Pete

Help us decide between these hotel choices. My wife & I are visiting Italy in November. Does anyone know when "off-season" rates begin? November 1st? We are flying into Venice, staying 3 nights, train to Florence for 2 nights, rent car & drive through Lucca to Sienna for one night, drive through some other little hill-towns then spending a night in Orvieto, finally drive to Rome drop off car, stay for 2 nights, then fly home....how does this sound for 11 days? anything we should change, add/subtract, hotel recommendations......thanks people, this site is very helpful.

gluck

Pete, with only 2 nights in Rome you will be frustrated; try to squeeze 3 at a minimum. Personally, I'd forget about driving to Siena through Lucca if you have only one night....including lucca means driving a bit out of your way, and you have better ways to spend your time. Note that 2 nights in Siena would be better, even on a quick visit. Don't worry about hotels till you get your itinerary down pat - a lot less frustrating, believe me.

Joyce

We stayed at the Bellittini in Florence a few years ago and enjoyed it tremendously. It had been listed as the Florence favorite of one of Fodors' editors. It is well located, an easy walk from the train station. Room was huge, breakfast was good, all in all, a very positive experience.

carol

Accademia if you can get a reservation; Santa Chiara rather than Teatro di Pompeo. Last time I was in Rome, I walked over to see where Teatro was, since it's gotten such good reviews. It was on a really dirty and dark little piazza which turned me off completely. I won't go there because of it, and the fact that there are so many nice and affordable places in Rome. I love Santa Chiara's location near the Piazza Santa Maria sopra Minerva, on a tiny, clean, sunny street, and understand that the rooms are larger than average, which is also a plus. I actually am planning to stay there on my next trip.

KATHY

We are also going to Venice and then spending 8 days in Tuscany and florence. After much research we chose the Accademia Pensione in Venice and the Hermitage in Florence. You may want to rethink training down to Florence and then picking up a car. Becuase Florence is pretty much unavailable on Sundays and Mondays we are renting the car on Friday in Venice and then traveling in Tuscany through the weekend and arriving in Florence on Tuesday.

Marj

We are taking a similar trip in a couple of weeks. flying to Venice, staying at Flora for 3 nights, renting a car, spending 1 night each in florence (hotel casci) and orvieto (Palazzo Piccolomini) then drive to Rome and stay for 4 nights (staying at santa chiara). Normally Florence would require more than 1 night but we are going there to visit someone. we don't plan on doing much sightseeing there ( my kids have limited patience for art museums anyway, we'll drag them to some in Rome). These hotel choices came from a combo of books, this bulletin board and personal recommendations. Also, in our case we are a family of 4 and not all hotels can accomodate us. Anyway, I can post my experience upon returning. Enjoy planning your trip.