Help a total bumpkin

[RazzleCat]

I get to go to northern Italy this mid September. I am very excited however I am a neophyte on travel out of this country. Some of my concerns are electrical outlets, do I need converters. I plan on bringing my Mac Book, my SLR digital, a blow dryer and a flat iron. I should not need to use any of these appliances at the same time, hence I figure I can charge one while using the others battery source. This leads to the question, does Brookstone (or a similar place) see a universal converter that would be safe to use on my high end appliances (mac, slr, and iron).
Next question, clothing, I have traveled a ton in this country and Canada, so I do know how to pack light and re-use, but how casual is the area? I am used to packing two pair jeans, a jacket, 3 to 4 tops and one dress. I make sure the tops are quick dry and if necessary wash with shampoo and hang overnight in the bath, same with undergarments. The question I am leading to is do I need to have a more dress type slack?
Last question (for now) what should I try and see? So far all I really want is Venice, my guy who is paying for this is planning on Rome and an excursion to Germany. Our accommodations for the majority of the trip will be at the Army base in Vicenza in the province Veneto so I will be in the northern region, any one have any other ideas on what to do? fyi we may also be traveling with children a for some of this, we are going to welcome home my stepson who is now getting out of Afghanistan as I am typing this,hence the army base, we will be staying with his family on base (save accommodation money and get to hug him and the grandkids)

[Lydia Leftcoast]

1. I can answer your question about converters

Your MacBook will work equally well at any voltage, as long as you buy the proper plug for your power block. (Mac stores can advise you on what you need.) I was afraid to try this the first time I took my iBook to England--I had visions of it bursting into flames--but it handled the difference in voltage just fine.

Travel stores sell cheap blow dryers and flat irons that are dual voltage.

I can't advise you on the digital camera, since mine uses AA batteries.

As far as what to see, get the Insight Guide to Italy. It will tell you everything that is worth seeing. Whenever I go to a new place, even within the U.S., I get the Insight Guide. It's not reliable for basic practical information, but for inspiration and decisions about itinerary, it can't be beat. You might like the Rick Steves guidebook to Italy for practical information, especially if you've never been to Europe before. He's great for first timers.

[RazzleCat]

2. thanks but still have ?

will put on my list of things to accomplish in the next two weeks trip to mall with Mac store for assistance. As to the other appliances, don't give a fig about the dryer, but the iron and camera are very pricey, as in a high end flat iron will run you well over $150.00 so will look into converter for that item that can also be used to charge up the lithium batteries for the SLR, could also get the AA converter grip for the camera if it looks to be a real issue, but that will run me about $100.00 plus the AA do not last near as long as the rechargeable lithium's and makes the old SLR and it's lenses much larger to tote around.

[yy4me]

3. The least expensive converter is available at the infamous

Walmart. They sell a kit with the converter plus all the plugs for the various countries. As for the hairdryer, you should have one of the cheapies that has a switch for whatever it is called for current in Europe. I have 2 and bought them at CVS. I bet my last dollar you'll never use the iron. Pack rollable stuff and keep it neat. I have always taken black slacks, one pair a little nicer than the others. A simple black skirt could take you through about anything with a nice top. People know who the travelers are and do not expect to see you in Opera clothes.

We have never been to Rome but have been to France and Germany. The areas in Germany around the Rhine and Mosel rivers are incredible. Life is very casual, I never dressed up for anything. We were neat, clean and pleasant to everyone. That gets you farther than the clothes.

France is fantastic. Those who tear apart the French are misinformed at best. The French have always been hospitable and helpful to us.

The sights of a lifetime await you. A couple of good travel books(Frommer's and Rick Steves) plus a little time on the Fodor's web site(the interactive "Talk" part should be a great help to you.

Have a great time!

[RazzleCat]

4. thanks again

But bet my top dollar I use the Iron, it is a ceramic flat iron for my hair, or to put it another way, the only item yet found to smooth out my unruly, thick, curly, frizzy, mid length hair. Don't need the blow dryer near as much, but I am betting that at least once my "head" will need to be flattened.

[yy4me]

5. OOps, I thought you meant an iron, as in steam iron to press

your clothes. Shows you what I know. Have a great time!

[CTyankee]

6. Go to Verona! I was there in May and it was the absolute highlight of my northern Italy trip.

It's wonderful, what can I say. I fell in love with it. Not just because of the Romeo and Juliet thing. The squares are great with some great shopping. There's a Roman arena there, similar to Rome's coliseum. It has a fabulous history.

I wish there were more to do in Bologna. Sorry to say I didn't find much of interest there except the food was excellent. Our hotel was right across the street from the train station and so we went to Ravenna one day just to see the Byzantine mosaics there(wonderful).

Venice was hugely packed with Italian school kids on their spring field trips. San Marco Square was a nightmare, so crowded and hot I couldn't wait to flee to a side street. Also, when I was there the square flooded at noon each day and I momentarily panicked at the thought of my shoes getting soaked.

Northern Italians do dress beautifully, but not everyone, everywhere does. Some of the men were drop dead gorgeous in their suits, so nicely tailored. I saw this in Turin, Bologna and Venice. The women were nicely dressed too. As long as you look nicely put together you'll be fine. I wore pants suits. They were comfortable but not slouchy. I wouldn't wear shorts or sloppy cut offs. If you are going to a nice restaurant, you'll want to look better than when you are hiking around the town, obviously.

I'd go back to Rome in a heartbeat. It's a great city. I had some special interests but it depends on what you want to do and see. It's a myth that everyone there speaks English. Just get lost on the streets and try asking for directions...

If you do go to Rome and you like art, be sure to go to the Borghese. It's a very user friendly place. I loved it. St. Peter's Square was too crowded for my taste but the Vatican art was of course great.

Let me know if I can help with any other information...

[onager]

7. I went to Rome and Venice in February.

Random stuff from my alleged head...

ROME: I started in Rome, because I'm an American working in Egypt and that's an easy flight from Cairo. Then after 4 days in Rome, I took the EuroStar train from Rome to Venice. That's a 6-hour ride but the scenery is just stunning. Yes, the trains do run on time, even without any motivation from Il Duce...

IMO, one of the best ways to see Rome, especially if you don't have a lot of time, is the "hop on/hop off" buses. They run all over the city and stop at the main tourist attractions, so you can get off and see the sights at your own pace.

You probably know this already, but be warned that lines for major attractions like the Vatican Museum are always long. I was there in the off-season and still had a very long wait.

You should also be warned about the notorious pickpockets of Rome. They are very aggressive and often work in groups. Just read some entries at Lonely Planet or Virtual Tourist for helpful information about this.

Of course, it's not so hard to just fumble around playing tourist on your own, and I did a lot of that too. My hotel was on Via Veneto, overlooking the Villa Borghese and about a 15-minute walk from the Spanish Steps, Via Condotti and the Tiber. So I had a lot of interesting stuff in walking distance.

VENICE: I used to think Paris was the most beautiful city in the world, until I saw Venice. The city rises out of the water and just looks like a dream. Sorry I can't be more original.

If you arrive by air, the Venice airport is 15-20 miles from downtown. Or as the Venetians say, "on the mainland." Buses run constantly and the fare is, IIRC, only 2.5 Euros to go anywhere.

All those buses end up at the main transportation point in Venice--the Piazza Roma, a big open area not far from the main train station.

For getting around Venice, you can buy multi-day passes on the vaporetti--water taxis. They stop at all the places you'll want to see, like the Accademia (museums) and St. Mark's Plaza. Also the Rialto Bridge, which has been the main marketplace in Venice for several centuries. Try to be on the bridge looking down the Grand Canal when the sun goes down. It's an incredible sight.

A lot of great attractions are grouped around St. Mark's Plaza/Basilica, like the Campanile (bell tower, which you can climb). Do NOT miss the Doge's Palace, but you should budget some time. I blundered thru it on my own and it still took several hours. Most of that was looking at the murals and other artwork, created by some of Italy's most famous artists.

Oh, if you're superstitious, don't walk between the columns! In the Piazetta you will see 2 tall, weird columns, one bearing the winged lion of St. Mark and the other St. Theodosius and his pet crocodile/dragon. The space between the columns is considered unlucky, and for good reason--it was formerly the site of public executions.

Have a great trip!

[DrDan]

8. Florence - one of the most beautiful cities in the world

[Eurobabe]

9. Hey, I live south of Munich! Go to northern Italy all the time

Vicenza and the Veneto region will still be very warm in mid-September. I would buy some light colored khakis, even shorts to bring instead of jeans. It's so hot you can launder your items in the sink and they will be dry by morning if you hang them outside. Italy is pretty informal, black is always in fashion, mix it up with some nice cotton shirts and comfy walking shoes, you'll be in business. Just don't wear white sneakers (inside joke).

Where to go? Meran is very beautiful, and luckily the areas in Trento/Alto Adige are less-travelled = less touristas. Lago di Garda is always cool to see, as are the Dolomites. :D It's very easy to get around, esp. if you can rent a navi system, I've driven to Firenza by myself, and to Meran.

Same advice re: MAC goes for your SLR, I have a Canon, and all you need is a plug adapter, they are 110v-240v ready. You WILL need a power converter/adapter for the iron. My husband bought this cool all-in-one adapter (not a power converter though) from Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Kensington-33117-International-Travel-Adapter/dp/B0002H4YUI

Beware, and I am not sure why this is -- some of the plugs south of the Trento area are not European compatible, the prongs are slimmer and many appliances/adapters that work in Germany, etc. will NOT work here. I don't have an answer for that issue, sorry. Maybe the Kensington product with it's 150 types built-in can solve the mystery.

HAVE FUN!

[KatyMan]

10. Our daughter

came to visit us in England and brought her flat iron and even with a voltage converter still burned it up. I would advise waiting until you get there and buying a cheap one. I can about guarantee you WILL burn up your flat iron if you plug it in there.
As stated above, your Mac should be dual voltage (I've never seen a computer that wasn't), so all you need is a plug converter. Don't bring your hair dryer. Europe is on 220v and most US household appliances only use 110/120.
When we lived overseas we went to Rome twice and loved it both times. You can take the Metro (subway) to most of the destinations you want to see. You can also walk if you have a halfway decent map. Prepare to eat a LOT. Great food. You'll have a hard time eating Italian in the States again. We think of Italian food as pasta and pizza, but they have great steaks, sausages, seafood (I'm told, I don't like seafood)--make sure you expand your choices to include things outside of the norm of what Americans think of as Italian.
And wow, Onager, a hotel on Via Veneto? That's a great part of town! Great restaurants. We went to one and had a 4 course meal that cost 100 Euro, and they gave us free Limoncello drinks at the end of it.
Our other trip to Italy was the Isle of Capri, which was so fantastic. It's a bit far south for your trip though, just off the coast of Italy at Naples. Naples, however, is pretty much a dump.

One final note: Do NOT take a rose or anything from anyone. They act like they're giving it to you, but want to be paid and won't take the rose (or whatever) back. Just keep your hands behind your back and keep saying no as vehemently as possible. It's the one time being 'the ugly American' can save you a few euros.

have fun! We loved Italy, and you'll have a great time.

[onager]

11. Oh yes, those MEALS in Italy!!!

BTW, my hotel on Via Veneto was the Marriott Grand Flora. I have spent about half my life living in Marriott Hotels for business, so I racked up a lot of their Reward Points. That means my hotel room is usually free, because I use those points. Otherwise I couldn't afford to stay there. :-)

Before I forget--for your next trip--that Marriott has an excellent restaurant on the top floor. Food aside--though in Italy, the food is NEVER an aside--the views looking out over Rome are incredible.

You are right about the great restaurants in that part of town, though. One is right around the corner from the hotel. Nice, small warm and friendly place, very reasonable. Like most restaurants in Italy, the menu is posted outside, with prices, so diners get no unpleasant surprises with the check. (Unless you go crazy with their wine list, which included some vintages going for 4,000 Euros a bottle.)

I told the waiter that one of my favorite dishes is Veal Piccata. He drew himself up proudly and said their chef was fanatical about his Veal Piccata. I think he was right, too. Best I've ever had.

You also reminded me that Americans who have never been to Italy might like to know about the typical dinner in a restaurant:

First Course: Antipasto (a huge variety of appetizers, and often almost a meal all by itself)
Second Course: Pasta (Be careful! This can be anything from plain pasta to a big, rich meaty dish like Something Bolognese.)
Third Course: the main course, meat, chicken or fish.

And if you still have room, some incredibly wicked dessert concoctions.

You wrote: One final note: Do NOT take a rose or anything from anyone. They act like they're giving it to you, but want to be paid and won't take the rose (or whatever) back. Just keep your hands behind your back and keep saying no as vehemently as possible. It's the one time being 'the ugly American' can save you a few euros.

Ha! That's interesting. Tourists at the Pyramids here in Egypt can expect exactly the same scam. The Egyptian scammers are even bold enough to start by saying "please accept a free gift for our guest." But when it's in your hands, they will demand payment.

And if you take a photo of anyone on a camel (even some of the Tourist Police), get away quickly. He may try to chase you down and demand payment for "allowing" you to take the photo.

Oh, in both Italy and Egypt, do not make eye contact with any sweet old ladies who are toting cute babies. They are invariably Professional Beggars and will follow you for a long way, demanding money.

[Eurobabe]

12. RE: the Rose trick, we fell for it in Paris

This Indian guy handed us each a rose, it was late at night, then he wanted money. Dick! We made a wish and threw the half wilted roses in the Seine. :mad: