from Tuscany to Venice

There's uneven pavement throughout Italy.

Siena is hilly.

Venice is one of the most expensive cities in Europe. Period. There's only so much you can do to make it affordable. You don't get what you don't pay for. There's a youth hostel, not quite in Venice (Guidecca), and there are cheaper accommodations on the mainland--but then you're not sleeping in Venice.

Ravenna and Vicenza are both flat, but so are Ferrara and Verona, and I liked the latter two towns better. The mosaics in Ravenna are wonderful, but you'll see great ones in Venice also. Lots of bridges with stairs in Venice.

Hi Wendy - A couple of things you didn't mention in week one - La Cinque Terre, San Gimignano, Volterra - All relatively close to Florence - all spectacular!
The suggestion about Verona is excellent - A truly Beautiful City - also very close to The Lake Garda area which is extremely picturesque.
As for Venice - It's not cheap but is a Must See City if you've never done it!! I would suggest a couple of days in Venice to see the sights . The Hotel Casanova which I recommend always is directly behind The Piazza San Marco and easy walking to Rialto, The Grand Canal Area, and, of course San Marco Square itself. The Hotel will give you free tickets to go to Murano and sit and watch the glassblowing which is absolutely fascinating - then you can continue on to the Island of Burano which is a beautiful Island(flat walking) then back to Venice = All in a morning.
Have a Wonderful trip - wear a knee brace!!

Ciao, Greg

Helpful, thank you!

Verona sounds enticing.

How hilly are San Gimignano and Volterra?

Wendy

Verona is pretty flat and easy walking - and lots of sights. Skip Juliet's house, many stairs, not that interesting. There's an elevator up the bell tower, for the view.

Florence - the side streets are narrow, cobblestoned and holey - avoid them.

Siena - scratch it. Think San Francisco hilly!

Pisa - 1/2 day to see the leaning tower. If you don't climb it, all is flat, easy walking, and the church and baptristry are worth the visit.

Please be aware - there are many, many stairs in Italy, in museums, in hotels, in churches.

You are going in September 2010, right?

Chana - We're going in two weeks! Maybe if we're really lucky we'll go again in 2010 :)

Wendy,

You are leaving in two weeks and you don't have hotel reservations yet?

Best of luck,

I hope you've reserved your hotels! They do fill up fast, esp in Venice. I got the last small, shared bathroom room at Pensione Guerrato. It was a nice place to stay; good breakfast, nice hosts, etc. But there's no elevator.
DO visit Verona! It's beautiful, and the Arena of Verona is almost 2,000 years old, made of pink and white limestone (gorgeous!) and still used for concerts, operas, etc. AMAZING!! Verona is pretty pedestrian-friendly, esp in the Piazza Brà area (where the Arena is). You can swing by Verona on your way to Milan after your visit in Venice; you'll go right through Verona, most likely, if you're on the train.
There are cobblestone streets EVERYWHERE in Italy, so take good walking shoes, you knee brace, and lots of ibuprofen; don't plan on buying it there as everything is expensive!
Many buildings have been retrofitted with elevators and you usually have to look for them (or ask if there's an elevator: "c'è un ascensore?" pronounced: "cheh oon ah-shen-SOR-eh?"). I took a LOT of extra stairs because I didn't see the elevator on the ground floor and didn't ask very often. I also lost a few pounds over there, tho, despite eating half the gelato in Italy! :)