quinny

My new itinery looks like this;
Fri August 18-22 - Amsterdam with day trips to Haarlem and the Hague.
Wed Aug 23 - fly to Venice, stay with relatives just outside Venice
Thurs Aug 24 - Day/Night in Venice
Fri Aug 25 - Train to Florence. Stay 3 nights.
Mon Aug 28 - Hire car for 4 days around Tuscany/Umbria
Fri 1st Sept - Drop car off in Florence or Siena early and train to Rome where we spend our last 4 days/nights.
Tues 5th - Fly to Australia

How does this trip sound for a honeymoon. Are we doing too much, or too little? I value the opinions of you fodorites, so let it rip!!! I'd love your feedback.

hopscotch

If it is a hot and sunny day on Sunday and if you are beach people I recommend a day trip over to Zandvoort. Leave your top at your hotel; you won't need it in Holland.

The cozy Inn den Uiver cafe in Haarlem has live jazz on Sunday evenings. It is on the north side of the Grote Kerk (Big Church).

On the other side of the Big Church you'll find other cafes and plenty of small restaurants in the the little streets surrounding, especially on the Lange Veerstraat which becomes the Kleine Houtstraat.

The museums in Haarlem are good for a rainy day. Frans Hals and Tylers are the two best known. Get more info at the VVV Haarlem on line or at the SW corner of the train station.

If you can pedal, rent a bike. I recommend Bike City at Bloemgracht 6 in Amsterdam.

In Amsterdam my favorite area is the Spui. Meet locals after work at the Hoppe. A good lunch can be had at the Cafe Luxembourg two doors to the left. Cafe Luxembourg is also good for sidewalk people watching. Dinner is good at the Luden, maybe a hundred meters north of the Hoppe on Spuistraat.

You will have fun in Holland. Others on this forum can fill you in on Italy. I've been there many times but I don't know it as well as many other Fodorites.

quinny

Nice info hpscotch. Any help on my Italian itinery anyone? Am I spending too much time here or not enogh there? Criticisms?

WallyKringen

Looks very fine to me. Some will say that you're giving Venice short thrift, read up and figure out just which places you feel you need to see from the inside, because that means standing in line and it takes time and energy.

But if the canals and alleys and that overall look is mostly what you're after, just keep walking, avoid the main drag that is marked all the way from the station via Rialto to San Marco - find another way and you'll have a good impression of Venice in the short time you'll be there.

WK

quinny

Thanks Wally. Given our short stay in Italy, one of the bigger attractions had to be sacrificed a little. Truth be known, if my partner didn't have relatives (just outside Venice) she has never visited, I would be inclined to give the city a miss for my first visit to Italy and leave it for next time. I am aware of the dangers of doing too much in little time, which is why I have asked for the opinions of fodorites.