Tuscany & Cinque Terre Honeymoon?

A reasonable strategy might be to return your rental car in La Spezia (looks like they have Europcar and Avis), and proceed to explore the Cinque Terre villages by train and/or ferry.

Twelve days is a nice chunk of time for this trip.

The closest airports are Pisa and Florence, which are both small and busy, and won't have direct flights from TO. Transfer through hub in Germany, London etc. Alternatively, you can fly to Milan or Rome and then take a train for a couple of hours (or fly to Florence or Pisa).

Cinque Terre -- I don't think it really matters which town you stay in -- for a honeymoon, I'd aim for the best accommodation in my budget. There aren't any hotel chains there, so the accommodation is all rather AirBnB style. Look for a place with an outside area with a view. Cinque Terre is mobbed with people during the day, but turns into another place at night when all the day trippers leave. If you plan to go in July 2020, you'll want to book this as a priority, as there aren't as many rooms available here as there are in most places. We loved the place we stayed in Riomaggiore for 2 nights (3 would have been my max). Monterosso al Mare is the largest and is the only one with a beach. If you can't find a nice place in the actual Cinque Terre, I've had friends rave about Porto Venere.

Tuscany -- I recommend staying at least 3 nights in Florence and focusing on the city, and then finding a base outside to do daytrips. We stay in Lucca because of family, but it's also a charming, lovely town, so that's my recommendation.

Picture what you see yourself doing, and then google that activity + Tuscany and narrow down what you want to do. Sometimes I plan my stays around fabulous accommodation I find.

I'll watch your thread and as you narrow down your choices I can comment more. Sounds like you're off to a good start and not trying to pack in too much.

Fly non-stop to Venice, round trip on Air Canada Rouge, bus or €35 taxi to the Venezia Mestre station and a 2 hour train ride to Florence. CT you need to check the cruise ship schedule [with mega ships stay in Manarola or Riomaggiore; or avoid it altogether, choosing Levanto or Santa Margherita Ligure]:

http://crew-center.com/la-spezia-italy-cruise-ship-schedule-2020

We arrange our cars by calling up the broker Autoeurope; get zero- deductible collision, which covers any damage to the body of the vehicle. Ask for Hertz at Via Palagio degli Spini, the complex near the Florence airport, reached by taxi; return in La Spezia. Read this about driving in Italy and restrictions involved [ZTLs]; do not leave anything of value in a car when parked:

http://driventoit.blogspot.com/

With the ship issue, it may be better to do CT first, train from Firenze Campo di Marte at 7:54AM. Pick up a car in La Spezia and dump it in Venice before your flight out.

lizw,

First of all, congratulations! A few thoughts.....

Travel anywhere in Italy in July is going to be hot and crowded. Hotel reservations booked well in advance are highly advisable!

Have you decided yet on which of the five Cinque Terre towns you plan to stay in? Your best bet might be Monterosso as it's the largest of the five towns and has the greatest number of hotels and other tourist amenities, as well as the best beaches. I don't know how many Air BnB type accommodations there are in the C.T. so you may have to use a hotel or Affitacamere. As others have mentioned, the C.T. could be extremely crowded during the peak part of the day if there are cruise ships in the area. You can deal with that by taking day trips to other places during the day or take a long hike somewhere. The Sentiero Azzurro trails may also be crowded but there's an extensive network of trails in that area.

If you have a "generous" budget, I can suggest a hotel in Monterosso that will get you out of the crowd situation as well as provide a fantastic setting for Luna di miele.

The words "car rental" and "wineries" do NOT go well together. If you're planning on sampling the wonderful wines in Tuscany, my suggestion would be to base in Florence and take organized trips to wineries. You'll be able to enjoy the experience far more if someone else is doing the driving. If you're "nicked" with a BA limit over .05 in a rental car, especially if you're involved in an "incidente stradale", you're going to be in a world of hurt!

With car rentals, keep in mind also that each driver listed on the rental form must have the compulsory International Driver's Permit, which is used in conjunction with your home D.L. You'll also have to contend with the dreaded ZTL (limited traffic) areas, as each pass through one will result in hefty fines, which you may not know about until several months after you return home. My suggestion would be to use well planned public transit rather than a car rental in this case. There are also a few potentially expensive caveats to be aware of when using trains and other transit, so be sure to do some research on that.

I'd suggest three nights in the Cinque Terre or four nights if you're taking several day trips to places like Porto Venere or wherever. One activity you could consider is to take the train to Levanto and walk through the old railway tunnels to Bonnasola.

Use the balance of your time for your stay in Tuscany. If you use Florence as a home base, you can not only see the sights there but take day trips to Siena, Padova, Lucca, Pisa or even Venice.

Have you booked your flights yet? From Toronto Air Canada is probably your best bet and using open jaw flights would be a good idea. Unless you have masochistic tendencies, I wouldn't suggest using AC Rouge on a long flight unless you can afford premium economy. In the same situation, I'd probably start in Florence and see Tuscany first. You'll have a short layover in Frankfurt and then most likely a Lufthansa regional flight to Florence. Leaving the Cinque Terre for the end will be a nice way to end your holiday. On the day before your flight home, take the train to Milan and fly out of Malpensa.

As always, I'd highly recommend having a look at the RS Italy guidebook to plan sightseeing, transportation, hotels, etc.

Lizw
I can attest for Aria di Mare, which is in Manarola and we found out about it in the RS guidebook. We stayed in 2016 and will return this summer! The owner, Maurizio, is very kind and helpful host. He’s very knowledgeable of the various hiking and activities and will recommend trails or help reserve kayaks, etc. His rooms are incredible, although a bit of a walk to the upper side of Manarola, it boasts terrific views and is a nice separation from the day crowds. Check out his website and contact him directly if you’d like to proceed.
Good luck and congratulations!

You'll also have to contend with the dreaded ZTL (limited traffic) areas, as each pass through one will result in hefty fines, which you may not know about until several months after you return home.

I almost cancelled our Tuscany car rental after reading similar alarmist posts on RS and a few other sites. Liz, I'm so glad I didn't! There is limited bus service in Tuscany and outside hiring an expensive private driver it is very difficult to see the lovely countryside or explore the smaller towns of the region.

With a little knowledge and planning you can easily avoid ZTLs or getting caught by automated speed cameras. Read up before you go. There's tons of online information. Familiarize yourself with signage. ZTLs were clearly marked by signs in every town we visited. Also, if you are in a hill town that is surrounded by a wall, such as San Gimignano, Radda or Volterra, assume anywhere within the wall is ZTL.

We chose not to drive in Florence. It is easy to park outside the main city and just catch a bus into town. We did drive into Siena, but it was easy to avoid the ZTL. There are speed cameras, but the easiest way to avoid a speeding ticket is not to speed! Who want to speed through the gorgeous countryside anyway. We did have a few local drivers who wanted to go faster, so I just found the first possible spot to turn out and let them by. Usually we exchanged waves and there were no hard feelings.

We solved the winery tasting and driving problem by staying at a winery! We stayed at Castillo di Verrazzano, a wonderful winery with nice rooms in a converted building on the property. We had a wonderful afternoon there relaxing after a tour of the winery by indulging in a food and wine tasting, which is the best way to sample wine. Chianti is not a sipping wine and is best experienced with a complimentary food dish. A good alternative would be to stay a few days either in Florence or Siena before heading to the countryside and taking a wine tour from there. Montepulciano would also be a good choice as a home base. There are a number of winery cantinas where the wine is aged. All are within walking distance.

Best wishes on your upcoming nuptials! BTW, our last visit to Florence was to celebrate the 50th anniversary of our first kiss, which we shared on a balmy summer evening in Florence, back in 1966!

DougMac is correct... sure there are issues but a little information and driving is great.

I would definitely stay IN Florence a couple/three nights being in the country side sounds nice but I'd pick one town like Siena for a couple night and actually stay in Florence a couple nights.

It will be hot so make sure you have AC at least in the bedroom.

If you can't stay at a winery you can hire a private driver to take you to a couple and the added plus is the knowledge they share about area.

Consider swapping Cinque Terre for another coastal destination (I am fond of southern Tuscan coast). It will still be crowded, but not to the degree Cinque Terre will be.

Hi lizw -congratulations on your upcoming honeymoon! We have done a trip nearly identical to what you are describing in the past. Here is my advice:

Airports:

• Rome: We have found flights into Fiumicino (FCO) airport much less expensive than other airports in Italy, but the tradeoff is that you will be driving a little further to your destination in Tuscany. Also, by flying out of Toronto, you can reach Rome with a direct flight.
• Florence: Flights to Florence (FLR) tend to be a little more costly, but you are closer to your ultimate destination. There are no direct flights to Florence, so you will probably have at least 1 or 2 layovers.

Car Rental:
Definitely rent a car and driving in Italy is not difficult at all. With a car, you will get to see so many more amazing places that are not accessible by train. Hertz or Avis have been our preferred and both are located at the airports. Check the rates and make a reservation ahead of time for the best rates and to ensure there is a vehicle for you.

Where to go/Length of Time/Places to Stay:
Based on what you describe, I would suggest going to Montepulciano in Southern Tuscany. This is where so many iconic images of Tuscany come from. “Under the Tuscan Sun”, “The English Patient”, “Twilight”, “300”, and so many more movies chose to film here because it is the Tuscany everyone thinks of. Montepulciano is great as a base because the town is the perfect size to host many excellent restaurants, events/festivals, great shopping, etc. It is also located in the heart wine country. There are so many wineries that can be visited, it would take a lifetime to see them all! Also, from Montepulciano, you can take excellent day trips and visit Florence, Siena, Montalcino, Assisi, Arezzo, Cortona – the list goes on and on! There are also tons of hiking opportunities and iconic rolling hills to explore!

Montepulciano is one of my favorites and have been visiting there for many years. It’s always new and changing and while there are lots of tourists who visit, it’s never overcrowded and still feels authentic. For and awesome bed and breakfast we discovered this past year, check out Fonte Martino (www.fontemartino.com). They are just outside of town with amazing views, and you can also walk to town if you like. If you want someplace in town, a good apartment we rented was from Charming Homes (charminghomesmontepulciano.com). Not the b&b feel, and no views, but you get the in-town vibe.

For the Cinque Terre, it’s been a number of years since we have been there simply because it has become too busy with tourists. It was wonderful for the two days/nights we were there, but by the end of our stay, we were happy to move on to a more peaceful setting. We plan to go back, but will choose an off-season time to go. Sorry if this description sounds a bit negative, because it is a beautiful and amazing place to visit, but there were too many people for us to truly enjoy our stay. I would suggest a few days here and the bulk of your time elsewhere in Tuscany. Sadly, the place we stayed is no longer in business (maybe changed hands?), so I don’t have a suggestion of a b&b to stay at. I would suggest driving to Riomaggiore, where you can leave the car and then either hike or take the train to the other towns.

Exploring Wineries:
Italy does have stricter driving laws when it comes to alcohol. If you want to enjoy visiting wineries without having to think about safely driving, you can arrange a tour guide for the day to take you. We used a guide named Fabrizio that the owners of Fonte Martino suggested to us and he was AMAZING! He spoke English and grew up in the area, so he knew of the secret off-the-beaten-path places to take us. His calendar does book up quickly, so if you decide to stay in Montepulciano, reserve with him sooner than later to ensure he is available.

I hope this helps…feel free to reach out to me if you have any other questions!