My wife and I are taking our 20 yr old daughter to europe for the first time in May. While based in Switzerland, we were thinking about a 5 day "side" trip to Italy, focusing on Florence and Venice...any advice on where to stay with 3 and travel there and back (eurrail?)?

Is there a possibility for you to stay al least 6 nights? This way, you'll have 3 nights in Venice and 3 nights in Florence. Remember arrival days are spent mostly travelling and cheking in at a hotel.

From Venice (Santa Lucia Train Station), you can take the Eurostar at 10:30 and arrive in Florence at 13:30 (Santa Maria Novella Train Station).

I hope this helps.

what's your hotel budget?

I wish we could afford the 6 days but 5 is it, though we thought about saving some time by travelling to/from overnight at each end of the days in italy (if we use the train), think that would help?

RE: hotel budget, hard to say - not unlimited, but under 300 euros/nt would be good...

Willy... Don't know when in May you're going but you'd better get cracking with the hotel reservations!!

RE: hotel reservations, actually we will be in italy around the first of june, and yes I'm working on that now! Have been to Switz several times, but not to italy and not planning for 3...

I can recommend two hotels for you to check, but they are very popular!

In Florence: TOURIST HOUSE GHIBERTI

In Venice: PENSIONE LA CALCINA

I just organized a trip for my college-age daughter and 3 friends, and these two hotels came with high recommendations- plus I know they are well- located from my own travels.

One last thought. With only five days, maybe you should base in Florence and do day trips to San Gimignano, Volterra, Pisa, Lucca, Pisa, Siena, etc. Plenty to keep you busy there for five days!

my wife and i stayed in both cities oct 2005 travelled with a eurail pass first class (worth the little bit extra)3 nights in florence at the pitti palace hotel at the end of the ponte vecchio.Easy walking to galleries and churches. In Venice stayed at the locanda barbargio about a 5 min walk from the relevant grand canal stop and st marks square.no problems prices good

In Florence, check out Hotel Casci. That's definitely in your budget and great value.

I second the Hotel casci in Florence for your budget. They have family rooms, and they are very friendly. Their rooms are clean, and they serve a nice breakfast. Their location is excellent!

Make musuem reservations as soon as you finalize your dates and hotels.

Have a great trip!
Dina

Was in both cities in March and loved my hotels. Both are very reasonably priced and in prime locations.

Venice:
http://www.locandaalgambero.com/inglese/hotel.htm

Florence:
http://www.hotelalessandra.com/english/index.html

I have done a 5 day trip from the Geneva area (Vevey) and it worked out beautifully. I took an overnight train in a private sleeper to Venice, stayed 4 nights at La Calcina, then took a day train back (thru Sion). I would suggest with 5 days you pick one or the other, not both cities.

Thanks for all your input so far...I tried booking Pensione La Calcina but it's not available, anyone know anything about this place: Residence Corte Grimani? We are looking for 3 nights in Venice starting May 30...it also looks like we'll be in Florence 3 nights too...

What are you hoping to see in those two cities?

Just got back from Italy and spent 1 day in Florence while staying in Tuscany. It wasn't enough. Spent 3 days in Venice which was more then I needed.

I could have done Venice in a day and a half and been happy. So it just depends on what you're looking for.

We just booked 3 nights at the Corte Grimani in Venice today. There are some threads already posted about this hotel- just type the name in the Search box. Trip advisor has great reviews too. We booked directly at the hotel website & got E$90 a night (December though) I hope that helps.

We took our nineteen/twenty year old with us other way round to you..finished in Switzerland. We stayed in an apartment(two bedrooms) in Venice Ca' del Brocchi(contact the hotel for info on the apartment)and in Florence a triple room at hotel Colomba (again contact hotel directly). For us the apartment was great in terms of us having our own "space" and the hotel in Florence was in an ideal location and the triple room was again large enough for the three of us.See Venere.com for reviews of both.

If your main interest is seeing the big tourist sights, I think 2 nights in Venice and 3 in Florence are fine, you could probalby take a night away from either Venice or Florence (depending on your train schedule arriving in these cities) and spend a night in Siena as well.