Grand arrival and lagoon perspective
Venice & the Veneto
Stay within Venice for early and late access to the city, or choose an island setting for space and water views. The wider Veneto includes Verona and the Dolomites.
The Farr destinations
Italy
Grand hotels, a sense of occasion and places that reward a longer stay.
Pictured: Hotel Cipriani, A Belmond Hotel
The destination, considered
A sense of place. A sense of occasion.
Venice, the lakes and the countryside call for different ways of travelling. Our featured guide starts with Hotel Cipriani in Venice. A wider Italian journey can be discussed around the places you most want to experience.
Your personal concierge helps you compare the setting, the accommodation and the practical details, then handles your booking from start to finish.
The destination, properly understood
Italy,
in greater detail.
Italy rewards restraint: choose one or two regions, travel well between them and leave time for the rituals that make each place distinct.
Region-by-region guidanceSeasonal contextConcierge planning notes
Where to stay
Four distinct ways
to experience it.
Waterfront elegance and mountain light
Lake Como & the Italian Lakes
Como is shaped by boat travel, lakeside towns and villas. Garda and Maggiore offer different scales and onward possibilities.
Art, landscape and country estates
Tuscany & Florence
Combine Florence’s museums and architecture with a rural base among vineyards, hill towns and long lunches.
Ancient city to dramatic coast
Rome, Amalfi & the south
Rome deserves several unhurried days. The Amalfi Coast, Capri, Puglia and Sicily each warrant their own plan rather than a rushed extension.
What to do
Experiences with
real sense of place.
Signature experience
Travel by water
Private launches in Venice and boats on the lakes or Amalfi Coast can turn necessary transfers into memorable parts of the journey.
Signature experience
Book art intelligently
Timed entries and an excellent private guide make major museums and archaeological sites more rewarding.
Signature experience
Let food locate you
Markets, producers, vineyards and regional cooking are reasons to choose a base, not just activities once you arrive.
Signature experience
Build in the passeggiata
The most Italian hours can be unscheduled: a late-afternoon walk, aperitivo and dinner close to home.
When to go
Use the season,
not just the date.
March–May
Spring favours cities, gardens and countryside, with variable early-season weather around lakes and coasts.
June–September
The main season for lakes and coasts. July and August bring heat and heavy demand in famous cities and seaside areas.
October–November
Harvest, food and city travel can be rewarding; coastal and lake services become more seasonal.
December–February
Strong for art cities, festive travel and skiing regions; many resort hotels around lakes and coasts close.
Plan it well
Details that change the holiday.
- Avoid combining too many regions. Transfers that look short on a map can consume much of a day.
- Rail is excellent between many cities; private road transfers make sense for rural hotels and complex coastlines.
- Major sights, restaurants and private boats should be reserved early in peak periods.
Destination information checked against Italia.it — official tourism portal. Entry rules, safety advice and local conditions can change: review the current UK government travel advice before booking and departure.
The choice that matters
Find your version of Italy.
Venice · a retreat across the water
Hotel Cipriani’s Giudecca setting makes the boat journey part of the stay. Consider it if you want to return to gardens and a resort atmosphere after time in Venice.
Explore the hotel guide ↗Lake Como · settle beside the lake
Mandarin Oriental, Lago di Como in Blevio offers a lakeside alternative to Venice, with rooms, suites, villas and a floating outdoor pool. Consider one destination or a carefully paced combination.
Discuss this idea ↗
A stay to consider · Mandarin Oriental, Lago di Como
Venice, then a different kind of water.
In Blevio on Lake Como, this lakeside retreat offers rooms, suites and villas, with a floating outdoor pool. It gives an Italian journey a different rhythm from the streets, galleries and boat journeys of Venice.
Choose the lake when time at the hotel and the view are central to the stay. Compare a room or suite with a private villa if you are travelling together; then consider the journey between stops before deciding how many nights to give each.
Is this a single lakeside escape, or part of a longer Italian journey?
When to travel
Let the season shape the journey
Italy offers distinct experiences across the seasons. Spring lends itself to lakes and countryside; summer and autumn bring their own reasons to travel. Check the opening period of the particular hotel and allow for the rhythm of the destination.
Official destination information ↗
The Farr collection
Hotels to explore.
Italy
Hotel Cipriani, A Belmond Hotel
Venetian island retreat
A retreat on Giudecca Island, with Venice across the lagoon and boat journeys part of the experience.
Explore the hotel guide →
Italy
Mandarin Oriental, Lago di Como
Lakeside rooms, suites and villas
Botanical gardens, lake-facing terraces and villa living on Como's eastern shore.
Explore the hotel guide →A journey idea to discuss
Fewer stops, richer days
Choose a city or region to enjoy properly, rather than a list of overnight stops. If you would like to combine Venice with another part of Italy, we can consider the connections and luggage arrangements together.
An idea for your enquiry, not a fixed itinerary. Your proposal will confirm the arrangements and availability.
Before you choose
The details
that matter.
Plan room views, transfer arrangements and the balance between sightseeing and rest. Historic properties can have very individual room layouts; share any accessibility needs at the beginning. Restaurant and excursion preferences help shape the days around your hotel.
What should I include in my enquiry?
Your preferred dates, departure airport, number of adults and children, approximate budget and the kind of accommodation you enjoy. Mention any must-haves so they guide the shortlist.
Can you suggest somewhere beyond this collection?
Yes, use the enquiry to tell us what you have in mind. The collection is a starting point; we can discuss other possibilities and establish what is available through the relevant providers.
For more destination background: official tourism information.
The detail makes the difference
What matters
to you?
Bring these preferences into your first conversation.
- 01Hotel location and arrival access
- 02A room with a particular outlook
- 03Dining, art or countryside interests
Your personal travel concierge
Every detail.
Personally considered.
You will be assigned a personal concierge who handles your enquiry and booking from start to finish. Share the places you love, the people travelling and the details that matter most.
Our website is a selection. If you have something different in mind, let us know.