Jean

Florence and its treasures have survived more recent disasters too.

The Allies bombed the city in WW2, and the retreating Germans blew up part of the Visari Corridor and most of the bridges (thankfully, not the Ponte Vecchio). The American "Monuments Men" estimated that 1/3 of medieval Florence had been destroyed in the war. More than 200 civilians were killed.

In 1966, the Arno River flooded. Citizens carried many priceless masterpieces to higher ground, but millions of art works and books were destroyed and some pieces are still undergoing restoration. Art conservators from around the world flocked to the city, and several new conservation techniques were developed. As you walk in the areas closest to the river (including the interior of Santa Croce), you can occasionally see markers on the buildings indicating the high-water mark. November 4, 2016, will be the 50th anniversary of this event.

In 1993, a car bomb exploded near the Galleria Uffizi. The Mafia claimed responsibility in retaliation for recent arrests. The museum was heavily damaged, a few art works were destroyed and many others seriously damaged. Luckily, since the bomb went off around midnight, there were few deaths and injuries.

suze

<I hope I'm not underrating Florence too much...>

Every place is interesting! Don't over-think your choices too much. Different cities appeal to some people more than others, but I have never been anywhere that was a disappointment to me.

Because you are traveling by train, not rental car (which I think is fine), it's easier to plan around places that are easy and direct to reach on the major train routes.

PalenQ

How cn one underrate Florence unless you go there? How did you come to that conclusion - that said if you like rural areas and iconic hill towns more than big cities there is also no need to even set foot in Florence.

I found florence very tiring as a first-time visitor - so much to see and do and crowds are rather suffocating in the central historic core but then like bilboburger says if you read up on the history of the place it makes it all the more enticing.

But yes there is no reason to 'have to' visit Florence - pre-conceived ideas are often IME self-fulfilling!

Follow your heart not others' admonitions of things you just have to do.

Cheers!

Erin222

Hello Wahfan-Wahfan
I am also planning our very first trip to Italy this September and have planned on touring the same 3 cities as you!
Venice is #1 on my bucket list and I have always wanted to see Florence and Rome. This is a great choice of places to visit for a trip to Italy first time around!

I booked my hotels back in January just to be on the safeside and I don't regret it as the hotels I chose in Venice, Florence and Rome are now sold out!! I used the site Booking.com and loved it!! I read about 1000 hotel reviews and narrowed it down from there!! Very user friendly and I love the option to cancel if an emergency arose last minute as well as having the option to pay when you checkout.I have emailed each of the hotels directly to ask questions and have gotten immediate responses back from all 3 hotels. Nice!! I did find the hotel in Florence for comparable hotels were cheaper than Venice (like $400 in Venice vs $160 in Florence and $300 in Rome.... I know....a tad pricey but its my trip of a lifetime!!)

We are NOT renting a car! We will be taking the fast trains between Venice and Florence, then Florence to Rome. I have looked into schedules on Italiarail but we are still too far out so have given them my email address and they will contact me when scheduling is available. Looks like the comments here are to spend a few extra euros and go first class!! Good to know!

From Florence, I have found a lovely looking tour from Walkabout Florence called "The Best of Tuscany Tour".... it just sounds like a great way to see some of Tuscany..first to Sienna, then to a Tuscan wine estate for lunch then onto San Gimignano and lastly to Pisa then back to Florence. Check it out...it is a long day but looks like there is time to nap on the way back from Pisa on the air conditioned motorcoach!!

I am not sure if your parents would be up for this...but there are amazing ruins just 30 minutes or so outside of Rome called Ostia Antica and it looks amazing. There is a train that can get you out there, I am just researching that myself but it is a must see on our list.

This forum is exceptional! heck.. I posted a question here back in December and members here encouraged me to book a private trip(meaning my husband and I) to Italy vs a tour group or company as I was a little intimidated by the whole "Europe thing! haha" and here I am, going in 4 months with my husband and I have booked every single detail of our trip myself, so ask away here....people are here to help and guide you along!! Good luck!

PalenQ

www.italiarail.com is a booking agent for www.trenitalia.com - I would check the latter too as they may have schedules sooner - right from the source so to speak. And also check www.raileurope.com in the U.S. - now has fares as low as any online from Trenitalia.com in my checks - not nearly as many but give em a check - always better dealing with a company in your home country IME if prices are similar.

That said RE does not always have low fares across the board.

whfan_whfan

Thanks again guys... I think it's best to just give Florence a chance, thank you for giving me a quick glimpse of its history... Also I'm glad that outside the touristic attractions, it's a beautiful city to wander around with some beautiful streets... I think the Venice-Florence-Rome itinerary looks the easiest for someone without a car, so I'll stick to it, and if at one point we're tired of big cities then we can take day trips to visit a smaller town or take a winery tour in the countryside...

Erin222, I wish you an amazing trip... Please comeback and share your trip report with us, I'm very interested in seeing how it all went and what your advice was... It's also very nice that you took that step into planning the trip on your own, you'll gain so much experience and you'll grow into a real traveller instead of a tourist... I'm curious also on what hotel you booked for Florence since it's the one that falls into my budget. lol Thanks and have a great trip.

annhig

Hello, whfan_whfan,

just wanted to join in to say how sensible you are to plan ahead and to be limiting yourselves to three places in 2 weeks. Even so, you will find that there is loads to do in all of them - far more than you can think.

as for avoiding the crowds, yes the Rialto is crowded at Easter, [not that I'm suggesting that you go then, the beginning of May would be a much better idea] but if you walk only 5-10 mins away from the hoards, you'll find that you can easily get away from them.

Also, there are lovely gardens in both Florence and Rome where you can breathe fresh air - there is a particularly lovely rose garden in Florence, for example, or one full of irises if it's too early for the roses.

you could perhaps start to research 3-4 bedded rooms now, to get an idea of which hotels have them, and roughly what you will need to pay. I agree that booking.com is a good place to start, or TA.

Good luck, and happy planning!

Erin222

Hello again Wafan-Wafan
Thanks for the reply back!
Yes, we are thrilled to be finally going to Italy!!
the hotel that I chose in Florence is:

Hotel Rapallo
Via Santa Caterina d'Alessandria 7, Fortezza da Basso, 50129 Florence, Italy

It is a cute boutique hotel and I chose it mainly because of its central location, 10 min. from the Duomo, easily accessible to the train station (just over 10 min. walk), clean rooms as well as it has an amazing breakfast offered daily and I am a huge breakfast girl!! then we can get on with the day and not waste time. This hotel received a score of 9 (superb) on booking.com and I like a nice hotel!! Check it out! Honestly, if you go on Booking, you can find a dozen places that fit your needs but at some point you just need to decide and hope for the best.

I did pop on the site and it is sold out for our dates now but you are not booking for some time so no worries. In fact, a lot of hotels will not even be taking bookings this far out. Gives you lots of time for researching them all!

Have you looked into your flights yet? I also booked my flights 9 months out which gave us great options for flights out of Canada.(I think my agent called it the polar route which cuts travel down by a few hrs rather than flying out of another Canadian city with long layovers. The quicker, the better in my eyes!

I guess your main priority are your parents and what would work best for them!

milind

I see that you have not included Amalfi Coast in your Italy itinerary. Why dont you include Amalfi Coast. You can stay in Sorrento and do the Amalfi Coast.

PalenQ

Indeed the world-famous Amalfi Coast buses ply the sinuous cliff-side road constantly from Sorrento to Positano and Amalfi, about as far on a day trip as you'd care to go.

Mimar

Here I was thinking you wisely limited your number of destinations, especially if your parents tire more easily. It's very tempting to add more destinations; you read about this really great place or somebody tells you you must go to that fabulous place. They're so close, and who knows when you'll get back. But strict discipline in keeping to your itinerary will lead to a better, more enjoyable trip.

PalenQ

Less can indeed by more!

bvlenci

I wouldn't add the Amalfi coast to this trip, especially if your parents are older and tire easily. A lot of moving around and changing hotels is always tiring. And the Amalfi coast really isn't easy to get to.

suze

<I think the Venice-Florence-Rome itinerary looks the easiest for someone without a car, so I'll stick to it>

It is, please trust us all on this one. Enjoy!!!

whfan_whfan

Thanks guys... Yes I'll definitely stick to Venice-Florence-Rome. Of course I think the Amalfi Coast area looks amazing, as well as the north lakes Como, Garda, etc. too, but I can't visit all of Italy in one trip. I think just by looking at the map, it looks like Venice-Florence-Rome are well connected and not too far from each others (on an easy straight line). They also have a lot of public transportation and a lot of day trip options. I think sticking to these main cities will also probably be easiest in terms of people speaking English as they are touristy.

Erin, thank you for the hotel name, the reviews are amazing I'm sure that you are gonna love it. I haven't booked the planes yet, but I plan to have everything booked by the end of the year (plane, hotels, etc.). For now, I find it fun to make research and dream I hope when you return, you'll share some tips and your experience, and I hope you have the most amazing trip

Erin222

Hi again WF!
you know.... you are right.... half of the fun is planning!!
I have spent hours and hours researching the cities we will be travelling to and it is very exciting!

Seeing as this is my first trip, I would love to see it all but that is impossible so that is why I stuck to those 3 cities... and yes, they seem to be easy to get to from the next!

Did you happen to find an apartment or hotel that can accommodate all of your family? are they harder to find?
Have a great day!

danon

We returned from Venice two days ago. (Visited Florence
in early May a few years ago.)
Both cities are very crowded and not easy to navigate.

The ( fast) train we took from Venice to Padua ( just a day trip) was packed
with those continuing to Florence or Rome or...
Piles of luggage everywhere.

I realize it is not possible for some people, but traveling light would be my advice for those taking trains (and vaporettos.)

LeslieC

Glad to see you did not skip Florence. Do hope you will consider reversing the order so you arrive in Rome and end in Venice. I cannot say enough about the thrill of arriving into Venice by train rather than plane.

I don't think you need more than 3 days in Venice nor more than 3- 4 in Florence (except if you want to use a couple for day trips to Siena, or other Tuscan towns. 5 days in Rome is bare minimum. If you do want one other place to overnight without going out of your way much nor renting a car, consider Orvieto (easy train ride from either Rome or Florence). It is very special starting with the Funiculare to get you uphill to the amazing Cathedral there. It is a smaller town but not a village by any means.

And yes, do book your rooms well in advance if you are a group of 3 - 4 on a budget so you can secure "family" rooms. They are not plentiful. Both www.booking.comn and www.venere.com have map views that are very helpful. For me, the rule is always stay near the historic center and never near the train station. I have no strong opinions like others about 1st class vs. second class trains as I always take 2nd. I also go for 3 - 4 star hotels/inns/B&B, but I never compromise on location. On my first trip to Europe about 30 years ago we took a cheap tour that put us in "Paris" hotel in the suburbs, a "Venice" hotel in Mestre, and a Rome hotel near the Termini. Never again!

whfan_whfan

Erin, I haven't booked anything yet... For my parents, this is way too early they don't want to book 1 year in advance, but I definitely will have everything booked (plane and hotels) by the end of the year. I also don't know if someone wants to come along, so although I've been looking for hotel options, it's more for fun at this point and to see what options are out there. I will eventually know the exact dates and exact amount of people to see what would work best (1 family hotel room, several hotel rooms, apartment, etc.). But at this point I'm definitely bringing my parents to Italy next year, so we will be at least 3. Maybe my brother, or my aunt, or a cousin, basically anyone interested wants to come along. We'll see...

Danon, wow it was that bad? I see that you went in may for both Florence and Venice, I guess your comment prepares me for huge crowds... Why do you say the cities are not easy to navigate? As for the trains, maybe 1st class might be the better option for more room, as many suggested? I personally don't mind these details, but I don't want my parents to be crammed up in a train with barely space to squeeze their luggage... I will definitely try to travel as light as possible with small luggage. It's a little discouraging though to read about the crowds, I hope it won't be that bad.

Leslie, I will definitely pick hotels near the attractions... However one interesting hotel in Venice that I found is Hotel Abbazia, it's near the train station but in a quiet inside street. The reviews are great and I thought it would be easy to just walk from the train station to the hotel, or coming from the airport by bus, or taking a vapporetto... Why would this represent a negative thing for you? Also I will definitely consider arriving in Rome and leaving from Venice, it's really gonna depend on the available dates, flight schedules and prices... Orvieto is one of the places I was considering for a day trip from Rome, I don't think I'll have an overnight at a 4th base, but who knows... If I were by myself or not with older people such as my parents, I wouldn't have minded at all... But considering my parents will be there, I'm going to keep it as simple as possible...

sandralist

whfan_whfan.

3 or 4 adults traveling together usually do better with 2 bathrooms rather than one. B&Bs in all 3 cities you are going to are excellent choices for modestly priced rooms. Some even have elevators if you need them. But if you think you need elevators, then also be aware that most train stations require using stairs, carrying your own luggage, to get to the platforms. It is a great incentive to pack light, but if anybody in your group really can't handle their own luggage, all the time, you might need to rethink your trip. If they can handle luggage in the train stations, then they should be able to handle luggage in a B&B without an elevator.

One strategy for avoiding overcrowded trains on popular routes is to travel during the lunch hours. That way you can take advantage of lower-priced 2nd seating bargains, booked in advance. Another tip can be to choose seats when booking in advance at the very front or the very end of the car. Usually there is a place to put luggage there, and even if there isn't and the train is crowded, you don't have to battle your way through the car to get to your seat.

For all the cities you choose to visit, it is not a bad idea to have researched back-up options for day trips in case you don't "click" with the city you've chosen, and also to have rainy day options, especially since you'll be traveling in springtime.

If you want to see small town life or the countryside outside of Florence, neither Fiesole or Siena really gives you much of that experience. They have interesting historical sights, but they are really small cities. So you might want to dig around and look for different options if what you really hope to include is scenery and small towns.

There are very few streets in Rome, Florence and even Venice without one or two simple cafes where anybody can sit outside and have a drink and a cigarette. You really don't need a rooftop terrace or private garden. Your father can just walk out the door of most hotels/B&Bs and find someplace interesting and welcoming just a few steps away.

Have a great trip!