Wife and I have it narrowed down to these two places, but I need help which makes the most sense, and would be easiest for us. Planning on flying out Friday and returning on Friday. With us having to go back to work and deal with kids after being gone from them during the trip I'm guessing we'd need Sat/Sun to recover before returning to work Monday? If not let me know and we'd extend it a day possibly. Currently leaning towards going in June of 24, but if prices/crowds/etc make more sense to go earlier in the spring or later in the fall that's an option.

Ideally we'd like to keep our budget as close to $5k as possible. Curious what yall suggest.

In terms of Italy we are thinking either Florence/Tuscany or Rome. Would it make most sense to stay in one location for the duration, or split time between both? With the limited time I don't want to feel rushed. We aren't necessarily art people, or museum people. We like strolling cities, seeing the sights, eating/drinking. For me the less crowds the better. I have no desire to stand in lines for hours. I'm guessing with our time frame and budget these town locations make the most sense? I'm guessing Amalfi coast type of places wouldn't be worth the hassle of getting there or we simply couldn't afford to enjoy them?

Prague seems appealing because we'd fly in and you're there. This history/beauty seems like it would be a great place to enjoy a long week? With my Czech heritage I think it would be cool see it all and drink some beer, kolaches and get a taste of the homeland. Also seems to be more affordable which is appealing as well as less travel and less stress. Town also seems very walkable everywhere which is great because we love just getting out and going to see everything and not having to deal with ubers, trains, etc.

Help me out Texags. Any other locations yall suggest that would be better? I know the earlier you book hotel rooms the better, so that why I am starting to deep dive this already even though it is for next year.

I'm Czech too and was very excited about seeing Prague. It was my least favorite when I went (been twice as we took my Czech Mom for her 70th) and maybe we just did it wrong. Cesky Krumlov was our favorite little Czech town, we stayed a night there. We got more polkas out of visiting Munich than we did in Prague. Haven't been to Italy- so no help there. Regardless, a trip without kids is better wherever you go!

Loved Prague but personally I would go to Italy. You could base in Florence or Siena and take day trips into the Tuscan countryside from there. June will be crowded, but there are plenty of off-the-beaten track towns to visit to avoid crowds. You could even base in a smaller town if you wanted to rent a car for the week.

So if you leave Friday you'll land sometime on Saturday. That gives you Saturday-Thursday (since you're flying out Friday). And really, it's about 5.5 days cause that Saturday when you land will be semi-lost by getting to accommodation, recovering, etc.

If you're doing Italy, you need to stay in one region. I'd recommend Florence/Tuscany and chill for your six nights. You can spend Sat-Sun nights in Florence, head to a small village in Tuscany (San Gimignano, Sienna, Lucca, etc) and stay there Mon-Tues-Wed, then Thursday night in Florence for your flight out on Friday. Do a wine tour, take a cooking class, relax, wear some linen, and have a good time.

Alternatively, Amalfi is definitely an option, but it's a pain in the ass to get to. Positano is super expensive, although really beautiful. You could stay in Sorrento where your money will go a little further. You could also take a trip to Capri or Procida and stay a couple of nights out there. FYI - the beaches there aren't soft and sandy, they're hard and rocky.

I would not try to add Rome to any itinerary. Although you said you're not museum people, you should visit some of the old-world stuff in Rome. It's truly can't-miss.

Prague is one of the most beautiful cities in Europe. It's badass and has some really cool stuff to do. I do think that 6 nights in Prague is a lot, which is when you could add a few nights in Karlovy Vary (where they filmed parts of Casino Royale), or Kutna Hora. There's also a geopark out in east CR called Cesky Raj I have heard great things about (but have not been, personally). The kolaches in Prague are unbelievable.

this is exactly the kind of info I'm looking for. thanks

I'd vote Italy as well and to stay until Saturday.

We did something similar to this not that long ago. I'd recommend flying into Rome and immediately taking the train to Florence. There is a train station at the airport and you can go directly via highspeed rail to Florence. Depending on which route you take, you either stop at Termini Station or one of the other Rome stations and hop on the highspeed rail. 1.5 hours and you can be in Florence before noon. You won't have to burn part of another day traveling to Florence.

A couple of days (2 nights max) in Florence and then stay at an agriturismo in Tuscany for at least 3/4 nights. You can stay longer if you decide not to do Rome. With only 7 nights max, Rome would be a bit tight. You could fly in and out of Florence, but last time we went, the flights were awkward and it was much easier and faster to fly direct to Rome and take the train.

Also you'll need to rent a car. It's a fun experience on those tiny Tuscan roads.

did yall train back to stay in Rome the night before yalls flight? With you saying "Rome would be a bit tight"are you saying with 6 nights that isn't enough time to see most of the sights there?

I've traveled to both, and would say Italy. I traveled to Prague in 97 and it was fantastic as it was nit heavily traveled to by Westerners. Now it's the opposite.

Italy provides everything: location, cuisine, culture, etc.

A week is much too long for Prague. I believe we did 6 nights and we were just kind of lazing around by the end. And we had friends that joined us the second half so we could re-up for a bit.

eiggA2002 said:

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I'd vote Italy as well and to stay until Saturday.

We did something similar to this not that long ago. I'd recommend flying into Rome and immediately taking the train to Florence. There is a train station at the airport and you can go directly via highspeed rail to Florence. Depending on which route you take, you either stop at Termini Station or one of the other Rome stations and hop on the highspeed rail. 1.5 hours and you can be in Florence before noon. You won't have to burn part of another day traveling to Florence.

A couple of days (2 nights max) in Florence and then stay at an agriturismo in Tuscany for at least 3/4 nights. You can stay longer if you decide not to do Rome. With only 7 nights max, Rome would be a bit tight. You could fly in and out of Florence, but last time we went, the flights were awkward and it was much easier and faster to fly direct to Rome and take the train.

Also you'll need to rent a car. It's a fun experience on those tiny Tuscan roads.

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This is great advice. And yes, rent a car and drive all over Tuscany. We loved going to small off the beaten path towns.

Agreed with schmendeler. I did 3 days in Prague a few weeks ago, and that was plenty.

I would go to Italy. Florence is my favorite city in the world. Great day trips from Florence and make sure you visit Sienna.

I too am not an art guy. But in Florence it is a must to see the statue of David. And we had a great tour guide when we went to the Uffizi art museum and I truly enjoyed that.

Great food and wine in Florence. Of course, that can be said for all of Italy.

Prague is great but 3 nights or so is plenty.

The popular sunset spot in Florence is 5 stars. Would recommend. I passed on statue of David. You can have a great time in the city and not do forced tourist attractions with tons of other people who don't really care about the statue either. But thats my opinion.

Here are my Florence recommendations

Food

• Pensavo Peggio
• All'Antico Vinaio - a very famous sandwich shop but I highly recommend it. They bake the focaccia right next door
• Gustapizza - the closest thing to Neopalitan-style pizza in Florence, and amazing. I recommend grabbing it to go and sitting at Piazza Santo Spirito
  
• Osteria Santo Spirito
• Il Latin
• Acqua Al 2

Gelato

• Perche No!
• Gelateria Della Passera
• Gelateria La Carraia - this is the touristy one, but the line moves quick

What to Do

• Boboli Gardens, especially at sunset
• Grab a bottle of wine and sit at the steps of Piazzale Michelangelo and watch the sunset
• Some people will tell you to climb the Duomo, I climbed Giotto's Bell Tower instead and really loved it.
• Go see the statue of David, it's genuinely a masterpiece. Get your tickets ahead of time.
• Santa Maria Novella - This is one of the oldest active perfume/cologne makers in the world. I'm not a huge cologne guy, but I wear their Tobacco Toscano on occasion and it smells incredible (and the lady loves it). Even if you end up not buying anything, they're super nice and will explain everything to you.
• Wine tour - pick one. They're all over.
• Cooking class - IMO this is a must if you enjoy cooking and/or eating.

Tuscan Villages/Towns

• Certaldo - still has a lot of medieval architecture and is not filled with tourists
• Sienna - a larger town that you could base your Tuscany time out of. Quite popular but for good reason
• San Gimignano - kind of in between Certaldo and Sienna. It's smaller but well-visited cause it's gorgeous
• Pienza - this is a tiny town in the Val d'Orcia. It's a stopping point, and I don't think I'd stay there unless I ran out of gas or something, but I think it's worth visiting for an afternoon if you're car touring.

Lots of great info and I will add a couple more ideas….Fly into Florence, then Tuscany by rental car, drop off car at Rome Airport and take taxi etc. to lodging. I drove in Rome once….once. In Rome, we like to stay near the piazza Novona. Plenty of places to eat and you can walk to everything if you want. Look for Agriturismos in Tuscany. I have stayed at them all over rural Italy. They are plentiful and typically much less than a hotel. If you don't want to stand in line, get a tour booked in advance to see the Vatican and Sistine Chapel and you will skip the line.

I would definitely recommend Italy ... two trips come to mind based on your criteria ...

If you're willing to rent a car and drive (which in the end is very comparable to buying a rail pass for the week), I would fly into Florence and drive to Orvieto (it's about 90 minutes - but give it 2 hours if this is your first time driving in Italy). That's where I'd set up shop for the week, and use that as my base to explore. With the car you have the freedom to do what you want when you want, and changes plans on the fly - your 90 minutes from Sienna, and 30 minutes from Civita, for example. Personally, give me Umbria over Tuscany as a home base - I just like the more immersive cultural experiences I've had there.

If you'd rather stay on the rail system, then I would suggest flying into Rome in the early A.M, and being a tourist for that day and the next. Yes, Rome can be a beating, and once you've been there you probably won't be longing to go back ... but it is the Eternal City and there are some things you should spend a couple of days seeing. There's plenty, so pick a couple of sights you want to see and book those tours, and spend the rest of the time following a self-guided walking tour, like Rick Steve's. From there, hop on the train to La Spezia and get to the Cinque Terra as fast as you can! This is a totally different Italian experience - between the quaint coastal towns, the slow pace, the amazing food and the stunning hiking, it's easily my favorite spot in Italy, if not Europe (tied with Murren, Switzerland). Stay in Vernazza or Corniglia, and spend 4-5 days exploring.

Just typing these recommendations up has me checking flights!

About To board a flight home from Prague / Vienna / Budapest

I'll report back when I return. In summary Prague is 3rd on that list. Vienna is outstanding.

Prague and Vienna combo is hard to beat.

Outside of the pandemic years, I travel to Vienna annually. Most def one of the jewels of Europe. Endless amount of things to see and do.