[hbueno]

We visited France back in November. Spent a few days in Paris and then visited Normandy (Omaha Beach). and the Loire valley. Loved Paris so much that we're going again in a few weeks for a long weekend. Last time we stayed in Montmartre, this time we'll be in the Latin Quarter staying at the hotel Les Dames du Pantheon. We've already booked several restaurants and got tickets for the Musee d'Orsay and a musical performance at Eglise Saint Ephrem. There's so much to do that you really should research and plan ahead.

My suggestion: learn some basic French phrases and always say bonjour when entering an establishment. We found the people to he friendly and helpful.

We visited Siena and Florence back in the early 2000's just after Christmas. New Years Eve in the square in Siena was a blast. If it's still there, I recommend a restaurant called Il Cateni in the town of Orgia.

I'd recommend renting a car in Italy. Forget about a car in Paris, the Metro is excellent.

If your cell plan doesn't work overseas, I suggest getting an Orange Holiday Eurpoe SIM from Amazon. A fully functional smartphone is very helpful for using Google Maps to navigate the Metro, buying tickets, translation, etc.