Just back from Rome and Florence
 

Just back from a wonderful week in Italy. We spent three days in Rome and five in Florence and wished we had rather spent the longer time in Rome. Dined at some wonderful restaurants, most reccommended on this web-site. Must say that we found Florence to be a very expensive place to eat with some places really ripping off the tourists. Anyway if anyone would like some advice on these two places let me know.

I would love to hear more about your trip! We are leaving next Weds for Italy. We haven't decided how to split the time between Florence (Tuscany area in general) and Rome. You reccommend more time in Rome, huh? Interesting. We were planning on 3 days. I would love to hear about the things you did in Florence, etc....More, more!! Any advice you have would be great...we are a young couple and are looking for fun!!!

Grazie!
Natalie

we go to FLorence in just over 3 wks! Tell me about it, did you see museums? Boboli Gardens? Best food? Thanks!

Hi Joanne,

Don't you know that you are required to provide a trip report? (%>)

I feel that you can "do" Florence in three days. My husband and I felt claustrophobic at times with the sheer number of tourists. Florence is quite a small city and is easily done on foot in three days. We spent some time seeing the churches, the Duomo, San Lorenzo, Santa Spiritu, Santa Maria Novella and Santa Croce. Around the corner from Santa Maria Novella at via Della Scalla 16 is the shop that sells the soaps, perfumes etc that are made by the monks. The products are wonderful although a little pricey. We also did a tour of the highlights of the Uffizi gallery. Very good and saves having to pre book tickets for the place. The Boboli Gardes are lovely to escape to when you want to get away from all the tourists. By far the best views of Florence are to be had from Piazzale Michelangelo, we walked up but you can catch a local bus, and Fiesole a small town North East of Florence also accessible by a local bus.

You have to have lunch at Mario's Trattoria which my husband and I stumbled on while searching for another restaurant. It is near the san Lorenzo market and is a really authentic tuscan eatery, very noisy and packed with locals. We had fillet steak and it was the tenderest fillet I have had in a long while.

The markets are very good in Florence especially for handbags, belts etc. Always rememeber the asking price is not the true price. I managed to knock about 40% off the price of a beautiful hand-bag with ease. I found the Mercato Nuovo near Piazza Signoria very good. Alsofound a wonderful shop across the Ponte Vecchio and turn right about 200 meters along called " Roberta" with wonderful handbags at reasonable prices.

On the whole we felt that Rome was more vibrant and one can escape the crowds easier. There is also so much to do in Rome that you really cannot do it justice in three days. I felt rushed and when I left knew that I should have had more time there.

One of the joys of Rome was a tour of the vatican with Scala Reale. It was a wonderful, in depth tour although quite expensive.

On the eating front, we dined at La Famigliain Via Gaeta, Termini area twice and also at Antica Taverna. Both were wonderful.

I LOVED Italy and am already planning my next trip. Plese let me know if there is anything else you would like to
know.

Here's my recommendation
for dining in Florence; tried and true last year.
RESTAURANT RECOMMENDATIONS FOR FLORENCE...


DINNERS: TRATTORIA 4 (QUATRO) LEONI, VIA VELLUTINI phone
(055 218562)
(reputed for their Florentine Steak, ask for
the terrace, www.4leoni.com)

LA VECCHIO BETTOLA (near Porta Romana, Piazza
Torquato)
(fun, casual trattoria, it's a short cab ride
from center of town)

LA BARAONDA , VIA GHIBELLINA 67
ROSSO phone (0552341171)
(near Santa Croce church)

OOPs, my smiley face turned into a strange emoticon.

I agree with spending more time in Rome than Florence. It is, after all, many times larger and with much more history. I also agree with your choice of Mario's for lunch. What an experience. Let me recommend, for all of you going to Florence, my absolute favorite restaurant in Italy: Il Ritrovo at 4A Via de' Pucci, a couple of blocks from the Duomo (virtually around the corner from Hotel Casci). You will find Rosetta most beautiful and gentle and her husband rules the kitchen. If you order bistecca Fiorentina make certain that you have enough people to eat it all.

Hi Joanne34,

I will be going to Florence/Rome this December. May I ask you the following questions?
Which hotels did you stay at in both cities?
Which tour did you take in Florence?
Where and when did you buy the train ticket to go from Florence to Rome?
Thank you,
==Mike

Joanne, is Scala Reale a tour company? Can you book tours with them in advance? I'm going to Rome with my daughters age 10 and 11, and am looking for good tour guides. Do you have a website or phone number?

Scala Reale http://www.scalareale.org. Reservations required I am sure. See if you can get a tour led by Liz for the Vatican.

Sorry to reply to you so late but have been trying to catch up with work since I got back.

Mendota, we stayed at a really cheap hotel/ pensione in Rome called Planet 29. It was very standard and fine if you want to pay little and save your money for the entertainment. It is near the Termini and very convenient. In Florence we stayed at Olgas B&B which could not be beaten for location although you have to climg 80 steps to the place. It is 30 seconds walk from Piazza Signoria so really central.

We purchased our train tickets to Florence at the termini, no problem. Second class very comfortable!

We bought tickets two days before we were planning to leave.

Tulips, yes there is an internet site for Scala reale as rick says. The tours are excellant but very in depth and might not appeal to eveyone. I founf Liz's knowledge formiddable and she was an excellant guide. We, my husband and I did feel thought that the tour was highjacked to a small extent by three academics who were more interested in their own agendas. Having said that I would love to do their other tours next time around.

Please e-mail me should you want an further info as I do not always have time to look at this web-site whichI might add is wonderful and certainly made my trip amazing. E-mail address is [email protected]

Joanne34,
I have reserved a room at the Virginia hotel. It is near the Termini train station in Rome. Did you feel that it was a safe area? I am traveling alone and would like to go out at night to the Trevi. Is this a wise decision?