OK, first trip to Italy is exactly two weeks from now. My wife and I leave on June 10 for 15 days in Florence, Tuscany, and Rome. We've got our places, our rental car (picked up when we leave Florence, dropped off when we get to Rome). We have our money exchanged, our insurance purchased, and our tickets to the Uffizi and the Academia arranged through our hotel. I've got my international drivers licence. We have yet to arrange our transport from Rome airport to Tremini (probably just going to take the train) or to the airport on our departure (probably going to have a shuttle service).

My question is what last minute stuff should my wife and I be considering? We feel we've neglected Rome a bit and haven't planned much there as of yet, but is there anything we should bring with us that we can't get there? Any decisions yet to make? Any last minute advice? I feel a bit like my head is swimming with details even though we've been planning the trip for the better part of a year. My whole plan was to NOT have to be running around like mad the last week to get things put together, and yet...

Thanks in advance!

Get those special blister bandages. they really work! Print our restaurant reviews from ST.

--think about all that.
Sorry I am not being more helpful. I leave Sunday and my mind is swimming a bit too.

jan

Last minute:

Make sure you look around your house before you leave it, and your car or airport taxi before you leave that. Seriously....Saves missing belts, cameras, papers, etc.

Thanks jan, I was considering bringing those myself this time.

udder - first, take a deep breath and have a fabulous vacation. second, make a list, no, make two, one for the things you need to remember to take and one for the house stuff that you need to take care of before you leave.
Lists are one of my comfort zones, and they're easy to check off as the big day approaches.

Don't worry about Rome. I'm assuming you have a guidebook or have printed some pages online. Sounds like it's the end of your trip? You'll have time to make some notes while you're there, and remember, if you're tired out from the early part of traveling, Rome is simply wonderful when you're not doing much besides strolling, dining, strolling. The mantra is that you'll go back, so priortize the few things that are most important, and do not try to do too much in any one day.

Have a great vacation,

I assume you don't want my 5 page list of items that I check off before every trip, so just let me say "Swiss Army Knife".

It never mattered whether I was going to spend a month sleeping in a tent or in a nice hotel, I have never had a trip where I didn't need that clunky knife for something (can't have an impromptu picnic without one, you know).

Thanks all - good advice - I'll be sure to take a Swiss Army Knife. I'll need something to cut chunks of cheese and open bottles of wine on our Tuscan picnics!

Good advice also on Rome - it is at the end of our trip and we haven't had all of our attention on it. I assume part of our time when eating cheese and drinking wine in Tuscany will be spent deciding what to do in Rome...

Blister bandages? That's an excellent idea. I'm still not sure what footwear to have in Florence/Rome and Tuscany - I know we'll be walking a lot. Shoes are something I still have to get...

Any shoe suggestions?
Thanks,
Steve.

Go hereand check out the Italian traffic signs and driving instruction. Other interesting material here also. Most of all enjoy. You will wonder why you waited so long.

Regards,

Foot Notes

Over on the main site is a Travel Checklist you may find helpful.

Have a wonderful time, and please return here to share your experiences and reviews!

Thanks Amy for the link - that is very helpful and there were some things we hadn't done or thought of.

I'll be sure to return with reviews and comments. One of the reasons we're going to Italy, in addition to it being a 10th anniversary gift to ourselves, is that we're going out to a wedding (the bride is a frequent poster who posts often on this site and told us about the site when we were planning for our trip).

Thanks again.
Steve.

hello steve,
if you are planning on getting new shoes for your trip - get them NOW so you can break them in during the two weeks prior to your departure. and definitely bring along those big heel bandaides.

actually, i advise my travelers NOT to wear new shoes, but to wear their favorite comfy walking shoes (the ladies can always buy or bring something fancy to wear to dinner).

i agree with marian about the last minute check but also recommend that you make a list of all the "must-not-forget's", such as passports, medications, money, credit cards, insurance info, trip itinerary, maps, etc... and check off the items as you confirm them.

give yourself plenty of time to get to the airport. check www.tsa.gov for all the restrictions and regulations related to carry-on baggage. it's awful to get stopped by security because you have not followed the requirements.

then get on the plane and relax while you anticipate the fun you're going to have!

Amy, thanks for the link to the list of things to do. I am afraid that after all these years and trips we have become quite negligent about some of these things and adequately preparing. I needed the wake-up call. Particularly after preparing for a year, we have been rather sloppy for this trip.

quote:

I'll be sure to take a Swiss Army Knife.

be sure to put it in your packed luggage, not carryon.