Florence or Venice?

[tryingsomethingnew]

We'd like to have a city break in August (yes I know very hot and busy) to either Florence and Venice. Unless you can suggest somewhere else? Husband and I, and our DD 12.

Would like beautiful sights, GREAT food, and a hotel with a swimming pool so that we can go back to the hotel and have a moment sitting in the sun for a bit before heading out again for dinner.

Not sure that Venice will quite manage the hotel requirements but I'd choose it over Florence any day!

Look at Venice Lido if you want a pool, very few in Florence itself either, what is your budget? Would you hire a car for Florence or want to be in the city area?

Florence for me.
I won't go back to Venice. I'd go to Florence regularly. Always something new. Both will be rammed in August obviously, especially now the Chinese and Japanese tourists are travelling again.

I absolutely love Venice. The place to stay is the San Clemente hotel which has an amazing pool. It’s on its own island and has a little boat to take you across- one of my favourite hotels in the world.

Having been to both, I would pick Venice. If you keep away from St Marks’s Square and the Rialto Bridge during the day, there are loads of quiet bits of the city that the day trippers don’t get to. You can visit the ‘hot spots’ in the evening when it’s quieter.

If you can afford it, prebook private transfers from the airport. A 1950s style speedboat across the lagoon and up the grand canal to deliver us to our destination was the most fantastic experience.

Book a walking food tour for the first day or two tha5 you are there, a great way to orientate yourself and find out where the good places to eat are. I was very impressed with the fabulous fish and seafood in the restaurants away from the main tourist attractions too.

Wow- that looks wonderful- but over budget for us.

Looks like Venice is a good choice.

Maybe not a pool then. Any recommendations on where to stay? I don't know how it works. Don't mind walking to places but 12 year old might disagree. LOVE the walking tour idea. Husband loves food and cooking so that would be a plus. Maybe even a cooking lesson

I love Benice and Florence, but not in August. I’d stay in the lakes and do day trips to Venice and Verona.

Florence!
The Uffizi, Ponte Vecchio, Galleria dell’Accademia, the duomo, Santa Croce, etc, etc, etc.
It's in Tuscany for goodness' sake - food and wine galore.
Florence is a real city; Venice is a theme park.

Florence for me every time.

I don't think you'll get a pool in Venice but it is amazing!

I wasn't a fan of Venice but absolutely love Florence

How long for? Trains are very accessible in Italy, you could do both in a week :)

Three nights. Ah now you're making me think of Florence again. DD studied the renaissance this year.

Just wanted a little city break this august. Never been to Italy. Unless you think Lisbon, or Barcelona???

Unless you think Lisbon, or Barcelona???
Noooo. Italy every time (with the exception of Greece).

Florence every time

We stayed on Venice Lido. They is a small sandy beach on the far side. Took a vaporetto each morning and would get off at a different stop so a new starting place for the day's explorations.

I think unless your child is quite tolerant of galleries I’d probably take them to Venice and save Florence for when they’re a bit older. I took my teens to Venice last year in August and they were impressed - it’s just so different to anywhere they’d been before.

In August, neither. If you absolutely must, go to Venice but maybe stay on the Lido.
Or go to a smaller Italian city, like Padua or Verona, and get the train into Venice.

I've been to Venice a few times including in August and still loved it. It's so easy to get away from the crowds and even in the busy bits it felt more chilled than other Italian cities because it's all pedestrianised so you aren't constantly trying to cross busy roads or avoid getting hit by a moped. Lots of narrow streets tend to mean more shade which makes wandering more bearable in the heat.

Would say though that what made it for us when there with kids was an air b&b with decent outside terrace. So even when they wanted to chill out inside I could sit overlooking the rooftops and take in the atmosphere. Have always stayed on main island not the lido, but away from st Mark's Square. If you do rent an apartment you want to be up high for the views and to avoid the damp.

As PP said with the train it would be really easy to combine both. It's 2hrs direct between the two.

Interesting tips. So can anyone explain what the Lido is? How far is it from things?

I love Venice but it will be hot and busy. I was discussing a prospective trip to Florence with my well traveled cousin and he said it’s like Venice on speed.

I’ve just come back from Barcelona and loved it. Though I prefer the food in Italy.

Am I missing another city in Italy? What Lake Garda like? Or somewhere else for three night break?

The Lido is its own island in the lagoon, a short ferry ride from Venice proper.

An Italian friend of ours one year when we were talking about Venice and elsewhere in Italy, recommended instead that we visit the Cinque Terra in Liguria. It's about 2.5 hours from Florence and even further from Venice, so realistically you wouldn't probably visit Florence or Venice - however you did ask for other ideas! This region is stunning, the heart of pesto and limoncino as they claim to have the most delicious basil and lemons, and the region also produces notable olives, seafood and focaccia. The five villages are beautiful, all clinging to the most amazing coastline, I felt like we were in a Cary Grant/Grace Kelly film set the whole time we were there. The coastline and the five villages are a UNESCO world heritage site. Pic of the rose I took, other pic I grabbed online - the villages really do look like that...