Travel Review: Luxury Greece & Italy Vacation, Santorini, Rome, Venice, Florence, Positano, Pisa, Chianti Hot Air Balloon Ride

It is really tough to answer this question, because all of the trip was enjoyable and memorable.  We fell in love with Venice, walking twice to San Marco from our hotel on the other side of the island, up and down different routes, across many bridges (there are over 400 bridges in Venice!!), and finding fun places to eat.  The tour of San Marco and the Doges Palace were incredibly informative and really bring those places to life.  I had been to Venice before, but didn't participate in any tours.  Tours are absolutely essential and the agency that this travel company uses for tours is the finest.  

Florence was lovely, even though we got caught in a little rain one day.  Again, the tours  made the entire time in Florence worthwhile.  Rome was busy but the tours t were very informative and enlightening.

I would say our time in Tuscany and in Positano were our favorite part of the trip.  We had a rental car in Tuscany and we able to drive to Pisa the first day to see the tower, then to San Gimignano and wine country the next day.  The third day we were in Siena on a Wednesday for "market" and a huge downpour during lunch on the main round square.  The rain cleared out just in time for our Hot Air Balloon ride over Chianti on our last morning - certainly a highlight!!  Also, the food in Tuscany was fabulous, especially at La Toppa in San Donato! Positano had to be the most beautiful place we've ever been.  It is a very small town built up from the sea on cliffs. There are lovely linen shops lining the streets and some very good restaurants in town!  We felt like movie stars staying at the hotel, and seeing where Sophia Loren lived just down the coast near Amalfi.  

Another highlight of the trip had to be the high speed trains we took from Venice to Florence and then from Rome to Naples.  Wow!  We had no idea that they reached speeds of over 186 mph (300 km/h)!!  

And lastly, but certainly not least, we spent 4 nights in Santorini and that was just perfect for us to just explore the island a little but also to rest and recuperate by our pool at the lovely resort before heading home.