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.

Wow. Thank you all so much. You have given so many opinions and raised interesting points. Food is definitely high in the list so will look at Bologna. Started a search in Lisbon too. I must admit, the thought of jam packed places in August doesn't excite me.

I'll keep looking.

Food is not a high point in Venice. . Very overpriced and underwhelming. I haven’t been to Florence . I wouldn’t go to either in August.

Venice!

Get a water taxi pass for the days you are there and explore a bit.

Ive been to both- twice, I’d choose Venice every time.

In August I would do neither.

Both will be hot, sweaty, smelly and rammed with tourists.

If it has to be August then Verona and go to the opera, or Bologna - which is also boiling hot but the shaded arcades everywhere make it more bearable.

Love Venice but would not go in August, we rented a beautiful self catering apartment. Went in October and the weather was perfect

For Florence, we stayed in Tuscany near chanty, drove there twice and parked the car just outside the town, then walk, went in Easter and had lovely weather.

Another recommendation here for lake Garda and Verona. Love both places.

I don’t think I would do a city break in summer in Italy, it is hot and very busy all the time. The lakes are a good idea but Probably quite busy too.

I love Portugal and Lisbon, at least you could get a place with a pool, go to the beach if it gets too hot.

summer I don’t want to do city breaks just beach and pool breaks.

Would you stay in a mobile home? My daughter is interrailing and they have found a campsite 10kg a outside the main island. Got a swimming pool, restaurant etc etc but easy access to main attractions. You can get some real luxury mobile homes - do breakfast, bbqs if you want but can still eat out when you want to.

Re previous suggestion of Bologna - it is very, very dull, there's little to do, and if I were to see those bloody towers again as on my last holiday there, I'd go mad.

Now, Florence ❤️ I could die happy there. Definitely over Venice.

How about throwing Milan into the mix?

Cascais for the chilling part and pool and with the train into Lisbon for the city break? Best of both worlds.

I so agree about Bologna. 🤣 I say it on every thread.

It's got an old university.
It's got tortellini.
It's got towers.
It's fucking freezing in winter and the most hideously hot place in summer.

You can do everything in a day. Including getting ripped off à la Venice in an overpriced trattoria charging you £20 for a plate of tortellini that they definitely did not make themselves.

We have family there so go every so often to see them but it's probably the Italian city that has disappointed me the most. (Venice, as above, I'd not go back to but appreciate it needs to be seen once) I just find Bologna "is that it?"

Yep. It's the very last place I'd go back to in Italy.

@tryingsomethingnew I'd save Venice for when you & DH can go on your own & don't mind splashing the cash.

I think if you're going to enjoy a city break with a 12yo in tow, you need to think about what they'll enjoy or none of you will enjoy it. Have you asked DD where she'd like to go or what she'd like to do? I'm not saying you have to do that, but there's no point planning something she doesn't fancy then spend your whole break with a grumpy 12yo.

Haven't been to Florence although plan to later this year. I've been to Venice twice and love it, although I've never been in high summer.

Stayed here last time and really rated it - lovely hotel, delicious breakfast and just out of the way enough to get away from the crowds. Also an easy hop on the water bus across to Lido island and the beach.

www.indigovenice.com

If food is high OK your list the don't even consider Venice.

Florence is lovely but better off season.

You should definitely look into the suggestion of Bologna. It's amazing.

You can totally do amazing food in Venice but it takes effort as there are so so many crap places. You need somewhere that is specializing in Venetian food.

Don't eat anything in San Marco is a good start as a lot of day trippers don't get beyond there.

Horses for courses I guess! I loved Naples' history and the world class pizza. However I would only recommend it as a stop off whilst staying in Sorrento / Amalfi. Amalfi coast is simply stunning!

It has some rough areas because of the mafia but the food is INCREDIBLE and it’s beautiful

I love Venice - and if you do stay there then the Lido is a really good shout.

Just suggesting Malaga or Mallorca as great places. You could get a lovely hotel - with a pool. There's lots of culture....

Definitely amazing for foodies. Not so good for the easily bored who don't like towers 😂

It also takes a very large budget.

I would choose Rome over both Florence and Venice (but would visit all out of season, I wouldn’t go to any of them in the peak season and peak summer month of August).

I would maybe choose Sorrento as a relaxing base nice hotel with pool and from there you can visit Pompei, Herculaneum, Capri, Positano, Amalfi coast, Vesuvius etc etc.

Someone else suggested Cinque Terra which I have fancied visiting for years.

Or how about Lake Como or Lake Garda?

Fly to Bologna and stay in mantua. Renaissance architectural heaven and between the ducal palace and palazzo del te, a treasure trove of giulio romano. Consecutive gin a ga dukes commissioned the most fashionable painters / architects of the day so it’s stuffed to the rafters but without the heat and traffic of Florence. Day trip to Parma for ham, cheese and parmagianino & Correggio. It’s a 1 he drive but I think also a train.

I was determined to stay in Sorrento against my cousins advice. He wanted Naples. Sorrento is the only foreign place I’ve stayed where they had UK plug sockets in the bedrooms.

One night in Naples convinced me my cousin was right.

https://www.booking.com/hotel/it/il-gesuita.en-gb.html?aid=1250365&label=olr%3ACjwKCAjwhJukBhBPEiwAniIcNS42gQc4c27UAHIcEDpGdKJaFJMs9ptb9WOa3NM1C3H4dByWTO3JVBoCAacQAvD_BwE&sid=9a515a0da2777643f2ea0de75b08384c&all_sr_blocks=590013002_231651521_2_1_0;checkin=2023-06-19;checkout=2023-06-20;dest_id=-120965;dest_type=city;dist=0;group_adults=2;group_children=0;hapos=1;highlighted_blocks=590013002_231651521_2_1_0;hpos=1;matching_block_id=590013002_231651521_2_1_0;no_rooms=1;req_adults=2;req_children=0;room1=A%2CA;sb_price_type=total;sr_order=popularity;sr_pri_blocks=590013002_231651521_2_1_0__11300;srepoch=1686579131;srpvid=537a63dcd063048f;type=total;ucfs=1& 2 miles from mantua city centre. Looks incredible!

Another vote for Florence ❤️