Milan, Florence, Sorrento and Bologna - Our (Finalized) 2016 Itinerary

   Still planning your itinerary? I've been working on ours since my last post on June 5th. It is no longer just a hypothetical possibility - flights are booked and paid for - Boston to Milan's Linate Airport on Aer Lingus changing planes in Dublin. Got another super airfare ($1336 total for 2 round trips - there are a few even cheaper air fares available now on Swiss and Lufthansa) for an early November departure before election day. We'll definitely be voting, though, via absentee ballots.

Milan, on our way to see da Vinci's The Last Supper.

   Having already visited several cities like San Gimignano and Siena two times each, we have decided to explore a bit more of this beautiful country this time. This left us with many great choices, as usual. Since we'll be spending our first and last nights in Milan, we thought that would be enough having been there for four nights last year. Florence is always one of our destination cities because we love it and now, we have friends there. Bologna also deserved another look, especially with an eye toward new days trips from there. Staying in Riomaggiore, Cinque Terre seemed like an attractive option, too. Getting to experience Arezzo's huge antique fair was also on my list of things to do. From Arezzo we could easily visit Cortona. Both towns would be new to us.

Leonardo da Vinci statue in Milan.

   Those considerations made for some easy decisions for our itinerary. So, I got out a calendar and started jotting down days and cities. Here is the first draft of our itinerary with day trips from each city we would stay in and the (number) of nights in each base city:

Draft Itinerary #1

Milan (1)
Florence (5) - Fiesole, Prato, Portovenere (overnight?), Pistoia
Arezzo (4) - Cortona, Montepulciano, Montalcino
Bologna (4) - Ravenna, Modena, Verona
Milan (1) - Como

Not a bad looking trip, but after more conversation, research and nine revisions, here is our final itinerary for our 15 day trip in November. You'll notice some significant changes from Itinerary #1 with some cities missing and others added. When we learned that our regular Florence apartments would not be available this year, we decided to spend less time there and expand our visits to Sorrento and Bologna. We have never seen the Amalfi Coast so that change kind of pushed us out of our familiar nest in Florence. While it will be the longest train trip (about 3 1/2 hours total), we know it will be worth it. The choice of Sorrento over Riomaggiore was also partially made because we are hoping to increase our chances of better weather a bit by heading further south. We'll see how that pans out...

Near the Duomo in Siena.

Itinerary #9

Milan (1) take it easy day
Florence (3) - Arezzo, Cortona, Fiesole
Sorrento (5) - Capri, Amalfi, Positano, Ravello, Pompeii
Bologna (5) - Ravenna, Modena, Ferrara
Milan (1) take it easy day

   This plan represents more train travel with our luggage than we have done in the past, but our experience doing that last year has given us some confidence. Plus, we are already planning to pack less clothing than last year so that we can more easily handle our suitcases. In 2015, instead taking one large suitcase and one medium one, we packed only one medium suitcase! Since we knew that we would have access to a washing machine in the apartment in Florence, we brought the clothes we each needed for one week even though it was a two week trip. This time, each of the three apartments we are renting has a washing machine. One even has a dryer! So, hopefully, we can pack even less than before. We may try to reduce what we take to fit in two carry-on bags and not check any luggage so we don't have to spend extra time in the Milan airport.

   Because we have already booked the dates and the apartments for each stay, we know when we'll be traveling, so we can take advantage of some great prices on train tickets by buying them online before we leave home. Sometimes the savings can be as much as 70%! For the day trips, we'll buy our regional train or bus tickets the day of or the day before those excursions. We will still have the flexibility to change our itinerary for our day trips as we choose to add/subtract places to see.

   Well, with four months to go before we leave, we have booked and paid for our flights, settled on a great itinerary and reserved all of our lodging. Pretty good preparations, so far. We still need to purchase our train tickets on the Trenitalia  and/or Italotreno for Milan to Florence, Florence to Naples (Sorrento), Naples to Bologna and Bologna to Milan. I've checked all of the prices for the regional trains for our day trips, as well. Still left to do: check out some smaller luggage options, go to AAA to get some euros, reserve rental cars for transportation to/from Boston's Logan Airport and do some more research on places we want to visit. Were well on our way and are excited to be embarking on another adventure to Italy!

   Next up - Buying Your Train Tickets Online Before You get To Italy

November Itinerary - Choosing Places to Visit

   Last November, when we decided at the last minute to go to Italy again, we worried a bit about the weather so late in the year. All we had read suggested that we would likely encounter more clouds and rain than we had on our other trips in June, July, September and October. It turned out that the bargain airfare we had been alerted to, convinced us to take the chance. We were glad we did.

   Since our plane tickets on Aer Lingus would bring us into Milan's Linate Airport instead of Florence's Amerigo Vespucci (Peretola) Airport, we planned a different itinerary as we made our way to our favorite city of Florence. Spending three nights in Milan enabled us to take day trips to Varenna and Bellagio on Lake Como and to Bergamo. Meanwhile, we got a taste of the big modern city of Milano.

   From there, we were off to Bologna by train to our rented apartment for three days. We spent two days exploring the beautiful porticoed city before taking a day trip to Parma by train. Then, we were off again to Florence, just 35 minutes away by fast train, for seven days. From our self-catering, Aurora apartment, we visited the town of San Miniato for its great November Festival of the White Truffle (by train), Siena by the "Rapide" bus, Fiesole by city bus #7 (literally just 15 minutes away), the beautiful town of Montecarlo with friends from Florence and, we enjoyed walking around Florence taking in its beauty.

San Miniato Truffle Festival (4 photos).

   We boarded the train to return to Milan for our flight home the next day. Our only reservation in Milan was to see the Leonardo da Vinci's Last Supper (book tickets months ahead of time) the night before we left. We ended up getting our tickets last year from Select Italy for 18 euros (about $20) each because the site itself was sold out. It seems their price has gone up to $25 this year, but it's still a better price than taking a $55 tour.

Milan's Duomo, the Cathedral of Santa Maria Nascente.

Lake Como.

Riding up the funicolare in Bergamo.

Cafe near the Duomo in Florence, Antico Ristorante Sasso di Dante.

   More than once, during our 14 days in Italy, we heard people say that the weather was very unusual for November. We couldn't complain about the pleasant sunny days with temperatures in the upper 60s! There were a couple of cloudy days and a rain shower once or twice, but the most rain we encountered happened as we traveled on the train from Florence to Milan on our next to last day there.

Nice little trattoria near the Duomo.

   So, here we are wondering if our luck could hold out for another November stay in Italy. With the possibility of another cheap airfare, it's certainly an option. Once the tickets have been booked, it will be time to start considering where to go and what to see. We have visited a pretty considerable list of cities and sights in our three previous trips to Italy, but there is still so much to see. The more-than-reasonable plane tickets may once again fly us into Milan, so we would start out our travels in northern Italy about an hour and forty minutes from Florence.

   Here are the towns we're considering for another November journey and some day trips to go with them:

Milan (1 night)
Bologna (2-3 nights) - Ravenna, Modena, Verona
Venice (1-2 nights) for the third time OR
Arezzo (2-3 nights)-Cortona, Montepulciano, Montalcino
Riomaggiore, Cinque Terre (3 nights)- Portovenere, Genoa, Levanto OR
Amalfi (3 nights) - Pompei, Positano, Sorrento, Salerno
Florence (4-5 nights) - Pistoia, Portovenere (overnight?), Arezzo, Cortona (overnight?) , Pisa (again)
Milan (1 night)



   We'd like to see a few totally different cities while using some of the ones we've been to as bases for exploring an area. It would be more ideal for us to fly into Rome or Naples for a visit to the Amalfi Coast, but since we'll probably start out in Milan, we'll just make the best of it. All of our train trips while in Italy have enjoyable and without incident. That leaves us pretty comfortable taking a 2-4 hour train ride to get to a place like Amalfi, Portovenere or Riomaggiore. Especially when staying in any one of those places for a couple of days will be much less hectic than taking a day trip there.

   That leaves us with only the weather as a concern. There is so much pertinent information to be found by Googling "weather averages in Italy." I learned today that much of Italy has an average of between 8 and 10 rainy days in November, so the odds are still in our favor of staying dry, and even seeing the sun, on some of our 15 days there.

   I've already begun a search for self-catering apartments in several cities and found that prices are so much lower in November than between May and October. Check back for my progress developing an itinerary to see where we might go.

When To Go; Which Month Will Work For You?

   On our first Italian adventure in June/July 2011, we chose to travel at the end of June into the beginning of July because Debbie was still employed at a local high school. The summer off provided us with the two weeks we wanted to make our trip. Traveling during the peak Summer season has its rewards and drawbacks. Since we were going to be basing our trips in Florence, Tuscany, we were almost guaranteed beautiful and very warm weather. The downside was that the tourists crowds we were joining would be huge. Plane fares, apartment rentals, hotel room rates and just about everything else, would be more pricey than in the late Fall or early Spring. Our second reason for choosing late June was that I wanted to celebrate my 64th birthday there. I couldn't change that date! Our day trip to San Gimignano provided a great back- drop for my big day.

Cinque Terre, 2011.

Piazza San Marco, Venice.

   Fast forward to 2014, when we decided, along with another couple to visit Italy in late September, early October to celebrate another birthday, this time in the Cinque Terre town of Riomaggiore. We thought that our plane fares might be cheaper so late in the season, but three years of price increases prevented that, so we ended up still paying more than in 2011. We paid the same price per night for the Casa Iris apartment in Florence that we had rented in 2011 and our one night stay in a the beautiful Appartamento Giovanna in Riomaggiore was less costly than it would have been in July. Still, the exchange rate was a money saver for us that year, as well. Crowds were noticeably smaller, but still large. The weather was nearly perfect - warm and sunny every day!

Florence, cafe near the Duomo.

Florence, the Duomo.

   A little more than a year later, in November of 2015, Debbie and I took another trip to Italy, yes, you guessed it, to celebrate Debbie's 65th birthday in Varenna on Lake Como. Our bargain flights on Aer Lingus, took us to Milan's Linate Airport for the first time. Air fares drop considerably in November and on into the winter months (except around major holidays). Hotel and apartment rental rates were extremely reasonable throughout our stay. Crowds were non-existent. We were aware of other tourists and met quite a few, especially waiting for trains, but the piazzas, restaurants and major sites were uncrowded. This was a pleasant change from other trips.

   One thing to be aware of, however, is the distinct possibility that some hotels and restaurants might close for the winter as early as the first week of November. While we found that to be true at Lake Como, we didn't have any difficulty finding excellent places to eat or have a glass of wine. Also, in places like Lake Como, ferries and water taxis might not run as often as in the peak season. Friends we know in Italy told us that we were fortunate to have such nice weather for our November stay. Usually, the weather would have included more dismal, cool and rainy days. We had just two slightly rainy days out of fourteen, with sunshine and temperatures between 60 and 70 degrees everyday. We couldn't have asked for better weather! To top that off, the exchange rate was by far the lowest we had experienced on our three trips to Italy.


One last note - since we were traveling between cities by train on our last trip and were carrying our luggage, even though the temps were cooler than in summer, we reduced our wardrobe considerably and brought only one medium sized suitcase between the two of us. We brought a few more sweaters (which we were lucky enough not to need most of the time), but less of everything else. Half way into our stay, we used the washing machine in our rental apartment which allowed us to bring less clothes. Just something to think about...
   When to travel to Italy is a personal decision you will need to make based on what time you have, where and when you want to go, your budget and whose birthday you wish to celebrate in Florence, Rome or Venice...

   I'm sure that we'll go in November again, maybe even this year...and just hope for beautiful weather.

Siena, Piazza del Campo.

Florence Piazza della Repubblica

Check Out This Fall Airfare - Hartford, CT (BDL) to Dublin, Ireland (DUB) to Milan, Italy (LIN)

If you're planning a trip to Italy this Fall, you might want to look at Aer Lingus which will begin flights from Bradley International Airport (BDL) to Dublin, Ireland and beyond. I just checked a flight from BDL to Dublin Airport (DUB) for early October. Economy round trip is $566. Add to that, DUB to Milan's Linate Airport (LIN) for $80 and you get a great price of $646 RT. So, if there are two of traveling, your air fare would be about $1292 total. Be sure to check baggage restrictions and costs. We flew Aer Lingus to Milan last November and were allowed one checked bag each at no charge. You can even work in a couple days in Dublin on the way or on the way back. Might be worth checking this out. I know, we are!

On our return from Italy last November.

Buying Train Tickets Before You Leave Home

   So, you're planning your great adventure to Italy! As you Google through countless beautiful photos trying to decide where to go once you get there, you should also be figuring out you're going to get to those places once you are in Italy. Will you rent a car and drive everywhere, will you sign up for a tour or will you venture out into the real country with Italians on a train? Traveling to rural areas and not going by anyone else's schedule might be attractive enough to you to rent a car. If so, here is a site with a lot of good info on driving in Italy. Remember, a car can be fairly useless in the big cities unless you're a resident and, even then, there might be very restricted driving in the city centers and less parking.

Italian train station, Florence.

   Of course, everyone may not be comfortable with driving or arranging their own train travel. Traveling with a group on an escorted tour of Rome, Venice and Florence or other areas may have advantages for people who want a planned itinerary. Here is a site that might help you in your decision about using an escorted tour.

   We have yet to rent a car on our three trips to Tuscany and we feel very positive that train travel has not hindered our ability to see everything we'd like. Still, it's good to know that there are hundreds of day tours you can arrange before you go or after you get there. One very reliable tour reservation provider that we used twice on our 2011 trip was Viator. We took a half day Chianti wine country tour and a full day walking, train, boat tour of Cinque Terre. The wine tour was especially nice because otherwise, without a car, we might not have seen the beautiful Tuscan scenery up close. We totally enjoyed both tours and taking a break from being responsible for planning each day was just great!

Greve in Chianti on 1/2 day wine tour.

A view from the Castello di Querceto Winery, Greve in Chianti.

Cinque Terre view on full day walking, train and boat tour.

   Since, we weren't going to have a car, we needed to plan a few of our train trips before leaving home. Once, we had developed a draft itinerary, we headed to the Trenitalia site for train ticket information. This past year, because we had lodging reservations for three cities and we knew for certain when we had to travel, we bought three important train tickets before we left home: 1) Milan to Bologna- 18 euros ($20) for two, 2) Bologna to Florence - 26 euros ( $29) for two,  and 3) Florence back to Milan for our flight home - 34 euros ($38) for two.  By buying these tickets on the Trenitalia site this way we saved 40-75% on each ticket. All of our tickets were 2nd Class on the fast trains, Frecciargento and Frecciarossa. We were aware that once these tickets were purchased we would have to travel on the days we had selected and there could be no changes or refunds. It is possible for these trains to be sold out if you wait too long, especially for popular routes like Florence-Venice, Florence-Milan and Florence-Rome. On our first trip in 2011, we bought our train tickets for our day trip from Florence to Venice (Venezia S. Lucia station) at Santa Maria Novella train station (Firenze SMN) in Florence a couple days ahead of time. We paid 86 euros ($125) each round trip RT, but in 2014, we purchased our tickets online at least a month before leaving home and paid just $65 each RT. Two advantages we had in 2014 - buying online in advance and a much better exchange rate (please see my earlier post, "How Much Does It Cost." Also in 2014, we took a day trip to Rome from Florence on Italotreno; the tickets cost 36 euros each ($48) RT which was a great deal! Those were advance online purchases, too.

From Rick Steves:

• "Advance-purchase discounts are available online for reserved, medium-speed and faster trains (but not regional trains), and come in three price levels: "Super Economy" (up to 75 percent off), "Economy," and "Base" (full, unrestricted) fare. Privately owned Italo trains have similar advance-purchase rates between major cities."

   Tickets on regional trains usually can not be purchased more than 7 days in advance, but the trains do not sell out. Tickets can be bought the day of travel, if you like, but still get to the train station early to buy your tickets. There could be long lines at the ticket counter and at the machines. One warning: don't accept ticket help from anyone who isn't an official train station employee, especially at the machines. Also, it's good to remember, in my opinion,  that 2nd Class tickets save you money and there is little difference in ambiance between 2nd and 1st Class travel on Italian trains.

   On our last trip we traveled between three cities on trains with our luggage never out of our sight. The toughest part was lifting our one medium suitcase onto the train, but we managed with only the loss of the newspaper I had just bought to read on the train. Oops!There is a lot to learn about train travel and the best way to do that is to just go to the train station and buy your tickets and go. What's the worst that can happen? You might end up in the wrong town...that might work out perfectly in Italy! We have never really experienced a problem traveling by train in Italy. The train service is a far cry from what is available in the US - there is no comparison. The trains go almost everywhere and they go there often. It is a wonderful and easy way to travel, even with your luggage.

Milano Centrale Train Station.

Some of our validated train tickets...
Don't forget to validate your train tickets before you board the train and avoid a very large fine!

All aboard! Well, no one says that...

Other train (or bus) trips in 2014 and 2015 with prices from Florence (Firenze):

Riomaggiore via La Spezia (Cinque Terre) RT -  $78 each

Lucca RT - $25 each

San Gimignano (bus) RT - $19 ea.

Siena (bus) RT - $18 ea.

Pisa (and Livorno) RT - $24 ea.

San Miniato-Fuceccio RT - $12 ea.

Milan to Varenna-Esino (via Lecco) RT $15 ea.

Bologna to Parma (via Modena) RT $16 ea.

Here are two photos from our excursion to the  fantastic San Miniato White Truffle Festival last November:

Visit Fiesole from Florence on Bus #7...

Please take a look at my Facebook page for "Italy Is Waiting For You - Get Going."

https://www.facebook.com/italyiswaitingforyou/posts/464124277111988

Fiesole Bistro Caffe al N5 in November. 

Self-catering Apartments - Are They Right For You? Part 4: Bologna Flat w/ Green Courtyard

   Whether to stay in a hotel or rent an apartment are a couple of choices you will have for lodging when taking a trip to Italy. If you prefer to be able to make some of your own meals and live in an Italian neighborhood, renting a self-catering apartment could be for you. Each time we have gone to Italy since 2011, we have rented an apartment. I have described the apartments in Florence and Riomaggiore in previous posts.

   Preparing for our trip in November 2015, I searched Flipkey for an apartment in Bologna. After reading the reviews, viewing photos and checking the location, we picked the "Bologna flat with green courtyard." Debbie and I were both happy that I did. The apartment (also now on airbnb UK with great photos) turned out to be perfect for us. While the apartment is a one bedroom, there is a sofa bed in the living room that would be perfect for children. Being somewhere outside the city center in an Italian family neighborhood was important to us and this apartment fit the bill.

My photo of a Bologna portico on Saragozza with dog waiting.

Debbie relaxing at the apartment in Bologna.

   Here is my Tripadvisor amended review:

"This was  perfect and cozy apartment for our first visit to Bologna. The owner, Michelle, met us at the door with a warm welcome and a big smile. She spoke English very well to counter our beginner's Italian. Michelle had stocked the kitchen with all the essentials for breakfast: yogurt, butter, jam, bread, orange juice, milk, bottled water, coffee and a delicious pastry tart. The spotlessly clean flat was perfect for the two of us. We loved it the minute we walked in. We are in our mid to late 60s and don't mind walking, and chose the location outside the city center for that reason. Our walk to Piazza Maggiore in the city center, almost all under beautiful Bologna porticos, took 15 to 20 minutes. Since we were there in mid-November, we did a bit of walking to the city center and back after dark and always felt very safe. If walking isn't for you (and you don't have a car) there is a bus stop just steps from the apartment door. There is a supermarket, IN'S Mercato Spa about 3/10 of a mile down the street (Saragozza) - very convenient for all grocery needs, including wine. We loved staying in a truly Italian neighborhood. Michelle has prepared an extensive guide to Bologna suggesting sights to see, restaurants and just about anything else you might need to know to make your stay a great one. She also arranged for our taxi to the train station for out train to Florence. Debbie and I highly recommend "Casa Corsica," the Bologna flat with green courtyard."

Kitchen (owner's photo)

Living room and bedroom to the left (owner's photo).

 

Courtyard and entrance (owner's photo).

Kitchen (owner's photo)

Bathroom (owner's photo)

Patio (owner's photo)

Michelle's description of her apartment on airbnb:
"A charming self-contained flat, which has been recently renovated, situated in a typical bolognaise building of the late nineteen century. It is at the end of a private street, four hundred meters from Porta Saragozza and twenty minutes walk from Piazza Maggiore. 
The flat is on the first floor and is composed of a double-bedroom, a sitting room with a sofa-bed (king-size bed or 2 single beds)), an equipped kitchen and a bath with a shower.
There is free internet and wifi connection, fans on the ceiling and italian tv.
We live in the apartment above.
The flat is near grocery stores, restaurants, public gardens and bus-stops.
During the summer you can relax or have a drink in the charming internal court yard after having visited the town."

Up coming posts will include tips on buying train tickets before you leave home,  traveling by train, sights to see and how to react to panhandlers (beggars) you might encounter.

Self-catering Apartments - Are They Right For You? Part 3: Riomaggiore Appartamento Giovanna

   On our first two trips to Italy we stayed in Florence and took fantastic day trips to see the sights in other towns and cities. Traveling several times by high speed trains of Trenitalia and Italotreno, it was fairly easy to visit Venice and Rome just for a day. And, if you buy your tickets online before you leave for Italy, you can save as much as 50%,  but be aware if you do that, you probably won't be able to change your ticket or your travel dates. Though trying to see Venice or Rome in just a day may seem impossible (it is), but in just two hours you can be in Venice, where you can walk around for 5-8 hours, have lunch, aperitivo, wine, take the Vaporetto on the Grand Canal to St. Mark's, and cross the Rialto Bridge. In Rome, you can see the Pantheon,  Trevi Fountain, the Colosseum and have lunch before boarding your train for the two hour trip back to Florence. We just wanted to be sure to get a taste in the event that we were unable to return to Italy. Another place we saw on our first trip was Cinque Terre. We signed up for a full day hiking tour that took us by air-conditioned coach to Cinque Terre (more on the tour in another post). It's a fairly long trip whether on a tour bus or taking the train on your own. We left Florence at about 8:30 in the morning and didn't return until 8:30 in the evening. A long day, but a good value and well worth the time.

Cinque Terre scene.

View from Appartamento Giovanna in Riomaggiore..

View from Appartamento Giovanna in Riomaggiore.

   On our second trip in 2014, this one with another couple, we chose Cinque Terre as a great place to celebrate my sister-in-law's 60th birthday on September 29th. To do this, we needed a more relaxed adventure, so we rented an apartment in Riomaggiore, one of the five towns. All four of us packed small travel bags for our overnight trip. We were traveling light on regional trains! We kept our apartment in Florence, as well.

   I searched on Booking.com to find a budget friendly apartment in Riomaggiore. After checking on a few places and reading the reviews, I selected a nice one bedroom apartment with stunning views of the sea and town. Appartamento Giovanna fit the bill perfectly. The cost was $162 split two ways. There was a double sofa bed in the living area along with the very nice bedroom, so the four of us were quite comfortable for one night.The apartment has a fully equipped kitchenette for making meals along with a dining and a living area (all one room). While the place was small and cozy, it was also spotlessly clean. We knew it was a fantastic choice!

Appartamento Giovanna - Riomaggiore, Cinque Terre.

Some of the provisions at Appartamento Giavanna.

Kitchen

Living & Dining Area. Bedroom doorway.

   Here is my Booking.com review of Appartamento Giovanna:

   Location, cleanliness, amenities and extras like, wine, pasta, coffee, tea, jelly, croissants, soap, towels - everything we needed! The provisions were above and beyond! Frederika took our call and sent Paulo to lead us up to the apartment. Paulo met us at the train station and walked with us to the apartment the most scenic way. Breathtaking views. And, Giovanna was waiting for us at the apartment. She was so friendly, helpful and just plain wonderful! The apartment was bright, cheery, super clean and seemed brand new. It comes with such fantastic views. Just steps down to the center of town and the sea. Everything was perfect! We do hope to rent this apartment again for a longer stay. We would totally recommend Appartamento Giovanna!

(While we liked everything and it all worked out perfectly for the four of us, someone with mobility/physical conditioning concerns should know that it is an uphill walk from the train station (on the street, sidewalks and stairs) all the way from the town center.)

   The walk down the hill into the center of town and the sea takes about 8 minutes; going back up to the apartment takes about 12 minutes. The sights are beautiful all the way. There are plenty of restaurants,
gelato shops and pizza places to choose from as you walk. Be sure to be at the water's edge for a spectacular sunset. Plan ahead and make a reservation at one of the restaurants facing the Ligurian Sea. We had a nice lunch with wine overlooking the stunning sea view at Bar Conchiglila. We had dinner at Enoteca Dau Cilla, but were unable to get a table outside with a view. We had tried earlier in the day to make a reservation for a table outside, but we were too late. However, the unique grotto-like room where we ate our dinner was just perfect. And, we had enjoyed the spectacular sunset before dinner!

Lunch check for four.

Reserve a table for dinner in Riomaggiore.

Riomaggiore sunset!

   From our wonderful experience, I highly recommend Giovanna's apartment to anyone who desires a super clean, well-equipped, modern apartment with stunning views in a great location. I would suggest making your reservation early.

  Up in my next post - our fantastic self-catering apartment in Bologna...



 

Self-catering Apartments - Are They Right For You? Part 2: Florence Aurora Apartment

  Yes, there are a myriad of choices when it comes to finding lodging in Italy, specifically in Tuscany. Villas, hostels, campgrounds, hotels, apartments and, even convents. Whatever your preference, do your homework by reading reviews, visiting websites, studying photos, mapping out the location, contacting owners with your questions and  talking to friends who have already visited. Having done all that, you can be pretty confident with your choice for places to stay.

   When we first began looking for an apartment to rent in Florence back in 2011, we were so impressed with the Tripadvisor reviews for the Aurora Apartment (see photos and reviews) and its owners that we immediately requested a reservation. Much to our disappointment, the apartment was already booked for several of the days of our stay, but Gabriele, the owner mentioned that he had a three bedroom apartment, Casa Iris (please see my previous post), that was undergoing a complete remodel and would be ready in time for our stay. We did rent that apartment in 2011 and in 2014 when we returned with friends.

   Contacting Gabriele while making plans for our last-minute adventure to Tuscany in September 2015, we asked if Aurora would be available? Fortunately, we were able to reserve the apartment this time for our seven day stay in Florence, after spending three days in Milan and 3 days in Bologna on the way. Aurora is on the same street as Casa Iris but closer to Piazza della Liberta.

Via Madonna Della Tosse looking toward Piazza della Liberta.

Via Madonna Della Tosse looking toward the parking garage entrance.

   So, fast-forward to November 14, 2015 when we got our first in-person look at Aurora. Just perfect! The building is very safe and secure.  While smaller than Casa Iris, it is fully equipped with stove, refrigerator, clothes washer, pots & pans, dishes, microwave, dishwasher, toaster, coffee maker, hair dryer, iron and ironing board, TV/DVD player, heat and air conditioning (that you control) and everything else you might need. The bedroom is spacious (much like Casa Iris) and the sofa converts into a double bed.The quiet apartment is also decorated perfectly by Stefania with antique pieces including a huge armoire that is hundreds of years old! The Internet and WiFi work very well. You can't go wrong here, but be aware, there are two flights of stairs. There is even a small, nice and very quiet caffe/bar on the street level and, believe it or not, there is a German style pub right down the street.

Kitchen at the Aurora Apartment.

   We stayed with what we knew by renting this apartment. Gabriele and Stefania, once again, helped make our third visit to the wonderful city of Florence a memorable one. By returning to their wonderful apartments, Florence is beginning to feel like a second home to us. With the help of our hosts, we have learned which buses to take, where to get groceries and wine and where there are some great restaurants nearby. You can reserve one of their apartments with confidence, especially, if it will be your first trip to Italy.

Debbie and me enjoying Florence in October 2014.

  Next up, Part 3: a delightful apartment we rented in Riomaggiore, Cinque Terre in 2014.