Ann, tell me about the parking at the airport in Florence. We are picking up a friend like you did in just over two weeks.

Les,<BR>The airport in Florence is very small compared to the others we saw in Italy. The parking lot for long term parking is pretty small but you can also park along the side of the road near there. We saw several cars doing that. The short term lot is across from the DEPARTURES area but is limited to one hour. The arrival area is around the corner. If you are leaving your car there during the day like we did, you can take a cab into the city or take the shuttle bus from the airport to the train station that runs on the half hour if I am not mistaken.

Thanks Ann for taking the time to write your detailed trip report. We are going to Italy next year about the same time you went!

Would you recommend the Certaldo area as a base for Tuscany day trips?

I would surely recommend it. It is very centrally located. No day trip except our trip to Assisi was more than one hour. You should also check out places to stay at Certaldo Alto. It is above the town and has great views. It would have been neat to stay there as well. Hope this helps.

I am going to Italy in November and my teenage son will be with me. What were some things that your teens enjoyed most?

Thanks for a wonderful trip report. I have a somewhat off-the-wall question. You mentioned that you used two-way radios when travelling in your mini-caravan--what type of radios did you use, and how was their reception in hilly country? We are thinking of using radios during a cycling trip next year, and I'm wondering what the average range is and if they are useful at all when the hills get big and the roads get twisty. Any info you could provide would be greatly appreciated!

First the teenager question....<BR>The teens with us said that they liked the Cinque Terre especially the hikes. They also were overwhelmed by David at the Accademia in Florence. They enjoyed the leather shopping in Florence also. I think after awhile the museums and churches started getting old so it was nice to mix up the trip with Tuscany, the lakes and the CT.<BR><BR>Now for the radios......I think that it depends on the quality of the radios. We used regular walkie talkies that we got from Acadamy Sports about three years ago. I think they were about $150 at the time. They have a two mile range and we had no problem with reception, even in the tunnels. They were a God send even in the towns when we would split up. We used them when some went up in the towers and others stayed behind. We talked clearly even when they were inside the tower and 500 steps up. We had multiple channels to use but didn't have to change them one time. Do take extra batteries, although we didn't need to change ours in nearly 2.5 weeks of use.

up<BR><BR>

Great trip report. How did you make your reservations for Florence museums. I am at the point I need to do this.

You can make them at www.weekendafirenze.com . I think the only two you really need are for the Uffizi and the Accadamia. You will also need them in Rome for the Borghese if you are going there. Once you book, follow their instuctions on where to go to pick up your tickets. It will not be the main line that you see when you near the museaum.

Hi Ann<BR><BR>thanks. I guess I had already found that approach, but the cost seems to be quite high. Mille grazie.

Kelly, When you look at the time you would spend in a line versus a few dollars more per person than the regular entrance fee, it is really worth it. Plus you have a time that you can depend on when planning the day. We only had two days in Florence and it sure helped us. Good luck!

We are looking for a place for our kids to ride horses while in Italy. That place you stayed sounds like it may be a good place. What do you know about riding details?

We did not take advantage of the riding part of the Mugnano Horse Farm but did ask the owner what the rate would be. I think that it was 25E an hour. We did see her stable of horses and they are beautiful.

topping one last time

Thanks, apseals, for the informative thread. I've copied a lot for future reference. May I ask a bit more about your recommendation of Monterossa? Your hotel sounds expensive and the town sounds noisy. Is that just the trade-off for staying along the CT, or can you possibly recommend a quieter place still accessible to the CT by train and trails? If this is a naive question, don't answer -- I'll get the message from your silence. But still hoping, J.

Ann:<BR>I booked my reservations by calling directly for Uffizi and Accademia. Do you know where to pick up the tix? Also, where's the pick up for the Borghese? Thanks.

First the museum reservations.....<BR>I only know where you pick up the tickets for reservations made with our company but they are probably the same. For the Uffizi, it was to the left of the main entrance near the museum store. You will see a sign for group reservation ticket pick up. For the Accadamia, I was not the first to get there so I am not sure, but it is smaller and should be no problem finding out. The Borghese is easy. You just go inside the main door and just give them your name or reservation number at the cashier's desk. Very easy...

As for Montorosso and the CT........<BR>I think that we were in the CT at the most busy time of the year. I do think that the side left of the train station tunnel is much less noisy than the other main side with the children's playground and the Pasquale. I think that our hotel was able to ask maximum prices because of the time of year also. We had heard and wanted Villa Steno but they were booked. <BR><BR>We stayed in Montorosso because we had young adults with us and after having been in Tuscany for a week, we thought they would want to stay in a place that had a little more to do at night. If that is not your desire, then stay at one of the other towns. Vernazza is wonderful, but is also crowded because it is much smaller. Any of the towns would be ok to stay in but I would not stay in Corneglia because there is no boat access there. Check the threads for suggestions for places to stay. You can see the plus and minus sides to them all.<BR><BR>All in all, there is nothing like actually staying in the CT. The hikes are amazing and the highlight of my trip. There are many lower cost alternatives in all five towns. Since we were a group of 11 traveling at high season, that narrowed it down somewhat for us. Hope this helps...... (We took and wore earplugs at all of our destinations even if we didn't think the noise was a problem. You would be surprised how much more soundly you sleep without hearing doors closing or people walking down the street or hall.)