Where to stay during Easter (april 18_ 20,2014) in Florence or some Tuscany Hilltown?

Rome especially will have lots of tourists around Easter, largely because of the billions of Catholic pilgrims coming from all over the world. I avoid Rome at Easter like the plague because I've been there at that time. That's the place that will be most likely have few vacancies.

Florence is also very busy. Also be aware that, besides Holy Week (Apr. 18-20) there will be many more holidays around that period:
Apr 21 is a national religious holiday (Angel's Monday)
Apr. 25 is a civic national holiday (Liberation Day=25 April 1945)
Apr 26-27 is a weekend and
May 1 is another major holiday (Labor Day)

Therefore the period from 18 Apr to May 1, 2014 Italians will not be working much (not that they do the rest of the year) and, above all, it will be the busiest tourist time in Italy's art cities (Rome/Florence/Venice) since the foundation of Rome.

However if you book ahead of time, you should be ok anywhere. If you rent a car for visiting the Tuscan towns, consider staying in some Agriturismo (farmhouse). That time of the year is not too busy for agriturismos (Summer is) and you should find something easily. Out of Florence will have more vacancies than in the city itself. But you can find accommodations regardless, just make sure to book early so that you are not left with the more inconvenient hotels.

Roberto, thanks a lot for your input. Could you suggest which hilltown we might look for an agriturismo in tuscany? And, regarding the weather in April, would you recommend starting in Venice on April 7th and work south, or would you start in Rome where the weather might be warmer on the 7th and work north? Thanks again, you've been very helpful.

Search for Agriturismo accommodations here:
agriturismo.it
agriturismo.net
agriturismo.com
and also every other travel website. A couple of friends of mine who own agriturismos in Tuscany advertise on interchalet.com (which is good because it's a German website and Germans are frugal travelers, so the prices are good)

You should look for a location somewhere along the freeway that connects Florence to Siena. Colle Val d'Elsa area is good. But anything between Impruneta and Siena is good. Check a map and you'll see.

Be aware that if you get an agriturismo, a car is an absolute must, because you'll be staying in the middle of some fields in an old renovated farmhouse.

Once you find an accommodation you like on a website, before booking, make sure you enter the address on Google Maps and maybe even use Google Street View to see the kind of roads it's located on. Some may say "only 20 miles from Florence" but then you discover it's 20 miles on a muddy dirt road where even a Sherman tank would get stuck in case of rain.

April the weather is a hit or miss in Italy. "Changeable" is the best description for April's weather. Consider that an old Italian saying says that if it's sunny for Palm Sunday you'll have a wet Easter (and viceversa). Temperatures are also unpredictable. Generally mild, but I remember a major snowfall in Florence (where rarely snows) in April in the 1980's which I still can't forget.

Generally I suggest to arrive in Venice and depart from Rome. For two reasons.
Venice is easier to deal with if you are jet lagged. No cars to deal with and the worst that can happen you fall asleep while walking and fall in a canal (which will certainly wake you up).
Additionally departing from Venice airport in the morning (when flights to the US depart) is a royal pain (long and expensive, since you deal with boats), especially if you have to connect somewhere in Europe and your flight out of VCE is very early. Departing from Rome instead will be a breeze, since the airport is only 30-35 min taxi drive (or train ride) from the historical center.

Hi Roberto, you'll never know how much your info has helped us. We've decided, on some of your appreciated suggestions, to change the dates of our vacation in Italy to April 29th to May 22nd and to leave south from Venice mainly because of the crush of ship tourists flocking to the Venice Airport when we would have been leaving there for home. And thanks for the agriturismo info... its been very helpful. Take care.

Book your accommodations for you first week early. Especially Thursday May 1st through Sunday May 4th will be critical dates.

Following on with this topic Rome is to be our last stop on our trip to Italy departing on Wed 16th of April. Am planning four nights in Rome so from 12th to 16th are the sites in particular Vatican areas likely to be closed in preparation for Easter festivities?

Regards
Tina