Hi all,
I am planning a honeymoon for my fiancee and I for September 9 - September 19, 2013 (10 days). We plan on visiting Venice (2 nights), Florence (4-5 nights), and the rest of time in Rome. I'm looking to make this trip special since, after all, it is our honeymoon. A few questions:
1. I'm considering a Tuscan villa, but what's there to do all day when you're out in the countryside? If we take day trips into the cities, is parking really that feasible?
2. Another idea was staying in Florence, renting a car (preferably a convertible), and driving down SR2 past the vineyards and countryside. Is this a feasible idea or is it difficult to rent a car from Florence?
3. Any other ideas to up the "wow" factor for a honeymoon? Any really interesting activities or hotels/apartments? Our budget for a hotel is probably max $250/night and we love to cook and LOVE wine, so any activities around those would be great.
I'm a value traveler, so I don't mind spending money if it's really worth it. Would appreciate any suggestions. Thank you!
Venice-Florence-Rome 10-Day Honeymoon Ideas
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In Florence: there are areas where you can't park a car. It's an easy city to walk. If you want to see the Uffizi Gallery, book tickets ahead of time to avoid the long lines. Tickets can be booked on line at www.uffizi.com. This site also has other Florence info.
In Venice: Hotels near the Grand Canal offer great views, but they can be noisy as activity on the canal starts quite early in the morning. Passes for public transportation (ACTV) are good to have as you pay full fare even if you go one stop.
Villa: We haven't done this but friends did it in conjunction with a cooking school that lasted a week. They loved it.
Rome: We stay at the Albergo Cesari in the Historical Center. It is between the Pantheon and Trevi fountain. Lots of restaurants nearby.
Are you flying into Venice? It's quite a long way into the main part of the city. Look into transportation from the airport. While faster, some are much more expensive than others.
Congratulations
When you arrive in Venice,you can take a water taxi from the airport to your hotel or if you find it expensive,rather than taking the train,you may prefer alilaguna.
www.alilaguna.it
I would add 1 night to Venice and subtract 1 from Florence. Venice is very romantic.
If you are considering a gondola ride, take it around dusk. The light is beautiful. Make sure you go into the smaller, back rios, not just the Grand Canal.
I would add 1 night to Venice and subtract 1 from Florence. Venice is very romantic.
If you are considering a gondola ride, take it around dusk. The light is beautiful. Make sure you go into the smaller, back rios, not just the Grand Canal.
sheilanaik,
I agree about spending an extra night in Venice. you will be tired, possibly jetlagged, and two nights give you barely more than one day to explore the whole city.
as for your florence/tuscany choice, you could have a lot of fun in that convertible, but it won't be much of an asset in cities like florence where there are traffic-free/restricted zones, and very expensive parking. if you want to do some driving, then IMO that is definitely pushing you towards staying in the countryside. you'll find plenty of ideas from people here as how to spend your time.
in Rome, i agree about staying in the centre; it might be slightly dearer but it'll more than repay the extra cost by its convenience for all the sites of Rome.
If you would layout your trip day by day it would help - I think you may not as much time as you think you do. (You can; really count the day you arrive and the day you leave.)
I would rent a villa in the countryside only if you want to relax in the countryside, rent a car and explore one hill town per day and perhaps cook at your house. Otherwise - IMHO stay in Florence, see the sights there and take a train or bus for 1 or 2 days to see a couple of towns. (Drunk driving laws are strict and driving plus relaxes dining with wine don't work well.)
IMO, two days in Venice is not enough. I'd take two or three from Florence. I truly believe you can see Florence in two days, easily. And there's no place like Venice.
Having visited Italy twenty some times in the last fifteen years, I recommend four days Venice, two in Florence and four in Rome and I'd forget the car. This is a honeymoon, why spend your time in traffic?
Also, I would assume you would do an open jaw: fly into Venice and out of Rome.
A water taxi to Venice will set you back a hundred bucks or so. Alilaguna will cost about twenty and take 45 minutes lomger.