Hi all,

I appreciate all the great advice given on this thead. Here is our current plan for 9 nights in Italy with 7 healthy, active adults. We like a mix of culture / art / city / countryside / shopping / people watching, and we love to eat good food.

Fly into Milan on Wed 8/17/05 @11:00 am, rent a van, leave for Verona -

Verona (Arrive mid-day Wed, leave mid-day Thur)
Venice (Arrive mid-day Thur)
Venice (Friday - Leave Sat mid-day)
Florence (Saturday - arrive mid-day)
Florence (Sunday)
Florence (Monday - Leave Tues Morning)
Siena (Tuesday arrive mid-day, Leave Wed morning)
pass through San Gimignano
Coast??? - (Wednesday arrive in evening and spend the night somewhere nice, leave Thur)
La Spezia - (Thursday arrive mid-day - eat, drink and be happy, leave very early Friday morning to Milan Airport).

Questions:
Should we take a train to Verona and Venice, then rent the car (how often do the trains run)?

Does anyone have great hotel suggestions - we like really nice 4 or 5-star places that are unique.

Can Siena and San Gimignano be a day trip from Florence?

Is San Gimignano worth the special stop?

Can you recommend a beautiful coastal town between Livono and La Spezia where we should spend Wednesday evening? Or should we just continue all the way to La Spezia?

Thanks for helping - Bob

To answer a couple of your questions:

the rail journey from Milan to Verona takes about 1 1/2 hours depending on the type train you take. You can check schedules at www.trenitalia.com
Trains are frequent; they are also frequent to and from Venice.

In terms of the car/van rental..you could probably get aw ay with waiting to rent until after you leave Florence; the trip from Florence to Siena by either rail or bus takes about an hour and a half.

If you are using the van simply to get from one place to another you can train to Verona, to Venice, to Florence and not have to worry about parking, etc., much less the traffic in some places such as Florence.

Am sure others will comment further.

We loved Pensione Accademia in Venice. A lovely B&B hotel on a smaller canal just off the Grand Canal. Ask for a room with a view of the peaceful garden. Nice breakfast too.

Intrepid1 & Melissa5 - Thanks for the feedback. I think the idea of taking the train all the way to Florence and then renting a van upon depature is a great idea. I checked the website and there are plently of trains scheduled. Since we will not need the van in Venice, I would imagine the cost of the train will also be less.

Hi rj,

The major museums and other sights are closed on Monday in Florence.