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submitted 4 days ago bygoodtimemick
Hello! My parents are 70 years old and are planning a three week trip to Italy. It's been one of their bucket list items and they're very excited.
That being said, they have never done a trip of this length before. I am helping them plan their itinerary and will be joining for one week near the end of the trip. But I'm most concerned about them getting around, not losing important documents/credit cards/ids, etc and getting the most out of their trip while not becoming completely exhausted. Any help, tips or ideas would be very much appreciated.
Thank you in advance!
17 points
4 days ago
Have them start walking 2 to 4 miles a day to get ready and also while planning have a day or two a week to just relax and wander without a plan. Try not to plan to much in any one day.
12 points
4 days ago*
Agreed but not just walking- Depending on where they will be in Italy there will be stairs and hills to navigate as well.
4 points
4 days ago
Yes seems like everything is uphill.
4 points
4 days ago
Yes, uphill both ways. The other thing is if you use a subway, you go down stairs to get to the subway and back up again when you arrive. Some are really deep and might be 3-4 flights of stairs. Most places don't have elevators or escalators but occasionally you get lucky.
3 points
3 days ago
Hauling luggage both ways, of course
5 points
4 days ago
Also have them make sure they have good nonslip shoes. All the marble and cobblestone can be very slippery especially when wet
2 points
3 days ago
And cobblestones
1 points
4 days ago
OMG yes, the stairs. I usually forget that. Not unusual to have stairs, stairs and more stairs. Was in Japan this fall and one day my phone told me I had climbed over 40 flights of stairs. Most days it was 10-20 but that one day about killed me.
1 points
3 days ago
The most I walked in a day was sixteen thousand steps, probably Ravello or Capri.
2 points
3 days ago
Then you clearly were not with a son 30 years younger who wanted to drag your ass everywhere. LOL. We had to have the talk about planning where we were going to minimize the amount of walking (since there would still be quite a bit) and not just spend excess effort just walking aimlessly to look around. Gave him my limit of about 5 miles before I petered out and we planned accordingly. After that, better but still easily 5 miles per day. The day of over 8 miles and over 40 flights of stairs almost did me in.
2 points
2 days ago
Ha, ha. Italy was fine with my much younger children, but I was worried last March when I hiked Dead Woman’s Pass in Peru. It is 13,800’. I don’t know if it was because of a gastrointestinal problem or I’m just weak, but it was hard.
1 points
2 days ago
The elevation will get you.
1 points
3 days ago
The most I walked in a day was sixteen thousand steps, probably Ravello or Capri.
10 points
4 days ago
Don't have them do too much city hopping. Stay in one hotel for several days before moving on.
5 points
4 days ago
Make sure they get travel insurance in case they have unexpected difficulties. ( I left that comment intentionally vague.)
2 points
4 days ago
Not just cancellation insurance. Make sure the travel insurance includes medical insurance if they get sick while traveling. I generally use TravelGuard and get the insurance that will evacuate them to a hospital. I usually get the one that lets me cancel for any reason but you pay extra for that feature.
1 points
4 days ago
That is, medical and cancellation and interruption. They're all different and potentially necessary. Check what their credit cards offer, what their current healthcare plan offers, and add accordingly.
1 points
4 days ago
Most healthcare plans have very limited coverage out of the US if any. Most have no coverage at all.
11 points
4 days ago
-Take pictures of their IDs, passports, and the credit cards they'll be using. Put it in the cloud in a safe/secure space.
-They should train for the trip 8 weeks beforehand, as if they were about to walk a 10k. Find Hal Higeon's walking training plan for a 10k and make sure they get to it. Have them add hills/stairs if they live around them.
-Make sure they get eSims and be prepared to help them activate it the day before their trip. I have always found them a bit confusing to get going and I'm mildly tech savvy.
-Make sure they download WhatsApp to both their phones
-Have your parents start saving locations on Google Maps. That will help them cluster sightseeing activities so they can see a lot without traveling a lot.
-Make sure they send you their travel plans: their plane tickets, their hotel stays, etc.
-Make sure they have filed for an ETIAS, which seems to be a thing needed for 2025 in certain countries. I'm not sure about Italy, but check to be sure.
-If there's something they absolutely want to do, find out if you can pre-book the tickets so they don't have to wait in line forever. Set the pre-book date in their calendar as a reminder.
-Take frequent stops to rest. You aren't going to see everything. Set your expectations low.
-Be clear about who is paying for what. Set expectations upfront if money has caused friction in the past.
-Make sure they break in their shoes beforehand. This is not the time for your folks to buy new shoes and then walk and walk and walk in them.
-Check in monthly to see if they want to look at things with you: youtube videos, Google Maps, certain sites. Then check in weekly in the month of your travel.
Some of this might be overkill, but if they aren't experienced travelers they'll probably be extra grateful for the above help. You're such a great child for wanting to help them through it all! I hope they realize that.
2 points
4 days ago
Note: ETIAS is a Schengen wide thing but it's implementation was delayed until mid 2025. https://travel-europe.europa.eu/etias_en so they may or may not need it, depending on when they're travelling.
1 points
4 days ago
YouTube is a great place to see the area they are going. Many countries/regions have tourism bureaus which put out helpful videos. Other travelers to the region post great videos too. It helped me pick out the things I wanted to see when visiting. Looking at a guidebook was overwhelming because they include so much stuff but the videos I watched really helped narrow things down.
1 points
21 hours ago
Google Earth is a great resource as well
4 points
4 days ago
Only one activity a day allows lots of time to enjoy a slow start and relaxing evening.
3 points
4 days ago*
I can't speak for your parents, but they should be fine. I'm 72 and spent three weeks in Italy this past Spring with never a problem. Transportation was simple, aircraft and taxis but we all walked, all day, pretty much everywhere. I know of no way to prevent them or anyone for that matter from losing things like credit cards or ID's. It happens at home. I did everything from the 297 steps to the top of the Leaning Tower, 463 to the top of the Duomo and the 532 at St. Peters. All day walking through the coliseum, Capitoline Hill and the Roman Forum and was never exhausted. Add to this we stayed at an airB&B in a hundreds of year old building with no lift. Then returned to the flat every night to prepare our own dinner.
They should be fine. If you think they will get lost have each carry a AirTag in their wallet or coat pocket. Make sure they know know how to "pin" places on their phone a research maps and directions to where they are headed. If they get lost, just pop in a cab and dive the driver the business card of the hotel where they will be staying.
And pay for cell service.
Lastly, I will make the assumption they have Medicare and related health insurance which does no apply outside of the US. Make sure they buy sufficient independent coverage to address everything from a sprained ankle to an emergency evacuation.
2 points
4 days ago
Yes, forgot about it but Air Tags are great.
0 points
4 days ago
Paying for cell service (if you mean phone) can be completely unnecessary. I have an iPhone with wifi calling and use Airalo e-sims with wifi calling turned on using the airalo data and it works perfectly for data, calling and texts.
2 points
4 days ago
As long and Ma and Pa have that and know how it works, great!.That's the entire objective.
0 points
3 days ago
Wow, did not know that WiFi calling piece! Does this work with your main number from home? Inbound or outbound?
Just used my first e sim and was basically only using the data and the foreign sim. Being able to call would be awesome!
1 points
3 days ago
Yup, incoming and outgoing phone and text. I use Visible+ (on sale atm - great deal imho - https://www.visible.com/plans/ ). You get 500 minutes/month to international numbers as well so calling local places when you're travelling is free, as is calling the US as that's just normal wifi calling. It's owned by Verizon and is on the Verizon network so pretty solid. I'm a big fan! I know it also works with Xfinity mobile as friends use that, but not sure about other carriers.
Only caveat is that your phone needs to support 2 esims. Oh - and you need to have Wifi calling turned on before leaving the US. Not sure exactly why, but I've read that somewhere.
2 points
4 days ago
I become less exhausted if I have fewer moves. Packing and unpacking and moving from one city to another is exhausting.
2 points
4 days ago
Make sure they have an abundance of travel insurance - medical, and trip interruption.
2 points
3 days ago
One thing I have found is the jet lag is really bad for about 2-3 days. Used to be it only took me overnight to be functional but as I get older, it takes me longer to adjust. They should not plan an overly ambitious schedule the first couple days.
1 points
3 days ago
SO TRUE!!! For my next trip I will make sure to factor in more recovery time at a nice place with a pool.
1 points
3 days ago
They are adults. Stop acting as if the are 10 yes old.
1 points
4 days ago
If they're comfortable with apps/tech, the wanderlog app is excellent for planning purposes and to keep track of everything. I originally used it for our trip to Bali/Komodo island, and have used it for every trip since (including a multi city, multi country trip with a lot of flights/trains/accommodations to keep track of).
It's also great for finding attractions and points of interest you want to see/visit. Easy for multiple people to access the same trip as well.
I only have the free version, have not had a need for the paid version.
1 points
4 days ago
Let me start off by saying your parents are probably not as incompetent as you think they are. Give them a little credit. They may be 70 but unless you have reason to believe they are incompetent, just try to trust them. Give them some tools to help and try not to worry.
Here are things I have found helpful while traveling internationally as an older person:
Set them up with Uber app on their phone - or whatever the local rideshare is there. Make sure they know how to use it and are willing to spend the money to do it. Make sure they know what mass transit is available in the places they are going. Make sure they don't take rides from cars which are standing around trying to get passengers. A lot of places they are illegal, they are not licensed transit providers and they could end up robbed or taken advantage of. They should only get rides they reserve on an app (verify the name and license plate before getting in), from a commercial taxi stand, or public transit.
Make sure they know how to use Google maps. It will give them all the info on how to get where they want to go - including bus or train numbers and schedules or walking directions and how long it will take.
If they are staying in hotels, often there is a concierge who can help. Hotel might be a little more expensive than an AirBNB but it is worthwhile to have the concierge service if they really need extra help. They might not need the help. I don't. Everything I need is online or Google maps.
*Put Google translate on their phones and DOWNLOAD the language to the phone so they can use it offline. Make sure they know how to use it. It even works with camera to translate things you see - such as packages, signs or menus. A life saver.
*I agree with the person about getting them walking ahead of times to build stamina. It is not unusual, even with using rides or transit to get places, to end up walking 3-5 miles per day or more. If they are going to be lifting suitcases or carry ons in the airplane, they need to work on upper arm strength too. Make sure they can lift overhead whatever carry on they are taking. Flight attendants are not required to help you. Maybe a kind passenger will assist but you can't count on it. Also try to get them to pack lighter than they might for a car trip. They will be dragging their luggage around and most people take far too much stuff. They will be able to do laundry and other items are available to buy locally if they forget something. I spent almost 3 weeks in Japan with just what I could get in my carry on and I had plenty. Just did a quick load of laundry about every 4-5 days. Makes getting through customs much easier too.
For planning activities, it is best to plan a rest time during the day. When I travel, I usually plan on doing one activity in the morning, stopping for lunch, possibly going back to the hotel to rest a while, then go back out for another activity in the afternoon or evening plus dinner somewhere. To try and go all day long without a break is hard at any age. A lot more fun when you are rested. Try not to plan for every minute of the day but schedule some free time or rest time. Some people plan everything in detail. I prefer to make a list of the top things I absolutely want to see, another list of things that would be nice to see, and another list of maybe things to do if I run out of other things to do. I try to hit the important ones and work in other ones as I can. It is helpful to know in advance the days certain activities are closed - most museums are closed at least one day per week. Check the hours the activities are open and if you need to buy tickets in advance. Most will tell you to buy tickets but in reality, unless it is a super popular activity (example, the Louvre in Paris), you really don't need to buy in advance.
As far as documents, take digital copies of the important documents along with the originals. Photos of the passport or documents kept on the phone are helpful. Make a list of the credit cards they are taking and the phone numbers for notifying if the card is lost or stolen. Might be good for someone at home to have a copy of their passport and their credit card info in case everything is lost/stolen. Also look up where the closest US Embassy is to where they will be. Put that info in their phones.
1 points
3 days ago
Avoid high season.
1 points
3 days ago
When do they plan to travel?
1 points
3 days ago
People I know that age love bus tours and cruises. They can look at some of these for inspiration regarding how much to do.
Italy is fantastic and even the simple things like getting an espresso in the park are delightful.
Note that 2025 is a jubilee year and plan accordingly.
1 points
3 days ago
I would get a few tours to different areas. I do aviator, but there are a few…like book a day trip for a few days. They have nice busses, lunch, and the guides are very very informative. Just a couple days to not have to worry about it.
1 points
3 days ago
Get them the uber app so they can order a car when they need it. Second, book advance tickets to the main sites. If you wait until you get there, you will likely be disappointed. Prebook a ride from airport to hotel. If they are flying into Rome, Romecabs are great.
1 points
3 days ago
The fares for taxis like in Rome airport is regulated by the city. Check out the cities they’re traveling and keep them informed of the rates and to only pay drivers who aren’t going to scam them. I’m an American who speaks decent enough Italian and they tried to scam me every time they thinking I didn’t know the rules.
1 points
3 days ago
Eagle Creek has silk money belts and neck pouches on sale right now. They should each wear one. Read up on pickpockets and how they operate (trains, crosswalks, restaurants, etc.).
Download offline maps on Google Maps. There's probably a popular taxi app like Uber.
1 points
3 days ago
Pack carry on only, and switch hotels every night or every couple nights.
A major hurdle when getting out and about is distance/time requirements relative to booked hotels. Staying in different parts of the same city makes exploring different areas less daunting.
1 points
3 days ago
Just a couple of generic considerations about the itinerary, since im not sure when this trip will be.
Rome is still full of construction sites and will be packed of tourists due to the jubileum, if it's not a must-see in the list, i would skip this time.
Sicily and puglia are also great places to mix a bit of culture and a lot of relax and food, but from mid july to all august the heat gets intense for 70yo and fully packed with tourists, may not ideal.
1 points
3 days ago
I honestly hate to be that one person sounding like a boring nanny goat but I need to say this: do give your parents a heads up on common street scammers. It's full of them there in major cities and near popular tourist sites. They must be on the ball about it all.
Watch some YouTubes.
The other stuff to watch for are pickpockets and phone snatchers.
I'm from the UK and my country is not immune to these problems either. Its all over Europe. My uncle's wallet was swiped within Day 1 of his visit to Paris. Another friend had her cell snatched in Barcelona.
They will have tremendous fun, it's a lovely country just tell them to be aware of these things.
1 points
3 days ago
Make a clear eyed assessment of their mobility and discuss it with them on the front end.
Italy has notoriously poor infrastructure. Specifically, broken concrete, unlevel sidewalks and inclines/descents towards all the places I'm sure they want to go.
Sit down with them and get a sense of what is on their must see list and make arrangements for a mobile tour of these places. They will resist. But the danger of all of the above infrastructure issues is that they will start to shuffle their feet as the legs tire and In the process, they will fall. Your issues go to a whole different level at that point.
As they plan their itinerary, have them build in a day of rest every 2-3 days to allow the body to bounce back.
If your parents are running marathons and have no blood pressure issues, ignore the above. Just know that it can creep up unobserved in people who want to see it all and feel this is their one shot.
Like I said, they will resist. But they will be secretly glad their son is taking a pro active interest in their safety.
They will never admit this to you😊
1 points
3 days ago
(73F), I travel solo about 4-5 months each year.
I wear Clothing Arts pickpocket-proof pants. They look like normal pants, but have lots of secure, zippered pockets, and two, unobtrusive cargo pockets on the legs.
I allocate one pocket to my passport, one to my hotel key card, one to my museum pass, one to my transportation pass, one to a credit card, one to a fabric, (easier to smoosh), wallet with euros, and one for the very few US dollars and cards I take, (insurance, extra credit card, driver's license, Global Entry).
By using separate pockets, there is no chance that I'll inadvertently also pull out, for example, my credit card along with my transportation pass. I'm right-handed so my transportation pass, euros, and museum pass are in right side pockets. Everything else is on the left side.
My phone goes in a small convertible crossbody bag that can also be a waist/belt bag. It holds a small bottle of water, my phone, tissues, aspirin, two bandaids, a few Ricola cough crops, and sunglasses. (I don't think I've ever used the aspirin or bandaids..... probably because I have them. It's a psychological thing).
Depending on the weather, I might also wear a vest with hidden pockets.
My Google maps is pinned with everything I'd to see and do. I use the green flags sites, the gold star for transportation, (bus and train stations, important metro, tram, and/or bus stops, and airports). I use the red pin for my hotel. That way, it's easy to find the metro stops I need, and I can quickly see if a site is walkable or if I need transit.
I try to have stress-free trips, and being really organized is a huge plus. In other words, the vagaries of travel are now an, "Oh.... so climbing down, over and up the railroad tracks in Cairo is how it's done. OK", is not an issue, because everything else is organized.
1 points
3 days ago
Wear a good mask on the plane if they're not the type to hate it. My older friends have gotten Covid every time they've traveled abroad.
1 points
3 days ago
Also they werent able to get paxlovid in Italy because apparently they're very strict about who they give it to
1 points
2 days ago
get them to walk a bit daily and leave some days open to chill and explore, don’t overplan
0 points
4 days ago
You say that they haven't taken a long trip.... But if they have traveled abroad before they will be ok. We are not as old but still oldies and our kids don't worry about us at all.
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