Day 1: A Roman holiday

We arrived in Rome on a sunny Saturday afternoon, a bit tired after 12 hours of transit, but ready to get started! Instead of taking a taxi from Fiumicino Airport, we opted for the Leonardo Express (only consider this if you're travelling light) which took us into the city for E14.00 each. You can buy your tickets at the Biglietto Veloce machines, just make sure you have a 4-digit pin for your credit card--the machine will not complete the sale without it. We ended up buying our tickets from an agent.  
The train brings you to Rome Termini Station, where we then took the Metro to the stop closest to our hotel. All told, though very convenient, it was quite a shuffle getting from the airport to the hotel using public transportation, so for next time I would probably just take a taxi.
When we emerged from the Spagna stop, we popped up just outside the walls of the old city. After a little back and forth to orient ourselves, we were within a stone's throw of the hotel. The hotel is in a beautiful building on a very nice street, within walking distance of the Spanish Steps. At this point, hunger began to take over, and realizing that most restaurants were in that in-between time of lunch and dinner (it was 6:00pm, and most restaurants start serving dinner around 7:00pm), we opted to go across the street to Harry's Bar. The service was friendly and attentive, the food was OK but on the pricey side. The drinks are probably what make this place an institution. Order a Negroni and you'll be in a vacation mindset, happily imbibed! After dinner, we were all exhausted, so time to rest up and get ready for Day 2.

Here's the scoop on the travel details:

1. FCO (Fiumicino Airport, Leonardo da Vinci International Airport)
Via dell'aeroporto di Fiumicino, 320
00054 Fiumicino Roma, Italia
06 65951

to Rome Termini
Leonardo Express (http://europeforvisitors.com/rome/transportation/leonardo-express.htm)

Rome Taxi (http://europeforvisitors.com/rome/transportation/rome-taxis.htm)

Go to Spagna stop, follow signs for Villa Borghese (parking?), walk through weird underground shopping area (past underground supermarket).
Metrebus (subway/bus) tickets: http://europeforvisitors.com/rome/transportation/rome-metrebus-tickets-and-fares.htm

Buy tickets

• Ticket counters in Metro stations (Have cash for this or buy from Tabachi, 24 hour pass is from midnight to midnight -- not a good deal for us!  Single ticket is 1E)

The Itinerary for 10 days in Rome, Florence and Venice!

© Pictures of Rome courtesy of Rome.info

My husband and I are planning this trip on our own, and I'm starting to understand all the work that a travel agent does (or should do)! We've researched everything online, doing a lot of cross-referencing between websites. TripAdvisor has proven to be an invaluable resource, as well as EuropeForVisitors, and of course, for dining, Chowhound. So finally, we've mapped out a itinerary, so here goes:

DAY 1: Saturday afternoon, arrive in Rome. Take train to Marriott Grand Flora. Check-in, relax a little, head over to the Spanish Steps and Trevi Fountain.
DAY 2: Sunday. Since most museums are closed, and parts of the city are closed to traffic, we'll head over to the Colosseum.
DAY 3: Monday morning, visit the Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel. Afternoon, check out of the hotel, take the train back to the airport and pick up rental car. Drive to Florence, arrive in the early evening. Check into Fiorenza B&B on the outskirts of the city.
DAY 4: Tuesday, since we have the car, take a day trip to see the Leaning Tower of Pisa in the morning. Drive to San Gimignano and spend the afternoon.
DAY 5: Wednesday morning, take a quick 2-hour trip to one of the outlets (not sure if it will be The Mall or Barberino). Have lunch there, then drive back to Florence, return the car, and spend the rest of the afternoon wandering around Florence.
DAY 6: Thursday. A full day in Florence, starting with a visit to the Uffizi. If the kids can handle it, we'll visit the Duomo.
DAY 7: Friday, spend the morning in Florence. After lunch, check out of Fiorenza B&B, and head over to the train station to take the train to Venice. Arrive in Venice in the evening and check into Oltre il Giardino
DAY 8: Saturday. Take a trip over to Murano in the morning, spend the afternoon roaming around. Venice will be the "relaxing" part of the trip.
DAY 9: Sunday. We'll spend most of the day roaming around, with the requisite visit to Piazza San Marco.
DAY 10: Check out of Oltre il Giardino, and head over to the Venice airport to, sadly,  fly back to New York.

So there it is! I'd welcome any comments, tips or suggestions, especially if you've visited any of these cities.

Getting ready for a trip to Italy!

© Pictures of Rome courtesy of Rome.info

Welcome to Travelisima! I've started this blog to chronicle our adventures as we travel, hoping to preserve memories and share our experiences with others who decide to take a trip like this. We're a family of four, heading to Italy for ten days, with little more than two overhead-sized carry on bags (that's a challenge, even for a thrifty shopper like me!) This is the first "real" trip I've taken since I started blogging on Shopalicious! five years ago--not counting several jaunts home to Barbados--so I think it warrants it's own blog. Enjoy!