[trader220]

Having gone to school and lived in Florence I have to agree with those who tell you dont waste time and money with a "tour". Perillo or any of the other ones are okay but there are some basics that you might want to know about them. They all take HUGE kick backs from really touristy places to bring you there. Yea you get to see the basics but a good book and a car or better yet motorcycle will get you to those places and allow you to really see a lot of other stuff.


I used to hang with some of the young American tourists at what was back then the “American” bar and hearing how little they really got to see and how many gift shops and touristy markets they got left at on these tours was the source for endless laughs.

Get a good travel guide ( careful though because many of them take money to feature a bar or restaurant in them ) and a car or other transportation and give yourself a rough time frame and plan and enjoy Italy yourself.


Venice …. Yes you have to see it but yea its basically a nasty tourist trap. Try out one of the 14 dollar bottles of water or a 10 dollar coke in St Mark’s sq.

Personally I could spend weeks back in Florence and I’ve not been there is 20 years but since the place a heck of a lot older then 20 years I don’t think its changed a heck of a lot.

Have a great trip.