NFT: Paris/Italy - Travel tips and recommendations

time do you have in each place?

Don't worry about the language barrier. Just learn the basics like please, thank you, hello, and goodbye. Making that small effort is often very appreciated.

my experience was every place where I went to eat or shop, they spoke english. There were a couple bakeries, cheese shops, etc. that did not but we communicated through pointing and body language mostly.

I went to a PSG soccer game, that was very cool. Definitely check out one of the breweries right on the canal. A bunch popped up in the last couple years apparently. Food was great everywhere. My favorite restaurant was a place called Semilla on Rue de Seine I think. Also fairly close to Louvre.

thanks

Heading to Paris in the fall - hoping these Neymar rumors come true. How hard was it to get tickets/suggestions on method you went with to secure?

the site I used was called viagogo. They were playing Rennes or some mid-level team, so it was very easy. Not sure about bigger games.

Would be awesome, Neymar has a lot to gain by exiting Leo's shadow and becoming THE GUY. Plus he would instantly make them the best team, BY FAR in League 1. (They are already the best team but Monaco providing comp).

I hated paris but went a decade ago - nothing for you there.

Didnt go to venice, nothing here either.

Florence- The magical city - you will fall in love. Its clean, historic, romantic, delicious food - its amazing.
-Gelataria Neri, not far from the Ponte Vecchio Bridge, easy to find. Go once a day.
-Gusto Pizza by the Piazza Pitti - amazing Neapolitan pizza.

2 amazing views at sunset - The ponte Vecchio bridge (stand on the one next to it) and Piazza Michealangelo (its a bit of a trek up to an amazing view)

I recommend doing the 3 hour Segway tours you can find on Viator.com.

If you have time, do a Pizza class off Airbnb.com at Toto pizza with Piero and Antonio great fun and pizza and the best Tiramisu in the world, literally.

We didnt take the time to enter many museams or churches - if you like that the segway tour will help inform whats best to do so do the sewgway right away - helps you map out the city.

Not far from Gelataria Neri is a street where most kids go to chill after the clubs, get the 5 euro turkish gyro, its one of the best ive had.

Another gelato place is Venchi, amazing high-end chocolate.

A few tips - Buy a TON of water on the back streets - youre going to spend 25 euro a day on bottled water, dont drink anything besides it. Save some money buy big bottles at little cheap bodegas and keep them cold in the hotel, youll pay triple at a gelato place.

Any and all food is good here, all pastas are to die for - can you tell I miss it? lol

If you or the wife want anything fancy, a Rolex or bag - shop around and ask each store what their Vat tax rebate is. You can get up to 22% of the purchase returned at the airport so big savings on big items - could pay for part of a trip if it was already on your Xmas radar.

Cinc Terra got good reviews but we didnt go bc of time, same with a day in the Tuscan country side.


Rome - Did not enjoy as much. Do a Rex Tour segway its a huge city! HATED the food here was horrible, dont get their flat bread pizza. Go to the pizzarias at Piazza Santa Novella or one across the river Called Pizza Nearone i believe. The colosseum and forum are HOTTTT do an 8 am tour - Use TheRomanGuy.com - we didnt and I regretted it.

Be prepared to walk a lot tons of water. Again buy on the side streets and bodegas.

Dont be worried about pick pockets - be aware youll be fine.

Sun sets at 9 pm so you have tons of time to enjoy. A night tour of Rome is also a good idea bc of the heat.

Let me know if theres anything else you need thats helpful - I am very familiar with the geography and best places to stay/ be walking distance away from.

Good luck!

Virtually all the places you would go in the big cities have English speakers.

If you haven't booked tours of the major attractions already: Vatican, Colussium, Florence museums etc, I strongly urge you to do it ASAP. Or you'll be standing on lines for hours in the summer heat.

I did book most museums/attractions already. I also got the "Paris Pass" and the "Firenze Card" (Florence pass)

recommendation in Florence. Tiny bit out of the city but not far, but worth it. Locals place.....enough english to get by from the waiters.

Its called Alla Vecchia Bettola

But best food I had one my 14 day italy trip. Especially the meatballs (lemon flavor actually)

But definitely a cool place to meet locals and feel at home.

If you didn't book that yet then ai would try to fit that in. Imo, 3 days in Venice is too much. I loved Florence amd Paris. Rome was cool but not in the top 2 cities for me although I did love the history so spending any amount of time in Rome is probably not enough.

We flew into Naples (no direct flight from the U.S. there). We got a car service to drive us to Positano. It wasn't that far of a drive. We wanted a car service because I habe read too many pickpocket stories and I didn't want to be in a situation where I have a ton of luggage and just my wife around to leave us in a vulnerable spot. Even in France people said the same thing.

While in Positanto we took a day trip to Capri. The water was amazing amd you get to go swimming for awhile. The water is so salty that you barely have to move to stay afloat.

They have beaches in Positano that you can walk down to but you have to be in shape. I almost had a heart attack going from my hotel to the beach amd back up. It was like 1000 steps. Haha.

From there we took a car service to Rome but stopped in Pompeii for a guided tour. Really cool.

Once in Rome we had a private tour of the Vatican. We had a private tour of the Colosseum. We explored and went to museums. We stayed near the Pantheon because it is in a great loacatiom to everything.

From Rome we took a train to Florence. In Florence we took a private cooking class. You buy your own ingredients amd take a ride into the country. It was beautiful. We made pappardelle (sp?) and tiramisu. We saw Davis amd other amzing works of art in the museums (get the pass). We just had a great time walking around and chilling in the plazas.

From Florence we took a train to Venice. In Venice we took a day trip to Morano and Burano (sp?). It was cool but I feel like you can see everything Venice has to offer in one day. We spent 2 there amd it was more than enough. Obviously there is a lot of seafood dishes there and it is expensive.

From Venice we flew to Paris on EasyJet. Be careful with your luggage amd the weight. One great piece of advice we got which sounds weird but workes was bring shitty clothes with you on vacation that way if you buy things (like my wife does, lol) then just replace an old shirt or socks with skmething you bought to keep the weight down. Going for as lomg as you are going means you will probably have a lot of luggage.

In France we saw everything (again, get the pass). We went to The Louve amd other museums that I cannot remember the names of. We saw Napolian's tomb. We went to Notre Dame. We took a day trip to Versailles. We ate at Le Jules Verne. It was amazing but also extremely expensive. We figured that it was our honeymoon amd we may never get to go back so why not enjoy it. It is a restaurant high up the Eiffel Tower amd we planned it for sunset. Really cool. We did a river boat tour but it was not worth it. Paris has a lot to offer. Check out the areas and what they have to offer. Also, I was shocked by how many homeless people there are in Paris. We took the train everywhere and while seeing homeless people is nothing new it was on a whole new level than I have ever experienced not just with tge amount of people but with really young kids sleeping on cardboard with their families. Very sad


I think we spent 3 days in Positano, 4 days in Rome, 3 days in Florence 2 days in Venice, and 4 days in Paris. I wouldn't habe changed a thing. Although now that I have seen a lot of stuff I would have spent another day in each of Positano, Florence, and Paris.

If you can afford the time during your days in Rome. But the trip burns most of a day.

Go to a travel agent. They get discounts on eberything but airfare. So, even though they get a piece it is still cheaper than doing it yourself unless you rent a house in one area. If you are staying at hotels it pays to use an agent. We got our itinerary back with the airfare. I looked up flights and were able to get then cheaper so that was on me. Alsox most credit cards have insurance on trips so figure out how much and put that on the card. If your trip costs more than what one covers then put it on 2 cards to split it up. Shit happens and it wpuld suck to lose all that money just in case..

When you go to the Louvre, and i imagine you will, the main entrance into the museum gets very crowded with long waits and then once inside, most of the same line goes up a flight & there a long line to see the Mona Lisa. A local told us that there are several entrances into the museum with almost no lines. Facing the front of the museum, my wife and I went inside in a side entrance to the right of the main entrance with no line. We walked up one flight and approached the Mona Lisa from the other side of the main line (with the locals). We had no line.

For what it's worth, I'm not a art person but my wife is and we both liked the Museum de Orsay (sp?) better than the Louvre. And the Mona Lisa is overrated. Any way you could spend more time in Paris (and maybe less time in Florence. Florence is a great city, my favorite in Italy but 5 days in Paris and 3 in Florence would be my preference

In comment 13532603 Samiam said:

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When you go to the Louvre, and i imagine you will, the main entrance into the museum gets very crowded with long waits and then once inside, most of the same line goes up a flight & there a long line to see the Mona Lisa. A local told us that there are several entrances into the museum with almost no lines. Facing the front of the museum, my wife and I went inside in a side entrance to the right of the main entrance with no line. We walked up one flight and approached the Mona Lisa from the other side of the main line (with the locals). We had no line. For what it's worth, I'm not a art person but my wife is and we both liked the Museum de Orsay (sp?) better than the Louvre. And the Mona Lisa is overrated. Any way you could spend more time in Paris (and maybe less time in Florence. Florence is a great city, my favorite in Italy but 5 days in Paris and 3 in Florence would be my preference

I second this. If you see the Mona Lisa go there first before anything else and bring binoculars. I was shocked at how small it was.

I'm not the most passionate art lover, but for me it was spectacular.

but it was way too crowded, I went to some Museum called Musée de l'Orangerie and there were about 40-50 people in there tops. And it had world famous paintings from dozens of world famous artists.

In comment 13532612 yatqb said:

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I'm not the most passionate art lover, but for me it was spectacular.

Agree on this 100%. I'm not a big art lover. If my wife wasn't dragging me along, I wouldn't go to most art galleries. I don't get a lot more out of seeing a painting in person vs in a book. But the David is amazing to behold in person.

The Parisians believe in polite chit chat before getting down to business.

So, if you go into a coffee place and the barrista says "Bonjour," say "bonjour" back and wait until s/he asks for your order. In NY things move quickly and we have a tendency to just order to keep the line moving. In Paris that is considered extremely rude.

If you don't know French, don't try and speak it beyond "merci" and "bonjour" and maybe S'il vous plait" But those polite words are extremely important.

In comment 13532588 robbieballs2003 said:

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While in Positanto we took a day trip to Capri. The water was amazing amd you get to go swimming for awhile. The water is so salty that you barely have to move to stay afloat. They have beaches in Positano that you can walk down to but you have to be in shape. I almost had a heart attack going from my hotel to the beach amd back up. It was like 1000 steps. Haha. From there we took a car service to Rome but stopped in Pompeii for a guided tour. Really cool. Once in Rome we had a private tour of the Vatican. We had a private tour of the Colosseum. We explored and went to museums. We stayed near the Pantheon because it is in a great loacatiom to everything.

I can't encourage a small or private tour of the Vatican and Colosseum too highly. We got over on our Rome stay as American Express sent my girlfriend a pdf with the wrong (offseason) rates so it was just the two of us on both tours with one guide and Amex honored the rate. I still think it would have been worth it for the Vatican; far too much to see and overlook.

Spend some time in the Trastavere section of Rome; off the beaten path but beautiful and great food.

Castel Sant'Angelo is another landmark that doesn't get huge recommendations, but it's a fascinating place. Especially the 'Pasetto' walkway above the streets that links the Castle to the Vatican.

After Rome we took the high speed train to Naples, the ferry to Capri for 2 nights including renting a speedboat for a lap of the island one afternoon. Staying overnight in Capri with all the day trip traffic was a good call; though expensive, you almost feel like you have a place to yourself in the evenings. We ferried to Positano for a few days to end the trip. We took a car to Naples and took a short flight to Rome on the homeward leg.

My first trip to Europe and still my favorite though Spain was incredible.

As far as food goes, in Italy, watch the food coming out of the kitchen, and as soon as you have a 'whoa' moment, sit.

Is to get the Paris/Italy city passes and skip the lines.
That is, unless you don't want to avoid the 3 to 3+ hr lines.

Your welcome.

Also, Rick Steves is a great resource generally speaking.

HTH
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In comment 13532643 Racer said:

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In comment 13532588 robbieballs2003 said: Quote: While in Positanto we took a day trip to Capri. The water was amazing amd you get to go swimming for awhile. The water is so salty that you barely have to move to stay afloat. They have beaches in Positano that you can walk down to but you have to be in shape. I almost had a heart attack going from my hotel to the beach amd back up. It was like 1000 steps. Haha. From there we took a car service to Rome but stopped in Pompeii for a guided tour. Really cool. Once in Rome we had a private tour of the Vatican. We had a private tour of the Colosseum. We explored and went to museums. We stayed near the Pantheon because it is in a great loacatiom to everything. I can't encourage a small or private tour of the Vatican and Colosseum too highly. We got over on our Rome stay as American Express sent my girlfriend a pdf with the wrong (offseason) rates so it was just the two of us on both tours with one guide and Amex honored the rate. I still think it would have been worth it for the Vatican; far too much to see and overlook. Spend some time in the Trastavere section of Rome; off the beaten path but beautiful and great food. Castel Sant'Angelo is another landmark that doesn't get huge recommendations, but it's a fascinating place. Especially the 'Pasetto' walkway above the streets that links the Castle to the Vatican. After Rome we took the high speed train to Naples, the ferry to Capri for 2 nights including renting a speedboat for a lap of the island one afternoon. Staying overnight in Capri with all the day trip traffic was a good call; though expensive, you almost feel like you have a place to yourself in the evenings. We ferried to Positano for a few days to end the trip. We took a car to Naples and took a short flight to Rome on the homeward leg. My first trip to Europe and still my favorite though Spain was incredible. As far as food goes, in Italy, watch the food coming out of the kitchen, and as soon as you have a 'whoa' moment, sit.

The reason I recommend the private tours was because I hate looking at art and not knowing the history. I did that Versailles amd I found myself eavesdropping on other tours. Plus, in the Colosseum you get to go beneath the stadium and that is only available on private tours.

But in so far as the great masterpieces, Mona Lisa, The Pieta, Van Gogh's best paintings, The Impressionists best works, Kandinsky's major works, King Tut's treasures, Treasures of the Vatican, Dead Sea Scrolls, etc., etc., etc.

Saw them all in the Unites States.

Oh, and I've had better food in the US over Europe too for comparable prices. Never got the attraction of being a tourist.

In comment 13532685 Stan in LA said:

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But in so far as the great masterpieces, Mona Lisa, The Pieta, Van Gogh's best paintings, The Impressionists best works, Kandinsky's major works, King Tut's treasures, Treasures of the Vatican, Dead Sea Scrolls, etc., etc., etc. Saw them all in the Unites States. Oh, and I've had better food in the US over Europe too for comparable prices. Never got the attraction of being a tourist.

And I'm sure your Venice is better than their Venice?


If you can do a night Vatican tour (Friday nights) it's worth it.

In comment 13532685 Stan in LA said:

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But in so far as the great masterpieces, Mona Lisa, The Pieta, Van Gogh's best paintings, The Impressionists best works, Kandinsky's major works, King Tut's treasures, Treasures of the Vatican, Dead Sea Scrolls, etc., etc., etc. Saw them all in the Unites States. Oh, and I've had better food in the US over Europe too for comparable prices. Never got the attraction of being a tourist.

That's because your the poster child for web forum contrarians who can't be told what they know. You don't add anything to threads like this other than creating those tough-to-get-out stains.

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The David at the Academia is spectacular. Florence has a million great places to eat after the sightseeing. And the gelato is incredible. We loved buying a bottle of prosecco to drink with dinner. It's far better that any prosecco I've had in the states and only costs around 20 Euro.

And based on recommendations from a few people here, we did a side trip from Florence to Siena. It's about an hour and 15 minutes by train. It was fantastic. The Cathedral blows away the Florence Cathedral, which tried, but failed to emulate the one in Siena. It's a spectacular structure. Siena is an ancient, walled city. Thanks again to those here who recommended it.

Right!

In comment 13532586 Eli 2 Nicks said:

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I did book most museums/attractions already. I also got the "Paris Pass" and the "Firenze Card" (Florence pass)

Paris Pass is great. Just did cruise and went three days early.
Tip - cruise director said all you need to do is say Bon Jour (or Bon Soir - evening, Bon Apres Midi - afternoon) when entering a shop, restaurant, etc and locals will respond positively. English probably 80%+ spoken.

Loved the museums - but Louvre was packed and no AC. Eiffel Tower was neat (did you get an Eiffel Tower ticket?). The Paris Pass gets you a 1 hr river boat ride at the base of the Eiffel Tower.

Depending on where you are staying, most museums can be walked to especially in the area of Notre Dame.
The Paris subway is fantastic, but hold on as it goes very fast. When you use the ticket, remember to take it out of the slot after it is read(it mechanically advances through the reader). It gets placed in a slot and goes through a reader and pops out a little further down. Do not place the ticket into the reader until the light turns green. The routes are well marked and the stations are above the doors in the trains. Paris pass works on buses, too.

Versailles if you can get there was great.

Food was very good. Prices are big city, but not totally outrageous. If you sit to eat at an outdoor bistro, there is no push to move you when your meal is done. French love to eat and enjoy their wine, beer, coffee and the waiters will not push you to leave. Ask your hotel concierge for a good restaurant nearby. They are proud of their city and do hope you have a good time.

The city is much smaller than you think, while big. You will be amazed that virtually all buildings are under 8 stories. You can hire a taxi for a tour - probably thru your hotel.

Tip - Google will give you English/French translations and will even pronounce the words in French. Most French words you simply disregard the last letter in the pronunciation.

I was always leery of Paris and France before going. I'd go back anytime.

Oh, and they still remember we came in 1944 to liberate them. Never heard word one about bailing on the Paris Climate Accords.......

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