Italy Travel Guide

[vanity fair]

^ Ok.  Thanks!... Another question, if i buy the guided tour in the Vatican, kasama na dun yung entrance  fee, di ba?

[sweetpea blush]

yes sis.. it should be included already

[riksy07]

Sisses. Nakapag-uwi na ba kayo ng wine from Italy as pasalubong? Iniisip ko kasi pano ko siya ipapack na di mababasag the bottle.

[foxymom]

^nope. mahirap kasi mabigat and very fragile :S

[mrs research]

^ We bought wine, olive oil, cheese and sausages sa Eataly. When we checked in our baggage, I told the attendant that we have fragile items sabi ko figurines lang yoko declare yung wine baka kasi may tax pa. Then the lady said figurines are not considered fragile items especially if they are still in the box unless you have wine and olive oil. I asked them first if they levy tax on those and she said no so yun I told her the truth and she put fragile sticker on my luggage. Tapos, I had to go to another counter designated for uneven baggages like mga skis, bikes, musical instruments etc kasi they dont go through conveyor belts daw instead ine-elevator/escalators sila.

All bottles were intact when we arrived in Manila but my luggage suffered from some scratches. Keynes lang 

How I packed? No special technique. I packed them just like how I packed my shoes. Kung san kasha don isisiksik Although, I wrapped them with  used plastic bags first before stuffing them in just in case lang. I guess it also helped that I used a hard shell luggage

[riksy07]

^sis mrs research, ayun nga lang I don't have a hard shell luggage. I might just pass on the wine and buy cheese and other stuff na lang.

[bagaholic_chewy]

^ sis, nakapag-uwi kami ng wines from italy.. What we did, we wrapped them in old magazines/newspaper, then wrapped in plastic then taped tight (me plastic, para if mabasag man, di kumalat sa ibang mga gamit). Then nilagay namin sa gitna ng luggage, so napapalibutan ng clothes/shoes all around.. We also made sure na our bag was packed tightly para di aalog-alog sa pwesto nya yung bottles... We put 2-3 bottles in one luggage.. Nakarating naman ng buo (italy to dubai for a few days then to manila).

Additional: we used normal luggage lang (Samsonite/Delsey), not the hard case ones..

[riksy07]

^thanks for the tips sis. I'm planning siguro two to three bottles lang naman, puro sa dad ko lang naman the wine. Are chocolates any good in Italy? I was thinking kasi since that's my last stop eh doon ko itotodo ang shopping. Baka kasi maspoil if I buy perishables in Paris eh.

[riksy07]

Sisses! Pacheck naman po my itinerary for Rome:

April 04, 2013:
- Arrival from Paris via EasyJet at around 2:30PM
- San Giovanni Laterano (I'll be staying kasi sa San Giovanni area and I plan to attend the 5PM mass on the day I arrive)
- Ikot ikot sa San Giovanni area for dinner

April 05, 2013:
- Musei Vaticani
- Sistine Chapel
- St. Peter's Basilica

April 06,2013:
*Florence Day Trip*
- Uffizi
- Bargello Museum
- Accademia
- Duomo
- Piazzale Michelangelo

April 07, 2013:
- Piazza del Campidoglio
- Fori Imperiali
- Colosseo
- Arch of Constantine
- Roman Forum, Palatino, Musei Palatino
- Pantheon
- Scala di Spagna
- Piazza Navona
- Fontana dei Trevi

April 08, 2013:
*Pompeii Day Trip*
- Pompeii
- Herculaneum

April 09, 2013:
- Galleria Borghese
- Borghese Gardens
- Piazza del Popolo
- Church of Sta. Maria del Popolo
- Campo de Fiori

April 10, 2013:
- Castel S'Angelo
- Basilica di Sta. Maria Maggiore
- Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Wall
- Piazza Venezia
- Victor Emmanuelle II area
- Trajan's Column

April 11, 2013:
- Baths of Caracalla
- Circo Massimo
- Shopping

[chianti]

Hello sisses!

I need help please. How much are the parking rates in Florence? We plan to stay in central Florence for 3 nights. We're thinking of renting a car for two days to explore the countryside. The plan is we go back to our hotel in Florence every after a day trip. I don't know where we can park though and if it really makes sense that we go back to Florence every night. 

Here's the planned iti:

day 1 - arrive in Rome
day 2 - Vatican tour
day 3 - explore Rome
day 4 - arrive in Florence via train; visit Pisa; visit Piazza del Duomo and Piazzale Michelangelo
day 5 - drive around Siena and visit San Gimignano; explore the local cuisine (day 1 of car rental)
day 6 - go to Montevarchi for shopping and explore Tuscany (day 2 of car rental)
day 7 - visit Uffizi museum in the morning; train to Venice in the afternoon
day 8 - take a walking and gondola tour; still thinking of watching an opera at Fenice theater
day 9 - fly to another EU country (not yet decided if Greece or Spain)

[JINJIN:*]

^^ hello sis..my Roman friend told me that renting a car is not advisable if you are not familiar with the place. Unless you are. Plan kase namin ng friend ko dati to rent a car but wer are advised not to..ok sana to kase me kamahalan ang train, sabi nila mura..chismis lang yun. lol. Pero kung me car ka na rerentahan, dapat tuloy tuloy lang and byahe mu, ibig sabihin bakit babalik ka pa ng florence to sleep kung pwede ka namang mag hotel kung saan kayo abutan ng paa nyo? Nahirapan kase kami ng friend ko na mag hanap ng itinerary from rome to florence to pisa all in one day, bukod sa mahal ng train eh ang tagal ng waiting time, dapat kase maayos ang iti nyo. Pero mind you sis..hindi masusunod ang itinerary nyo, along the way laging meron pagbabago. But of course having an itinerary is still better.  Just please be extra careful sa Rome Train station, nanakaw ang hand carry bag ng friend ko containing all of her valuables. Please please please...be extra careful, magikero ang mga magnanakaw jan, walang sinabi ang magnanakaw saten.


From Milan nagpunta kami ng Madrid via plane, ok naman magtrain kaso matagal eh at sayang ang oras namin, sa simula mu lang naman ma eenjoy ang scenery sa luob ng train pero mabobored ka din. same lang ang price ng train ang plane, so dun ka na sa plane diba. Mas mabilis ang byahe yun nga lang hassle kapag marami kang bagahe kase me wieght limit while sa train basta kaya mong bitbitin at ipasok ng maayos sa train eh kerry lang.

Sa Madrid naman, dont forgt to drink Sangria and bring one home, taste better than wine, para saken. Dont forget to watch flamengo dance and of course maglakad lakad sa shopping district nila. (opps sa Spain thread na dapat  to )

[chianti]

^ Thank you sis. I will rearrange our iti so we do not need to go back to Florence. 

[JINJIN:*]

^ Thank you sis. I will rearrange our iti so we do not need to go back to Florence. 

sis bigla ko namiss ang Italy!! I love love Venice and Milan. More relax kase. Sa rome kase napakaraming dapat gawin parang dapat A-MUST-SEE. Sa Venice hindi masyado, mas relaxing, kain ka lang sa tabing dagat with fresh fish and wine tapos laka loakad ka lang hangangang abutin ng gabi. Along the way sa Venice maraming performers na kumakanta ala Opera, dun palang busog ka na. Yunh nga lang patay ang nightlife dun unlike Spain and Milan. hasyss..babalik ako sa June pag hindi ko nakuha ang Visa sa US. enjoy your holiday sis at kung gusto mu ng matitirhan sa Venice meron akong ma irerecommend sayo. The best host in town talaga!

[chianti]

^ Sige sis, pahingi ng details ng place mo sa Venice. Very accessible ba sa vaporetto yung place?

[JINJIN:*]

^^ SIS ETO

https://www.airbnb.com/users/show/1560575

sa airbnb yan, bale siya ang me ari ng bahay tapos pinapaupahan lang niya yung dalawang room. He is sooooo nice, breakfast is good then he gave us a complimentary tequila which is a very sweet gesture. Everything is clean and warm. He will guide you where to go and he will give you a map. He is so nice. only problem is nasa third floor ang bahay niya so mahirap sa pag akyat at baba..pero kerry lang yun.  try mo yung site sa taas then look for

Venice-BB-Venezia (Deluxe room)

let me know.

[kiara_yao]

Sisses!  Where in Italy can I buy those LVs and prada at a cheaper price?  They are selling originals right?  I heard you can buy them at Rue something.  I just forgot what street and what area in italy can find that street.  Please help.  Thanks!

[mama squeak!]

^sis, i think you got your cities all mixed up.     Rue is the French word for street. As far as I know there are no LV outlets in Italy or any city for that matter.

While Prada has an outlet shop called Space in Montevarchi just outside of Florence. Another outlet near Florence is called The Mall. They have Bottega Venetas, Guccis, Tods and a lot more Italian products there. But don't expect in-season items. And yes, they are authentic.

 

[bagaholic_chewy]

sis kiara_yao, meron din Prada sa The Mall. Sa me right side, separate "block". Super-enjoy ako sa The Mall last April - got some Gucci, Tods and Prada bags. And yes, they are authentic, though as expected, from previous seasons.

As for LV, i bought in Milan na - one in Galleria Vittorio Emmanuele sa may Duomo, and the other one sa may Via Montenapoleone na store.

[vanity fair]

I'm going to Florence by train from Rome.  Day trip lang.  Where can i get ma free map of Florence?  Meron ba sa train station or sa airport ng Rome?  Thanks!

[kiara_yao]

Sisses!  Where in Italy can I buy those LVs and prada at a cheaper price?  They are selling originals right?  I heard you can buy them at Rue something.  I just forgot what street and what area in italy can find that street.  Please help.  Thanks!