Is it a good time to plan a trip to Rome? [more inside]
posted on Oct 8, 2008 - 12 answers

I'm leaving for Europe this week and will be gone for about two and a half weeks. I've got a bunch of family in Germany so they'll be showing me around there, but I'm also planning on going to Italy for approximately five days, give or take (no rigid schedule). I was hoping some people could give me some first hand recommendations on what would really make my experience a blast. [more inside]
posted on Sep 9, 2008 - 4 answers

I plan to drive from Venice, Italy to Valenica, Spain in April or May 2009 using the following route. I will stay for a few days or weeks in little spots along the way. I should have about six weeks in total. I mostly want to see a little of Spain and Italy, the French Riviera, Montpellier, Marseilles and finish at Valencia. Apart from that anything else I should try to see? Any parts of the chosen route I should avoid? What's driving like along that route? Any rental car companies which will let me pick up in Italy and drop off in Spain?
posted on Aug 8, 2008 - 12 answers

How does a 40ish year old male with enough money find his way around Europe without foreign language skills? Is it possible to hire guides to travel with, or at least to show them around on a city-by-city basis for this sort of thing? I'm thinking specifically France, Spain, Italy. Willing to use University students or some other creative possibility. [more inside]
posted on Aug 5, 2008 - 18 answers

What is the best way to travel throughout Italy? So far we're looking at Venice, Florence, Pisa, Milan, etc. People have been recommending the Italy Rail Passes from here. Is it better to get one of these? Or would it be better to get a ticket at the train station for city to city? Or are there other options that I should know of? [more inside]
posted on Jun 9, 2008 - 12 answers

What is a good way to spend some downtime in central Venice? [more inside]
posted on May 29, 2008 - 17 answers

What do I wear in central Italy this July so that I don't instantly look like a North American (Canadian) tourist. I'm a 60-year old petite blond. [more inside]
posted on May 27, 2008 - 15 answers

I need ideas for mounting screening on windows during a 3-week visit to Italy. We're staying in a house in Tuscany for 3 weeks and I understand it's not common to screen windows in Italy, and that there a lot of mosquitoes. My only idea is to bring some window screening with me and to stick it up on the window frames with duct tape. [more inside]
posted on May 20, 2008 - 9 answers

I'm thinking of taking a day/weekend trip from Lyon (Rhône-Alpes) to... somewhere. I'd like the destination city to be pretty close. Any suggestions? [more inside]
posted on Apr 17, 2008 - 10 answers

I am looking for some books to read before my trip to Tuscany. [more inside]
posted on Mar 19, 2008 - 8 answers

I need to find a cheap hotel in Florence, Italy during a large conference (April 5-10, 2008). All the conference-affiliated cheap hotels are booked. What are my options? [more inside]
posted on Feb 27, 2008 - 11 answers

I'm looking for recommendations for books, movies and even music that might be relevant for a group of middle school (7th & 8th grade, ages 12-14) kids who are going to Rome over spring break. [more inside]
posted on Feb 3, 2008 - 8 answers

Novice Travel photography. I'm just learning how to use my fancy new SLR that wife purchased for, among other things, our big three week trip to Italy coming up soon. I've been before; wife has not. So having seen the things we are going to see, I want to make memorable pictures to have while she soaks things in. SO the questions is: what skills, techniques or tricks should I learn and practice with and what traveling issues should I be aware of with my camera and camera bag? (Italy advice also welcome.) [more inside]
posted on Jan 23, 2008 - 21 answers

Please help me be a gift-giving genius. I think I want to arrange a lovely but not-too-expensive lunch or dinner for my friend in Pietrasanta, Italy, where he is now living. I've never been there, know nothing about the town, and don't speak Italian. [more inside]
posted on Dec 18, 2007 - 3 answers

I'm visiting Naples and the Amalfi coast over the winter break. I'll be there a week. I couldn't care less about when to go and how to get there or where to stay, because that's all taken care of. I'm looking for the best guidebook that emphasizes history, background and things to do. Good recommendations for places to eat would be a nice plus. What would you suggest? Right now my leading candidate is the Lonely Planet guide, but in the past I've found they're not so hot on places to eat.
posted on Nov 21, 2007 - 8 answers

What are your favorite nontraditional, nontouristy, alternative, culturally-insightful things to do in or near Venice, Florence, and Rome? I mean the deeper anthropological kind of culture, not museums, opera, etc. I'm not looking for the usual must-see tourist destinations or the things that epitomize a city. I want the fascinating little finds you accidentally stumbled on and loved, but which few or no tours would have found because they aren't "sights". If it can give me a glimpse of how contemporary Italians see the world, to appreciate a bit more what it's like to be them, that's a turbo bonus. No points off for plain old fun activities either. [more inside]
posted on Nov 6, 2007 - 12 answers

Inspired in part by this thread I want to rent a villa in Tuscany. I am reluctant - perhaps needlessly - to do this all over the InterWebs. Does anyone have any experience with an Italian villa renting agent? My ideal answer would be of the form "Contact Signore Agente, he found us a great villa!" But really, any insights from actual experience would be helpful.
posted on Oct 19, 2007 - 6 answers

Any recommendations for a place to spend 7 days in Italy? [more inside]
posted on Sep 13, 2007 - 14 answers

The boyfriend and I are planning a trip to Italy in late October. We are still struggling with one thing, though: what to do during planned day trips to Florence and Venice. If you had to recommend one or two destinations or experiences that really epitomize the spirit of these two cities, what would they be? [more inside]
posted on Aug 20, 2007 - 25 answers

I am planning a trip to Italy for early August. What are some services that will make booking and going on the trip go smoothly? [more inside]
posted on May 31, 2007 - 7 answers

Where can I buy 4x5 Polaroid Sheet Film in Rome? [more inside]
posted on May 13, 2007 - 1 answers

One week in Italy, one week in Greece, two weeks in Spain. What can't I miss? What should I avoid? Where should I stay? What else should I know? [more inside]
posted on Apr 14, 2007 - 24 answers

What can I do for a month this summer that will get me out of the country, cover my costs, and cover my bills back home? [more inside]
posted on Apr 11, 2007 - 21 answers

Where can the Eurotrash lay their weary heads in Cinque Terre? [more inside]
posted on Feb 6, 2007 - 17 answers

Looking for advice on travelling in Italy during the Easter season. This is our frist trip there, and we'll be there the week before and after the holiday. Planning to fly into Rome, out of Venice with (hopefully) a stop in Florence in between. How does the holiday affect our ability to get around, find rooms, and places to eat? More detail inside. [more inside]
posted on Jan 8, 2007 - 8 answers

How to spend 7 days in Italy? [more inside]
posted on Oct 30, 2006 - 26 answers

So my husband and I just flew back from a vacation in Rome yesterday, where we had a wonderful time. Now it's four in the morning and I'm wide awake. So while I'm sitting here pondering the stinky laundry I must tackle later today, I'm wondering if some of you can answer some of our random questions about things we saw and experienced, stuff that wasn't addressed in the guide books. Here goes: [more inside]
posted on Oct 6, 2006 - 28 answers

Why can't I purchase a cheap air ticket on Italian MyAir.com from the US? [more inside]
posted on Sep 5, 2006 - 11 answers

following up on this great thread about venice; i'd like to attend this year's film festival, and wondered if anyone - especially a foreigner - had attended this festival and has any specific tips about affordable accommodation, and any other tips you may have.
posted on Jul 28, 2006 - 3 answers

I'd like to go to Modena, Italy in early December to meet some friends. I'd also like to attend a student festival in Trondheim, Norway, in mid-February. What else can I do between December and February? [more inside]
posted on Jun 22, 2006 - 6 answers

I'm attending a meeting in Catania, on the east coast of Sicily, July 3-7, and taking my wife and 12-year-old son. We'd like to leave London June 28, spend four or five days in Rome or Venice, then return from Catania July 8 or 9, and not break the bank. I know there are lots of discount airlines in Europe, and we'd also consider train or bus within Italy, but right now I have too many variables and not enough equations. Thanks! [more inside]
posted on Jun 5, 2006 - 7 answers

My wife & I will be spending 4 days in Northern Italy this weekend and would like to do some walking - does anyone have any recommendations or know of any sites where I can find itineraries for day or half day walks? [more inside]
posted on May 23, 2006 - 5 answers

7 friends and I will be traveling to Tuscany in mid-June and are looking for accommodations. We would prefer to stay in a villa as opposed to a hotel. Has anyone spent considerable time in Tuscany who can recommend a place to stay. Price is not really a concern at this point.
posted on Apr 26, 2006 - 8 answers

Has anyone flown to Italy via Eurofly? [more inside]
posted on Apr 14, 2006 - 4 answers

I am flying into the International Airport in Rome, then I need to get to Siena. I am wondering the best way to do this. [more inside]
posted on Feb 24, 2006 - 13 answers

I'll be in Europe during the Winter Olympics in Turin, so I thought I'd swing by to catch an event or two. I got online to book a hotel today, and there's nothing available (big surprise). However, I still want to go... should I stay in Milan or Genova and catch a train into town for a day trip or something? I've never been to Italy... so I don't know how complicated it would be to "catch a train" for a day trip.
posted on Dec 5, 2005 - 2 answers

Where to meet friends at Malpensa airport, Milan, Italy? [more inside]
posted on Sep 2, 2005 - 3 answers

I'm travelling to Italy in late August and am looking for hotel recommendations for Milan, Florence, and Rome. I'm looking for not the most expensive, but not the least expensive. Maybe 3-4 stars? I'm also looking more for an "Italian" experience than a big chain hotel. I'd be happier in something that is smaller and older (if well kept) or more of a boutique-type place. I'll be travelling by train and won't have much more than 2 days per city, unfortunately, so a central location is important to me. If there are any Italians or Italy travellers who might be willing to advise me, I'd really appreciate it!
posted on Jun 19, 2005 - 11 answers

Can you help me get the most out of my upcoming trip to New York City, Italy, Greece and Zurich, Switzerland? [more inside]
posted on Apr 21, 2005 - 11 answers

CheapItalyHotelFilter: I'm going there in a few weeks, and need recommendations for 50 euros or less. Any ideas? +
posted on Dec 18, 2004 - 35 answers

quality temporary living quarters in florence? with internet access? i have a friend who is there and could use some help... thanks in advance.
posted on Oct 12, 2004 - 4 answers

My wife and I are planning a 10-12 day trip to Italy in late Sept. and are looking for advice. We are torn between a guided tour-type trip where the majority is planned out for you or just getting tickets and hotel rooms and making the plans while we are there. Any advice or experience?
posted on Aug 13, 2004 - 21 answers

We're considering going to Europe for a few weeks this summer, and thought about the possibility of exchanging houses with someone over there, as a way of saving money (we have a house in San Francisco, a pretty popular place to visit).

But we're worried about the possibility of ending up with some crooks or thoughtless people in our house, and coming back home to find that we've been ripped off, had property messed up, etc. Has anyone had any experiences with any reliable (or not so reliable) places that help make house exchanges successful (e.g., screening applicants, etc.)?
posted on Jan 21, 2004 - 13 answers

I'm traveling to Italy from America in a couple of weeks, and I want to take my digital camera (Sony DSC-P3) with me. I went to go buy a power transformer and plug adaptor and the transformer said on the back that it was not for use with computers. Google and the Sony site aren't helping me determine if a regular transformer will be sufficient; they haven't suggested any alternatives either though. I thought I would try mefi travelers before I ask the dude at Radio Shack.
posted on Dec 20, 2003 - 6 answers