and it left me feeling kind of sick most days. Also, go out for drinks from 5-8pm and dinner after that. Anywhere that serves dinner before 7pm is a tourist trap. Most Italians won't eat until 8-10pm. Also they don't blend savory/sweet. Also they don't drink any coffee other than expresso after noon. They are weird about food rules.
Ok, on to Florence. I enjoyed it more than rome. We stayed at Hotel Palazzo Guadagni, and I cannot suggest it enough. It's on the other side of the river from the tourist attractions and we had a view of the Duomo out of our window. That side of the river feels much more "local" and has an amazing number of fantastic bars, restaurants, and cafes. You will eat well in Florence. Look at the write up above for more info and again feel free to reach out for suggestions.
On top of Florence, the whole Tuscany region was amazing. I think the smaller towns, such as Lucca, were even better. We spent 3 days in Lucca and it was the highlight of the entire trip. We rented bikes from a local shop, Chronò Bikes, and Paladino, the owner, took us on a 4 hour tour of wineries and cafes for just 50 euro (plus the cost of the bike rental). It was the highlight of the trip. The whole surrounding area is gorgeous and because it's not tourist season everyone is happy to engage with you. I didn't write up Lucca but I'd be happy to write up a section if you're interested.
Overall you're in for a great time. Feel free to reach out directly if you want any more info!
Nice tips on fashion, will jeans look okay? I'll try to avoid the hoodies then I suppose. Guided tours are what we're doing too, I think it's the best way to get our moneys worth. What did you do after dinner? I can't imagine going to bed after a big meal like that. I love the way lucca looks, it's what I think of when I think Italy.
Awesome, I also finished up the write up on Rome and Lucca today if you want to give those a look.
For fashion: jeans are great, I'd forget the hoodies like you said (plus it's cold so you'll want something heavier anyway), sweaters/overcoats are great. I wore canvas vans (as I do almost all the time) and felt a little out of place sometimes but not in any meaningful way. Folks wear a lot of white tennis shoes and leather boots.
After dinner we walked a lot, maybe stuck our head into another bar or cafe for a drink. They have a thing called "passeggiare" that literally means to walk around, Dean Martin sings about it in Roma. I think its meant to help digestion and after the heavy cream and everything I agree its a good idea. That and bring some anti-acids. My stomach with all the wine was on fire a few different nights, but I did indulge quite a bit.
Have fun!
I have a similar measure with whether there are anchovies on the marinara pizza. I can only imagine tourists expect fish when it looks a bit like marine.
If you are flying into Rome take a taxi to your hotel in Rome. It is a flat rate posted on the outside of the cab. It will be cheaper than taking the train or bus into Rome then getting a taxi. Don't rent a car.
Make reservations at the Vatican and the museum in Florence to see the David, the rest you can just wing.
When at a train station there will be people just standing around the tickets machines. Don't accept their help.
Restaurants near tourist spots can be expensive, but you are paying to sit at the tables. If you want a quick drink or meal, go elsewhere.
In Rome try the pasta carbonara.
As part of your 10 days, take a day trip to a small town in the country. We went to Orvieto from Rome as a day trip and it was wonderful.
This cannot be stressed enough!
Another unrelated tip, if you're into guided tours my wife and I had varying experiences with different companies but City Wonders was typically better than any of the others we tried (this was for stuff like the Colosseum and Pompei/Vesuvius).
I can't speak about Florence, but when I went to Rome I enjoyed just wandering around. There is something historical around every corner. I remember walking around with a drink just checking things out.
Don't forget to include time to rest, to enjoy a leisurely meal, possibly catch a music performance.
Don't forget an adapter for the electric outlets and an external battery charger for your phone.
Pickpockets are a real risk. But have a great time.
Yes, we didn't start most of our days until mid morning, we don't want to rush around. Any tips on how to secure stuff from pickpocketers? Since it'll be winter I plan on wearing a jacket and keeping stuff in a thing around my neck, but I'm not sure if that's the best idea.
Not an expert but I've spent a fair bit of time solo tripping last year. Keeping some spare cash in your sock is always a thing. A sling bag that you can keep under your jacket close to your body isn't the most comfortable but it's definitely safer.
In general though, just keep away from crowded areas if you can, don't talk to anyone who tries to stop you especially if they're trying to give you something, and just be hyper aware of where everything valuable is on your body. I generally have some zippered pockets for my phone and passport and other things I carry around and always mentally check in to make sure they're still there at all times.
I'm not an expert. For my last trip I had a money belt inside my waistband with my atm card, a spare credit card and emergency cash. I wore my passport around my neck.
If you visit r/travel and r/solotravel, and search pickpocket or scam you will find stories that can help you pick up on clues.
Edit also r/Italytravel
Make sure the thing around your neck is under your clothes and not visible. Acquaintance of mine ended up in the hospital after someone slashed her chest to cut the strap.
When I visited Spain last year, I got an anti-pickpocket crossbody bag. It has steel cables running through the strap so it cannot easily be cut off, and the zippers lock shut so one cannot surreptitiously open the bag and take your belongings.
If you carry a backpack (or other such bag with a vertical zipper), zip it so that the zipper pulls are at the bottom rather than the top. It's allegedly easier to notice someone pulling up rather than pulling down.
Also, never give money to beggars, especially the kind that hang out in groups.
I've only been to Rome, but here's my two cents.
If you take the metro in Rome, watch out for pitpockets. Especially during rush hour. Was there for a week and witnessed three different events.
If you want real gelato, look at the containers. Authentic Italian gelato has to be stored in metal containers, generally with lids. This is because they're made with fresh, natural ingredients.
The Tiber river cruise is okay. You can skip that.
I enjoyed going around on the Electric scooters, like the Lime or Uber ones. That's a fun way to see the city. My sister-in-law also liked to go on morning runs. Said she saw a lot of the city.
If you go to the Vatican, there is a dress code. Specifically in St. Peter's Basillica. So look into that if you're going to visit.
Obviously there's a lot of good food around. Even non-Italian food. We stayed outside of Central Rome and there were a lot of different resturants.
Great tips! The scooters sound like an awesome idea! and we want to try real gelato too! Oh man I would have totally tried to wear a hat into the vatican, didnt even think about dress codes.
There's a lot of fake gelato. They taste good, but it's not the same.
Don't worry, they'll let you know lol. The Vatican is a separate city and you have to go through security to get in. I think guys can't have shorts showing their knees. Shoulders can't be shown either, but I believe they have shawls you can buy or borrow. But that's only relevant when it's hot. There's other obvious ones as well like obscene images or whatever.
Tips on gelato to know if it's made fresh:
Was in Italy in the summer of 2016 and looking through pictures, here are a few very specific recommendations which I hope hold despite February of course being different conditions, and which hopefully aren't the usual Coloseum/Pantheon/etc. type of stuff:
Castel Sant'Angelo in Rome has great surroundings and view, and there's a café with an incredible view as well - I highly recommend enjoying lunch or a drink up there, especially if it's a clear day. A few classic movies have used it as a location too.
Going for walks and/or dining in Trastavere which is a gorgeous part of the city.
Day trip to Ostia Antica outside of Rome.
Depending on budget, rent a car and go exploring aimlessly in Tuscany. We randomly happened upon this gorgeous view on our drive from Siena (which I would also very much recommend) to Florence, for example.
And on a similar note, I would also recommend Orvieto which is also in between Rome and Florence, and from far away reminded me a lot of Edoras.
Greve was a great place too with some lovely walks.
Lucca was great as well.
La Spezia and other such towns along that coast are also incredible but that might be too much of a drive (we didn't actually spend much time in Florence as you can tell)
When in Florence, go there for dinner:
https://maps.app.goo.gl/mjf38M22puFt1kpj6
Absolutely delicious.
I live in Rome. All good advice here (sometimes a bit weird, reading as Italian).
Speaking of food, you should go to the "Ghetto" (that was the place where Jews used to live, it's around the Synagogue) and try the Jewish-Roman cuisine there. It's really interesting, and unusual (as you can imagine). Just another note on eating: in the "carbonara" (as is made in Rome) there are: eggs, sheep cheese, and "guanciale" (that's not bacon, nor pancetta, it's the lard from the the pig's cheek). And absolutely no cream at all (it's creamy because of the eggs). Guanciale is a sort of religion here in Rome, please avoid calling it in any other way (even if I have to admit is not actually really different from the pork underbelly, when not smoked).
As per sites/things to see, all great advice here, I'll just add the Basilica di San Clemente, it's a crazy interesting church from XI century, built on another church of IV century, built on a Mithraeum from I Century, built on a Roman Villa from before the Great Fire. You go down some stairs and see the other sites one over the other. It's crazy and fascinating (there is even a spring down under, because the Mithraeum needs a spring for the rites.
Don't forget to get lost in the city center! Just wonder around by feet and be amazed by the little things around...
You have already gotten so much good advice! I figured I'd make my one post to touch on some of the advice you've already gotten and add some of my own.
Rome
Florence
Tuscany Region
Cinque Terre
Sorry if this is really long, I absolutely love Italy.