First time in Italy, Arriving Venice Sept. 12, 2015

meb8761

My daughter & I are going on this trip for her college graduation. We are looking forward to it!

I've never been to Europe, let alone Italy. Has anyone been on this trip before?

Tangy

My husband and I went on the Classic Italy tour in June. We also visited Rome, Florence, and Venice on our trip. You and your daughter will have the trip of a lifetime. A friend gave me a piece of advice that helped enhance our trip. She told me to read The Inferno by Dan Brown before I went on the trip and to write down all the sights mentioned in Florence and Venice. The book is a real page turner. My husband and I visited the sights mentioned in our free time. They were all wonderful. We'll get to see them again when the movie starring Tom Hanks and Helen Mirren comes out.

crackers54

In Venice I took the advice of get out of tourist area and explore. I took walk in morning before crowds came in tourist area and then spent the day exploring away from the crowds and had a great visit. "Do not be worried on getting lost. It is an Island and easy enough to find your way.

twig

One of my highlights in Venice is the Santa Maria Glorioso dei Frari church( Frari)in San Polo area( easy vaporetto stop)
To see Titian's Assumption painting. A treasury of art inside and uncrowded and serene. This church is not on tours but easy to do on own. Also we took vaporetto to church of San Giorgio Maggiore and had fantastic view looking across Grand canal to st marks square. Very quiet area with lovely bistro too. We have been in Venice twice with Tauck. We bought a 24 hour vaporetto pass which made touring easy on own free time.

Tangy

Great advice Twig. The vaporetto (it's like a water bus) is so convenient and a bargain. Don't take the water taxis. They are very expensive. With our free time we visited the Vivaldi Museum, the Academia Museum, the Suola Grande di San Rocco, and the Ca Rezzonico. Friends from our tour bought tickets in advance and attended an afternoon opera. In Florence the places we toured on our own were the Basilica di Santa Croce, the Palazzo Vecchio (which included the Hall of 500 and Dante's death mask), the Palazzo Pitti (Pitti Palace), and the Boboli Gardens. We also avoided the huge lines at The Duomo by attending 8:30 am Mass there. We were ushered right in. In Rome we hired a private driver to take us to the Pantheon, Trevi Fountain (under repair), Piazza Navona, and three area churches he selected. You are going to have a spectacular time! Tauck will add so many special touches along the way.

meb8761

Thank you all for your advice! We will definitely check out the sites that you mentioned. We are looking forward to it!