So I'm traveling to Italy & Germany - need some advice!

[pimp4cheddar]

So I'll be taking a trip to Italy and also Frankfurt, Germany very soon for work...but I've tacked on some vacation time on the beginning of the trip and I'm taking my wife out there so it's more of a vacation than anything.

I'll be landing in Milan but traveling to Florence and also Venice while I'm there before heading to Frankfurt.

This is my first time out there...so I'm looking for you world travelers to pass some advise over.

I don't have anything scheduled yet but I plan to do a shit load of cycling if possible and visit the Ferrari factory on my way from Milan to Florence.


Any other must do's???


Thanks!

[KingOfJericho]

Honestly, I wouldn't even bother with Ferrari but I would definitely not miss the Lambo factory. Ferrari is just a museum with cars (similar to my local dealership) but Lambo has a full factory tour which was a highlight of my trip. I can give you the Lambo email contact if you want it.

[P1]

Florence gave me a mental breakdown. No thanks.

[pimp4cheddar]

Originally Posted by KingOfJericho

Honestly, I wouldn't even bother with Ferrari but I would definitely not miss the Lambo factory. Ferrari is just a museum with cars (similar to my local dealership) but Lambo has a full factory tour which was a highlight of my trip. I can give you the Lambo email contact if you want it.

Dude...that'll be awesome!

Originally Posted by P1et

Florence gave me a mental breakdown. No thanks.

Please explain!!!

[Joekerr]

I thought you couldn't get into the Ferrari for a tour (ie. not the museum part) unless you were an owner?

I second the other guy - probably go for the Lambo - I heard you don't have to be an owner and its awesome (haven't been myself).

Just enjoy the food and sights - stop in at local restaurants, I'm sure you will enjoy. Relax...that's the best part.

[pimp4cheddar]

Originally Posted by Joekerr

I thought you couldn't get into the Ferrari for a tour (ie. not the museum part) unless you were an owner?

I second the other guy - probably go for the Lambo - I heard you don't have to be an owner and its awesome (haven't been myself).

Just enjoy the food and sights - stop in at local restaurants, I'm sure you will enjoy. Relax...that's the best part.

I personally have a hard time shutting the brain off...so I have to stay busy. After a day or two of just lounging I grow antsy.

I just checked and the Lambo factory is closed until March

The museum is still open though so I may swing over. Going to try and catch a football game or two as well, vineyard tour, swimming in Venice, etc...

I was just looking to make sure there isn't anything I wouldn't want to miss while out there...

[Schnell_1]

Venice is the best city IMO, but it's really a couples destination. Milan will offer the most from a cosmopolitan perspective, and conversely, Rome will offer the most from a historical one.

Of the big four, I would rank them as: Venice >Milan > Florence >Rome



PS: I hope you aren't planning on swimming in the Venice canals. That's pink-eye waiting to happen. The water is cesspool green...

[KingOfJericho]

Rome is a great city and Venice is stunningly beautiful but completely overrun with tourists. I thought Milan was pretty blah. I was in Florence twice and it's pretty but you can find better places to visit in that area. You'll find out pretty quickly how annoying tourists are. I'm a proud American until I go overseas and see who is representing us. SMH.

OP - I'm like you. I need to be doing stuff. The first time I went was because my wife was traveling there for work so I just used her hotel room. I rented a car and drove all over northern Italy for nine days by myself (was based in Bologna - one of my favorite cities in the world). I can't begin to tell you how much fun I had and how much I saw.

As for Florence, it's a major tourist destination and as such, it is loaded with riff raff. There are pickpockets and smelly guys trying to sell purses all over the place. Guys walking into your restaurant and interrupting your dinner to try and sell you a rose or a stuffed animal for your chick. It was really annoying and detracted quite a bit from the charm of the place.

If you're looking for Tuscany, check out Lucca. I was there in Sept for a week and it was fantastic. Very charming, walled town.

[deadlyrhythm]

Sent you a PM with my email.

(Used to live in Frankfurt)

[pimp4cheddar]

Originally Posted by Schnell_1

Venice is the best city IMO, but it's really a couples destination. Milan will offer the most from a cosmopolitan perspective, and conversely, Rome will offer the most from a historical one.

Of the big four, I would rank them as: Venice >Milan > Florence >Rome



PS: I hope you aren't planning on swimming in the Venice canals. That's pink-eye waiting to happen. The water is cesspool green...

We're skipping Rome. I figured it was on the outskirts of the area we wanted to travel, very filled with history (not really our thing), crowded and our time was better spent elsewhere.

We're doing Milan, Tuscany/Florence and Venice.

LOL...and no I am NOT swimming in the canals. I'm talking Adriactic Sea if possible. I'm training for an Olympic Tri...so I need to get my running, swimming and cycling in :-)

Originally Posted by KingOfJericho

Rome is a great city and Venice is stunningly beautiful but completely overrun with tourists. I thought Milan was pretty blah. I was in Florence twice and it's pretty but you can find better places to visit in that area. You'll find out pretty quickly how annoying tourists are. I'm a proud American until I go overseas and see who is representing us. SMH.

OP - I'm like you. I need to be doing stuff. The first time I went was because my wife was traveling there for work so I just used her hotel room. I rented a car and drove all over northern Italy for nine days by myself (was based in Bologna - one of my favorite cities in the world). I can't begin to tell you how much fun I had and how much I saw.

As for Florence, it's a major tourist destination and as such, it is loaded with riff raff. There are pickpockets and smelly guys trying to sell purses all over the place. Guys walking into your restaurant and interrupting your dinner to try and sell you a rose or a stuffed animal for your chick. It was really annoying and detracted quite a bit from the charm of the place.

If you're looking for Tuscany, check out Lucca. I was there in Sept for a week and it was fantastic. Very charming, walled town.

I'll definitely check out Lucca!!!! Thanks man!!

Originally Posted by deadlyrhythm

Sent you a PM with my email.

(Used to live in Frankfurt)

I'm flying out to Frankfurt for 4 days after spending 12 days in Italy. It'll just be me as i'm going for work so I'll be by myself.

I thought of hitting up the ring but it's 2 hours from Frankfurt...still deciding on whether I should go or not. I feel like it's worth the drive since it's such a unique opportunity.

[bimmette]

I lived in Frankfurt and you'll probably be bored there. The 2 hr drive to the ring will fly by. Definitely do it. Also if you haven't driven the autobahn, you'll enjoy that experience too.
Venice, Milan and Florence are nice. You don't need to plan much. Just wandering around is interesting.

[upstatedoc]

Make sure to visit Amsterdam if you know what I mean.

[Kid Eh]

Florence is great and so is Rome. If you have time and are going a bit more south check out Ravello or any town near the Amalfi Coast. And up north you HAVE to check out Cinque Terre

[PINeely]

Florence is one of my favorite cities in the world but to really take advantage of Tuscany you have to get out of the town a little bit. A MUST SEE is Siena (where they have the horse race) and the cathedral there. All of the little medieval towns out in the countryside are fantastic and not too touristy. In Florence proper, visit the Uffizi gallery and the Academy of Fine Arts (where statue of David is).

Naples is incredible as well but it's a little out of the way for a "standard" Italy trip. We took a day trip to Pompeii last time I went and ended up having lunch in Naples overlooking the bay. If you can get over there you won't be disappointed.

Rome you will be tripping over yourself to get out of. Go there and see the history or whatever but I wouldn't spend longer than 2 days there. Sooooo much traffic and tourists everywhere. The whole city is filthy as well, cigarette butts piled up 2 inches deep on the side of the road. But definitely see the Trevi fountain.

Milan is pretty boring unless you like shopping. It's a business city. The cathedral and square are pretty cool and covered in hundreds of neat statues. One thing at the very northern tip of Italy is Lake Como which is hands-down the most beautiful place I've ever been and it's just a stone's throw from Milan with train service between the two.

Venice is incredibly picturesque. It's a bit of a newlywed destination and most of the stuff to do there falls in that line but if you just like relaxing in a pretty town with some cool history then it's hard to beat Venice. Don't go near the water! (if you go in the summer the canals will smell awful). I would also recommend going to Murano (nearby island) and checking out the glass blowing there.

Don't go to Pisa. Tourist trap and a great place to get robbed.

General travel advice:
-If you need band-aids, don't go to a Farmacia (pharmacy; chemist). Go to a tabacchi (tobacco) shop. The tabacchi shop will be your go-to for bus fare, snacks, water etc. They have tobacco of course but they're basically convenience stores and they're on almost every corner like 7-11s.
-If you haven't been to Europe before, get used to paying to use the public restroom. There is a .50 to 1 Euro charge to pee but the bathrooms are always spotless.
-Mind the gypsies. They'll steal your watch off your wrist without you even realizing if you're not careful. Stay alert and look aware of your surroundings and you won't be targeted.
-Don't drink the bottled water in the restaurants (unless you are having water). They'll set a bottle out on the table but it isn't free. If you open it it's 3-6 Euros added to your bill but if you don't then no charge.
-Restaurant culture is different. It is not uncommon for you to have to share a table with strangers if the place is pretty packed. Also Italians like to sit and chill out after they eat so don't be surprised if your bill doesn't come right after you finish. Just ask the server for your check when you're ready and you'll blend right in.
-Don't tip unless the service was phenomenal. It's semi-rude and the staff all make a servizio (service charge; you will see this appear on your bill)
-You have to be wearing pants to go into a cathedral. If you have shorts then they will make you wear this skirt thing and it's pretty embarrassing. Your wife will have to have her shoulders covered as well.
-Electric and hybrid vehicles are everywhere and you can't hear them coming. I was actually hit by a taxi once because I rounded the corner too quickly without checking. Always look before you go around a sharp corner especially on the smaller back roads.
-The proper way to cross an Italian street is to walk right out in the middle of the road. Give it a slight peek out of the corner of your eye but if you stand there and look or put your hand up to stop traffic nobody will let you cross. You have to go for it when you have a gap and act like you don't see the cars. It's nerve-wracking at first but people will stop and you'll get used to it.
-There are statues of David everywhere. In the squares, in the museums, in the streets. The real one is at the Academy.
-Buy a Pinocchio. Every guy should have one.

[128Convertibleguy]

My personal favorite part of Italy (outside of the Grand Prix at Monza, joining the crowd rushing the track after the race, and walking underneath the Banking) was Cinque Terre. The incredibly picturesque towns (the images on Google do not lie) are touristy, but in a "run by the locals, not by corporations" kind of way. Most of the towns are at least somewhat car free, you get there on a train. The terrain is so rugged it's underground most of the time.

[DSB335d]

You may be able to visit the Pagani factory, or Ducati if you are into bikes. I visited the Pagani factory a few months ago, it was pretty nice, they are building a new facility nearby and was able to see part of the new building also. We stayed in Florence a couple nights in the shopping area. Traffic is a bit annoying as there are many one way streets but still nice to visit.
I suggest you have dinner at least once at Caffe' Coquinarius in Florence. They have an amazing pear & cheese ravioli as well as their boar ragu. Those are their 2 signature dishes and they were amazing!