The Second to Last Word

The economy has slammed tourism around the world. It is usually one of the first items that gets cut from our budgets. The summer trip? Off. The fall trip? Off. I hear people are vacationing “in” these days. I think there has never been a better time to travel!

Take for instance a short 10 day trip to the most beautiful and most sought after location in the world… Italy.

From LAX you can hop a cheap flight on AerLingus from Los Angeles to Dublin (LAX to DUB) for less than $600. Okay, but you wanted to go to Italy, right? Sure. Once in Dublin you collect your bags and head over to the Ryanair check-in counter. Let’s say you have booked ahead of time (as I strongly suggest). You have your two choices of flights from Dublin to Pisa for two adults taxes and everything included less than 80EUR! Two people from Dublin to Pisa on a plane less than 80 Euro? Check it yourself!

You land in Pisa. You hang out for bit and then take a short 45 minute train ride to the heart of Florence. You will see the beautiful countryside on your way to Florence.

Gosh, where to stay in Florence. Look no further than Soggiorno Battistero. There is no better location in all of Florence. Trust me. Best part is you won’t pay an arm or a leg or any other body part to stay there! It is clearly the best kept secret in Florence (of course Rick Steves found it but I won’t tell you who told him about it!).

I strongly suggest letting the folks at Soggiorno Battistero arrange your museum visits while you are in town. There is something magical about not having to wait in 3 hour long lines (reason #32 I hate Disneyland).

Food? Ha! You are in Italy for crying out loud. There is food all over the place. My favorite is still “Pizza Del Duomo” across the way from your hotel. There are other eateries within minutes of the hotel. The beautiful thing about your hotel is it’s location. You are literally never more than a 10 minute walk back no matter HOW FAR you venture within the city. I like that. Should I get tired or need a quick nap, I walk “home” sleep…then I am ready!

Okay. Florence and Pisa, check. Done.

This is always my least favorite part, but alas, there is more to see in Italia. You have to actually leave Florence! Ugh.

Not to worry. The Train station is, you guessed it, a short ten minute walk from your hotel. You can either stand in line to speak to a human being or you can use the simple-to-use Kiosks set up all over the place inside the terminal itself. These self-service “ATM” machines are great and there is hardly ever a line since there are plenty of them. There are still the old fashioned folks who enjoy the banter with the ticketing staff, me I want to get going and see things.

Where to next? Well. Honestly, from this point it is mostly up to you. I would first take a look at the Ryanair destinations map. As you can see there are more airports serviced by Ryanair in the North vs. the South. At this point it IS up to you. You have Venice and Rome as your two possible solutions. The train rides are comfortable and give you time to consult your maps, review the pictures on your digital camera or that long deserved nap! I opt for the nap.

Venice? Rome? Hmm.

I like Venice OK, but I don’t LOVE Venice. I think there are two things you MUST see in your life and those are a sunset and a sunrise in Venice. For sunsets I suggest the obligatory Gondola ride (which you will need to sharpen your negotiation skills before you go). NEVER. EVER. PAY WHAT IS FIRST OFFERED. EVER. I usually “book” a ride near the Rialto Bridge. Some of the best and most veteran Gondalieri are there. They are also the toughest to negotiate. Do not let their “perma-scowl” scare you one bit. That’s the look. After you are in the “boat” you will be surprised to see their welcoming smile as they maneuver around the tight corners and the traffic.

Always, as part of your negotiation, walk away after several back and forths.

He says 200EUR for the 1 hour tour.

You say, “too long”.

He says, okay, 45 minute tour “150Euro”.

Shake your head and squeeze your lips shut and then shrug. YOU MUST SHRUG.

You say…”60 Euro”.

He will wave you on like you are crazy. That is your cue to walk. Start walking. Don’t run. Just walk away. Pretend to argue with your traveling partner while you walk away. one of two things will occur.

1) The Gondolieri (the guy you were just haggling with) will call back to you or run up to you to continue the negotiations.

2) Another Gondolieri, who was privy to the entire exchange, will come up with his “prices”.

Start the negotiations around 15 to 20 minutes PRIOR to SUNSET. That will give you enough time to haggle AND be in the Gondola as the sun sets on the Grand Canal of Venice.

Where to stay in Venice. Don’t. I know, I know… why not? First of all there is hardly a room with a view. You will not find a Soggiorno Battistero within ear shot of St. Mark’s Square (pigeon central). Your best bet? Stay in Lido. Lido is just across the lagoon. It will give you the vista that you cannot get by staying IN Venice, plus…it is less expensive by almost 40%.

There are several hotels that dot the Lido (both sides). Make sure you choose one with view of Venezia and not anything else. This will afford you the second best thing to see and do in Venice. A sunrise. Ah, the glorious sun ripping through the clouds and slowing lighting the small “island” of Venice. This can only be appreciated from across the lagoon. It is worth it.

From Venice you can hop on a short train ride to the airport and fly back to Dublin or you can squeeze in one more city. I would opt to go back to Dublin and enjoy a Pint of that good old Guinness before you head home.

Now, let’s say you want to skip Venice. Great. Then head south from Florence. Your next stop? Rome.

“Oh you should see the coliseum Spaniard.” Yes, that is a quote from the 2000 film Gladiator. And it is true, yet you don’t have to be spanish to enjoy it! (Ok, bad joke forgive me.)

Rome. The Eternal City.

Rome, like many other major cities and capitals is full of choices and districts and zones that you should avoid. What might seem nice in the picture on the internet, it might be considerably different in person. You will have plenty to choose from in Rome. Near Roma Termini there are many, many choices for hotels. This is the part that usually gets me in trouble. But, since I live on the edge…

There are many hotel discount sites for Italy. One of the most comprehensive is venere.it. (This is the part that will leave me looking behind me for the rest of my life)

Use them. Visit the sites. The one I mentioned above is awesome. It is great. It has maps that are interactive. Very well done. Plus they give you the information you are looking for. As with any other large city, Rome is what it is. Ever changing. As are the hotels. Many of the hotels I have stayed in are either no longer owned by the same owners or are just no longer in business. That part makes me saddest of all.

So, how are you supposed to use these sites AND get great rates? Here’s the scoop.

Visit the site and check out a few hotels. I could go into the “Star” system here but I will leave that for a different blog. Suffice to say that a 3 Star in Rome is not the same as a 3 Star in Dallas, Texas or New York City for that matter. Read the reviews for the hotels you might be interested in staying in and then narrow then down based on price and location.  Here’s the secret.  Don’t book the hotel on line.  Huh?  Say what?  Here’s why: The hotel’s PAY to use the site and will actually CHARGE you what they PAY for advertisement on these sites.  Okay, there is not a separate line item on your bill, but they include this fee.  After having booked several hotels this way and then speaking with different hotels, they suggested to just call and make the reservation instead of booking on line.  It may seem inconvenient, but if it will save you money… why not?  The difference is more than the 4-5% (in case you have already read some other people’s reviews).

Rome is large and spread out. It is absolutely “walkable” but “walkable” should really mean “hike-able”. The attractions are close enough to each other that you might be able to walk between them, but I would really suggest either a cab or the public transit. Mentioning a cab in a blog about saving money seems funny, but if you are not comfortable with the possibility of pick-pockets, the safest method is taking a taxi.

Rome is filled with Taxi stops. You just have to know where they are. They are usually around tourist spots. You will find many taxi stops around Roma Termini (Main Train/Rail station) and near all attractions. Like in Venice, you might want to haggle a bit here as I always ask “How much to…” and if it is reasonable I jump in, if not I ask if they will do it for less. This activity has actually lead to improved rates overall. If you ask your Hotel for taxi, expect to give them a tip.

Ah tipping. Remind me to post on the topic of tipping. That is a long story in and of itself.

If, for whatever reason, you have found an incredible deal to Rome’s major airport you have one more option at your disposal. Fiumicino airport is has a Hilton on campus. It is a short 7 minute walk from the main terminals. I have used this spot on many occasions. If I have a flight from Fiumicino (airport code FCO) I will usually stay at the Hilton. It is not “italian feeling” but it is rather convenient. If you want a more Italian feeling hotel that is minutes from the airport, try Fregene. They usually have some deals going on that beat the Hilton (but usually not in the summer as Fregene is a “resort” town catering to families and locals that want to get to the beach on a long summer day). If you opt to fly out of Rome, I would suggest staying near the airport. Everyone and their mother is taking cab or a train to get to the airport at the same time (I swear they are) so I like the “luxury” of staying 6 minutes from the check-in counter and taking my time getting to the airport. Plus there are trolleys available for the walk to the airport from the Hilton.

Have I lost site of this blog? No.

If you have selected Ryanair, you will not be leaving from FCO (Fiumicino Airport). You will be leaving from Ciampino (airport code CIA). This used to be Rome’s airport until Fiumicino was opened for business in 1960. Rome has recently discussed opening a third airport near Viterbo but I am not up to speed on the routes or service as of this writing.

Ciampino has no rail service to Rome center.  Your best bet is to take a bus from Roma Termini to Ciampino airport.

From there you are flying back to Dublin on Ryanair.  Once in Dublin you should buy tickets for the red double decker bus and take the tour of the town.  It is quite pleasant and relaxing.  Make sure you stop for your free pint of FRESH GUINNESS at the Guinness factory tour.

Florence (Firenze) wakes up slowly around 4:30am.  The many vendors setting up their wooden kiosks.  Some of these vendors are all alone in “their” spot.  Other swarm to the local “desginated” shopping rows.  By about 45 minutes later most are set up and wait.  They either sip an espresso they have poured from a thermos or that they picked up at a local bar.  They sit, cross legged, bouncing the leg almost like a horse tail swatting flies. They smoke.

Around 6:30 or so the first few tourists start making their way around the city.  Jet lag or just full schedules make them get up early and wander.  Bars fill up fast between 6 and 7.  You see, people live here.  It’s not just a tourist zone, it is where people live and work.  At the same time the vespas and motorscooters start their day long murmurrings.  Zip…  Zap… Occassionally broken up by a emergency vehicle siren.  I cannot ever remember an emergency vehicle’s “eww-ahh, eww-ahh” PRIOR to seven in the morning, like it is some unwritten rule or something.

Firenze will actually wake up at 7am.  After 7am, the city is awake.  It is open for business and ready to thrill and aw and fill and move you.  If you have any sense, you will want to stay somewhere near city center.  Some place close to the Duomo.  See the Duomo is the city’s official alarm clock; actually it is The Bell Tower, but why split hairs. 

Ring…ring…  You stumble out of your comfortable bed.  The floor is cold but it’s perfect.  You slowly make your way to your window.  You unlock the inner window that opens toward you.  Then you unlatch the shutters that swing out and away from you.  Your eyes are still partially closed.  But the sounds of the city are waking you up.  You look down and see the Baptistry .  You look right and see the three front doors of the Duomo.  You see people laughing and sitting on the steps of S. Maria del Fiori.  You see a small group in front of the steps of the church but facing the Baptistry.  You can just make out the person in front with a small megaphone explaining “the door of Paradise”… You hear clopping of horses just underneath you.  In a few minutes Kelly or Luca will be knocking on your door with cafe or hot cocoa, some pastries, and a couple of hard boiled eggs. 

You are staying at Soggiorno Battistero.  The only place I stay in Firenze.  There is no better place.

Soggionrno Battistero defines centrally located.  You would literally have to sleep IN the church to be closer to the city center.  You are literally steps from the Duomo, the Campanille, and the Baptistry.  After you finish your cafe and pastries and have taken a quick shower and put on your comfortable shoes you are ready to explore!

As you leave Soggiorno Battistero you are tempted to look up to see your window.  You take a few steps out and look up.  Ah.  Home.  You can go either left or right.  Right leads you to the Duomo; left away from the Duomo.  The funny thing about the Duomo it is actually never completely out of sight.  It will sneak up on you between buildings or the sound of the Campanille will resonate throughout the city.  I like going left.  I make a left down Via Roma.  Two buildings down the Via Roma is Gilli.  Say what you will, but there is nothing like walking into this place.  Remember this picture?

Ruth Orkin made this “spot” of mine famous!  Times have not changed.  If you hang out long enough you will see an impromptu reenactment of this very scene. 

You are now in La Piazza Della Repubblica.  Now you can stay on Via Roma which will take you to the famous Ponte Vecchio (the only bridge that spans the Arno river that was spared by Hitler).  Or you can hang a quick left on Via degli Speziali and then a right on Via dei Calzaioli.  You will walk past OrsanMichel, don’t.  Stop in there and see this original center of the city.  It has served the city in many capacities over the centuries.  It is worth going in.  Staying on Via Dei Calzaioli turn around and you will see the Duomo.  Do a 180 and you are just a minute away from the Piazza Della Signoria.  This will look familiar to those who have seen either “Room with a View” or “Hannibal“.  I won’t give it away, but trust me.

You are only 5 minutes from Soggiorno Battistero.  5 minutes.  Seriously.   You are now 1 minute away from the Uffizi.  The most famous art museum in the world (okay there are others like the L’Ouver but this one is up there).  If you are like me, I hate waiting in lines.  So what are you supposed to do?  Ask Kelly!  If you plan on visiting the Uffizi you had better ask Kelly to book your tickets in advance (same time you book your room) if not you will be standing in that line.  You’ll see what I am saying once you get there.

If you walk through the corridor you will end up on the Arno.  Make a quick left at the river and walk toward the old bridge.  Ponte Vecchio is less than a 3 minute walk.  Does it get any better?

There are plenty of places to grab a bite to eat.  My favorite place is actually right across the Piazza from Soggiorno.  It is called “Pizza dell Duomo”.  Damn good pizza.  There are a few other places too. Let me know if you want specifics I will be more than happy to share!

Needless to say, you are never far from home when you stay at Soggiorno Battistero.

If you need any tips for your next trip to Italy let me know!

You have the last word…