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Venice - Florence - Tuscany - Rome itinerary, accomodations, travel tips

My wife and I are celebrating our 10 year wedding anniversary with a 2 week trip to Italy, starting with 2-3 days in Venice, then the same in each of Florence, Tuscany and Rome. We’re flying into Venice Oct 10, departing ROme Oct 24. Any recommendations on places to see/things to do while there, plus places to stay would be appreciated – as would any other tips or tricks you could share.

Specific questions include :

  • Accomodations (huge issue! - background below)
  • Travel tips through Tuscany - wineries to visit, how to get around without a car, tour possibilities
  • Rome tours/tour guides
  • Best ways to travel between these locations - and time to allow

As background, I’m a very young just-turned-50, and she is 39. We both want to bask in art and history, and our focus is really feeling like we are in Italy. We love good food and good wine (sometimes a little too much!), laughter, and people. We’re both physically fit, pretty hip & fashionable but still quite real, and want some good nightlife as well, so recommendations on dance, theater, and nightclubs – whether more mainstream or a little more out there - are definitely appreciated. We’re planning to walk everywhere, take tons of photos, and generally take a break from a very hectic business schedule.

In terms of accommodation we’ve got a fair bit of leeway in price, although when you get into the 300+ euro range we definitely flinch! We don’t like polyester bedspreads or hotels that could be in any city. It’s history and character we’re after! Having said that, reliable high speed internet access is mandatory, as are hot showers/baths and at least a moderate amount of room to move around. Balconies overlooking squares, thoroughfares, and canals are a serious bonus. I’m a light sleeper, but I guess I can use ear plugs …
We know we’re leaving the planning late, but any help you could provide would be much appreciated!

TIA – R.

Posted by
1158 posts

You always can get a book. It will help a lot.

Posted by
1 posts

The rail system in Italy is actually surprising good (despite what the locals say) which makes travelling between major towns pretty easy (the official website in English is: http://www.trenitalia.it/en/index.html) –for example Venice-Florence takes under three hours and Florence-Siena just over an hour (look out for the “ES” trains which are faster, cleaner and more modern that the others). In terms of wineries, in Tuscany, there is obviously the Chianti region but for really great wine you shouldn’t miss Montalcino, a beautiful area of southern Tuscany, where you can try the famous Brunello di Montalcino –there are loads of good wineries -some of the best are Banfi, Biondi Santi and Fattoria dei Barbi. If you are in Tuscany without a car you can pick up on a daytrip to the area departing from Florence/Siena. If you like big red wines you might also want to take a trip to Montefalco in neighbouring Umbria and try the Sagrantino. If you do fancy a trip down to Umbria on your way between Tuscany and Rome and need some advice feel free to contact me.

Posted by
108 posts

Rob, we stayed at the Hotel Villa Mangili in the Villa Borghese area of Rome in 2005, away from the noise and traffic in a beautiful former villa that has 12 rooms, incredible concierges and a huge buffet breakfast for about $250/night. Special and romantic, yet walking distance to Piazza del Popolo, Spanish Steps, Trevi Fountain. We will stay there again next September. Here's the link: http://www.hotelvillamangili.it/