Italy for honeymoon... but we've never been before!

andra loves andre

Any tips on what to do in Italy? Anywhere from where to go, what to eat, prices, hotels, hidden gems, etc, would be appreciated!

We'd like to spend 3 weeks in Italy for our honeymoon, but neither of us have ever been. We'd like to rent a car and roadtrip everywhere, so any spots you know of and recommend could end up on our list!

Thanks for the help, ladies

stuffy14

Hi, I am planning an Italian honeymoon too and would happy to share tips as I plan. When are you going? mine will likely be late October. Maybe we can exchange our "finds"! Best of luck! Stephanie

andra loves andre

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_honeymoon_italy-honeymoon-but-weve-never-before?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:11Discussion:c3dfce5d-d3d9-471c-a58b-a3810235e3d9Post:5ea032a8-31d5-4a2e-b0eb-55be8f5a78e5">Re: Italy for honeymoon... but we've never been before!</a>:
[QUOTE]Hi, I am planning an Italian honeymoon too and would happy to share tips as I plan. When are you going? mine will likely be late October. Maybe we can exchange our "finds"! Best of luck! Stephanie
Posted by stuffy14[/QUOTE]

<div>Hi Stephanie,</div><div>That sounds like a plan! I've been diving into every travel book and magazine I could find, and I found a lot of cool stuff! I'm hoping to also get some practical advice from those that have been there, and done that :)</div><div>
</div><div>We will be going in June 2013, after our wedding in Romania. It's not the best time to go, from what I gather (hot and starting to get crowded), but it's the only time that makes sense for us to go. </div><div>
</div><div>I'm really happy to make it south to Sicily, but I don't know how realistic that is. All I know is that I definitely want to go to Venice, the north-western coast (where there are a bunch of gorgeous costal towns) and a few small town near Bari. </div><div>
</div><div>What's on your wish list?</div>

bmoruzzi

My mom is from Italy, about an hour from Venice so I've been many times (about 15).  I absolutely love Venice.  It's gorgeous.  I don't have any recommendations about where to stay though as we always stay with my grandma and take the train in.  You may want to stay somewhere outside of the city as I've heard the hotels are very expensive.  The train is easy to take in and out.  Once your in, it's a very walkable city.   I would go off the beaten path for restaurants, ask the locals where to eat.  Don't go to the tourist spots.  My husband and I just went on a mediterranean cruise for our honeymoon last year.  We started in Rome and one of the stops was Sicily.  When we returned from our cruise we stayed in Rome for 4 nights which was awesome.  We walked everywhere and never took public transit.  It was July so hot as hell, but not humid at all so it was fine.  We did all the tourist things: the vatican, the coloseum, the trevi fountain, etc.  Stayed at the Boscolo Exedra which has a roof top pool.  Very convenient in the summer.  We loved Rome.  We also loved Sicily but were only there for a short time.  We are planning a trip to go back next year and just do Naples, Pompeii and Sicily.  I love Italy.  

    I've also been to the Amalfi coast which is awesome.  Good luck with your trip!

girlinchicago

I'm in the midst of booking our June/July trip - we are flying into Venice and spending two nights (Canal Grande Hotel), Florence for three (Bernini Palace...I think, haven't booked yet), renting a car to take to Tuscany, four nights at Villa Cicolina, three nights at the Marincanto in Positano, and three in Rome at the Rome Cavalieri. We fly back from Rome. I haven't booked anything else yet, but we plan to do a couple of tours, some wine tasting and a cooking class in Tuscany, and just wander/explore. One suggestion I have is to look into open jaw flights since you want to hop around.

Cinderella30

My husband and I spent about three weeks in Italy.  I planned the entire trip (we had never been there before) and it was amazing.  We started in Capri (flew from NYC to Naples and took a taxi to ferry to go to Capri.....always check the ferry schedules before booking your flight).  We spent 2 nights in Capri (where he proposed!)  It's absolutely beautiful and if you go you definitely need to take a boat tour around the island.  From there we took the ferry to Sorrento, where we spent 4nights.  While staying in Sorrento we took the train and visited Naples and Pompeii/Herculaneum.  We also took a tour of the Amalfi coast (Positano, Amalfi and Ravello).  It was great to be able to appreciate the scenery without having to worry about driving.  From Sorrento we took the train to Rome where we spent 5 nights.  While in Rome (we used the metro or walked) we went to see the Vatican, Basilica, Roman Forum, Colosseum, Palantine Hill, Spanish Steps, Pantheon, Villa Borghese, Trevi Fountain, etc.  From Rome we took the train to Florence where we stayed for 6 nights.  While in Florence (we actually stayed in Signa) we were able to take the train to Pisa and Lucca.  We did rent a car for two days so that we could drive around Tuscany.  You can definitely plan this trip yourselves it's just a matter of deciding what you want to do and see.

alithebride

parking in many of the cities and towns is a pita if not impossible. i'd rethink the renting a car and driving everywhere and consider taking publid transporation instead. it's very efficient and super easy.

celticmyss

I absolutely loved Venice, it is my favorite city I have ever visited. I was there during grad school on a budget so we stayed at a small hotel one train stop outside of Venice itself. It was much cheaper and super convenient. We had Eurail passes but we never had our tickets checked on the brief ride. 

Rome was surprisingly disappointing but I think that was mainly because of the heat. We were there in July and it was brutal. That did give us a good excuse to subsist on a gelato-centric diet though which wasn't a bad thing! We decided the best gelato was from the shop across from the Vatican. 

I have heard Cinque Terra is amazing but I haven't been there. There was some damage recently from a mudslide(?) so you may want to look into it more before planning a trip there. 

My father and step-moher go to Tuscany almost every year and absolutely love it. 

I would consider using the train system rather than renting a car if you won't be going too far off the beaten track. It is very reliable, convenient, and not too expensive. 

ItalyAsh

Hi  --  I think if you are going to Italy and you have never been there before, you should really stick to the big three - Rome, Florence and Venice. Depending on the amount of time you have, you could also include a trip to the Amalfi Coast and Capri.  Using Florence as a base for several days is wonderful because from there you can visit a lot of Tuscany in day trips - winetasting in Chianti, trips to Pisa, Lucca, Siena.   Italy is so romantic, you can't go wrong.   PM me if you would like some suggestions.