Italy – Rome, Florence, and Venice

Italy was our last-minute choice of 2017 summer vacation. We visited Rome, Florence, and Venice, all very beautiful and romantic. We did all the cliches; going to the Colosseum, sitting on Spanish Steps, eating the best pizzas and gelatos, climbing up the Cupola, going on the gondolas…Here’s our trip to the most romantic country in the world.

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Our Trip in summary

City	Rome, Florence, Venice
Date	September 13-19, 2017
Companion	Remi and Koichi
Purpose	summer vacation!
Total cost	around ¥180,000 each (flight, hotel, and train ¥140,000)
Overall	★★★★★
Thoughts	very pretty and romantic cities, a dream!

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1. Day 1 & 2 – getting to Rome and exploring the city –
2. Day 3 –exploring Vatican City –
3. Day 4 – exploring Florence –
4. Day 5 – exploring Venice –
5. Day 6 – back to reality –
6. Overall thoughts and recommendations

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Day 1 & 2

getting to Rome and exploring the city

Day 1 17:50	Etihad Tokyo(NRT) 17:50 → Abu Dhabi 00:25
	~ 2h 10m layover ~
Day 2 02:35	Etihad Abu Dhabi 02:35 → Rome 07:05
08:00	Milani Hotel
09:00	visiting the Colosseum and Roman Forum
12:00	lunch
13:00	the Pantheon Piazza del Popolo Spanish Steps and a walk around the historic district

• we wanted to stay at a hotel near Termini station, the biggest and main station in Rome because we were taking an early train to Florence on the fourth day. and I think it was a very wise choice. lol
• Milani Hotel was close to Termini station, great access! the streets were pretty bumpy so it might be a little hard to get there with a lot of luggage, but it is within walking distance.
• the hotel was pretty old, but the room, beds, bathrooms were totally fine as I recall.
• if you are taking a train to or train from Termini station, I would recommend this hotel.

• the Colosseum was within a walking distance from our hotel.
• it had a line to get in but it was like 20-30min, so if you don’t like getting in line, you might want to get there early.
• it felt bigger in person, unreal that people built this so many many years ago and is still mostly there. definitely a must-visit!
• Roman Forum was very close to the Colosseum, just a few minutes. As I recall, the entrance and exit was a little unclear, but just follow other sightseers and it would be fine lol.
• as you can see from the pictures, there are almost no shades, so it would be tough to walk around the Colosseum and the Roman Forum for a couple of hours in a hot summer day. please take some rests along the way!

• after eating lunch at a local deli, we went to take a walk around the city.
• we went to the Pantheon, Spanish Steps, famous from “Roman Holidays”. you can sit but are restricted from eating on the steps. was a little crowded.
• in Piazza del Popolo, we saw the sunset! you can see the whole view of the city from some random hill we decided to climb. very beautiful.
• one thing I loved about the city was that all these historic places were within walking distance. it was so lovely to take a walk around the city all day. any random street was pretty.

Day 3

exploring Vatican City

09:00	breakfast at the hotel
10:00	visit Vatican City
15:00	gelato at Gelateria del Teatro
17:00	Trevi Fountain
19:00	dinner at Al Forno della Soffitta

• on our third day, we visitied Vatican City. we didn’t research or make any bookings beforehand, so when we went there and found a very very long line for both the Vatican Museum and St. Peter’s Basilica (about 2hours each), we went for the last minute tour.
• the tour included a guided tour of the Vatican Museum, entrance to St. Peter’s Basilica, and Sistine Chapel. it definitely wasn’t cheap, but considering the long lines, we were glad we took the tour. all three are a must!
• if you don’t like tours, you need to get there really early or book tickets beforehand.

• honestly, Gelateria del Teatro was the best gelato ever!
• there would probably be a line, but it is definitely worth it. you take a ticket inside, and wait for your number to be called

• after Vatican City, we had some time, so we went to the Trevi Fountain which we couldn’t manage to fit in the day before.
• the day time would have been equally beautiful, but we were lucky enough to catch the light-up. very crowded.

• for dinner, we went to Al Forno della Soffitta.
• we searched for the best pizzas in Rome on Yelp and found this one. we went there at around 19:00 with no reservation. there were a couple of groups waiting but we got seated in about 20min.
• the pizza was transcendent!!! best pizza I ever had (and there are pretty good pizzas in Tokyo too).
• oh and Italians apparently eat pizzas with their knives and forks, so “when in Rome, do as the Romans do”! (any excuse to fit this proverb in lol)
• it was close to the Colosseum, so we went to see the light-up afterward.

Day 4

exploring Florence

07:50	train to Florence Rome 07:50 – Florence 09:22
10:00	Hotel Corona D’Italia
11:00	visit Duomo
13:00	Panini lunch
15:00	Uffizi Gallery
17:00	Ponte Vecchio
19:00	dinner at Antico Ristoro di Cambi

• we took the train from Termini station to Santa Maria Novella station, one of the biggest and main stations in Florence.
• our hotel, Hotel Corona D’Italia, was very close from the station. they kept our luggage at the lobby until our check-in time.
• the rooms were pretty and clean, and the service was okay. breakfast buffet had a lot of options. overall, I will say, considering the great access and the price, I would definitely recommend!

• the first place we went to was the Duomo.
• there was a long line to climb up the Cupola, we waited about 30min? the way up was quite tough, but it was definitely worth it. you can see the entire view of Florence. what a beautiful city…
• a little tip; you might want to read the Japanese novel “冷静と情熱のあいだ(Calmi Cuori Appassionati)” before a trip to Florence…!

• just in time before the Uffizi Galleryclosed, we managed to get in.
• now, I know nearly nothing about art and paintings, so I will leave the comments to the other reviewers lol. but I can say that the building was beautiful and was able to sneak a great view of Ponte Vecchio. the paintings were stunning obviously, and I personally loved the ones that captured light and dark ever so beautifully.

• the exterior is probably the most famous image of Ponte Vecchio, and I didn’t know that it had so many shops on the bridge. and it wasn’t even that touristy.
• again, the streets were so pretty and somehow nostalgic. it was just so great to take a random walk.

• for dinner, we went to Antico Ristoro di Cambi,a beefsteak (bistecca) restaurant.
• we made no reservations, so we made sure we got there early, at about 18:00. we were able to get seated soon after.
• it was definitely one of the best steaks ever!

Day 5

exploring Venice

08:30	train to Venice Florence 08:30 – Venice 10:35
10:35	check-in at Hotel Bella Venezia
12:00	St. Mark’s Square and Rialto Bridge
15:00	Gondola
19:00	exploring the streets

• we took the train to get to Venice from Florence.
• from the train station, we took the water bus to get to our hotel. we didn’t really think about how to get to the hotel from the train station, but we followed other travelers and figured that we were to take the water bus. it does take some time and is not as convenient, but it was an eye-opening experience to use a boat as a bus lol.
• there could be a long line for the water bus, especially one that goes to St. Mark’s Square.
• our hotel was near St. Mark’s Square. the streets were narrow and crowded and bumpy, so it was hard to carry our luggage there.
• the interior looked kind of lavish, but it wasn’t too pricy.
• there are so many options for hotels, but we went for the one that was not so expensive and was near the main area (St.Mark’s Square and Rialto Bridge).

• we were blessed with such a beautiful weather! so many people taking pictures, chilling at the cafes.

• we took a walk around the city. the narrow streets were so fun to explore. some touristy stores and some mega-brand stores (which in my opinion, kinda killed the atmosphere).
• we also went to the famous Rialto Bridge. a little crowded but the view was very pretty.

• we took a gondola boat ride with 2 other groups. I forgot how much it cost, but it would obviously be cheaper if you get to split it with other groups. and they only take cash, so make sure to save some.
• this traveler asked us if we wanted to split a gondola ride, and so we did with another couple.
• it was about 30-60 min ride. we started near St. Mark’s Square and came back to the same place.
• going under small brides and going through narrow canals, and going out into the great canals…loved it!!!

• Venice during the day was beautiful obviously, but the night was another level. oh the romance and nostalgia…
• we had to go back to Rialto Bridge just for the night view. lol
• exploring the streets of Venice was definitely one of the happiest moments of my life.

Day 6

back to reality

08:00	boat ride to the airport
12:00	Etihad Venice 12:00 – Abu Dhabi 20:00
22:10	Etihad Abu Dhabi 22:10 – Tokyo(Narita) 13:10

• we took the water bus to the airport. we checked which water bus we should take to the airport at the hotel reception beforehand. it took about an hour.
• when you check-out of the hotel, you need to pay the city tax. our hotel staff requested us to pay with cash, but we didn’t have enough left, so they unwillingly accepted our credit card. you might want to save some cash until the end of the trip just in case…

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Overall thoughts and recommendations

Cliche I guess, but Italy was a very beautiful country. Vintage, nostalgic, dreamy, romantic… Maybe too romantic for a couple of 20 year-olds…

considering the fact that we were college students and had like no money (literally used up all of our money), I think we were able to get the most out of the three cities. obviously, there were more activities and places we would have gone, but I think we did the minimum.

Rome

• the Colosseum and the Roman Forum were a must-see. and also, I was glad I made time to go to Vatican City. it would be great if you have one day each.
• for food, please eat their pizzas! and I suggest you go to one of the highly-rated pizzas in the city. and also, try gelatos too. especially ones that have a long line.

Florence

• from Duomo to Ponte Vecchio and to the streets, the city was ever so pretty. Who would make a Duomo green, white, and red? I don’t think we are supposed to describe religious and spiritual places as “pretty” but as a city girl who spent most of her life in the metropolitan of Japan, that is an honest and foremost opinion.
• my tip is this: you might want to make time to just explore random streets. wish we had more time to explore…
• for food, try their bisteccas! it was one of the best I have ever had.

Venice

• ever so dreamy and romantic… definitely will revisit with more time.
• we kind of had to rush through everything since we only had one day, so it was a shame we couldn’t explore nearby islands.
• there are so many options for hotels, but I would recommend one near St.Mark’s Square. Just by St.Mark’s Square, there is a pretty big water bus station, so it would be convenient to access anywhere.
• you pretty much have to go places on foot, or else take a water bus. the transportation time may be a little unpredictable when you take the water bus, so make sure you have extra time.
• and there are also so many choices for restaurants, so if you want to have great food, you might want to research or make a reservation beforehand.

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Here’s a google map, for reference

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