[QuickTidal]

Macros, on 04 October 2019 - 12:20 PM, said:

I mean I'm doing Rome. It's been on my list since always.

We haven't firmed up any dates and times yet, trying to work out how much we will need, what's affordable, etc

Best Rome advice I was ever given, and it was a time/life saver:

When you go to the Colosseum, there will be a massive line of people trying to buy tickets wrapped around the place (like an "hours long" line)...ignore them. A tiny jog across the road, and a hundred meters down the Via Sacra is the entrance to the Palatine Hill, at that entrance is a tiny little ticket shack...and it MIGHT have like 6 people in line. The thing no one knows who visits is that the Colosseum and the Palatine Hill are both managed by the National Trust (or the Rome equivalent)...so you by a ticket in the six person line at the Palatine Hill...and that ticket will also get you into the Colosseum proper...and you skip the line with all the plebs.

For your orientation, see this map. I've thrown an arrow to show you where the ticket shack is for the Palatine hill.

Enjoy!

 RomeSecrets.png (817.88K)
Number of downloads: 0

[Mezla PigDog]

I went to Rome in February over 10 years ago now but it was pretty quiet. I don't remember queuing for anything except the Vatican museums and that was definitely less than an hour. If the thought of summer crowds is off putting then just go in winter. It was frickin freezing though.

[Imperial Historian]

Tsundoku, on 04 October 2019 - 12:18 PM, said:

Well, acording to my Dad who is now a seasoned (older) traveller - use Rome for an airport but otherwise avoid avoid avoid. Apparently the best stuff is further north, but even then you'll be among the tourist throngs so good luck. Rome does have good stuff, but it's not worth the hassle.

He's glad Venice was part of a tour because he wouldn't make a separate trip to go there. It was nice, but overrated. And again throngs of tourists, which he was acutely aware that he was a part of.

How much time will you be having to play with?

I disagree, Rome is incredible and should be one of the highlights of any Italy visit.

Re palatine hill, I recall that there are several entrances to it, all with no queues compared to the colliseum. Well worth a visit in itself.

I'd agree, florence is much more worth a visit than Venice, Barcelona is a must visit if you haven't been. And depending where in Spain you are going, I'd recommend granada.

[Gorefest]

Tsundoku, on 04 October 2019 - 12:18 PM, said:

use Rome for an airport but otherwise avoid avoid avoid. Apparently the best stuff is further north, but even then you'll be among the tourist throngs so good luck. Rome does have good stuff, but it's not worth the hassle.

I'm afraid your dad must have had a bout of insanity at the time. Rome is amazing, a must-visit. Especially if you are into ancient history.

[Gorefest]

QuickTidal, on 04 October 2019 - 01:44 PM, said:

Best Rome advice I was ever given, and it was a time/life saver: <snip>

That's awesome, great suggestion. I had a similar experience in France when we went to visit Mont St Michel. There was such a massive queue at the front gate that we decided not to bother going in. Instead, we just had a stroll around the grounds and the outer walls. About halfway around we stumbled upon a back entrance, decided to just go in so we might get a better look at the outside of the cathedral and actually found we were right at the front of another ticket booth with maybe 4-5 people waiting there. Breezed inside from there.

[QuickTidal]

Gorefest, on 04 October 2019 - 02:54 PM, said:

QuickTidal, on 04 October 2019 - 01:44 PM, said:

Best Rome advice I was ever given, and it was a time/life saver: <snip>

That's awesome, great suggestion. I had a similar experience in France when we went to visit Mont St Michel. There was such a massive queue at the front gate that we decided not to bother going in. Instead, we just had a stroll around the grounds and the outer walls. About halfway around we stumbled upon a back entrance, decided to just go in so we might get a better look at the outside of the cathedral and actually found we were right at the front of another ticket booth with maybe 4-5 people waiting there. Breezed inside from there.

Yeah, this kind of insider info seems to exist for a lot of big tourist sites. For Barcelona, the Sagrada Familia always has a massive ticket line...which you can skip by deciding what hour you want to go on and what day...and buying tix online ahead of time for that slot. Then you skip ALL the line.

[Abyss]

Barcelona - interesting city. I give it 2 days, one for Gaudi, one for the city generally. I personally wouldn't sacrifice time elsewhere in Spain for more time in Barcelona but you could stretch it to 3-4 days easily enough.

My travel elsewhere in Spain is sadly limited to Pompalona for the Running of the Large Angry Bovines Trying To Kill Me, and Majorca to recover from Pompalona.
Rome - i do not love Rome. I have been multiple times for work and pleasure. I think it is perhaps the least engaging, least beautiful place in Italy that you must see.My $0.02, get in, see the Vatican and museum ( a day), see the Colosseum and nearby archaeological sites (a day), hit Trevi Fountain and the Spanish Steps at night, and gtfo. There is better food, cooler museums, nicer people, and less traffic elsewhere.

I know people tend to fly in and out of Rome, but consider Milan as an alternative if workable. Slightly less nuts. Milan itself isn't a huge tourist destination, but i think the food is better than Rome, and the top floor/roof of the Duomo di Milano is the single coolest church i have ever visited anywhere.


Florence. I could spend a week in Florence, easy. The food, the museums, the markets, it's really some of the best of Italy that isn't on a hill somewhere with sheep around. Plan to spend as much time in Florence as you can, then add a day. Easy place from which to take a trip to Pisa. See the fucking tower. Take the fucking picture. Leave.


Tuscany, Umbria - the small cities and hill towns here are glorious and worth a trip by themselves. I recommend Orvieto and nearby Civita di Bagnoregio if you can.


CInque Terras - if you have some time this is a really cute area to visit. They've become a bit more touristy, but i think still preferable to the way heavily developed/oversold Amalfi.


Venice - is totally worth seeing, but it's a day, max two. Get in, get lost, find your lodging, dump your bags, walk around, maybe do the gondola thing, have dinner in a cool palazzo you stumble upon by accident, that's it, you're done, gtfo. Check weather for the time of year and if it's heavy rain, consider giving it a miss because the walking and boating kind of suck when the flooding is on. If you find yourself stuck their during a floody time, see if any of the really old churches are running a Cthonic Service for the Deep Ones in their basements. BYO birth control, snorkel, speargun. Unless you're allergic to shellfish, in which case, stay clear.

[QuickTidal]

Abyss, on 04 October 2019 - 03:40 PM, said:

Venice - is totally worth seeing, but it's a day, max two. Get in, get lost, find your lodging, dump your bags, walk around, maybe do the gondola thing, have dinner in a cool palazzo you stumble upon by accident, that's it, you're done, gtfo. Check weather for the time of year and if it's heavy rain, consider giving it a miss because the walking and boating kind of suck when the flooding is on. If you find yourself stuck their during a floody time, see if any of the really old churches are running a Cthonic Service for the Deep Ones in their basements. BYO birth control, snorkel, speargun. Unless you're allergic to shellfish, in which case, stay clear.

Also RE: Venice. Every single other place in Italy I've visited, the Italian people are lovely, welcoming, and just generally great people.

Venice, on the other hand, is filled with jaded asshole locals...and tourists. Like not ONE of the inhabitants of Venice was in any way kind, welcoming, or nice...in fact, moreover they acted like our being there was a burden. Even our tour guide was a horrible shithead to us and everyone around her.

Also, if you are going to sit at a patio restaurant....be aware that they WILL expect you to eat a multi-course meal. If you only want to drink, even if you are buying bottles (plural) of wine....they will fucking tear you a new asshole unless you eat their shitty food. I got into a shouting match with the owner of one over the fact that he demanded we order food...after I'd just bought (and they'd opened) a 32Euro bottle of white wine...SCUMMY AND SCAMMY...

Goddamn, I loathed Venice.

This post has been edited by QuickTidal: 04 October 2019 - 04:14 PM

[D'rek]

I did most of a week in Venice and loved it. Pretty buildings everywhere, no shortage of historic and/or touristy things to see, every meal was yummy, fantastic beach, and the busses are boats. Maybe I'm just less cynical/jaded but the novelty of everything being on water didn't wear off. The locals were all fine, didn't have any troubles at restaurants, and I even got some flooding which was FUN! Splashing through the middle of the main square barefoot, carrying my shoes, in the middle of the night, full moon shining overhead, ignoring the mash of other tourists desperately trying to shuffle along the only dry patch/elevated platforms off on the side, is one of my favourite travel recollections.

[Tsundoku]

Gorefest, on 04 October 2019 - 02:49 PM, said:

Tsundoku, on 04 October 2019 - 12:18 PM, said:

use Rome for an airport but otherwise avoid avoid avoid. Apparently the best stuff is further north, but even then you'll be among the tourist throngs so good luck. Rome does have good stuff, but it's not worth the hassle.

I'm afraid your dad must have had a bout of insanity at the time. Rome is amazing, a must-visit. Especially if you are into ancient history.

Nope, he's a lot more laid back than I am but ...

Abyss, on 04 October 2019 - 03:40 PM, said:

I do not love Rome. I have been multiple times for work and pleasure. I think it is perhaps the least engaging, least beautiful place in Italy that you must see.My $0.02, get in, see the Vatican and museum ( a day), see the Colosseum and nearby archaeological sites (a day), hit Trevi Fountain and the Spanish Steps at night, and gtfo. There is better food, cooler museums, nicer people, and less traffic elsewhere.

Dad loves the ancient history stuff but when you add hordes of pickpockets, price gouging, massive lines, ghastly traffic, asshole locals etc, it outweighed his enjoyment.
Yes he's an older white guy but he tries not to act like a typical tourist jerk (he's a lot like I would be if I was nice and people actually liked me ) but he has his limits and Rome exceeded them.
2 days max and gtfo.

He was at pains to stress Rome was unlike most of the rest of Italy though. It's just for him Rome and Venice were serious disappointments. But that made Florence etc so much better.

On France, he liked the coastal areas but loved the slightly more inland areas of Provence across to Aquitaine if you are able to go a slightly longer way and take your time about it.

This post has been edited by Tsundoku: 04 October 2019 - 06:24 PM

[amphibian]

I spent a week and a half in and around Florence this June. It's by far better than Rome or Milan. Less traffic, better food, still amazing things to see and do (went on a boat cruise in Cinque Terre, did a pasta making class in the Oltrarno area, went to museums and Siena).

I think picking so many places to visit is going to lead to a drive-by kind of vacation and while that may be your thing, my wife and I would hate that. We'd prefer to spend four or five days in one place, then move to our destination for a couple days, then a couple days nearby a cool town and airport.

I suggest chopping out Italy, doing the south of France, the wedding, then Barcelona or Malaga. Do Italy proper.

[Abyss]

Or do the wedding and one or two chunks of Italy proper.

[Macros]

I'm happy to train through France and not even stop. Remember I spent 7 months living in Beauliue Sur Mer.

Rome's near top of my list and Venice is pretty high up on the lady friends before it sinks into the sea. So I'm happy to push for over a week in Italy, a few days in Spain for the wedding. Then make a proper trip and catch Portugal/Spain properly

[Abyss]

Macros, on 06 October 2019 - 06:58 PM, said:

...Venice is pretty high up on the lady friends...

Mac', if you have never, ever, believed a single thing i have ever posted, believe this now.... spring for the gondola thing. If Venice is a thing for her, this is a massive part of it. Do the research, find a reputable boat/gondolier, get the wine, the singing, at night with a lantern if you can manage it. Win-win whether it is silly cheesy or insanely romantic.




...of course, if it sucks, your bad for taking romance advice from some asshole on the internet...

[QuickTidal]

Abyss, on 09 October 2019 - 05:10 PM, said:

Macros, on 06 October 2019 - 06:58 PM, said:

...Venice is pretty high up on the lady friends...

Mac', if you have never, ever, believed a single thing i have ever posted, believe this now.... spring for the gondola thing. If Venice is a thing for her, this is a massive part of it. Do the research, find a reputable boat/gondolier, get the wine, the singing, at night with a lantern if you can manage it. Win-win whether it is silly cheesy or insanely romantic.




...of course, if it sucks, your bad for taking romance advice from some asshole on the internet...

I will second this as one of the ONE things we did and fully enjoyed in Venice...though if it's high tourist season you will be in a line of gondolas on the canals...but it's still nice and worth your time to do.

[Macros]

Yeah we want to do the gondola thing.
Hoping to start some outline planning in the next few weeks.

Which is very odd, I'm usual a very last minute disorganised kind

[Whisperzzzzzzz]

Hi, I'm at Oslo Airport for the next 3 hours. Anyone wanna hang out???

More seriously, I'm gonna be in Thailand then Japan throughout December. Any Malazans living in either countries?

[Tsundoku]

Which Oslo airport? Gardermoen or Sandefjord/Torp? Because if I recall correctly it takes ages to get to Torp.
Yeah, Google says 110km south of Oslo.

Not that I'm even in the same hemisphere, mind ...

Morgypoos might be able to duck in to G, but 3 hours is a bit tight.

Is Shinrei in Japan these days? I don't think there's any Malazans in Thailand afaik.

[Whisperzzzzzzz]

Tsundoku, on 07 December 2019 - 11:56 AM, said:

Which Oslo airport? Gardermoen or Sandefjord/Torp? Because if I recall correctly it takes ages to get to Torp.
Yeah, Google says 110km south of Oslo.

Not that I'm even in the same hemisphere, mind ...

Morgypoos might be able to duck in to G, but 3 hours is a bit tight.

Is Shinrei in Japan these days? I don't think there's any Malazans in Thailand afaik.

Gardermoen. I was supposed to have a 6-hour layover, which would have left me enough time to hop to the city. They shortened it to 3 hours.

[Macros]

A pointless city hop man, an hour in and hour back and and hour in advance of your flight?