Best Of

Belated post from 2024. Just realized that I previously sent this to another Forum reader by private message, but I don’t think I ever posted it on the Forum itself. Better late than never.

Here are some notes on highlights of our Week in Venice, Florence, and Rome. Most of this covers free-time activities (we had a lot of free time because we extended our trip on both ends to spend more time in all three cities but many of these things can be done on free time during the tour itself).

Our tour director was Cristina Castorina. She was excellent. She emailed our group before the trip started and suggested we might want to book a visit to the Panoramic Terrace at the Fondaco dei Tedeschi department store roof top in Venice. The website is https://www.dfs.com/en/venice/service/rooftop-terrace Timed tickets are free but reservations are all gone within minutes of being opened up on line. It was a great vantage point. We did this during a free afternoon during the tour. We also went up the bell tower on our own. Also a great vantage point because you are very high and can see in all four directions. But honestly, I liked the Grand Canal view from the department store roof better. And the store is close to the Rialto Bridge, another highlight of the city.

On one free evening in Venice we took the Vaporetto (easy to use, there are Youtube videos that show you how, day passes available) to the Ponte dell’ Accademia stop. We ate at a small out-of-the-way restaurant recommended in the Rick Steve guidebook, Al Vecio Marangon that was delightful. We really enjoyed it. Then, we attended a Vivaldi concert at Chiesa di San Vidal. Another really enjoyable experience.

Another great vaporetto experience was taking one to the beginning of the grand canal route at Piazzale Roma and riding it back toward our hotel (we stayed at the Ca di Dio on the lagoon. I understand some Tauck groups stay at the Hilton Molino Stucky on Giudecca Island. I hope you don’t; we could walk out our door and be in Venice. From the Molino Stucky, you have to take a shuttle boat across the lagoon to actually be in the heart of Venice.) Anyway, if you get in line for vaporetto route 1 (be sure you get on the right dock; there are several at Piazzale Roma) so you can be first on the boat when it opens, sit in front so you have good views out both sides. Listen to the Rick Steves audio tour of the Grand Canal (free app, download various audio tours). Quite enjoyable.

Not clear from the Tauck trip description, but we got a tour inside the Doge’s Palace so you don’t need to do that on your own.
Last Venice advice: it will be crowded. Go for a walk at dawn, or head for parts of town that aren’t touristy.

In Florence we stayed at the Bernini Palace. Old old building, but one of the best hotels I’ve stayed in because of the service. Ask them anything, and the answer is “Yes, of course!” Also one of the best breakfasts on the tour. Great location, but again, go out at dawn to experience medieval Florence without the crowds. Speaking of locations, the Bernini has a rooftop terrace. That almost NO ONE knows about. You can get drinks and snacks at the lobby bar and take them up there or, as we did, have a decadent dinner consisting of a bottle of prosecco and a bag of potato chips from a nearby store. On the roof, all to ourselves. Not great views, just a sea of ancient rooftops. Lots of swallows and other birds.

One of the best meals we had on our own was a short walk from the Bernini at Il Gato e la Volpe on Via Ghibellina. (Gato and Volpe, cat and fox, are two prominent characters in Pinocchio, which is an Italian story). After a round of negronis we can’t finish a bottle of wine; they have a good selection of half bottles. We had the 2013 Cantina di Montalcino Brunello di Montalcino; best wine of the trip. We lamented that it was a half bottle!

We wanted to buy a picnic dinner and walk from the hotel across the river and up the hill to the Piazzale Michelangelo for the great views, but my wife sprained her ankle in Florence, and that limited our walking a bit. People on tour who went up there said it was very nice.

We had an after-hours visit to the Uffizi—treasure it. Huge contrast to the packed madhouse at the Accademia to see David. Speaking of packed madhouses, on to Rome. We were supposed to have an after-hours tour of the Sistine Chapel. Then it got shifted to early morning public hours, then late afternoon public hours. So crowded it was difficult to appreciate this great art treasure. I hope you get the after hours tour. Tauck sent us each a check for $100 and a $250 voucher for a future trip to compensate. I would rather have had the after hours tour.

Our Tauck hotel in Rome was the Palazzo Ripetta. Nice neighborhood but long walk from hotel to places you might want to visit: Trevi Fountain, Spanish steps, Colosseum. We visited Trevi and the Pantheon on a drizzly early morning. Weather kept the crowds away from Trevi, and although there was a long line to buy tickets at the Pantheon before it opened, the line moved quickly. Near there we found a nice shop that was great for buying food souvenirs for folks back home: Enoteca Guerrini on Via del Governo Vecchio. They also have a branch nearer the Palazzo Ripetta at Via della Croce not far from the Spanish steps. Small quantities of limoncello, balsamic vinegar, cantucci, etc. for taking home as gifts.

One of Rome’s most acclaimed restaurants is very close to the Palazzo Ripetta. It is Restaurant Ad Hoc. We tried to make reservations but six weeks in advance was WAY too late. We did have a nice lunch at PizzaRe just down the street on via di Ripetta.

If you take a taxi in Rome or Florence, try to have your tour director get the taxi and tell the driver where you want to go. We had Cristina do that for us once and it helped.

We were glad we went into the Colosseum but I enjoyed touring the Forum with the free Rick Steves app narration more. More variety of ruins. However, in late May it was very hot and sunny in the Forum with practically no shade. Go early, take water. We would have killed for a cold beer when we got out, but couldn’t find one nearby.