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  1. #1
    SnuggleBuggles is online now Black Diamond level (25,000+ posts)
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    Default updated in 11 Florence as a base for exploration in Italy?

    I'm figuring out our summer European vacation itinerary. It's ds2 and my first time (sad, but true), dh and ds1 have been to a few places. First part of the trip is good, second part was thinking about 6 days in Florence as a base. Train to Venice one day, maybe rent a car a few times to explore the countryside and coastline, casually explore other days. Fly out of wherever is cheaper- Florence or Rome or...
    Am I on the right track?
    I will confirm if they are allowed but was thinking Airbnb or VRBO would be the way to go because we will be hotel hopping for the first part of our itinerary. So, I would be open to any specific suggestions. Hotel suggestions are welcome too.
    I took advice on here from my previous thread to not do too much even though there is so much to see and do.
    Last edited by SnuggleBuggles; 02-07-2022 at 02:51 PM.

  2. #2
    erosenst is offline Sapphire level (2000+ posts)
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    Whatever you do - do NOT drive in Rome. DO NOT. REALLY. Take the train there.

    In a prior life I travelled a lot, was relatively comfortable figuring out touring plans in other countries, etc. One of the best pieces of advice I've received was to get a tourguide for a day in Rome. They can both navigate, and often get you in places more quickly. in addition, there is SO MUCH to see that if there are few 'must do' you can prioritize those. It was a LONG time ago so my recommendation of 'who' is outdated but should be 'findable'.

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  3. #3
    erosenst is offline Sapphire level (2000+ posts)
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    Oh one more thing - not sure about AirBnb/ VRBO availability. Either way (hotel or that) be aware that a LOT doesn't have AC, and it gets hot there. Make sure you get something with AC if that's important to you...

  4. #4
    jgenie is offline Red Diamond level (10,000+ posts)
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    Have a meal at Coquinarius in Florence. Someone here recommended it and I so wish we had eaten there earlier in our trip. We would have gone more than once. When we talk about our Italy trips the pear ravioli always comes up in every conversation.

    https://www.coquinarius.it/firenze/

    I’ll come back to add other restaurants in case you happen to be nearby.

  5. #5
    marinkitty is offline Sapphire level (2000+ posts)
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    I think using Florence as a base for a few days sounds like a great plan. Renting a car to drive around Tuscany is an excellent way to see lots of the hill towns and some of the other cities besides Florence. San Gimignano, Montelcinio, Lucca, Siena, San Galgano Abbey, and a whole lot of little tiny ones in between are all worth doing. You could also take the train out to Cinque Terre for a day and hike between the hill villages.

    If you aren't already doing Rome and want to include it on this trip, I would not do it as a day trip - Rome deserves it's own 3 days and you should stay there. I took DS1 for his eighth grade graduation a few years ago and we stayed at a cute little hotel in a great location - Hotel Ponte Sisto. We did a bike ride of the old Roman Road and the aquaducts through Airbnb experiences and also did a sunrise ebike ride all around Rome (we covered 20 km in a couple of hours) and seeing Rome with no traffic or crowds just as the sun was coming up was truly amazing. We also did the early access into the Vatican, which was also far superior to going later in the day (I've done both). DS1 (who is a history buff) also LOVED the full behind the scenes tour of the Colosseum and Forum - I think we were in there for five hours!

    For Venice, while it could totally be a day trip, if you have the time and budget, stay one night - I took DS2 on a long weekend birthday trip when he turned 12 and we splurged and stayed at Bauer Palazzo and had a wonderful stay. Venice is also a place that getting up for sunrise is worth the effort. No crowds, magical light. I had been to Venice before and was very meh about it, but actually staying there and getting to experience it early in the day (we stayed two nights so had two mornings to explore) was a total game changer and I finally understood what was so special about the city. So if you decide against a day trip and want to spend the night, definitely get up before dawn and get out there and walk all over. We did a tour of Doge's Palace (Secret Passages Tour) that included St. Mark's and we also made carnivale masks at a local shop and DS loved that and it was a great take home keepsake. We also took the water taxi out to the outer islands and that was a nice outing.

    Have the best time!
    Last edited by marinkitty; 11-11-2021 at 01:48 PM.

  6. #6
    SnuggleBuggles is online now Black Diamond level (25,000+ posts)
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    Thanks for the replies! Glad I am on the right track.

    Dh really does not want to hop around. I get one week and one week is supposed to be relaxed (minus my Venice day trip). All about the compromise. If we fly out of Rome, we will arrive the night before our flight via train and do a little sightseeing. Rome just isn't high on any of our lists.

    I really do love all of the ideas and am putting them in my planning notebook.

  7. #7
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    Default Florence as a base for exploration in Italy?

    Day trip to Venice isn’t a good idea. It’s best to stay there. Same with Rome. You can take day trips from Florence to Siena, San Gimignano, Assisi, Lucca, Bologna, etc. (I spent my senior year aboard in Florence and did my PhD research in Venice for a semester. I lived in a penthouse apartment with a terrace overlooking the Grand Canal. It was amazing. I used to help tourists figure out where they were going since I knew the city so well.)
    Last edited by georgiegirl; 11-12-2021 at 12:09 AM.
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  8. #8
    SnuggleBuggles is online now Black Diamond level (25,000+ posts)
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    Quote Originally Posted by georgiegirl View Post
    Day trip to Venice isn’t a good idea. It’s best to stay there. Same with Rome. You can take day trips from Florence to Siena, San Gimignano, Assisi, Lucca, Bologna, etc. (I spent my senior year aboard in Florence and did my PhD research in Venice for a semester. I lived in a penthouse apartment with a terrace overlooking the Grand Canal. It was amazing. I used to help tourists figure out where they were going since I knew the city so well.)
    I know it would be ideal but I’m mostly trying to explore Florence. But, I want to see Venice as a checklist item. It’s only 2 hours away via train and works for our needs. Some day maybe we will go back and settle in to see what we missed but we just have a bit less than 2 weeks and decisions had to be made.
    Thank you for the other day trip ideas!


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  9. #9
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    It may not be ideal, but you can do this! Get a 7am or 8am train to Venice. You can see the main sights in a day. As for Rome--you could see the Vatican and the Colosseum in one long day. You won't get back stage tours, etc. but you will see it and it will still be awesome. Here is a link to my trip report on Venice, Florence, and Rome with kids. You can pick and choose from this itinerary to suit your needs. I highly dislike Rome, TBH. Assisi is another day trip option from Florence. Very beautiful place.

    https://www.fodors.com/community/eur...eport-1660951/

    DH and I went to Italy on our honeymoon--2 days in Rome, then 3-4 days in Florence, then to Siena which we used as a base to tour Tuscany. You could totally use Florence as a base to tour Tuscany. We looooved the hill towns and Siena.
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  10. #10
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    Doable depending on your travel style. We didn’t think we were going to spend much time in Florence because we were using that as a base for day trips in many different directions, but ended up really enjoying the evenings there. I like your idea.


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