Traveling to Italy ? {Part I}

DISCLAIMER : This is not a bragging post about the best planning I ever did in my life :)

Well, ever since we came back from the Italy trip (which was OUT of the WORLD but more of it later !) , I have been bombarded with :

- OH i / my sister / my father / my neighbor's dog are planning this trip.. Please HELP !
- how was it ??? isnt it so pretty !?
- kitna time laga ??
- 'research' kahaan se kiya ?

so in order to save my time,  here I go ...  a three series blog to help with all your Italian travel needs !

< Yes, you can get me some nice magnets when you come ! :) > 

 Step I : Welcome

Congratulations ! You have chosen Italy for your next trip. I promise you, thou shan't be disappointed !
So first things first - Open up your passport , check if you would need a VISA and how to go about it. Start getting your paperwork ready.

**tips** 

1. Apply from the city you are staying at.
2. Try applying on your own if you have the time. Its a great thrill (just ensure you have all the papers ready before you reach)
3. Take health insurance only from the companies mentioned on the site.
4. Apply for a VISA at-least 15 days before the travel and not more than 90 days in advance.

Step II : With 3 Months to Go !!

• Plan your Itinerary and you Budgets !

Figure out what cities you would want to visit and number of days you plan to stay. My recommendation of MUST visit cities and minimum duration :


Rome (3 nights, including Vatican)
Florence (2 nights)
Venice (1 night)
Naples (1 night)
Now depending on your plan, you may extend it up north to cover Milan or down south to cover Sicily.

• Book your airtickets

We did this 3 months in advance after deciding the month of travel. Then chose the cheapest flights in that month and planned chhutis accordingly ! You may choose whichever way, but buy tickets in advance to say the precious monies :)

**tips**

1. The gulf flights are better suited for us as they leave India in the night.
2. With a Schengen visa under your belt, fly using Swiss Air and spend a night in Switzerland ;)
3. You can always enter from one city (say Milan) and exit from another (say Rome). 

•  Book the Lodging

Tripadvisor and AirBnB are good starting points. Depending on the budget you have in mind, you can check out hotels or B&B. There are good booking sites like booking.com, agoda and many more ! My maximum planning time was spent looking for and booking the perfect abode for the trip.. and trust me it was all worth it :)

  **tips**

1. B&Bs are not just value for money , they also give you a glimpse to the local flavor of the city. I would highly recommend them over hotels !
2. Choose a place close to the city center or a popular mode of transport. We chose one close to the metro in Rome and in the city center close to a bus stop in Florence. The last thing you want to do is spend all money in Taxis or luge around your tired bodies/heavy luggage over Italy !
3. Do a ref check at tripadvisor before you make the precious booking. Reviews always help !