Italy

[figment]

Recommend, please:
We are considering Italy for our honeymoon. Which city (we can probably only afford one) would be the one to go to and center our exploration from? We would like:
* an authentic, not terribly touristy experience
* good food and wine
* beauty of some variety: architectural either modern or ancient, art, etc.
* some degree of night life
* the opportunity to drink cappuccinos in a piazza and then ride a Vespa and say "ciao"
We will probably be able to spend 5-7 days in the area we choose.

Comments

[windelina.livejournal.com]

I don't know about night life, but I've always dreamed of going to Florence.
The Cinque Terra on the west coast is supposed to be lovely small villages - too small for what you want, but maybe worth a visit if it's close to your home base.

[kaulis.livejournal.com]

For me, the greatest thing about the Uffizi was the external/internal architecture of the building, most of which was obscured or actually hidden. Unless you're into that particular time period and style of art, I'd say don't waste your time there. Also, it will be full of tourists.

I wished I'd had time to get the secret passages tour of... a palace across town... although that's also probably full of tourists.

The rest of the town is pretty, though.


The most gorgeous and "authentic" stuff we saw were a couple of tiny towns way up in the mountains north of Trento. However, Trento didn't seem like a place that would be buzzing with huge nightlife.

[whthorse.livejournal.com]

Double plus cool on the Uffizi! I saw a great exhibit there on Perspective that blew my mind.

[ilexcassine.livejournal.com]

I had fun in Florence. Its a bit touristy, but not absurdly so. Mmmm... gelato. I lived off of gelato for the 3 days I was there. So good.

[pied-piper70.livejournal.com]

Yay! Eddie Izzard reference. Yay!

[433.livejournal.com]

There are a couple good Vespa tour operators in Italy, I'll take a look when I get home and send you the info.

[katana-girl.livejournal.com]

Florence.
Rent an apartment the cost can be less than a hotel and you might get a kitchen...

Stay outside Florence but close to the end of a bus run. We stayed at the Villa Gamberaia (http://www.villagamberaia.com/en/index.php). It was a half mile walk into Settignano and the bus.

Don't eat near the tourist attractions. Eat in other parts of the city.

Fiori Porta (http://www.frommers.com/destinations/florence/D34493.html) is an enoteca that we enjoyed.

You can also take day trips to Monte Regiano and or Sangimignano from there.

For flights consider flying into a place other than pisa (which Florence shares an airport with) and taking the train up or down to Florence. We did this from Milan and it worked out well. Especially considering the completely shut down the Pisa airport for repairs before we got there.

Go just before or just after high season. It will save you money and the weather is still likely to be good.

[amblypygid.livejournal.com]

The art is great in Florence, but I've got to say I enjoy Venice a lot more, even though it's touristy. There's something about a city on water that appeals to me enormously. And it's gorgeous. Florence is pretty touristy too. To get away from that you'd probably have to go to a much smaller place. I don't remember the touristy stuff in Italy being so bad anyway; I can spend a lot of time in glass shops even if they are geared toward tourists.

[dangerdhotrod.livejournal.com]

I'd also say Florence is the best. It's close to Siena too which is a very memorable place (the last james bond movie had the scafolding fight scene in Siena).

Rome has a good nightlife, and loads of places to just walk around and look at stuff. Venice is only for couples in love, so that might work for you. I felt like Venice was way too touristy and expensive and it really seemed like all kinds of cool stuff was going on there, but I wasn't privy to it.

Florence was the best though, you walk around and it's just a cool maze of neat things to look at. The art museums are top-notch and home to some of the best paintings from the High Renaissance. You can travel around there too in the mountainous countryside with a car and there's all kinds of cool little villages around there. Man I hope to see you guys tomorrow night!

[dangerdhotrod.livejournal.com]

oh but don't rent a vespa and try to drive around there because dying on your honeymoon would suck! :) i thought the traffic there was nuts.

[septemberish.livejournal.com]

I would say either Rome or Naples, especially if you'd rather not have too touristy an experience. Florence is an easy day trip from Rome, if you want to check that out. Rome has advantage of a huge population that actually lives there, and therefore so many wonderful neighborhoods to get lost in and restaurants that aren't just tourist traps. I also mention Naples, less for the city itself than for it accessibility to the Amalfi Coast, which is the most heartstoppingly gorgeous place I've ever been. And then Naples will do you right for nightlife, cappucinos, and saying "ciao."

[redbird23.livejournal.com]

We went to Italy on our honeymoon.

We visited the Cinque Terre, which was beautiful, stunning really, but small, not a lot of art highlights or nightlife.

Florence was next. I adored Florence. Yes there are touristy parts, but they have great food, they stay up late, and just wandering the city was hours and hours of fun and enjoyment (if you go here, I have a restaurant suggestion right on the river by the Ponte Vecchio, and a small jeweler who if he's still in business you have to check him out). There is also David, and other way-cool art and architecture.

We then went to Venice, and I loved Venice too. It's a close call for me, but I think I loved Florence more, although my choice might have been different if it hadn't been rainy/misty the whole time we were in Venice. Venice has tons of neighborhoods to wander away from the crowds, and definitely has a nightlife. And tons of romance, as already noted.

Then we went to Rome. Rome had amazing sights, but also CROWDS. Tons of people, everywhere. Crowded through almost all of the sights, in the popular/cool squares and piazzas. And we could barely move in the Vatican.
That said, we loved the food, and the city was fun to walk through, and we found a couple of sights that were not really busy and I'll be happy to offer suggestions if you pick Rome.

I will now point out that we were in Italy in November. Not high season by any means. Depending on when you're going, I would probably avoid Rome if you aren't looking for crowds.

[qubit.livejournal.com]

The economic situation may have changed the crowdedness picture, in Rome and elsewhere. We were in Rome for this past Thanksgiving week and nothing was crowded, not even St. Peter's or the Colosseum. Admittedly the weather was terrible, but still.

[dddragonlady.livejournal.com]

Florence would be a good choice.

I also found Verona very fun with some sight seeing but not as touristy as Venice.