Italy - Drive and Rail

I arrive in Rome in style – with a private airport transfer dropped right in front of the hotel. This is definitely the way to arrive with luggage and all. Our hotel was near Via Veneto, the high street for 5 star hotels in Rome. The area is convenient for visiting the Spanish steps, the Trevi Fountain and almost all the central sites. The Hop-on Hop-off bus also stops nearby. The bus is a great way to get a quick history lesson of Rome and to see where all the sites are. The Italians are friendly, the food is good and they speak English in the touristy areas. A highlight for me was the Vatican Museum and St Peter's Basilica, I have never seen anything like it! Rome is definitely my favourite city now (Or is it Rio de Janeiro?) The shopping is very good and the quality is high. The fresh food market is a must as is the outdoor markets. The Italians are very romantic and crowds mingle in the evenings around all the beautiful places like the Trevi Fountain and the Spanish Steps. The atmosphere in Rome is wonderful and the cool evenings are to be enjoyed outside. Italian trains are efficient and on-time. Get to Rome Termini station and you can virtually get to anywhere in Italy fast. Our train went via Civitavecchia (The main port city of Rome) and Grosseto to Siena. Siena is interesting because of the Baroque architecture (The Renaissance did not affect Siena) and the Palio (The horse race they have twice a year in the centre of town). From Siena we drove through Chianti to taste the cheese, wine and local food, we definitely needed more time for that. It is beautiful and very relaxing to drive through the countryside. Once in Florence, driving a car is not fun anymore and getting around by public transport and on foot is the norm. Florence is great for art and architecture, but the restaurants and shopping is as good as is in Rome. When you get tired of museums, palaces and art, Florence is a great base from which to explore the surrounding Tuscany. It is only 1 hour by train to Pisa for example; a nice morning can be spent going to Pisa or other towns nearby. Venice is the only another short train ride away and to get back to Rome it only takes 1.5 hours by Eurostar. Once in Rome, Termini station is connected by Airport Train, the Leonardo da Vinci Express to Rome Airport. Italy is friendly and warm and South African’s love it there. One will always go back for more. There are so many parts to explore. Italy is part of the Schengen agreement and a Schengen visa is required to visit. There are no direct flights, but there are many connecting options such as Emirates Air, Egypt Air, Turkish Airlines and any of the European carriers. The Best time to go is September, October or November, when it is no longer so hot during the day.