Help with: Florence & Venice must see's

First, keep in mind that museums tend to close on Mondays. Florence: the Accademia (don't forget the Pinacoteca upstairs), the San Marco Museum, the Uffizi, and perhaps a day trip to Siena. The Duomo in Florence has a very good museum, the Museo dell'opere del Duomo. Fiesole is a short bus ride away from Florence. Piazzale Michelangelo is right above the city and will give you beautiful views. In Venice, if you can get to it depending on the weather, the little island of Torcello has a beautiful church. The Basilica of San Marco (be sure to get to the galleries upstairs), the Doge's Palace. Prepare for some cold weather on a series of islands surrounded by water.

Hi Ashley. What are you interested in? Florence is the city of the Renaissance but if you don't care about art or museums, please let us know. To piggyback on Zoe's recommendations: In Florence, check out the Bargello Museum (sculptures); San Lorenzo church, with statues carved by Michelangelo; you can go up to the top of the Duomo and/or the top of the Campanile for fabulous views of the whole city (the dome is higher than the belltower). Dante's house is still standing - I wish I had seen it but that's another reason to go back! If you like shopping, Florence has a lot of leather shops. I bought a leather jacket there 10 years ago which I still wear. There's also the Mercato, the big outdoor market near San Lorenzo with everything from scarves to leather goods to souvenir calendars.

Just read and watch the video at: http://www.roninrome.com/transportation/riding-a-scooter-in-rome

Thanks, I have read the article. I am now more swayed away from renting one. I guess it will have to wait until I visit the countryside sometime.

The Rick Steves Italy book provides the most excellent lists of things to see in both Florence and Venice. It's a great starting point. For a starting point on your plan, you cannot beat these lists. As for Ron in Rome's artcile above, I recall that he wrote about the terrible situation on moter scooters in Rome some time ago and mentioned that if you were about to be run down by a nice looking lady on a scooter in Rome, it could be his wife. Humor aside, listen to Ron on his advice about the motor scooters. Motor scooters are the most popular form of transportation in both Rome and Florence. They're everywhere and they don't follow rules. In Florence, we saw ambulances on 3 different days putting scooter riders into their vehicles as a result of a traffic accident.

Venice is amazing. Two suggestions. The Friar Church, and the Venice bar tour mentioned by Rick in his book.

I have never been to Venice....it is on the bucket list. But, Venice is known for its crystal. My uncle has a beautiful set of wine glasses he bought there. And a friend has the most exquisite vase I have ever seen. So, you might want to save some time for shopping in Venice, too.

FWIW, by "Friar Church", Richard probably means the Frari Church which truly is amazing. Do you have the RS books for Florence and Venice specifically? I strongly recommend getting and reading them, so you can be sure to find things that most closely match your interests. One of my personal favorites in Venice was the Scuola Grande di San Rocco where I became a huge Tintoretto fan, but that would hardly be for everyone. Happy travels.

Michael is correct on both counts. The church is Frari's Basilica, and it is amazing. My favorite church in Venice.

another vote from me for both the Frari Church and San rocco, as well as the entire neighborhood around them. we spent 5 nights in Venice this fall and had a great time.

Venice (in addition to what has been mentioned)
The Peggy Guggenheim collection and the Scuola Grande di San Rocco (very close to Frari). Florence (in addition to the heavy hitters), I love the Brancacci Chapel and the fabulous Orsanmichele.

It may sound strange, but the must see in Venice is Venice itself. My favorite times were walking between the big sites and observing the people, culture and architecture. San Marco is a must, and be sure to visit the San Marco museum, up the steep stairs to the right of the entrance. You can go out on the loggia and observe Piazza San Marco. As a way to experience Venice, check out the book "24 Great Walks in Venice" for some individual tours and paths less taken by most travellers. Rick has a couple for good walks in his book, too. Finally, for a wonderful meal, call a few days in advance and get yourselves into LaZucca. Best meal I had in Venice in the course of 2 trips. Just ate the last week, in fact. Sill thinking about the pumpkin flan and lasagna con funghi. Yum! Reservations are essential, though. It's a very small place.

Ashley, the advice you have been given is very good but don't forget the whole premise of "back door" travel: your own experiences and interact with locals. Both Florence and Venice lend themselves to this type of travel. I recall a rainy night in Venice a few years ago when my wife and I, after exiting our hotel one evening, turned left away from the tourist areas. Two bridges later, we turned left down a side street and stumbled upon a neighborhood trattoria. We went looking for a meal and instead found an adventure. We were not only the only non Italian speakers in the restaurant; we were the only non neighborhood people there. The food and service was fantastic but what truly captivated us was the atmosphere. It was "open mike" night and various employees and diners made their way to the front of the room, picked up a guitar or accordion and sang a song. Truly remarkable. . .
Additionally, there was a large table set by the door for their neighborhood over 40 soccer team who had just won a local championship. When they entered, the excitement of the diners was palpable. After several more songs (by the soccer team) and numerous toasts, it was time to leave. Before we knew it, we had spent over 4 hours at this restaurant. Good luck with your own back door.

the best sights are the cities themselves. Get out and walk and walk. Stroll the streets, sample the gelato, sit at a bar and have a drink. In Florence watch the sun set from Piazzale Michelangelo. In Venice you must see St Mark's Basillica and the square, get lost in the city. read the guide books and find the sights that sound interesting to you, everyone has their favorites and the most popular sights are popular for a reason.
have a great time!

If you can, I highly recommend that in Venice you reserve the Secret Itineraries tour in the Doge's Palace through Vivaticket. It was very interesting and amazing to see the prison cells, including Casanova's. It can be somewhat claustrophobic, however, since the ceilings are so low. In fact, one woman left our tour group because she just couldn't stand it any longer. The size of the rooms surprised me since I'm very short and couldn't imagine how grown men survived in those cells. It's also very hot and lacking in air circulation. Nevertheless, our tour guide was wonderful and I learned so much more than a guidebook could provide. A fascinating piece of Venetian history! Buon Viaggio!

Both Florence and Venice are wonderful; you'll have a great time, whatever you decide to do. In Florence, I'd like to suggest the church of San Mineato al Monte. The plaza outside gives you the same view as the P Michaelangelo, but is so much quieter and more pleasant (it's further up the same hill), and I find it to be the most beautiful church in Florence--it has retained its medieval design, without lots of baroque remake. And the Convent of San Marco, with its amazing art by Fra Angelico, is my favorite in the city. In Venice, my favorite activities were wandering in the city, and visiting some of the smaller, less touristy islands.

In Venice be sure to get up really early one morning and watch the sunrise (or if no sun...just the light) awaken the city. If you are lucky it will be foggy and you will have an incredible look at Venice and those beautiful pink street lamps that light the city.

In Florence, go to the Medici chapel. Ask the curator to see the sketches of Michelangelo. They'll take you down to the basement, and you'll be able to see the sketches of some of the statues that are in the chapel. I thought they were amazing, and it is something that most people don't know about. I'd also recommend the Duomo in Florence. Marconi, one of the inventors of the radio, is buried there. I also liked the Florence market. It wasn't so "touristy." In Venice, you'll want to buy glass, but make sure it is authentic. There are a lot of knock offs. Also, I was with friends that didn't want to pay to ride the gondola, so we didn't. I've been kicking myself ever since. Since you are going in January, be prepared for high waters in Venice. They will most likely have boardwalks out if there are high waters, but they don't go everywhere. We had to walk with trash bags around our feet to get to the boardwalks. If you had rain boots, you might bring them. Trash bags work if you don't.

Lots of great suggestions. Here are some more. Download Rick's free audio guides. There are 4 for Venice, about as many for Florence and for Rome too. I also recommend the Secret Itineraries Tour of the Doge's Palace. Since you will be there in the winter, don't worry about it being too hot. On the contrary, since the building isn't heated (except for the bathrooms - make a note), it will be chilly - but worth it. Dress warmly. Go to an outdoor specialty store (like R.E.I.) and get some disposable hand warmers. They are great to have in your pocket when it is cold. Time your visit to the Basilica iin Venice so that you are there between 11.30 am and 12.30 pm, when the mosaics are floodlit. And listen to Rick's audio guide in advance so you use the "bag-check" shortcut to avoid the line.

I can't thank you enough for all the great suggestions!!! Making my itinerary now :) I would love to buy glass and of course would want it to be authentic, how will I know?

Ashley, It will be very hard to tell. Much of what is sold, particularly the small inexpensive pieces are imported. Near the top of Murano is a very good glass museum (a museum about glass, not a museum made of glass) which can show you what the real stuff looks like. If I wanted a proper piece I would go to the showroom of an established name. Most of the pieces will not be inexpensive. Ask plenty questions and buy what captures your heart. Some of the best pieces are completely exquisite.