Hi! I need to plan a trip for two going to Rome and Florence sometime between 4/11-4/19 or 20. Does anyone have an itinerary to recommend? Thank you!
Hotels
Train
Important sites
Favorite restaurants
Tours
Posted by
Irving
3280 posts
Rome: https://www.ricksteves.com/europe/italy/rome then click on the + on the right of At a Glance. Hotel Smeraldo
Florence: https://www.ricksteves.com/europe/italy/florence. Buy tickets for the Uffizi Gallery now.
Train: https://www.trenitalia.com/en.html
Posted by
Los Angeles
1207 posts
In addition to the links above, you can find Rick's sample itineraries right here on the website:
Rome: https://www.ricksteves.com/europe/italy/rome-itinerary
Florence: https://www.ricksteves.com/europe/italy/florence-itinerary
For additional info regarding using trains in Italy: https://www.seat61.com/train-travel-in-italy.htm
Edited to add: Guidebooks would provide a wealth of information. For a short visit, you might be able to get away with the pocket guides to Rome & Florence; otherwise the Rome guidebook and Florence & Tuscany guidebooks. Most of them are available on Amazon in electronic formats - you can purchase and have them instantly via download. You might also try your local library. The RS Italy guidebook is probably overkill for your visit - unless you can find it at the library.
Posted by
38 posts
La Costanza in Trastevere was outrageously good: excellent service and impeccable food. They missed an entree for hubby and comped him their house specialty and a bottle of wine! Best peppercorn steak of my life....best 2020 Chianti Classico half bottle.
Sant'Eustachio for coffee, cannoli al pistacchio, and ciambella (doughnut).
The Coop supermarket off a Pantheon street had the best fresh eggs, baby strawberries, blood oranges and chocolate chip biscotti with almonds (at the deli counter) we bought daily.
Giolitti Gelato
Florence:
Al'Antico Vinaio-#1, #5, Inferno
Yellow Bar near Bargello (handmade pasta, thin pizza, polpette and the secret potaoes...excellent salad with tender greens)
Il Gatto e la Volpe-we went here time and again. Other places were over-salting their food, but this place has exquisite bread, hand-made pici verde (pistachio-basil sauce), a risotto with cold-smoked duck and gold flakes so good my child sopped the bowl clean, a perfectly cooked filet steak-any way we wanted-not blue-and no guilt for medium rare), and they instantly put in pici al pomodoro for my young child so we could take our time, look over the menu, order great wine, and luxuriate in the ambiance. The staff were incredibly friendly!
Trattoria da Tito was good, and the desserts were incredible, but it wasn't the same experience as last year.
Okay....finally...Vecchio Forno! I would crawl here. I will die with the the taste of their treats in my memory: #1: fritelle di riso...award winning...think fried orange-vanilla-scented sweet risotto. #2: pain au chocolate-MWAH!, #3:sfoglia with crema
Get coffee at Ditta Artigianale
Per Che No? Gelateria! The best! Not open every day
Posted by
OP
2 posts
Thanks to all! These are very helpful!!
Posted by
Atlanta
5237 posts
Favorite restaurants in Florence are:
Giglio Rosso located at 35 via Panzani. Their web site is https://www.ristorantegigliorosso.com/en/about/.
Olio & Convivium Gastronomia Restaurant. It's on the Pitti Palace side of the river on Via di Santo Spirito. Wonderful atmosphere, excellent food, and good wine. A bit pricy, so you might want to try it for lunch rather than dinner when reservations are usually needed. The web site is (or was) https://oliorestaurant.it/.
You should be able to check the menus for pricing and such on line.