First trip to Italy October 2024

One option would be to fly roundtrip in and out of Milan (MXP). Flying from IAH, my home airport, limits your nonstop options for Europe so layovers are inevitable. From Houston you can take United and layover in Munich or Frankfurt or you can take KLM and layover in Amsterdam. There are other options but these are my preferred choices. We have also flown out of IAH with a layover in Atlanta too. As far as hotels go, you'll have plenty of options in the $300 per night, even in Venice. Hotel Al Codega is my favorite in Venice. We are doing the Taste of Italy cooking class in Bologna in March so that's another thing you can investigate. I am assuming you are taking the train between these cities?

Is it worth it to book a canal view in Venice?
I would say Yes absolutely! But, yes absolutely if it comes at a price that you feel comfortable paying. After all, you will likely be spending a lot of time outside your room, looking at canals.

Jack- The flights I'm watching from IAH have a layover in Munich going and Frankfurt on the return. We definitely want to do a cooking class! I'll look into that. Hotel Al Codega looks great. It doesn't appear they are taking reservations for October yet per their website so I will keep checking. Also, yes we are taking trains between cities. Thanks for the info!

Hello Ginger, your schedule looks reasonable and has enough time in all these places.

Can you describe a little more what you're looking for in mid-range hotel? My wife and I have stayed in all these cities for much less money than that and had a wonderful time, but we spend most of our time out of the room and don't tend to spend money there. You will be able to get comfy for less than that. Many of the places we stay and return to are from RS recommendations and you'll see a fair amount of that on these boards.

Venice is amazing - I wouldn't book on a canal if you're paying a lot of money for it - you'll see them nonstop during your visit.
In Venice we always try to stay at Bed & Breakfast Corte Campana (https://www.cortecampana.com/) with great hosts Riccardo & Grace. They are near San Marco. have breakfast and it will cost mush less than $300.

Verona - since was have friends I don't have a strong recommendation beyond staying in the old town section within the bend in the river. From a tourist point of view everything you want to see is in this area.
There are tons of restaurants and cafes everywhere in Verona. My personal favorite spot was Caffè Monte Baldo (https://osteriamontebaldo.com/) which has a bar, outside standing and seating, great cicchetti in a display case and real menu if you want to sit inside.

The only place I've stayed in Bologna was basic accommodations at Hotel University (https://www.hoteluniversitybologna.com/) which was well located near restaurants and the sites and the the University part of town. I would skip breakfast in Bologna is you're anywhere near the University there are tons of small, funky places to get coffee and something to eat where two of you can eat for less than a hotel will charge you for one for breakfast.

In Florence we stayed in the Relais & Maison Grand Tour (https://www.florencegrandtour.com/) which is near the train station, bus stops, laundry, the Mercato, the Accademia Gallery and is ten minute walk from the center of town. It is unimpressive from the outside but the rooms are large, funky and we really enjoyed it.

I'd recommend getting at least one travel book with good room recommendations as well as all the attractions so you don't miss anything in these places while you're there. Be sure to book bis Venice and Florence attractions in advance.

Hope that helps, have a great trip!
=Tod

Hi Ginger, I’m not sure of prices, but here’s places I’ve stayed that I would recommend. I won’t include our Bologna hotel since it wasn’t a favorite.

Venice - Hotel Ala - excellent location! Close to San Marco to walk over there in the evening. Another benefit is that there’s no bridge between the nearby vaporetto stop & the hotel. I’ve had canal view rooms and others that were interior rooms. In Venice, I hardly was in my room, but it is fun to hear the singing as the gondolas went by my room. Would I pay extra for it? No, I’d rather use that money for something special in Venice.

Verona - Hotel Bologna - very pretty rooms, and it’s on the edge of Piazza Bra and within site of the Roman Arena. Excellent breakfast, too.

Florence - I found this on Booking.com. Amazing location. It doesn’t come with breakfast. We just ate breakfast at the small table in our room. Relais Piazza Signora

Restaurant recommendations, etc. are in this trip report:
https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/trip-reports/mother-adult-daughter-italy-trip-aug-sept-2022

Tod - Wow thank you for all that information. We tend to like smallish boutique type hotels that serve breakfast and en suite bathroom. If there is a bar, that's a bonus lol. We like our evening cocktails after a long day of sightseeing. I have several travel books/guides (RS, Lonely planet, etc.) that I've been going through but it's always nice to have a "real" person tell me their recommendations also.

Jean - Thank you. I will be exploring all these options. We won't be in the room that much. But it is Venice! I'll look over that trip report again. I believe I have it bookmarked.

You're in luck, Ginger, because the current trend in Italy is 'sprtizing' where anywhere in 4-7 range everyone decides that a cocktail at an outside facing the piazza is the best idea ever. Most places have a spritz menu of drinks - Aperol spritz is the traditional while prefer Negronis - but they aren't picky about what you drink. Spritzing usually comes with some potato chips, olives or other finger foods depending on the town.

In the north beer is much more a thing - probably because of tradition and German tourism - with wine being the main focus in Bologna and certainly in Florence where you're in Chianti country.

Verona is filled with cafes over looking their two great piazzas Bra and Erbe as well as smaller and less touristy corners of the town. There's a great, very tiny cocktail bar called Archivio on via Rosa https://archivioverona.com/ right near the cafe I recommended above if you're serious about your cocktails and want to try something new. I felt about 2x too old to be in there the first time I stopped in, but if Italy teaches you anything is just look like you know what you're doing and you can do anything.

Spritz every chance get, it's a great tradition,
=Tod

Ginger- We have done, and are doing again soon, that exact flight between IAH and Rome (FCO). We flew United/Lufthansa and had a 4 hour layover in Munich and a very tight layover in Frankfurt coming home. If your layover is short, you might consider utilizing the airports guided transfer service. We made our connection without it last time but, since we are taking our 2 grandchildren this time, we may go ahead and pay for the extra peace of mind. Also, you may look at the Hotel Al Codega on other booking apps (expedia, hotels.com, etc) because I think we used one when we last stayed there.

I really enjoy view rooms, but I don't feel it's a necessity in Venice, because I prefer wandering and having cocktails outside along the canals. Some previous posters have reported that rooms on the Grand Canal can be noisy, especially those near vaporetto stops.
Our favorite Venice hotel is in Cannaregio, on the quiet back canals. You can actually take sunset pix without anyone in the photos! There are no crowds here, but you are a ten minute walk to vaporetto stops. It's Hotel Ai Mori D'Oriente, with great staff , charm, service, and breakfast. Read the review on booking.com but book directly for the best price.
Have a great trip!

Hi Ginger,
I can’t say anything as to hotels as we normally stay in flats because we stay 7-10 days in locales. We tend to spend very little time in our accommodations so find that comfortable with basic amenities works well for us. Plus it saves money for activities and food and spritzes! But a couple of other things:

IF you want a large breakfast then a hotel with that service is right, but……the traditional Italian breakfast (colazione) is a caffe and cornetto because they are going to stuff themselves at lunch (pranzo)! Cornetto can range from a croissant, which is basically the same thing, to fancier sweet treats, but sometimes the establishment will have slices of savory focaccias, etc. Plus then you can experience more of the way they live and have fun people watching and have the big lunch!

I can understand the desire to have a canal view in Venice or even a water view. If you must have a canal view, try to find a hotel along one of the smaller canals-maybe in Canneregio. The Grand Canal is busy, thus quite noisy and may not be the picture you have in mind of a canal view! The smaller ones are often nicer as they are more frequented by the gondoliers and are certainly less noisy. As a reminder, Venice is a walking city, so no matter where you stay you are within 20-30 minutes of everything.

We’ve not been to Verona.

Bologna-we stayed in the area of the Basilica di Santa Maria dei Servi-not a hotel area, but one of our favorite restaurants is near there-Taberna del Re Vallot. We had dinner there twice we liked it so much. It’s small and a reservation is a must. I would not stay in the area of La Finestrella-the “Venice Window”. Generally the restaurants there are not so great and it is the most touristed area of town accordingly. Staying closer to Piazza Maggiore would be good. Still touristed, but the Bolognese spend time there too so a better feel.

Florence-we stayed just outside the ZTL by the Biblioteca. Florence is also a walking city although not as compact as Venice. Remember, if you choose a hotel on a main piazza, it may well be noisy late into the evening. The plus-lots of restaurants and spritzes! Even staying in the Oltrarno makes for easy access into the main city. Our favorite restaurant in Florence was Trattoria Alfredo. Warning: NOT FANCY, just darn good food. We had two dinners and one lunch there (we were in Florence for a month). We like really good food so I wouldn’t recommend any restaurant light heartedly.

You’ve gotten lots of good information. Enjoy the planning and buon viaggio!

Tod - We will be spritzing! That made me laugh! And that tiny cocktail bar sounds perfect. It's going on the list.

Jack- Yea, I have to look closely at the connection times.

Pat - Thank you for the recommendations.

SJS - Lots of info for me to research. Thank you for sharing.

I'm researching all the places now. I think ya'll are correct and we will forego a canal view. We do like to go back to a quiet room after a long day. We don't need or want a large breakfast. Just something quick and filling to get us through to lunch. When we travel it's just good food and ambiance we like. Tiny, quirky places off the beaten path are sometimes the best finds.
Thanks again for all the tips. I'll keep you posted on what I choose.

Maybe its me you are referring to because, yes, we are doing this exact same itinerary in October! Funny! We arrive in Venice on the 17th of October and I went with Jean’s recommended hotel Ala. I was a bit shocked at prices for hotels! They definitely were about the same or more than our October trip to London!

Hello again,
Depending on where you decide to stay in Venice, if you are near or happen to pass by Pasticceria Trevisan-yum. It is in San Croce, but oh so good and local by all means. In fact when we return to Venice this spring we are purposely walking by it, even though it’s a bit out of the way, on our way from the train station to our San Croce apt so I can purchase some pincia, a Venetian bread pudding that has fennel in it. Great caffe also and wonderful choices for colazione too.

I thought I would revisit this post and update my lodging based on the ever thoughtful replies I received.
Venice - Hotel Al Ponte Mocenigo
Verona - Hotel Bologna or Villa Dei Gelsi..... because I can't decide. Villa Dei Gelsi is bit out of town but they provide transportation to/from old town for a small fee. Or we could walk if feeling really adventurous.
Bologna - AirBnb
Florence - AirBnb

All reservations are fully refundable up to mid October. I still need to book flights but I'm watching prices because whoa! Pricey! I have several flagged on google flights so will see what happens. Now on to booking tours/activities/etc.

On another note, I'm trying out wanderlog. Obviously I'm not tech savvy because I don't find it user friendly. I feel like I spend so much time trying to figure out how to add details that I get really bogged down. So I have 2 "planners" going... the one on wanderlog and google docs.

Congrats on finalizing your plans, Ginger.

I would opt of in town stay in Verona, but you are doing basically an "all city" tour so I can see the appeal of a more country stay in this mix of all the city life.

If you do stay at Villa Dei Gelsi it looks like there are two busses - the 70 and the 95 - that stop where the small road meets the main road down the hill from the spa. This may help you if people have different plans for leaving or coming back during the day. Google maps transit tab works well for buses and schedules in northern Italy and Veronas bus stops are well marked - just pay attention to the signs. You can buy tickets on the bus for 2e but you get a discount if you buy them beforehand at the tabac in town and more of a discount if you buy a pack of ten.

Have a great trip!
=Tod

PS I will probably be there in October as well - maybe I'll see you at Archivio! ;)

When we visited Venice, we went with an AirBnB, the hotel prices were pretty steep for us and we really wanted to see what a residence was like. Best decision we made, lots of character, patronizing the eateries & shops in our neighborhood, wandering the narrow passageways to our rental, it was great fun & memorable. I get wanting a hotel stay in Venice, you're there, lap it up and enjoy.

As a rule, I generally like to keep my hotel stays in the beginning of a trip and at the end. Arriving, I'm likely a bit tired, if I'm delayed for whatever reason, it's a whole lot easier to check-in at a hotel, versus chasing down whomever the home rental host is and let them know "I'm here, where to now?"

Departures, is another where I prefer a hotel over a home rental. I don't have to worry about whatever requirements and idiosyncrasies the host is requiring of users. Depending on where i'm at, the hotel either has a shuttle to the airport or, can hail a car at whatever time as long as I give advance notice.

In the event you haven't booked your flights yet, we found that flying in and out of Milan is much less expensive than any other European gateways, at least from/to LAX. Obviously YMMV, but you might want to check Google Flights.