Venice vs. Florence
 

I am currently planning a June Honeymoon to Italy. I have some good ideas regarding, practically all from reading this forum; however, I am debating something, and hopefully you can all help out.

I had planned flying into Venice for about 3 nights, and then traveling to the area of Tuscany for about 2-3 nights, and then end up in Rome for an additional 3-4 nights.

I have a limited budget and time, and I would like to know everyones opinion between keeping my current plans or leaving Venice for a possible second trip and adding time to Florence.

I am thinking about flying into Florence and taking day trips into Sienna and other places, instead of going to Venice.

Please let me know if anyone agrees or disagrees.

Leave your original plans. Siena, etc. are fine but Venice is unparalleled in Europe IMO for its surrealistic beauty.

Definitely KEEP Venice as part of your honeymoon! Heck I'd drop everything else and just stay there for a week, quite honestly.

I agree with sticking with Venice, but, as it is a honeymoon, surely there is someone you should be asking besides us?

While I much prefer Florence over Venice myself, when I was in Venice in May, I couldn't help but admit that Venice is a city to share with a loved one, which I think would make it an ideal honeymoon location. My vote is keep Venice.

amyb - believe me, I technically try to get as much information possible and I think about many different plans; however, at the end of the day the one who finally gives the okay is my fiance.

I can't plan a great honeymoon, unless she likes the idea first.

I appreciate all the info.

Sorry that reply was meant for LJ.

I would keep Venice and Rome. Venice is magical and romantic, Rome is amazing and Tuscany takes more than a few days to really get the feel -- save it for your next trip. We were there in June and felt rushed and we had 5 days -- you don't want to rush Florence- it is so incredible and I felt like I didn't see nearly enough of it or the surrounding towns. Congratualtions to you - have a great time.

My husband and I just returned from 4 nights each in Venice, Tuscany countryside, Sorrento, and Rome. Although, we did not make it to Florence and I was a little disappointed, there is no way I would have missed Venice. It is like no other place. Enjoy quiet walks in out of the way places (Jewish Ghetto area) and the night life of orchastras playing in Piazzo San Marco.

I count nine days, and in my opinion, that is too little time for three major destinations, but that is based on my preferences, and I know a lot of people like to move around a lot.

Of the three destinations, I would consider Venice the most romantic; even though it is crowded during the days with cruise ship passengers, the evenings are magic, so I would not omit that.

Both Florence and Rome seem to me more hectic, possibly because there is more there than just tourism. If I didn't love some of the art to be found in Florence, I might skip it, although it is a good central point to see some of Tuscany; if Tuscany, rather than the art, is what attracts you, perhaps a smaller town would be more appropriate. Rome, to me, deserves more than a few days.

By staying in fewer places, you could save a bit on transportation, and perhaps get a better room rate, but its your trip, so suit yourselves.

I like to fly into Venice, but I don't like to fly out of Venice, as it seems all the flights I need leave abnormally early in the morning, and a lot of people worry about getting to the airport on time.

Well, considering everyones opinion, I think I might keep Venice and Rome. If I keep my current set of plans, I should be able to add an extra day to both Venice and Rome, at least 4 nights in Venice, and at least 4 nights in Rome.
What would you recommend as a good romantic hotel to stay at, around E150 a night.

Venice for a honeymoon would be perfect. your plans seem good...i would almost say go from venice to rome direct and then swing down to the amalfi coast instead of florence. nice breathtaking views...just a thought.

One other piece of advice - I spent 12 days visiting, in this order Venice, Florence and then Rome - wish I had left Venice until last. It was so quiet, even during the day if you go away from the main drag which is easy to do - which meant the traffic of Florence was a bit of an assault on the senses. Wish I had be able to change the order but, because of other travel commitments we would have lost an extra day.

<Both Florence and Rome seem to me more hectic, possibly because there is more there than just tourism>

exactly why i would stay several days in either Florence or Rome and but a few days in Venice. But to see Venice - ah Italy without cars and mopeds! And seemingly without pickockets or Gypsy ladies and kids rifling your stuff.

wombat7 - My only concern with flying into Rome and not Venice, is the probable Jet Lag. I would normally consider myself very laid back; however, I have notice that I get a great deal of energy when I travel; however, my better half does not seem to have that ability. My fiance usually tires much easier than me, and I feel that we would be able to relax more in Venice. Let me know what you think.

We did Venice, then Tuscany , then Rome and I didn't mind the hustle bustle of Rome at the end - it was energizing. Obviously if you wanted a really laid back honeymoon, you would have picked a resort. Either way, you'll be fine!

Good point if you want some quiet time to get back the energy from jet lag. I don't suffer too badly from jet-lag. I spent out 6 night in Venice and so had really mellowed out by the time we hit Florence and the traffic noise did get to me (and I don't mean at night, our hotel was on a quiet street). Still even that way round we had a wonderful trip.

It was my third trip to Florence and I was probably making too much of a comparison to my first visit there (and no I am not going to say how many decades ago that was!)

oh gosh, I hate that you may skip Tuscany. We honeymooned 3 years ago and did more N/Central Italy but Tuscany was our favorite.
How about 3 nights Venice, Train to S Tuscany and rent a car-drive and explore for 3 nights and stay near Siena or Montepulciano and then turn in the car b4 your last 3-4 nights. Tuscany was so lovely and relaxing. and will be a great differentiator to the 2 cities. COngrats!

Hi Iramos, are you going to take your honeymoon immediately after the wedding? If so most newlyweds I have known are already a bit tired from all the activities from the wedding.

But in any case I would personally fly into Venice and enjoy more than 3 nights in Venice as that would only give you 2 days in Venice without arriving or departing. I would than take the train to Rome and spend the balance of the time in Rome and fly home from Rome.

I would save Florence and the countryside and other small cities and towns in Tuscany for the next visit. And I am sure you will have more than one trip to Italy!!

Best wishes to the two of you as you plan your future together!

My husband and I had a Tuscan honeymoon last June, and so while I'm clearly biased, I do think that the Tuscan countryside is one of the most romantic places there is. We decided to save Venice for another trip, so I can't speak to that. However, if you can find a way to work in a few days in Tuscany, believe me, you won't regret it!

I might almost suggest splitting your time between Tuscany and Venice, and leave Rome for another visit. Tuscany is heaven on earth, and it's a place where you can go to unwind- believe me, you'll need it after the wedding!

One option could be to stay outside of Florence in a little town called Fiesole (a 20-minute bus ride away). We took a daytrip here, and loved it! It's close enough to Florence that you can go in and see the major sights, but you can still experience the small-town relaxed charm of a Tuscan hilltown. Plus, the view from Fiesole can't be beat!

lramos,

I think it's really great that you are paying so much attention to what your new bride will need and what she might most enjoy.

I also do not recover easily from jet leg, so wherever you go first, try to make it a place where you will feel the least pressure to be up and around sightseeing.

I have to say that if my husband had taken me to Venezia for our honeymoon I'm not sure whether I would have liked it or not. I find Venezia jammed full of things to see, not very Italian and has way too many tourists (which I really don't enjoy). I also am a nature lover, and while Venice has a lot of water, it has very little greenery.

I think I might have very much enjoyed staying in a Tuscan villa with daytrips to cities, provided there was a car. Sometimes if you stay in a countryside villa or agriturismo, your bill for accommodations is so much cheaper that renting a car is affordable.

Is your fiance really big on art? Has she dreamed of seeing these Italian citeis all her life? Are you both going to be totally wiped out from the wedding?

Has your intended offered you any clues about her enthusiasms when it comes to Italy?

TarheelsInNj - I appreciate your comments, and in no way feel that any comment, biased or not is unwelcome. Believe me, everyone in one way or another is biased and perfer one location to another; however, that is why I post my questions here in the first place: I know everyone will give me there opinion.

If you don't mind, would you be able to go into more detail regarding your Honeymoon. I was very interested and would like to know more about your experience. Thank you.

If I were you, I would budget for a water taxi ride from the Venice airport to your hotel, since it is your honeymoon. It's expensive, but on the first stop of my honeymoon, I wouldn't want to be lugging suitcases up and down stairs on the bridges. I'd give up a gondola ride before I'd give up the water taxi ride with luggage.

Well I have to admit that this particular question has left me wondering, but in a good way. I appreciate everyones input, and this trip will probably change many different times within the next couple of months, but I feel that I am getting a better understanding, that is a better appreciation for the location and not just the destination. I will continue to debate; however, thanks to all the replies I am in a better position.

Again, Thank you all.

Sure, I'd be glad to share! I never did get around to writing a trip report, but I'm happy to provide more info on anything I say below.

We had a two-week honeymoon, which involved 4 days in Florence, a week in Tuscany, and a "layover" in Paris (3 nights).

Given our time and budget constraints, we purposely viewed this trip is a first trip (of many!) to Italy. Therefore, we didn't spend much time waiting in line at museums, didn't feel the need to rent a car and visit every hilltown, and didn't worry about "missing" Rome and Venice- they've been there thousands of years, after all, and they'll still be there in a few more!

Instead, our philosophy was to soak up Italy, and just enjoy being there and being together. We spent a lot of time walking around Florence, and particularly enjoyed the views over the city from various places. If you're there at the beginning of June, you MUST visit the community rose garden. It's simply perfect, and ranks as one of my favorite places in the world. We also took a side trip to Fiesole (mentioned above) and climbed the Duomo, which was a fabulous experience.

We spent our Tuscan week in Montepulciano, in a rented apartment. It was truly perfect- everything you dream that Tuscany will be. I didn't truly relax until we stepped into the town.

Most people will recommend that you rent a car, but we chose not to, and I'm glad. Instead, we spent a very slooooooooow week relaxing, walking over every inch of Montepulciano, drinking wine, sharing long meals, etc. We were armed with info about side trips, but didn't end up leaving the town much. We did go on a hike to Pienza one day, however, which we really enjoyed.

One thing I will say is I had NO idea how exhausted I would be after the wedding. Though we had an amazing honeymoon, if I had to go back I might have put Montepulciano first, only because we were able to really relax there.

Really, you can't go wrong with Italy... it's an incredible country, and I am looking forward to many more trips there!

Wow, tarheel! What a lovely honeymoon you had! Makes me look forward even more to the "second honeymoon" my husband and I are planning in Italy and some good ideas, too. Thanks for sharing and thank you, iramos, for asking.