Trip to Italy, Part 1--Bologna, Venice, Parma

I use expedia or orbitz, but other folks may have better ideas...

I used airbookers.com, but now when you go to that link it takes you to something called sky-tours.com. I don't know if the only change is the name or what, but they were a little bit cheaper than anyone else, and believe me, I looked through a lot of the online ticketing sites.

Kicky, I saw this topic and went, "Crap!! Kicky's been going on for 25 pages about his trip to Italy and I missed it!!!" Then saw when the first page was posted. And the second and the third, up to page 24.

Hmm.

Looking forward to it when you can manage it... maybe will be a nice way for you to recapture that vacation feeling, too, if you write about it, see the pics, etc.

Soz, there was a thread since this one, with a few tidbits on it after he got back, but I forgot the name today when I felt like nagging Kicky.
This was the main thread on his trip for most of the leadup..

La posta doppia!

Kicky, did you fly to Rome? Did you fly to London first?

I'll go to Bergamo, which is northwest of Milano but I'm told is cheaper to fly to Rome passing through London and taking the train there.

I don't really know that going to Rome and taking the train is cheaper. Maybe it is, in general, but if you really want to know for sure, I'd recommend doing a lot of research. I think it depends on how early you book, and when you are going on your trip, more than anything else.

My layover was in Manchester, and I flew from there to Venice. My return flight was out of Naples, and stopped in London. I looked at a lot of different options though, including flying into Milano, Rome, and other cities, and it seemed that the prices of the flights weren't that much different either way I tried. The key, it seemed to me, was to keep checking everyday, and make sure you are booking well in advance. I spent about a half hour each day for at least a couple weeks just trying to find cheap flights. After a week or so, I got a sense of what were the best prices available at the time, and then when I found a good deal, I jumped on it. I don't know if you have the flexibility to do that though.

If it were me, knowing what I know now, I would spend the extra money and skip the train ride, unless it saves you ALOT of money. I only say this because I think that is a fairly long train ride (I'm guessing about four hours). The hassle of having to take that long flight, with a layover, and then once you get to Italy, having to find the train station, get there (it's going to cost you some taxi money for that, by the way), dragging all your luggage with you, and then taking another long train ride to your final destination is going to be a big pain in the ass. Of course, that is just my humble opinion though. Money might be more of a factor for you. I don't know, but good luck with it. All I know for sure is that you ARE GOING TO HAVE A GREAT TIME!~

Hi. If you want, let me know when you are near Rome.

JoeFX, I agree with Osso (as in many things Italian!) and use Expedia & Travelocity.

I've always found it cheaper to fly into Milan. Sadly, there are fewer and fewer direct flights (none out of SF now); but it's really close to Bergamo from there and it's really much much longer by train (it's close to 6 hours on the EuroStar and longer on the Intercity trains!). Check times at www.trenitalia.com You can take the metro line from the airport to the station (may be a transfer as I recall), or the bus directly to the Milan station and roar out to Bergamo immediately if you need to.

Got to conserve those hours in places you want to be as opposed to getting to them! Also, the cost of the EuroStar to Bergamo from Rome is between $50-$72 (depending on class), factor that into the cost as well. Having been sitting on a plane for X number of hours and then having to be sitting on a train for 6 more...
Just my thoughts...

Alternately (I wrote a post on this and then deleted it, thinking, osso, you talk too damn much) you could stay in Roma a day or two or three, and decompress, if you left several days before you have to get to Bergamo. More money, I assume.

You can land in lots of places, I gather, including Pisa (Doesn't British Air land there?) or a Swiss city. Milan makes a lot of sense, as LoisL says.
I didn't stay in Milano but found the subway/train system incredibly clear/easy to follow - I went there from Rome (six hours? I don't remember six hours...) and Bergamo isn't far. Seems quite sane to choose, given that the pacific coast to Italy is a long way, and, sometimes longer.

Yes, it's time you checked out the trenitalia site. I still have my old train schedule - you can buy them at newstands - one crumpled mess it is.....

To ramble on, it would be tricky to take the metro (which I like) from Fiumicino (Rome's airport, quite a way from Rome) to the main Rome train station, Stazione Termini, and then stand in line and get tickets for a fast train to Milano, when you're exhausted. I've done the opposite, landed in Milan because we missed a connection due to plane sitting on tarmac in LA for two hours before the flight.... and scrambled to get to Rome. Dead on feet when we got there, much of that having to do with being stuck at the Milan airport for five hours instead of attempting the trains (awake 36 hours as we landed in then[/then] a strange land.

Treat yourself, if financially possible, to the easiest way, which is to the Milan airport.

Thanks all of you for the answers.

Taking the train ride into consideration, I agree with Milan being the best option. It's just that a friend of mine told me I could get a 20 dollar ticket from London to Rome, might have to ask for more info though.

The daily checking of airfares is something I hadn't thought of and will certainly do.

Right now there are some important things that are yet to be done like grab the student's visa (for which I need the letter of acceptance from the University), the plane ticket and fix some calendar issues.

As I'll be there for 5 months I'm planning on visiting Milan, Switzerland and surroundings on weekends. I plan to visit to the south of Italy on the vacation period and if I can due to the difference of calendars between schools make the return flight from Paris or Barcelona.

I'll certainly let you know when I'm in Rome, Raphilion.

$20? Now that's appealing. Worse comes to worse, you could stay at a one star hotel near the Rome airport - if there is a one star, and I seem to remember my italian teacher, an italian, telling a very funny story about some mediocre hotel by Fiumicino - and face the train stuff the next day.
But I bet it evens out, given the hotel and meals and train expense, if you follow the travel websites as Kicky suggested and aim for Milan.
Or going to Rome, you could keep going while tired, many/most people do it, but it's a tough entry to a beautiful country.

What are you carrying? One duffle bag or carry on, or heavy suitcases? Heavy suitcases get to be like dragging elephants.

Well, those tickets are certainly to be get for $ 20 ... plus taxes etc.

Just to be precise, the trip from Milano to Rome is 4 hour 30 minuits long by Eurostar I know it too well, because I had a girlfriend in Milano sometime ago

Eurostar needs a reservation too, doesn't it? And is more expensive than the slower trains...

Yes, you must have a reservation to ride EuroStar and it is more expensive, although worth it for long hauls like this. But $20...yowza. If only I could get a $20 flight from SF!

Sorry Raphillon, I was quoting the time from Rome directly to Bergamo, since there's service on EuroStar with a stop in Milan and then directly on to Bergamo. It is only 4 and 1/2 Rome to Milan!

I planning on carrying heavy bags, enough for 2 weeks of clothes and some supplies. The luggage is what keeps me aiming for Milano, dragging luggage is definitely something that I don't want to do too much.

The EuroPass is something I'm also considering but the 2 month limit will force me to buy at least 2 passes.

How long are you staying in Europe, Joe?
And what are you doing in Bergamo?

In any case, go Milano-Bergamo, by all means. The trip is too long to hassle for a megadiscount ticket with several limits.

Trains are great in Europe. Yet, I wouldn't buy the Europass, unless I'd be travelling A LOT, including several nights. It has always seemed expensive to me.

Travel light, my man. Learn from the Brits.

Railpasses have always seemed expensive to me too.