SKAHAN’S TOUR OF ITALY
“A man has not fully lived until he experiences that gentle balmy clime of ancient empires, the land of lemon trees and the genius of Michelangelo.”
— E.A. BUCCHIANERI - AMERICAN WRITER
ITINERARY: April 4-18, 2023
MILAN | VENICE | BOLOGNA | FLORENCE | CRUISE FROM GENOA TO ROME, NAPLES, CORSICA | PONTREMOLI
One night in Milan
4/4 DAY 1: MILAN | Land and check-in to accommodations. We’ll see the Duomo, walk around the Navigli (river walk), and have dinner.
Two nights in Venice
4/5 DAY 2: VENICE | Take the morning train to Venice (1.5 hours).
4/6 DAY 3: VENICE | Explore Venice
Four nights in Florence
4/7 DAY 4: BOLOGNA + FLORENCE | Take the train from Venice to Bologna and stop for the day, have lunch. Continue on to Florence.
4/8 DAY 5: FLORENCE | Settle in, walk the passeggiata, go to dinner.
4/9 DAY 6: FLORENCE + DAD’S BDAY! | How about a Vespa tour through the hills of Chianti for the day? Tours are in English and include lunch and 2 wine tours. If mom prefers not to ride on the back of the bike, they have a Tuscan Tuk Tuk (little pickup truck) that takes people for rides in the back. Whoever wants to operate a Vespa should mail in a request for an International Drivers Permit to your local AAA office. Costs $20, and needs to be less than 6 months old to remain valid.
4/10 DAY 7: FLORENCE | Visit the Uffizi Gallery, Duomo, and anything else of interest.
Four night cruise on the MSC Seashore
4/11 DAY 8: GENOVA | Take the train from Florence to Genova (4 hours), takes you along the Cinque Terre coastline. Board the MSC 4- Night Mediterranean Cruise at 7pm.
4/12 DAY 9: ROME | Head into Rome from 8am-7pm
4/13 DAY 10: POMPEII | Explore the ruins of Pompeii and coastal Sorrento from 7am-5pm
4/14 DAY 11: CORSICA | Explore Corsica (France) from 12pm-8pm
Three nights in Pontremoli
4/15 DAY 12: PONTREMOLI | Ship returns at 8am, we’ll drive to Pontremoli from there (1.5-2 hours), get groceries from the farmers market in town and make lunch at home.
4/16 DAY 13: PONTREMOLI | Relax for the day, go out for dinner
4/17 DAY 14: PONTREMOLI | Visit nearby villages, go for aperitivo, dinner
4/18 DAY 15: MILAN | Fly from Pisa > Milan to connect to your flight home
HELPFUL THINGS TO KNOW:
Money | Whatever credit cards you plan to use, call and let them know you’ll be in Europe and for how long. Do the same with your bank, and ask them what it costs for you to withdraw money from ATMs in Italy.
**If they charge you and you don’t want to pay every time you take out money, you can Venmo the money to me and I can withdraw it for you whenever you need it- my bank doesn’t charge for foreign withdrawals. Everyone in Italy prefers that you pay with cash, but you can always pay with a card. I’d recommend taking out €200 at a time per person. You’ll use your card for accommodation bookings, train travel, pharmacy items, and dinners in cities. Cash is preferred for everything else.
Phone | With T-Mobile you do have international service options. Click here for details and go into your local provider to clarify and set up for the time you’re away.
Weather | Average high temperatures in central Italy in April are in the mid-60s °F . Southern Italy sees 6-8 days of rain on average in April. Temperatures range from lows in the low- to mid-50s °F to highs in the upper 60s °F . Click here for more details about what to expect.
Lifestyle | Italians embrace the slower pace of life. To really experience Italy, it’s good to keep that in mind. Keep a leisurely pace rather than rushing around. Bring a good book or two to read, sit on benches and in cafes and people watch. Other than in the major cities, most shops will close from 12:30-3:30 for lunch, reopening from 3:30 until about 7pm. Times will all be listed in 24HR rather than AM/PM. Dad, your military background should make you a master at this.
Tipping | Unless it’s dinner at a nice restaurant, don’t worry about tipping. A tip for a good dinner is about 10%.
Aperitivo | From 4pm-7pm (roughly) you can indulge in what is sure to be mom’s favorite thing: free food with the purchase of an alcoholic beverage. Italians don’t drink on an empty stomach. When you go to any bar or cafe, you’ll automatically be served a few side snacks with every round. It’s free!
Dinner | Get used to later dinner times, many restaurants don’t even open for dinner until 7:30pm. But your internal clock should manage ok since it’ll be more like your lunchtime.
What to Wear | Italians tend to be on the dressier side. This is especially true for men. Outfits are tailored to fit rather than being baggy or oversized, and people opt for classic comfort rather than sporty comfort. These videos have some great tips to keep in mind when you’re packing. You don’t have to follow these suggestions, it’s just something to know if you want to blend in (for reasons explained by the videos below).
MEN:
WOMEN:
Top Tips for Clothes to Pack:
Don’t pack shirts with lettering or sports logos.
Opt for conservative, classic looks and neutral colors
Wear fitted clothing rather than loose or baggy
Bring comfortable walking shoes that aren’t too sporty
No baseball caps, go for more classic styles instead
Brings layers like a couple of light- medium button-down sweaters, jackets, casual dress jacket (see images above)
Italian casual outfit styles for men & women:
WHAT TO PACK | This list is specific to April, where the weather will be mild, varying from sun to rain and by region. Layers are important.
Pack for ONE week only, we will do laundry.
There is no reason to bring more than 3 pairs of shoes:
1 waterproof pair of walking shoes, 1 additional pair of walking shoes, 1 pair of comfortable dress shoes.
General Packing List:
3 short sleeved shirts (polos or nice t-shirts,etc.)
2 long sleeved shirts
2 sweaters
2 dress shirts
2 light button down sweaters for layering
1-2 button up dressy jackets
5 bottoms: either fitted jeans, comfy trousers, or skirts
Pajamas
7 pairs socks & underwear
4 US to IT plug adapters (2 per person or 1 each of the one pictured)
2 medium-light scarves (also a great thing to purchase at the markets here if you want to wait)
Sunglasses
Rain Items:
Nice raincoat with hood
Foldable umbrella
Waterproof shoes/boots (comfy enough to wear whether it’s raining or not, an all-around walking shoe that is also waterproof.
Waterproof walking shoes:
Nice raincoat with hood:
Casual dress jacket:
Light dress jacket for layering:
Sweater for layering:
Casual dress jacket:
Scarves: (great to buy here!)
US > IT adapter (1 of these each)
All About Italy.
Some videos about Italian culture, the places you’ll see, courtesy of the man, Rick Steves, and a few others.
Extra Credit: If you want to learn some Italian basics, this app is free! You just practice 5 minutes a day, it’s like playing a game. Making an effort to learn a few words and simple phrases will go a long way!