anyone been? any recommendations/cautions? looking to go in sept for my honeymoon.... i figured i would ask people that can actually afford to go to these places
Tom, I've been to Italy many times, and absolutely love it. Venice, Florence, Rome. You'd have a wonderful time. These days, most people there speak English, and it is easy to get around. Venice is a wonderfully romantic place, and Florence is a gem of a city with wonderful food and friendly people and tremendous history. Rome is a big city, but doesn't feel that way. Of course, you might be able to work in a trip to the Ferrari factory for a tour. I've never been to Tahiti, but it is supposed to be magnificent. The big problem is travel time. It is a very long trip. How long are you planning on going for? What about Hawaii?? Maui is spectacularly beautiful. Plus, you are in the U.S., you can get direct flights from Newark to some of the islands on Continental, and it is very affordable. If you've never been to Hawaii, I'd highly recommend that vs. the extra travel to get all the way to Tahiti. Just a couple of thoughts. Lots of luck. My son is getting married in October and I think they are planning a honeymoon to Paris and Rome. Steve
Tom, I am planning my honeymoon for Sept as well. I have been to Italy a ton of times. It is stunning, Rome, Venice, Florence, Milan etc etc. very romantic. I thought of Italy for my honeymoon, but being a new Ferrari owner, I wanted to go to Modena and do a factory tour...of course the fiance turned it down...lol We have actually decided to go to Cabo Mexico, staying at the Las Ventanas.
2 completely different types of trips i know....we are thinking rome and milan. im sure it will be alot of sight seeing and shopping with not as much sun and topless beaches like i had hoped. as for tahiti vs. hawaii...my only issue is that nowadays everyone goes to hawaii. its like you leave your reception and the limo takes you directly to hawaii. if we did tahiti we would stop in either vegas or L.A. for 2 days and then another 7hrs to get to tahiti. thanks for the info and keep it coming
I would definitely suggest Tahiti. Our family went their two years ago on a cruise. It was really nice. The flight is not really that bad if you stop off in L.A. like you were thinking of doing and just catching a night flight. The airline that we used was Air Tahiti Nui, which I would recommend as it was comfortable enough to fall asleep in. The beaches there are beautiful as they are clear and nice and warm. You can go out scuba diving or snorkeling. You can also go to the top of the mountains in 4x4 tours. If you go to Papeete, which is the capital there is some night life there. The only downside to going to Tahiti is that everything is pretty expensive, such as having to pay five dollars for a can of diet coke, and the hotels really overcharge on meals, but thats really the only downside I can think of right now.
some words of advice.....it's generally a good thing your not spending a lot of time at topless beaches with the new wife. Dark glasses can only hide so much.
Tom, Rome, yes. Milan? Milan is a kind of industrial/business city. Other than shopping, it is not as picturesque as other parts of Italy, IMHO. From Rome, you can take the train to Florence, and then on to Venice. Easy trip, fun to travel via trains there (just get a First Class train ticket with reserved seats). In September, you might still be able to stay out on the Lido in Venice and have a hotel room overlooking the Adriatic, and just be a short boat ride from the main part of Venice. Venice is just a wonderfully charming city to spend a few days and relax, explore lots of back streets, cute little restaurants. I hear what you are saying about Hawaii, but if you go to Maui rather than Honolulu, it is not quite as touristy. And there is a lot to do there, great hotels, outstanding restaurants, and very affordable. Regards, Steve
The best time of year to visit Italy is in September. The weather is still beautiful, the tourists have gone, the locals have returned from vacation and all the important fruits and vegetables are in season Milan is a good place to fly into, but a lousy place to visit. If I were to suggest, I would say to fly into Milan and out of Rome, and this is the trip I would do: Fly into Milan and drive to Lake Como for the first afternoon and night. Drive to the Riviera coast, and spend at least a couple days visiting Santa Margerita, Portofino, Camogli and the 5 Terre. Maybe even take a day trip to Monte Carlo for an afternoon and a night of gambling (bring a nice suit or tux). Then I would drive down to Tuscany and spend a day or two in Florence, with a visit to Lucca, Sienna, San Gimignano and/or Volterra (look them up to decide). THEN I would go to Rome and spend at least 3 days being a complete tourist (buy the tourist books, and you'll get more out of your visit). And if you're spending two weeks in Italy, I would drive from Rome down to the Amalfi Coast, spend at least 2-4 days and visit Positano, Capri, and maybe even Amalfi and/or Ravello. If you do this trip, you will have seen most of the beautiful and famous places Italy has to offer, and you might not want to come back. If you seriously decide to do this trip, PM me and I'll give you more details
