If you were me, and you were planning your 7th trip to Italy, where would you go? I've already been to Rome, Orvieto, San Gimignano, Montepulciano, Venice, Florence, Siena, Pompeii, Sorrento & the Amalfi Coast, Paestum, Sulmona, Chieti and places in between. I've a hankering for the Gargano, but it seems that the train schedule is not good, so I'd have to drive, which isn't a problem, but . . . it's easier on the train.
Experienced Italy travellers - what do you suggest? I'm thinking that I have to pick a direction and make good stops along the way. Thanks.
Posts: 114 | Location: Newburyport, MA | Registered: 01 June 2005
i did not notice sicily on your list. i've been to most of italy. my two favorite places, rome and sicely. agrigento is beautifull and the food is the best.i am slightly biased,my parents were born there
well it depends on what you like and which season you will be travelling .. anyway I would suggest: - Sicily - Sardinia - Apulia - Milan and the lakes - Veneto beyond Venice: Verona, Vicenza, Padova, Treviso, Asolo ... - Genova and Cinque Terre
Emilia Romagna is wonderful and since you mentioned preferring the train, this makes this an even better region to explore. Driving is easy in this region as well.
If you wanted to explore parts of two regions, you could do the Romagnan half of E/R then travel to Le Marche.
Sicily is wonderful. I've only been once and spent one week. It was not nearly enough time. I don't think I would go back to Sicily unless I had at least 10 days.
Karen, you haven't said how long your trip is going to be, or what time of year - which might be a consideration for those of us who are suggesting our own favourites (Sicily, Puglia: probably best not to choose Jul/Aug for your first visit to either!).
Since you've mentioned the Gargano, why not go for Puglia as a whole? Yes, you'd need a car for the Gargano portion. But, assuming you're flying in to Rome, you could take the train to Lecce (plenty of trip reports; search the messageboard for 'Lecce' and you'll still more info). Explore the 'Florence of the South', and the surrounding Salento. And then pick up a hire car, drive up the coast (stopping off in places that catch your interest - Polignano, Trani are two possibilities) to the Gargano.
After that, Foggia would be a good town for car return; train back to Rome.
I'd have to gently disagree with cubbies' last post: it took us many more than 7 visits to Italy before we found Puglia, which has become the area we have to return to (for reasons not unconnected to the 'owning a place' thread ).
Jonathan
Posts: 3537 | Location: Stroud, UK | Registered: 18 November 2001
If you like cities, consider Bologna, a great train hub. Side trips to Ravenna, Ferrara, Modena, Faenza, Parma, depending on how much time you have. Visit in the fall (October) or spring (May). ---Marlene
Posts: 695 | Location: Boston, MA | Registered: 11 May 2004
Originally posted by Jonathan: Karen, you haven't said how long your trip is going to be, or what time of year - which might be a consideration for those of us who are suggesting our own favourites (Sicily, Puglia: probably best not to choose Jul/Aug for your first visit to either!).
Since you've mentioned the Gargano, why not go for Puglia as a whole? Yes, you'd need a car for the Gargano portion. But, assuming you're flying in to Rome, you could take the train to Lecce (plenty of trip reports; search the messageboard for 'Lecce' and you'll still more info). Explore the 'Florence of the South', and the surrounding Salento. And then pick up a hire car, drive up the coast (stopping off in places that catch your interest - Polignano, Trani are two possibilities) to the Gargano.
After that, Foggia would be a good town for car return; train back to Rome.
I'd have to gently disagree with cubbies' last post: it took us many more than 7 visits to Italy before we found Puglia, which has become the area we have to return to (for reasons not unconnected to the 'owning a place' thread ).
Jonathan
I should have said "first 2 weeks in May this year" and and also that I'll be going solo.
What would I like to do? I would like to not repeat past experiences, so, although I will be in Rome again (because, Rome=Caput Mundi), I have no interest in going back to Florence, Siena, Montepulciano, San Gimignano, Sorrento, etc., etc.
Driving isn't a problem. I am the only person I know who LOVED! driving up and down the Costa Amalfitana (30 years of driving a standard transmission car has its benefits). I'm not married to the train, I just think it's easier and less likely to have a flat tire or run out of gas.
When I said "pick a direction", I mean that you can't go north and south at the same time, so it's one or the other. I arrive April 30th in Rome and depart May 14th. I will be in Rome 6 days, then have the rest to go elsewhere, return to Rome no later than May 13th.
My adult-ed italian teacher is from Como, so she keeps saying to go to the lakes but all I keep thinking about is that movie with Vanessa Redgrave and Edward Fox (A Month at the Lake??), dowdy Englishwomen and Germans with hiking staffs.
Posts: 114 | Location: Newburyport, MA | Registered: 01 June 2005
My adult-ed italian teacher is from Como, so she keeps saying to go to the lakes but all I keep thinking about is that movie with Vanessa Redgrave and Edward Fox (A Month at the Lake??), dowdy Englishwomen and Germans with hiking staffs.
This is the place that stands out to me that is missing from your list.
My favorite area though is not the Como side, but rather Varenna overlooking Belagio along the Lecco Side. Uncomplicated from Milan by train and car
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First disclaimer--I know nothing about the trains.
But I would think Como area would make for one (or two if you a flying out of FCO) very long travel day.
Have you been to Northern Lazio/ Southern Umbria? You could include Pitigliano ( I'm sure I didn't spell that right, sorry) The Maremma? The Southern Tuscan coast? Seems, to me, a perfect time for Puglia.
Those are all very attractive options that are a lot closer.
(dropping by this thread to say thanks, Bob, for the totally uplifting views of Sicily. Each photo was more beautiful than the last, as if that's possible. Just what the doctor ordered on this cold, snowed-in day in Philadelphia. Adding Sicily to my future hit-list to see).
I would go to Liguria. Either the Riviera dei Fiori or the Riviera di Ponente. There are very nice beaches and nice, little, idividual villages in the mountains.Starting from the Riviera dei Fiori you could make a trip to France (Nice, Monaco). But the problem is, that is not so close to Rome.
This message has been edited. Last edited by: TourMama,
That sounds like the perfect time for the south. You could easily spend the whole time in Sicily. Check out my album from last year at that time. sicily May 2009
Posts: 13 | Location: Scarborough Maine | Registered: 08 February 2010
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