Carrie, how many days on the ground will you have available? It's hard to advise you if we don't know that. And when in summer will you go? (Hint: the earlier the better. It gets beastly hot in July and August.)

Also, do you love museums? Or do you want to minimize time spent in them? How many people are we talking about?

Tuscany is a big place. Have you had any thought about towns there you want to see?

We need some more details to direct you:

Who is going on this trip?
How long will you have in Italy in total?
Budget for lodging?
What are your main interests?
What month are you traveling? and last,
Have you booked flights yet?

I also find the planning so exciting!

And Florence is in Tuscany. What I think that you are saying is that you would like to visit the countryside in Tuscany, as well as Florence.

Charnees and I are on the same wavelength

Thank you so much for the reply!!

We are looking at June, though I have heard August is less crowded. We are in Orlando, Fl so we are used to heat. But like I said, probably June.

We are looking at about 10 days, ground time.

There are only 2 of us - I'm in my early 30's and he's early 40's (just to give you a better idea of who's traveling)

We aren't in love with art museums truthfully, but are interested in the historical sites and will definitely do a tour of some sort in each place.

I'm open to suggestions on Tuscany. I'm still in the research stage, and all I know is that's an area I want to explore.

We are also food & wine lovers!

Yes, the countryside of Tuscany! I'm so obviously in the beginning stages of all this LOL, so I appreciate your patience with me!!!!

No flights booked. Budget - 3 or 4 star hotels preferably. Not rich by any means, but I'm not a hostel kind of gal either ;o)

In 10 days you need to plan a max of 3 destinations, and I would allow 4 days for Rome.

Oh, my. I think you will have to pare your expectations way back with only 10days! If wine and food are your special likes, the I would suggest flying into Florence, spending two days (3 nights) and then getting a car and driving to someplace in Tuscany like Montepulciano for four days (5 nights) and then dropping the car in Orvieto and taking the train to Rome for four days (5nights). I mention Montepulciano because it is in Tuscany between Florence and Rome You won't have time for more. Be aware that moving takes at least half a day, so those four day stays are only three and a half.

I don't know if you are aware of how to book flights like this. They are called open jaw or multi-city tickets, and you need to click on the multi city box at the beginning of your Internet search for flights.

Well, much to the boyfriend's chagrin, I'm already pushing for 12 days lol.

Thanks for the tip on plane tickets. Believe it or not, I have actually traveled quiet a bit, but this is my first time planning a Europe trip, so I appreciate all the advice. The good news is that I have an entire year to put it all together and educate myself

For accomodation is Rome, you should do a search on the site by plugging in "Rome hotels". Many will pop up and you can take a look at them to figure out where in Rome you would like to stay.

With respect to Tuscany, you should take a look at a map and figure out which towns/cities you would most like to visit and base yourself accordingly.

If I were going with my husband alone (I am travelling with kids), I have no doubt that I would stay in the Val D'Orcia area, as suggested about by Charnees.

Bob has a list of Tuscany places that he likes. You can find it in this recent post asking about Tuscany:

http://www.fodors.com/community/europe/looking-for-centrally-located-town-to-spend-3-days-in-tuscany.cf

You have a long time to plan your trip so that is terrific!

As regards for June or August I would do June if you can. Better weather, less families travelling and everything in Rome will be open, as opposed to August, when a lot of restaurants that you may want to visit will close (you mentioned food + wine).

August is considered low season in Rome though, so prices will probably be lower than in June for accommodations.

Here is a place in Panzano (Chianti area) that looks fabulous. Just for a taste of the great places you are in store for:

http://fagiolari.it/

Happy researching.

And when I win the lottery (ha), this is where I may stay:
http://www.lupaia.com/accommodation-montepulciano.html

Except I am allergic to cats.

I agree with Bob: with 10 days on the ground, no more than 3 locations, and avoid one-night stays. You can create a nice Tuscany/Rome itinerary in that time, and even fly roundtrip to Rome since Tuscany and Florence are quite nearby.

Please give an actual euro/dollar budget for lodging. The star system in Italy indicates amenities and does not guarantee quality--for example, 4 star will have a conference room, but the rooms may be careworn. What features do you hope your hotel will have? An actual highest price and features you require will help us make the best suggestions for you.

Also, you may be used to heat in Orlando, but I bet you are also used to air conditioning, which is not as prevalent in Italy, and is not run at such cold temperatures. Some hotels turn the air conditioning off at night, which can come as an unfortunate surprise.

Keep working on your travel companion to increase your time from 10 to 12 days. You are going all that way so make it a great trip.

Your idea to fly into Florence and out of Rome is a good one. With 12 days, you could spend 3 in Florence, 4 in the Tuscan countryside and 5 in Rome. That should work well and allow you to get a good feel for your destinations.

I am almost certain you will get a better airfare into Rome than into Florence and you can be in Florence from Rome by rail in less than two hours.

I understand what was said about the A/C above BUT whether or not it is as "cold" as you are "used to" and most definitely whether or not it is turned off at night depends on the accommodation level you choose.

And I would definitely look into the possibility of getting a discounted hotel ( a lot of places move their excess rooms through discounters, including some of the more expensive ones).

I think you need to decide re Tuscany whether you want to stay in a city such as Florence or Siena or in a smaller place. And, will you have a car there (I assume not).

You know with ten full days you could easily do three-four in Rome, three in Florence/Tuscany, and three somewhere else such as Venice (which is one of THE most expensive cities in Europe but worth it).

Look, you're in Italy anyway and unlike in the US, you can get between cities in a short period of time by rail...I know that is an unusual concept for many Americans to grasp but it is true.

And consider flying on an open-jaw itinerary, also.

As far as hotels go, I'd like to have a/c that doesn't get turned off, either two double beds or a king, private bathroom, CLEAN, a restaurant and/or bar either in or nearby, and helpful, nice staff. Really would like to stick to $150/night as the max, if that is realistic.

I'm open to unique hotels with character rather than chains, as long as they are clean, reliable, etc. Especially in Tuscany region - I'm thinking bed and breakfast would be the way to go.

I cannot say thank you enough for all the help! I'm sure I'm coming across naive with some of this, but like I said, first time planning. Been to England and Scotland before, but someone else was in charge of all the details.

And jamierin, http://fagiolari.it/ looks fantastic, thank you!!!!!! off to go peruse the site......

Oh my dear Carrie, I'm afraid there aren't rooms with two double beds, although a king can happen, but rarely. A bar or restaurant in the hotel is a rarity, but there are always plenty of them nearby.

If your price is $150 per night, that is about 120 euro at todays very good exchange rate. No one knows what that will amount to next year.

But 120 euro is a budget hotel. Very budget. Maybe a B&B with limited staff. On the other hand, sometimes B&Bs have friendlier staffs than do hotels in Italy.

I am pretty good at budget hotels, but in Rome, I stay in apartments because that budget just isn't realistic for the comfort level I would like.

You can do Florence at that rate, although your choices might be more limited than you would think, but it can be done.

I've got some budget Venice B&Bs in my files, if you decide on Venice.

I hate to be the one to break the news on the cost and style of Italian hotels, but better to know now.

If I know now, I can plan/save a lot better. I did not think before I typed at all - what I meant is that we as a couple need two beds or a king. Two twins is fine.

I too am planning my hubby and I's first Italy trip!!! I am sooo in the same excited mode!! More so than hubby but he's a stick in the mud and I force him to travel! He loves it once we leave! Check out Fattoria Di Corsignano for a stay in Tuscany. We are staying here for 5 nights and our mid Sept rate is 100 Euros per night. I've been waiting to stay here for 3 years! I can give you thereal low down once we get back if you give me your email addy. We sound like similar travelers. Anyway have fun planning!! I am!

WE stayed in the Hotel Alimandi across from the entrance to the Vatican Museum. It has a three-star,four-star hotels and an apartment. We were in the three-star: double bed, bath, TV, AC you can control, breakfast included with room, bar, quiet neighborhood with many restaurants and necessary shops in neighborhood, friendly and helpful staff who spoke English.
highly recommend seeing the Borghese. Get reservations in early. Otherwise, it will tell you when it can accomodate you.

Carrie, the style of non-chain hotels in Europe is very different from the US. For one thing, because many are in old stone buildings, the rooms often have to conform to the old, original plans, which generally meant small rooms. And in the historic centers of cities, there are very, very few new buildings with larger rooms. Hallways and bathrooms are small, too, by our standards. Elevators, if they are available, may hold two people or one person with two bags. But these old hotels can be quite charming and intimate. Most offer a light breakfast (croissants and juice and coffee, for example.) Well worth the experience, IMO.

Another thing to consider: if you are spending 3 or more days in a place, look at apartments. You get more room and a kitchenette. But no hotel-style services. There will, of course, be plenty of little cafes and restaurants in the neighborhood. In Tuscany, look for a room or apartment in an agriturismo (farm property). Search the internet for apartments Rome or apartments Florence of agriturismo Montepulciano, etc.

Andrea - I would definitely like to know your experience with Fattoria Di Corsignano. That has become a definite possibility for us, and we have moved our expected trip date back to the Fall, so we will be traveling at similar times. You can email me directly at carrieb017@gmail.com - and anyone else can for that matter lol
Thanks -
CB

Best of luck to you Carrie and thank you to those of you who posted and helped her out. I was just reading through and picking up some pointers as I also recently posted for my wife and I's trip that literally just popped up and will be taking place first week of August of his year!!! We are so excited but the timing has us a little bit nervous. If any of you could lend insight on my post titled Italy wine country base and Amalfi recommendations I would GREATLY appreciate it!! Thanks to all!! Carrie, I will be sure to offer feedback to help you out the best I can once we return for out trip!!!

You've received some good advice here. I suggest you start reading contributors' trip reports for ideas on what locations you want to see, lodging, sights, and restaurants. Having stayed in Tuscany and Rome (separate trips), and given the chance to do it again, I would fly in/out of Rome, train up to Orvieto (Umbria) rent a car in Orvieto, stay a few nights and tour the area by car. Then drive up to Southern Tuscany (I liked staying in Pienza), and then return the car to Orvieto and train back to Rome where I would stay until I needed to go home. This might be the easiest for airfare. Think of this as your FIRST trip to Italy. Once smitten you will surely want to return. Here is my trip report from Tuscany. http://travelswithdiane.homestead.com/trip2006page13tuscany.html. And my trip report from Rome: http://www.fodors.com/community/europe/wonton-soup-the-roman-way-trip-report-for-capri-amalfi-and-rome.cfm