We are back after spending about a week in Italy in early June, so I thought I would post about some of our experiences.
Venice: Stayed at La Locandiera. It was a very nice place- extremely clean and in a great location- only a couple minutes walk from St. Mark’s Square. Best thing we did: Secret Itineraries Tour of the Doge’s Palace. My husband and I both thoroughly enjoyed it.
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OP
Simi Valley, CA, US
83 posts
Florence: Stayed at Residenz Il Villino. We really liked this place and Sergio was such a great host. We loved the courtyard where we ate breakfast and had cappuccinos in the morning. It was a bit farther out, but still within walking distance to everything. Best thing we did: Half Day Winery Tour with Accidental Tourists. We didn’t get to spend any time in Tuscany so this was our compromise and was one of our favorite things we did on our whole trip. They picked us up in a van and took us on a nice drive through Chianti and then to a villa where we learned about how they made wine and olive oil. Then we were taken to another villa where we got to taste some of the wine and olive oil. It sure was good.
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OP
Simi Valley, CA, US
83 posts
Cinque Terre: Stayed at La Mala in Vernazza. It was very nice and included waters, beer, and juices in the refrigerator. The terrace overlooking the water was just amazing. We enjoyed two evenings out there sipping wine and chatting with the other guests. Best thing we did: Hiking, of course. We started in Monterosso and went to Vernazza. I think going from Vernazza to Monterosso would have been a bit easier direction, but this way was perfect for us because we stopped in our room again in Vernazza to fill up our water bottles and grab another snack. Then we went to Corniglia and were going to go on to the last two, but we got caught in the rain (not just a few drops, but a downpour with lightning and thunder), so we took the train from Corniglia back to Vernazza. Three hours later it was clear skies again just in time for our evening wine on the terrace.
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OP
Simi Valley, CA, US
83 posts
Rome: Stayed at Bellesuite Roma (Hotel Adler). We also really liked this place (we liked all our accomodations in Italy). The covered terrace in the courtyard was nice and relaxing. We enjoyed breakfasts and some evening wine here as well. It was a perfect location for getting around everywhere using the public transportation. Best thing we did: Angel Tours Tour of the Vatican. We felt like this was a great tour and we learned a lot. We used the Roma Pass for the Colosseum/Forum and the Borghese Gallery. With transportation included it we thought it was a great deal and was very convenient, especially skipping the line at the Colosseum. We did not have any problems with pickpockets, although we were prepared with money belts and always were aware of our surroundings. We didn’t even see any action at all, but perhaps we were just a bit too early in the season
Overall we really liked Italy. To save money, some nights we went and bought wine at a grocery store and had happy hour before we went to dinner so we didn’t have to buy it by the glass. We also ate a lot at breakfast so that we didn’t need a full lunch most days. Some days, we just brought snacks, and other days, we just bought gelato or something to tide us over until dinner.
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Northborough, MA
636 posts
Right now, we're in Florence (staying at Hotel David -wonderful place!). We're heading to La Mala' tomorrow (the 6th) for 2 nights. We were already excited, but are even moreso after reading your post!
It sounds like you had a great trip.