Venice Day Trip

Alternative 1
1) Train from Milan in the morning (around 8 or 9am) - arrives at Venice St Lucia train station 2hr 35 minutes later (or 2hr 20mins if you take the fast train). Do not get out at the wrong stop!
2) Take Waterbus No.1 or 2 (vaporetto) from Train Station to Piazza San Marco. Cost: 6,50 Euros
3) Enjoy sights at Piazza San Marco, including St Mark's Basilica (free admission, reserve tickets ahead) and Doge's Palace.
4) Walk (and get lost) to Ponte Rialto. It should take less than 10 minutes if you don't get lost.
5) Enjoy sights and sounds of Ponte Rialto and Rialto Food Market (if it is still open).
6) Continue to walk in the streets of Venice towards the train station. Journey should take at most 25 minutes (provided you don't get lost as well. Hint: keep looking backwards to see if the signs still say "Rialto")

Alternative 2
1) Train from Milan in the morning (around 8 or 9am) - arrives at Venice St Lucia train station 2hr 35 minutes later (or 2hr 20mins if you take the fast train). Do not get out at the wrong stop!
2) 25 minutes walk to Rialto (follow signs!) from the train station.
3) Enjoy sights and sounds of Ponte Rialto and Rialto Food Market. You can probably get your lunch there as well.
4) Continue to walk in the streets of Venice towards Piazza San Marco (follow signs on corner of buildings as well). The journey should take less than 10 minutes if you don't get lost.
5) Enjoy sights at Piazza San Marco, including St Mark's Basilica (free admission, reserve tickets ahead) and Doge's Palace.
6) Take Waterbus No.1 or 2 (vaporetto) from Piazza San Marco to Train Station. Cost: 6,50 Euros

Italy Train Travel

Types of Trains in Italy:
Eurostar (ES or Treni Eurostar Italia) – Italy’s premiere train. Seat reservations on Eurostar Italia are mandatory.
Intercity and the newer Intercity Plus trains – Relatively fast trains that run the length of Italy, stopping at the large cities. 1st and 2nd class service is available. Seat reservations are compulsory on the Intercity Plus trains.
Diretto and interregionali (Direct and Inter-Regional Trains) – Local trains, interregionali is the faster one. Cheap and usually reliable, but may be hard to find seats on major routes (unless you buy first class tickets)

Buying an Italian Train Ticket:
1) Go to ticket window at station equipped with the time and destination of the train you want to take, number of tickets u need, the class of ticket.
2) Use ticket machine (if station has them). Pretty easy to use, can avoid long queues.
3) Through a travel agent. Extra fee will usually be added to the price.
4) Buy online at Trenitalia

Remember to VALIDATE your train ticket before boarding the train!

Rome Transportation

64 - Termini: Piazza della Repubblica - Via Nazionale - Piazza Venezia - Largo Arenula - Corso Vittorio Emanuele - Largo Porta Cavalleggeri - Stazione San Pietro.
8 - A new Tram - Largo di Torre Argentina - Ponte Garibaldi - Piazza Mastai - Piazza Ippolito Nievo - Stazione Trastevere - Monteverde - Casaletto.
118 - Piazzale Ostiense - Terme di Caracalla - Appia Antica (catacombs).492 - Stazione Tiburtina - Stazione Termini - Piazza Barberini - Piazza Venezia - Corso Rinascimento - Piazza Cavour - Piazza Risorgimento - Stazione Cipro - Musei Vaticani.
23 - Piazzale Clodio - Piazza Risorgimento - Ponte Vittorio Emanuele II - Ponte Garibaldi - Via Marmorata - Piazzale Ostiense - Basilica di S. Paolo.
714 - Stazione Termini - Piazza S. Maria Maggiore - Piazza S. Giovanni in Laterano - Via delle Terme di Caracalla - Via C. Colombo - Piazza G. Marconi - Piazzale P.L. Nervi.
660 - Largo Colli Albani - Via Appia Nuova -Via Appia Antica (catacombs).
910 - Stazione Termini - Piazzale della Repubblica - Via Piemonte - Via Pinciana (Villa Borghese) - Piazzale Euclide - Auditorium - Palazzetto dello Sport - Piazza Mancini.
590 - Handicapped facilities. Same route as Metro Line A, but it runs every 90 minutes (schedule at the bus stop).


Vatican:
from Termini Bus 64
from Colosseo, walk 5 minutes to Piazza Venezia, than take Bus 64
from Trastevere 23 (Lungotevere De' Cenci).

Spanish steps & Trevi Fountain:
from Termini Bus 492 or 175 to Via del Tritone
from the Vatican Bus 62 to Via del Tritone
from Trastevere Tram 8 to Largo Argentina and Bus 62 to Via del Tritone.

Colosseo:
from Termini 64 to Piazza Venezia and walk for 5 minutes.
from the Vatican 64 to Piazza Venezia
from Trastevere Tram 8 to Largo Argentina, then bus 87.

Pantheon, Piazza Navona e Campo de'Fiori:
from Termini 64 or 492 to Largo Argentina
from the Vatican 64 or 62 to Largo Argentina
from Trastevere don't be lazy: cross the bridge and walk for 5 minutes!

Trastevere:
from Termini 64 or 492 to Largo Argentina and Tram 8 Viale Trastevere
from the Vatican 23 to Piazza G. Belli.

Colosseum

Entrance includes access to the Colosseum, Roman Forum and Palatine Hill. Colosseum entrance tickets are not timed and can be used at any time on the chosen date to skip the admission line. Your ticket is valid for 2 days, and can be used for 1 entrance (only) to each site.
Tickets are priced at 13,50 Euro, pre-purchase (to skip the line) at http://www.ticketclic.it/gb/index.cfm
Opening hours: 9am - 7.30pm

Saint Peter's Basilica

Visiting hours: Basilica (7am - 7pm), Dome (8am to sunset)
The DOME: For young fit people it probably isn't a problem but if you are over 60 or have any breathing difficulties then beware. There is an elevator that takes you part way up but it still leaves you some 326 steps and some inclines to negotiate. It is a one-way system so if you run into problems you have no choice but to continue (heaven knows what happens if anyone has a heart attack). A number of the passage ways are very narrow with no passing places. However, on a clear day, the view is worth it.
Cost: 7 Euros (elevator), 6 Euros (stairs)

Vatican Museums

The astonishingly rich collections - a veritable citadel of museums - offer the opportunity to follow every itinerary of art and history. The museums are composed of several sections:
- the Gregorian Etruscan Museum
- the Pinacoteca
- the Missionary-Ethnological Museum
- the Raphael Stanze
- the Sistine Chapel.
Visiting Hours: 9am - 2pm (no Sundays, except last Sunday of the month)
How to Jump the Queue:
1) Buy tickets online @ 14,00 + 4,00 Euros
http://biglietteriamusei.vatican.va/musei/tickets/do?action=booking
2) Join professional guided tour

Vatican City

MORNING is emphasized because the lines to enter start forming at least an hour before it opens. You will enter on the side that leads you directly into the Vatican Museum. There is a thorough security check. Be prepared for metal detection of both you and your bags.
Things to do:
1) Vatican Museum
2) St. Peter's Basilica (Basilica di San Pietro)
3) Sistine Chapel
4) St. Peter's Square

Doge's Palace

For centuries the Doge's Palace had three fundamental roles: as the Doge residence, the seat of government and as the palace of justice. This was where some of the most important decisions for Venice's, and even Europe's destiny were taken.
References: http://www.italyguides.it/us/venice_italy/doge_s_palace/doge_s_palace.htm
Opening hours: 7 days a week, 9am - 7pm
Entrance Fee: 17,50 Euros (admission to Museu Correr as well)

Secret Itenararies Tour @ 21 Euros
Take the Itinerari Segreti and you discover these hidden passages, also the administrative offices of the men who ran the Venice of medieval and Renaissance times. You’ll even visit the city gaol, and the very cell from which notorious lover Giacomo Casanova made his escape in 1775.

Pre-purchase tickets at http://www.tickitaly.com/galleries/doges-palace-venice.php

St Marks, Venice

St Mark's Basilica
Interior: Contains a wealth of paintings and sculpture. St Mark's body is contained in a sarcophagus beneath the altar.
Belltower: Once a lighthouse for ships, but now offers the best aerial views of Venice.
Opening hours: Daily, 9.45am - 4.45pm; Best time to visit is in late mornings (11.30-12.30), when the mosaics are lighted up.
Admission charges: Admission is free, but queues are expected to be long. So reserve your spot at http://www.alata.it/eng/booking/sanmarco.asp. It's free!
Getting there
1) From Piazzale Roma (by the water-bus lines): 1 (40mins), 52 direct (20mins), 82 direct (30mins)
2) From Train Station, Santa Lucia (by the water-bus lines): 1 (35mins), 52 direct (25mins), 82 direct (25mins)
Note: Backpacks and cameras are not allowed inside, so deposit them first before you join the queue.


St Mark's Square
"Visit it, just like everybody else does!"

Things (I want) to do in Venice

Venice Day Trip...gotta pack lots and lots of things into one short short day...
1) St Mark's Basilica & Square
2) Grand Canal
3) Doge's Palace (Palazzo Ducale)
4) Rialto Bridge & Market
5) Venice Lagoons

San Siro Stadium, Milan

Reference: http://www.italyheaven.co.uk/milan/sansiro.html
The San Siro Museum is dedicated to both Inter Milan and AC Milan, and is located inside the stadium (Gate 21). The museum is open daily from 10am, with the last admission at 5pm. Tours depart hourly (with variations on matchdays). The cost for both the museum and a stadium tour is €12.50.
Getting there
1)Metro: Lotto station, fair walk from there. Go past McDonalds (on your left), and take Via Caprillo, following the line of trees along the edge of the Ippodromo. This route takes you to the Curva Nord, the northern end of the stadium.
2) Tram 16: Stops outside the Curva Sud, opposite the entrance to the San Siro Museum. Tram runs from Duomo. ** Direzione S. Siro / Axum

Things (I want) to do in Milan

Spending only mostly nights in Milan because will be taking day trips to Venice and Foxtown from here. Here are a few possible things to do in Milan.
1) Duomo - roof climb open only 7am - 7pm
2) San Siro Stadium - guided stadium tours + museum from 10am - 5pm

Full-length posts coming up!

Milan Cathedral (Duomo)

"What a wonder it is! So grand, so solemn, so vast! And yet so delicate, so airy, so graceful!" --Mark Twain
Duomo di Milano is one of the most famous buildings in Europe. It is the largest Gothic cathedral and the second largest Catholic cathedral in the world.
Roof Climb
The roof climb provides a unique and memorable opportunity to walk high on the roofs of the huge Gothic cathedral. The views are magnificent and the opportunity to see the pinnacles and sculptures close up along the way is worth the climb alone.
Entrance is from the north side of the cathedral (walk around left from the front). You can choose to walk up the stairs (3,50 Euros)- which are solid, square, and more roomy than many cathedral stairways - or take an elevator for a higher price (5 Euros).
Getting There
Metro: Duomo
Opening hours (roof climb): Daily 7am - 7pm

Rome: Getting breakfast, coffee, and other travel tips

Reference: tripadvisor.com
Coffee costs a fortune in Italy, and they usually come in small cups. McDonald's sell relatively decent coffee at 1Euro under the title of Cappucino. There is also a nice selection of pastries and muffins (for breakfast) at 1Euro each.

The streets are mostly cleared of people by about 10 pm, so walking later at night is a little scary but seems to be safe as long as you stick to well it streets. The police prescence/military prescence is very high in Rome and they will ask you if you are a toursit if you are out late waling by yourself.

Gelato in Rome

Source: http://rome-hotels.tripadvisor.com/Travel-g187791-c70805/Rome:Italy:Best.Gelato.In.Rome.html
A new movement toward artisinal gelato has revitalized the local scene, and the city of Rome now certifies select shops as Gelaterie Artigianale. These shops use only fresh ingredients, no pre-made bases, and no artificial colors, flavors or emulsifiers. Look for signs displaying the symbol -- a large "A" -- if you're interested in experiencing the difference. If nothing else, try to avoid places whose gelato features bright, artificial coloring.

Gelateria del Teatro - Via di San Simone, 70 (5 minutes walk from Piazza Navona)
Just off the pedestrianized Via dei Coronari, between Piazza Navona and the Lungotevere Marzio. This newish place is a gelateria artigianale, using carefully sourced ingredients including almonds from Bari and pistachios from Sicily. The picturesque location offers outdoor seating in a tiny alley; the gelato itself is heavenly and includes several flavors of chocolate ranging from milk to "puro" -- reputedly 70% chocolate. Other choices include cassata and tiramisu flavors plus caramel-pear and ricotta-fig-almond.

San Crispino - Via della Panetteria 42 (1 minute walk from Trevi Fountain)
A rave review some years ago in the New York Times raised this gelateria's profile and it remains wildly popular with tourists; there are often lines out the door. Inside, the gelatos are stored in stainless steel bins with lids -- they take ice cream very, very seriously here and everything is made from scratch, using only fresh ingredients. Its flavors are creamier and more ice-cream like than some gelatos; the San Crispino and crema di limone (lemon cream) flavors come particularly highly recommended.
* Shop is really small so open your eyes wide and look for it!

Giolitti - Via Uffici del Vicario 40 (4 minute walk from Pantheon)
This is a very old establishment -- it opened in 1900! -- and is often voted best ice cream in local polls. The high-ceilinged interior recalls the turn of the last century, with mirrors and marble and table seating; the staff are friendly and the selection vast. Try the crema marrone (chestnut), which was a favourite of Pope John Paul II, who sent his driver to pick up a tub whenever he was in the mood.

Ciampini - Piazza San Lorenzo in Lucina 29, close to Via del Corso and the Spanish Steps. Ciampini is a favorite with locals, and offers good, reliable ice cream.

Della Palma - 20/23 Via della Maddalena, 2min walk from Pantheon
Baskin Robbins of Rome, with countless flavors and varieties (lots of soy choices, frozen yogurt, etc.)

Markets in Rome

Markets in Rome usually open at 7am - 1pm, Monday to Saturday.
Campo de Fiori
Often mentioned in the guidebooks as a quaint, sometimes must see, market within easy reach of nearby tourist attractions. Translated literally as Field of Flowers, the Field refers to the fact that the area was a field until the 15th century when it was paved over.
Getting there: It is a 9 minute walk from the Pantheon and 5 minute walk from Piazza Navona

Porta Portese
Vendors are likely to sell merchandise ranging from secondhand paintings of Madonnas and termite-eaten Il Duce wooden medallions, to pseudo-Etruscan hairpins, rosaries, 1947 TVs, and books printed in 1835. Serious shoppers can often ferret out a good buy. If you've ever been impressed with the bargaining power of the Spaniard, you haven't seen anything until you've bartered with an Italian.
Getting there: Bus: 75 to Porta Portese, and then a short walk to Via Portuense
Opening Hours: Sunday 7am - 1pm
Reference: http://www.frommers.com/destinations/rome/S23959.html

Piazza Vittorio Emanuele
The largest open-air food market in Rome takes place at Piazza Vittorio Emanuele. Most of the vendors at this gigantic square sell fresh fruit, vegetables, and other foodstuffs, although many stalls are devoted to such items as cutlery, clothing, and other merchandise. The place has little to tempt the serious shopper, but it's great for discovering a slice of Roman life.
Getting there: Metro: Vittorio Emanuele, 9 minutes walk from Termini
Reference: http://www.frommers.com/destinations/rome/S23958.html

Secure Luggage Storage at Florence Train Station

Reference: http://www.tripadvisor.com and http://www.grandistazioni.it
According to sources, there is a "manned luggage deposit", otherwise known as "deposito bagagli" in Italian at the "left hand side of the station as you walk up from the tracks". The luggage area opens 7 days a week, from 6am to 12midnite. The charges are as follows: 4,00 € the first 5 hours 0,60 € /hour from 6th to 12th hour 0,20 € /hour from 13th hour onwards.

Pizzeria Baffetto

Frommer's Review
Our Roman friends always take out-of-towners here when they ask for the best pizza in Rome. Arguably, Pizzeria Baffetto fills the bill and has done so for the past 80 years. Pizzas are sold as piccolo (small), media (medium), or grande (large). Most pizza aficionados order the margherita, which is the simplest version, with mozzarella and tomato sauce, but a wide range of toppings is served. The chef is proud of his pizza Baffetto, the house specialty. It comes with a topping of tomato sauce, mozzarella, mushrooms, onions, sausages, roasted peppers, and eggs. The pizza crusts are delightfully thin, and the pies are served piping hot from the intense heat of the ancient ovens.
Price: Pizza 4€-8€
Address: Via del Governo Vecchio 114, Rome
- 8-min westward walk from Pantheon or 4-min westward walk from Piazza Navona

Things (I want) to do in ROME

Here's a brief overview of attractions and activities (I want) to do in ROME..I'll be posting more in-depth articles about each attraction if I have the time!
1) Colosseum
2) Pantheon
3) Roman Forum (Foro Romano)
4) Trevi Fountain
5) Spanish Steps
6) Vatican
7) Eat GELATO!
8) Eat PIZZA!

Europe 2009!

Cities I'm visiting:
1) Barcelona
2) Milan
3) Venice
4) Rome
5) Florence
6) Foxtown (Switzerland)

# Days: 12

Month of visit: May 2009