Italy Budget Travel – The Highlights in Just Three WeeksItaly is Roman antiquity, the Catholic Church, Renaissance art and science, medieval architecture, great food and wine and much, much more. Visitors could not possibly see everything in Italy even in a dozen lifetimes. Italian vacations are action-packed, even with thorough planning. The following 21-day budget travel plan includes many major highlights yet still leaves the visitor with time for further exploration. Travel between cities/towns is made possible by utilizing a combination of train and bus travel or rental car (if you enjoy living dangerously). Use Naples as your base for the first 4 days of your Italy vacation. Each day should include one of the following: Pompeii, Herculaneum, Paestum (about 40 kilometer south of Salerno) and a scenic drive along the Amalfi Coast. Visiting the ruins at Pompeii and Herculaneum will help you appreciate many of the ruins in Rome as the latter have been largely dismantled through the ages. Visit Neapolitan sites like the Palazzo Reale and the National Museum of Archaeology when you return each afternoon. Move on to Rome for the next 6 days of your Italy vacation. Make the best use of your time by visiting both St. Peter’s Basilica and the Vatican Museums (which includes the Sistine Chapel) on a Monday (assumed to be Day 5) as all the other sites in Rome are closed (remember that Vatican City is independent from Italy). After your visit to the Vatican Museums, continue your day with a visit to the Pantheon, the Trevi Fountain, the Spanish Steps and the Column of Marcus Aurelius. On days 6, 7 and 8 consider visiting the Roman Forum/Coliseum/Palatine Museum, Castel Sant Angelo and Ostia Antica. Other sites worth a visit include the Museum of Roman Civilization, the Basilica of St. John Lateran and the Catacombs of San Sebastian along the Appian Way. Day 9 is a day trip to Tivoli for a tour of the Villa d’Este and Hadrian’s Villa. On Day 10, take a day trip to Tarquinia and learn about the refined Etruscan civilization that had such a profound impact on early Rome. Tour the Etruscan Museum and Etruscan Necropolis using a combination ticket. Now move on to Florence (Firenze) for the next 6 days of your Italy vacation to explore Tuscany. Make best use of your time by visiting the Cinque Terre on a Monday (assumed to be Day 11) to hike the 11 kilometers of trails connecting the 5 towns of Riomaggiore, Manarola, Corniglia, Vernazza and Monterosso al Mare. The most difficult trails (those involving a great deal of climbing) are between Monterosso, Vernazza and Corniglia. Stay in Florence on Day 12 and visit the Uffizi Gallery (containing the Medici art collection), the Palazzo Vecchio next door and the nearby Ponte Vecchio (bridge). Again stay in the city on Day 13 and tour the Galleria Dell’Academia where Michelangelo’s statue of David resides. Follow this up with visits to the Duomo (cathedral) and the Basilica of Santa Croce. The Church of Santa Croce is the final resting place of such Renaissance giants as Michelangelo, Galileo and Machiavelli. You will also find a prototype of the Statue of Liberty. Enjoy some wine tasting in Montepulciano on Day 14. The Tourist Information Office can provide you with a list of sites where you can enjoy free wine tastings. Some of the finest Italian wines are produced in this area. Travel to Perugia and Assisi on Day 15 of your Italy adventure. Perugia’s Piazza IV Novembre houses the Duomo, the Palazzo Dei Priori and the Fontana Maggiore – all medieval in origin and well-decorated. The Arco Etrusco is a massive Etruscan gate into the city that hints at the origins of Perugia – the enigmatic Etruscan civilization. Enjoy a scenic view of the lower town just across the street from the Arco. The 4th century Church of San Angelo is also worth a visit. Arriving in Assisi by bus, visit the Church of St. Francis. The Saint’s tomb is housed in the lower church. The Basilica of Santa Maria degli Angeli houses the Chapel of the Transitus – a small chapel that was rebuilt by St. Francis and his followers. Both the Church and the Basilica are decorated with frescoes/paintings outlining scenes from the life of St. Francis. Day 16 includes a day trip to the towns of Vinci and San Gimignano. Explore the life of Vinci’s most famous son – Leonardo. The Museo Leonardiano holds models of inventions constructed according to Leonardo’s drawings. The Casa Natale di Leonardo is the house in which the famous painter was born. San Gimignano is noted for its 13 medieval stone towers. Wander the streets, enjoy the view and sample some of the local wine. Days 17-19 are spent with Verona as the base. Day 17 begins with a day trip to Milan before moving on to Verona. In Milan, visit the Chiesa di Santa Maria delle Grazie which houses Leonardo Da Vinci’s “Last Supper”. Also tour the Sforza Castle, the Duomo and the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II. Spend Day 18 touring Verona. Begin your tour at Juliet’s House. After all, Verona is the setting for Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. Your tour should also include the Roman Theatre and Museum, the Roman Arena, the Duomo, the Lamberti Tower (where you can enjoy a panoramic view of the City) and the Castelvecchio Museum. Travel to Venice by train on Day 19 as car parking is expensive. Visit the Rialto Bridge, the Doge’s Palace, the Duomo, the Museo Carrer and the Ca’Rezzonico Palace. Spend your remaining time wandering aimlessly around the city that is “designed like a maze”. Remember that you are on an island so you cannot really get lost. Days 20 and 21 have the town of Rimini as a base. Day 20 begins in Ravenna and ends in Rimini. Travel to Ravenna to visit the Byzantine-style churches. Tour the Mausoleum of Galla Placida, the Basilica of San Vitale, the Basilica of Sant’Appolinare Nuovo, the Duomo, the Baptistry Neoniano and the Basilica of Sant’Appolinare in Classe. Day 21 brings you to the Republic of San Marino. This independent country, completely surrounded by Italy, is only accessible from Rimini. Start your visit at the Public Palace (essentially the capitol building) and watch the Changing of the Guard Ceremony. Afterward, visit the Guaita Tower, the Cesta Tower and the Duomo.
1) Find your airline tickets, rental car reservations and/or rail passes for Italy through this website. 2) While in Naples, consider purchasing the 3-day pass known as the Campania ArteCard. This regional pass provides for free admission to the first two sights followed by discounted admissions to the remaining sights. In addition, the user enjoys free rides on the Circumvesuvia railway plus other transportation discounts. To get your money’s worth, visit Pompeii and Herculaneum as the first two sights as these have the most expensive admission prices. Both are on the Circumvesuviana Railway, a private rail line in Italy (your Eurail pass is not valid on this line). The Campania Artecard is also good for Paestum, the Palazzo Reale and National Museum of Archaeology among other things. 3) Pizza is one of Italy's great gastronomic contributions to the world - and Naples is the home of pizza. Try the Margherita pizza which consists of tomato sauce, mozzarella cheese and fresh green basil leaves. Enjoy the best Neapolitan pizza at L’Antica Pizzeria da Michele on Via Cesare Sesate, 1-3-5-7. 4) The best time of day to visit St. Peter’s Basilica is between 7-7:30 a.m. when the lines (if there are any!!) are shortest. 5) Purchase your ticket to the Vatican Museum in advance and jump the extremely long line. While an advanced ticket is more expensive than that purchased at the door, the extra expense allows you to save precious sightseeing time. 6) Cut your sightseeing expenses with the Roma Pass. This 3-day pass provides you with free admission to your first 2 sites and then discounted admissions to the remaining sites on the list. Furthermore the pass provides unlimited use of the buses and subway (Metro). 7) Save your ticket from the Vatican Museum. You will enjoy free admission to the Lateran Palace at the Basilica of St. John Lateran. The ticket from the Vatican Museum is only good for 5 days however. 8) Purchase the one-day Cinque Terre Card for admission to the National Park and unlimited use of the train between La Spezia and the five towns. 9) Parking within the Cinque Terre region is very expensive. Consider taking the train from Florence to La Spezia and then to Riomaggiore or Monterosso to begin your hike. 10) Bring good walking shoes, a sun hat, sun tan lotion and plenty of water when you hike the trails of the Cinque Terre. 11) Purchase your tickets to the Uffizi Gallery and the Galleria Dell’Academia in advance and jump the extremely long line. While advanced tickets are more expensive than those purchased at the door, the extra expense allows you to save precious sightseeing time. 12) Purchase your ticket to the Last Supper in advance and jump the long line. While an advanced ticket is more expensive than that purchased at the door, the extra expense allows you to save precious sightseeing time. 13) Purchase the 3-day Verona Pass (which also includes bus transportation within the city) at any of the sights covered by it. A visit to any two of the three following sights pays for the Verona Pass (Juliet’s House, the Roman arena or the Lamberti Tower). 14) Purchase the one-day Musei Civici Veneziana Card. This card provides free admission to the Doge’s Palace and the Museo Carrer (which are both located at St. Mark’s Square) and one museum outside of St. Mark’s Square – one of which is the Ca’Rezzonico Palace. 15) Purchase a combination ticket for the Mausoleum of Galla Placida, the Basilica of San Vitale, the Basilica of Sant’Appolinare Nuovo, the Baptistry Neoniano and the Diocesan Museum. The combination ticket can be purchased from any of these sights. 16) In San Marino, purchase a combination pass, known as the Red Card, to visit the Guaita Tower and the Cesta Tower. The Red Card may be purchased at either tower. 17) Read more about purchasing your admission tickets to the Vatican Museum, the Uffizi Gallery, the Accademia Gallery and the Last Supper through an
online booking service.
20) When in Rome, you may wish to take a
do-it-yourself Angels and Demons tour
and visit the sights depicted in the movie.
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