Cheryl

In Sept we are making a second trip to Italy. We land in Venice at 11:30 PM and I hope we can still make the public transport. We have booked at Hotel Giorgione. Does anyone know it-or suggestions for a better choice? It seems dear but then we expect Venice to be expensive. WE are booked in for 4 nights--is this too long in Venice? We then pick up a car and head to the Lucca and Florence area where we have not booked accomodation yet. We then are booked for ten days into the Casa Al Vento in Giaole in Chianti to explore the little towns. Any and all suggestions for this trip are welcome. It is not our intention to see everything but to take the backroads, relax, and enjoy the area. We want to see some churches, some scenery, some wineries, some open markets(which I adore).We want to be able to choose and ecco of cheese, or, salami, or tomatoes and enjoy them and also to visit local trattorias.

Jim

We stayed at the Hotel Giorgione last year and loved it. You won't be disappointed!! Very nice rooms and wonderful breakfast buffet. Great location!! Good Choice!

sheri

To answer your question about whether four days is too long in Venice, I would say emphatically NO! I spent five days there in January and that felt just about right. Once you've seen the sights in the city, you can take day trips to the islands (I especially enjoyed Torcello and Burano, and the glass museum on Murano was very interesting), or even to somewhere like Verona (I had kind of thought I would do that, but once I got there, I wanted to stay in Venice). For me, besides seeing the churches, St. Marks, the Accademia, etc., the best part of Venice was wandering the back streets, away from the crowds, and just being struck by the beauty around every corner. Most days, I did a major sight (such as the Duomo) each morning, before things got too crowded, then spent the afternoon wandering.

carol

Sherry, <BR> <BR>What was the temperature and the weather like in Venice in January. What clothing did you take, where did you stay, and what was the hotel rate? You trip sounds wonderful.

janice

I'm not Sherry - but I was also in Venice in January and we were quite cold - we didn't plan very well! I'd take warm winter attire (lots of other threads on this Forum to help with that) and hope that it gets warmer. We stayed on Lido at the (very wonderful) Hotel le Boulevard and paid about $150 US per night. Let me know if you have more questions.

sheri

Hi Carol, to answer your questions, it was cold in January (30s-40s F) but it was sunny every day, which was wonderful after rainy London and Paris. I had sweaters, gloves, scarves, etc and wore them all, especially for the concerts I went to, which were in unheated churches! I was so cold during the Four Seasons at the Vivaldi Church I kept wishing they would play faster (not really, it was lovely, but I'd dressed for going out, not realizing they would turn the heat off for the performance)! <BR> <BR>I stayed at the Pensione Accademia, which came highly recommend on this forum and elsewhere, and I absolutely loved it. My rate for a single room with a canal view was 185,000 lire including breakfast. <BR> <BR>By the way, I obviously misspoke in my post above referring to the "Duomo"--I meant the Basilica (St. Marks)!

carol

Thanks, Sheri.

Dave

Cheryl, <BR>My wife and I just got back from Italy yesterday. We stayed just 2 nights in Venice and found it to be perfect. Mainly because there are not a lot of "touristy" things to see (compared to Florence or Rome) and also because it is so EXPENSIVE! For example - in Piazza San Marco we had 2 beers, a coffee, and a ham sandwich for $42! As always though, the shopping and food are superb. As for the Chianti region - you should pick up the current issue of Bon Appetit magazine. It is dedicated to Tuscany and they have lots of recommendations for great trattorias, wines, and little towns. Have fun!

Cheryl

any updates?

Pete

Stayed in the Giorgione in June Several years ago. It is a wonderful hotel--4 weeks in Venice would not be too long for me.

Luigi

Cheryl, <BR>I was just there in March with a group of friends and after four days we were just starting to feel our way around. There is so much to see and do. <BR> <BR>Keep in mind that 96% of all tourists (including the Italians, of which there are many) never leave St Mark's square! <BR> <BR>So get out of there. The reason Dave paid $42 for a sandwich and beer was because he was in St Mark's square! My friends and I paid that for lunch for the five of us, including wine, at a local restaurant near the Frari. By the way, it is a MUST SEE!!! In some ways, it was way more interesting than the Basilica. <BR> <BR>The coffee and pastries you will find in local bars while wandering are the best. Get a copy of VeniceWalks if you can, before you go. It does a very nice job of walking you around four different areas of Venice. We did one a day in the morning and then kind of hung out or went to the other islands, as Sheri suggested, in the afternoon. <BR> <BR>Trust me, if you do it right, you won't be ready to leave after only four days. <BR> <BR>Anyway, just my two cents worth.

Gina

Cheryl, Luigi is absolutely right! While I definitely wouldn't miss the sights of St. Mark's Square--the Basilica and the Palazzo Ducale are magnificent--don't spend much time in the square beyond that. My best advice for Venice is to *get lost*, literally. Everywhere you'll see signs pointing you to the Rialto Bridge and the Piazza San Marco...well, go whichever way the signs *aren't* pointing. <BR> <BR>Go to the Accademia, the Peggy Guggenheim Collection, the Scuola San Rocco, the Church of Santa Maria dei Miracoli, Ca' Rezzonico and Ca D'Oro. Wander the back streets of Dorsoduro and the old Jewish quarter of Cannaregio. Visit the Island of the Dead, San Michele. Get up early and stay up late to have Venice all to yourself. <BR> <BR>I had three nights in Venice last year and it wasn't enough. Merely whetted my appetite to go back. Oh, and before you go, read Jan Morris' "The World of Venice." (September's a great time to go...slightly fewer tourists and lovely weather.)