[Ain't_It_Just_]

In a little over a week I'll be making the long, pants-wettingly dull trip over to the not-so-dull land of the boot! For three weeks, me and the family will be visiting Rome, Venice, Positano, Florence and a few other places.

Any tips, tricks, advice or perverse pagan rituals you Malazites have to recommend?

[Mezla PigDog]

Just enjoy it. Italy is awesome!

Oh and don't eat near the big tourists attractions in Rome. Uber rip off.

[Tehol the Only]

Mezla PigDog, on 13 June 2013 - 12:01 PM, said:

Just enjoy it. Italy is awesome!

Oh and don't eat near the big tourists attractions in Rome. Uber rip off.

Everything in Rome is a rip off. (In Venice too, for that matter)
jkjk

But, seriously, be aware that most places (restaurants, shops, taxis too..) will charge ludicrous prices to tourists.


If you have any specific question just ask! (I know, i suck as tourist guide)

[Imperial Historian]

Rome isn't so bad as capital cities go, if you go even a street or two away from the main tourist attractions food becomes a lot more reasonable (my usual strategy is to look for graffiti and busy restaurants in close proximity), but yes if you stay in the main tourist destinations it is pretty pricey. Also in July/August a lot of the really good local places close as the locals go on holiday. Venice on the other hand is pretty much a rip off anywhere on the main island.

Best tip I have for Rome is to go see the forum before you see the colliseum, the ticket covers both attractions, but the queue for the forum is usually a lot shorter. Plus then you can stroll past the huge queue for the colliseum.

Florence and Rome's big attractions are worth getting up early for in the tourist season, the queues build up quickly and queuing in the italian heat isn't fun. Florence in particular is very humid, which makes it pretty unpleasant in the centre during the middle of the day.

[Abyss]

The most important piece of advice i can give you is to prebook ALL your major site tickets and tours in advance on line. This will save you entire days of lineups.
Rome - massively overrated. Get in see the sites get out. The Vatican does totally live up to the hype tho.

Venice - great city to get lost in. Also really easy city to get lost in. Pay someone to get you to your hotel, dump your bags, get a map and move from there.

Florence - i love Florence. Fantastic city with great food, site, people and markets. Give yourself some time to just wander Florence. Do not buy anything fro m the first vendor in the market you speak with. There is always someone little further along who will give you a better deal. Watch out for pickpockets.

Positano - beautiful but touristy. Avoid the main drag restaurants and find the little delis where you can get prepared foods and sandwiches like the gods eat for nothing.


If you have the time, i highly rec the Cinque Terras area which you can hit on your way south. Also worthwhile are Orvietto and a freaky hill town called Civita and Bagnorregio. Look it up and you'll see why.

It's an awesome country to visit. Enjoy..

[Ain't_It_Just_]

Thanks for all the help guys! Looking forward to it Dumbass tourist question: anyone know of good gift/souvenir-y things to buy?

[Tehol the Only]

Abyss it seems like we share pretty much the same tastes in city eheheh. (but Cinque terre is in the north:) )
Florence is my favorite among those four as well, i'd suggest you to take a loooong time to explore it and the area around.
The restaurant advice for Positano is great, and valid for the entire area around Naples (and Rome, sometimes): big touristic restaurants are insanely expensive, but just look around a bit and you'll find quaint little places where you'll eat (way better) for a quarter of the price.



I don't know... i could point you to hundreds of local products to buy, but it's mostly food and that's not a really practical souvenir

[Abyss]

Tehol the Only, on 14 June 2013 - 06:06 AM, said:

... Cinque terre is in the north:) )
...

South of Venice.

As for touristy gifts, you can find little airplane bottle sized olive oils and balsamic vinegars that are great gifts. Just be sure you can fly w them.
Italian chocolates are awesome. Wine, obviously, but fuck that as a gift and keep it for yourself.

[Tehol the Only]

Sorry Abyss -.- 10AM and still no coffee. Me can't think well.

Balsamic vinegar is a great idea. (But you should go to Modena for that)
Murano, near Venice, has a history of glass artistry.. Not really my cup of tea but they make a lot of small objects that could work well as souvenirs.
Scarperia, near Florence, is home of high-quality hand-made cutlery, but airport security may have a problem with that.
If you're into strong spirits, Bassano del Grappa (again near Venice) holds the biggest production centre of "grappa" in the country.
San Marino (http://en.wikipedia....wiki/San_Marino) is basically a huge gift shop with crenellations.
Near Positano you'll find all kinds of decorated bottles of limoncello, a semi-strong sweet liquor made with lemons.


If you like rare meat go here

Spoiler

http://www.tripadvis...la_Tuscany.html

[Dag]

Ain, on 14 June 2013 - 03:43 AM, said:

Thanks for all the help guys! Looking forward to it Dumbass tourist question: anyone know of good gift/souvenir-y things to buy?

I don't think any special recommendations are needed as far as souvenirs go - from plastic kitsch to high-quality local products, you'll find something for every taste. And it's not like you'll have to look hard; there's like a million souvenir stands and shops per every tourist attraction in Rome and Venice.

What I would like to point out though is, when you're buying souvenirs (especially from the little stands in the touristy areas), make sure they open the packaging in front of you and show you what’s inside before you pay for it. Because what often happens is that they show you e.g. a nice t-shirt, and if you decide to buy it, they'll pull from behind the counter the seemingly same t-shirt wrapped in plastic. But when you get home and open the packaging you might find that the t-shirt you got lacks sleeves or is full of holes or has a huge smudge on the back etc. So be careful with that.

Also, what Abyss said about pre-booking: Definitely book the Vatican Museums online in advance, don't take any risks, the queues can be pretty nasty in summer. Also, for most other attractions in Rome, I would warmly recommend the Roma Pass ( http://www.romapass....aspx?l=en&tid=2 ) which costs 34 Eur for 3 days and will gain you entry to the major sites like Colosseum or Forum without having to queue up for hours. It also includes fares for the public transport, and even if you use it just for transport and take the free-entry option for the first two museums you visit, the ticket will already have paid off.

Have fun!

[Adjutant Stormy~]

The best meal I ever ate was at a mom-and-pop (or whatever the Italian equivalent is) restaurant not 3 blocks from the Vatican.

If you leave the plaza to the right (looking at the pylon), it's over there.

That's all the advice I have. I have no fucking idea where it is, really. We were lost, looking for an ATM.

This post has been edited by Adjutant Stormy~: 17 June 2013 - 07:20 AM