We just returned from 14 days in Italy. It was our first trip over seas. We planned the entire trip ourselves, most of it using the Slow Travel website and researching other Slow Travelers posts. We flew into Venice, train to Florence, rental car to tiny Montechiello, and then train to Rome, and flew home from there. Stayed in apartments in each spot. We had a wonderful time. I am so grateful for Slow Travel.

We're happy to hear from you and that you had such a successful trip.

We hope you will become active on the board. With the experience you have just acquired you will surely be of assistance to others who plan or will plan their trips.

Looking forward to meeting you often on the message board.

I, too, planned my second trip to Italy (the first one was a disaster - nobody's fault but my own!) with the help of SlowTrav experts. Well, maybe "experts" is a bit flowery, but at least a whole lot of people who knew a whole lot more about Italy than I did.

I hope you will share your new knowledge with all of us, especially those of us planning another trip! Welcome to SlowTrav!

2c I would love to hear more about your trip! I am planning an Italy trip in May 08 with husband and daughter also for 2 weeks but may want to include going to Sicily and possibly Paris. I'd like to do it ourselves and I have the Pauline Frommer book but I am feeling overwhelmed. So much research to do but can't wait to really get into planning. I hope to see your posts as you share your trip. Thanks