City Breaks with Rural Charm in Italy

May 13, 2013 - PRLog -- Florence:  Check out the Uffizi, marvel at the churches and shop till you drop at Florence's San Lorenzo market.   Then head away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life in Florence and towards the unruffled calm of the Relais Marignolle, up in the hills and just 3kms outside of Florence.  Wind down by the pool, shaded by cypress trees and pines, and gaze out over the vineyards and ancient villas that dot the Chianti hills.

A three-night stay at the Relais Marignolle with www.ExpertoItaly.com, tel. 020 7520 3100, starts at £324 per person (based on 2 sharing) on a B&B basis, including car hire and a 72-hour Florence card.

Sorrento:  Sorrento's city centre and two marinas hum with activity day and night.  Enjoy the buzz in the vibrant and ever wakeful Piazza Tasso or explore the side streets in the historic centre.  At nearby Naples, the pace gets even hotter but travel west along the Sorrento peninsula and discover a world far removed from the hubbub of the cities.

The Relais Blu, just 14 minutes from Sorrento town and in the heart of the marine reserve of Punta Campanella, offers wide open spaces and near-perfect sea views from the pool and each of the eleven spacious rooms.  A three-night stay at the Relais Blu with www.ExpertoItaly.com, tel. 020 7520 3100, starts at £384 on a B&B basis, inclusive of airport transfers from Naples.

Verona:  Ever-popular, Verona offers its tourists a taste of everything, from a climb up the soaring Lamberti tower, to the romance of Juliet's house and the sheer wonder of the Arena.  Many tourists miss the fact that the shores of Lake Garda are only 30kms away.  Set amidst olive groves, vineyards and extensive parkland and just 20 minutes from Verona, Villa Cordevigo is a former Renaissance villa that has in recent years been transformed into a 12-bedroom hotel and wine resort.

A three-night stay at Villa Cordevigo starts at £518 per person on a B&B basis, inclusive of car hire, with www.ExpertoItaly.com, tel. 020 7520 3100.

ExpertoItaly specialises in tailor made hotel and villa holidays in Tuscany, Sicily, Sardinia, the Italian Lakes and on the Amalfi coast.  Hotel accommodation is in a selection of handpicked, independently-run properties.  For further information, visit www.ExpertoItaly.com, tel. 0207 520 3100.