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.

Our Italian friend worked in Riva del Garda at the top of Lake Garda - another beautiful area. That town is quite nice but you can also drive from there up into the mountains to places like Pieve di Ledro, a village beside another much smaller lake. There are lots of places to stay, hotels and lodges. You could just about do a day trip to Venice from there as we did actually drive over from Venice and back in one day to visit our friend. Lake Garda is beautiful.

Hated Florence, absolute dump. But can’t comment on Venice as I’ve never been. Could be the same!

Bologna. Amazing if you are a foody.

If you were based in Bologna you could do day trips to both Venice and Florence (about 1.5 hours from each by train), it's about halfway between

I mean, food everywhere in Italy is amazing (although I did have the worst pizza I have ever tasted in Venice, sadly...) but the food in Bologna is just outstanding. Rick Stein did an episode about Bologna on his secret getaways or hidden weekends, or whatever it was called, series, and that would give you an idea.

I much preferred Venice

What about Naples?

Wait I’m assuming you’ve done Rome! If not, you must do Rome!

I love both but Venice always has the edge for me

I love both, but the heat in the summer is not for me. We went to Venice in April for my DHs 40th. It rained some days but was also pleasantly warm most of the time. We went in June when my mother was 70, it was unbearably hot and couldn’t wait to come home. We have visited Florence many times and at most times of year. In summer it’s very hot and you will need insect repellent that works in the locality. My Scottish midge repellent didn’t work. In some ways there’s more to see in Florence if you like art but it will be very busy. Stay up in the hills above the city, but make sure they have aircon and mosquito protection at night.

Florence may be too hot defo get a hotel down river with a pool

I've been to both (in the height of summer). Venice for me every time, it's so lovely pottering around the less busy bits.

Florence was fine but didn't grab me (and really didn't like the industrial-ness of Naples).

Ville Sull'Arno
+39 055 670971
maps.app.goo.gl/vEQEdstNP2dhcaXw5?g_st=ic I stayed here and it was amazing

I’ve been to Venice a few times in high summer and it’s been fine - have probably been lucky though.

The Hilton Molino Stucky has a pool - haven’t stayed there myself. Pricing seems v variable but worth a look for your dates.

Love Florence dislike Venice

Oh well apart from the water taxi from the airport to the grand canal obviously 😂

If it's really hot they might both be very difficult to navigate with the gazillion other people. You probably won't want to sit in the sun in your rest breaks! You'll have enough of sun standing in the queues to get into anywhere. But having a pool or being near the water might make a difference to heat management. (Nb the central Venice canals might also stink if you are sensitive to that.)

Would you consider Treviso maybe? It's on my list for my next Italian trip. It's about the same distance from the airport as Venice. Has canals, and looks to have a nice central old town and would be much less touristy, but you could easily go to Venice for a day / evening / whatever.

Also it's the birthplace of tiramisu.

Haven’t been to Florence for yonks - we stayed in Verona and traveled into Venice which worked well

Florence over Venice for me... but I wouldn't do either in the full heat of summer. Too many people and baking heat is not a combo I'd love.

If you want a city, then Lisbon is great (you can get to lovely coastal towns like Cascais on a train in about 30 mins). And there's lots of wide open space by the river, like in Belem, so it's less oppresively hot.

Bordeaux also a good city option. I think Biarritz is too, but not been there myself.

The Nordic cities are also great- Oslo is a fab city. You can take ferries around the islands for a day, or swim right in the city centre, or visit the museums, or just see the sights.

Palma is a great city, with beach options easily available.

But if you're set on Italy then the lakes are a good option (although maybe too much travel for just 3 days). Verona is nice - less hectic than Venice. Or one of the Tuscan towns (Lucca, Siena etc)

I went to both in April and Venice wins it on beauty and food for me.

Isn't Naples famous for being awful? 😂

I used to live in Florence, was so excited to take the kids back - they hated it. Boiling hot in August, very little shade, they hated the Boboli Gardens, didn't care about the duomo and the markets were overwhelming (ASC). Think they were 12-15 at the time. I forgot how busy it is when you're a tourist. Places that are fun are also a walk - like the piazzale Michelangelo, or the massive gardens near the Arno.

Both will be very, very hot and busy in August.

But if you must, I'd go to Florence (or perhaps a villa with a pool nearby?). Much as I loved Venice I wouldn't go again. I felt like part of the problem. Poor city 😥.

Stay in Florence as a base and get the train to Sienna and Lucca, both amazing I hated Venice.

Venice is one of my favourite places on earth. Wandering around St Marks square on a warm night is just magical 🥰

Verona/Lake Garda. Absolute stunning. We went in August for a week, it wasn't crazy hot at all.

I loved them both but would not visit in August personally. Have you thought about Sorrento from where you can visit the whole of the Amalfi coast? Simply stunning, and a summer destination. I did 3 days there and visited Ravello (absolutely incredibly beautiful) , Amalfi & Positano (those 3 all on one day boat trip), the island of Capri and then also (if interested) Naples. Great food, scenery, history etc but less compact than Florence or Venice and plenty of swimming opportunities!