Venice
We reached Venice around 8 pm, and my god, the first view of the city by the water completely blew me away! We reached just around sunset, and the city was so beautiful! We took a water taxi to the stop closest to our Airbnb, which was the Rialto Bridge, and walked to the house. Venice is full of cobbled streets and lots of bridges, so we had a slightly hard time walking to the house. The flat was on the second floor and didn’t have an elevator, so again I had to climb with the luggage. We went and brought back food, had a nice dinner with wine, and slept after a tiring day.
The next day, our last day of the trip, we woke up slightly late, and then after getting ready and checking out, we left our luggage at a luggage storage place. There are lots around, and we found one midway between our house and the water taxi point. We also booked tickets for a water taxi to get to the airport before leaving the house. After coffee, we walked to St. Mark’s Square, where we took in the beauty of the square and the Doge’s Palace. Then it was time to tick off a bucket list item—a gondola ride. We negotiated and got two gondolas and took the one-hour ride. After that, it was time for a quick lunch before one of us had to leave for the train station, as she was continuing her trip in Italy. The rest of us wandered around and finally picked up our luggage before heading to the water taxi embarkation point at Rialto. The taxi took about an hour to get to the airport, which is also connected to a jetty. It was super hot at this point, and it was the only time I had to put my hair up! Then a two-hour flight back to London before we took a taxi back to my sister’s house.
The next day, the day I was flying back to Singapore, we all woke up late, after being exhausted the previous six days. After getting ready, I got my sister to take me food shopping. I had a list of some cheese, tea, and oils to buy, which I was not able to purchase in Italy because of the rules in the UK. Then we went to lunch at this amazing West African restaurant. We had the tasting menu, which lasted for about 2 hours. After that, we dropped the sister, who also lives in London, at the train station, which was the easiest way for her to get home, and then rushed home because it was late for me to get to the airport. I was stressed at this point because I had heard so much about how long it would take to clear check-in and passport control at London Heathrow that I was constantly refreshing all the apps I had checking about the times it would take me. After quickly changing and putting my things in my bag, we left for the airport. Check-in was smooth, as was passport control and customs, and I was finally on the other side. Then it was another 13 hours to Singapore, which I spent more or less sleeping, and then I was reunited with my family!
And that was our epic trip in spring!
Some last thoughts:
We packed too much into the trip – if I have to redo it, I would only do one main activity or attraction in a day and let us flow through the day. Since this was the first trip to Italy for most of us, we wanted to maximise our time there. What we forgot was that if you have six women trying to get out of the door, things will be delayed! Also, maybe we should not have gone to Venice and had an additional day in Florence. But this just means I have to go back to see all that I missed.
We used the Frecciarossa high-speed train from the Italian Rail, and I was impressed. We decided to spend a bit more and booked business class tickets on both journeys. The trains left and arrived on time on both trips. On the trip from Rome to Florence, other than us, there were two other people in the cabin, while we were the only ones in the cabin on the trip from Florence to Venice. The ticket also included a drink and a cookie. There is a small storage area above the seats, and bigger bags can be stored in a dedicated space at the entrance of the cabin. It was safe, as this was a nonstop trip and we were in eye contact with our luggage at all times. During the Rome to Florence trip, we did have some police asking to see our passports, but this didn’t happen on the second trip.
We also used Rome’s metro almost exclusively during our time there and didn’t have any issues. We all had contactless cards and used them. Rome’s metro has a fixed charge, and we paid €1.5 for each trip, irrespective of the distance, and you only need to tap your card when you enter, not when you exit. We did see a couple jump fare when we were coming back from dinner near Piazza Popolo, so that took us by surprise.
I was also worried about pickpockets in Italy and especially in Rome and had taken the precaution of having my phone on a lanyard around my neck at all times, but we didn’t see anything, and touch wood, nothing happened to us. I guess, growing up in India, we unconsciously were careful, or maybe we didn’t look like it was worth pickpocketing us. I also never had my passport with me; instead, I had a photo and my digital copy on hand.
Some tips and tricks that may help future travellers:
Overall Italy:
- The streets are cobbled, and most older buildings don’t have lifts or elevators. So, before you pack that extra piece of clothing, think about whether you will be able to carry it up. My knowledge is from Airbnb, so if you are staying in a hotel, it may be different.
- When visiting churches, shoulders and knees must be covered (men too), hats off, and no sleeveless tops. Both Florence’s Duomo and St Mark’s Basilica are strict and actively turning people away. Pack a light scarf for instant compliance.
- Reserve, screenshot, repeat. Timed tickets for hot spots (Colosseum arena, Brunelleschi’s Dome, Accademia, Uffizi) open ~90 days out and often live only in a QR code. Save it offline: Italian turnstiles frequently lose signal, and email apps can lag. Florence’s Dome is now gated by the Brunelleschi Pass, so no pass, no climb.
- Stamp (or check in) your regional train ticket. Paper regional tickets must be time-stamped in the green/white machines; digital tickets need the Trenitalia/Italo “check-in” tap before departure. Fines start around €50 if the conductor catches an unstamped fare.
- Historic centres in pretty much all Italian cities are camera-policed limited-traffic zones; a rental car that strays inside can trigger an €80–€120 ticket months after you’re home, plus the agency’s admin fee. Park outside the walls and ride public transport instead.
- Carry a small cross-body and stay alert.
- Keep phones zipped away during crowd surges and ignore “helpful” strangers who bump or offer petitions.
Rome:
- Book tickets early for major sites like the Colosseum and the Vatican. We booked almost 2 months out and still could not get the dates/times we wanted. Hence, the big miss when we went to Vatican City.
- Use contactless cards on Rome’s public transit system. We used the same card for both the metro and the bus and, in both cases, paid €1.50 for each ride, irrespective of its length.
- Hydrate from the street. Rome’s 2,500 nasoni fountains pour free, safe water 24/7. Carry a bottle and skip pricey kiosks. Look for “acqua non potabile” signs before sipping.
Florence:
- Book Brunelleschi Pass tickets in advance for timed entry.
- The Uffizi is free on the first Sunday of the month, but expect crowds.
- Avoid driving in ZTL zones; you will be liable for heavy fines otherwise.
Venice:
- Budget for the “invisible” fees. Venice now charges day-trippers €5 (€10 if you book within 4 days of arrival) on 54 peak-season dates; carry the downloaded QR or risk a €50–€300 fine at the causeways.
- Take the skip-the-line queue for St. Mark’s Basilica; watch for acqua alta.
- The vaporetto pass is cheaper, but avoid large luggage. Though when we did use it from the station to our Airbnb, one of us had a large luggage, it was ok, but manageable.
- There are fines for feeding pigeons or sitting on the Rialto Bridge steps.
Memories and Such 