I made it back home to Paris today. I’m on a high from Alt Summit and will try to post some highlights from the week tomorrow. As soon as I got back I emptied my suitcase and started packing for a little trip to Pisa, Florence and Venice. Does anyone have hotel recommendations for Florence and Venice? I’m looking for something special, clean, that isn’t crazy expensive. I’m always grateful for food recommendations too!
photo from Urban Country 1st Dibs via Bonnie
Caitlyn
January 25, 2012
Hi Jordan!
I stayed at the Hotel Palazzo Ricasoli in Florence. It’s a refurbished monastery, so all the rooms are pretty unique and some have views of Il Duomo. I loved it! It’s also pretty close to the train stations / transportation.
Buon Viaggio!
Caitlyn
Ashley
January 25, 2012
i stayed in hotel flora when i visited venice. it’s quaint and classic, with a lovely little garden area in the center (perfect if you find yourself there on a nice day). the staff was super friendly and eager to help. it’s a great city. you’re going to love it!
http://www.hotelflora.it/en/
Libby
January 25, 2012
Depending on the weather… I totally reccomend camping in Florence.
We stayed at this amazing little place close to downtown… We enjoyed the walk over the river everyday, the site is near tones of sculptures… and we could watch the sunset over the city at the top of the hill. The campsite has beautiful plum trees, a great little bar and cute little huts that make you feel quite adventurous… AND IS SO CHEAP!
http://www.plushostels.com/pluscampingmichelangelo
giulia
January 25, 2012
I am half Italian and I have three little brothers. I have been to Venice and Florence however, since I am only fifteen I can’t give very good hotel tips and stuff because I don’t control the money in this family. But I will give you a list of to dos in each city. experiences that can change a trip completely and can make you feel like a local 🙂
little things to do in Florence:
– rent a car (well, okay, that is not very little) and drive through Tuscany, the outside of Florence. Stop at a small borgo (village, group of houses) for ice cream in the afternoon and if you can make it to put the kids in the car and find a borgo early, eat breakfast in un cafè and let the kids play in the parc. Ask the bar/cafe tender to give you advice on where to go to lunch (they will send you to some really good unknown to foreign trattoria), or, get directions to a supermarket, buy food, drive a little more and stop wherever you want to have a picnic.
– in florence, investigate, explore the streets to find the most creative businesses, restaurants and little shops.
– also, it is okay to stop more than once to eat gelato. actually, it is required to eat three scoops every afternoon.
– there are these staircases that go from piazzale michelangelo (in a hill) to the bottom of the hill. most tourists take the sightseeing bus. walk.
HOTEL: we stayed at http://www.borgoponeta.it/farmhouse/farmhouse-home.php, it is a real old village where they restored few of the houses into apartments they rent. As a kid, I loved exploring every corner and finding all the secret shortcuts. and making friends with the locals cats, and secretely climbing a wall to see the locals work (oil and wine).
little things in Venice:
– check online if there is going to be “acqua alta”. read about it and prepare with boots.
– if it happens, go to a cafe next to the grand canale and be amazed at how locals just walk into a flooded cafe and have their breakfast sitting in chairs with water up to their mid shin!
– on a weekday morning, wake up early and wander a little until you find a good lokking cafe. have breakfast there
– gondolas are beautiful. they are super expensive. there are these really long ones that cross the grand canal at various points. people have to stand up in line (locals use it all the time, to move around), and therefore they are veeeeeery cheap. and it iss short so kids dont get bored (maybe you have to cross three times though!)
– venice is a place for artists! and the art shops are beeeeeUtiful! walk in every single one you seee.
– don’t leave if you haven’t been in a paper store
– try on masks in a mask store
– visit murano island
– take the traghetto to move around
– drink hot chocolate
-eat real good pizza
– buy glass jewerly pieces as souvenirs.
– get lost in the least common neighborhoods, the one at the top and the one at the bottom (you’ll understand better with a map) are great for this kind of adventures: hot chocolate, cute art shops, small churches, tiny canals, nice people
Sandra S.
January 25, 2012
Highly, highly recommended hotel in Florence:
NH Porta Rossa. Great location, excellent breakfast, beautiful, spacious rooms (some with 18th century frescoes). Happy to accommodate families with children. We have stayed here 3 times. And very reasonably priced.
As for dining (all are kid friendly):
Trattoria Camillo, Borgo San Jacopo 57r. The pear cake is heavenly. And everything else I’ve eaten there is sublime. You must try the ribollita.
Yellow Bar, via del Proconsolo, 39. For the best pizza’s.
Quattro Leoni, Via de’ Vellutini, 1. Excellent food.
When in Venice, do get lost (as other commenters have suggested) it really is such a magnificent way to explore Venice. And if you have the time, visit Burano.
Enjoy!
aly
January 26, 2012
It’s already been said in other comments, but I must say it again because it was truly the best meal of my life: Il Latini. Go! Order the ribollita!
Faith
January 26, 2012
We were just in Paris and Venice back in December. We had a great hotel in Venice! Hotel Splendid Venice by StarHotels. My mother-in-law stayed there a couple of years ago and recommended it. We called the hotel for prices, but ended up getting a better deal by booking it through http://www.booking.com. The hotel is pretty new by Venice standards, the rooms are very clean, roomy and have a nice, neutral decor. All the rooms seem to have windows and have a light and airy feeling. The bathrooms are modern with televisions also in the bathroom and wi-fi is available in the rooms. A nice breakfast is included. The concierge that we dealt with was very helpful and spoke English fluently. The hotel is near San Marco square, but if you stay there, the easiest and cheapest way to arrive is to buy a Vaporetto Pass or water bus pass for the length of time you will be staying in Venice and take it to the Rialto Bridge stop. If you go to the San Marco square stop, it is a much longer walk. The info for the hotel is: phone +39 041 5200755 613. The address is San Marco Mercerie, 760 San Marco, Venice, 30124, Italy. The website is http://splendidvenice.starhotels.com/en/home.aspx. Also, if you buy the correct Vaporetto pass, you can use it an unlimited number of times to go to many different stops. We went to the Island of Murano to see the glass factory using our pass.
We also ate at a wonderful neighborhood restaurant, that is a little bit difficult to find, but it was totally authentic and had no tourists dining…only locals. The atmosphere was quintessentially Italian- it is a small restaurant with very few tables. I’d have the concierge make a reservation for you. There were no menus in English, so a nice Italian Architect sitting near us ordered our complete meal for us. It was hands down one of the best Italian meals I’ve ever had, and very unique. There is a specialty dish there that uses these small (tiny) shrimp that are only found near and around Venice. It was made with a delicious, creamy risotto. It was so all so good, we went back and had it again the next evening. The only problem is, I can’t think of the name now, but as soon I as get home, I’ll look it up and post the name and number for you!
I hope you love Venice as much as we did. I’m so excited right now reminiscing about the wonderful time we had!
Faith
January 26, 2012
Also, be careful about some hotels. Some can have a foul odor that will linger in the rooms. It is probably totally normal because of the canals and the odor that lingers in the concrete/bricks/stucco of the buildings (worse in the summer); however, we were warned that even though it’s probably not a sign of anything unclean or harmful, it can be really nauseating night after night. The Hotel Splendid Venice is newer and had no odor at all.
Ruth
January 26, 2012
My husband has stayed in Florence for the past couple summers, so he has tons of favorite restaurants and things to do. For a moderately priced option: Ristorante Pizzeria I Ghibellini. Get the pizza ai quatro formaggi with salamino picante aggiuntato. I can attest that it was pretty incredible. More expensive option is: Ristorante Cibreo. Grom is an international chain, but it’s very high quality, and it’s his favorite for gelato. Vestri is a local chocalatier, so if you’re looking for chocolate gelato, that’s the place to go. They all have websites to look them up and get addresses.
Sue
January 27, 2012
It’s been a while (6 years), but last time I was in Florence, we stayed here http://www.florencegrandtour.com/ which is located in a residential area in the center of town. In fact, when I studied abroad in Florence, I lived right next door! The B&B is an old theater and the owners are a couple who live right there. They are lovely and the rooms are a great mix of traditional with contemporary touches. We enjoyed the Il Cantante double room (quieter since it’s not facing the street) looking over the same garden view I enjoyed from my apartment. The central market (and ZaZa) is only a few blocks away. This might seem like an odd food recommendation, but I Due Fratellini http://iduefratellini.com/ (I can’t believe they have a webpage!) is literally a hole in the wall where they make delicious sandwiches that you can eat on the sidewalk like the locals. Buy a glass of wine too and rest it on the hanging shelves while you eat your sandwich. I am partial to the #14 fennel salami with goat cheese. Sometimes when you’re on the go, you don’t want a long lunch at a sit down restaurant and so this place is perfect!
Tessa
January 27, 2012
I lived here for a bit, so I definitely wanted to extend my recommendations! Hope you have a blast in the most beautiful city in the world:
Eateries:
Teatro del Sale: a completely unique dining experience and the best meal I had in Florence. Go a little early with a HUGE appetite and get a membership. (I think it’s 10 euro a person.) Then you can go the same night for dinner–10 or so little courses, with an awesome show following! (about 40 euro total)
Salumeria Verdi: The best sandwich in Florence. Try one of the pastas and a panino! Pino is the owner (the only guy who works there) and he also runs a wine tasting at his other place called Pozzo Divino (I couldn’t find it on Google maps). Just ask him what nights he is doing tastings when you head in for a panino and he’ll sign you up for one! Definitely one of the coolest experiences I had in Florence. Nobody in Florence knows Italian wine like Pino!
Perche No: My favorite Gelateria in Florence. If they have the Rosa naturale flavor, you MUST try it! So incredibly delicious. They also have a great banana and coffee crunch.
Vestri: AMAZING chocolate and gelato! You must try their chocolate orange flavor (something like cioccolato all’aranacia) and their fior di latte!
Gusta Pizza: The best pizza in the center of town. Order a plain ol’ margherita and if you like spicy, be sure to ask where their spicy oil is when you get your pizza.
La Casalinga: A great, inexpensive trattoria near Gusta Pizza. This is tuscan cooking/eating at its very truest. They have great secondi (meats), but try a pasta also!
Acqua al 2: Yes there is one in San Diego and D.C., but it’s still great Italian cooking. Order the Balsamic Steak for a truly amazing dinner. ( I think it’s called bisteca al aceto balsamico?)
Leather:
Rive Gauche: My favorite place for leather in Florence (along with the Florence School of Leather right behind Santa Croce–definitely a cooler cultural experience). They have well-priced, handmade leather shoes there that are just gorgeous. I got a pair of leather riding boots there that I just can’t take off 🙂
IF YOU CAN SWING IT, DO THIS. IT WILL BE THE BEST DECISION OF YOUR LIFE:
Sant’Anna in Camprena (http://www.flickr.com/photos/skywalkerbeth/704187521/sizes/l/in/photostream/): This is where I would spend my last day on earth if I had the choice. It’s about a 2 hr drive from Florence (a really calm drive if you rent from the airport since you just hop right on the autostrada from there) and has views unlike ANYTHING you’ve ever seen. It’s a 15th century monastery and has been converted into an agriturismo run by a lovely woman and her husband. I think it’s around 80 Euro a night to stay and make sure to go on a night when they’re serving dinner (maybe 20 euro extra). They weren’t serving dinner the night we were there, but we heard the food was UNREAL traditional tuscan fare. It’s such an AMAZING experience, I cannot urge you enough to check it out. Do not be intimidated by driving in Italy! As long as you stay out of city centers, it’s totally relaxed. (Again, your best bet would be to rent from the airport.) We didn’t have a single problem. If I could recommend only one thing to do while in Italy, this would be it. And if you go, be sure to check out Pienza (the country’s pecorino cheese capital) just a few miles away from it.
Aly D
January 29, 2012
when we were looking for hotels in italy, we wanted to find some with italian charm at an affordable price in a convenient area.
in venice- Ca’ Malipiero. we had a room facing the square- it was gorgeous!
in florence- Hotel Berna. francesca, the receptionist is hilarious! she definitely makes you feel at home.
we found our hotels on hostels.com. you can search for hotels by price, rating, etc.
happy searching! can’t wait to hear about your trip!