Hello!

I have been loving this forum as a guest for some months now, and decided to make it ligit today. I am a Brooklynite living in Switzerland for some months and traveling mostly in short stints by car to France and Italy. Not exactly slow, but so much fun!

I will have a month to explore (with a friend) Italy in late June/early July. We are currently planning a loop by car that begins North and includes some of Tuscany including Florence, possibly Umbria and/or Lazio, and then traveling down the coast to Foggia (for a meeting.)

We prefer less touristy experiences--Vanasque over Gordes, for example (I have no Italy reference yet!). We are looking for experiences that are a little wild, over-grown, ancient, rather than museums, though a good museum is always enjoyed as well. We've visited Venice, and that's it so far.

Its a lot of driving, but thats the way it is on this trip, hoping to have some quiet time here and there as well! Looking for advice for inexpensive lodgings and lovely places to visit if you have them...

Thank you kindly!
Kim

Wouldn't it make more sense to skip Lazio and do Abruzzo/Molise on the way to Foggia? You've got a long drive to begin with without driving both coasts.

Umbria,Marche,down the coast to Foggia?

quote:

We prefer less touristy experiences--Vanasque over Gordes, for example (I have no Italy reference yet!). We are looking for experiences that are a little wild, over-grown, ancient

Agriturismo Bartoli near Spoleto fits your description. It is at Patrico, on a mountain above Spoleto up past Monteluco. We stayed there 3 nights (4 couples) and ate our evening meal with them each night. It is not on the bus tour routes and probably gets few Americans (although Cindy Crawford and Richard Gere stayed there....there is a picture on the wall of the dining room.) It is mentioned in a Dutch hiking guide so there is a regular flow of hikers that stop through there on fairly long hikes. Apparently it is on the route used by St. Francis when he traveled from Asissi to Rome. We had a great time taking day trips from there.

Bill

quote:

Originally posted by Nick z:
Wouldn't it make more sense to skip Lazio and do Abruzzo/Molise on the way to Foggia? You've got a long drive to begin with without driving both coasts.

Umbria,Marche,down the coast to Foggia?

Lazio is much bigger than Rome. Sounds like the drive will take you through eastern Lazio then Abruzzo, thence to Puglia. Terni has some beautiful waterfalls - Cascade de Marmore. Then to Rieti to L'Aquila and Abruzzo.
Curious, anything in Abruzzo is not touristy (well except for the beach resorts in summer between Giulianova and Francavilla di Mare). Plan some time there in the mountains and foothills. Also in the Chieti coast.

quote:

Originally posted by avvocato:


Lazio is much bigger than Rome. .

I've noticed

If the OP really wants to do Lazio why not drive to Cassino then head east. Isernia,Campobasso and then the SS to Foggia [SS17?] Kind hard to get less touristy then that.

quote:

Originally posted by Nick z:

quote:

Originally posted by avvocato:


Lazio is much bigger than Rome. .

I've noticed

If the OP really wants to do Lazio why not drive to Cassino then head east. Isernia,Campobasso and then the SS to Foggia [SS17?] Kind hard to get less touristy then that.

Absolutely!

hello and thanks to all~
its wonderful to hear from folks who have some experience!

we have decided to take florence off the plate (to save for its own trip), so our constraints are beginning and ending in switzerland, and a stop in foggia at some point over 30 days.

Fibonacci~ thank you very much for the suggestion of Agriturismo Bartoli! We will certainly check this out.

avvocato and Nick Z~ not set on anything including Lazio, love hearing your thoughts! given the desire for least touristy and most enchanting/wild/ancient, do you agree that "Cassino then head east. Isernia,Campobasso and then the SS to Foggia [SS17?]" is the best plan?

thank you again~
kim

p/s good to know Lazio is much bigger than Rome...

You're driving home to? You could do both coasts. Drive down one to Foggia. Drive up the other on the way home.

I've already seen some tourists in the Vasto area and even a couple of Americans shopping in Termoli. By June the coastal beach towns should be filling up.

Dear Curious, dont forget to fill up on gas before leaving Switzerland...its more expensive here, many Milanese and lake dwellers and crossing the border to stock up on gas, other luxuries...just like the old days.