A day in Florence and Venice, Italy
I was in visiting Rome for two weeks and decided to venture out. I was visiting Rome for two weeks and decided to venture out. There were multiple locations available – I settled on Venice and Florence. I decided to spend a day in Venice and another in Florence. I had a romantic notion of what Venice would look like, not to mention I wanted to see the Leaning Tower. Leaning Tower is not in Florence – it is close enough to combine trips.
I booked a train with Omio. I booked all accommodation with Booking.com.
My first stop was Florence. The online booking process was quick and easy. I was able to book the day before my trip and got my confirmation emailed to me immediately. Fortunately for me, I did not have to print the confirmation. I could use it on my phone, which was great as I did not have a printer.
Immediately after that, I went to Venice for a day there.
I travelled from Rome to Florence and to stayed a day and night there. Then I took a train to Venice and was there one day and night.
Leonardo da Vinci Museum, Florence
The museum doesn’t look like much – I almost missed it. I was glad when I finally got inside. There is a small entrance fee to be paid. They have ancient designs by Leonardo da Vinci so worth the visit.
Piazza Venchia and Ponte Venchia, Florence
Walking in Florence is a lovely experience. The walk from the Square to the Ponte is a scenic one.
Duomo, Florence
The design of this building, the colour makes it seem as if this is a portrait. It looks magical. I felt like I could stare all day and never get tired. There is a tour inside the building that is well worth your time.
Leaning Tower of Pisa
Visiting the Leaning Tower of Pisa was always a dream for me. It was the main reasons I chose Florence, as I could be close enough to see it. I booked a bus tour from Florence to Pisa. I loved that you could also buy souvenirs as there are shops and a market.
The tour included the Pisa Baptistery, as well as the Pisa Cathedral. They also have some gelato to chase the blues away. The designs of the structure are great – inside and outside. The tour guides are very good at explaining everything in detail. They also allow you time to have a look around on your own.
Consistent with all the churches or cathedrals in Italy, it has artwork on the walls, floor and ceilings that is amazing. It is worth it to slow down and admire everything around.
It is also worth mentioning that most of the tours are in different languages. You can pick the language that works for you.
Gondolo, Venice
A trip to Venice would not be complete without a ride on a gondola. Most take you along the grand canal, another attraction. You get a view of the Rialto Bridge and get to see the old city up close.
The ride is a great way to see most of the island as it is not that big. It is also a lovely experience being on the gondola.
St Mark’s Cathedral and St Mark’s Square
The Square is lovely regardless of the time of day. Again the design and details in the structure are so intricate.
The steps to the top of the bell tower are worth it for a great view of the island. There is a separate fee to go up the bell tower.
Rialto Bridge
You have to walk over this beautiful bridge to get to Venice. Interestingly fact, there is one way into the island, no cars are allowed onto the island. There is a parking area and drop off zone as you enter. After that, you walk or take a boat.
The bridge is stunning and huge! A lovely picture moment as you cross over.
An interesting thing about Venice is the passages are tiny. It is easy to get lost as the GPS does not work well due to the narrow lanes. We had a “ghost” tour at night, most of us were late because we got lost. It seems the tour guides are used to it as she waited an additional 10 minutes. She expected that people would get lost.
You cannot buy tickets for the ferry on the island. I did not know this before getting there. It was an inconvenience as I then had to walk everywhere. Most people said they bought them at the airport or outside the island.
