Honeymoon Ideas: Italy
Italy has been on my bucket list for a long time, and towards the end of August my husband and I got the chance to explore Rome, Florence, and Venice, and it didn't disappoint! If you are considering Italy for your honeymoon or just because, here is a little bit about our experience.
Rome
You know how you have expectations before visiting a country? Rome fulfilled all of those and was my absolute favorite city we visited in Italy. I honestly did not think I was going to like it as much because it is very historic and I'm not the kind of person that enjoys museums and touristy stuff like that, but I loved it!
I enjoyed that the free tourist attractions were set up in a way that foot traffic flow was very efficient, and for the paid attractions, my husband was smart and pre-purchased online tickets for the Vatican and the Colosseum, so we did not have to stand in line.
Besides mind blowing historic sites, my favorite part was sitting at the piazzas drinking prosecco, eating yummy food, and people watching. It was so relaxing and exactly how I pictured Italy.
Day 1 Summary
Took a cab from the airport to the hotel, dropped our bags, and began exploring​.
Stayed at Hotel Ponte Sisto. Great location, clean, and included breakfast.
Had breakfast at one of the restaurants in Campo de' Fiori.
Walked to and visited the Pantheon, Roman Forum, Trevi Fountain, Colosseum, Piazza Venecia, and any basilicas we found on the way.
Took a cab back to the hotel.
Had dinner and drinks at Campo de' Fiori.
Day 2 Summary
Walked to St. Peter's Square in Vatican City where we got the chance to see the Pope at the weekly Papal Audience.
Took a cab to the Sistine Chapel and Vatican Museums.
Took a cab to Piazza Navona for lunch and walked back to our hotel.
Walked to the Spanish Steps and had drinks and dinner around that area.
Florence
Florence had beautiful views, but it was hot, crowded, and not as well organized as Rome, which meant long lines to visit any museums/attractions.
Day 3 Summary
Took the train (called Trenitalia) from Rome to Florence.
Stayed at Hotel Laurus al Duomo. Walking distance from the train station, great location, clean and great breakfast.
Walked to the Florence Cathedral, Ponte Vecchio, Piazza della Signoria, Piazzale Michelangelo, Piazza del Duomo, and Palazzo Medici Riccardi.
Venice
Our final stop was Venice, a very pretty and unique city. I'm a sucker for places near water, but I was a little disappointed that drinking or eating at restaurants in front of the water was extremely expensive, and restaurants at piazzas were a bit strict about grabbing a table just for drinks. If Venice would've given me the relaxing Rome experience, it would have been hands down my favorite city.
Day 4 Summary
Took the train from Florence to Venice.
Walked and took a cab to the port. (Note: Our Eurotrip included a cruise through Greece and Croatia that left from Venice, so I will be sharing days 4-14 in a separate blog post.)
Day 15 Summary
Took a water bus from the port to the nearest stop to our hotel.
Stayed at Maison de Charme Balbi. Good location but terrible place to stay. Not a hotel, more like a room below an apartment with tons of bugs.
Walked to the Grand Canal, Saint Mark's Basilica, Piazza San Marco, Rialto Bridge, and anything else we came across.
Day 16 Summary
Took a water bus to Murano Island, where Murano glass is from.
Explored and paid to see a glass blowing demonstration (worth it!)
Tried pasta in a box.
Finished the day with probably the best dinner we had in Italy with a four-cheese gnocchi and a gorgonzola bacon ravioli.
Final Quick Tips
Have a sweater handy and something to cover your legs if needed. They are pretty strict about covering yourself when entering basilicas.
Bring your Fitbit! You will walk a ton and won't feel as guilty about all that pizza and pasta.
Stay somewhere central where you can walk to all the attractions and take a cab on the way back if you are too tired.
Pre-purchase any tickets online to skip lines.
If you ride the train and pre-purchased tickets, the screens at the station will only show your train number and lane like 20 minutes before it arrives, so don't freak out if you don't see it listed.
Pack light, especially if you go to Venice because you will need to walk and go up and down steps with your luggage.
Some restaurants give you free snacks when you order drinks, so look for those and grab a glass of prosecco before dinner.
Ask if they take credit cards before eating/drinking, some places are cash-only.
Grab a schedule and take water buses in Venice to save yourself some money.
Pizza was a yummy snack, but fresh melt-in-your-mouth pasta was my fave.
