My friend and I finally have our summer backpacking trip organized. With youth hostels booked, now we just need to get advice, i.e. good places to eat, things to do, things to stay away from, backpacking tips, things to be aware of. One thing I should make known is that I was in Italy for a month last year so I am aware of the pickpockets as well as the major attractions in Florence, Siena, and Rome. City-specific tips are welcome. We want to do less "touristy" things and try to get a feel for each city's culture and people. So here is are itinerary:
Dublin - 3 days Milan - 1 day Cinque Terre - 4 days (specifically staying in Manarola) Florence (including day trips to Siena and Pisa) - 5 days Rome - 6 days After that we will stay in Sardinia until the end of the month with some friends.
Here are a few questions of my own: - Would you recommend buying reserved seats for trains online or buy them there? - What's some good nightlife for people 18+ in Florence and Rome? - What is a good backpacking bag to buy?
I assume you are flying from Dublin to Milan. You can get the train there with minimal hassle and better fares to the rest of your destinations depending on the time of year. If your traveling in August I would make reservations.
I don't know about nightlife for 18 year olds as I am an middle aged Mom who can't stay awake past 10 p.m. Hopefully someone else here will be able to answer your question.
As for backpacks, I would choose a lightweight wheeled one with a roomy interior, plenty of pockets, and a day pack, plus a raincover. There are lot's to choose from in different price ranges.
Since you already have your itinerary and hostel reservations I guess it doesn't do any harm to pre-purchase your rail tickets,but that does kind of lock you in.
I've never had any problems getting tickets on the day of travel in Italy.
As for nightlife, my idea of a big night out is getting home after 10 PM. There are sites that might be a little more helpful, I think Lonelyplanet has a forum that is geared towards the younger crowd.
If you are going to be wearing the backpack and doing actual hiking I would strongly recommend going to a real outfitter's store and buying one sized and adjusted to your frame. It doesn't cost any more and it might save you from being miserable.
If you are just looking for a way to carry your stuff around as you move from place to place, you might look into a wheeled bag. I spent three weeks camping in Italy last year and took just a large rolling suitcase and a daypack. The combo worked very well.
Hi Raeann, I just read a summer travel blog by Rick Steves son, Andrew, who backpacked through Europe with his best friend, Alex. Maybe you can pick up some tips from them? Best wishes for a great trip. Cindy
A very popular thing in Firenze is to go to Piazzele Michelangelo at night. I did a similar trip with a friend of mine in the summer of 2005! In Roma...we were just too tired to go "out", in Firenze it was much easier to feel a bit less touristy in general, for us anyways.
While we didn't stay at hostels, but b&b sort of style, but without the breakfast..which were hardly any more money...when you divide it by two people...and FAR more comfortable. We also just found less expensive accomodations and stayed there...although not perfect....we figured better than hostels and having to carry towels and sheets around....and worry about our bags with other people in the room etc. Especially when our accomodations were 40euro a night = 20 euro each...and most hostels were 25 euro each.
We found the mosquitos to be quite difficult...take some kind of lotion or repellent. When we ran into people staying in hostels, which usually have more than 2 people in a private room as we were, they were usually nearly eaten alive. Keep in mind that these bites probably bothered us more than mosquito bites at home, because at home we probably have more antibodies for those ones...ie. we're used to them.
I wouldn't book the train tickets far in advance, because it is quite likely that you will want to change your itinerary by a day here or there. Have a blast!
Reserve your train trip from Milano to La Spezia in advance. I would not bother to reserve the trip to Florence since that route is mainly served by local trains that do not allow reservations. As you arrive in Flroence, or on departure from La Spezia or in the Pisa or Viareggio layover, reserve the next train from Florence to Rome. Since you ar elikely to have to change trains in pisa anyway, you may consioder getting the earliest available train from Manarola to Pisa (ok, maybe later than 5 am!) and spending the day there before boarding the train to Florence in the afternoon, thus saving yourself to backtrack all the way to Pisa on a daytrip.
Alice, I just read through this for fun- why do we need to reserve a train ticket in advance from Milan to La Spezia? We are arriving (adult couple) to Milan in Mid September with plans to immediately take a train to Bonossolo but thought we could buy a ticket that morning upon arrival in Milan. We really need to do this?
Posts: 466 | Location: Massachusetts | Registered: 11 April 2006
In order to get to Bonassola you will need to get to Genova and likely change there. Now most of the trains between Milano and Gewnova are Intercity, that have a reservation-only policy. You do not need to reserve long in advance, and you may even find available seats on the same day (you are actually likely to find them if you are not traveling on a week-end). In any case, the ticket purchase on these trains always includes a reservation. To reserve in advance means a day or two prior to departure, that is also valid for your other train trips.
I would agree with Pete's comment about going to a real outfitter's store and having them fit you with a backpack - something like an REI or an EMS where they will have people who can help you determine what fits right. They are also more likely to have packs designed for women which are proportioned differently. It can make a huge difference in how heavy the pack feels if it is properly fit vs. not.
Posts: 54 | Location: Massachusetts | Registered: 13 November 2005
As a 22 yr old Dublin girl going backpacking around Italy soon, I found the responses helpful. If you're going to Dublin and like art I would recommend the The National Gallery on Merrion Square, the Chester Beatty Library in Dublin Castle and IMMA (Modern art gallery. IMMA is beside Kilmainham Jail). The National Museum at Collins Barracks is worth visiting and is on the red LUAS line. Powerscourt Gardens & Waterfall in Enniskerry-daytrip 40 mins from city centre to north Wicklow (either get the Dublin bus coast tour from town (Dublin city centre)-recommended or take the irregular 44 bus from Townsend Street to last stop Enniskerry + then take the Powersourt connection bus or you could walk up the hill). Take the DART to Howth for chips at Beshoff's and take a walk. Popular Dublin nightclubs are D2, Copper Face Jacks and The Odean on Harcourt Street and Howl at the Moon near Merrion Square. The Arlington is a great place on Bachelor's Walk off O'Connell St. Fave cocktail bar is Capital on Georges St.
The Time Out guides give pretty good info on the club/dance/music scene for Rome and Florence... so peek at that section in your bookstore and jot down a few names. There are also some online guides once you hit town. Florence nightlife is varied, but much of it is only a few blocks from the Duomo. Not sure what this summer's program entails, but in year's past Piazza Annunziata has been converted into an open air beer/wine garden with entertainment (usually jazz and softer music). In prior years, it has also featured a changing array of traveling musical groups (e.g. youth symphony one night, choral group the next) and one year they actually closed off the entrances and staged big name entertainment. Between this piazza and the Duomo on via dei Servi is a live music club, BeBop, that used to be one of the few open on Mondays. http://www.bebopclub.com/
Cant help you with nightlife in Rome/Florence as I've only spent a few days in each.. but if you are looking for a way to spend your night in Milano, here's some advice.
Around 6.30/7 head to the Navigli (canals) area near Porta Genova for an aperativo (which will be enough food to count as dinner as well!) During the summer there will be boats out on Naviglio Pavese, or my favorite spot is Slice which is on the same street, about a block or two down from Piazzale XXIV Maggio (on the east side of the canal). Drinks are about 7 or 8 euro and include an all you can eat buffet. But you need to be there by 7 or you'll have to wait a while to be seated.
Around 9 or 10 head up Corso di Porta Ticinese to "the columns," which is the piazza in front of S. Lorenzo - you cant miss it. It will be full of college age kids hanging around drinking, talking, playing soccer, music, etc. You can buy beer from "the beck's man" in the piazza, or to spend less money, stop in one of the two stores on the left side of the road as you're heading up there from Navigli. The stores there will be open late and have cold beer for a lot less.
If you want to hit up a disco, try Old Fasion Cafe which is an outdooor club during the late spring/summer. It's located at Viale Alemagna, 6 right next to the Trienale on the southwest side of Parco Sempione (the park behind the castle). 15-20 euro to get in which includes one drink. try to get there between 12-1 to avoid long lines. If you get there before 12 though, it'll most likely still be dead.
Topic Closed
Hopefully someone else here will be able to answer your question.
Cindy 
