Planning Honeymoon in Sept. 2015 Cinque Terre/Tuscany/Umbria/Rome - Need help -First trip to Italy

the roads in tuscany are often narrow and wind around and speed zones are low, so it can take a while to get from place to place, the hill top towns are great.
we took a while to find somewhere suitable in Rome, last year, we wanted to stay close to the vatican area, so we could walk to all the attractions that we wanted to see. eg: we tried to be centrally located. in 4 days we did not need to use public transport, but we did a lot of walking. we also wanted a sort of apartment that we could have a small meal/snack/breakfast ourselves etc. yet be close to cafes for dinner. for what is worth, we had a very good stay at Charmsuites Raffaello, it had everything we needed. our room did not have a view, but was clean, quiet and the location was perfect for us. there was not a staff member there all the time, but they where there when we need them. hope this may help. have a great trip.

Siena is a difficult area to drive in. You could take the train to the Florence airport and pick up your car there, or you could get it in La Spezia and drive from there. I would not use Siena as a base with a car... it will just be a pain. A smaller village or agriturismo would be an easier home base. I do like to move a bit, but only when it makes sense. There are so many great things to see in a small area, so its not necessary to move.... but sometimes fun. I once stayed in a holiday inn express in Rome that was a bit out of the way (because of price) and we just took the bus in each day. It was actually kind of fun staying in a more residential area.... cheaper restaurants and I was traveled with a 9 year old and they had a pool. It was a bonus as this was summer and it was so hot... high 90s each day. Relief to get out of the crowds and chaos of the city center.

Thank you for the feedback - keep it coming.
I will check out the Hotel in Rome and appreciate the recommendation ( i have spent hours on Booking.com and i'm about to lose my mind).
Regarding driving, we don't want to drive from LaSpezia as we want to be able to both enjoy the scenery. The car in Siena will be picked up at the train station and we likely will not drive within the city center - we will be staying outside of it. Would you recommend a better central location other than Siena for exploring Tuscany? We don't want to stay in Florence but plan to take a day trip there. Where would you suggest we stay? Also, what about Todi for exploring Umbria or do you have another suggestion?
Does the rest of our schedule look to be doable?

By the way the Agriturismo we are planning to stay in outside of Siena is called• RESERVED: Agriturismo Il ColombaiodiBarbara – www.agriturismo.it/en/famrhouse/tuscany/siena/ilColombaiodiBarbara

The agriturismo is a farmhouse from the start of the nineteenth century, which stands in the Val di Merse nature reserve between the Crete Senesi and the Elsa Valley, 12 km from Siena at the foot of the medieval hamlet of Torri.
If you have other suggestions for Agriturismo in either Tuscany or Umbria please share.

I would pick any number of the hilltowns close to Siena.... I have stayed near Certaldo with a car, as well as San G., and a little tiny hilltop village called San Donato. It has a church, a vineyard, a few other buildings and a wonderful little B&B called Antica Dimora. It overlooks the Tuscan hills and is one of my favorite places. About 10 or 15 minutes from san g.
I also stayed at Poderi de Arch Angel near Certaldo... an agriturismo, and it was great with the car. I have also stayed in Pogibonssi (sp) not particularly charming, but easy access. I just ask for recommendations about restaurants and wineries when I get there or watch for signs on the road. Thatm is the fun of Tuscany for me... just drive around and stop whenever the mood hits you.

Thanks
I don't really know where any of the towns are. We just decided to stay south of Florence since we don't plan to spend much time in that city and want to spend more time in the countryside. We stumbled on the Agriturismo South of Siena and reserved it. If there is a better central location for exploring the area please let me know. I am blindly planning this trip; very confused and overwhelmed with all the information, and don't want to try to cover too much ground in two weeks, especially since we will lose time traveling from Milan to CT and from CT to Tuscany.

Since I don't know the exact location of where you booked it is hard to say... But, getting out a map of the area will be helpful for you to see the lay of the land, and approximately how far you want to branch out on your day trips. If you are relatively close to Florence or Siena, then you are in a good place to explore a bit of Tuscany. Perhaps Roberto will see you question, as he is the logistics expert here as far as Italy goes and will have lots of good advice for you.

If not, you could send him a PM. As far as the Spas, I was trying to do a trip a few years ago that included spa areas and he had a ton of good info for me. Not sure if you could find that thread now.

You really don't 'lose' the time you spend traveling... I like to think of it as time to regroup, write in my journal, converse with my travel partner, or think, if I am alone. One can only do so much sightseeing and it is fine to have some time just to chill out and live the Italian lifestyle! Or meet some interesting Italians on the train and have a conversation.

to visit Florence, we stayed in Fiesole, in a B&B, the parking was OK, and just caught the local bus in each day. it was suggested to us and it worked great. as for hilltop towns, we stayed in Cortona ( very nice) visited Volterra for a day ( nice but for some reason did not warm to it) and stayed in San Gimignano ( hotel leon bianco) touristy in the day, which is the usual, but we loved being there especially in the morning and late afternoon, when the locals came out and practiced flag throwing.( for their own purpose, not for the tourists) magic to watch.

First let me say your location is great for southern Tuscany. I'm assuming you are taking the

train from the CT to Florence, exploring the town then heading to Siena. If this is not your

plan, then picking up your car in La Spezia makes more sense.

You could visit the Saturina Springs on your way to Orvieto. Use this as your base rather than

Todi which is only 45 min. away. Check out these hotels in Orvieto. Both very reasonable.

http://www.hotelcorso.net/indexeng.html. http://www.ripamedici.it/CamereEng.html

For Rome lodging check this studio.

http://www.cross-pollinate.com/rome/apartment/162/Studio-San-Pietro.

While it's not in the city center, it's closer to the Vatican and Trastevere, there is great bus

access in this area.

We stayed at Hotel Smeraldo in Rome last September. Convenient location near Campo di Fiore; we were able to walk to all major sights from the hotel (Colosseum, Vatican, Spanish Steps, etc). It was reasonable and included breakfast. Rooms were small but clean and we were barely in the room anyways! They had a great rooftop patio as well! We took a bottle of wine up one night and relaxed as the sun was setting--beautiful!

My husband and I just spent a week in a small town just south of Cinque Terre called San Terenzo. We found an absolutely wonderful place to stay on VRBO - VRBO Listing #1021021ha. It was absolutely beautiful and would be perfect for a honeymoon. We took the train from Milan to La Spezia and back to Milan to leave the country. The owners picked us up in La Spezia, so we did not need a car while we were there. It was easy to get to the Cinque Terre by ferry (20 minute walk along a beautiful boardwalk along the sea to Lerici, where you pick up the ferry). We used bus and trains to get to Lucca and Sarzana. We prefer not to drive, since the roads are so narrow and can be a bit harrowing. 3 nights in the Cinque Terre area will want you to stay longer! But it is enough to see the 5 towns.

We found a great hotel right near the Milan train station called Starhotels E.c.ho. Really great price through 'Get a Room' for a Milan Hotel (under $200 for May is fantastic).

In our many trips to Italy, we have found that it is best to base yourself out of one location and then tour the area. We have stayed for a week in Tuscany at the Castle of Bibbione, San Cascino in Val di Pesa and it was absolutely stunning. We rented a car for Tuscany, which was a good thing to do to get to all of the beautiful small towns.

In Rome, we found a very reasonable rental apartment in the University area near the main train station. Rome is terribly expense when it comes to hotels!

Happy Honeymoon to you.

Thank you for all the good information. Do you remember the name of the hotel in Rome that you stayed in? We are actually staying right in a seaside hotel in Vernazza in the Cinque Terre. We decided we wanted to stay right there even if it cost us a little more.

By the way we already purchased our train tickets from CT to Siena so we don't have a choice to pick up a car elsewhere at this point. We really didn't want to drive 4 hours fro La Spezia. But in hindsight i guess we should have thought about heading to Florence first. Since we are going straight to Siena we can always drive to Florence for a day trip and just park somewhere outside the city center - any suggestions on this?

Dear Janster,
We are experienced (7 trips) European travelers and at the end of 3 weeks here. This being your honeymoon, I think you have a VERY ambitious schedule. We have relied on public transportation exclusively, with a few taxis to hotels/b&b' s---be prepared for delays and schedules not going exactly as stated. This is Italy, not Switzerland.
Rome.....it was lovely on our last trip (pre-9/11); sadly it is now VERY crowded, dirty, and noisy, and yes, expensive--our last hotel experience put us in a quiet neighborhood outside the city center, but the public transportation to get anywhere was terrible-crowded and unreliable schedules. Believe everything you read about safety on buses, especially crowded ones.
That being said, if you fly out of Rome, you need to stay there-somewhere. I would look for a centrally located hotel with air-conditioning for sure, double-glazed Windows, and a rooftop terrace to get away from all the traffic noise, fumes,and cigarette smoke!
Good luck, and have a great honeymoon!

I would not take the car to Florence and try to park outside the city center. It is so crowded and the chance of ended up in a zone would not be worth it to me. Unless you are there about 6 or 7 in the morning. Just leave your car at the hotel for your day in Florence and take a bus or a train in.

I stayed at http://www.thechurchpalace.com/en/default.html a few years ago and it was amazing. Looks like they have remodeled a bit since but still looks amazing. They are not the cheapest, but depending on your dates there are options for 75 euros or so. But if you are going to splurge, since it is Rome and it is your honeymoon, I think this place is a great value. It is a little out of the way but about a 7-8 minute walk the the metro.

OY - one step forward, two steps backwards.
OK - so we want to drive to Florence so we can make stops along the way. Where could we park? Train Station? Do they let you?

Hearing both good and bad about Rome and now not sure whether to go or how much time to spend. So many people say they love it - maybe it makes a difference where you stay?

Should we spend more time in Tuscany/Umbria and less time in Rome? I didn't think our plans were that ambitious.
3 nights Cinque Terre
6-7 nights Tuscany/Umbria
3-4 nights Rome

Which are the must see areas of Tuscany/Umbria and should we skip Florence altogether?

It all depends on what you priorities are. I love Italy, especially the villages and countryside and CT... and Venice! I would take those instead of Rome, but that is just my priority. I am not in love with chaotic and crowded cities for any length of time. You can still have your car and visit Florence, especially if you stay in a village or smaller town in Tuscany. Just leave your car at the hotel and take a bus/train into Florence for the day. Again, unless you arrive really early parking will be a nightmare, plus the ZTL zones... just don't risk getting all those fines.

As far as 'must see' just take off in any direction in Tuscany and stop at the first town that looks interesting... they are all unique and wonderful. Any vineyard or hilltop town will be fun and romantic! But, if you have specifics that you want to see, just read about each town and see what they have to offer... Pisa, Luca, Certaldo Alto, San g. San Donato, Cortona, etc.. the list is endless.

I parked at the Pizzale Michelangelo a few times, but that was a couple years ago... not sure of the restrictions on timing, etc. but we just walked down, crossed the river and into the city. There are lots of tour buses there that do come and go so you might get a space if they still have parking there.

Here is the parking map of Florence. Click on the P for more info. Also read about the ZTL zones.

http://www.visitflorence.com/florence-maps/parking-lots-in-florence.html

Rome is what it is...a large city...If you plan well, it's not any worse than NYC or Chicago. Be selective.

This site will give you some info on the Tuscan towns

http://www.bestsmalltownsitaly.com/

Jan, may I ask, what hotel did you choose in Vernazza? Planning a trip to CT and really struggling with where to stay. Thank you!

Hi Patti
We spent a lot of time looking at the 5 Villages of the Cinque Terre before deciding on Vernazza, and then we spent a LOT of time on various websites looking at properties - it was overwhelming. We actually decided on the Gianni Franzi hotel which is right on the water. We liked the fact that we could sit out on the terrace overlooking the water for breakfast, and they also have another terrace viewing area for other times of the day that is only open to guests.
If anyone out there has a personal experience with this lodging please chime in!!

Hi Jan,

I'm also planning our honeymoon for September in Italy and we are doing Florence and Rome as well. Tripadvisor has helped me a lot as far as reading about different hotels and reviews. I've also dabbled at the airbnb site and found a great B&B in Rome called Made in Rome b&b - just google it and check out the pictures and reviews!

Happy Planning!

Hi Andrea
Yes i have spent a tremendous about of time on numerous websites including Trip Advisor. It becomes overwhelming. I did see the B&B you have booked. Unfortunately we do not want a shared bathroom on our honeymoon and that is all that was left. Also, it is not in the area we prefer - the cost is great because it is near the train, but we plan to walk everywhere and would prefer to pay more to stay in a more convenient location.
Good Luck - feel free to share more tips and i will as well.

Jan, thank you for providing the name of the hotel. I'll check it out. It certainly is a tremendous task to plan a first-time 3-week trip to Italy as inexperienced travelers. The info on this site is proving to be so valuable!