Hello and thank you to all the people who replied to my post about Ready to Book. Your suggestions were very helpful and I researched every one of the hotels suggested...so many great places to stay!

Here's what DH & I have settled on:
Fly into Venice, arrive 9:00 a.m. (For some reason, this ticket was about $300 cheaper than any other city in Italy a couple of nights ago, so I jumped on it.) Take train to Florence, hopefully arriving early afternoon.

Day 1 and 2: Florence, staying at Relais Cavalcanti: we stayed there before & enjoyed it

Day 3 (Sunday): leisurely drive to San Quirico with time to stop if we want. Stay at Palazzo del Capitano.

Day 4: who knows? Stay at Palazzo again

Day 5: Drive up to Siena. Tour Siena, then drive to San Gimignano. Stay in San G at La Cisterna.

Day 6: Tour & enjoy San G; stay at La Cisterna again.

Day 7: Drive back to Florence. Maybe stop at Fiesole for lunch overlooking the city? Stay at Relais again.

Days 8 & 9: Florence

Day 10: Train to Venice. Stay at Hotel Flora (unless someone knows of another hotel close to Piazza San Marco that is charming and less than 150E/nt: would love to find one!)

Days 11-13: Venice

Day 14: fly out at 11:35 a.m. (I was delighted not to have to leave at 4:50 a.m.!)

This sounds like heaven to me, but I still will need to do a lot of research to do this trip justice! I've already applied for my Capitol One card, so I won't get burned again on foreign currency conversion fees (thanks to all the posts on fodors!)

So, any suggestions would be most appreciated, and thanks for all of your help so far.

Not bad, but you need to pin down the details on your car pick up and drop in Florence. Do not try to drive to Fiesole thru town---drop the car first and take # 7 bus later that day. Have fun !

...anyone?

I'd avoid staying near Piazza San Marco in Venice. Venice gets lots of visitors, especially during the day, and the Piazza and the Rialto are the most crowded areas. Our last trip we stayed in the Dorsoduro, which was perfect. Close enough to easily walk to all the sights, a little ways away from the crowds. The vaporettos along the Grand Canal were Tokyo-subway crowded; we switched to those along the Zattere.

Thanks for the tip, Bob.

Mimar,
We have stayed at the Hotel Flora before, and like the nearness to San Marco because we love to sit in the piazza at night and listen to the quartets. Then we just have a fairly short walk back to the hotel.

But, after reading some other posts on this forum I did contact the Pensione Accademia in the Dorsoduro. It looks beautiful on the website. Does anyone know if it's a long walk at night from San Marco? I don't think we'd want to walk through any narrow dark alleys.

Any help greatly appreciated, as I need to confirm reservations today!

We also stayed at the Relais Cavalcanti in Florence, and love its charm.

In Venice, we stayed at a simple one-star hotel called the Hotel Riva, at the confluence of two small canals. It's a good value and very clean and charming. We had room #1, which is on the corner, with the two canals directly below (note there's no elevator). It was perfect. Not too close to the madding crowd! http://www.hotelriva.it/

Also, we considered the Casa Rezzonico, Dorsoduro, Fondamenta Gherardini 2813, www.casarezzonico.it. It is in a quiet, out-of-the-way location, near a small campo, close to the Accademia. It has an attractive garden area in the center, which some rooms overlook, and where breakfast buffet is served. A good budget choice, also.
>-

This place is the other side of San Marco, behind the Danieli.

http://www.hotelalleon.com/default.asp?lang=en

It overlooks a small piazza and gets missed by most tourists. It's really friendly, very convenient and the rooms are a good size. I've stayed at its annex, and my friends have enjoyed staying at Al Leon itself.

http://www.hotelalleon.com/default.asp?lang=en

The Accademia is in another, higher, league. To me, it's the ultimate charming Venice hotel. I've never experienced any problems walking between Accademia and San Marco at night, but you can always take a vaporetto if you don't want to walk.

Thanks, Londonres,

I have started a new post more specific to this topic, hoping to get more advice...

I appreciate your suggestions. The Al Leon sounds nice. I'll definitely check it out.

I agree that the Pensione looks beautiful, and I'd love to stay there (especially if I'm saving 20E/nt).

Thanks again for your help.

I think that I would try the Accademia. It would be a change, you get a lovely terrace for breakfast and there are two gardens to relax in. The room might not be the best in the hotel, but it will be better than a single and you are only going to sleep in it. I recall that the canals were not close to the building, as it is set back in gardens.

Personally, we try to stay as close to St Marks as possible so we'll be there first thing in the morning & last thing in the evening - when it is the least crowded. We also love listening to the orchastras playing in the evening. We also try to avoid the streets between St Marks & Rialto Bridge between 9:30am & 6:00pm - again, to avoid crowds. We've stayed at the Flora, and it seemed very quiet (small rooms, however).

I'm sure you already know you need to cross the Grand Canal to get from Dorsoduro to St Marks.

If you'll be staying in San G 2 evenings, I don't think you will want to spend an entire day there also. I would visit Volterra on Day 6, and then perhaps drive through Chianti a bit.

Stu Dudley

Thanks Stu,

I think I remember the Accademia area; is there a large wooden bridge that you cross? It seemed a little far from the excitement of San Marco. San Marco at night is so beautiful, and I know we'll want to be there every night. We could take the vaporetto to the Pensione, but I love the convenience of being right near San Marco.

I was wondering if that might be too long in San G. Have you ever stayed there at night? Is there anything going on then?

I'll read up on the Volterra and Chianti. Thanks again!

Is the Accademia less than 150E/night?
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I love staying IN San Gimignano. The day-trip crowds leave, and at night time it's quiet and peaceful. It's wonderful to sit in the Piazza della Cisterna with a glass of wine or a fabulous gelato in the evening. Actually, it's pretty great any time of day.

There's a path that runs around the outside of the walls encircling San G.; I've run it early in the mornings, and the views are magnificent.

I agree, though, that you don't need to devote an entire day to tour through San Gimignano.

Lexma,

Thanks for the info about staying in San Gimignano and the Piazza della Cisterna. It sounds lovely.

Have you stayed at La Cisterna? Do you think we should take the room with the balcony, or is it so nice in the Piazza that we'd prefer to sit there at night?

We've stayed at the Cisterna 3 times - excellent location. Some rooms have views over the Cisterna square, and some over the countryside. Their "main/more atmospheric" dining room is quite nice - if it isn't completly booked by a large tour group. They have an "other" dining room that isn't quite as nice. I would call them and ask if the "main/atmospheric" room is available and not inundated by a large (usually noisy) tour group - and book whatever night that's available. I think we've only dined in the main room 1 time - the other nights the tour groups had the entre room - or a large portion of it.

San G is magical at night. Usually there are a few street musicians playing around - they're both talented & comical. At dusk, we usually take a bottle of wine (Vernachio de San Gimignano, naturally) & glasses to one of the corners of the medieval wall that looks out over the countryside & over the fillage - and polish off the bottle. This seeems to be a popular thing - many others were doing the same.

Stu Dudley

I think you need the balcony AND the piazza. Why not? You only live once.

We had wine and salads at a wine bar, overlooking the hills. It was called Enoteca di Vinorum, Pza Cisterna 30. in San Gimignano.

The town does get a bit hectic during the day, and I wish we'd been able to stay into the evening when its true charm must emerge. But the buses stop running, and we had to return to Florence. One night and morning there would be good.
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Stu-That's what I was hoping to hear-Vernaccia is our favorite wine!

Thanks to you both for the tips on restaurants, too--we'll know to avoid the tour group night at the hotel.

Do you think that 2 nights is too long to stay there? Is there basically the one square that has things going on?

Would we be better off staying an extra day at the Palazzo del Capitano in San Quirico?

There are several interesting streets in San G - not just the square. It's really a wonderful town to wander through at night with the towers all lit up.

You could do 1 night or 2 - we've always just done 1.

For a 1 nighter, visit Siena in the morning, have lunch there, and then around 4-5pm head over to San Gimignano - getting there around 5-6. Next morning, visit San G some more, then just before lunch, head over to Volterra & have lunch there. Visit Volterra (remember shops are closed till around 3pm or later) and around 5pm head back to San Quirico (1 1/2 hr drive).

For a 2 nighter, after Volterra return to San G. Early next morning take the driving route of Chianti that's in the Michelin Green Guide to Tuscany.

If this was my trip, On Sunday, I would just get to San Quirico without the leisurly drive - unless it's the Chianti drive. If you do the Chianti drive then, just stay in San G 1 night.

BTW - we've visited San Gimignano & Volterra twice as day-trips from San Quirico in off season.

The Val d'Orcia is my favorite countryside spot in Italy - I would want to spend as much time there as possible.

Do you have my 20 page Italy/Tuscany itinerary???

Stu Dudley

Stu,
Thank you! I found out about San Quirico from one of your other posts. I don't have your guide; how do I get it?

From the map in my guide book, it looks like quite a distance between San Quirico and San Gimignano, so I was thinking to do the southernmost areas first and then do the northern areas before going on to Florence.

If I tack on an extra day in San Quirico, we could just do one night in San Gimignano and then go to Florence after Volterra.

My thoughts were that, since nothing is open in Italy on Sunday it would be a good day to make a long drive. Would Sunday be a good day for the Chianti road?

If we went directly to San Quirico, what would you recommend for that day in San Quirico?

...or should I just get your guide?

Shops will be open in Pienza on Sunday (next town east of San Q). Sant Antimo abbey will also be open after mass. The fantastic countryside in the Val d'Orcia will be open. Really - you'll have plenty to do on a Sunday in the Val d'Orcia/San Quirico area.

Chianti is mostly a scenery drive.

e-mail me at [email protected] for a copy of my itinrary. It has several scenic driving routes you can do from San Quirico.

I determine driving times here
www.viamichelin.com
I usually add about 15% to their estimates.

Stu Dudley