I am planning my honeymoon for the first 2 weeks of October. So far we are thinking along these lines.
Paris 3 days
Cannes/Nice 3 days (maybe stay in portofino for 1)
Florence 3 days
Rome or Venice or Lecce 3 days

I don't know anyone who's been to Lecce, it's on the heel of Italy. We are flexible with travel so the reverse route would also work. Any suggestions would be great. We've never been to Europe. Using points for the whole trip so the city we visit has to have one of our hotels.

You must visit Rome. Stay in Trastevere i.e. Old Rome in an apartment www.venere.com (http://www.venere.com)

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JBC
If it is to be, it is up to me

Italy itself is the most romantic place and just perfect for a honeymoon...we love Florence, Portofino, and above all the Amalfi (Positano). If you don't mind spending mega-bucks on hotel...look into Villa San Michele (just outside Florence), Hotel Splendido in Portofino, and Le Sirenuse in Positano. Sorry I couldn't help you with your specific city request, but the towns above are beyond romantic...enjoy!

Whoops, sorry I missed that you are using points, the best are the Grand Hotel and the Excelsior, both in Florence and both Starwood. Hotel Gritti is Starwood in Venice and top notch!

Any updates for Lecce and it's region?

Why Lecce?
It's a bit out of the way from the rest of your itinerary and there's nothing really making such a long detour worth it. The area around there (Salento) is beautiful in a rural way but you'll need to rent a car and drive around a lot.

If you really want to include somewhere in the south of Italy in your itinerary, I would suggest Naples, setting up base at the Excelsior (Starwood property, you can use points) and visiting Capri, Pompei and the Amalfi coast

Why Lecce?
It's a bit out of the way from the rest of your itinerary and there's nothing really making such a long detour worth it.

Indeed, it sounds like you're trying to pack an awful lot into two weeks. Even though European train travel is easy and airfare (i.e., Easy Jet/Ryan Air) can be a real bargain, this itinerary means you likely be spending as much time in airports/train stations as you will be in a given location. My experience with driving in Europe is that it always takes longer than anticipated.

Also, Cannes/Nice/Portofino - although beautiful - aren't particularly fun in October. I would opt for longer stays in fewer places, esp. Paris, Rome, Venice, Florence.

Why Lecce?Lecce is one of the half dozen top places on my must visit list, but that's because the stone architecture and the Lecce stone itself interests me. Also nearby are towns like Alberobello with it's Trulli (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trullo), and I have a personal interest in several other towns.

That said, you're right- a car is necessary for that area, otherwise you'll use up days trying to work around train and bus schedules. It could be quite awkward to fit in on the OP's schedule.

trying to do a little too much. To do it right, so that when you remember your honey moon, you will remember the little place you went for lunch or the spot where you watched the sunset and kissed, not the four different cities you went to or the time spent on the trains. Go one week in Paris and the other in Rome or on the Amalfi Coast. The only way to get those truly special moments is to spend more than a few days somewhere.

My two cents...

I have to agree with the previous posters, you're trying to cover too much. Do you really want to spend that much time traveling? You're planning on three days here, three days there, but you have to factor in the travel time, so it's not like you'll have three full days in any of these places. And none of them can be truly covered in three days, anyway.

Is there a particular reason you want to visit Lecce? I've never been there, but it's a bit out of the way and seems like a lot of extra travel time unless you have a specific reason for including it. The people on the Slowtalk message board might be able to give you more advice about the area.

My recommendation would be to save France for another time (anniversary trip?) and just stick to Italy, or vice versa if you've got your heart set on France. It's your honeymoon, not a Perillo Tour; you don't really want to be packing and unpacking every few days (trust me, I escort group tours for a living, constant movement is tiring). If you don't want to drive, you can easily travel between Venice, Florence and Rome by rail (Florence to Rome is only an hour and a half on the Eurostar). Pick two or three places and relax and enjoy yourselves.

I love Rome, but imho Venice is much more romantic than Rome, or anywhere else on your itinerary, for that matter, especially in early October.

Venice by far - it is such a unique and beautiful city. October is a good time, too, as the tourists have dwindled. One thought would be to consider a few less cities overall (say 3 instead of 4) and stay a bit longer, enjoy the 'details' of the city ... slow down, don't rush ... enjoy the 'vibe'!

We were in Italy for the first time last October for our 2 year anniversary.
We were in Venice (2 nights), Florence(3 nights) and Rome (3 nights). By far we liked Florence the best and then Rome.
Stayed in all Starwood, using points:
Venice Europa and Regina, Upgrade to top floor suite with a huge balcony overlooking the Grand Canal. The room was filmed in the Talented Mr. Ripley at the very end.
Florence Westin Excelsior - Beautiful hotel, upgraded to a penthouse with huge balcony overlooking the city.
Rome Westin Excelsior - Also a great hotel in a great part of the city. No major upgrade as the NBA Europe was in town.

Call the Starwood Platinum Concierge they had a special points program that cost me approx 90k points for 8 nights. Saved over 30k points.

Good luck and dont hesitate to PM if you need anything.

We were in Italy for the first time last October for our 2 year anniversary.
We were in Venice (2 nights), Florence(3 nights) and Rome (3 nights). By far we liked Florence the best and then Rome.
Stayed in all Starwood, using points:
Venice Europa and Regina.......
Florence Westin Excelsior -......
Rome Westin Excelsior - .......
Call the Starwood Platinum Concierge they had a special points program that cost me approx 90k points for 8 nights. Saved over 30k points.

Good luck and dont hesitate to PM if you need anything.

Was this via the European Holiday Elite? If so, The Westins in Florence and Rome no longer participate as they are now Cat6 hotels and you probably booked this before SPG inflated their point redemptions and/or category ratings.
If not, I'm interested as to what you booked.

Was this via the European Holiday Elite? If so, The Westins in Florence and Rome no longer participate as they are now Cat6 hotels and you probably booked this before SPG inflated their point redemptions and/or category ratings.
If not, I'm interested as to what you booked.

It was the European Elite. We booked about 7-8 months in advance, in Feb-06.

Haven't been to Lecce. But a good friend who speaks some Italian was there a few Summers ago to stay with an Italian family she has known for years at their summer home.

She said it was fantastic. The town is beautiful, low on non-Italian tourists and the beaches great. Of course, things could be different in October. And, she did mention that it is a little difficult to get to Lecce from Rome. She took the train, but, apparently several connections are required.

Personally, if it were me, I'd head for Sienna or maybe Florence. Venice could be good, too. Rome is fantastic, but, perhaps, a little too much for a honeymoon.

We were in Italy for the first time last October for our 2 year anniversary.
We were in Venice (2 nights), Florence(3 nights) and Rome (3 nights). By far we liked Florence the best and then Rome.
Stayed in all Starwood, using points:
Venice Europa and Regina, Upgrade to top floor suite with a huge balcony overlooking the Grand Canal. The room was filmed in the Talented Mr. Ripley at the very end.
Florence Westin Excelsior - Beautiful hotel, upgraded to a penthouse with huge balcony overlooking the city.
Rome Westin Excelsior - Also a great hotel in a great part of the city. No major upgrade as the NBA Europe was in town.

Call the Starwood Platinum Concierge they had a special points program that cost me approx 90k points for 8 nights. Saved over 30k points.

Good luck and dont hesitate to PM if you need anything.

mcohen73: I would very much like your opinion of the "non-non-smoking" accommodations if you are able to offer them. My wife and I and sister/s.o. are planning a cruise in September that ends in Venice but we're unable to get 2 guaranteed non-smoking rooms though Starwood would gladly request them. My sister is very leery of staying in a "smoking" room what with her allergies and sensitivity to smoke. I imagine the rooms have high ceilings and would like your opinion as to just how bad such "smoking" rooms might be. If others can contribute their opinions/observations, I would appreciate them too. Thanking all in advance.

Considering this thread was started over 4 years ago, I'm wondering where they ended up going & if they're still married ;) Hope so!