Travel tips/insights to southern Italy (Sicily, Naples, Rome) (1 Viewer)

[Swamprat]

Family is considering taking a trip to Italy, mainly Sicily, at some point in the future and I’m looking to see if any of you have been there and have first-hand experience(s)/tips/insights that you can share. Currently, the agenda is still being formulated.. meaning, we’re still trying to figure out what we would like to see/do, how to do it, cautions, must-do, etc.

Would likely spend most of the time in Sicily, with a brief pass through of the mainland (Naples, Rome). Sicily is the main focus as my great-grandfather and a couple of his siblings immigrated from there to South Louisiana in the late 1800s. This part of the trip is retracing the migration, you might say.

Kids are in their mid-20s and are pretty much open to anything.

 

[guidomerkinsrules]

Taormina
Trust me

 

[efil4stnias]

I'll be watching this thread...we going June 30 thru July 6 . Staying just outside Rome in small town Rocco di Papa (but on train line ). AirBnB since sister and husband going also.

@superchuck500 and @TXSAINTFAN both just returned so I'm sure they can pass along some ideas.

My sister lived in Florence for 18 months so she already has "mapped out our itinerary " lolol. I know my oldest wants to visit Pompei, wife would like to attend Mass at the Vatican, and I'm pretty sure we gonna try and make a day/night in Amalfi.

 

[CajunInVA]

Went to Rome this summer with our family and totally enjoyed it. We got a tour guide just for us and it was a life saver. One day we had a detailed tour through the Vatican Museum and St Peters. That was nice. But where it really mattered was the next day. We rented a van to go along with the guide and were able to zip around Rome while getting a little A/C rejuvenation, because it was hot the first week of July, when we were there.

Licensed guides in Rome have to go through extensive training and take exams to be licensed. I think it was six years for ours and they make you do a defense, like for a thesis. It’s not just multiple choice. They now their stuff!

If you want contact information or just more info in general, feel free to PM me.

 

[Swampy Saint]

This thread will age very well.

 

[efil4stnias]

Went to Rome this summer with our family and totally enjoyed it. We got a tour guide just for us and it was a life saver. One day we had a detailed tour through the Vatican Museum and St Peters. That was nice. But where it really mattered was the next day. We rented a van to go along with the guide and were able to zip around Rome while getting a little A/C rejuvenation, because it was hot the first week of July, when we were there.

Licensed guides in Rome have to go through extensive training and take exams to be licensed. I think it was six years for ours and they make you do a defense, like for a thesis. It’s not just multiple choice. They now their stuff!

If you want contact information or just more info in general, feel free to PM me.

Is it book able by day or have to do multiple days? Rough cost?

 

[guidomerkinsrules]

I'll be watching this thread...we going June 30 thru July 6 . Staying just outside Rome in small town Rocco di Papa (but on train line ). AirBnB since sister and husband going also.

@superchuck500 and @TXSAINTFAN both just returned so I'm sure they can pass along some ideas.

My sister lived in Florence for 18 months so she already has "mapped out our itinerary " lolol. I know my oldest wants to visit Pompei, wife would like to attend Mass at the Vatican, and I'm pretty sure we gonna try and make a day/night in Amalfi.

Rome is obviously great to see, but I felt Florence was the best to just be in
Rome was like a regular ol city with some amazing historical sites just nestled in
Florence was like Barcelona for me - just wall to wall vibrancy /architecture - food

But riding Vespas in Rome is one of the most exciting things I’ve done with clothes on
;also rode Vespas along Appia Antica to the Sea - that was cool)

 

[CajunInVA]

Rome is obviously great to see, but I felt Florence was the best to just be in
Rome was like a regular ol city with some amazing historical sites just nestled in
Florence was like Barcelona for me - just wall to wall vibrancy /architecture - food

But riding Vespas in Rome is one of the most exciting things I’ve done with clothes on
;also rode Vespas along Appia Antica to the Sea - that was cool)

Is it book able by day or have to do multiple days? Rough cost?

We did four hours the first day for the tour of the Vatican Museum/Vatican City. That was €350, cash, and the price of the tickets to the museum. We had to send her our credit card information so she could book the tickets for us because of some rule about tickets being bought outside of Italy. I do not remember what they cost, but I don't think it was very much. And for context, our group was five, me, my wife, and our three kids (9, 12, 14). I do not know if the price varies on group size. I can tell you that the guide has able to sweet talk some guides into letting take some shortcuts that others weren't necessarily getting.

The second day we did the city of Rome. It was six hours for €490, cash, and the van was €275 for five hours. The van could hold six people comfortably, plus the guide and driver. We were there July 4 and 5, and it was pretty hot. The A/C on the van was great. We saw a lot of people renting golf carts, which saves the steps, but doesn't give the cooling. No idea how much those cost. So, we saw the Forum, Capitoline Hill, Trevi Fountain, The Spanish Steps, the place where Julius Caesar was killed, the Pantheon, had time for a lunch, and a couple of other smaller places of interest. You really get to design the tour. Just let them know what you want to see. We went back the next day to tour the Coliseum on our own. Much like Vatican Museum, I'm sure you can hire them for that, too. For this day we bought €18 Forum tickets ourselves, and the guide bought the €4 Pantheon tickets, which we reimbursed her for in addition to the tour. We had to buy separate Coliseum tickets for the next day for €24. If you time it correctly, you can use this ticket to get into the Forum grounds, too. The Coliseum ticket is a timed entry and then you have 24 hours access from then to enter the Forum grounds.

We also went to Madrid and Barcelona on this trip. Barcelona we picked out sites and saw some cool things and had a lot of fun, but I left still not knowing much about the city. For Madrid, we did a "Free Tour" after a local friend of ours recommended it. Free Tour is a pay what you think its worth app. The guide we had seemed good, but she could have been totally lying to us and we wouldn't have known. But we did leave feeling like we knew more about what we visited. I'm glad we did the tour and I will do a tour guide if/when we go back to Barcelona.

 

[CajunInVA]

Rome is obviously great to see, but I felt Florence was the best to just be in
Rome was like a regular ol city with some amazing historical sites just nestled in
Florence was like Barcelona for me - just wall to wall vibrancy /architecture - food

But riding Vespas in Rome is one of the most exciting things I’ve done with clothes on
;also rode Vespas along Appia Antica to the Sea - that was cool)

Vespas/motorcycles in Rome are insane! I can't imagine how many get knocked down a day. It's a true free for all with limited rules (other than absolutely yield to pedestrians in cross walks). I didn't risk it, but understand your explanation of it very well.

 

[guidomerkinsrules]

Vespas/motorcycles in Rome are insane! I can't imagine how many get knocked down a day. It's a true free for all with limited rules (other than absolutely yield to pedestrians in cross walks). I didn't risk it, but understand your explanation of it very well.

I’d had maybe 6 years of biking in NYC so was kinda used to hyper aggressive driving* - being at a stoplight with 40 other Vespas gripping throttles and jockeying for position and just exploding at the light change - such a rush

* it was much easier biking in hyper aggressive traffic than traffic that’s 25% mad at bikers on principal, 25% dangerously polite , 25% distracted and 25% just regular folk

 

[efil4stnias]

We did four hours the first day for the tour of the Vatican Museum/Vatican City. That was €350, cash, and the price of the tickets to the museum. We had to send her our credit card information so she could book the tickets for us because of some rule about tickets being bought outside of Italy. I do not remember what they cost, but I don't think it was very much. And for context, our group was five, me, my wife, and our three kids (9, 12, 14). I do not know if the price varies on group size. I can tell you that the guide has able to sweet talk some guides into letting take some shortcuts that others weren't necessarily getting.

The second day we did the city of Rome. It was six hours for €490, cash, and the van was €275 for five hours. The van could hold six people comfortably, plus the guide and driver. We were there July 4 and 5, and it was pretty hot. The A/C on the van was great. We saw a lot of people renting golf carts, which saves the steps, but doesn't give the cooling. No idea how much those cost. So, we saw the Forum, Capitoline Hill, Trevi Fountain, The Spanish Steps, the place where Julius Caesar was killed, the Pantheon, had time for a lunch, and a couple of other smaller places of interest. You really get to design the tour. Just let them know what you want to see. We went back the next day to tour the Coliseum on our own. Much like Vatican Museum, I'm sure you can hire them for that, too. For this day we bought €18 Forum tickets ourselves, and the guide bought the €4 Pantheon tickets, which we reimbursed her for in addition to the tour. We had to buy separate Coliseum tickets for the next day for €24. If you time it correctly, you can use this ticket to get into the Forum grounds, too. The Coliseum ticket is a timed entry and then you have 24 hours access from then to enter the Forum grounds.

We also went to Madrid and Barcelona on this trip. Barcelona we picked out sites and saw some cool things and had a lot of fun, but I left still not knowing much about the city. For Madrid, we did a "Free Tour" after a local friend of ours recommended it. Free Tour is a pay what you think its worth app. The guide we had seemed good, but she could have been totally lying to us and we wouldn't have known. But we did leave feeling like we knew more about what we visited. I'm glad we did the tour and I will do a tour guide if/when we go back to Barcelona.

Thanks! That makes sense and I may have to override my sister ( who loves to be "travel guide") on a day or two lol.


So we were going to do Barcelona as well but then decided on Athens. So we fly out Rome on 7th to Athens for the last 6 days of trip.

 

[CajunInVA]

I’d had maybe 6 years of biking in NYC so was kinda used to hyper aggressive driving* - being at a stoplight with 40 other Vespas gripping throttles and jockeying for position and just exploding at the light change - such a rush

* it was much easier biking in hyper aggressive traffic than traffic that’s 25% made at bikers on principal, 25% dangerously polite , 25% distracted and 25% just regular folk

I think an individual American in Rome can get their way when driving. Rome driving is super aggressive off the start, but people yield quickly when they realized they didn't win and just fall into line. It's very fluid and artistic, if not terrifying at times. Can't work in the US, because Americans never yield for anyone. But if an American goes aggressive in Rome, he/she can get their way because everyone else will yield.

 

[efil4stnias]

Rome is obviously great to see, but I felt Florence was the best to just be in
Rome was like a regular ol city with some amazing historical sites just nestled in
Florence was like Barcelona for me - just wall to wall vibrancy /architecture - food

But riding Vespas in Rome is one of the most exciting things I’ve done with clothes on
;also rode Vespas along Appia Antica to the Sea - that was cool)

Well as of now my sister has us taking train to Florence for a day. Which means maybe no Amalfi.

I keep telling her I'm not trying to pack in 10 different locations in 6 days lol.

Heck the house we rented in Rocco Di Papa is on a vineyard. I may wanna lie in hammock all day lol.

 

[guidomerkinsrules]

Well as of now my sister has us taking train to Florence for a day. Which means maybe no Amalfi.

I keep telling her I'm not trying to pack in 10 different locations in 6 days lol.

Heck the house we rented in Rocco Di Papa is on a vineyard. I may wanna lie in hammock all day lol.

Gotta do Amalfi coast

 

[efil4stnias]

Gotta do Amalfi coast

Instead of Florence?

Sigh...might be a battle where I suggest "yall go north, we go south" type thing. Meet back here tomorrow lol