Kelley Beane, a travel advisor with Martin Travel, recently explored three of Italy's most beloved destinations. We asked her about her weeklong journey through Rome, Florence and Venice, and how Pleasant Holidays made it a seamless experience.
We spent a week in Italy visiting Rome, Florence and Venice with two nights in each destination. We started in Rome, then took the train to Florence and finally Venice, where we needed a water taxi to reach our hotel.
In Rome, we toured the Roman Forum, the Spanish Steps and the Colosseum. Florence was my favorite city—the sunlight, the architecture and the whole atmosphere were incredible. We saw Michelangelo's David at the Accademia Gallery and visited the Duomo. This enormous cathedral is one of the largest churches in the world.
In Venice we had more free time to explore. I walked to St. Mark’s Square, Doge’s Palace and the Bridge of Sighs. I enjoyed browsing in shops and boutiques along the way; chocolate and pastry shops were my favorite. We stayed at the Hilton Molino Stucky Venice, a former flour mill that's been refurbished into a beautiful hotel. Our room faced the canal, and boats ran from our hotel to St. Mark’s Square every 15 minutes.
We traveled with Pleasant Holidays. They made the transportation seamless. They offer enhanced transfer services with someone there ensuring we got to each train connection and even making navigating Venice's unique water taxi system stress-free.
Pleasant Holidays offers a wide range of accommodations and activities worldwide at different price points. What I love about them is their flexibility—you can customize packages however you want and add tours and transfers as enhanced services. I'm confident booking through them because they provide quality vacations and offer excellent value.
The private boat tour in Venice was absolutely incredible. They picked us up at our hotel for a three-hour tour to the islands of Murano and Burano. On Murano, we visited a family-owned glass factory and watched a master glass blower at work. They even had a Van Gogh Starry Night window. It looked like a painting, then you saw it was entirely made of glass. Then we went to Burano, known for handmade lace, which is becoming a lost art form. Afterward, we stopped for Aperol spritzes and enjoyed the colorful island atmosphere.
My second highlight was our visit to the Villa Medici La Ferdinanda at Hotel Tenuta di Artimino, a UNESCO World Heritage site about a 50-minute drive outside Florence. While we didn’t stay overnight at the hotel, which is set in the historic stables, we did tour the property. It features a villa built in 1596 that was originally a hunting lodge for the Medici family—it's actually one of the only privately owned Medici homes. We had a wonderful lunch surrounded by olive groves, and I tried things I'd never eaten before, such as steak tartare. I liked it! Being surrounded by that history while enjoying authentic Tuscan cuisine was unforgettable.
Prepare to do a lot of walking and wear comfortable shoes—you'll encounter cobblestones and uneven surfaces everywhere. Also, everything moves at a slower pace in Italy. Meals are much longer than we're used to in America, so just embrace it and enjoy the experience while you're there.
The beautiful thing about Italy is that it checks boxes for all types of travelers. History buffs have so much to see, art lovers will be amazed, Venice offers unique canal experiences, and foodies can enjoy incredible pasta and pizza. You can visit different regions for different culinary specialties. Italy really offers variety for all types of travelers, and with Pleasant Holidays, we can customize the experience to match any interest or budget.
