It's all in the details - advice please.
My husband and I are going on the Venice, Florence and Rome trip in November. I usually plan our travel and am very detailed so using a tour company is new to us. We booked an extra day in Venice and in Rome. I have talked to support staff at Tauck and gotten some additional details, but they suggest they can't be definitive because things change. I do understand this. I am looking for more detailed info on people's experiences and some recommendations for time on our own and restaurants. I have booked a Gladiator Door, 3 hour tour of the colosseum for our extra day in Rome and thought we would do the Rick Steves Grand Canal tour on either our arrival day (overnight flight) if we are up to it or on the day we begin our tour at 6PM. I get the sense that we won't be doing "inside" or comprehensive tours of some of the other iconic sites and that it's sometimes just walk by or coach by tours. We do appreciate unique experiences and exploring neighborhoods and definitely just soaking up the local culture, so I don't necesarily need to tick off a list. We often do food tours and history tours. I am also struggling with timings for dinner reservations. I know we do some evening activities with Tauck (opera house and Uffizi) but also have several evenings where it says we have time to explore on our own and dinner isn't included. We would geatly appreciate the inside scoop and recommendations for activites, specific tours on our own and restaurants. Thank you!
Comments
Amy, I think it can be very frustrating to go on a tour for the first time, but this is especially true when one of the locations is Rome because itineraries can change for reasons that are out of control of the Tour company. In addition, Tauck feed you huge amounts of food, for instance, lunches can be long and huge. Sometimes we are so full from lunch we only need a snack for dinner. We are definitely people who like to eat, so when I say huge meals, I mean it.
You also only have a week, so doing something on your own within the tour is going to be tricky. My favorite site in Rome is the Pantheon, let’s see what others say. I love all of Florence, just walking around should not be under rated.i haven’t been to Venice since 1977 and attempts to return keep being thwarted. Enjoy!
The Pantheon is spectacular..................agreed.
Thank you so much for your thoughtful reply British. It was very helpful. Here is what I am thinking.... We arrive a day early - early in the morning. Low key day, maybe Grand Canal and some wandering. Dinner near our hotel Ca' di Dio with an evening stroll through Saint Mark's Square. Day 1 - before 6 PM we can visit inside St. Mark's. On one of the afternoon/evenings we are on our own in Florence, we are thinking of doing a walk over Ponte Vecchio and exploring the Oltrarno neighborhood. On our extra day in Rome we are thinking of doing the 10:45 Gladiator and Arena door tour of the Colesseum and later afternoon the Pantheon. That evening I'm thinking of doing a private tour just to see the monuments at night and a late dinner near our hotel. Does that sound too crazy? I won't worry about too many dinner plans because we will be just fine grabbing a light snack and wandering. Thanks again.
I have not done this specific tour. Hopefully someone who has will chime in at some point. Venice: The day you arrive a canal cruise will give you a good overview of the city in a relaxing way. Everyone has a different "jet lag" experience. You could also grab a water taxi over to Murano and see glass blowing or over to Burano for lace making. The concierge at the hotel can show you where to grab one, which is most likely right out side your hotel. On the day the tour starts try to go to the Doge's Palace and St Marks.. You can go to the top of the bell tower in St Mark's Square. Florence: It looks like you will see the David and Uffizi. The Museo di San Marco is a couple of blocks from the museum with the David. You could also walk back to the town center which will take you by the Medici Palace, Chapple de Medici or head over to St Lorenzo and St Lorenzo Market. The Duomo is a must. You can climb to the top and look over Florence. You can buy a separate ticket or one that includes the bell tower and the Baptistry. There is also a museum associated with it. The Bargello museum is very close to the hotel. Santa Croce has a nice collection famous tombs. It's prettier when lit up at night. For dinner; Giostra is very good. You could walk across the river and go to the Santo Spirito area which has more a more local vibe. We have done the evening Fat Tire Bike tour which was lot of fun. Haven't been to room in a while. Most restaurants are closed between 4 and seven in Italy for family time so you will need to plan accordingly. In addition some museums are closed certain days of the weeks so you will have to juggle that. In addition the first Sunday of every month some of the Florence museums are free to the public so check their website and get your tickets sooner than later. Some museums stay open until 7 or have special days, like today the Chappelle Medici is open until 11PM. Check out Classictic.com for concerts in Florence.
Try to see a performance at La Fenice in Venice. It's quite an opera house. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/La_Fenice
The Scala Contarini del Bovolo (Venice) with it's spiral staircase is interesting to see. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palazzo_Contarini_del_Bovolo
We did the tour a few years ago. Like your November timing, we went in March to avoid the crowds. We had been to Rome before, but not Venice or Florence.
From the front of your Venice hotel, while all the touristy stuff will be to your right, consider wandering to the left toward the Naval Museum, and then eventually veer into neighborhoods full of cafes, non-tourist shops, and Venetian locals. If you like to walk, try to find a landmark such as the Basilica di San Pietro in that “zone”, and then make your way back to the hotel. Other Venice things if you like to wander might be navigating to the interesting Peggy Guggenheim museum, and/or finding the excellent Pallazo Contarini del Bovolo and climbing to the top. If you want some good Venice pasta, there is a very popular little place called Dal Moro hidden away in an alley not too far from the Rialto Bridge. Very minimal counter seating there—most eat their carton of piping hot freshly made pasta in the alley. Lots of young people go there because the food is good and cheap. (Same with a popular sandwich shop called All’Antico close to your hotel in Florence.)
There are so many iconic places in Rome that a strategy might be keying on extra day things near the Coliseum. We think the nearby Capitoline Museum is outstanding, and in addition to all the historical treasures it has, there is a great view of the Forum from its high perch. Food? There are hundreds of choices. A very good Neapolitan pizza place really close to your hotel is Pizza Re. For a nicer meal, we like a place called il Falchetto. It is tucked away on a side street off the Via del Corso, about a 5 minute walk from the Pantheon. Mix of locals and tourists, friendly staff, and very good food.