I am new to the chat thing but I have been reading your postings and you all seem so great and knowledgable that I had to jump in. We are a family of 8 (5 adults & 3 kids) travelling to Italy the first 2 weeks of October. My sister whom we are travelling with has been a number of times but this is a first for myself and my kids. My husband is Italian (Sicilian parents but born in Canada) and has not been back since he was 6. We have rented a villa in Tuscany for the first week (flying into Florence) then on for 5 nights in Rome and 2 nights Venice (flying out of Venice). We are stil looking for our apartment(s)in Rome and was wondering the diferences in areas of Prati and Trastevere. Are thes good choices as they seem more reasonable that the areas around Piazza Navona.
gr8kate~ My friend and I and our to college age kids have just returned from Rome. We stayed at Hotel Ripa in Trastevere and found it to be a great location for us. You will have to be willing to take the metro and trams- after 1 or 2 trips you will have the hang of it. By the #8 tram we were able to be at Piazza Navona within minutes. How old are your children? What an experience for them! Sandi
I can't help you with the Rome stay but am curious what are your plans for the overall trip? are you doing all your daytrips together? etc. I always find it easier and more interesting to stay in the historic center of cities.RR
Thanks! This will be a great experience. My kids will be 7, 11 & 13 when we leave. We are not very experienced travellers so I am a bit anxious though.
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Originally posted by bugalu: gr8kate~ My friend and I and our to college age kids have just returned from Rome. We stayed at Hotel Ripa in Trastevere and found it to be a great location for us. You will have to be willing to take the metro and trams- after 1 or 2 trips you will have the hang of it. By the #8 tram we were able to be at Piazza Navona within minutes. How old are your children? What an experience for them! Sandi
Well, we will be renting 2 cars ijn Florence for the first week and will do daytrips from there to Siena, Pisa, Lucca and so on. My husband is a soccer fanatic so he is hoping to see at least one match during the trip. The 5 days in Rome will jsut be in Rome and then the train to Venice. Does this sound reasonable?
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Originally posted by Robert Rainey: I can't help you with the Rome stay but am curious what are your plans for the overall trip? are you doing all your daytrips together? etc. I always find it easier and more interesting to stay in the historic center of cities.RR
You are very lucky to be going to Italy for the very first time. I wish I could do that! A couple of words of advice: learn (and teach them) a few key polite phrases: grazie, dove il bagno per favore, scuzi, Roma e una bella cità, non parlo italiano, parle inglese? etc. Everything depends on your kids' interests. I don't want to sound like a sexist, but I'll risk it: boys will probably be more into the "old stones" and girls will probably be more into shopping. There. Of course, there is a lot of common ground, probably: art, nature, food, pilgrimage... Yes, you are very lucky; but they should realize that THEY are so very lucky too! So, don't be anxious! Relish this!
Posts: 473 | Location: Bayeux, France | Registered: 01 December 2001
Thanks and my 2 girls have taken a few Italian classes and their Dad does know some Italian (though very slang!)
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Originally posted by Normandy Dude: You are very lucky to be going to Italy for the very first time. I wish I could do that! A couple of words of advice: learn (and teach them) a few key polite phrases: grazie, dove il bagno per favore, scuzi, Roma e una bella cità, non parlo italiano, parle inglese? etc. Everything depends on your kids' interests. I don't want to sound like a sexist, but I'll risk it: boys will probably be more into the "old stones" and girls will probably be more into shopping. There. Of course, there is a lot of common ground, probably: art, nature, food, pilgrimage... Yes, you are very lucky; but they should realize that THEY are so very lucky too! So, don't be anxious! Relish this!
Since no one has weighed in on the question about Prati and Trastevere, here's my view, for what it's worth. Prati is mainly a residential area, with a major shopping street, Via Cola di Rienzo, where you can probably find anything you might need. There are restaurants in the area, but not as many as in Trastevere or the historical center (Pantheon, Campo de Fiori, Piazza Navona). With the possible exceptions of the Vatican Museums, St. Peter's Basilica and the Castel Sant'Angelo, you will probably have to use public transportation to get to most points of interest.
Trastevere is much more artsy-craftsy and off-beat, and it has many restaurants and cafes. Depending on your location, the streets will be full of people until late at night, just as in the historical center. The side east of Viale Trastevere is a little more rundown than the side west of the Viale. If you are fairly close to Santa Maria in Trastevere and the Tiber, it is very easy to get to the historical center by taking the pedestrian Ponte Sisto. If you are closer to the Viale, the No. 8 tram will take you to Largo Argentina, froom where you can also easily reach most of the historical center.
Originally posted by gr8kate:they seem more reasonable that the areas around Piazza Navona.
If by "reasonable", you mean lower in price, that is probably true. However -- we stayed in the Jewish Ghetto area for 5 nights last summer, near Largo Argentina, with our 13 & 16 yr olds. The location was VERY central to all of the sites and was close to Campo de Fiori for the market, and night life.
We stayed in this apartment and paid about $2300 USD for the 5 nights (for 6 of us). There are other apartments in the same building, which might be convenient for your large party of 8.
Originally posted by gr8kate: Well, we will be renting 2 cars ijn Florence for the first week and will do daytrips from there to Siena, Pisa, Lucca and so on.
I would reconsider the rental, at least for some of the daytrips you mentioned. While a car can be great for visiting the Tuscan countryside, all of the cities you mentioned are connected by excellent railway lines. From Florence to Pistoia, for instnace, the trains takes 40 minutes, and there are trains ever 20-30 minutes since very early in the morning until midnight. Train ticket is about 3 euro per person each way, and can be ought on the spot, right before leaving, from the newagents. Lucca and Pisa are a bit further away, tickets are, I believe, about 5 euro per person, but the service is similar. Plus, traveling by train, you avoid the huge hassle of having to negotiate the streets of Florence. I would only consider renting the car for 1 day, to make a foray in the Chianti area. Also, I would consider reducing daytrips to 2 or 3 maximum.
This sounds great however I think our villa is about a 1/2 hour from Florence. It's called Castille di Pastine (www.pastine.it, I think) Is train travel still an option from there?
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Originally posted by Alice Twain:
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Originally posted by gr8kate: Well, we will be renting 2 cars ijn Florence for the first week and will do daytrips from there to Siena, Pisa, Lucca and so on.
I would reconsider the rental, at least for some of the daytrips you mentioned. While a car can be great for visiting the Tuscan countryside, all of the cities you mentioned are connected by excellent railway lines. From Florence to Pistoia, for instnace, the trains takes 40 minutes, and there are trains ever 20-30 minutes since very early in the morning until midnight. Train ticket is about 3 euro per person each way, and can be ought on the spot, right before leaving, from the newagents. Lucca and Pisa are a bit further away, tickets are, I believe, about 5 euro per person, but the service is similar. Plus, traveling by train, you avoid the huge hassle of having to negotiate the streets of Florence. I would only consider renting the car for 1 day, to make a foray in the Chianti area. Also, I would consider reducing daytrips to 2 or 3 maximum.
Nope, it's not even close to Florence, it's in Colle Val d'Elsa, which is about one hour (maybe slightly less, say 40 minutes) from Florence. The location can be great if you are visiting Siena, southern Chianti, northern Maremma, San Gimignano, Volterra and the like; Florence is doable from that location, so is Pisa, but I would honestly focus my attention elsewhere instead of on northern Tuscany as you plan to do. I would stay in the countryside, limiting my city explorations to Siena and Florence. For a plan of daytrips like yours, staying in Florence seems mandatory to me. As an altenrative, I wold consider staying in queieter Pistoia or Lucca, certainly not as far and out of reach as in Colle (which is gorgeous, by the way, just not Florence!)
Oh dear, we have already put our deposit on this villa as my sister stayed there in May and liked it. Though now I question it's location especially with kids in tow.
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Originally posted by Alice Twain: Nope, it's not even close to Florence, it's in Colle Val d'Elsa, which is about one hour (maybe slightly less, say 40 minutes) from Florence. The location can be great if you are visiting Siena, southern Chianti, northern Maremma, San Gimignano, Volterra and the like; Florence is doable from that location, so is Pisa, but I would honestly focus my attention elsewhere instead of on northern Tuscany as you plan to do. I would stay in the countryside, limiting my city explorations to Siena and Florence. For a plan of daytrips like yours, staying in Florence seems mandatory to me. As an altenrative, I wold consider staying in queieter Pistoia or Lucca, certainly not as far and out of reach as in Colle (which is gorgeous, by the way, just not Florence!)
I am pretty sure that the plce is gorgeous like your sister said. I would just revise your plans for which places to visit. From Colle, Siena is just a short drive, so is San Gimignano, Massa Marittima and Volterra are just a little further away. You could also consider traveling to the beach from there (no swimming, but for walks it's OK).
I'm with Alice, but with kids just limit the length of time you're in the car for daytrips. Oh and don't plan full every day. Our kids enjoyed a day or two where we didn't do much of anything.
I repeat my usual advice,don't forget your base.there is a reason you are staying there so don't daytrip every day.Stay within walking/biking/15 minute drive for two days at least. RR
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