Italy in May 2023

10 Days · drove ~1,235km

Vancouver [YVR] → Montreal [YUL] → Paris [CDG] → Florence [FLR] → Tuscany → Ferrari factory (Maranello) → Italian Riviera → Florence [FLR] → Amsterdam [AMS] → Vancouver [YVR]

trip at a glance

day 0 · Sun, May 14

YVR → YUL → CDG → FLR

departed Vancouver [YVR] on AC302 at 8:00am. connected in Montreal [YUL] on AF343 to Paris [CDG], then AF1066 to Florence [FLR] — overnight.

day 1 · Mon, May 15

Florence

landed FLR on time at 9:15am — but Air France failed to transfer my checked bag. filed a lost luggage report and took a taxi to hotel. Plaza Hotel Lucchesi let me check in that early (10:30am) without question. upgraded to a top floor room with an open balcony — views of Duomo and Florence's orange-roofed skyline. with no luggage, spent an hour shopping for essentials — some clothes, charging cables, toiletries. luggage was eventually delivered to hotel the next day. Air France refunded the cost of essentials. later walked out to explore Florence. visited Basilica di Santa Croce — iconic Franciscan church, burial place of Michelangelo, Galileo, and Machiavelli. walked across Ponte Vecchio — iconic medieval bridge, above Arno river, lined with jewelry shops, built in 1345 - only Florentine bridge that survived WWII. crossed Ponte Santa Trinità — Florence's most elegant Renaissance bridge. grabbed a panino at Panini e Vini Come Dio — tiny, unassuming spot with a line out the door. simple, fresh, outstanding. visited Piazza della Signoria — main civic square, home of replica David and Loggia dei Lanzi — open-air arcade of Renaissance sculptures including Giambologna's Rape of the Sabine Women and Cellini's Perseus. completely flooded with tourists. visited Palazzo Vecchio — 13th-century fortress-palace and town hall, and climbed its Arnolfo Tower (223 steps) — best panoramic view of Florence, with Duomo filling the frame. in the evening, dinner at hotel's rooftop tapas bar — panoramic views over Florence. then walked to Piazzale Michelangelo — a hilltop terrace on south bank of Arno, famous for sunset views over the city. packed with people — waited for a gap to move in front. sunset was breathtaking. Arno glowed orange, silhouettes of bridges against the light, orange rooftops vibrating in warm glow. stayed an hour as crowd thinned — watched the city light up gradually. walked back to hotel.

Plaza Hotel Lucchesi [https://www.expedia.com/Florence-Hotels-Plaza-Hotel-Lucchesi.h8741.Hotel-Information] — great location, everything walkable. friendly and helpful staff. early check-in allowed. top floor with open balcony — views of Duomo and Florence's skyline. rooftop tapas bar and pool with 360° views over Arno river. 5/5

day 2 · Tue, May 16

Florence

stepped out at 6am — before the city wakes up. ideal for my photography — empty streets, soft morning light, and flocks of pigeons. retraced yesterday's route to photograph: Basilica di Santa Croce, Piazza della Signoria, Ponte Vecchio, Ponte Santa Trinità. continued to Piazza del Duomo — photographed Cattedrale di Santa Maria del Fiore (known as the Duomo — symbolic cathedral of Florence, built over 140 years from 1296 to 1436, stunning facade clad in white, green and pink Tuscan marble), Campanile di Giotto (elegant 14th-century bell tower - built with same marble style as the Duomo, 414 steps), and Battistero di San Giovanni (octagonal baptistery famous for Ghiberti's gilded bronze Gates of Paradise). Piazza di San Lorenzo and Basilica di San Lorenzo — historic church built by Brunelleschi for the Medici family. Piazza di Santa Maria Novella and Basilica di Santa Maria Novella — iconic Gothic church with striking marble facade. Piazza Ognissanti — quiet square where Botticelli is buried. back to hotel for breakfast. at 9am — attended pre-booked skip-the-line Brunelleschi's Dome climb inside the Duomo. engineering marvel — largest brick dome ever constructed, built without scaffolding - using a double-shell design visible as you climb between two shells. views from top were unique — unlike other vantage points, you won't see the Duomo here since you're standing on it. spent the afternoon shopping — bought a Braccialini bag as a gift for my wife. dinner at Ristorante Il Paiolo — reservation recommended.

day 3 · Wed, May 17

Florence → San Gimignano → Volterra → Pienza

good breakfast and checked out. picked up rental car — Fiat Panda — from Sicily by Car [https://www.sbc.it], walkable from hotel. on the road by ~10am. drove south for ~2 hours to San Gimignano - a small medieval hilltop walled town famous for its 14 surviving towers, once there were 72. UNESCO World Heritage Site. parked outside walls and explored on foot — not crowded compared to Florence. visited Chiesa di Sant'Agostino (imposing 13th-century Romanesque-Gothic church), Duomo di San Gimignano (Collegiata di Santa Maria Assunta — 10th-century Romanesque church). climbed Torre Grossa — tallest surviving tower, 218 steps — panoramic 360° views over Tuscan countryside. left around 1:30pm. stopped at a panoramic viewpoint near Abbazia di Monteoliveto Minore — just 2 minutes from parking — for a classic distant shot of San Gimignano with towers rising above Tuscan valley. drove ~45 mins to Volterra — a small hilltop walled town, older and quieter than San Gimignano. parked outside, explored on foot. Piazza dei Priori — Tuscany's oldest town square. Cattedrale di Santa Maria Assunta — Romanesque cathedral. left around 3:45pm. drove south on the scenic Autostrada Firenze-Siena, cutting through beautiful Tuscan landscapes. stopped to photograph iconic driveway of Agriturismo Baccoleno in Crete Senesi — a long curved avenue of tall cypress trees leading to a Tuscan farmhouse. detoured to photograph Cipressi di San Quirico d'Orcia — a famous circular cluster of cypress trees standing alone in an open Val d'Orcia field. later checked into Hotel Corsignano in Pienza around 7:45pm. walked to Ristorante La Piazzetta for dinner — classic Tuscan ribollita (hearty bread and vegetable soup, slow-cooked and reheated) and a glass of Chianti.

Hotel Corsignano [https://www.expedia.com/Pienza-Hotels-Hotel-Corsignano.h2525690.Hotel-Information] — nice location and friendly staff. parking can be an issue on a busy day. breakfast was OK. 4/5

day 4 · Thu, May 18

Pienza → Montepulciano → Siena → Pienza

breakfast at 7:30am. walked around Pienza - UNESCO World Heritage Site. Piazza Pio II (15th-century Renaissance square) and Cattedrale dell'Assunta (Pienza's Duomo, 15th-century Renaissance cathedral). later drove to Cappella della Madonna di Vitaleta — a tiny isolated chapel on a cypress-lined hilltop in Val d'Orcia. continued to Montepulciano — a hilltop Renaissance town famous for its world-class wine Vino Nobile. visited Tempio di San Biagio — stunning 16th-century Renaissance church, Piazza Grande - beautiful town square, and Palazzo Comunale - 14th-century Gothic town hall. drove to Siena — medieval city, UNESCO World Heritage Site. bigger and busier than other Tuscan hill towns but far less crowded than Florence. explored Piazza del Duomo, Duomo di Siena (iconic Gothic cathedral with a dramatic black and white striped marble facade), and Piazza del Campo — magnificent shell-shaped medieval square. quick pizza slice while walking. left after a couple of hours. drove back to Cipressi di San Quirico d'Orcia for a second attempt at the cypress circle shot — overcast, no luck. back to hotel. dinner at Baccano Panino Toscano — ribollita again with a glass of Chianti. strolled around empty streets of Pienza at night — peaceful.

day 5 · Fri, May 19

Pienza → Bologna → Modena

checked out ~8am after a good breakfast. drove north on A1 Autostrada del Sole — perfect for long open drives. dropped off rental car in Bologna - took a taxi to Modena. checked into Best Western Milano Palace Modena by noon. in the afternoon, took a taxi to Maranello for the highlight of the trip: Ferrari factory and museum tour. the factory tour was arranged in advance through Ferrari of Seattle [https://ferrariofseattle.com/] — not something you can just walk into. Maranello factory is where every Ferrari is hand-assembled. seeing the production line up close — including my own car being assembled — is unlike anything else. after factory, visited Museo Enzo Ferrari [https://www.museomaranello.ferrari.com/en] — a dreamspace for car lovers. in the evening, explored Modena: Piazza Roma (main civic square with Palazzo Ducale), Duomo di Modena (a UNESCO World Heritage Romanesque cathedral), and Via Coltellini — the umbrella street, famously decorated with hundreds of colorful umbrellas strung overhead. dinner at Stile Libero. finished with cannoli from Gioelia Cremerie — a perfect Modena night.

background story: originally planned to stay in Modena through May 22 for Imola F1 Grand Prix. unfortunately it got cancelled due to severe flooding in Emilia-Romagna, a regional disaster that displaced thousands. changed plan to stay in Modena just for a night - for Ferrari factory tour. and added Cinque Terre to the itinerary. cancelled train tickets. booked new hotel. booked new rental car.

Best Western Milano Palace [https://www.expedia.com/Modena-Hotels-Best-Western-Premier-Milano-Palace-Hotel.h2541942.Hotel-Information] — good location, friendly and helpful staff. room was a bit small but fine for a night. good breakfast. valet parking was a bit expensive but useful. 4/5

day 6 · Sat, May 20

Modena → Pisa → Massa

breakfast at 8am. picked up second rental car — DR DR4 1.5 MT — from Drivalia [https://www.drivalia.it]. drove west on A1, then toward Pisa. arrived around 1:30pm — completely overrun with tourists. Piazza del Duomo (also called Piazza dei Miracoli) — UNESCO World Heritage Site — with Cattedrale di Pisa (magnificent 11th-century Romanesque cathedral), Pisa Baptistery (12th-century Romanesque baptistery) and iconic Leaning Tower. everyone doing the same tired pushing pose. street vendors and touts everywhere — persistent and hard to shake off. quickly left Piazza dei Miracoli — walked around other parts of the city instead. lunch at Ristorante India — good food. later drove north along the coast to Massa - skipped Lucca despite having planned for it, overcrowded Pisa took energy away. checked into Hotel Excelsior by 4pm. in the evening, walked the marina. fresh crepes at Yogorino.

Hotel Excelsior [https://www.expedia.com/Massa-Hotels-Hotel-Excelsior.h2524089.Hotel-Information] — great hotel in perfect location. loved the ocean view from room. good room service. breakfast was alright. gated self-parking was helpful. 5/5

day 7 · Sun, May 21

Massa → Cinque Terre → Massa

after breakfast, drove to La Spezia and parked in a pre-booked private garage - near train station. bought a Cinque Terre National Park train pass and hopped between all five villages. Riomaggiore — southernmost village. colorful stacked houses cascading down to a tiny harbor - very beautiful. Manarola — most photogenic, houses stacked above water in layers of color. Corniglia — only inland village, perched high on a cliff. had a chilled beer after climbing 382 steps on that hot day. Vernazza — charming with a natural harbor. Monterosso al Mare — largest, beach-resort-like with a proper sandy beach. back to Riomaggiore for a scheduled private boat tour with Cinque Terre Adventure [https://www.cinqueterreadventure.com] — captained by Luca from Il Gavitello di Casaul [https://ilgavitello.com/en/cinque-terre-sunset-tour/]. saw all five villages from sea, plus hidden coastal sections inaccessible by land. train back to La Spezia. drove back to hotel.

Riomaggiore

Manarola

Corniglia

Vernazza

Monterosso

day 8 · Mon, May 22

Massa → Lavagna

breakfast and checked out. drove north along Ligurian coast to Lavagna. checked into Villa Riviera Resort — Portofino suite with a large open terrace and stunning views. after a few intense days, took a well-deserved rest. sat on terrace and finished a bottle of Chianti while watching a glorious sunset. later went down for a very stylish 5-course dinner at hotel restaurant.

Villa Riviera Resort [https://www.expedia.com/Lavagna-Hotels-Villa-Riviera.h28991143.Hotel-Information] — loved every minute of it. awesomely helpful and friendly staff. great views, perfect calmness. good restaurant and great service. 5/5

day 9 · Tue, May 23

Lavagna → Portofino → Santa Margherita Ligure → Lavagna

a hot day — stayed in resort. took advantage of a complimentary massage therapy session. later around 5pm, drove to Portofino — most glamorous village on Italian Riviera. my favorite. tiny harbor ringed by pastel buildings. walked the marina and climbed up to Castello Brown — a 16th-century hilltop castle with sweeping views over the harbor and open Ligurian Sea. drove to Santa Margherita Ligure — explored marina and visited Chiesa di San Giacomo di Corte, a Baroque church overlooking harbor. dinner at Bar Garibaldi — excellent pasta. drove back to resort.

Portofino

Santa Margherita

day 10 · Wed, May 24

Lavagna → Florence FLR → Amsterdam AMS → Vancouver YVR

checked out at 6am. too early for breakfast - resort staff prepared a packed breakfast instead. drove back to Florence. dropped car at airport ~9am. departed FLR at 12:10pm, connected through Amsterdam [AMS] on KLM — arrived YVR at 3:50pm. arrivederci Italia.

trip budget

flights · ~USD $2,200
car rental · Sicily by Car 2 days · ~$450
car rental · Drivalia 5 days · ~$900
Plaza Hotel Lucchesi Florence (2 nights) · ~$1,450
Hotel Corsignano Pienza (2 nights) · ~$330
Best Western Milano Palace Modena (1 night) · ~$350
Hotel Excelsior Marina di Massa (2 nights) · ~$850
Villa Riviera Resort Lavagna (2 nights) · ~$1,600
tour · Cinque Terre boat · ~$100
tour · Palazzo Vecchio · ~$50
tour · Brunelleschi Dome · ~$70
transport (tolls, parking, taxi, Cinque Terre train pass) · ~$350
food & misc · ~$1,500
total · USD $10,200

Italy — tips

1. Cinque Terre: park in La Spezia. drive to La Spezia, park there, and take train between villages.
2. missed a toll? don't panic. if you miss a payment — find toll operator's contact on booth, gate, or slip and email them. they will send a payment link.
3. book attraction tickets in advance via Tiqets [https://www.tiqets.com].