Need a starting point for planning your next Italian excursion?
Check out our last itinerary to Italy for some inspiration. Details on the establishments (hotels and restaurants below):
Day | Itinerary | Hotel | Dining |
1 | Rome - Pantheon - Trevi fountain - Roman Forum | 15 Keys | 1:30 pm Brunch at Centro 7:00 Il Falchetto |
2 | Rome (side trip to Pompeii and Naples) - Pompeii - Naples | 15 Keys | 2:00 pm Da Michele Snacks at a sidewalk café for dinner |
3 | Rome - Contemporary Art Museum - Borghese - Thrift Shopping | 15 Keys | Gelato for lunch at Giolotti (snag an outdoor table and relax, its worth the extra euro) 6:30 pm Tonnarello |
4 | Florence - Arrive in Florence | Penthouse Santo Spirito | 10:00 am Melaluca 7:00 pm La Buchetta
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5 | Florence (side trip to Pisa and Lucca) - Pisa (climb the tower) - Lucca (see the tower)
| Penthouse Santo Spirito | 7:00 am Ditta Artginianle 7:30 pm Osteria Della Enoteca |
6 | Florence - Shopping! Dixie, Recollection by Abrici, Heart to Heart, Epoca, Momo, - Uffizi - Academie | Penthouse Santo Spirito | 7:00 pm Osteria Santo Spirito |
7 | Florence - Climb the Duomo - Antinori Winery | Penthouse Santo Spirito | 7:00 pm Natalino |
8 | Modena - Ferrari museum - Balsamic tasting | Quarto Piano | 1:00 pm Franceschetta 58 |
9 | Venice - Arrive from Modena | Gritti | 8:00 pm Rossopomodoro |
10 | Venice - Cooking Class at the Gritti | Gritti | 8:00 pm Ajubagio |
11 | Venice - Guggenhiem Museum - Pinault Museum - Academie | Gritti |
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12 | Venice - Riva boat tour | Gritti |
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13 | Venice - Shopping! | Gritti |
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14 | Rome | Marriott Rome Airport |
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Transfers:
Walking - generally 15 - 20 minutes from the train stations
Cabs - cost us anywhere between 20 - 50 euros depending on the distance we travelled. The most expensive cab we took was from Roma Termini to the Airport Marriott.
Rome:
Hotel:
We stayed at: the 15 Keys (we wanted to be close to the train station)
Neighborhood: Monti
Address: Via Urbana, 6, 00184 Roma RM, Italy
The hotel offers a fairly extensive breakfast for guests. We had our coffees and pastries here for the several days we spent in Rome.
Rome Restaurants:
Quick Bites:
Mercato Centrale - In Roma Termini
Centro - Via Cavour, 61, 00184 Roma RM, Italy: Informal eatery with varied cold and hot options. Including salads, and avocado toast.
Spots we had pasta (post on our pastas and meals forthcoming!)
Tonnarrello - in the trendy Trastevere neighborhood- casual restaurant for simple Roman Dishes. Try their carbonara and make sure to make a reservation in advance (our hotel helped us make one a few days ahead)
Benso - in the Monti neighborhood - cozy spot for drinks and food. Their caccio e pepe is served in a parmesan cheese bowl.
Ristorante Klass - Okay we generally try to avoid the tourist trap restaurants with guys out front trying to get you in. We were hungry and caved. Fortunately - we were pleasantly surprised! Try their amatriciana here. It was divine.
Florence:
Hotel:
Booked via Airbnb - there are many listings for penthouse apartments in Santo Spirito now. The key here is the location. Santo Spirito is a wonderful neighborhood.
Palazzo Alfieri - this hotel is located on the Arno river. The location cannot be beat, the rooms are nicely appointed. They have a rooftop sitting area which is wonderful for taking a drink and enjoying the afternoon. Breakfast can be added to your room rate, it is served at their restaurant on the ground floor - it's a continental breakfast with some hot food options.
Restaurants:
Coffee/Breakfast
Melaleuca. We went back to this cafe multiple times over our trip. Excellent baked goods - cornettos (croissants), chocolate cornettos, as well as an assortment of other goodies. They make very good cinnamon rolls, which are first come first served. They also serve hot breakfasts and offer a variety of coffee drinks an on caffeinated drinks. The cafe is small so if you want to guarantee a seat get there early.
Ditta Artigianale. These guys have been in business since 2013. Their original cafe is located on via dei Neri. They pull an excellent espresso, they have noncaffeinated drinks as well.
Forno Pintucci. A Santo Spirito gem, there is no seating available here but you can buy your treats and sit in the park and live the Dolce Vita and watch the city go past you.
Lunch
Al Antico Vinaio - the GOAT (greatest of all time) their classic sandwiches (our favorites are the Inferno and Dante) are the best. But their new menu offers quite a few options with truffles.
Antica Porchetteria Granieri 1916 - solid spot to grab and keep going. They do toast your buns here which was a nice touch.
Dinner
Osteria Santo Spirito. This was a special experience because we dined in Piazza Santo Spirito. It is the thing to do in Florence. Sitting in a piazza, enjoying a drink and good company whilst people watching. They make an epic cheese gnocchi here (and we don't like gnocchi). Make a reservation via Whatsapp. Otherwise you will be waiting a while for a table!
Text them on Whatsapp here : +39 348 346 7804
Tamero. This is also located on Piazza Santo Spirito, it is also quite delicious - you actually cannot go wrong with any of their pizza or pasta dishes. We sat inside, it had a punk/rock vibe.
La Buchetta. On our recent trips this has become a crowdpleaser. They offer florentine classics like bistecca alla fiorentina. Make sure to get the Pici pasta - they toss the pasta in a cheese wheel tableside. Make a reservation, they take reservations on their website.
Ristorante Natalino. They're located further away from the center of all the touristy areas of Florence. Tucked away on Piazza Gaetano Salvemini in the Santa Croce neighborhood is this cute restaurant serving simple but incredible salads and pastas. They offer Bistecca alla Fiorentina here as well. Also their chips are delicious! Make a reservation! Create an account on the Fork to book a table.
Trattoria Dall'Oste. This one is different from the restaurants we've recommended and been to in Florence. It's a bit more luxe, they definitely have investors and they have quite a wide selection of steak. Bistecca alla Fiorentina is an option but you can choose whatever cut you want, and they will bring it to you cooked perfectly, and you can cook it further on the hot stone they provide if it is not to your liking. They take reservations on their website.
Modena:
Hotel: BNB Quarto Piano Via Bonacorsa, 27, 41121 Modena MO, Italy
Restaurants;
Franceschetta 58 - the sister to Osteria Francescana, make reservations and opt in for the wine pairing. It is a great deal at less than 10 euros a glass per course. "Their special eel risotto brought me back to my childhood" - T
La Bicicletta - Coffee and Meats - informal restaurant in a beautiful setting where you can dine inside and outside, the charcuterie and cheese board they made for us was delicious. They had these pockets of dough called piadina which were filled with cheese and meats of your choice.
Venice:
Hotel:
Booked on points from using the Bonvoy Visa Card and Christine's various work travels.
Breakfast is served at the hotel restaurant right on the canal, it is a spectacular experience.
They offer a cooking class with Chef Franco, it is so fun as you make three courses, there's plenty of wine served and great conversation as well as lessons on preparing meals the italian way.
Restaurants
Al Timon - Make a reservation and then stop in early for their Ciccetti (small bites) and an ombra (glass of red or white). Then tuck in for an epic meal, we had steak and it was so delicious.
Rosso Pomodoro - informal, always busy restaurant serving up hot pizzas. Their pizzas never disappoint, you can sit in the seat where Peggy Guggenheim contemplated her art collection here.
1000 Gourmet - Lowkey restaurant in one of many alleys in Venice. Salads, pastas and pizza here were tasty and reasonably priced.
Algiubagio - Modern Italian restaurant, it's located right on the lagoon which was spectacular. Friendly service if they have the truffle beef tartare get it!
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