<p>We’re going on a trip next year. I think we will do Venice, Florence, Rome, Amalfi. What hotels did you stay in when you were in those cities and did you do a trip like that. i think it will be 10 nights. 2 nt Venice, 2nt Florence 3 nt Rome 3nt Amalfi. Could add in an extra day.</p>
<p>The more I travel, the more I like to go to one city and explore it for many days. Do you like going from city to city? Are you going to take the train? Drive? I realize you didn’t ask for that kind of advice, but I can’t help giving it. I love Italy (well, northern Italy, I haven’t been south), but I’ve most enjoyed the trips where I’ve stayed in one place for a week. With ten nights, I’d only do two cities. But that’s me. </p>
<p>I liked the Hotel Diana in Venice–right in the center of things. I can’t remember anything about our hotel in Florence (although I remember several restaurants with great affection). </p>
<p>When you say ‘we’, do you mean you and your spouse? Or are adult children included?</p>
<p>Many European hotels are very, very small, and anything over two adults (meaning adult children) may require getting two rooms (we definitely found this true in Italy, including Florence and Venice).</p>
<p>I went to Italy for the first time in March. My husband had been several times before. We drove from Austria to Venice, where we spent the day only. I was okay with not staying there. Instead ,we drove closer to the place we were visiting for business, which was Rimini. It reminded me of Miami Beach , not the prettiest place IMO, but the hotel was pretty high end, across from the beach. Since it was off season , we got a great rate ( about $100 including breakfast ) This was a very quick trip, so I didn’t get to see as much as I would’ve like to have. We did take a trip to San Marino, and that seemed like it would be a nice place to stay…next time I hope to see Tuscany.
There is one bit of advice I would share, if you stay in Venice, make sure your luggage isn’t too Bulky because you will be walking with it and that could mean dragging it on cobblestones</p>
<p>We went in March and Stayed at the Westin Excelsior in Rome for two night, then Firenze Number 9 in Florence for 2 nights, and then went back to Rome for 3 nights at the St. Regis. I was very happy with my stay and the location of both the Westin and Firenze Number 9. I did not care for the location of the St. Regis. I hope you have a great trip.</p>
<p>Four locations is a lot for ten days, but it depends where you are flying into/out of. Assume you’ll take the train between cities? What is your budget for hotels?</p>
<p>We stayed at Westin Excelsior in Florence. The Grand Hotel across the plaza is also nice. I liked Westin Exelsior in Venice (Lido) also. You would need to take a shuttle (free) from Lido to Venice, but it has a beautiful beach and the pool is very nice. If you book early you could use your Starwood points to get free or half off on those very nice hotels. You can take a water taxi from the airport right to the hotel. A word of warning about Venice, it can be very hot and smelly in the summer. </p>
<p>For 10 days, I would do max 3 cities, Florence, Venice and Rome. </p>
<p>Definitely need to know budget. Hotels in Rome, especially, are crazy expensive, and the semi-moderate ones (ie under $400 a night) in good locations have very small rooms. The luxury hotels are fantastic but $600+ a night.</p>
<p>If I had to omit one city, which is very hard to do, I would say Venice - and make that another trip. I’d keep Amalfi because It’s nice to have a non-urban location and the views are so incredible. If you can only visit Italy once, the Amalfi Coast is a must-see. I could do without Rome after visiting there many times, but if you’re flying out of Rome, it makes sense to spend time there. Venice is the summer is tough…I was there last summer and it’s hot and incredibly crowded…also a distance away from the other locations. I love Florence and it’s elegance and quiet really are the best of Italian culture…my favorite Italian city. You really can’t see the entire country in ten days…I’ve spent 25 years visiting and have still not spent enough time there.</p>
<p>We tend to stay at hostels. :)</p>
<p>I have done well with airbnb for one week rental. I rented a villa just north of Rome on a little island. It had a pool with water view. It was a lot cheaper than staying at a hotel.</p>
<p>Long ago I stayed in a little pensione in Florence near the Medici Palazzo. It was run by a family and they were great! Can’t remember the name. I loved Venice but I can’t remember the name of that small hotel either. We drove around for about 10 days too and stayed in many places. Amazingly, we made no reservations in advance except for the larger cities. H and I were fine with that kind of travel. I preferred staying in the smaller towns though, Ravenna, Urbino and Assisi.</p>
<p>Honestly, I think 4 locations in 10 days is way too much. I’d cut it down to 3 or preferably 2. I think you’ll be a lot happier, a lot more rested and a lot more able to enjoy the experience. I would pick Rome and one other, personally. Rome is NOT a place you want to buzz in and out of – it’s worth spending quite a few nights.</p>
<p>I totally ‘get’ wanting to see everything! It may be your only opportunity to see all those cool sights and you don’t want to miss anything! If you think you might get back another time, break it up. (See some of the cities and then visit some smaller towns.) Otherwise, go for it. Then, if you’re lucky enough to go back, focus on your favorites during another trip and really explore them.</p>
<p>We rushed through Venice, Florence and Rome. I was exhausted and wished I had another week to relax in Tuscany! Venice was my favorite of the three, primarily because it is so unique. Rome was probably third on the list because it was like any other big city but with lots of cool things to see. Florence was very interesting for its art and culture. I am no help regarding accommodation but rest assured you will find hotels online that will work for you. Don’t be afraid of the tiny hotels. We thought they added to our experience since they were typically Italian. </p>
<p>If I had that trip to do again, I would have skipped Rome and gone south. A few years later we cruised out of Rome (saw many of the historical sights a second time) and visited the Amalfi Coast–Sorrento, Positano and Pompeii. Agree the Amalfi Coast is a must-see… I’d love to go back and spend a few nights in Sorrento and then stay in a villa in Tuscany for a few nights. The smaller towns are so quaint and full of flavor.</p>
<p>I also would cut the number of places down. </p>
<p>Rome, for example, can be exhausting: a day spent trekking through the Vatican wears you down. Florence and Venice are both smaller and walkable and though Rome has so much it also feels less its age. If you pick one, you can do more there and any of these places are worth the time. </p>
<p>As I see the ideas, you’re combining a trip to the middle with a trip to the north. I’d pick one. And I’d look at a Michelin Red Guide for hotel ratings. They’re eerily accurate: in all my driving across the countrysides, I was never led astray.</p>
<p>I have a great tour guide for Rome (that I got from Oldfort) - if you are interested in her name, PM me. I would absolutely use her again, in a heartbeat. I don’t know if she also covers other parts of Italy.</p>
<p>Thanks all. You know, the more I research and inquire from people…the more confusing it is sometimes! One thing that I plan on doing is cutting it down to 3 cities. Also…@dmd77, my DH is like you. He said that he wouldn’t mind picking one city and being there the entire time and really getting to KNOW that city. However, we we did a California tour this summer from LA to SF and he was not looking forward to it, and said when it was over how much he loved it and found out he didn’t really mind doing that if it was a place that had so many “flavors” in one country/state. So, although he prefers to stay put, he understands I want to see more than one city and is fine with it because who know if we will be back. We are 54, and there are just so many places to see that I honestly don’t think it would be soon. </p>
<p>So many varied opinions. I just had 2 friends that said they absolutely adore Rome (and Pizzagirl, I will PM you when I get to that point).</p>
<p>I also have several people tell me they didn’t like Venice. Well…it’s Venice, right? Iconic Venice. I feel like I have to see it…if only for just 2 nights (1.5 days). I"m actually thinking of not going to Florence, so I can give Rome and AC one more day each. I know that Venice/Florence/Rome is normally on the tours, but I really want to see the AC, stay in Positano (go to capri, pompeii, and just take in that beauty of Amalfi Coast). So…if one has to go, unfortunately I think Florence. We aren’t big museum people anyway, although I hear the town itself is so exquisite. Sigh…wish it could be more than 10 days. I suppose it could. If we decide to make it a 12 day tour, then I’ll rearrange. Thanks for all of your suggestions.</p>
<p>I am a museum person and I didn’t like Florence that much. I felt like I could wring the soot out of my hair after walking around for a while because of all the Vespas and buses. </p>
<p>One tip: if you’re a foodie, eat your large meals uphill from your hotel so you can walk down afterwards! </p>
<p>If you’re not big museum people, I can see possibly foregoing Florence - but are you not sightseeing people in general? Rome’s pretty darn big on the sightseeing! It comes down to your personal style - do you like to just wander aimlessly, sit in cafes and soak up charm and not care whether you’ve learned anything, or do you like Big Historical Sites and putting what you see into the larger historical context of the country? (not that one can’t do both of course)</p>
<p>I personally do like Venice, but I think people run hot or cold on it, nowhere in between.</p>
<p>No, I love historical sites…that’s why i think I will love Rome (colossume, forum, etc) and Pompeii. I need to backtrack and say that I don’t dislike museums. I just don’t know if i could go to one each day, I don’t normally seek museums out when I vacation. I like the guided tours of places and learning new things. But I love sitting in cafes and beautiful restaurants people watching, too. I just thought since I would be doing a lot of site seeing in Rome, then I could possible just skip Florence. </p>