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Vacation Planning For Beginners To Expert

Vacation planning whether you're an experienced traveler or a first timer when it comes to going on vacation there are two equally important parts of the process,  research and planning. After all when you are going on an Italian vacation you want to enjoy the experience as much as possible so whether you're going on a Cruise, to a City for a week or the Country for a month why would you want to go without planning.

We broke down the areas we use for vacation planning into sections and have them listed bellow to make it easier to find and read a specific section over if there is something you forgot or if there are only a few sections you want to read. We believe doing your planning in the order we have  listed below will make each aspect fall into place more easily then in another order. This section is and overview of how and where to start planning, however anytime you want to read in depth information for the subject you are on merely click the section title and you will be taken to the main information page for that section otherwise you can just click that section in the main menu bar. If you are new to not only vacation planning when you are finished reading the information on this site about Italian vacation planning you should feel more comfortable and confident when making your reservations online.

One thing I would like to add is that it is never to early to start planning an Italian vacation. With that said it doesn’t mean you have to do all your planning right away, if you start the planning process early enough you can take your time relax and make decisions you need to when you are ready. Keep in mind that many of the big tourist cities in Italy can be crowded and if you see the exact kind of hotel you want to stay in you may want to book it somewhat early. I have seen some hotels sold out as far ahead as six months. When you start planning sooner you will find more information which makes it easer to choose what you want. Also this section is an overview of how to start your planning and each section has a full page providing much more information. If at any time while reading the overview you want to read the related page just click the title for that overview.

Getting started  plan your trip dates and pick the sites you want to see.

We like to start our vacation planning by getting a good travel guide. I recommend the one I used, which is DK Eyewitness Travel Italy, and can be purchased at Barnes & Noble. If you click on the picture of the books on the right it will take you to the Barnes & Noble web site. Really read it to decide what you want to see while you're on vacation. Don't just look at seeing the major attractions because there are so many off beat places that are very interesting. Don't worry about finding too many things to see, it is easier to decide not to see something before you go then to find out you could have seen something real interesting after you've gotten home, so just fill up your want to see list.

After you have picked out all the sites you want to see the next big decision is when to go on you’re trip, and how many days including one day each way for the flight can you be away on vacation? Like everywhere else Italy has a high travel season which for most countries are when school is out. This normally means everything is more crowded and the prices are higher so if you have the ability to go before or after high travel season you may enjoy the trip more. After all for some people this could be a trip of a lifetime and the only time they will be in Italy so study the time you need very carefully. You may need only one extra day to make the trip a perfect one.  

You may also consider  whether you want to combine a cruise as part of you’re vacation. I have done this several times and in my circumstance it worked out great. So how does someone decide whether or not they want set aside part of their vacation for a cruise? Please visit our cruise section for a full explanation.

Using Google maps

One of the best things you can use when planning your vacation to Italy is google maps. Making a google map will give you a birds eye view of where your hotel is in relation to the train station or bus station which most often will be one of the first places you will see when you get to Italy. Other maps you can make would be maps of the sites you want to see and towns you may want to drive to while in Italy. We provide much more detail on how to use google maps and how to plot sites on the google maps page.

After you have picked out your sites and printed your maps and itineraries , the next thing I do I consider a very important aspect of your vacation planning and many people never think of. Take all your credit cards drivers licence, medical cards, insurance cards and anything else of importance out of your wallet or purse along with your passport  and if you have your own copy machine put them on it and make a copy of every thing.  If not wright everything down including the phone number to each cards call center next to the card as well so you won’t have to scramble trying to find it while over seas.  Put this paper in your carryon, this is very important information to have if your wallet or purse is lost or stolen rather then trying to remember everything you had. I wouldn’t recommend making a copy on a commercial copier somewhere because many of the commercial copiers have memories and someone can tell the copier to print the last thing copied and get what you copied.

Finding a Great Hotel

Next lets talk about Hotels.  Now that you have all your sites and cities picked out and know how long you will be staying in Italy it is time to choose a hotel. We like to choose a hotel before we get a flight because we like to know we have a place to stay before we get our flight. When  choosing a hotel you will need to consider a few things, price, style, and location. All are important because where you stay will be a big part of your Italian vacation experience. Also the majority of the hotels in Italy are mom and pop type of places, there are some big hotel chains in most big cities but from my experience there locations aren’t very good.

  

Choosing and Arraigning Your Flight

For many the cost of a flight may be the biggest expense of the vacation so choosing your flight can be an important one. Things to look into when finding a flight are, departure and landing time. Depending on where you live and how long the flight is can determine whether you will be able to use the day you land to do anything other then rest after the flight. If you live in an area where there is only one flight a day going to Italy you won’t have a choice in the mater but if you have many choices to consider it could mater to you.  Finding flights with the least number of connecting flights can also be a big deal as well since no one enjoys sitting for hours between flights. Deciding which city to fly into can effect the price as well as what day of the week to fly.

Getting From Place to Place

Ground transportation  Cars,  trains and busses are thing you will need to consider when doing your vacation planning before your in Italy. Which one to use can depend on your age, fitness level and what city you are in. Knowing how your getting from the airport to your hotel is something you would want to know before you leave.

Since trains are very much in use as standard travel many people choose the train to get from the airport to the city terminal they are staying in because of it’s low price then walk from the terminal to their hotel. This could involve more walking and pulling your luggage along then you want depending on where your hotel is in relation to the terminal and may not be a good option for some older people.

Most airports have busses that run from the airport to a central terminal much like the trains where again you could walk to your hotel. Of course you can always take a cab from the airport directly to the hotel which is always the fastest and easiest way but is also the most expensive. No mater which way you choose you should print yourself a map and put the address of the hotel you are staying to give the cab driver or to have for directions if you are walking from the bus or train terminal.

Having maps and address nice and organized makes trying to get from one place to another much easier. The major cities in Italy for the most part have good city bus service for going from one side of the city to another, but from my experience most people want to walk and sightsee all they can when going to a specific site they are interested in seeing, so how you decided to get from one place to another is of course up to you. Find out more about exact planning of transportation in the car and train section.

Picking a Tour

City tours and what kind to take are always a good subject. One of the things I like doing when I get to a city I am visiting is go to on a general overall city bus tour where I can see where most of the major attractions are in relation to where I am staying and to each other. Sure we plotted everything out in google maps while doing our vacation planning and know about how far everything is but it is still good to be able to gauge things in real terms. When thinking about tours you may consider what it is you want to see. Some tours are multi site tours and give a lot of great information from the tour guide. Others are one site tours that may also include a meal but in general tours are a great way to learn about the history of the site and people who lived there. Find more on tours and how to book them in the city tours section.

Cruises are a great way to see Italy if you have a limited amount of time or if you want to use it as part of your vacation and is something you may want to consider. For the best information about cruises read the cruises section.

Also check out the fun and tips section for little things I do to make my trip easier along with some things that are just fun or neat.

             

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