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Ooohh! I'm jealous! We went the beach route and booked through a travel agent, but I've been wondering if we should have gone to Europe instead! I've talked to people who have absolutely adored Italy; I'm sure you will have a great time! Have fun and good luck!
ohh i am so jealous! we were going to do that but then the stock market tanked... and so did our honeymoon fund. i LOVE italy!! rick steves is the BEST! he may be a big dork, but he's amazing.
We're in the same boat as you...not a lot of money, but we may not get a chance to go to Italy again in the near future. We both adore Italian culture and food! We're considering a package through a travel agency (since it's our first time to Europe) that includes 11 days starting in Rome, then taking the train up to Florence & Venice. I'm so excited!
We also decided to live it up on this trip (within our restricted budget) and take more time than normal on the vacation. Since both Fiance and I have been really lucky and traveled to a lot of places we decided that we had to go to a place that neither of us had ever been. We also aren't totally beach people so we needed a place that had both beach and activities including historical stuff. We decided on Turkey. Normally we would plan our own thing but when we were reading through all the books on Turkey, they suggested using travel agents for a lot of the more remote places we were most excited to see. I came across this article on MSNBC over the summer - http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/25785845/ and used Tripology. Its like lending tree but for travel agents. You submit your timeline, your budget, proposed destinations within countries, what's most important to you, etc. We got back 4 proposals within 24 hours of submitting a request. Since we already had the round trip tickets, the agent we picked based on his experience planning trips in that area has arranged all of our in country travel, lodging, tours and taken care of all the visas we need. Its been fantastic and he stayed completely within our budget. We are even able to go on a hot air balloon ride he arranged - it looks amazing.
Kangaroo that sounds great! I will definitely have to bookmark that link!
Oooo...we did Italy on our honeymoon and it was just wonderful. I have to say that I wasn't that big of a fan of Venice...but that is in comparison to all the other places we went to in Italy...that and it was the end of our trip and we were tired.
Make sure to seek out where the locals like to go...usually the best food and wine can be found there.
Have a wonderful time!!!
I went to Italy with a girlfriend a few years ago and had the best time! Even if you don't speak any Italian, there's nothing you can't do. We even managed to rent a car in Florence and drive out to Siena (by ourselves!) along the Chianti road, stopping at random wineries along the way for tasting. You wouldn't believe how sweet and accomodating people can be. Just saying please and thank you a lot will get you farther than you can imagine. I'm a bit of a foodie and my gastronomic advice to you is--don't go anywhere that has a menu printed in English. You're going to have a great honeymoon!!!
You'll love it! My pref for booking trips is to do it independently of any agency. Just using travel books and also reviews online. Good luck!
We're going to Dominica in the Caribbean for ours - we leave in 21 days :)
Yay for Italy! Mr. Canary and I definitely do not regret any $$$ spent on our honeymoon in Italy. It's seriously once in a lifetime and we felt we deserved it after planning the wedding for 1.5 years. We loved our wedding, but the wedding was also for our families. We felt that the honeymoon was exclusively for us and we should really just go all out.
We did the same thing, fly into Milan and then spent a few days in Bologna, then joined a luxury bike tour through Tuscany (we were in a group of six, with a lot of independent time), then we spent a few days unwinding by ourselves in Siena, and back to Milan for the flight home.
I had previously studied abroad in Italy in college and had visited Venice, Florence, and Rome, so we didn't feel like we were missing out. Siena was amazing. A great city to really de-camp and explore. Did you see the most recent James Bond? The first scene opens in Siena.
Milan was a bit too much like New York for us. High prices, scammy street folks, very industrial in some parts. But we found one day when we decided to walk away from the big tourist sites and just walk down small side streets and roads we discovered a different and calmer side of Milan. We even made it to a performance at La Scala, which was well worth it!
The bike tour was a great way to see back roads Tuscany. We had such a blast! It was amazing to see all these scenic vistas and have such a personal experience. The tour included the most beautiful hotel/villa stays as well as amazing meals, wine tastings, and tours. We absolutely loved the tour portion and getting spoiled by our guides... mostly we loved not having to plan a thing.
Our self-tour portion was great too, but it was hectic trying to get all the hotels and check in, then settling, and getting our bearings. Less time to relax.
If you have any questions, feel free to PM me directly!
I can highly recommend the tour books by Rick Steves. They are perfect for DIY travelers. It is tempting to just buy one - the Italy one. But - after doing this I realized how much more comprehensive his books are for each city you're visiting. So I bought the Italy one first, then went back and ordered one each for Florence, Venice and Rome. Here is a link on Amazon - looks like the 09 versions are out: http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_gw?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=rick+steves+italy
The writing style of the books is informative but entertaining - would love to meet the author! If you walk into a cathedral or museum, for example, he lays out a step-by-step plan describing what you are looking at. Rick also has a great website with tons of travel hints. http://www.ricksteves.com/
I also made extensive use of the Frommers.com website - message board. The Italy boards are very active - most of my questions were answered within a few hours. Have a great trip!
I think I'm going to Italy too! My FI and I are days away from booking everything! :)
We are planning on flying into Paris and spending three days there before we go to Italy. Once in Italy we have narrowed it down to Venice, Rome and somewhere on the Almafi coast- probably Sorrento(?).
It seems like there is SO MUCH to see in Italy, so we're having a hard time narrowing it down. We keep hearing that we MUST go to other places, like Lago Di Como, Sicily, etc etc. We just don't have time to do it all, so we're going to pick three places and try to spend a few days in each so that we have time for everything.
Kangaroo, Thanks for the tip! I am going to try tripology out for our honeymoon to Japan! They have a complicated system of accomodation charges 
LatteLove, your trip will be amazing. I adore Venice but did not enjoy Rome too much! I am a stickler for adventure traveling and not so much a big city shopper/tourist. While the euro is worth more than the dollar right now, there are still some great deals to be had, as they are hurting too! Have a Merry Honeymoon! :)
florence:
go to acqua al due for dinner, although it is packed with tourists. the food is amazing.
also, one day rent bikes and bike up to piazzale michelangelo. if you like wine and cheese buy some wine, cheese and crackers and head up to the piazza for sunset. sit on the steps and enjoy your snack as you watch the sun set over the city. molto romantico.
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Fi and I have finally decided on the honeymoon location.
We know that there is no other way we would be able to go on this trip (at least in the next five years). It's now or never. We both love to travel and will LOVE every minute of a honeymoon in europe.
So even though we are young, fi is in grad school, and we are mostly broke as a joke, Italy here we come! (don't worry, no wedding or honeymoon debt will be involved)
We toyed with the idea of going through a travel company and signing up for a tour so we don't have the stress of booking accomodations and attractions, but have since decided that doing our own thing would be more rewarding, relaxing, and romantic.
We're flying into Milan towards the end of June, spending a day there and then spending 4 days each in Florence and Venice and I couldn't be more thrilled!
Is anyone else taking the leap and splurging on a European honeymoon? Where are you going and for how long? How are you making your plans? (onilne research, travel agency, travel books/videos?)