I will be getting married in October. I have been to Italy twice (Rome, Sorrento, Florence, Milan, Lake Como, Venice) and we plan to go for our honeymoon. She has never been. We both like art and history and I am thinking about splitting time between Rome, Florence and Venice. I would think we would fly into Rome and out of Venice or vice versa. I am thinking about spending 3 nights in each place. Is that sufficient time in each location? What about spending time in the hill towns / Sienna? I've never spent time there so It might be a good change of pace. We are planning on leaving the states on October 14.
Posted by
Vernon, Canada
32398 posts
Stephen, First of all, congratulations! Could you clarify how long this trip will be? That will have a bearing on how many nights you'll be able to spend in each location. Siena is easily reached by Bus from Florence, if you wanted to take a day trip there. The other option would be to spend a couple of nights there on your way from Florence to Rome. Flying inbound Venice and outbound Rome is a really good plan! That will provide a more "gentle" introduction to the culture for your Wife. As Rick says, it gets more intense as one travels further south. Happy travels!
Posted by
OP
Charleston, SC, USA
927 posts
Thanks Ken! We are flexible on the trip at this point. I am thinking that we will arrive in Italy on the 15th and depart on the 24th but we are not completely set yet. We can adjust if needed.
Posted by
Vernon, Canada
32398 posts
Stephen, Thanks for the additional information. After travelling all that distance from the U.S., it would be good to stay for as long as possible (within reason and subject to your budget). More time will allow you to stay longer in each location and take more day trips, or add one or two stops to your Itinerary. If I read your post correctly, you're only planning to visit Venice, Florence and Rome on this trip? Ten days is a reasonable time frame for three locations, but won't allow you much time to see much more.
Posted by
Forest Grove, OR
11838 posts
Congratulations! With only 9 nights and since it is your honeymoon, I'd suggest you stick to two cities or locations. Venice for certain: romantic, unique, I can't get enough of her. Art & History are tops! Spend 4 for or 5 nights. For your second location of 4 or 5 nights (depending on what you decide about Venice) either some place in Tuscany or Rome. Art & History? Florence is a great base. To see more of the countryside, and a change of pace, how about an agriturismo near Siena or Cortona? Or you could stay in a smaller town like Cortona or Montalcino. You'd have to rent a car, but it would give you a few days of wandering the countryside to see hilltowns. Of course to go to Florence you'd have to park outside the city. Personally, I would not stay in Siena. We did 3 nights there and while it made an OK base, we liked the smaller towns better. More peaceful. With this plan, you aren't packing up every 3 days. It really is a pain! If you can add 3 more nights to your trip, adding a 3rd location is more feasible, IMO. Oh, adn fly into Venice, out of somewhere else. If you choose to spend the rest of your trip in Tuscany, fly out of Florence if you can. Or Milan. You might have to spend the last night of your trip in the departure city....
Posted by
Toledo, Ohio, US
11613 posts
Congratulations! I imagine that since this is your honeymoon, you won't have a huge list of things to do. Three nights in each city sounds reasonable enough for you to have a brief visit in each, then plan to go back. For romance, art and history, I would not skip Rome (be sure to go to the Galleria Borghese). October is a great month for travel in Italy, cool but not cold. Flying into Venice and out of Rome is also a wise move.