A European vacation is always a joy of ours and we love visiting new countries. We had never been to Italy and decided to take a trip over Thanksgiving in order to maximize our vacation days. Going to Europe over Thanksgiving is a great idea as the crowds are less and prices are low since it is an American holiday. Our trip was five days and we visited Rome (3 days) and Florence (2 days).
We flew Delta and only spent $200 as we used our Delta miles to book the two flights for free. We only had to pay the taxes and fees. We flew direct into Rome and arrived at 9 AM Thanksgiving morning. We booked a little B&B we found on Expedia two blocks from the Colosseum. The owner was gracious enough to let us check in early and met us at the B&B and showed us our room. Definitely don’t be afraid to ask for an early check in if you arrive early, the worst they can say is no. We were so thankful for the early check in and were able to take a quick nap to get over our jetlag and freshen up before heading out to see the sights.
The first thing on our itineraries when traveling in Europe is a free walking tour to orient ourselves to a new city. We booked with New Rome Free Tour and would recommend to others. The tour was about 2 hours long starting at the Spanish Steps and ending at the Trevi Fountain. After the tour we were starving and walked around the corner and down the street from the fountain and found L’archetto Spaghetteria. Great food and good prices in an adorable area.
The next day we toured the Vatican and we booked the tour prior to arrival with City Wonders. The tour was 3 hours long. After the tour we walked around the city and stumbled upon Castel Sant’Angelo that was somehow not on our list of things to see and we would have been so upset to miss this as it ended up being our favorite stop in Rome. We enjoyed drinks/snacks with a view from the top of the castle and caught the sunset.
Saturday morning we did a food tour with Taste of Europe. We did the Taste of Testaccio tour which was 4 hours long and included stops at several restaurants along with a built in walking tour and information on the sights. The food was delicious and was a highlight for us. The trip ended with a traditional Roman meal at Flavio al Velavevodetto. The restaurant is built into the side of Monte Testaccio made from ancient discarded clay pots that you can see from inside the restaurant. Beautiful restaurant and phenomenal food. Mr. Bug still talks about their pasta!
Sunday morning, we took the train from Rome to Florence arriving at 10 AM. We dropped our luggage at our hotel and ran to meet the free walking tour with Florence Free Tour. We JUST caught them as they were about to head out for the 10:30 AM tour. The tour was just okay for us and not as good as others we have taken. Although, I will say our tour was hindered and cut short due to a marathon race being held that day which had many of the streets blocked off. After the walking tour we visited the Accademia Gallery which was very good. Again, we were thankful for the low crowds in November and were able to see the Statue of David with no line/crowds which is rare. In the evening, we went to Piazzale Michelangelo for sunset. Do not miss this! The views are awesome!
Our final full day we decided to check out some of the surrounding towns in Tuscany. We booked the Best of Tuscany bus tour with Walkabout Florence which had stops in Siena, Chianti, San Gimignano, and Pisa. This tour is a great bang for your buck as it is a 12-hour tour that includes transportation, guided walking tour of Siena, and lunch with wine tasting. This was the highlight of our Florence stay and we ended up booking another tour with this same company on our next trip back to the area. Many will say to shop in Florence for your leather goods but we prefer San Gimignano as it was higher quality, more one of a kind and not mass produced, less expensive, and not nearly as busy so we had time to chat with the store owners.
The final morning our flight did not leave until 1 PM so we decided to squeeze in one last sightseeing stop at Giotto’s Bell Tower beside the Duomo. The bell tower gives you impressive views of the Duomo as well as the city. Make sure to wear comfortable shoes as it’s 398 steps straight up to the top!
Budget Breakdown:
| Florence Hotel | $132.70 |
| Rome Hotel | $121.00 |
| Vatican Tour | $135.00 |
| Food Tour | $172.00 |
| Walking Tour | $20.00 |
| Flights | $200.00 |
| Tuscany Tour | $192.00 |
| Colosseum | $24.00 |
| Castel Sant Angelo | $21.00 |
| Food/Drinks | $319.00 |
| Giotto Bell Tower | $30.00 |
| Total | $1,366.70 |
To get the best prices, we recommend traveling off season and booking early. We booked the flights and hotels in early April for end of November travel. Out of all the countries we have visited, Mr. Bug and I both agree that Italy is one of our favorites and Rome holds a special place in our hearts. We have since returned to both Rome and Florence and can say that our second visit was even better than our first! Look for a future post about our return travels to Italy along with additional recommendations of things to do and see.
Recent Comments