Venice and Florence

Even $8000, seems like a lot to me for 13 days for hotels and transportation. The train travel between the cities is quite straight forward. For accommodations, you could do a search of this forum to find hotels people have enjoyed. Certainly, there are places you would need to book in advance to ensure you will be able to visit. San Marco, Doge Palace, Uffizi, Accademia. Depending on the hotel you chose, they may be able to facilitate or even book your sightseeing.

Is airfare included? For $8000 exclusive of airfare we could easily spend a luxurious (for us) 2 weeks in those cities and we could make that last for 3-4 weeks the way we travel. When are you going and how long are you staying in each city, in terms of number of nights? Have you, by any chance, got Rick Steve’s’ Italy guide book? He does a great job with the logistics of planning your own trip and we can help refine.

Most everyone here plans their own trips
Not difficult with a good guide book and resources here

$8,000 sounds rather high for 13 days (assume doesn’t include food/drink?) and 12-14K is super high

What do you mean by “transfers at each city”?
You mention Spain and Paris-are those included in the 13 days and why so many far flung locations?

Good heavens, we spent less than that for 5 weeks, and never stayed in less than 4☆ hotels. There is no reason you can't get a few guidebooks, do searches on this site for specific subjects, ask some questions here, and come up with an excellent independent trip for significantly less.

Use Google flights to pick the flights you want, but book directly with the airline. Go for a multicity ticket into Venice and home from your final city. You may find cheap intra European flights to Paris and Spain. Travel between cities in each country by train. The Italian trains are Trenitalia and Italotreno. They run frequent high speed trains between Venice and Florence. The Spanish trains are run by Renfe. In France its SNCF. Read up on European trains on the Man in Seat 61 website.

You can ask here or search previous threads for hotel recommendations. Or look on booking.com, but book directly with the hotel if possible.

Any good guidebook will point out the major tourist attractions and tell you how to get tickets. They will even suggest when a local tour or guide would be helpful. Most of the time they (local tours) are not a necessity, but can add extra details or provide transportation if you don't feel like doing it yourself. Major sites will have good audio guides, and some have their own guided tours inside the site. Their website will tell you all you need to know. And those same guidebooks should provide info on local transportation options: metro, bus, taxi, etc.

Really, it just comes down to how much research you want to do before the trip. The more you rely on someone else to plan and manage your trip, the more expensive it gets.

Could you clarify your plans? Is the 13 days for Venice and Florence? or does it also include Spain (what city?) and Paris? I assumed that $8000 was 13 days in Venice and Florence and that it did not include your air travel? If you are doing Paris, a city in Spain, Venice and Florence, I would not consider that a "laid back vibe"

A comment for the RS community on the cost estimates quoted by the OP, from a Canadian.

The self generated estimate from the OP of $8K for two weeks wouldn’t be enough for us. It’s about $2K short. Furthermore our trips are typically 3 or 4 weeks.

We like comfort but we are not high end travellers. This is based on 16 trips since 2008, so we do have some cost history.

Keep in mind the current exchange rate today from EUR to USD is $1.08. For EUR to CAD it’s a staggering $1.55. And yet, we still save, and travel.

EDIT: $8K USD is $11.5K CAD. So, we for a month in Europe at our historical burn rate we would need $14K USD.

Have you looked at Costco Travel? We always book our own, but I hear great things about Costco Travel.

hey hey kgoguen6
never heard of this company. when are you planning this trip, have you reserved anything with this agency? people on this forum usually book their own trips and places to go and pay a lot less then quoted to you. is the 13 days for venice & florence or does it also included spain (where) and paris? that is too much travel and different countries to include in 13 days. it's your vacation, you do you.
you've come here for answers to your questions and got your answers. where are you traveling from (USA/Canada/europe/australia/asia?
many of the agents have never been to these places they are offering you and only trying to reel you in and make their commission.
you're a first time poster like many wanting to see it all, there is no way unless you want to be on trains, airplanes and the time it takes for transportation with laid back vibe you want. spend time in the cities to enjoy and relax.
do come back with more info about your trip and get better info than what thinking and hoping for.
aloha

Thank you for all your comments. our flights are booked. We arrive in Venice and spend 3 nights there, then we will somehow travel to Florence (train or air). We spend 2 nights in Florence. We then will travel (train or air) to Spain and stay there for 3 -4 nights and then travel to Paris (train or air) and stay there for 2-3 nights. Our flight home leaves from Paris.
What I meant by laid back vibe was that weve done the museums and we are not interested in that sort of trip. This time I want to slow down and see the cities we are in as opposed to following a large tour from city to city and always feeling rushed. I was nervous we could not handle the transfers from these cities alone. I have just found this website, downloaded the app and ordered some of his guide books so maybe that will help us figure this out. According to Rick Steves you tube we should be able to sleep and eat for around 200.00 a day so that is much better than the prices ive been quoted.
I will wait for the guidebooks to arrive and see if i can find some places to eat and sleep that work for our budget a bit better. Thanks again

Where in Spain? It’s a big country

That’s a lot of moving around on a short trip

A 2 night stay is really only 1 full day in location
Each location changes eats up at least half a day, in your case some transits will take most of day

Train from Venice to Florence-much easier, faster etc takes about 2 hours
Probably fly from Florence to wherever in Spain
Also fly from Spain to Paris

Since you’ve got flights to/from booked I would drop “Spain” add days to both Venice and Florence
End in Paris

Venice 3 or 4 nights
Train to Florence 3 nights plus 1 more for each day trip
Fly to Paris -AirFrance about 2 hours
Paris should get 4 nights minimum

To me that’s still too much time spent traveling and not at all “laid back”
YMMV

If you don't plan on museums, etc. it makes the vacation even easier and even less of a reason to use a tour company. If you want to wander around Venice for a day, hopefully two, stopping for apertivo or a long lunch, all you really need is a hotels for each city. The train station in Florence is on the edge of city center as is the station in Venice. Easy.

Since your flights are booked, then the number of vacation days is fixed. But I agree with ChristineH, that given the brief time you've allocated to each city, and the loss of most of a day for the transfer from Florence to "Spain", an from there to Paris, you should consider dropping Spain and giving those days to each of the other cities. Especially if you want that "laid back vibe". Transfers are simple once you do a modicum of research. Take a water bus or water taxi to the stop nearest your hotel in Venice. Florence train station is a 10-15 minute walk to many of the hotels in the historic center (or take a taxi) Paris CDG has a fixed rate for taxis into the city center.

Is this the company?---- https://jaywaytravel.com/

What exactly is included in the price they quote? Is it what you requested?

When is the trip?

Where do you want to go and do?

I will wait for the guidebooks to arrive and see if i can find some places to eat and sleep that work for our budget a bit better

Most of us who self plan rely on sites like Booking.com or Trip Advisor to research possibilities within our range and that meet our criteria. Once you identify properties of interest, go to the hotel’s website to book directly. The guidebooks might be a little helpful on dining, but again, doing your own online research will offer more options. Or just wait until you arrive and inquire local;y.

This is all really helpful. I am nervous I am going to not be able to figure out the train etc but Rick Steves app is letting me feel a bit better about it.
I appreciate the suggestions and am going to some more digging. If yall think we can do this then we are gonna give it a shot.
Thank you all again
Krista

Krista, we can help with trains: routing, where to buy tickets, fly vs train choices, etc. You might also benefit from this excellent train travel source https://www.seat61.com/.

Check with Gate 1 Travel, we have done four tours with them and they are great. Also, their prices are super low.

Lately, I’ve been using Google maps to find places to eat —- it now seems easier to use than TripAdvisor and I mainly look at the photos and menu once I’ve narrowed the choices to above a 4.5 rating. If none quite look like what we want, I look at some with 4.4 ratings and read some of the bad reviews to see if they seem unreasonable. A bad review like “A baby was crying” or “They said I needed a reservation but there were empty tables” can be discounted. Try it in your home town now and see if it works OK for you.

And of course people here can advise you on restaurants if you say what kind you are looking for. We look for very unfancy, paper tablecloths, short local seasonal menu, run by family or friends, small, with some vegetarian choices. Other people care about different things.

In your own words, you don’t want a “rushed” trip. With that in mind, I suggest you eliminate Spain from your itinerary. It’s a large country with widely differing regions. Including it would take 2 days out of your time (travel).
On costs . . . Our trips have usually been 3 weeks long and run about $10,000, including air fare. We stay at nice (but not 5*) hotels and usually eat one sit-down meal/day. $8000 for 13 days seems very high to me.
Venice, Florence, and Paris would fill your time nicely. I recommend researching day trips from your main destinations:
Venice: Padova, Vicenza, Verona, Burano and Torcello
Florence: Siena
Paris: Chartres, Giverny
For each main site, the lists could go on and on.
I can’t resist adding that going to Paris and Florence, without at least one museum stop in each seems such a waste. However, that’s me.

I am nervous I am going to not be able to figure out the train etc

For the train, I like to search for youtube videos for specific train stations the first time. This has been super helpful in seeing how to buy tickets at the station, validating and navigating the stations.

My first trip flying into Venice, I found Ricks recommendations for navigating the airport to transportation to the island spot on.

And when in Venice you can ease your nerves by making a stop at the train station at your convenience during your stay to get a feel for the layout, etc.

hey hey kgoguen6
lots of info for you. when do you arrive in venice and do you have a hotel picked out? venice is an easier place after a long haul flight you may have jet-lag (that wuzzy feeling next day)
something to remind you of is that check-in is 2-4pm, unless you get early check-in or drop your bags off, roam around and get back at check-in time. what is your budget in euros for hotels, amenities needed. any mobility issues, many places have no elevators "lifts" with many stairs/steps, uneven pavement/cobblestones, A/C, free breakfast. venice has so many canals that "boats" are the transportation (vaporettos, alilagunas, private water taxis "most expensive") europeforvisitors.com/ venice.
as others have mentioned, i would add more days to venice, florence & paris. drop spain for another time
fly from florence to paris (charles de gaulle or orly) on a budget european airline. that will be a long travel day, count that off your total vacation days.
keep asking questions, people here to help you and calm your nerves with your plans (good bad and ugly). your make the decision.
aloha

Here is a message OP sent with some additional info.

we are going May 1-14.
the company is in fact the hyperlink that you sent. ( https://jaywaytravel.com/ ) They quoted us a range of 12-14 thousand. They have scheduled a phone call today to talk specifics.
They coordinate transfers with train or plane and have a person there to walk you or drive you to those transfers between Venice, Florence, Spain and Paris.
their price includes tips, hotels, tours and the transfers between cities (transportation). I don't think it feels right price because I've looked up hotels and there are nice ones that don't add up to that much.
We want to explore the cities, eat good food, visit a few vineyards, gondola ride, etc. I don't think we need to book any of that ahead of time. I feel like i can book our hotels and once there we can decide what we want to do without booking and scheduling it all ahead of time? I may need to get the transportation lined up between the cities ahead of time or perhaps I can do it when I arrive. Any suggestions would be helpful. Thank you again.

Thought it would be helpful to let the larger brain trust see what OP is aiming for and the somewhat limited time left to put all the pieces together.

We want more of a laid back vibe on this trip and not a full itinerary. We would like to pick our adventure as they come and on how we feel as opposed to having each day filled up full.

Given this desire, "Spain" or Paris may be one destination too many.

In light of the 'soup to nuts' kind of service jayway provides , the cost estimate is not a real surprise.

I think a lot of the extra money goes to

a person there to walk you or drive you

Google Maps or similar can help you find your way by foot, bus or vaporetto - or you can get a taxi. Depends on the city, your amount of luggage and your level of fitness.

kgoguen6

If you more or less copy a similar itinerary from Airways Travel (or Rick Steves, for that matter) and book hotels that make you happy and end up paying only $8k compared to $12k-$14k, I would take that as a big win for you. You saved $4k to $6k by doing it your way!

Perhaps, some of us could save a few dollars more doing it our way. However, "comparison is the thief of joy".

I was just in Venice this past fall. I would agree with your thinking. Book your hotel in advance and do the rest when you get to Venice. But, a caveat, we booked all our restaurants right away when we arrived Venice. We stayed in a small BnB and we picked out something for each night and the host called and made the reservations. For most places the reservation was necessary as the restaurants filled. So I would strongly recommend researching restaurants in advance or use the advice of the hotel staff. Probably the same for Florence. In your wanderings, I would suggest making an effort to get off the main routes. For Venice, all of the churches we went to except San Marco, we could just pop in anytime during their hours for a visit.

Managing your own itinerary can be both rewarding and cost-effective, especially with the resources available today.​

Train Travel: Traveling by train between Venice, and Florence, is straightforward. High-speed trains like Trenitalia https://www.trenitalia.com/en.html and Italo https://www.italotreno.com/en offer frequent services between major cities. Booking tickets in advance can save you money and ensure availability. Websites like The Man in Seat 61 provide detailed guidance on train travel in Europe.​

Accommodations: Platforms like Booking.com and TripAdvisor are excellent for finding hotels that suit your preferences and budget. Once you've identified suitable options, consider booking directly through the hotel's website, as they may offer better rates or additional perks.​

Dining: For dining, local recommendations can be invaluable. Upon arrival, don't hesitate to ask hotel staff or locals for their favorite eateries. Additionally, apps like Google Maps can help you discover highly-rated restaurants nearby.​

Itinerary Planning: Given your desire for a laid-back trip, it's wise to limit the number of destinations. Each additional city adds travel time and logistics. Focusing on Venice, and Florence, will allow you to immerse yourself more fully in each location without feeling rushed.​

Welcome to the forum! :O)
This:

...you should consider dropping Spain and giving those days to each of
the other cities. Especially if you want that "laid back vibe".

I'll throw my own vote behind dropping Spain too. It's a big country, and you're not going to be able to do much - especially at the laid-back pace you're looking for - in 3-4 nights. Personally, I'm thinking that you have a better chance of feeling less stressed about making your own arrangements - you've gotten some great advice above - with fewer destinations + longer stays in each.

This:

We would like to pick our adventure as they come and on how we feel as
opposed to having each day filled up full.

Just another very good reason to trim your destination list. Longer stays = more flexibility to work to whim and weather. It'll also provide some opportunities to explore some interesting nearby locations. For instance, from Venice you can easily day-trip to some of its islands (Burano, Torcello, etc.) or to Padua, Treviso, Verona, etc. From Florence, you have lofty Fiesole (just a few minutes away by local bus), Siena, Lucca + some others. Paris? There is so much ground one can cover there that I'm sure you'll find some new corners unless you've already traveled there extensively.

weve done the museums and we are not interested in that sort of trip.

Gotcha. It's also late enough in the game that you might have some difficulties even landing tickets to the biggies anyway. Still, I wouldn't discredit them altogether, and certainly would plan to venture into some of the notable churches? They're all different, some have wonderful works for art that can be seen for free, and you can visit for as long or as little as you wish to. For instance, Florence's Basilica di San Miniato is a very old and important lady that offers splendid views from its perch, and its adjoining cemetery is an interesting wander. Santa Trinita has some fabulous frescoes that portray some real people of the era (15th century; including some members of the Medici family) that were painted from life exactly how they looked, right down to the clothing. As well, the Italian Renaissance is such an important piece of the Florentine story that it would be a shame not to admire some of her artistic/architectural treasures?

Whatever the case, It's your trip and you should spend it as you wish to but really, consider saving Spain for another time and allocating those nights to the other destinations?