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Italy trip - Rome, Florence, Venice - Recs
Posted on 6/6/21 at 11:59 am
Posted on 6/6/21 at 11:59 am
I'm taking my parents to Italy
10 night trip
3 days Rome
5 days Florence
2 days Venice
Any recs on what to do and see other than Colloseium and typical spots in Rome and Florence?
I specifically wanted more days in Florence to see the countryside of Tuscany and visit bologna for a day. Also take a trip to the coast on the Mediterranean. Is Cinque Terre worth the drive?
10 night trip
3 days Rome
5 days Florence
2 days Venice
Any recs on what to do and see other than Colloseium and typical spots in Rome and Florence?
I specifically wanted more days in Florence to see the countryside of Tuscany and visit bologna for a day. Also take a trip to the coast on the Mediterranean. Is Cinque Terre worth the drive?
17
Posted on 6/6/21 at 12:53 pm to Magician2
Did this trip a few years ago, except we started in Venice and finished in Rome. We did all the typical touristy stuff, so I don't have any specific recommendations. Didn't really enjoy Florence, but I was also laid up with food poisoning the whole time we were there, so I spent most of the time throwing up or in bed.
Posted on 6/6/21 at 1:28 pm to Magician2
In Florence I suggest:
Gelateria dei Neri - great gelato
Enoteca Pitti Gola e Cantina - right across from the Pitti Palace. Sit outside, have lunch and some wine. They pour a lot of older wines by the glass.
L'ippogrifo stampe d'arte - cool family run place for prints. They engrave on copper plates and color in by hand. Beautiful stuff, and not terribly expensive.
Drinks at the Four Seasons, or the Hotel Lungarno on the river.
Cafe Nerbone in the Mercato Centrale, inexpensive great food. Also just great to wander through the Mercato for cheese, wine, sausages, etc.
Have a great time!
Gelateria dei Neri - great gelato
Enoteca Pitti Gola e Cantina - right across from the Pitti Palace. Sit outside, have lunch and some wine. They pour a lot of older wines by the glass.
L'ippogrifo stampe d'arte - cool family run place for prints. They engrave on copper plates and color in by hand. Beautiful stuff, and not terribly expensive.
Drinks at the Four Seasons, or the Hotel Lungarno on the river.
Cafe Nerbone in the Mercato Centrale, inexpensive great food. Also just great to wander through the Mercato for cheese, wine, sausages, etc.
Have a great time!
Posted on 6/6/21 at 3:15 pm to Magician2
Cinque is awesome. We stayed there two nights and for us it was great. CT is better at night to me when all the massive hoards of tourists are gone.
In Florence make sure you eat at:
Vini e Vecchi Sapori
4 Leone (Quattro Leone)
Il Santo Bevitore
In Florence make sure you eat at:
Vini e Vecchi Sapori
4 Leone (Quattro Leone)
Il Santo Bevitore
Posted on 6/6/21 at 4:34 pm to Magician2
We did a day trip to Pompeii which was really cool. Loved Florence. Be aware of pick pockets in Rome. They are usually kids. Happened to catch one that tried picking my wife’s purse on the public transit that was packed
This post was edited on 6/6/21 at 4:35 pm
Posted on 6/6/21 at 6:06 pm to Magician2
Most travel snobs knock it for being overly "touristy" but I really enjoyed my afternoon trip to Pisa. It's a quick trip on a local train from Florence and the Piazza, Duomo and leaning tower are pretty cool - especially around sunset when the crowds have thinned out.
Posted on 6/6/21 at 6:23 pm to AUFANATL
We really enjoyed staying in Siena, about 50 miles from Florence. A cool medieval city with tons of character and history. Also had a great day trip out of Rome to Tivoli, the vacation home of Emperor Hadrian called Hadrian’s villa. Well preserved and something a little different than the standard tourist attractions.
Posted on 6/6/21 at 8:41 pm to Civildawg
quote:
They are usually kids. Happened to catch one that tried picking my wife’s purse on the public transit that was packed
This happened to us on the subway too. A group of clean cut, middle class looking kids running around the platforms. One kid gets on train with us, tries to reach into my wife's purse, but she catches his and jerks her purse away, and the kid jumped off the train just before the doors closed. So definitely watch out as these aren't poor or scruffy looking beggar kids, they were very clean cut middle class looking kids.
Posted on 6/6/21 at 8:42 pm to Magician2
quote:
10 night trip
3 days Rome
5 days Florence
2 days Venice
I did Italy two years ago and did: Rome, Positano, Florence, and then Venice.
Looking at you itinerary, I'd spend more time in Rome and less in Florence. There's far more to see and do in Rome than Florence. Unless you're spending time in Florence seeing wineries in Tuscany?
Posted on 6/6/21 at 8:48 pm to Magician2
CT is worth the drive. We did the CT as a day trip from Tuscany. It was a long, long day but we hit all 5 villages and hiked about half the trails.
You want to go to Bologna. If you are driving from Florence to Venice (it is a fast and easy train ride) you pass right by Bologna.
With travel time, you are packing a lot in to 10 days.
You want to go to Bologna. If you are driving from Florence to Venice (it is a fast and easy train ride) you pass right by Bologna.
With travel time, you are packing a lot in to 10 days.
Posted on 6/6/21 at 9:02 pm to BayouBengalRubicon
quote:
nice.
Looking at you itinerary, I'd spend more time in Rome and less in Florence. There's far more to see and do in Rome than Florence. Unless you're spending time in Florence seeing wineries in Tuscany?
That was the idea. My wife has been to Italy once when she was in college doing study abroad she did Florence and Venice but only one night each.
My parents are getting older and this is the 3rd euro trip I've taken them on and I know Rome is the biggest and has the most to see but since it's first on the trip I just don't think they can last walking around so much.
With Florence I was hoping to get creative. Winery out in the countryside relaxing. And then a train ride to CT on the coast to also relax.
It was a toss up between Milan and Venice to cap the trip but I felt Venice would be great because it's so small and we could virtually see everything in a day there.
Posted on 6/6/21 at 9:25 pm to Magician2
I don’t agree with him at all. Spend the least amount of time in Rome you can.
Posted on 6/6/21 at 10:15 pm to Magician2
Stop in Orvieto for at least a day if you are taking a train. You'd thank me later! Loved Sienna. I'd bag Venice personally.
Posted on 6/7/21 at 12:57 am to Magician2
The wife and I hit all three of those spots on a cruise we did awhile back. Cruise left from Rome so we spent a couple days there first. Went on a Pompeii tour and Vatican tour. Did the Coliseum, Trevi Fountain, Spanish Steps walk around Rome thing. Took a train to Florence to check out David and eat alotta gelato. In Venice we did the obligatory gondola ride. Of course, we ate a bunch of great Italian food in all three spots.
We mainly like to sightsee, shop and have something to eat. With multiple days in each spot, what you do kinda depends on how busy you want to make your days. We don't much care for being on a schedule during vacations. And watch out for the little street urchins.
We mainly like to sightsee, shop and have something to eat. With multiple days in each spot, what you do kinda depends on how busy you want to make your days. We don't much care for being on a schedule during vacations. And watch out for the little street urchins.
This post was edited on 6/9/21 at 2:27 am
Posted on 6/7/21 at 5:01 am to Magician2
quote:
3 days Rome
5 days Florence
2 days Venice
I basically did the same trip three years ago. Three days in Rome is perfect. My best rec for Rome is to purchase tickets for the hop on/hop off buses (three day pass). It will save you time and sore feet every night. There are several different companies, just compare, some run later than others, but some have more buses.
As far as Florence, it was my favorite part. It was more relaxing than Rome and Venice. If you are planning on seeing the statue of David, do as we did. The door/ticket window closes one hour (maybe 30 mins) before the actual museum closes. We got there just as the door was closing (probably 30 mins before), and basically walked right in.
I would suggest taking two days off your Florence trip, and go to Cinque Terre. Next time I go, I will spend a few days there and not go to Venice (more on that in a minute). CT is just simply beautiful. Just relax, enjoy the great food and scenery. It’s the poor man’s Positano.
Below is a photo I took of Riomaggiore (the first of five towns).
We did not enjoy Venice as much as we did Rome and Florence. It just felt over touristy. It may have just been that we were beat, after a week in Rome and Florence.
Posted on 6/7/21 at 8:15 am to Magician2
quote:
I'm taking my parents to Italy
10 night trip
3 days Rome
5 days Florence
2 days Venice
Any recs on what to do and see other than Colosseum and typical spots in Rome and Florence?
I specifically wanted more days in Florence to see the countryside of Tuscany and visit bologna for a day. Also take a trip to the coast on the Mediterranean. Is Cinque Terre worth the drive?
Where are you flying in/out of? Plans for transportation in country? Train?
We've done all those locations several times. With air time, "parents", etc. I feel like that's too ambitious and you're trying to squeeze a lot in. Not that you can't but you'll end up feeling rushed. You could spend a month in Italy and not come close to seeing and doing what you'd want to see and do.
I'm not personally a fan of Venice and would lop that off the itinerary as noted. Way too touristy for me, adds some additional travel time. Just not for me. Others might differ.
Florence is like one of the greatest places to visit on earth! Math won't add up exactly, but I would say at least base in Florence for a week. We stayed in the Florence View Apartments.Took day trips over to Sienna. Did some wine tours in the Tuscany Region. So much to do beyond visiting amazing Florence.
Didn't stay here, but learned about it later: Stay in a Country Villa In Tuscany?
Later took a train down to Orvieto on the way to Rome. Amazing medieval city on top of a mountain. As noted, it's well worth 1-2 days there.
Rome is no doubt amazing. 3 days minimum to scratch the surface. As in Florence and the Uffizi Gallery, make sure you buy tickets in advance to avoid the crowds. What to know.
Posted on 6/7/21 at 9:25 am to Magician2
Just curious as to when you're going and what requirements are. Our daughter was supposed to study abroad this summer but the school canceled and is saying that hopefully they'll be able to go next summer between spring/summer semesters.
Posted on 6/7/21 at 11:57 am to Musashi
quote:
Siena
Do 1 day in Rome and more here. Rome is dirty and overcrowded but the historical sites are cool.
Posted on 6/7/21 at 9:49 pm to Magician2
Posted on 6/8/21 at 11:13 am to Magician2
My wife and I did a Europe trip last year (right before COVID), and spent two full days in Florence and three in Venice. Wish we had flipped it. Loved Florence and felt like we were busy the whole time we were there. Wish we had gone at a time to spend a day in Tuscany, but went at an off time of year. Wish I had known about Cinque Terre, because I think we would have pushed to get that in.
You can definitely see Venice in a day. The one thing we did there that we enjoyed was a day tour of the three islands just off of Venice (Murano, Torcello and Burano) which was a great day.
You can definitely see Venice in a day. The one thing we did there that we enjoyed was a day tour of the three islands just off of Venice (Murano, Torcello and Burano) which was a great day.
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