Heading to Italy

2,965 Views | 44 Replies | Last: 11 mo ago by Married A Horn
Married A Horn
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10th grader son's team is headed to Italy to play Juventus and InterMilan U16s soccer teams. We are headed out March 8th and return the 20th.

March 9 we land in Italy (Turin)
March 12 we travel from Turin to Milan
March 15 - attend pro soccer match (AC Milan or Inter Milan)
March 16 - Fossalta di Portogruaro (former exchange student's hometown - staying with her and seeing Venice).
March 20 - fly home

Any tips / suggestions?

Do we need a visa?
Stranger
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Married A Horn said:

10th grader son's team is headed to Italy to play Juventus and InterMilan U16s soccer teams. We are headed out March 8th and return the 19th.

March 9 we land in Italy (Turin)
March 12 we travel from Turin to Milan
March 15 - attend pro soccer match (AC Milan or Inter Milan)
March 16 - Fossalta di Portogruaro (former exchange student's hometown - staying with her and seeing Venice).
March 19 - fly home

Any tips / suggestions?

Do we need a visa?


. . . at least a MasterCard or American Express
I'm a Bearbacker
RegentCoverup
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Married A Horn said:

10th grader son's team is headed to Italy to play Juventus and InterMilan U16s soccer teams. We are headed out March 8th and return the 19th.

March 9 we land in Italy (Turin)
March 12 we travel from Turin to Milan
March 15 - attend pro soccer match (AC Milan or Inter Milan)
March 16 - Fossalta di Portogruaro (former exchange student's hometown - staying with her and seeing Venice).
March 19 - fly home

Any tips / suggestions?

Do we need a visa?
Never been to the other places, but Milan is a cool town.

At a minimum, you'll want to see the Duomo(and the shopping area nearby) and the main fashion drag Montenapoleone.

I thought seeing the place where Mussolini was strung up was cool. The quality of restaurants is insane, but like a lot of Europe, it's a slow culture. So you might plan your restaurants ahead. It's very walkable in the center, but getting elsewhere is a hassle.

william
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hit the original fazoli's.

see how it compares to the us versions.

- tbp*

{ snarl }

Dale?
RegentCoverup
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I also had luck at Corsa Buenos Aires. It's a long street.

More than anything, it's a great city to stock your ward robe.
When they say Milan is a fashion center, what they mean is that the fashion style originates in Milan and then ends up around the world in the next seasons.

The quality is better than sweat shop US and all price ranges are available. I bought five ties , four of which I sold , and one I still have, there are clothing shops everywhere. And the brands just below the top are good deals..
Being Europe, it will be a little different. But look enough and there are so,em deals to be had..

Asking a local or hotels concierge is a good idea. The options are amazing.

You can buy a suit in Milan that is a better price/value than anything available in Texas.
Their industry is just larger and able to provide more , it's too hot in Texas to sell as many suits, so prices are high even for lower quality.

Just be prepared to walk…




RegentCoverup
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When I visited, I took the train from Barcelona to Milan. Very cool trip. the Milan train station is pretty dirty, but it feels ancient. True old Europe. The neighborhood was safe enough that I literally just walked from the train station to a bland hotel near by. Unless you're staying by the duomo, I wasn't impressed with the hotel options and I was out and about the entire time so a nice business hotel might be a waste. Look at the options and recommendations on Rick Steves. You're on a holiday schedule so the prices should be good.

Take a look at to the local police. I've never seen a less polished law enforcement presence and that includes Mexico and Latin America. There were officers with pony tails, sloppy uniforms, and sort of aloof. But the kicker was how many times we saw officers wearing top of the line Rolexes, haha. Crime pays in Italy.
About five years ago, I scored an Italian police-issue Beretta 92 handgun. Easily 20+ years old. It was filthy on the inside. Not cleaned so much as once.

The food in all of Italy is just off the charts. But I can't tell you where to go. If you overplan anything, overplan that. There are great restaurants all over Milan. I ate at exactly two, but wow they left an impression.

The Duomo area is great for people watching. It's the proverbial public square. Be careful about wearing the wrong jersey on the wrong part of town. Fashion perceptions aside, most people aren't making a lot of money.
It rated high on my danger meter because the streets are narrow, dark and it seems like there are a motivated people willing to commit street crime. So be wary of pickpockets. Leave the high end watch and jewelry at home.

Only bad experience I had was bad advice from my local friend. Asked for a reference for a bar to watch soccer, futbol, etc. We walked to the bar and entered. Looking around, everyone seemed to be sitting in chairs which they had some claim. It was the proverbial Wild West moment where the music stopped and everyone knew we were out of towners. After a nervous ten minutes having a drink at the bar, we escaped out the back. You might be careful about non restaurant establishments that sell alcohol. Soccer culture in Italy is closer to tribal gangs.
Married A Horn
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I think we are flying in and out of Milan. We'll fly into Milan and then ride the train over to Turin for $13 a person.

Our girl wont be able to join us until the Wednesday when we are back in Milan. Her family will pick us up and take us to their little town northeast of Venice.
RegentCoverup
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that's good. navigating Milan kinda sucked. Not enough time.

Married A Horn
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Once I know the soccer locations and the team hotel, I'll post up their general vicinity. Our #1 decision will be stay with the team 20 minutes out of the city OR stay closer in to the city centers - Turin & Milan.
Hob Howelll
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Not sure if things have changed in Europe in the last five years, but when I went with a friend to France/Germany/Austria/Netherlands/Czech Republic in 2017, there were scammers and Gypsy types everywhere. Pick pockets are bad in Italy. Be on your guard, especially in subways.

Also, if you pay for something in euros and get cash back, make sure they do not give you torn bills. It happened once to my friend and I, and we didn't think it was a big deal since you can use torn money in the US, but people in Europe will freak out about it
william
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no idears - but I do know La Scala.

gotta stop there.

- KKM

Porteroso
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Try to eat where Italians are eating. Walk around, don't take a car everywhere.

Some crazy Europeans are there. Might want to wear blinders and earplugs. Hide your kids. You don't want them to experience any living. Soccer game is good, only good fundamentalist Christians will be around.

Just enjoy it, be open to things that are different. I've spent 4 or 5 months combined in Italy, and it's such a rich place. I'd seek out the best pizza in any given city. The pizza there can be mind blowing.
RegentCoverup
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Yeah, wear sunglasses.

Not because the sun is out but the cleavage views are abundant LOL
Married A Horn
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TellMeYouLoveMe said:

Yeah, wear sunglasses.

Not because the sun is out but the cleavage views are abundant LOL


Will be mid March - cold. Still think that'll be available? We wont have a car - our Italian Exchange Student daughter is helping us figure out all the public transportation.
RegentCoverup
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Yeah, probably haha. I went in February. Italian women flirt.

Having a driver will help tremendously.
Ghostrider
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Own a business off Lake Como. Milan is nice but the countryside around it is even better.
Married A Horn
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We are visiting Lake Como one of the days!
Ghostrider
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Then definitely go to Bellagio and then take a boat ride across the lake to Vareena. Amazing views and the color and towns are picturesque.
Married A Horn
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We are. We are taking some high speed ferry across the lake to Bellagio. And then we'll have free time there to do as we please.
BylrFan
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visa not required until nov 2023

if you're taking the trains, it's all digital now.
ScottS
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We want to go from Paris to Cannes to Venice to Rome. (with stops in Geneova, Cannes, Monte Carlo, Pisa, Venice, Rome). Best to go by rental car or train to these stops?
bularry
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I'd love to spend a week in Alba taking day trips around the area... great food and wine area
Married A Horn
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ScottS said:

We want to go from Paris to Cannes to Venice to Rome. (with stops in Geneova, Cannes, Monte Carlo, Pisa, Venice, Rome). Best to go by rental car or train to these stops?


Rental car for that will be in the 1000s. And I know the train from Milan to Turin is $13. Pretty sure its the same to the Venice area. Maybe $20 to Rome - and you dont have to drive - you can just look out of the window.

Our Italian daughter said to definitely use the public transportation system - very cheap and goes everywhere. Even their teen kids use it with no adult supervision to go to school and back.
ScottS
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Married A Horn said:

ScottS said:

We want to go from Paris to Cannes to Venice to Rome. (with stops in Geneova, Cannes, Monte Carlo, Pisa, Venice, Rome). Best to go by rental car or train to these stops?


Rental car for that will be in the 1000s. And I know the train from Milan to Turin is $13. Pretty sure its the same to the Venice area. Maybe $20 to Rome - and you dont have to drive - you can just look out of the window.

Our Italian daughter said to definitely use the public transportation system - very cheap and goes everywhere. Even their teen kids use it with no adult supervision to go to school and back.

In the thousands? I priced it for 2 weeks and it was $466 for 2 weeks in July.
Married A Horn
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That's a lot of ground for 2 weeks.
ScottS
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Married A Horn said:

That's a lot of ground for 2 weeks.
Its only 16 hours of total driving. We drive that here in TX very quickly.
Ghostrider
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Married A Horn said:

We are. We are taking some high speed ferry across the lake to Bellagio. And then we'll have free time there to do as we please.
That works, but this is the fun way
Lake Como Water Taxi Boat - Il Medeghino - Private Boat Tours (lakecomoboattour.it)
One-Eyed Wheeler
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ScottS said:

We want to go from Paris to Cannes to Venice to Rome. (with stops in Geneova, Cannes, Monte Carlo, Pisa, Venice, Rome). Best to go by rental car or train to these stops?
I love driving in Italy, but I will warn you, finding parking in major cities is a PITA. I would also highly recommend you NOT go in July. You will be miserable touring sights, unless you plan to just hit beaches. I would go in Mid April, weather is great and crowds are less.

I loved renting a 300cc scooter in Rome. Only way to get around IMO. Easy to park overnight and easy to find parking! A 300cc scooter is great for two people. Also, get a phone holder for the scooter so you can watch google maps while you drive. Definitely see all the normal sites in Rome but also go out to Tivoli and see Hadrian's palace. It's stunning and you will be with about 10 other people. Then take you scooter and go see the Appian Way outside Rome about 4-5 miles. Again, way fewer people and awe inspiring to see it and consider it was built in 312 BC and ponder the 6,000 Spartacus revolutionaries crucified from Rome to Capua on the Appian Way around 79 BC. Spine chilling to me.

We based our tour of Tuscany via car out of Arezzo, Italy. It's about an hour south of Florence and much easier to find parking. Also, once a month they have a huge antiques fair in Arezzo that is fantastic. See the link below. Well worth it to check out! It was an easy drive from Arezzo to Sienna and other great places in Tuscany. We plan to rent a place in Tuscany for two months next year.

https://www.visittuscany.com/en/topevents/arezzo-antiques-fair/

I have a fantastic place for you to stay in Arezzo if you are interested. Send me a private message and I can give you the name of the Airbnb. It's an extremely fun place to stay.

Take the high speed train from Rome to Naples and go visit the National museum of Naples. So much cool stuff to see in it from Pompeii and Herculaneum. I have a friend who is a tour guide and archaeologist at Pompeii I can hook you up with if you want a personal tour. She is great. You can chat with her via Facebook ahead of time if you like. Then I'd spend some time in Sorrento if you can and again rent a scooter and ride the Amalfi Coast. Don't listen to the naysayers about riding the coast in a scooter. It's easy and so much fun. Ride all the way to Ravello, you will not be disappointed.

Depending on your phone, setup either Apple Pay or Samsung Pay. I paid for virtually everything with my phone. It's way more secure and you don't have to give anyone your real credit card. I setup several cards in Samsung Pay in case one didn't work for some reason, but the main card I linked to it was a card that had no foreign transaction fees. The app generates a one time token that can never be used again in case someone intercepts it. Europe is much further ahead with pay by phone, than the U.S. is.

Setup an esim app on your phone too. You can text and call much cheaper in Europe that way. Just google esim and you can figure it out.

I pay for travel insurance, lost luggage, canceled flights, medical insurance, especially to get back to the U.S.

I have found, and read, the best exchange rates are from simply withdrawing cash from an ATM once you land in Europe. When I landed in Rome I just took out 300 Euro's and replenished it with a periodic ATM run if I needed more cash.

You don't need a Visa, unless you plan to stay longer than 90 days. A passport alone is fine.

Last but not least, I had no trouble with pick pockets but I didn't ride local trains either. From what I hear the local trains are the worst, not the high speed trains. When you come out of places like the Vatican, vendors will try like heck to get you to buy stuff from them. NEVER take anything from them. Once it's in your hands they become very aggressive and try to force you to pay for it. Simply keep on walking and do not engage with them.
Fat Daddy
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Try to get tickets to see DiVinci's "The Last Summer"… it appears tickets for March go on sale tomorrow (12/15/22).

Can be a tough ticket!

cenacolovinciano.org/


Ghostrider
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Fat Daddy said:

Try to get tickets to see DiVinci's "The Last Summer"… it appears tickets for March go on sale tomorrow (12/15/22).

Can be a tough ticket!

cenacolovinciano.org/



never understood why everyone sat on the same side of the table. Kind of weird.
Fat Daddy
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Ghostrider said:

Fat Daddy said:

Try to get tickets to see DiVinci's "The Last Summer"… it appears tickets for March go on sale tomorrow (12/15/22).

Can be a tough ticket!

cenacolovinciano.org/



never understood why everyone sat on the same side of the table. Kind of weird.


Did it for the camera / tv broadcast!
william
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whipping thru Inferno......

- dante BHJ

BID.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allen_Mandelbaum

>>
enjambment
noun
enjambment in-jam-mnt
variants or less commonly enjambement
in-jam-mnt
-zhb-m
: the running over of a sentence from one verse or couplet into another so that closely related words fall in different lines
compare RUN-ON

Each enjambment creates a lively imbalance, nudging us into the next line.
Brad Leithauser, WSJ, 11 Feb. 2022
Her book works because her blank verse, with its seemingly unstudied enjambments, is supple yet pared down.
Dwight Garner, New York Times, 14 Mar. 2017
Etymology

French enjambement, from Middle French, encroachment, from enjamber to straddle, encroach on, from en- + jambe leg more at JAMB

<<
Dale?
BU79
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Married A Horn said:

10th grader son's team is headed to Italy to play Juventus and InterMilan U16s soccer teams. We are headed out March 8th and return the 19th.

March 9 we land in Italy (Turin)
March 12 we travel from Turin to Milan
March 15 - attend pro soccer match (AC Milan or Inter Milan)
March 16 - Fossalta di Portogruaro (former exchange student's hometown - staying with her and seeing Venice).
March 19 - fly home

Any tips / suggestions?

Do we need a visa?
Bought a leather jacket for the wife in Milan from a local factory 20 years ago still has it a loves it
Public transportation ( buses) have a major pickpocket problem

Soccer note
Went to Gothenburg Sweden with my son as a U 16 to play in Gothia Cup 7 years ago
Dallas Texans
Incredible experience
Enjoy and good luck to your son
Tempus Edax Rerum
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Ghostrider said:

Own a business off Lake Como. Milan is nice but the countryside around it is even better.
Yeah, right. Own a business off Lake Como!! Such a bs artist.
william
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what did Mandelbaum say to Alighieri???

Dale?
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