Hi -

My hasband and I are planning our first trip to Italy -- we are flying into Venice and then we were going to head to the tuscany region and then to florence.., We are having problems with hotels in Florence - we are not on a budget but look to spend less than 250/night...OR should we just stay in like Siena and day trip to Florence???

Thanks!

Hi hbicking, well first of all Florence is in Tuscany. As far as whether you should stay in Florence or Siena it would depend on what your interest are regarding Florence and also the countryside of Tuscany.

It depends on how much you enjoy art, museums etc. I loved staying there, it is a nice little city to walk around in.
I'm surprised you can't find one in Florence. When is your trip?

Hi h,

Will you be touring Tuscany by car or will you be taking the train?

If the latter, I suggest staying in Florence.

You can take the SITA bus to Siena (1:30 hr 13E RT).

You should be able to find a hotel in Florence for about 200E/night.

See www.venere.com

Thanks 5alive and ira - I guess our biggest problem is finding recommendations - even in prior posts - can either of you recommend a hotel right in florence or an area??? We will have a car to tour tuscany...

Several B&Bs are in your range and you can read more about them on tripadvisor and venere.com. I have stayed at Soggiorno Antica Torre and liked it. Il Villino is divine and reasonable if you can get a room. Tourist House Ghilberti is another.

We stayed at the Hotel Calzaiuoli when we visited Florence in August 2005, and had a wonderful time - accommodating staff, decent sized room, even though it was on the main street we were not disturbed by noise, the breakfast was delicious. And the location couldn't be more central - the Duomo is a block and half in one direction, Piazza d. Signoria a block and a half in the other. I'd happily return.

One piece of advice, though, about driving in Florence - don't. Take public transportation from Venice to Florence, spend what time you plan to in Florence, then pick up a rental car as you head into the countryside to explore Tuscany. We've driven all over Italy, north to south, east to west, even in the city traffic of Rome! Nothing compared to the logistics of getting around the streets of Florence, especially in the centro storico!