I believe there should be a luggage rack when you board the train (we took hi speed train on Trenitalia Frecciarosa).
1 Like
But note the luggage rack isnât secured. Fine to put big suitcases there, but donât leave anything valuable in them and keep an eye out at stops if the train is very crowded.
There are usually overhead racks above your seat too but they typically arenât big enough to store more than a small bag. Larger bags go at the ends of the carriages, sometimes there is space between the forward and backwards facing seats, which might be closer to you.
1 Like
Our trains in Austria had space overhead to fit our 26â suitcases. But you have to be pretty strong to lift them up overhead. Itâs not a problem for us, but I could see some having issues. And also, people just put them anywhere, so there may not be space above your seat.
There was also room at the ends of the cars as well.
Takewalks is a great tour company. It used to be Walks of Italy. RS recommends it and you used to be able to get a 10% discount if you used the code from his latest book when reserving. Not sure if thatâs the case anymore.
3 Likes
Thank you, conmama!!
I would fly I to Milan or Rome and take trains around Italy. Itâs actually faster and less stressful. Last summer I flew into Milan, took a train to Florence, a train to a small town outside of Rome,then flew out of Rome.
I am very low key when I travel in Europe. I only book one event or tour a day. I love food/walking city tours. I do it in the beginning of my trip to get used to a city and know where good restaurants are. I will also do some day trip tours. I usually select small group tours.
Last year when I was in Florence with D2, we took a day trip to shop at their premium outlet.
4 Likes
When we were in Florence last May, we did the Tuscany Day Trip and it was very nice. However, you werenât driving through the vineyards. They were getting you to Siena and San Gimignano. But we did stop at a Tuscany farm for lunch and a wonderful wine tasting. That food tour looks fun, too! I enjoy those as itâs a pleasure to chat with others for just a few hours.
Make sure you go to Piazza Michaelangelo! That view is anazing. Have dinner right above it, and stay until dark. The views both day and night are worthy to see. We just took a taxi there.
1 Like
Thank you both! I did consider flying into one city, then flying out from another - but our home base is going to be Florence since daughter is still taking classes while we are there. So figured hub, older son & I would do some day trips or see things in Florence sheâs already seen, while we are there. If we were on a pure âsee as much of Italy as you canâ trip we would def do the âfly into one city/out anotherâ route.
Good to know the trains are a good way to get around! We def want to head to Rome/Venice.
ButâŠare two nights in Rome required? 
Can we do it with one night?
Seems like sacrilege to short-cut that famous city, but I also really want to see the Tuscan countryside, cliffside towns - and we have just 9 days. Also know weâll be hanging in Florence w/ my daughter for a fair percentage of the tripâŠ
Donât worry if you canât see it all, itâs an excuse to go back.
Italy is magical. Youâll want to go back
6 Likes
Thank you, deb922! My brother (whoâs traveled all over) gave the same advice - donât be too focused on fitting things in, moving from place to place. Stay and soak some of it in. I think having my daughter in a home base city will really encourage us to do that! 
Always book our trips to Europe independently; it does take time and accumulating experience helps, as does conferring with prior visitors to the destination. I focus heavily on lodging location; we want to be somewhere convenient and interesting.
For detailed info about booking European trains, I have found this website invaluable:
The Man in Seat 61 - the train travel site.
If you are doing hotels and want help, the front desk or concierge will often be happy to book your chosen restaurants for you. I usually correspond with them about local logistics as needed; it saves time and aggravation. If a local eatery is recommended, I check it out myself before booking. They also know when reservations should be made in advance.
I always prefer to book directly with the airline, hotel, transportation or sight/museum we are interested in. Many hotels will try to match other offers.
[Have had a very complex to unwind problem with Viator when booking an outing through them on Trip Advisor (they gave me an error/not able to process transaction message with no confirmation or purchase email. They did, however, charge me and I had proceeded to buy our tickets elsewhere.)Very hard to resolve with no confirmation number, but I had screen shots of the error message. Rare perhaps, but the absence of access to customer service reps persuaded me to avoid them. Had to put charge in dispute with credit card.]In multiple European trips, that is about the only snafu we encountered.
Happy travels! Italy is a favorite destination here.
In France recently the train conductor had us move our smaller cases (that couldnât fit overhead) to the back of the train car. The ones closest to the door are reserved for larger bags that are more difficult to handle. He said that during any stop that it is too easy for someone to reach in and grab a smaller carryon type bagâtheyâll be gone with it before you can blink. Travel light. Youâll enjoy your trip a thousand times more. Donât take more than you can EASILY carry on a very long escalator or up long stair cases. Train stations are notorious pickpocket places. Stay aware. Wear jackets that zip with inside pockets.
2 Likes
it is definitely not required and it depends on your traveling style.
It depends on what you want to see, how will you see it and how your day(s) will look like. You can take picture in front of Colosseum, St. Peter Square, Trevi Fountain, Spanish Steps and Altare della Patria and youâve ticked the boxes (some people I know did that). Or for example, do you want to walk from Colosseum to Forum and then to Altare della Patria then to Largo Argentina to Piazza Navona? That will take time and that doesnât even count waiting on the line (obviously the line is shorter if youâve booked your tickets already). Add the possibility of stopping by churches (eg Chiesa del Gesu has a relic of Francis Xavier right hand that he used to baptize people in Goa, India)
Iâve been to Rome twice and would love to go back since I havenât seen everything Iâd like to see. Rome probably for me worth 1 full week 
1 Like
Pack way fewer clothes than you might think you need. You can launder clothes while you are there and you donât know anybody so no one will know if you wore the same outfit two days before (nor will they care).
Has the advantage of helping you travel light and have plenty of room for souvenirs if thatâs your thing.
For a week to 10 days of travel, I usually pack:
One pair of jeans
One pair of trousers
One dress
One skirt
4 t-shirts/blouses (depending on weather, location, etc)
One lightweight sweater
One swimsuit if warm weather destination
Undergarments (I usually pack a full compliment of underwear, they take up no space)
Iâll wear a pair of leggings, comfy shirt, sports bra and an additional lightweight sweater plus jacket/winter accessories, if needs must, on the plane along with my heaviest shoes (usually sneakers or boots depending on weather). I try to go on most trips with only two pairs of shoes total (including the ones I wear on the plane) in an effort to reduce weight and decision paralysis. Plane outfit then becomes my workout gear while traveling.
Iâve rarely felt under packed, and if I do forget something itâs usually pretty easy to find it while traveling (a useful souvenir!). Bonus: Iâve never come close to hitting the weight restrictions on my carryon luggage, nor had problem schlepping it around.
2 Likes
Lol. Rome wasnât built in a day and really canât be seen in one day either. But just know youâll probably want to return in the future so maybe it can be saved for a future trip.
3 Likes
Thanks so much for these additional tips!! Makes sense to focus on the lodging. Thatâs a whole thing, with so many sites, offers, decriptions. Will have to cross-check TripAdvisor reviews, etc.! May end up with 2 days in Rome - daughter was just there so can let us know!
beebee3 - really appreciate the packing advice. I keep reading all these articles that say âdonât dress like a touristy American and bring attention to yourselfâ and ânever wear athleisurewear or sneakersâ.
I am already building a capsule wardrobe of mainly black stuff (generally) and thinking I should get some kind of walking shoes that are more stylish (but comfortable) and not my typical Merrells, Danskos or sneakers? Maybe thatâs not necessary?
If I had two days in Rome, Iâd decide what I really wanted to see and try to arrange tours.
We really wanted to see St Peters, arranged a before hours tour. Saw the Sistine Chapel, sort of saw the Vatican museum (it was crazy crowded) and saw St. Peterâs basilica. Half day, a tour was definitely worth it.
The other place we loved was the Borghese Gallery, you must purchase timed tickets beforehand. If you like art, I recommend highly.
Everyone has to see the coliseum and Roman forum. I think those tickets were easy to get there.
Two days, those would be on my list of things to see. That and walk around, see the beauty. See the pantheon. Itâs free.
1 Like
We found that Europeans dress a little nicer than Americans. Not in leggings mostly. Everyone wears sneakers so donât worry about shoes.
I wore pants (stretchy pants lol, not leggings) a shirt and a scarf. My ultraboost adidas. I was comfortable and didnât feel sloppy.
2 Likes
The beauty of planning it yourself, is that you can pick exactly what appeals to you and your group, and not necessarily what everyone thinks is the best.
For me, my favorite parts were St Peterâs and the Vatican museum. But my favorite part of the church was climbing the dome and being on top. I love that kind of thing. And I didnât mind at all the Vatican museum was crazy crowded. I thought it was the most amazing museum (even more so than the British museum). Everything was so beautiful and so old! And not all behind glass! Even the walls were beautiful.
The coliseum is also sort of a big deal even to just get a picture outside. We did a tour, but we had several days in Rome.
Pickpockets are a big deal there. On one of our barcelona tours, the guide explained that they often wander up to the group and try to blend in. And thatâs what exactly happened with us. It was easy to tell they didnât belong because the whole group was my family.
2 Likes
Totally agree on the not seeing people in leggings out and about. As I said, I only wear them during our trips as workout pants (love athleta leggings; butter soft & comfy for the flight while still being appropriate for working out while on trip). I wear black ones with a black short or long sleeve tee for the flight, and the light weight sweater over so I donât look sloppy but remain comfy.
@deb922 agree 100% that a scarf is a great accessory. Elevates pants and a shirt. 
Youâre going to be walking a lot. I think making sure your shoes are comfy is more important than wondering if people are judging your shoes choice (and the only shoes Iâve ever seen get serious side eye are flip flops when not on a beach). After wearing high heels for years, my feet now appreciate being closer to the ground in very supportive shoes. For sneakers I usually either wear my Hokas (in black) or my Greats (white leather low top sneakers). For dressier options, either ballet flats or cute flat sandals.
If you find a new pair of shoes you think are super cute and theyâre comfy - congratulations. Whatever you do, make sure youâve broken them in before travel. 
2 Likes