mbohn99

My daughter will be studying in Florence this fall and my husband and I are visiting her end of Sept for 10 days. We plan to arrive in Venice, stay a few days then travel to Florence where we are renting an apt. My questions are: Is it better to rent a car or take the train to nearby cities?
Any suggestions for restaurants would be great. We would love to go to one first class restaurant in each city. Otherwise we are looking for local favorites. Lunch will be "pickup " on the way. Also in Florence we are expecting to take out a large group of college kids for dinner one night. suggestions of places young 20s would love would be very helpful. Suggestions of great smaller towns to visit would be appreciated as well.
Thank you for taking the time to respond!
Marlene

Peggyann

In Florence, Aqua al Due is a great place for students and their families, very busy and good food. Have a great time. Florence is filled with students who are enjoying the city, and families who visit are lucky to be a part of it all.

Lorac1127

You will have a great time. My husband, son and I visited my daughter while she was at the Sorbonne in Paris...loved every minute of it.

You really do not want to have a car in Florence but, in my opinion, a car is also the best way to see the smaller Tuscan towns. We just love driving through the countryside. One of our favorite roads is the Chiantigiana (SS 222) which meanders through Chianti country from Florence to Siena. Some of our favorite towns in this part of Tuscany are Greve, San Gimignano, Siena and Castellina,

We also stayed at an apartment in Florence a few years ago. There were plenty of cars parked on the street in our neighborhood. Before you consider driving, I would first check with the people you will be renting the apartment from and ask if parking is available. If it is, then you could rent a car for a few days for your drives through Tuscany.

However, there are trains which you could take if you wanted to go to Siena or Pisa for the day or buses which you could take to Fiesole. There are also drivers, some of whom are tour guides, who you could use to take you, let?s say, to a vineyard.

As for restaurants with a large group, I would suggest Il Latini. They have communal tables which are perfect for larger groups and the atmosphere is FUN.

We just were in Venice for the first time and just loved it. We used a book called "Chow!Venice" for our restaurant selections, and they were right on target.

jdraper

I second the recommendation of Il Latini in Florence. It would not work for a quiet dinner for two but when you have a large group it is perfect. Reasonably priced for the large portions that are served. Make reservations in advance or you will be waiting in line for a table at the second seating, especially with such a large group. We went there with a group of twenty-somethings and they loved every minute. Enjoy! Jackie

artlover

We took our daughter to a wonderful restaurant in Florence called La Giotto Club (reviewed here in Fodors). When she's back at the University in Sienna in Spring, we plan to go back there again. Not only is the food delicious, but the owner's sons are drop dead gorgeous. I'm sure your daughter would enjoy it!

And I agree about not wanting a car in Florence.

artlover

P.S. Fodors has the restaurant spelling as La Giostra...so they're probably right.

Statia

Osteria del Agnolo is another suggestion for your large group dinner, and they even have a private room for such upstairs. You can find them on the web if you do a search. They are located between the Duomo and the Church of San Lorenzo on Borgo San Lorenzo. Great food and nice atmosphere.

mbohn99

Thank you all for your replies, it was very helpful. Any suggestions for "must sees" in the Tuscany countryside would be appreciated- Most favorite vineyard, restaurant, view , town etc. We are very excited about this trip but wish we could stay longer. Our best trip so far was a home exchange with a couple from Chantilly France. we stayed in their home for 3 weeks as a base at the same time they stayed in our (Boston area). We used the agency Intervac. we hope this trip s as memorable.
Marlene

ira

Hi MB,

You can take trains from Florence to Siena, Lucca and Pisa, Bologna and Chianti.

You ought to save one night to take the no 7 bus up to Fiesole (20 min) to have an aperitif at the Bar Blu and watch the sun go down. You can also have dinner at one of the cafes on the square.

I also recommend IL Latini for the college group. (OTOH they might have their own ideas.)

For yourselves, I recommend,
Il Ritrovo
Via de? Pucci 4/A

Best food for the price Has fish. Full dinner w/wine abt 40E pp Closed Monday
From Pzza San Giovani (NW corner of the Pza del Duomo) walk one blk East to Via dei Martelli. Go left to Via dei Pucci. Turn Right. Look very carefully on left. No sign. Door could be locked. Ring bell.

mbohn99

Dear Artlover,
Thanks for the tip! My daughter read it with me and I think she might get there before us!

artlover

You're welcome. I'm sure she'll enjoy it--and you will too. (BTY, it isn't inexpensive, so she might want to wait 'til the folks are picking up the tab, or go there as a splurge.)