Heading to Italy beginning of October with my wife. I was planning a one day stop between rome and venice, hoping to sleepover in a cheaper city before staying at venice. Which city would you guys pick? Here's my curent Itinery

1 Rome
2 Rome
3 Rome/Milan (late afternoon train to milan)
4 Milan (full exploring day)
5 Venice (leave Milan early to get to venice.)
6 Overnight train to Paris
..
..

As you can see I arrive late and leave early at Milan, basically using it for cheap hotel stay en transit. Heard a lot of good stuff about Florence though so wonder if it's worth the change.

please continue to follow this thread in the Italy Forum

regards

chrissxb
moderator
europe forum

I just did Rome Florence and Venice last month with my wife and son and had a great time. While I spent 3 days in Florence it can easily be done in 1. You can see the Uffizi and the Academia as well as walk around and enjoy some great food. From my research here I got the feeling if given the choice people would prefer to experience Florence over Milan. The former being a unique city and the latter being a typical large Western European city.

Also, the Rome to Venice Eurostar runs right through Florence. Perhaps you will get someone here to argue Milan over Florence, especially if prefer the Last Supper over David.

That's a pretty aggressive days 3-6.

We really enjoyed Florence during our trips to Italy. While we found some relatively cheap places to stay in Florence, I wouldn't consider it cheap overall. It'd be a pretty tight one day if you want to see all the biggies like the Duomo, David in the Accademia, and the Uffizi. The core of where you want to be is pretty compact so everything is withing walking distance. We also really loved the market and the food in Florence.

Our friends loved Milan and revisited it during a second trip to Europe. We haven't been. It'll likely be on our next trip to Italy but we'd probably want to package it with Lake Como.

Personally, I would go back to Florence, loved it. If you get a hotel room ahead of time, ask them to get the tickets you need to the places you want to go. If you love art the Uffizi is great as is the Academia, but then we loved the Pitti Palace too. I really do not see how you can do it in a day, nor would I want to. The food and the stores are great too and everything is in walking distance.

Milan is not known for its "cheap hotels" esp. if you happen to arrive during Fashion Week or any of the int'l conferences/conventions that take place there. In addition, for sightseeing I think you'll be disappointed. Rather than stopping at such major cities - if you are really looking to save money, go to some place less popular - Verona, Bologna, etc...

Also, FLorence is only about 90 minutes by train from Rome, so you aren't exactly splitting up your trip by staying there.

I had some starwood points that I could redeem for 2 nights in Milan Westin (8k/night). Unfortunately starwood properties in Florence go for 20k/night. Ouch!


Would you mind sharing the Florence hotel suggestions?

There's a lot more to see in Florence than in Milan.

I'll have to dig up the trip spreadsheet for the name of the place we stayed this year. Both places we have stayed however, were located somewhat northeast of the train station. Being somewhat near the train station, I was expecting the area to be fairly yucky but they were far enough east that it wasn't. While they may look fairly north, the distance is very walkable and safe.

I can't remember how we found these places but I recall us using Eurocheapo, Tripadvisor, and Craigslist for initial research. There were also some apartment rentals we found that were within target.

The place we stayed at a few years ago was Soggiorno Pezzati Daniela (Google it). It's located on the second(?) floor of a building. Even though, it's called a B&B, I don't recall there being a breakfast. Travelers had their own lockable bedroom with a small shower/toilet but shared a common hallway. Owner lived in another building and just gave us a key for the building and room so you can come and go as you please. Would have stayed here again but prices had gone up.

The place we stayed at this year was kind of an apartment on the base floor of a building. Had four lockable bedrooms sharing two bathrooms w/ shower & toilet and kitchen area. Also had a bit of a garden area where you could hang out. Again, the owner lived in another building and just gave us a key for the building and room.

Payment is in Euros, no CC's.

Agree

I agree as well, but if the OP's only got one day, I would pick Milan over Florence specifically for that reason - IMHO, there's too much to see in Florence to spend just one day there. Too many museum choices, the Duomo, the markets... I suppose you could choose one museum and see the Duomo late in the day, but I personally cannot imagine cramming all of Florence into one day. In one day in Milan you can visit the Last Supper (as long as you book in advance) and the Duomo and browse the shops. But to try to see Florence in one day... my head would explode!

Dug up the place we stayed at this year in Florence: Affitacamere Freda Lucia. Found in it in the Rick Steves guidebook.

No disrespect, but Florence is one of the great cultural icons of the world, and if you are basing your decision solely on better point redemption, perhaps you are not Florence-worthy.

While it would be better to spend a week, to, as Michelangelo suggested, walk in the shadow of the Duomo is a wondrous thing.

A quick reading/movie list to put you in the mood:

1. Brunelleschi's Dome by Ross King about the architectural feat of capping the Cathedral.
2. Movie, Under the Tuscan Sun
3. Birth of Venus by Sarah Dunant
4. Maybe even, the film A Room with a View:

Renaissance art practically begins with Masaccio, and you should start with his frescos:

Brancacci chapel

In 1424 the "duo preciso e noto" ("well and known duo") of Masaccio and Masolino was commissioned by the powerful and rich Felice Brancacci to execute a cycle of frescoes for the Brancacci Chapel in the church of Santa Maria del Carmine in Florence. The theme of the frescoes in the little chapel was to be the "Histories of St. Peter". The genius of Masaccio shows clearly in these frescoes. In the "Resurrection of the Son of Theophilus", he painted a pavement in perspective, framed by large buildings to obtain a depth of field and three-dimensional space in which the figures are placed proportionate to their surroundings. In this he was a pioneer in applying the newly discovered rules of perspective.

Get tickets on line for the Uffizi before going, else you will waste precious time waiting in line.

The Doors of Paradise are in the Museum across from the Duomo, and are breathtaking. In this museum is also Michelangelo's last work, Mary Magdalene, which he did for his own enjoyment.

Walk across the old bridge, climb to the top of the Duomo and breathe in a city that has been one of the greatest for over 600 years.

What Jailer said.

For me no option Florence over Milan every time! Milan was a big disappointment for me.