TravelTalkOnline Forums Travel and Vacation Forums World Wide Travel Rome - airfare

We are planning a trip to Tuscany next spring, and will be flying into Rome. I have no idea what a good price is for a flight, so don't know whether to go ahead and book now or wait a while. I've found roundtrip flights from CLT in the neighborhood of $1,200 each. Is that reasonable, or are fares usually less than that?

It's going to be difficult to find airfare under $1000 (especially non-stop) and the closer you get to summer months, the fare goes higher. Airfare has escalated everywhere. JFK in New York will have more cheaper fares but that's due to demand of that area. Have a special anniversary celebration in Tuscany. I can't think of a better place to celebrate! Good luck!

Thanks!

Yep, that's kinda what I thought too about the airfare. We're going to spend a couple of days in Rome, then head to the Tuscan Women Cook "campus" for a week. I'm really excited about it! Once we decided not to force the celebration on the actual date (in February), it got easier to decide what to do!

back in 2006 we paid $1300.00 each to get to Rome, but that was from CA....(just to help compare).

*have a fantastic time!

Georgia: You may enjoy SlowTalkItaly site. Also 65 days in Italy. They did a lot of cooking lessons last fall.

Georgia, I just did a quick search on United...March 31 - April 21 out of Washinton DC...non stop $850...might be worth a drive and overnight????

Thanks Patty! We'd be taking a drive and overnighting anyway, so I'll take a look.

Patty, I just looked, and fares are much higher in May; we're still better going out of CLT. But thanks for the suggestion, and I'll keep checking to see if things change.

We have similar travel tastes...we were just in Tuscany in May and I see that you will be in St.Martin a couple of weeks before us.
Enjoy, the planning is half the fun. <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Banana.gif" alt="" />

Any where in particular in Tuscany ?. We stayed in Montalcino, early May it was really beautiful. Also drove to Pienza, Saint Angelo in Colle, Montepulciano and San Quirico d' Orcia. Although not a direct flight we got it for just over $800 per person.

We are going to the Tuscan Women Cook culinary program in Montefollonico. The program includes visits to different places, and I honestly haven't yet looked at the details of where we're going.

I'm thinking we'll spend two or three days in Rome at the beginning of our trip, and then another couple of days at the end.

We spent 2 days in Rome first. Then drove up to Umbria and spent 4 nights about 10 miles outside Gubbio, then onto Tuscany for 3 nights, then the last night we stayed in Fuimicino about 7 minutes from the airport. Great seafood there.

Where did you stay in Rome? I'd prefer not to rent a car as we won't need one at the school.

We stayed at the Hotel Pantheon which was a great location. I booked directly on the hotel's web site.

We stayed at the link below. Also we picked up our rental at the airport when we left Rome, then drove up to Umbria and Tuscany, much easier.

http://www.residenzacellini.it/

It was within walking distance to a lot of the main sites, and I booked on line for the ones we visited, had no waiting in the long lines to contened with

Thanks so much for that info! I like the idea of booking online and avoiding the lines!!

These are the links I used.

Vatican Museum and the Sisitine Chapel.

http://biglietteriamusei.vatican.va/musei/tickets/do?
action=booking&codiceLivelloVisita=9&step=1

Borghese Gallery.

http://www.galleriaborghese.it/borghese/en/edefault.htm

Coliseum, Palatine and Forum ( all one ticket )

http://www.ticketclic.it/database/B2c__/order.cfm?siteDefID=170&LN=1

Plus we did 2 tours with walking Rome, book on line pay cash on the day.

Catacombs

http://walkingrome.com/tour.asp?idTour=2&idCatTour=1

Rome by night.

http://walkingrome.com/tour.asp?idTour=6&idCatTour=1

Hope that helps.

Fabulous!

Thank you soooo much!!

You are most welcome.

RE: Rome

I bought tickets online for the Vatican tour of the museum and St. Peter's. The crowds are enormous at the Vatican so the small tour was excellent as we could bypass the entry line and go right to the group meeting location. To save time, take a taxi to the Vatican and make certain you're dropped off by the entrance for the tours which is behind the Vatican area.

Thanks for the tip Irish!

We booked our flights yesterday. Will be in Rome from May 16-19, then on to the Tuscan Women Cook culinary program for a week. We'll have a day on the other end of the trip where we'll either come back to Rome or stay in Florence before returning to the airport for our flight home.

Not having been to Italy, any suggestions for things to do and see in the short time we have in Rome would be greatly appreciated!

I'm thinking the Coliseum is a must, and the Vatican (mostly for the Sistine Chapel). What else?

If you are planning a trip to Tuscany - I HIGHLY recommend flying into Pisa, vice Rome. Very simple airport. Train station very very close or rent your car at airport. I changed planes in Paris - it was very easy and I paid a little less than a $1000. It was a Delta flight operated by Air France. (Free Drinks and Great Food)

Coming into Pisa is a much quicker route to the Tuscan Country side. I was lucky enough to spend 5 weeks in Italy last spring for work. I enjoyed Tuscany, but do not rule out Piedmonte or Liguria. I know it is everyone's dream is Tuscany, but I found the other two regions much more enjoyable.

[color:"blue"]Update: Well I just read your last post and I am sorry I was late. I will leave the advice up so others may find it useful. Better late than never. <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Wink.gif" alt="" /> Check out the food in Piedmonte... And oh my the wines next trip! [/color]

We never made it to Montefollonico during our visit in the Tuscany area, but were told of a great restaurant to try in Montefollonico. Ristorante 13 Gobbi.

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Re...co_Tuscany.html

Thanks Tom. I wouldn't have changed my mind about flying into Rome even if your post had been made before I booked our flights. <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Grin.gif" alt="" /> I am intent on flying non-stop and not renting a car, so staying in Rome near the sights will work best for us. The culinary program in Tuscany is the main part of the trip anyway, so we'll see lots of the countryside then. We do have a day and a half at the end of the trip, and Pisa is on the short list of places to go.

Becareful in Pisa - the travel warnings of pick pockets there is true.

My wife and friends joined me the last two weeks, and when they got to Pisa his wallet was missing in less than 20 minutes. There is a large group of kids outside the train station - Do not let small (6-10) children enter your space - there is a good chance something will be missing.

I know that sounds so negative, but that is what the Pisa Police told us when we reported the theft.

Gee thanks, Tom....I feel so much better now <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Wink.gif" alt="" />

Seriously, I do appreciate the heads up. I don't carry a purse when we travel, and David carries his money in his front pocket and his wallet in a buttoned pocket, so I guess that's safe?

My intent was/is not to make you worry - honest!

There are places where you need to be more alert and Pisa is one of them. Beautiful Place - Bad Reputation - But should not be missed. BTW... the building really does lean. <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/jester.gif" alt="" />

The problem our friends ran into was that when he got his wallet stolen his wife's credit card had the same numbers.

Most companies will give a husband and wife different numbers to the same account if requested.

They did not loose their travellers checks, but it took a full day and seven different banks before they found one that would exchange them. The was an awful fee as a rider on top of the poor exchange rate.

Also if international fees bother you have you time to shop for a credit card that does not tack on international transaction fees. As seasoned SXM travellers you probably have already enjoyed those fees.

Anyway they can get a nickel from you. <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/cloud.gif" alt="" />

We do already have a card that doesn't charge international fees, so we're good with that. Traveler's checks are hard to find these days, and since I moved from Richmond I no longer have access to the free ones at the bank where I worked. I might have to take a road trip to get them...

edited to add that I just did a search and there are a few places around here that do sell the trav cks, so that'll save me some time...

If you have time in Firenze, the Bargello was a great find!
http://www.museumsinflorence.com/musei/museum_of_bargello.html
Cheers
Love Italy!
irina

Thanks Irina! From your link I also found Hidden Italy tours. Do you know anything about them?

No, sorry. Don't know Hidden Italy.
Looks like a good website thought.
Tripped into the Bargello. Fabulous museum. No crowds.
Good Luck
irina

Beware of pickpockets in Pisa is right!

We were just on a Med Cruise in June and I had my hand on my wallet in Venice, Naples, Rome, Pompei, Sorrento. We rode trains, we rode buses, we rode subways. We had no attempts on the 4 of us until Livorno port stop for TrenItalia train trips to Florence & Pisa. While riding bus from Pisa Train Station to Pisa (Red line I think)a 19 year oldish girl was thrown off by the bus driver for trying to pick a purse. She looked harmless. Then, getting on the train in Pisa back to Livorno--someone pulled some tissues out of my wifes back pocket in the rush to get on.

So Pisa looks like the "Mayberry" of Italy but proved to be the most pickpocket active for us. Otherwise trip was great! <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Wink.gif" alt="" />

depends on the time of year..we flew iberia out of jfk to rome this past may..900 pp.spain was 2 hr layover then to venice..we did 4 different stays
stayed on an agroturismo out side of pienza..5 days unbelievable;;rented a fiat and put on 6ookm.visited 6 different towns .

I just looked at the website for your week of cooking in Tuscany. It looks wonderful. We were just in Montefollonico last fall and it was our favorite of all the walled-cities. Make sure you meet the local wine master, Vittorio Innocenti. He is a sweet man. We didn't care for most of his wines but we loved his tour and the view from his backyard is incredible. Make sure to look for the pomegranate trees!