Client's Blog for Three Centre Trip to Italy

We started to make plans in 2019 for our 50th wedding anniversary in 2020. We planned to visit Venice and Florence as two special destinations, with a stay in Milan too. With Vicky’s expert advice and support, our plans were made and the itinerary set out. We would go in April 2020 when there would be fewer crowds and the weather would be cooler. We would travel business class and first-class rail with transfers by car. Flights were booked to Milan for our first two nights before heading by train to Venice, staying in the lovely Principe hotel directly facing the Grand Canal. After three nights we would travel by train to Florence before heading by car to Pisa to fly back to Heathrow. The news of the pandemic broke in early January 2020 and by early February we knew it was extremely serious. We had to postpone our holiday several times, of course, talked the details through again with Vicky and then we were on our way.

We had a wonderful holiday. Milan is a very interesting city. It’s magnificent cathedral (the Duomo) attracts visitors throughout the day but getting there by 8am allowed us to get some excellent photos. Milan is known for its fashions and its glamour and it really didn’t disappoint. Indeed, we found a stream of people throughout the day into the evening would pose for photos in their finest fashions in front of the fashion houses such as Prada and Versace! Many people in Milan appear to be politically engaged with street demonstrations and protest banners are hung on public buildings. It was great! Our hotel (the Sina De la Ville) was excellent, located in the centre of Milan and just a short taxi ride to Milano Centrale, the main station. I also took a trip on the Milano subway which was very easy to manage. Tickets are relatively inexpensive, there are machines and kiosks in stations and it’s a quick and clean service.We enjoyed a super dinner at Ristorante Savini in the Grand Arcade, the service was warm and professional. In the morning, we took a taxi to the station for our train to Venice and were struck by the magnificent Milano Centrale station building. At the very least, it’s equally as impressive as Grand Central Station in New York. Station staff were helpful in pointing us to the right part of the station for the train to Venice (Venetzia) and we were on our way.

Arriving at Venice, we walked out of the station to be immediately confronted by the Grand Canal in front of us. We stopped and looked, taking it all in, struck by its beauty and also its familiarity from paintings, photos and films. We gathered ourselves and walked down the street to Principe Hotel. The Hotel is on the Grand Canal and our room had a balcony overlooking the Canal (thank you Vicky) and it was excellent. There was much to explore and much to discover, all seemingly close to hand. We wondered along the Grand Canal and found a suitable place for dinner. The next morning, we set off to explore Venice. It was warm and sunny, not at all thronged and we admired the architecture all around us. After lunch we decided to walk to the Rialto Bridge which wasn’t a great idea if you have a potential mobility impairment. Venice wasn’t designed for wheelchair users or those who prefer to be on level ground most of the time. Walking to the Rialto Bridge involved using a good number of steep bridges to cross smaller canals and the paths at times were very uneven. We were determined to make it there – which we did – and we made it back to the Hotel too. I discovered next day the vaporetto service along the Grand Canal is accessible. It has been designed to enable users of wheelchairs and pushchairs to travel around Venice. I was able to visit the Rialto Bridge, go to St Mark’s Square and admire the Doge’s Palace all with little difficulty using one of the vaporettos along the Grand Canal. They’re inexpensive too.

We were soon on the train to Florence as planned (thank you again, Vicky). Train announcements are helpfully made in English as well as Italian and we were pleased to find screens on each of the trains showing the stations and the progress of the journey. We had chosen the Grand Hotel Baglione in Florence for its location close to the amazing buildings, statues and galleries as well as the Arno. We were also pleased to find it was close to the rail station, indeed we could see the hotel from the station steps and a taxi wasn’t needed. Florence is magnificent and certainly didn’t disappoint in any way. I had booked tickets in advance for the Uffizi Gallery and this proved to be a sensible move.

A warning about access at the Uffizi. All visitors are directed downstairs at the start of the visit to pass through security and the lift to the lower floor was out of order. Any request for an alternative was met with a shrug. Once downstairs and through security, there are lifts to access upper floors. We managed the stairs and we saw one wheelchair user inside the gallery who had somehow managed to enter the Gallery. Having said this, a visit to the Uffizi Gallery is essential. Indeed, it makes sense to book tickets to visit the Uffizi on three separate days as there is so much to see!

Florence is stunning. We found restaurants and coffee shops to suit all tastes and budgets. While it’s best to book in advance for the Uffizi Gallery, we visited the Accademia gallery without advance tickets and waited no more than five minutes to enter, immediately after lunch. The Accademia has Michelangelo’s sculpture David and many other outstanding works. The Grand Hotel Baglioni offers amazing views from its restaurant and has a ‘roof top bar’. This was a perfect venue to relax after a busy day and we found there’s also a menu for light meals in the roof top bar as well as more formal dining in the adjoining restaurant. Our days in Florence passed all too quickly. Our flight home was from Pisa airport and Vicky had booked a car for the transfer journey. The executive car arrived early with its very professional driver. We will return to Italy and the plan is to go back to Florence and Milan; we will probably add Lake Garda to the itinerary.

Finally, huge thanks to Vicky. We were in very good hands with her as the ‘travel boss’ Vicky as she made the whole journey simple and straightforward with her seemingly endless patience and attention to detail. Robert Meadowcroft – 22 May 2022