Embedded Files
Preface: this information is several years old. Please check with the places to find out if they are open, how much they cost and all that. Things do change, even in Italy!
Preface: this information is several years old. Please check with the places to find out if they are open, how much they cost and all that. Things do change, even in Italy!
Sometimes people go visit Italy and we share information and itineraries with them, with places of interest and places to eat.
We figured one good way to access the info while there might be a web site where the info is collected.
SO, this is that website for now.
Here is the main map with the itineraries for Rome, Florence and the Naples areas. Each spot on the map has a little description of the place and why is it of interest.
The map might be chaotic, but that is because Rome has a million places to see and it's hard to make them into an orderly itinerary... The other reason is that I am not able to modify the map without rendering it useless.... So until I figure out a better way to present it, enjoy the chaos.
Click on the little rectangle next to the "Italy Itinerary" title and it will open the page with the description of each place. Click on each place and it takes you there and it opens the individual descriptions.
For more information, click on the items in the menu above.
Random information about traveling to Italy.
Random information about traveling to Italy.
Italy is a beautiful country, one that is in the imaginary of most people as the ideal place for vacation, because of beautiful scenery, art, food and people. Some people dream of retiring in a small town or a country estate in Italy. Sometimes we see places for sale in Italy, like small towns that are trying to repopulate and offer to sell country houses or old houses in the historic center for little money.
Imagine, living in Italy, in a country house surrounded by vineyards and hills, eating gelato and sipping wine all day? Who would not want that?
Well, Italy is not as dreamy as most people think...
There is a reason why those small towns are de-populated.
Anyhow, I don’t want to turn this into a social and political commentary about Italy, so here are pointers about traveling to Italy.
Click on the pages to find out more information about traveling in Italy,
Daniela
Warnings
Warnings
There are two tips I have to give you:
The first one is :WATCH YOUR WALLETS EVERYWHERE! Rome is full of pickpocketers, scammers, especially in high touristy areas, and purse snatchers.So be very careful. On buses and subway and in crowded areas, keep your hands in your pockets, where your wallet is, and keep your bags and cameras across your shoulders and in front of you, as they have purse snatchers on scooters too. If you get crowded by somebody, in the bus or in front of a monument, beware that they might be trying to steal your wallet.If you see gypsies coming towards you, go to the other side of the street. Don't let them get near you, especially the kids, they are trained to steal. This is a very serious issue, and they can spot a tourist a mile away. so always be aware of your surroundings. Don't wear jewelry or flashy watches, no large cameras, no wads of cash on you. As far as cash, you'll be better off using credit cards and deal with bills when you get home. On that note, inform the card company and bank that you will be abroad, so they don't lock up your cards thinking they were stolen.Do not leave anything unattended ever, it will be taken. Do not hang your bags off the back of a chair at a restaurant or any place in public. Keep them on you all the time.If you carry anything valuable in a bag or backpack, keep it in front of you. Keep the camera on a strap across your shoulders and in front of you. Around your neck is too easy to pull off. And back up your photos often, or change the memory cards often, so if one is stolen with the camera, you don't lose all the vacation photos... For backing up, hotels have computers and there are internet cafes where you can back up your photos in google accounts or other photo sites accounts. You can even create a gmail account just for the photos, and upload the photos there, so that your personal info won't be exposed to public places with your personal emails, but you can save your photos daily.Your phone: make sure you keep it in a safe place and if you take it out hold it in a way that it cannot be easily pulled off your hand.It's better to be extra careful and aware than have to spend time in a police station reporting the theft of your valuables and the loss of your money and passport. Leaving things in the hotel, unless you have a safe, is not much safer. Have a copy of your passport, licenses and cards in case the originals are stolen, so that you'll have some form of ID and it will make it easier to replace. Try to stay away from solitary places at night, parks, deserted areas etc. If you have lived in NYC for any length of time, this should be a given, but people tend to romanticize Italy and are blind to the dangers.So, use a money belt, if you have money to carry, or a neck pouch under your clothes, for most of your valuables. And carry with you small amounts of cash in your wallet, kept in a pocket where you can keep your hand on it. If you need something out of the neck pouch or money belt, go to a bathroom in a bar or restaurant and get it out there. Never ever take it out in public.If anybody offers to help with tickets or luggage or anything else, tell them no politely and do not let them help you with anything. At best they will expect a tip and at worst they will try to rip you off.We had that happen to us last time we went to italy. This man was trying to sell us trinkets and tried to engage us in conversation talking about where he was from and where we were from and tried to give us one of his trinket as a gift. We refused and he was somewhat offended, but we told him we were not interested in his "Free" gift and he eventually walked away. Never ever take anything from anybody, no matter what they say. If they shake your hand or engage you in conversation or put something in your hand, they will expect you to give them money for it. Also, if you see somebody selling something in the street, a brand name item like a purse, a watch, a camera, anything that normally costs a lot of money and they are selling it for cheap, do not buy it! It's either a cheap knock off or a stolen item. There used to be a famous scam in the Naples area (but it could happen anywhere) where people were trying to sell expensive camera with the lens and all, often citing poor financial situation due to some bad luck, and needing money for medical emergency of sorts. Once engaged the potential buyer was shown the camera and told about how wonderful it was and so on. When the deal was finally struck, the camera was put back in the box , paid for and then some distracting situation would happen, the cops coming or anything. So the buyer and seller would quickly depart. And eventually the buyer would find in the box only a brick or some rocks instead of the camera. Scammers are very real in Italy, so beware and do not buy anything in the street!Here are a couple of sites that share more info and some solutions. Check them out.https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/italy/pickpocketing-and-gypsies (A discussion and some pointers)https://www.ricksteves.com/travel-tips/theft-scams/outsmarting-pickpockets (good tips here)http://www.reidsitaly.com/planning/safety/gypsies.html (An explanation of the potential danger)https://www.ricksteves.com/travel-tips/theft-scams (Ways people will try to scam you)Well, you get the idea. Be careful, BE CAREFUL, BE CAREFUL!If you are, you will be able to enjoy the trip without much loss.The second tip will be in another section below, and it's about FOOD!There are two tips I have to give you:
Food
Food
Most people go to Italy to enjoy the food, and rightly so, since Italy has the best food in the world!
But there are few things to keep in mind about the food in Italy.
The first thing is that food in Italy comes at meal time and not much in between.
It seems like a strange thing to say, but in the US people are used to having food 24 hours a day, Pizza at 3 am is not unusual, and most restaurants are open from lunch time to closing time. Things are changing a little, with some places open later or all day, but for the most part, well, in Italy food places have schedules.
Breakfast is usually something at a bar (Not a booze bar, a cafe` bar) like a pastry and coffee or cappuccino or some other warm drink and it's usually early in the morning.
Lunch is usually from noon to 2 or 2:30, and restaurants don't open until lunch time. After lunch, most of them close and there is no food. Usually around 2 the food is gone and restaurants don't serve you anymore.
Dinner is usually late in the afternoon, with most places opening after 6 or 7. Dinners in Italy are a late affair. 8 or 9 pm are common times for dinners. Restaurants are full of people eating dinner between 9 and 10 pm.
So, don't expect to find a restaurant serving dinner at 4 pm. Unless it's a fast food place or a pizza al taglio place. But then, the food that you will find is leftover from lunch, shriveled up and cold.
So the main advice is eat at meal times, have breakfast early morning, have lunch around 12 or 1 pm and eat dinner after 7. Otherwise you won't eat at all. For people's convenience the stores follow schedules too, so stores open in the morning and close at lunch time, and open again in the afternoon and close at dinner time. Museums for the most part have full day schedules, but the smaller ones might close at lunch too. Food places are open in the morning, and close at 1 or 1:30. Most are closed on monday... Churches have schedules too, they also close at lunch time but you also need to be aware of when they have Mass. You don't want to meander in a church to look at art while Mass is going on.
So, in any case, check the schedule.
As far as food itself, one thing I would say is avoid the touristy places, the kind near tourist attractions, with the waiters outside trying to get people in their place. Their food is usually an Americanized version of Italian food. You'll be better off eating at places where the locals eat.
And don't expect the food to be like what you find in the States, because American Italian food is different from Italian food. But it's better!
If you are vegan, make sure you ask a lot of questions about the food. Be aware that in some cuisines lard is commonly used as a fat in breads and pastry.
Make sure to specify what you eat and what you don't. Some people think that fish and chicken are not meat, or that butter is not dairy. It helps to learn few words for what you eat or do not eat. Or make a card with a short list. The vegan diet is a little more common these days, but still, if some foods are an issue (allergy or unclean etc) it's better to be safe than sorry.
I will be listing places to eat along the routes I plan to put together, I will be suggesting vegan places, obviously, because those are the only places I know.
One word about ice cream, most bars (Cafes, see above) have ice cream, but not all ice cream is the same. Look for artisan made ice cream. They usually look like the photos on the left.
Some places have some vegan ice cream, some places have a lot of vegan ice cream, even vegan cones and whipped cream. Ask, you might be lucky and score a great gelato!
In most places you decide before hand what size you want and then go pay at the cash register, get a ticket and take it to the ice cream counter and tell the waiter what you want, cone or cup, flavors and whipped cream or not. Some places you get the ice cream first and then pay. See what the locals do.
Here are some links to articles about gelato in Italy and the best places to go to.
https://www.cntraveler.com/galleries/2014-10-14/italys-best-gelato
https://theculturetrip.com/europe/italy/articles/the-top-10-ice-cream-parlors-in-rome/
This is a list of best places in Rome, and I personally recommend the Gelateria della Palma, near the Pantheon.
I have gone there several times and they have a large selection of vegan ice cream and cones! Soy and rice based ice cream. It's very good!
Another outstanding and old ice cream place is Giolitti, not far from the Pantheon also, and they do have some vegan flavors, mostly fruit ones, but they are not labeled as such. If you are not vegan, try their Zabaglione and pistacchio flavors, they are the best, as far as I remember from when I was a kid. If you are vegan, I had their fig and blueberry and few other vegan fruit flavors and they were outstanding. Ask questions to the servers, but don't expect too much chatting if they are busy. If you go when they are slower, they can tell you and even have you sample few flavors.
Considering all the walking you will do, you will burn the calories pretty easily and you will be able to have ice cream more than once a day! Enjoy it because you won't be able to have ice cream anymore afterwards in the States!
Artichokes by the main train station in Rome
Artichokes by the main train station in Rome
The artichoke place at Il Mercato Centrale, in Rome, on the side of the train station, is a must visit! Especially if you had artichokes only the american way, boiled and drenched in mayonnaise! Mercato Centrale is a wonderful food place, with lots of variety, a vegetarian stand and an ice cream place that has some vegan ice cream.
Vegetarian place in Florence
Vegetarian place in Florence
Vegan pasta, pizza and salad! Who could ask for more?
The best vegan Carbonara in Rome!
The best vegan Carbonara in Rome!
this small restaurant called Oregano, has the best vegan Carbonara in Rome, the most realistic one! Their bread is out of this world! Find more info in the Ancient Rome Itinerary 1.
Modes of transportation pros and cons.
Modes of transportation pros and cons.
Traveling from town to town by car:
Traveling from town to town by car:
Pros: one doesn’t have to rely on trains and their delays.
Trains are notorious for being late, at times for several hours. Trains are somewhat complicated, with different classes and connections and tickets.
The train stations are not easy either. Most tickets sales are done by machines which are often broken and cryptic, but are still more helpful than human ticket salespersons.
With a car you don’t have to deal with carrying luggage all over the place, leaving them at the hotel or train station if you are checking out of the room but want to sight-see before leaving, and you can take detours to go to small towns on the way, if you want to, and not have to change trains several times.
You are in your own environment and you control it.
Cons: You are in your own environment, and you drive it.
Driving can be tiring and tedious for the person driving, who doesn’t get to see much.
It really helps to study your planned route because if you make a wrong turn, your GPS guidance system will find an alternate route for you that might take you through narrow, winding, seemingly seldom used dirt roads that can lead into people's back yards. You will eventually get to where you are going. Key term: "eventually." (Ask me how I know.)
Traffic, both on highway and in cities, can be very stressful, and people drive quite aggressively there.
It helps to learn basics, like signaling all the time when changing lanes, and what some signs mean, like the 'no parking any time,' 'tow away zone' and 'no traffic zone' (ZTL Zona Traffico Limitato) where cars are not allowed to go in, unless residents.
Tickets are expensive, speed traps are common (ask me how we know) and they will find you, even if you are renting a car. (Ask me how we know).
Gas is about four times the price in the United States. Diesel cars are not as common as gasoline cars, and some electric cars are becoming available, although electric charging stations are not as ubiquitous as gas stations.
Most highways have tolls. The longer the stretch, the higher the toll.
Parking is nearly impossible in most towns, and in city centers entering and parking is almost impossible. Some hotels have connections with parking garages, but they are not necessarily next door to the hotel, and they are not necessarily free.
Most times in order to park you have to pay the garage and then a tax on top of it, making it almost cheaper to drive the car into the room and pay for an extra bed.
Cars are mostly stick shifts, but automatics can be rented for extra money.
Go for a larger car if you have four people and several luggage cases. When rental car companies in Italy say a trunk fits two luggage cases and one briefcase, they mean it.
When they say the car fits four people they mean very small people.
'Seats five' means 'seats uncomfortably.'
We rented a station wagon, which was a regular car by American standards, but had a large trunk. The extra persons could have fit in the trunk. The price wasn’t much more than the standard car so check the prices.
The rental car companies have lots of options, like returning the car empty or full, (check in advance to see if there are gas stations before you get to the rental car place when returning the car. We paid for the option to bring the car as it was, and ended up bringing it with about half a tank, and there were gas stations near the airport... Their gas was expensive. But we wanted to make sure we didn’t have to look all over the place for a gas station and then miss the plane.) Also, keep in mind the time. If you are leaving at 6 am, and need to be at the airport check-in at 4 am, you might not want to have to look for a station, and they might not be open.... So, figure all this out before you leave, as making these decisions at the rental car office is usually expensive.
Insurance is also offered. Check with your credit card or insurance company to see if they offer any coverage on rental cars. It might be cheaper, but do they cover everything?
Also, check with the rental company about traffic tickets. They have fees on top of the ticket, just to send you an email to let you know you got a ticket... Ask me how I know...
And this is all about cars, that I can think of. If I think of more, I will update this page.
Trains will come in another section, even though I covered some of it already.
Public Transportation
Public Transportation
In most cities, but especially in Rome, I would suggest getting a day pass that gives you unlimited trips on the buses and subway lines. Generally they cost as much as 4 tickets, so if you plan to take more than 4 trips, it's worth it.
You punch it at the beginning of the trip and it gets stamped with the day and time. Then you keep it with you at all times. You do
Buses and subway don't sell tickets on board, you can only buy them before hand at tobacconist stores or at train stations, or some subway where they have working machines. Here is info on the metro lines: http://www.rome.info/metro/
In most cities the public transportation is needed only if you stay in hotels away from the center of town or if you need to travel to another area on the center of town. Like in Rome, if you stay by the main train station and need to get to the Vatican or the Colosseum, you would take the subway there and back, but once there, most of the sightseeing is done on foot. So, if you plan to take more than 4 trips a day, get the day ticket, in Rome it includes unlimited rides on buses and subway and local trains. But if you plan to take only 2 trips, then buy the individual tickets.
Trains between cities are supposed to be convenient and cheap and all that. But I found them always confusing, unreliable and uncomfortable. I spent hours hunting for a ticket in Termini, where the persons behind the ticket counters would bounce us from line to line, to finally end at the correct line but with the clerk being out to lunch...
I got on trains in stations out of town, going to Rome, where the machines selling tickets were broken, the ticket booth has been closed for years and there was no other way to buy a ticket, so the only option is to get on the train and hope you don't run into a conductor because they will sell you a ticket and give you a fine for not having one.
So, I am not too happy about trains. But I guess it's part of the adventure.
Be careful in any public transportation, people steal and pick pockets, especially from unsuspecting and confused tourist!
Rome
Rome
Beginning in the eighth century B.C., Ancient Rome grew from a small town on central Italy’s Tiber River into an empire that at its peak encompassed most of continental Europe, Britain, much of western Asia, northern Africa and the Mediterranean islands. Among the many legacies of Roman dominance are the widespread use of the Romance languages (Italian, French, Spanish, Portuguese and Romanian) derived from Latin, the modern Western alphabet and calendar and the emergence of Christianity as a major world religion. After 450 years as a republic, Rome became an empire in the wake of Julius Caesar’s rise and fall in the first century B.C. The long and triumphant reign of its first emperor, Augustus, began a golden age of peace and prosperity; by contrast, the empire’s decline and fall by the fifth century A.D. was one of the most dramatic implosions in the history of human civilization.
For more info go to: https://www.history.com/topics/ancient-rome/ancient-rome
Roman Itineraries:
Roman Itineraries:
Ancient Rome: for the descriptions of these places, click on each in the map above and you will get my description.
Colosseum
Roman Forum
Arch of Constantine
Arch of Titus
Carcere Mamertine
The Pantheon
For these, you can go on a separate itinerary, it's a whole day trip.
Via Appia
Tomba di Cecilia Metella
Catacombe
Quo Vadis
Ancient Rome Itinerary
Ancient Rome Itinerary
To see the descriptions of each place, click on each yellow circle with the number or click on the little rectangle to the left of the Ancient Rome Itinerary title of the map and you will get the list of the places, each one has a description mostly written by me. You will also have the option of mapping an itinerary from where you want to, to there.
I cannot make it into an itinerary for some reason, but you can use the map to make your own itinerary and go to the places you want to go to. You will find out that you can reach pretty much all there places on foot, and by the end of the day you will be really really tired but will have had a lot of fun.
This itinerary starts at the Colosseum and takes you to many ancient roman sites. Some have tours and explanations, some are just passing and looking sites.
There are a few places to eat, some places to buy pizza from, and do buy it, you can have it for breakfast the following days!
In these places you will hear echoes of history, catch glimpses of empires and emperors, and of Christians being martyred. And when you step out of history, and back to our time, wonder about Rome and the way it is now and be puzzled at how we became what we are now.
Rome's Artists Itineraries
Rome's Artists Itineraries
This itinerary takes you to places where you can see the art of some of the most amazing artists in Italy, and most places are free, since they are churches, the only fee you pay is to turn the light on for a few minutes.
You don't have to go to all of the places, but it's worth it. The alternative is spending the whole day in the Vatican Museum or some other Museum.
And that is actually an option, you could break up the itinerary in two days, doing the part across the river on a separate day, starting with the Vatican museum really early and the rest in the afternoon.
Below you will find a brief explanation of who these artists are or where some of their works are. There are more, many more artists, but it would take 4 years of art history classes (which I failed in school) to cover them all. So you get the highlights. But these are worth it!
Michelangelo
Michelangelo
Michelangelo Buonarroti, (born in 1475, Caprese, [Italy]—died in 1564, Rome), Italian Renaissance sculptor, painter, architect, and poet who exerted an unparalleled influence on the development of Western art. He was a master at depicting the body with such technical accuracy that marble was seemingly transformed into flesh and bone. Michelangelo's influence on other artists was profound and has continued from Raphael in his time to Rubens, through to Bernini, and the last great sculptor to follow his tradition of realism, Rodin.
For more information go to: https://www.britannica.com/biography/Michelangelo
Michelangelo designed the dome in St Peter's Basilica, and it's been the inspiration for many other churches around the world.For more information on his architectural work, go to:https://www.britannica.com/biography/Michelangelo#ref16622
This is one of the most famous statues by Michelangelo. The Pieta`. It's found in St Peter's Basilica, in a side chapel on the right as soon as you walk in the doors. You'll see the lines of people there. This was the first of a number of Pietàs Michelangelo worked on during his lifetime. It depicts the body of Jesus in the lap of his mother after the Crucifixion. For more info on Michelangelo's art, go to: https://www.theartstory.org/artist-michelangelo-artworks.htm#pnt_2
He also painted the Sistine Chapel, the most famous fresco in the world. In it he painted the Bible history of creation, Adam and Eve, sin and more. On the sides he painted Prophets and Seers and family members to Jesus. Since the restoration it has been brought back to the original dazzling colors. It eventually comprised some three hundred figures and took four years to execute. The wall behind the altar depicting the Universal Judgment was also painted by Michelangelo.This fresco covers the entire altar wall of the Sistine Chapel and is one of the last pieces that was commissioned by Pope Clement VII when Michelangelo was 62. In it we see the Second Coming of Christ as he delivers the Last Judgement. The monumental work took five years to complete and consists of over 300 individual figures. For more details, go to: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sistine_Chapel_ceiling
Bernini
Gian Lorenzo Bernini (1598 – 1680) was an Italian artist who was perhaps the greatest sculptor of the 17th century and an outstanding architect as well. Bernini created the Baroque style of sculpture and developed it to such an extent that other artists are of only minor importance in a discussion of that style. Bernini died at age 81, after having served eight popes, and when he died he was widely considered not only Europe’s greatest artist but also one of its greatest men. He was the last of Italy’s remarkable series of universal geniuses, and the Baroque style he helped create was the last Italian style to become an international standard. For more information go to: https://www.britannica.com/biography/Gian-Lorenzo-Bernini Bernini
The Angels for the Sant’Angelo Bridge in Rome. Pope Clement IX so prized the Angels carved by Bernini that they were never set up on the bridge and are now in the church of Sant’Andrea delle Fratte in Rome.
For the Chigi Chapel in the Church of Santa Maria del Popolo in Rome, he carved two groups, Daniel in the Lions’ Den and Habakkuk and the Angel.
The Fountain of the Four Rivers in Rome’s Piazza Navona (1648–51) supports an ancient Egyptian obelisk over a hollowed-out rock, surmounted by four marble figures symbolizing four major rivers of the world. This fountain is one of his most spectacular works.
Bernini’s greatest architectural achievement is the colonnade enclosing the piazza before St. Peter’s Basilica. The chief function of the large space was to hold the crowd that gathered for the papal benediction on Easter and other special occasions. Bernini planned a huge oval attached to the church by a trapezoidal forecourt—forms that he compared to the encircling arms of the mother church. The freestanding colonnades were a novel solution to the need for a penetrable enclosure.
The bronze and gilded baldachin in St Peter Basilica was the first of Bernini's works to combine sculpture and architecture. The canopy rests upon four helical columns 66 feet high. Above this, four twice life size angels stand at the corners behind whom four large volutes rise up to a second smaller cornice which in turn supports the gilded cross on a sphere, a symbol of the world redeemed by Christianity. It was intended to mark, in a monumental way, the place of Saint Peter's tomb underneath.
Caravaggio
The intensity of Caravaggio's paintings was matched only by his tempestuous lifestyle. Despite being a hot-headed, violent man often in trouble with the law and implicated in more than one murder, he created striking, innovative paintings and pioneered the use of dramatic lighting and the representation of religious figures in modern clothes and attitudes. Working from life and without the aid of preparatory sketches, Caravaggio paired close observation of his models with the use of strong beams of light to focus attention on certain elements of his images, contrasting these well-lit areas with dark shadows elsewhere on the canvas. This use of chiaroscuro became a core part of Caravaggio's highly individualized style and was widely imitated by his contemporaries. For more information, go to: https://www.theartstory.org/artist-caravaggio.htm Caravaggio
The Calling of Matthew Levi
The Madonna of the Pilgrims
Saul's Conversion
Other itineraries in Rome
Other itineraries in Rome
Itinerary from Trastevere to Piazza del Popolo back to Trastevere. Churches and food on the way.
Botticelli's spring
Leonardo's first painting, he painted the first angel on the left.
Leonardo's Annunciation
Martin Luther and his wife. I don't know the painter's name.
Florence
Florence
Sightseeing in Florence.
Sightseeing in Florence.
Few tips on Florence.
This tip is valid in any City with major museums, but especially for Florence: if you are going to the Uffizi Gallery and the Academy, purchase the tickets in advance and online before you go, because they sell out fast and if you try to get the tickets in person, you will pass hours in line waiting to get to the ticket office.
If you pre-order them online, you only spend an hour or so, between the line for the actual ticket pick up and then the entrance...
I know it sounds crazy, but even advance ticketing takes time...
on the bottom you will find the ticket info from the official site.
If you are going to the Uffizi, I'll have to tell you where to go precisely, because when we went we meandered allover the place looking for the pre-sale ticket office, even after asking the info people twice... It's on a small side street with no signs pointing to it!
Here is the main are where the entrances to the Uffizi are: (see on the left, click on it for full size photo)
If you ask the info booth where to get the tickets you already purchased online, they'll tell you around the corner. That means nothing because around the corner there is a looooong square with million people and no signs indicating where to pick up the tickets. The people at the entrances are too busy monitoring people in line, or just loitering, to be of any help. So, here is where the office is... Walk down the square, or courtyard, whichever you want to call it, and on the right you'll see this (On the left).I can't guarantee those people will be there, but the statues will be. The office to pick up the tickets is indicated by the arrow. There might be a line outside the door, that is normal. Please make sure you bring the printout of the receipt or have it on your phone ready when you go in or you will get trampled by the people behind you.
This is what the entrance looks like: (on the left).
From here you have to go back to the photo on top, and look for the line of the people with tickets, it's marked on the photo. You will think you are in the wrong line because it's slow and long, but trust me, the one for people without tickets is even worse! People have raised children in that line!!
Once you are in you will have to go through security, like at the airport, except you don't take your shoes off. Don't bring large bags, food or anything. They will take them from you. Drink before you go because they sell water inside at the price of gold. There is a line for the bathroom too, and I wouldn't be surprised if they charge for it!
Some people recommend taking a tour with either an audio device or a guide. If you are interested in art and want to know what you are looking at, it's a good idea. If you are not interested in art and just want to see some of the most famous artwork in the world but without much involvement, then don't get the guided tour, get the audio device so you can see things at your speed . Read about it before you travel, familiarize yourself with the museum, and know in advance what you will be looking at. You will be face to face with the works of Leonardo Da Vinci, Michelangelo, Botticelli, Raffaello, Giotto, Caravaggio etc... They deserve more than a cursory glance.
You will find the portrait of Martin Luther and his wife and other reformers. You will find the busts of Julius Caesar, Alexander the great, Nero and other famous people of history.
This is definitely a whole day thing.
Info on tickets and entrance and stuff:
This is the official page for the museums in Florence. I don't know if they have an english version...
http://www.b-ticket.com/b-Ticket/uffizi/?_ga=2.207054547.1348737089.1533759851-696852489.1533759851
Orario di visita (opening hours)
Da martedì a domenica: ore 8:15-18:50, entrata ogni 15 minuti. (Tuesday through Sunday: 8:15 am to 6:50 pm, entering every 15 min.)
La biglietteria chiude alle 18:05 (ticket office closes at 6:05 pm)
Le operazioni di chiusura iniziano alle 18:35 (Closing and clearing out starts at 6:35 pm)
Chiusura
Tutti i lunedì, 1° gennaio, Natale. (closed: every monday, Jan 1 and Christmas)
Giornate a ingresso gratuito (Free entrance days)
24 marzo (march), 26 maggio (May), 2 giugno (June), 23 giugno (June), 11 agosto (August), 6 ottobre (October), 11 ottobre (October), 31 ottobre (October), 3 novembre (November), 6 novembre(November), 1 dicembre (december)
Biglietto (tickets)
Biglietto singolo intero: € 20 (Single, full ticket)
Biglietto singolo ridotto: € 2 (Single reduced)
Biglietto cumulativo intero: € 38 (Whoe cumulative [No idea...])
Costo della prenotazione: € 4 (reservation cost)
(So each person is 24 Euros)
Con il biglietto degli Uffizi si può accedere gratuitamente al Museo Archeologico Nazionale di Firenze fino al quinto giorno successivo alla data di emissione (With the Uffizi ticket you can access for free the National Archeological Museum of Florence up to 5 days from the date of the issuing of the ticket)
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Other sites offer to sell tickets without the line waiting or with a guided tour, and depending if you want the tour or not, it might be a decent deal. But they do have audio guides and sometimes even tours run by the museum itself. Several are in English.
Do not bring large bags, backpacks or umbrellas, they will ask you to leave it at the coat check place, and then you have to go back to the beginning to get it back.
Go to the link above for more information.
Here are just few of the amazing paintings you'll see.
Sightseeing in Florence.
Sightseeing in Florence.
The Academy
The Academy
The tips for the Academy are similar to those for the Uffizi.
Buy the tickets in advance, online, and get the audio guide if you want to know what you are looking at.
Here is the link to the street view of the entrance to the Academy. Move it to see the two ends of the street and look at the size of the lines...
The one on the left is for ticket holders, the one on the right is for non ticket holders, no reservations. Some people in that line booked their trips in 1997, they are still waiting to enter.
This link will also take you to the google map and the location of the Academy. From there you can get direction to and from any place in Florence or Italy.
Info on tickets and entrance and stuff:
This is the official page for the museums in Florence. I don't know if they have an english version...
http://www.b-ticket.com/b-Ticket/uffizi/?_ga=2.207054547.1348737089.1533759851-696852489.1533759851
Orario di visita (opening hours)
Da mercoledì a domenica: ore 8:15-18:50, entrata ogni 15 minuti. (Wednesday through Sunday: 8:15 am to 6:50 pm, entering every 15 min.)
Tutti i martedì e giovedì dal 4 giugno al 26 settembre orario prolungato: 08:15 - 22:00 (tuesday and thursday from June 4 to september 26, longer hours: 8:15 am to 10 pm)
La biglietteria chiude alle 18:20 (ticket office closes at 6:20 pm)
Le operazioni di chiusura iniziano alle 18:35 (Closing and clearing out starts at 6:35 pm)
Chiusura (Dates closed)
Tutti i lunedì, 1° gennaio, Natale. (closed: every monday, Jan 1, May 1 and Christmas)
Giornate a ingresso gratuito (Free entrance days)
24 marzo (march), 26 maggio (May), 2 giugno (June), 23 giugno (June), 11 agosto (August), 6 ottobre (October), 11 ottobre (October), 31 ottobre (October), 3 novembre (November), 6 novembre(November), 1 dicembre (december)
Biglietto (tickets)
Biglietto singolo intero: € 12 (Single, full ticket)
Biglietto singolo ridotto: € 2 (Single reduced)
Costo della prenotazione: € 4 (reservation cost)
(So each person is 14 Euros)
Audioguide
Disponibili in italiano, inglese, francese, spagnolo, tedesco, e giapponese. (available in English too, Cost: 6 Euros for single one, 10 Euros for double ones.)
Costo: € 6,00 per apparecchio singolo, € 10,00 per apparecchio doppio
(They'll probably ask you to leave some form of ID or pay in advance.)
____________________________________________________
Other sites offer to sell tickets without the line waiting or with a guided tour, and depending if you want the tour or not, it might be a decent deal. But they do have audio guides and sometimes even tours run by the museum itself. Several are in English.
Do not bring large bags, backpacks or umbrellas, they will ask you to leave it at the coat check place, and then you have to go back to the beginning to get it back.
Go to the link above for more information.
At the Academy the main focus is on Michelangelo's David, which is spectacular, and the size alone takes your breath away. But do not miss the sculptures around it, in the room leading up to it, the one called the Prisoners.
They are unfinished sculptures by Michelangelo, they were going to be used in a tomb set that was never finished. In those you see the genius and the mastery of Michelangelo, where the shapes of the bodies seem to wrestle to get their freedom from a block of marble, and where the texture goes from the roughness of the raw marble to the smoothness of the muscles and flesh of the statues. They are amazing works, and most people barely look at them because they are unfinished and they are not the David!
Definitely worth a visit! Even with the lines!
My suggestion, go on a day they have late closing hours, go to the Uffizi early, in the first cycle at 8:15 am, spend the morning and part of the afternoon there. Then go out, eat a quick lunch, and go to the academy in the late afternoon or early evening. And stay till later, since they close at 10 pm in the summer.
Some more famous art, in Rome and Florence. Most of it is from Michelangelo's home in Florence.
Naples is a beautiful city.
Naples is a beautiful city.
I have to say that in the beginning because I don't want to give the impression that I don't like it.
My mom's mother, grandma, was born there (Ischia), we used to vacation there for many years, and we liked it.
But Naples has some quirks that make it a city to be always in alert mode for...
It's sadly famous for the frauds, big and small, perpetrated in the streets, where somebody tries to sell you something very expensive (watch, cell phone, camera, leather jacket, fancy purse etc) for very cheap, only to swap it at the last second and the person buying it gets swindled and is left with a brick or a piece of garbage...
Swindling people has become almost an art form, and is celebrated even in movies... No regard for the person being cheated...
Driving is a nightmare, people drive like it's a race and the rules of the road are lightly regarded... Years ago we were visiting and I remember we had to dodge mopeds and motorcycles on the sidewalk, because that was being used like a lane of traffic. crossing the street was an adventure...
Taking public transportation is also another opportunity for thieves to rob people. In all my years of living in Italy, only once I had somebody try to pick my wallet out of my purse, and that was on a bus in Naples. The person was unsuccessful, but still.
So. be careful in Naples!
Having said that... Naples is a city full of amazing art, sights and food places! They have the best pizza (well, I like roman, thin pizza better, but I am biased) and best pastries.
The sea is still amazing, in spite of the pollution and the chemical from the local industries.
Capri and Ischia have amazing beaches, and those alone are worth a trip in the area.
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