Help with Florence area lodging
May 29th, 2005, 04:10 PM
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Help with Florence area lodging
For our 5-night base near Florence, I am working with a very good travel agent. Our first lodging choice, Villa D'Olmo, was unfortunately booked before we could get reservations. She now has us booked in Villa il Colle, which looks charming. But it also looks rather remote and austere. I am travelling with my 17 year old daughter and my mother. I was looking forward to the Villa D'Olmo because it is a fairly large property, and it looked like it would have more to interest my daughter. Does anyone have suggestions for lodging within bus distance of Florence that I can investigate further? I am also planning day trips from this base to Chianti on one day, and San Gimi and Volterra on another day. THank you for any ideas and suggestions.
May 30th, 2005, 08:11 AM
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Hi Pendrake,
See if you find anything of interest at this site: http://www.initaly.com/agri/accom/tuscany.htm
They have many different types of accommodations, and after much searching, I found what I was looking for here.
Out trip is not for several months, so we are not there yet, but my correspondence with them thus far has been fantastic. They are actually based in California.
I hope you find what you are looking for!
I will check back to see if you have any other questions.
My best, T.
See if you find anything of interest at this site: http://www.initaly.com/agri/accom/tuscany.htm
They have many different types of accommodations, and after much searching, I found what I was looking for here.
Out trip is not for several months, so we are not there yet, but my correspondence with them thus far has been fantastic. They are actually based in California.
I hope you find what you are looking for!
I will check back to see if you have any other questions.
My best, T.
May 30th, 2005, 10:01 AM
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Pendrake, there is certainly plenty to do for all ages in Florence itself! I would forget about staying out of town and stay in town. Lots of good hotels within walking distance of many sites.
We stayed at the Hotel Silla, a comfortable moderate hotel just south of the Arno river near the Ponte alle Grazie bridge. It is family-run with an excellent staff at the front desk. Not fancy, but comfortable. Breakfast included. Our nice double room was around 160 euros. Had a triple room for our 22-year-old son and 2 teen daughters.
We were within walking distance of the Boboli gardens which maybe your mother would enjoy. Just across the bridge, walking distance, was the Uffizzi gallery which is a "Must see". You can have your hotel make advance reservations for certain museums. (Hotel Silla did this for us most graciously and e-mailed us our reservation numbers.) Also walked to the Duomo. Walked to many restaurants.
A bit further, but also walkable, depending on what shape your mother is in, is the Accademia with Michelangelo's famous David. You can also get a bus to the Accademia if your mother doesn't want to walk.
If you stay in florence your daughter will never run out of things to do. There is shopping in florence too. Stay anywhwere in Florence not too far from the Arno river, north or south side, near the Ponte alle Grazie bridge or else near the Ponte Vecchio. (The Ponte Vecchio is one bridge down from the Ponte alle Grazie)
One advantage of the Hotel Silla is that it is in a quieter neighborhood yet still walkable to main sites. It is much noiser on the north side of the Arno river, with noisy traffic.
With a 17-year-old, I would NOT stay in an isolated villa. I agree with you. An isolated villa is better for a couple seeking romance or privacy, or for anyone seeking peace and privacy. 17-year-olds like to be in the middle of things!
My teens (and others I know) often prefer Rome and Venice over Florence. In order to make Florence more enjoyable for your teen, try to involve her in planning. E-mail her some good web-sites with photos. Have her ask questions on fodors. Get her a copy of "Mona Winks" at your local web-site or from Rick Steves web-site. It's an entertaining guide to the museums of Europe including the ones in Florence. You can xerox the pages you need out of the book and take them with you in the museum if you don't care to carry the whole book. Good for all ages and covers the museum highlights but doesn't cover every single painting.
Also my teens loved the family-run restaurants with atmosphere in Rick Steves guidebook to Italy (he also has separate guidebooks to Rome and Florence, etc.)
Fodors is a good guidebook to use for the star ratings of attractions, so you can figure out what you want to see.
Have fun!
We stayed at the Hotel Silla, a comfortable moderate hotel just south of the Arno river near the Ponte alle Grazie bridge. It is family-run with an excellent staff at the front desk. Not fancy, but comfortable. Breakfast included. Our nice double room was around 160 euros. Had a triple room for our 22-year-old son and 2 teen daughters.
We were within walking distance of the Boboli gardens which maybe your mother would enjoy. Just across the bridge, walking distance, was the Uffizzi gallery which is a "Must see". You can have your hotel make advance reservations for certain museums. (Hotel Silla did this for us most graciously and e-mailed us our reservation numbers.) Also walked to the Duomo. Walked to many restaurants.
A bit further, but also walkable, depending on what shape your mother is in, is the Accademia with Michelangelo's famous David. You can also get a bus to the Accademia if your mother doesn't want to walk.
If you stay in florence your daughter will never run out of things to do. There is shopping in florence too. Stay anywhwere in Florence not too far from the Arno river, north or south side, near the Ponte alle Grazie bridge or else near the Ponte Vecchio. (The Ponte Vecchio is one bridge down from the Ponte alle Grazie)
One advantage of the Hotel Silla is that it is in a quieter neighborhood yet still walkable to main sites. It is much noiser on the north side of the Arno river, with noisy traffic.
With a 17-year-old, I would NOT stay in an isolated villa. I agree with you. An isolated villa is better for a couple seeking romance or privacy, or for anyone seeking peace and privacy. 17-year-olds like to be in the middle of things!
My teens (and others I know) often prefer Rome and Venice over Florence. In order to make Florence more enjoyable for your teen, try to involve her in planning. E-mail her some good web-sites with photos. Have her ask questions on fodors. Get her a copy of "Mona Winks" at your local web-site or from Rick Steves web-site. It's an entertaining guide to the museums of Europe including the ones in Florence. You can xerox the pages you need out of the book and take them with you in the museum if you don't care to carry the whole book. Good for all ages and covers the museum highlights but doesn't cover every single painting.
Also my teens loved the family-run restaurants with atmosphere in Rick Steves guidebook to Italy (he also has separate guidebooks to Rome and Florence, etc.)
Fodors is a good guidebook to use for the star ratings of attractions, so you can figure out what you want to see.
Have fun!
May 31st, 2005, 03:41 AM
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We just returned a couple of days ago and think that THE place to stay in Florence has to be The Hotel David! It is across the Arno just at the second bridge, a short 15 minute walk to Piazza del Signornia, and only 7 or 8 to St. Croce. At E130 it offered us free internet connection, afternoon wines and snacks from about 5 to 7, and the best quality room of the 4 lodgings we used in out 11 night trip.
We were very pleased witrh the small size, attentive English-speaking staff, the quiet nights out of the true city-center but close by foot or bus to everything. It even has a lovely garden area to hang out in, too. We were there for 5 nights---3 once and returned after Cinque Terre for 2 more, and trully enjoyed it immensley. We day-tripped to Lucca and Greve` as the local bus stops right in front of th hotel and deposits you at the train/bus stations 20 minutes later...
Our daughter came up from Siena one night and I think the triple ran E155. By the way having the internet access is no small thing. Not just for emailing, etc. bck home, but for checking trenitalia times, and bus times it proved invaluable.
We were very pleased witrh the small size, attentive English-speaking staff, the quiet nights out of the true city-center but close by foot or bus to everything. It even has a lovely garden area to hang out in, too. We were there for 5 nights---3 once and returned after Cinque Terre for 2 more, and trully enjoyed it immensley. We day-tripped to Lucca and Greve` as the local bus stops right in front of th hotel and deposits you at the train/bus stations 20 minutes later...
Our daughter came up from Siena one night and I think the triple ran E155. By the way having the internet access is no small thing. Not just for emailing, etc. bck home, but for checking trenitalia times, and bus times it proved invaluable.
