Fantastic Trip!
Italy
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Jul 30 - Aug 8, 2024
Our trip took us from Bologna, to Florence, to Rome over 10 days. The itinerary and accommodations provided by Lorenza went off with nothing more than two minor issues noted below, which I offer only as constructive advice. And "Thank You" to Andrea for his real-time support in Rome.
In Bologna, accommodations at Hotel Aemilia were excellent--our favorite place on the trip. The only minor issue in this leg of the trip -- not enough time to enjoy Museo Enzo between arriving by train at Modena Centrale, and catching the shuttle bus to Museo Ferrari (40 minutes total were allowed, including time to walk to/from the Museo and train station. Too short. I missed the shuttle bus and took a taxi from Modena to Maranello so I could enjoy the Enzo museum). We also had a day trip to tour and sample parmigiano/reggiano, prosciutto, and balsamic vinegar in Emilia-Romagna. A real treat to have a private tour guide (there, and in every city we visited)-- we HIGHLY recommend this format. All of our tour guides were super-knowledgeable, fun, patient, etc.
Florence was our favorite place--SO much history. One highlight was our tour of the Chianti region (the only group tour we had, and there were only 11 of us in total, so no issue). Drinking wine and eating great food makes for quick fun together! Would go back to Florence and the Tuscany region without any hesitation. Accommodations there were excellent at Hotel Garibaldi Blu--very quaint, right near the train station but very quiet inside.
Rome was a whirlwind. Accommodations at Hotel Navona Colors were comfortable but a notch down from the other places we stayed. Private tour guide was absolutely, positively worth it! The only concern on this leg was actually in Frankfurt, our one stop on the trip home. We had 1 hr 20 min between our scheduled arrival in Frankfurt, and departure from there to Raleigh/Durham. Rome flight was 20 min late arriving, and then the German border/passport control process was SLOW and CROWDED. We narrowly escaped missing our flight from Frankfurt to Raleigh/Durham, being the last two persons on board. For a transatlantic trip, we like to avoid cutting this so close!
I would recommend KimKim, and Lorenza, without hesitation. THANK YOU for making our first trip to Italy memorable, and we are certain to return there soon. Ciao!
Hotel Reviews
We stayed here due to business at the Department of Veterinary Sciences, which is within walking distance of the hotel. Breakfast was excellent! The two are located in Ozzano, just East of Bologna, which is a small town. When put into this context, Phi Hotel was fine. Ratings below reflect the context.
Great location, friendly and informative staff, quiet. Breakfast was excellent. Clean and spacious bathroom.
Not as endearing as other places we stayed. Not bad at all, but not a hotel that we'd put on the top of our list. The room itself was fine but the breakfast, and caffe area, were not as good as others.
Activity Reviews
Fabulous, especially the Enzo museum. The two museums are complementary, not duplicative. A must-see for Ferrarista, car nuts and F1 fans.
Outstanding. Our private guide was native to Florence and was fantastic.
Once you see for yourself the lines to get in without a Skip The Line ticket, you'll know!
It would be crazy not to get a Skip the line ticket!