Tania_Jeremy

So I booked to Alloro B&B for Florence. I am having a hard time with Rome though... what part is best to stay in? I found this hotel Hotel La Fenice it looks nice and it's by the trevi fountain... i'm not sure how the pricing in Rome works but I think it looks to be in a good area, is a decent hotel and worth the price?
http://en.venere.com/hotels_rome/fon...e.html#reviews
I am also having a big problem with Venice because i assume to place to stay is in San Marco, but there are so many places and i can't decide which one!

bfrac

For me, San Marco is the place not to stay. It is much busier and more crowded than the other sestiere. Venice is not very big so wherever you stay it is walkable. When you get tired just hop on a vaporetto to take you to the closest stop to where you want to be.

I personally like staying in Santa Croce or San Polo, but just find yourself a place you like at a price you are comfortable with and don't worry about location.

ellenem

For me, San Marco is the last place I would stay. I prefer Dorsoduro, or San Polo/Santa Croce. Zeppole's suggested to NOT stay near San Marco but rather near the train station had everything to do with the November high water. The San Marco end of Venice is lowest and therefore most often flooded. We were in Venice at the end of November last year for five days and the San Marco area was flooded almost every day. My Venice favorite:

Hotel Al Ponte Mocenigo

http://www.alpontemocenigo.com/en/index.htm

Juliea

Venice is absolute MAGIC!!!!!
Try Residenza Canareggio on Expedia - its a 4 star that often has v good offers & in the part of Venice where Venetians actually live!!
Go to island of Burano - all pretty coloured houses & lace.
Buy a 3 day vaporetto(boat) ticket at the airport & you can go everywhere with it.
In fact, if you need a human guide??

Tania_Jeremy

Thanks so much for all the responses!! I made a few reservations at hotels which include:

Rome - La Fenice Hotel
Florence - Alloro B&B
Venice - Hotel Al Ponte Moneago (thanks Cathie)

Any news on these hotels? I chose them since they seem to be the best deal for what they are per Trip Advisor and Venere and from what I read are rather decent.

So now that I have the flights and hotels i'm trying to figure out how to plan my itinerary! We now have 9 nights (arriving on a Sunday and departing 3pm on Tuesday). I know everyone is saying Pisa is not worth the trip, but my husband is convinced it's a staple for a trip to Italy! Should we maybe rent a car from Rome and stop there on our way to Florence? so that at least we wouldn't waste an entire day on a daytrip?

Help please!!

ellenem

You can easily visit Pisa in a morning from Florence. And Pisa isn't really on the way from Rome to Florence--check a map. I'd rather wait and decide if I wanted to take the time to visit once I got to Florence.

WebVisionItaly

Tania,

Pisa -- Do not rent car from Rome. Take train Rome to Florence, and then one day take an early morning train from Florence out to Pisa. The car is not only unnecessary, it is a hassle, especially in Florence! This advice will help you and your husband make it to your second anniversary ;-)

You can take the local train from Rome to Florence which will save you a lot of money. Again, take an early train from Rome to Florence.

Want to learn to buy a train ticket in Italy, click here:

http://www.webvisionitaly.com/catego...p;ref_item=375

Buying a train ticket with the electronic machine will save you hours and hours in line. Remember, Florence in Italian is Firenze. Venice = Venezia. With that knowledge you will be all set!

Tania_Jeremy

Thanks Ellen! Also thanks for your Hotel Al Ponte Mocenigo recommendation! It got such great reviews and was even named the best hidden gem in Venice by tripadvisors! That definitely made my mind up!

ellenem

I love Al Ponte Mocenigo--two visits so far. And pretty reasonable for central Venice.

dcd

TJ, I think your trip is very doable and that you'll have plenty of time in each location to capture its essence.

Here's our report from a similar trip: http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34596100

I'm sure by doing a search here, you'll find other reports as your itinerary is a very popular one. Have a great trip!!

Tania_Jeremy

I'm starting to reconsider my Rome hotel selection. I heard the most central location for sightseeing would be to stay in the Trevi area, which is why i chose Hotel La Fenice the one I made reservations for already. However now i'm hearing differently that I should stay by Termini in order to avoid paying taxi fare as well as convenience of getting to and from the train station....
Any suggestions??

ellenem

I prefer the location you already have. The area around Termini is charmless. If you stay near Termini, you will probably pay every time you head out. From your location near the Trevi, you can walk to most sights.

Vttraveler

Another vote for staying in the more central location you have initially chosen for your time in Rome. You really won't be far from the train station when you arrive and leave. As ellenm says, it is really nice to stay somewhere in easy walking distance of many of the major sights.

kfusto

Another vote for NOT staying near the charmless Termini. There are so many nicer areas of Rome and Termini is only convenient when getting on or off a train, not for relishing the many joys of Roman life.

Tania_Jeremy

Ok great! Thanks so much everyone phew now I feel better.
So now that I have my days and hotels sorted, I just need to decide what arrangements I need to make in advance for museums, transportation etc.

Day 1: Arrive in Rome
Day 2: Rome - Ancient Rome, Pantheon, Campo de'fiori, Jewish ghetto, piazza navona
Day 3: Rome - Vatican museums, St. Peter's Basilica, Castel Sant'Angelo
Day 4: Rome - Santa Ceillia, Piazza Sanata Marie in Trastevere etc, Piazza del Popolo, Spanish steps
Day 5: Morning travel to Florence - Pitti Palace and Boboli Gardens, and the artisan's quarter
Day 6: Florence - Uffizi, Galleria dell’Accademia
Day 7: Florence – half day trip to Pisa
Day 8: Morning travel to Venice - Murano, Santa Maria e Donato
Day 9: Venice - St. Mark's Square, Basilica, and Doge’s Palace
Day 10: Depart Venice

Would I need a reservation for these things in November? If so, how far in advance and where can I make them? Also, what is the Scavi tour that I have heard so much about?

ellenem

You might like having a reservation for your two museums in Florence on Day 6, but it might not be necessary. You can ask your hotel to make the reservations for you.

The Scavi tour is the tour of the excavations underneath St Peter's. This requires a reservation through the Vatican offices.

ayemccarty

Wow, that's serendipity for you! My husband and I (also 23 and 24) are planning our anniversary trip to Rome, Florence and Venice in November! We'll be there for two weeks and we're starting in Rome.

Tania_Jeremy

Wow ayemccarty! Where are you flying from and how are you breaking up days? Hotels? etc!

cathies

Hi Tania,

If you haven't already booked, this hotel in Venice is lovely and may suit your budget a bit better than Laconda Orseolo. It was a 30 second walk to a vaporeto and we were really well looked after.

Hotel Al Ponte Mocenigo www.alpontemocenigo.com

When you go to Accademia in Firenze to see David (and you will, I saw it's on your list), then go late in the afternoon - about 5pm, it's open until nearly 7pm and although other posters may disagree, you will only need about an hour to do it justice. We did this on a Sunday in May and only had to queue for about 5 minutes. The queues at other times of the day are horrendous - 45 minutes or more.

If you are coffee drinkers then make sure you find time each day to have a coffee, stand at the bar (don't sit down - so uncool) and sample their tiny pastries. I don't know the name, but they looked a bit like a tiny hedgehog - so yummy! Two coffees and two pastries set us back less than 4 euros and we loved the experience.

Not sure why you want to go to Pisa, but I would choose Siena or San Gimignano over Pisa any time. Perhaps reconsider just this one thing. Your trip looks good now!!

ayemccarty

We'll be there for fifteen days, starting in Rome, Pompeii, An undecided daytrip, then Florence and of course Venice. My husband is doing the bulk of the planning because it was supposed to be a surprise trip (oops), but its driving me crazy not to do it all. The tentative plan is:
Arrive
3 Days in Rome
Pompeii
A day in Viterbo/Subiaco/Palestrina or somewhere else
4 Days in Florence
3 Days in Venice
A day to get back to Rome and leave

Oh, and we're coming from Guam so that's a REALLY long flight to Italy!