Too Much in Too Few?

baydreamer

New member
Hello All!

We have booked Castello Di Verrazzano in June and are planning a week of activities in Tuscany. We fly in and out of Rome and will be spending the night there on both ends of the week to not feel stressed in getting anywhere at a particular time. My wife and I will be travelling with our 17 and 18 year old children. We are a family that appreciates food and wine and are looking forward to exploring the countryside as well as some of the tourist cities.

Does anyone have any "don't miss" recommendations? Are Milan (my daughter is an artist) or Venice (wife and I are romantics) too far for a day trip?

Thanks For All Advice!
Chip
 
I would suggest staying in Tuscany and enjoying the region. June is high season, and I'd avoid Venice then for sure (crowded). Milan is more doable as a day trip, but with so many things to see and do in Tuscany, as an artist your daughter might enjoy exploring those just as well if not more.

While the Castello di Verrazzano will already offer a lot of options as far as wine and food go, make sure to explore the area and other wineries and many of the local restaurants.
 
Thanks Lourdes!

We are researching vineyards, olive groves, and markets to visit. We absolutely plan to spend a day in Firenze. We are all very excited to experience Italy (our first European vacation).

None of us speaks Italian. Will it be advantageous for us to book a tour with a guide or will we be ok "free roaming"?

Thanks again for all your help!
Chip
 
Artist in the family

Milan certainly has its fair share of art - however Tuscany has more! Remember if you want to go to any of the museums in Florence, plan ahead. Like Lourdes said June is high season and lines are long. Not to mention that June can be hot, so you won't want to "waste" your time standing in a long hot line.

However, Florence is also has some beautiful museums which normally do not have lines and are well worth the visit such as:

Bargello Museum

Opera del Duomo

Davanzati Museum

Not to mention the fact, that all you need to do is enter into anyone of the churches to find wonderful masterpieces. A tour guide would certainly give you lots of extra tidbits of history but I believe it really depends on how much you & your family enjoy that as opposed to free roaming.

Buon Viaggio
 
Great Museum Recommendations

Thank you DonnaDenise! Looks like we have a couple more things to fit into the schedule!
 
Hello, i'm planing a 2 day trip in Florence at the end of february (20th). I wanted to but the Firenze card just to be sure that i don't have to stay in line. Is this a pick period to visit? I'm thinking that is only 1 week after Valentine's day which is a pick period in all of the cities. thanks :)
 
Ciao Coraline,

To be honest, February (and January) is one of the quieter months of the entire year so I don't think you'll find super long crowds at most of the museums. The only ones that do get more busy are the Uffizi and the Accademia - but I think as long as you avoid Tuesday mornings and the first Sunday of the month (won't be your case since you're arriving in the second part of February), I think you'll do fine without getting the card. You might find a line at the Uffizi but something very manageable.
 
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