A Panda to Tuscany++

[Jacques Vert]

Amalfi Coast

We stayed at the Holiday Inn, Cava de' Terrini. This is a nice town about 10 km north of Salerno. Chose this because I needed a couple of nights on a particular rate to tick a box on my IHG ''into-the-nights" rewards offer. (Yes, I did manage to complete all offers and have received two free nights at the IC Singapore at the start of the second half of our trip in May).

On checking in the lovely lass on the counter apologized for not being able to upgrade us as there was a football game on the following day and the visiting team had booked all the superior rooms. Instead she offered us breakfast for Eur 6 each which was a substantial discount to normal price. Breakfast was actually quite good with Mr Chef cooking me an omelette each morning (something you don't normally get at this price point). Ordering a drink from the bar came with a large helping of chips and nibblies each time. Other than that, rooms and ambiance were typically Holiday Inn and it was adjacent to the exit/entry to the Autostrada. So overall, not bad at Eur 58 per night (plus Eur 3 tax).

You hear a lot about how dangerous and difficult the road is, switching back and forth and very narrow, etc., etc. Well I did spend the day in 1st, 2nd, and 3rd gear as we zigzagged and twisted back and forth. Allow a full day to drive from one end to the other and back. On the other hand, a couple of the worst sections have been replaced by tunnels and a couple of other narrow sections are controlled by traffic lights allowing alternating traffic only. Also the really narrow sections are generally only short so not that difficult once you get used to driving on the wrong side of the road. Nowhere near as challenging as the road from Como to Bellagio in my opinion. But do yourself a favour and hire a small (& narrow) car; less stress and much easier to park.

I was also interested to see that there are signs to say you have to give way to people overtaking you:shock:. So if some mad Italian decides to overtake you with oncoming traffic, you are required by law to let him in. Of course, I would do this anyway as would we all.

 

[Jacques Vert]

It really is a beautiful coastline:

 

[Jacques Vert]

There are many nice towns including Minori, Amalfi and many others.

One of the prettiest (and the most expensive) is Positano.

For example, parking here is Eur 5 per hour (compared with 1-50 in most of the towns we have visited); however, you can park for around Eur 3 per hour up the hill in one of a number of parking stations and walk down to the beach area (and back up again).

Guess where we decided to have lunch.....

 

[Jacques Vert]

After the Amalfi Coast it was back to Rome, check into our hotel and drop the Panda back to the hire car place.

Earlier on I mentioned the dreaded ZTL: authorized vehicles only. Well a lot of central Rome is a ZTL and I managed to drive straight into it. Fortunately the lovely Police Lady chose to give me directions rather than an infringement and we arrived at our hotel, also within a ZTL, half an hour later. Not to worry; the deal is you give your registration details to the reception staff and they go online and register your vehicle as staying at the hotel, and "non c'è problema"!

Hotels in Rome are quite expensive but fortunately I had enough points (couldn't afford to stay here otherwise) to book three nights at the Hotel Indigo:





The rooms were fairly small but I guess that is typical of hotels in old buildings in this part of the city. There were bus stops at the end of the block in two directions and it is within walking distance of the Basilica (15 - 20 mins); although almost as far again to the entrance to the Vatican museums and Sistine Chapel which is on the other side of the Basilica. Also about the same distance from Piazza Navona and Castel S. Angelo.

 

[Jacques Vert]

Musei Vaticani & Cappella Sistina

Of course you can book a tour of the Vatican Museums and the Sistine Chapel and pay the price but as I have mentioned previously, tour groups are not my thing. I prefer to walk at my own pace and use an audioguide.

If you are also one to do your own tour, you can rock up on the day and join the very, very long queue; but you would be wise to book online and avoid the queue as we did:

Online Ticket Office

​

• ADMISSION TICKETS:
  For visitors who would like to reserve the admission ticket of the Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel online skipping the line.​

Price is Eur 16 per adult + Eur 4 booking fee giving a total of Eur 20 per adult. (Kids are 8 + 4 = 12 Eur). Add Eur 7 for the audioguide (5 for kids). There is also an option to add lunch.

So +1 & I paid Eur 54 (2 x 27) for the ticket and audioguide. Entry times are from 0900 to 1500 and you book your time, pay with Visa, print the voucher and off you go....easy!

We booked for 0900 to avoid the worst of the crowds.

After crossing the Piazza S. Pietro there were a sign or two along the way:



The entrance to the museums is from Viale Vaticano (of course):



If you look closely at the photo above, you may notice that there are two rows of fencing; the one on the left as you head towards the museum entrance is for those who have NOT pre-purchased a ticket. This photo was taken late afternoon after most visitors had left for the day. In the morning the queue will stretch down the street, around the corner and .....

However, if you have purchased your voucher on-line, you go on the right-hand side (the one that the tour groups use). You will probably be checked by an attendant to make sure you are not pushing in; no problem, just show your voucher and it is straight to the entrance and through security.

Once through security you find yourself in the foyer. To your left is a row of ticket booths; on the right-hand end of these ticket booths is one marked something like "groups and on-line check-in". Go there, show your voucher and receive your ticket to enter. When you head upstairs you will find a desk that issues the audioguides. The gentleman there will ask for your audioguide ticket thingy. What is he talking about I ask? Apparently, among the stuff given to me downstairs is a small piece of paper that I must now produce; pity no-one mentioned this down there! Eventually I find it and we are on our way.

 

[Jacques Vert]

Some more of the Musei Vaticani:





Apparently one of the Popes was so impressed by the Pantheon he had a smaller version built within the vatican rooms:

View attachment 42111

View attachment 42112

View attachment 42113

 

[Pushka]

I am a fan of The Borgias series. One thing that blew my mind was standing in that Pope Alexander's bedroom that has featured so prominently. He would be rolling in his grave knowing that "commoners" were traipsing through.

 

[Jacques Vert]

It has been suggested on this forum that it is a good idea to book two tours/entries to the Vatican Museums; first time you go around and get an idea where the things you really want to see are (especially the Sistine Chapel) and then the next day, go early and head straight there so you get to see it/them before the crowds catch up to you.

This seems to be a good idea to me however in our case we only had three nights in Rome so we needed to see the lot in one go. Luckily we started early and being out of peak season the crowds were not too challenging.

Of course we eventually found our way to the Sistine Chapel where you are not allowed to take photographs.

Of course, like many others we too saw the irony in the voice booming over the loudspeaker every five minutes: "attenzione, ATTENZIONE....Shhhhhhhhh!

Then we stumbled upon one of my favourites, the Pope-mobile museum:

An early version:


A modest version:


A classic:


Something a little more prestigious:


But there is nothing quite like a gold-plated burgundy Bugatti:

 

[Jacques Vert]

But there is nothing quite like a gold-plated burgundy Bugatti:
View attachment 42123

I got a little carried away here; it is not a Bugatti, it's a Citroën Lictoria Sex.

 

[Jacques Vert]

After leaving the museums we headed back to St Peter's square and came across this:



Does the Pope actually own a pizza restaurant?:shock:

By the time we got back to the square the queue to get into the Basilica was far too long....



so we decided to return early the following day to look inside.

 

[Julesmac]

How appropriately you chose your user name Jaques, as I am indeed 'vert' with envy. Had a totally crummy day at work - came home tired cranky and grubby, and see your latest post. I've just read in its entirety. Super trip report , thank you, which brought back so many lovely memories of our 2 trips to Italy, visiting many of the places you';ve covered so well. HOWEVER, there is one criticism if I may - can you please please hurry up and post the rest of your trip, along with the photos. Lovin' it. Note to self, buy lotto ticket for tonight so I can return one day

 

[Jacques Vert]

HOWEVER, there is one criticism if I may - can you please please hurry up and post the rest of your trip, along with the photos. Lovin' it. Note to self, buy lotto ticket for tonight so I can return one day

Getting close to the end now...

 

[Jacques Vert]

By the time we got back to the square the queue to get into the Basilica was far too long....

View attachment 42340

so we decided to return early the following day to look inside.

So it was up early to beat the queue and we arrived in St Pete's square only to find about 10,000 others had arrived before us!





Apparently the Pope was saying mass (which I now realise he does most Wednesday mornings) and we had inadvertently become pilgrims!

Not to worry; we hung around to see what happens next....

 

[Pushka]

There's a door on the right at the end of the Sistine Chapel. The exit sign is over the door on the left. That's where most people exit. But if you take the door on the right it takes you directly to the doors of St Peters Basilica. No queue no security because the only way to get there is from the Sistine Chapel where you've already been screened.

The secret to doing this is to follow a tour group through and act like you are part of it. This trick saves a couple of hours queuing.

 

[Jacques Vert]

There's a door on the right at the end of the Sistine Chapel. The exit sign is over the door on the left. That's where most people exit. But if you take the door on the right it takes you directly to the doors of St Peters Basilica. No queue no security because the only way to get there is from the Sistine Chapel where you've already been screened.

The secret to doing this is to follow a tour group through and act like you are part of it. This trick saves a couple of hours queuing.

As yes; we looked at that option (having known about it from other threads on this forum) but it meant we would have missed the rest of the museums, so we pressed on.

 

[Jacques Vert]

View attachment 42356

Apparently the Pope was saying mass (which I now realise he does most Wednesday mornings) and we had inadvertently become pilgrims!

Not to worry; we hung around to see what happens next....

Eventually Papa drove past just a couple of metres away and +1 took a video (but I don't know how to upload it or even if it is possible to do so); but I did manage to take a still off it...



Notice how much fun the security guards are having!

Of course after he did a couple of laps of the Piazza and drove off into the distance, where do you think all those thousands of Pilgrims headed? Into the Basilica of course...so we decided to come back the following morning and headed for the Castel S. Angelo instead.

Maybe we should have taken the short cut from the Sistine Chapel the previous day after all?

 

[Pushka]

As yes; we looked at that option (having known about it from other threads on this forum) but it meant we would have missed the rest of the museums, so we pressed on.

But it's at the end of the museum?

 

[DontGetMeStarted]

Thanks so much for this TR have read it from start to finish this evening and loved it. We leave for Milan. Cinque Terra Florence Salsrno and Rome in April though not game to drive and just looking at train options now. Last year spent a lovely week in Varenna on Lake Como Thanks again it was such a detailed report

 

[Jacques Vert]

But it's at the end of the museum?

No, not as I remember. And note that my post says "museums".

After passing through the normal exit you go through more rooms:



past more paintings including these:





and then end up at the cafe, bookshop, toilets and the Popemobile museum (and some other specialist museums if I remember correctly but by this time we were ready for a break).

 

[Jacques Vert]

Thanks so much for this TR have read it from start to finish this evening and loved it. We leave for Milan. Cinque Terra Florence Salsrno and Rome in April though not game to drive and just looking at train options now. Last year spent a lovely week in Varenna on Lake Como Thanks again it was such a detailed report

Glad to hear you enjoyed reading the thread. If you are training it, take note of my earlier posts on the man in seat 61 and trenitalia. Both our train journeys cost us the princely sum of 9 Euros each but note that these cheap tickets are not refundable (who cares at that price) and the earlier you book, the more options you will have at the bargain prices.

Looking forward to your TR. Enjoy!

JV