Paris & Tuscany - two weeks in September
 

Hi all -
I am planning a trip for this September 2013 - a week in Paris and a week in Tuscany. I'd welcome any recommendations, suggestions, cautions, etc. We (three adults) are looking to fly from Boston to Paris for the first week. I have been before, but my parents have not and suggestions are welcome - particularly if you have any recommendations on ways to visit/sightsee in the city that are not too physically taxing (due to disability). We are likely then going to fly from Paris to Rome or Florence. Has anyone flown on EasyJet or Ryan Air in Europe? We would consider the train from Paris to Florence, but again, one in our group is physically disabled and the journey by train might be too taxing for her. For the second week, my husband will join us in Italy. Any recommendations on routes for him to fly from Boston? Into Florence? Into Rome or Milan and then take the high speed train?
Thank you!
Stefanie C

You will get better advice if you reveal what kind of disability you are referring to and which week in September are you talking about. The first 3 weeks of September (which is still summer) can see some significant heat waves in Italy. One can't predict, but does the disabled person have trouble with hot weather?

It sounds to me like the best thing to do would be to fly from Paris to Florence, because Florence is flat and with more modern walkways and therefore much easier to negotiate if you have mobility issues. But like I said, knowing more about what the limitation is would be helpful to giving you good advice -- so would knowing what attracts you to Rome or Florence, and whether your budget allows for taxis and other amenities.

Hi Steve,
Thanks for your comment. My mother has Parkinson's disease, which limits her stamina, energy levels, strength, causes pain, etc. She is able to walk, and should walk as much as she can, because the exercise is good for her, but not for hours at a time or a whole day full of walking (which is one reason why we are not doing a tour; we don't want anything fast-paced or moving constantly from place to place). She needs to rest frequently and takes medication throughout the day. We are aware that we might encounter heat but we're ok with that. We are looking likely at the 2nd and 3rd weeks, though may have to do the 1st and 2nd weeks. Taxis are in the budget, yes. We are attracted to Florence as a main point to see some of Tuscany and having been to the city and the region myself, I know they will enjoy it. Though we are certainly open to recommendations of other areas of Italy over Tuscany, such as the Riviera, etc.
Thank you,
Stefanie

And you had better get busy, as most of the decent, affordable places to stay may already be fully booked!! Paris and Florence or Rome are the most popular cities in Europe, and will still be very crowded.

If you go to Rome, be prepared to take a lot of taxis, as it is very spread out. Florence is more compact so it would be easier to see the main sights. Be sure to verify that your accommodations have an elevator. Some places do not. And remember that the first floor in Europe means one floor up from ground level.

We were posting at the same time, I see. So you probably already know most of what I said.

I have only rather limited experience with Parkinson's, but my impression has been that walking on uneven surfaces can be particularly challenging, and if that is the case for your mother, then I do think Florence is the more appealing and less stressful destination.

Another possibility is whether you would be comfortable renting a car and being in the countryside. You can find beautiful places to stay that serve food in the evening, and enjoy scenic driving or visiting wineries during the day. One needs to be careful about hilltowns, but not every attractive town in Tuscany is a hilltown.

I think the Riviera is way too vertical, and it is either feast or famine at that time of year when it comes to weather. If it is sunny, it can be uncomfortably hot for most of the afternoon. If it is raining, there is little to enjoy. Plus, swimming and hiking are some of the main joys of the Riviera, and that doesn't seem to be on your agenda. What could be nice is a countryhouse stay somewhere around Lucca, especially if you all like gardens, along with a rental car so you could visit a Riviera town like Lerici for lunch, along with paying a visit to Pisa or to Florence.

But a stay in Florence -- in an apartment or a nice hotel -- for the entire time can end up giving you a lot of flexibility. Plenty to do but at the same time, easy access to down time. From Florence, it is easy to arrange one afternoon to visit wineries to go out and see the countryside.

I really disagree with the notion that most of the decent, affordable places to stay in Florence, Rome or rural Tuscany might be fully booked. There is an overload of accommodations in all these places. But I do agree you need an elevator, as you probably already know, and air conditioning, at either end of September.

I like to use Booking.com to look for accommodations.

These suggestions are very helpful!!! Thanks very much! Anyone else, please keep them coming! :)

Would you recommend going through a travel agent to book the flights and hotels? Just the flights? Booking them separately myself, or together myself? And has anyone flown EasyJet or Ryan Air in Europe?

Too often travel agents for Italy deal with humongous old fashioned hotels that give them a commission for booking large groups or weddings and such, and often these hotels are not in the historic center -- which would mean extra walking or more taxis. So definitely read reviews and book the hotels yourself. You might find that a b&b is more what you want anyway. Many of them are much better run (by energetic families) and have more charm than hotels. Look at everything. Venere.com is another good place to look.

As for Easy Jet (which I've taken) and Ryan Air, you can see if a travel agent will book them for you, but often they won't. You might also see what kind of prices you get using a site like Orbitz, and booking a multi-city ticket.

One more thought about Florence vs. Rome: I think it easier to find fascinating smaller sights to appreciate in Florence, that are in a compact area, than it is in Rome, and that might take the pressure off your mother. It is hard to be in Rome and not feel almost obliged to take in the most famous sights, and many of them are huge. If you start to feel tired in the middle of touring the Vatican, it is hard to say to others: "I'd rather leave and take a rest." You feel like you're depriving other people if you don-t stick it out until you get to the Sistine Chapel. But in Florence, many of the most lovely sights take less than a half-hour to see, and they are only minutes apart walking. If you get tired by the second or third chapel or piazza, going back to the hotel is only a 15 minute walk. And if your mother wants to rest , you can easily pop out to the San Lorenzo market, or see the museum of the Duomo, and be back in an hour to pick her up and head out for a gelato. In Rome, the sights are more of major commitment when it comes to time and they are not all in the same neighborhood.

Do a search for apartments in Florence. Or Rome. VRBO.com is a great place to look. (VRBO = Vacation Rentals by Owner). Sleepinitaly.com is another. Or search for B&B in Florence, etc.

Look on TripAdvisor.com for reviews and recommendations of places to stay.

We stayed at Alloro B&B, which is near San Lorenzo and liked it. they bring breakfast to your room in the morning. However, they did not have anyone on site overnight, if that is a concern.

Hotel Bellettini is quite near the Duomo. They have a breakfast room and someone on duty at night.

I think your family would find Florence easier and it has so much to offer.

We've flown Easyjet many times and think they are fabulous. Have flown Ryanair and survived but their customer service is non-existent when they cancelled a flight. Easyjet also cancelled a flight months before we flew and were fantastic.

We've stayed at Bellettini before it was renovated and it was great then. Excellent location

We stayed here in January. Very close to Pitti palace & Arno, has lift, clean, good price but not luxurious. Friendly owners have several places I think

http://www.vrbo.com/145257

I have flown on Vueling Airlines twice, once CDG-Rome and the other Rome to Paris Orly. Depending on your dates, you can find flights between Paris and Florence for as low as 49.99euro.

Just like the other airlines, you pay extra for luggage. One problem we encountered last year: we prepaid for 2 bags for my husband and one each for our nieces and me. We did not know until we got to the airport that paying for 2 bags for my husband did not mean he got 2x the weight. The weight limit for two bags was the same as for one. So the 23kg was the total amount my husband's two bags could weigh. Needless to say, this caused us some trouble at the airport (the nieces had done a lot of shopping!). I remember saying to the gate agent that I had not read this weight/bag policy on the website and he smiled and said "I know, that's how we make our money!".

Despite this, I would fly them again, just be aware of the luggage restrictions. Orly is much smaller than CDG and should be easy for you to use.