Italy 2012 August – Roma, Firenze, Napoli and between

I am starting this narrative [2012-08-06 MO 15:40] a few days before the actual trip.  The idea is to place here all the itinerary materials that I prepared in Excel to be available online (instead of paper).

Gather your Things – Stiamo andando a Roma (we are going to Rome)

First, let me present a sequence of preparatory steps:

May 2012 – Picked a destination – Hot Rome instead of an Olympic London
5/21/2012 – Request a long vacation at work
6/15/2012 – Rosetta Stone Italian (Level 1, 2 and 3)
7/8/2012 – Bought direct tickets to Rome – kill me now! – $3,473.20
7/12/2012 – Rick Steves guide books reviewed in detail
8/1/212 – Schedule Anniversary notices to be sent in our absence
8/8/2012 – Bills paid ahead of usual schedule

Here is our itinerary, as it was just before departing for Rome:

I did a cost estimate for the trip.  This 3-week-trip will cost us more that 10K, and a one cent jump in a cost on Euro (€) will change the estimate $55 up or down.  This estimate is done with 1€ = $1.25 equation:

Largest expense is air tickets.  Next are accommodations.  As you can see, this estimate is done based on average €100 per night for a hotel.

How to make a reservation for Uffizi and Academia in Florence

(1) First, pick an open date and time slot using http://www.firenzemusei.it/
This site will redirect you to http://www.b-ticket.com.  Switch to English.  As you can see on the picture bellow, in August 2012 openings are available only 9 days from todays date (August 7):

On the right site, there is information on availability by hour and quarter of an  hour.  Pick your desired time slot, and now you ready to make a call.

(2) Next, call on Skype to Italy -039-055-294-883 ($0.023 a minute from USA)
Call several times, if you get disconnected.  They will ask your desired date and time to visit, and your last name.  No credit card information is needed.   Write down your reservation number and note your pickup gate number.  Expect to pay €15 per person in cash upon arrival.   You will pay €4 per person extra for reservation. Normal tickets without a reservation are €11.

While on the call, also make another reservation for Academia 3or 4 hours later (or earlier). Once again, expect to pay €15 per person in cash upon arrival.

This is as close to ideal as possible.  You do not pay any money upfront – what if your travel plans to change.  And you only need to use your reservation (and pay extra €8), if there is a long “live” line to enter.

Vatican Museum and Sistine Chapel

It appears a bit easier to reserve a ticket for a Vatican visit.  But you have to actually purchase nonrefundable tickets and the price is €19 (€15 + €4). You can get a reservation for a next day. This is how Vatican availability looks at 8PM European time on August 7:

As you can see you still can make a reservation for August 8.  Taking all this into account, and the fact that we will stay very close from Vatican, we will (1) try to avoid paying any money now, and just get in line or (2) reserve right from our hotel room in Rome.

Currency Wars

If you hold your money in a small bank, you are not obligated to exchange money only there.   Usually, the smaller the bank, the more unfair is the exchange rate.  As of today – 2012-08-09 TH – the official published exchange rate is 1€ = $1.2338.

If you call your local bank, they might wave any fees (you feel warm and cozy now), but they will “kill” you with an astronomic exchange rate – $1.3229. That is over 7% premium on a simple no-brainier transaction.

No, thank you. I better use an ATM with $3 fee and 3% over published exchange rate. On a €1000 transaction this difference turns out to be just under $50.

Let’s fly to Rome now.

Navigate through the List

1. Italy 2012 August - Roma, Firenze, Napoli and between (2017/09/19)
2. Aug 10-11 FRI-SAT - A two-day flight to Rome (2017/09/23)
3. Aug 12 SUN - First steps in Rome - Pantheon (2017/09/27)
4. Aug 13 MON - Vatican (2017/10/01)
5. Aug 14 TUE - Colosseum (2017/10/05)
6. Aug 15 WED - Getting the car - Starting North - Viterbo (2017/10/09)
7. Aug 16 THU - Bagnoregio in Lazio, Orvieto in Umbria (2017/10/13)
8. Aug 17 FRI - Orvieto - Montepulciano - Siena (2017/10/17)
9. Aug 18 SAT - Siena - Villa Galileo - Firenze - Day 1 (2017/10/21)
10. Aug 19 SUN - Firenze - Day 2 - Uffizi Gallery (2017/10/25)
11. Aug 20 MON - Firenze (Day 3) - Collodi (2017/10/29)
12. Aug 21 TUE - From Pescia to Lucca (2017/11/02)
13. Aug 22 WED - Lucca (Toscana) - La Spezia (Liguria) (2017/11/06)
14. Aug 23 THU - Cinque Terra [... in progress ...] (2017/11/10)
15. Aug 24 FRI - Torre del Lago Puccini - Pisa and Agriturismo (2017/11/14)
16. Aug 25 SAT - Agriturismo in Pitigliano [... in progress ...] (2017/11/18)
17. Aug 26 SUN - Road to Napoli [... in progress ...] (2017/11/22)
18. Aug 27 MON - Napoli - Day 2 [... in progress ...] (2017/11/26)
19. Aug 28 TUE - From focused Napoli to havenly Sorrento (2017/11/30)
20. Aug 29 WED - Capri - Day 1 [... in progress ...] (2017/12/04)
21. Aug 30 THU - Capri - Day 2 [... in progress ...] (2017/12/08)
22. Aug 31 FRI - La Dolce Far Niente [... in progress ...] (2017/12/12)
23. Sep 1 SAT - Mount Vesuvius [... in progress ...] (2017/12/16)
24. Sep 2 SUN - Last day in Rome [... in progress ...] (2017/12/20)
25. Sep 3 MON - From Rome back to Boston (2017/12/24)
26. Italy 2012 - Final Summary - Rules to Adopt and Follow <br> (2017/12/28)