Me again- I've started reading through the wonderful messages here and am already in love with this board. I am also overwhelmed. How do 2 adults start to figure out where to go in Italy? We aren't italian so have relatives to give us info. I have been to Rome and Florence by train back in the 70s, no trips there otherwise but we have been to other european countries and know how to travel. Are there any sections of the country which might NOT be a great choice for a two week trip? We like to be off the beaten path, will be renting a car, will go with a basic knowledge of the language, but do want to avoid crime ridden areas or those that simply would hold no appeal to "first time" Italy travelers.I'm worried that we will randomly pick a location or two then wish we had gone elsewhere. I do want my husband to see the Sistene Chapel as he was an art major in college, we both love the coast, I love visiting wineries, we don't care about shopping, would prefer american-friendly areas where we can mingle with the locals, relax and feel like we belong to a village or two for a week each. Thanks again (ps, until recently, I was a die-hard USVI message board participant but now the Virgin Islands are on the back burner as Italy comes up to the front!)

Karrie - a warning...this board is ADDICTIVE! I am a confirmed addict. My suggestion for starting to figure out where to go -- visit your local public library and browse every Italy guidebook and book with photos of Italy you can find. Then do the same at your local bookstore (and if you are lucky enough to have a local store that specializes in travel, hit that one too). Look at all the pictures, read about options, and see if there is anything that captures your soul. Then read as many trip reports on this site as you can manage before your eyes glaze over. And then, if you are still confused, put up a large map of Italy, throw a dart at it, and "find" your Italian vacation haven there. You won't be disappointed.

Thanks Mother Judy- I understand the addiction- its already forming and it took me weeks to un-addict to the virgin islands board. We do have Italy on $70 a day to start but I will grab some more books- the soul thing makes a ton of sense.

Let's get the negatives out of the way first.

Most Italians in every part of the country are friendly to Americans; they may not agree with the current administration's policies, but this does not influence how they treat individual Americans. Evidently, this presupposes some degree of preparedness on your part as well to adjust to the local culture.

I would be lying if I said that there are no crime-ridden areas in Italy, but as a visitor you are very unlikely to find yourself in them, as they tend to be the jerry-built post-war suburbs around the larger cities. There is crime in Naples and Sicily, but it is unlikely to affect you if you exercise a reasonable degree of caution. Sicily is the part of Italy I love most, and I travel there as a woman alone.

It's hard to think of a region in Italy that is so unattractive that you would regret having gone there. Some are more heavily touristed than others, but even Puglia is starting to attract fair numbers of tourists. The only regions that I can think of that I almost never see mentioned as tourist destinations are the Abruzzo, Calabria and the Basilicata.

How to decide? Borrow a few picture books about Italy from your library. Look through some of the richly illustrated guidebooks like the D&K series. See what catches your imagination and what doesn't.

My only personal suggestion would be not to stay only in the countryside but to spend at least part of your time in one of the great art cities of Italy - Rome, Florence, Venice.

Quoting Eloise - and agreeing with her reassurances! - There is relatively little violent crime in Italy except among people involved in gangs, of each other (like the biker murders we recently saw here in Canada ) and of course family violence, like everywhere in the world, alas. Neither is a danger to tourists. Moreover, huge numbers of Italians emigrated to the Americas, from Canada to Argentina, so in general there is a positive attitude towards "Americans" in the broader sense. Italians' ideas about any specific policy or administration of a country are not a reflection of how they view the common people

Yes, Sicily is lovely, and extraordinarily rich in culture as so many civilisations invaded it and took up shop there!

Quoting Eloise:

quote:

The only regions that I can think of that I almost never see mentioned as tourist destinations are the Abruzzo, Calabria and the Basilicata.

The Abruzzi (Abruzzo and Molise) are the home regions to a great many Italian Montrealers, so of course a lot of people here go there. There are some lovely towns, and also wildlife areas (probably of more interest to Italians).

Calabria includes the beautiful seaside town Tropea - once again, it attracts mostly Italian tourists, and some Northern Europeans.

As for Basilicata, now the "cave dwellings" in the old town of Matera, made famous by Carlo Levi's book "Il Cristo si è fermato a Eboli" (Christ stopped in Eboli) have become an important tourist draw.

As Eloise said, visit at least one of the great art cities - the first time I studied in Italy it was in the northeast (Udine) so I saw Venice and Trieste several times, and made the trip down to Rome to see people dear to me...

But as a slow traveller, you might enjoy combining Venice with the area I frequented, or Trento Alto Adige to the north, Florence or Rome with Umbria, Rome with Naples and the towns of Lazio and Campania, etc.

There is a great deal of satisfaction in travelling around a relatively small area and getting to know it well. Any of the areas I suggested could be done by car (though don't try driving in the big cities, and you can't drive in Venice) or by train and regional/local bus lines.

As for wine regions, all regions of Italy produce wine - other than those I suggested above, do check out Piemonte, one of the foremost wine regions in Italy, and full of lovely towns. You could do Genova, Turin and small Piemontese wine towns. There is a lot about Piemonte on this board!

I will put in a word for an extended time in Rome. It is such a wonderful city, and deserves time to explore the piazzas, back streets, and outdoor cafes. As beautiful as the Sistine Chapel is, there are Bernini Fountains that are unbelieveble and in obscure locations. Sit at an outdoor cafe and enjoy the wine!
Train travel is easy from Termini, and a great way to enjoy the country side. Have fun planning!

Hi Karrie - welcome.

You've received some good advice in this thread already - I'll just add that this message board supports the Slow Travel website. If you click on the "Italy - Shortcuts" link at the right of this page, you'll find many ideas and suggestions for planning your trip.

Thank you all so much again. I will take Colleen's suggestion and look forward to filling myself up with Italy in preparation for this trip. On this gloomy day in Boston, the sunshine alone is worth dreaming about!

I love Rome, and have been there twice. I have yet to see the Sistine Chapel, however. The line at the Vatican Museum is out of sight. The first time we tried to see the Sistine Chapel, we found out after we got there because it was still winter (early March), the Vatican Museum and the Sistine Chapel were closing at 1:30 pm. Other Slow travel Members have reported success in bypassing the line by signing up for the Vatican Tours (like Rick Stevves recommends), but I ( and some other Slow travelors) never had the Vatican Tour dept resond to repeated FAXes or emails with a confirmation number, or a response of may kind. I have noticed that FAXes to the Vatican Tour dept form an Italian Hotel seem to be responded to at a higher rate than those of us FaXing form the USA. Personally I really wanted to see the Vatican Museum, but there is only one line for buying tickets and entering the two areas. What i am trying to say is that don't base your decison on where to stay based on seeing a single item like the Sistine Chapel. Rome has a lot to offer and even after 2 visits I feel like I could go again to see sites that I haven't seen yet. Another plus with Rome is that you don't need a car to get around. The buses, trams, trains, and the Metro will get you everywhere where you would need to go.

A very small piece of advice: Try to control the feeling that you're going to "miss something," which can easily lead to trying to see Too Much. You will miss something, but as everyone will tell you, you'll be back.

Combine a "must see" with a more remote area that appeals to you, leaving plenty of un-programmed time for last-minute inspiration. Just follow you nose, and not only will you be fine, you'll have trouble picking what was your favorite (as you'll see from most of the trip reports on this site).

Buon viaggio!

I would agree a week in one of the big cities
Florence,Rome or Venice.Then A week in the adjacent countryside.All three have nice rural areas adjacent.Have you formed any opinions based on photos pictures movies etc on any of the cities? I am afraid that my preconcieved ideas about rome were right for me,its was too hectic for me,my wife agrees.Others love Rome and wouldn't miss it.RR

Yes Robert, I saw the Diane Lane movie about Tuscany (brain freeze on the name) so I badly want to go there. I used to show films on Herculaneum and Positano when I taught geology so that looks nice too. I've been to Rome and Florence in the 70s by train, loved Florence, hated Rome actually but if hubby wants to see the Chapel and the catacombs then we may go there. In 1972 or so it was filthy dirty, crowded, the only genuinely rude people I've ever met in Europe, etc. But we'll see. We won't start talking serious plans until later this summer and husband and son head to Ireland for their first trip together ever and his head is elsewhere right now!

quote:

Originally posted by Karrie:
I've been to Rome and Florence in the 70s by train, loved Florence, hated Rome actually but if hubby wants to see the Chapel and the catacombs then we may go there. In 1972 or so it was filthy dirty, crowded, the only genuinely rude people I've ever met in Europe, etc. But we'll see.

Please don't NOT go to Rome based on your memory of what you saw in the 70's. I just revisited Rome this last December not having been since 1981. I don't know about you but I could barely remember it, except for it being a big busy city. It was fantastic, and it didn't feel nearly as big... Its kind of like when your young you think everything is HUGE and you revisit it and your like, wow, it's not nearly as big as I thought. I think Rome feels like a small city in comparison to other European citys and fantastically walkable. Busy, yes, but all you need to do is take a left or right and find yourself down little alleyways that could be found in much smaller places and Sooooo romantic. I fell in love with it and it actually felt cozy! Can't wait to go back!

I would do a repeat Florence with southern tuscany as the rural portion.Alternative rural portion the Maremma,the coast of southern tuscany.Do you guys like real rural or do you need to be by a large or medium town?.I think it is fun to stay on a farm.Rome airport would be closer than florence for the Maremma or southern tuscany.So In to florence or Pisa and out Rome.You could do a 2 day reconnaissance trip to Rome,with a very limited agenda sistine and Vatican and maybe 1-2 other sights.Rome is very intense and big,even the lovers have to admit that,does your hubby like that sort of thing? Next trip you could go to Rome for a week or more if you decide you like it.

Sometimes opinions do not change with time.Both my visits to Rome were not fantastic,although it went from disaster on the first to mediocre on the 2nd 12 years later.How would you feel if you commited a week there and your feelings havn't changed?

There is certainly plenty of Art in Florence as well as around tuscany.

The movie is under the tuscan sun.I believe it takes place in Cortona.The funny thing is how they changed her story from a average looking married person(book)to a beautiful single woman,who of course meets the perfect italian man and falls in Love.RR

A good suggestion might be to stay in the Tuscan country in one of the smaller towns like San Gimignano or Siena, rent a car and drive around Tuscany and visit Florence on day trips. This way, you get to do two things at once.

Rome from Florence is about 1 1/2 hours by train so could also spend some time in Rome where you really don't need a car. You can then head off to Florence, pick up the car there and drive off.

We stayed in San Gimi last May for 10 days and drove all over including a day trip to Pisa. The nice thing about the smaller towns, though they are busy with tourists all day, in the evenings, the piazza's become alive with the locals completing their days and the town is as it should be, quiet and serene, giving it a feeling that you are "home".

However... for your next trip... you must see Venice! If you husband was an art major, he will be in awe at some of the things to see and do in Venezia!! 3 days was no where near enough time!!

Buon viaggi!!
Doug

Ahhhh, memories of Italy are still lingering in my mind after being back for 3 days now. I loved the Duomo in Milan, it was just breathtaking. Not to mention the great bargains when shopping. I wish we had time to watch an opera at Teatro Alla Scala. We were only there for one night. Venice is enchanting, something about that city that I can see myself visiting again and again but not living in there. Sorry guys I hated Florence, there was nothing in Florence that moved me, the Duomo, Uffizi, narrow streets, unlike Rome and Milan where the old meets the new in harmony, there is something about Florence that just doesnt seem to mesh well for me. Although I had one of my best meals in Florence so at least something good came out of that trip to Florence. And please this is my opinion and I am entitled to it. Rome, who wouldnt love the rome? There is a reason why it is the City of the Gods because its grandeur and beauty still lives within its ruins.

RobinD: Of course you are entitled to your opinion!

What I find so interesting is that your post confirms something that I've seen repeated again and again. There are the Venice people, and there are the Florence people, and never - or very rarely - the twain shall meet.

The other split is between the "I love Rome" and "I hate Rome" camps. I use the strong words advisedly, because I cannot recall seeing a lukewarm view of Rome: People tend to be either for it or against it.

One of these days I shall start counting the votes for and against Venice, Florence, Rome and publish a survey...

I await that survey Eloise

A better question might be, why, why do we feel we must choose? Why do we have to be for and against?

I live here because I can't live everywhere. I enjoy it all.

Venexiananan,

In my case, I can honestly say that I did not choose to choose; the choice was made for me. And I suspect that it's the same for almost anyone else who feels strongly about a city.

I love Venice; I dislike Florence; I love Rome above all.

If you enjoy both Venice and Florence, you are perhaps one of the "happy few" exceptions to whom I referred.

Venexianan

You said it perfectly!! Visits are a matter of "taste" as to what we like to do and not to do.

I posted yesterday that I think fits well...

"Italy is a lifestyle. Slow down to savor it and become part of it."

When you go, as mentioned many, many, MANY times on this site... no one ever makes one trip to Italy but while there, be Italian and live the way the Italians live. It is the most wonderful way of life!!

La dolce vita en Italia... purfetto!!

Doug

quote:

Originally posted by Doug S & Judith G:
"Italy is a lifestyle. Slow down to savor it and become part of it."

I would really like to be able to do that. I would really be able to slow down and savor it. Unfortunately, I live in italy, so I must speed up instead! (Really, living here, at elast here in Milano, is not about slowing down, it's about trying to keep up with a rat race at an accelerated rate.)

Love Venice and Florence,Doubt I will ever go to Rome again except possible make a 3rd attempt to make it in the Sistine(3rd time is a charm?).

Cities and counrtryside both have thier plusses.It takes several days,weeks or months to see a big city,I don't understand how daytripping to big cities works.Even 3-4 days in a given city,mean you have to cut back drastically. A daytrip? Struggle to get there and park,struggle to get back to "home" etc.Missing the best time of day for empty sites(early morning),having to leave usually after dinner at the latest to get home.How about late evenings?

I think better to seperate country and city.You can not see all of Italy in 2 days,months or years.