Tell Me Where To Go (Italy)

[amaroo]

Just about completed selecting destinations and hotel bookings for our end of year Italian holiday. The brief is a little different to the OP since this trip is our "Italian Introduction" for the kids ... so we'll be tripling up on quite a few places we've already visited.

Our 18 day (Italian) itinerary;

Rome/Pompeii ... pick up car
Perugia/Tuscany/Florence
Venice
Turin/Milan ... drop car at LIN and fly to Norway. This part of the trip will be a first for all of us!

 

[ellen10]

If you are interested in medieval towns and country trip in one place, we've stayed in these a few times. APPARTAMENTI AL POGGIOLO romantic holiday apartments in montepulciano
Very friendly (aren't they all) family run. Right in middle of Montepulciano with garden and garden parking in grounds of apartments. Fab view over the valleys and for sunsets (depending on height of trees!).

How about something different? Stay in Montepulciano for a week and go to the Il Sasso school and do a week Italian course in language, food and wine.

We stayed in apartment 2 back in 2011. Loved staying there!!

 

[TheRealTMA]

We stayed in apartment 2 back in 2011. Loved staying there!!

You must have just missed us.

I/We have stayed in several of the apartments. Recently in Apartment 4 May last year for 2 weeks.

Can't resist the following photos from my stay in Borgo Apartment B for a course at Il Sasso couple of years ago.


Apartment


'e lucevan le stelle'

'e lucevan le stelle'

Wine shop

Café in Piazza dell'Erbe for morning coffee frequented by all.

 

[ellen10]

Yum!!.
Love the pics. Arrh the food, cheese and wine shops. Brings back great memories. We stayed there a week, could have easily been two. Nice owners.
Loved also visiting the local towns. Such great countryside.
Bought my husband a great T-shirt from Montepulciano but he left it in Ypes the following year.

Making me want to go back!

 

[Allegro Vivace]

My wife and I have been to Italy on several occasions over the past 5 years or so, and we have always stayed in Milan, using it as a base to travel around Northern Italy by train.


Milan has a good metro system, and it is easy to reach the central station, for departures to several cities - Bergamo, Bologna, Turin, Padua, Verona, Genoa, Como, Stresa - all day trips.

Most trains are the fast trains - Freccia Rossa, and it is easy to book seats on line using the Trenitalia web site.

We have found a good hotel, located in the centre of Milan- walking distance of the Duomo, shops, Brera Gallery etc.

This has allowed us to explore Northern Italy as well as getting to know Milan.

It is a personal choice, but this is one we have found suits our lifestyle, and passion for "Bella Italia"

 

[RobJ]

bc FWIW we did Cinque Terra but did not enjoy that as much as Lake Como region - Cinque Terra did nothing for me at all - but we are all different. BTW - George Clooney's favourite all time restaurant is in Bellagio - we ate there - what a fabulous night we had. George was not in attendance but so many of the staff had us mixed up.

But Venice a must see IMHO.

In May I spent a week in the Italian lakes - longest stay was at Riva del Garda, at the northern end of Lago Garda. I thought it had a lot to offer over the more tourist concentrated Lake centres, although with plenty of facilities for tourists. Travelling along the Lake in ferries is fun (although sometimes crowded).

I also went for the first time to Modena, where tourists seldom venture - it's a prosperous business oriented city which doesn't need tourists but is attractive and interesting. Having visited a genuine balsamic vineyard I have now acquired another expensive taste, as I'll never be satisfied with supermarket stuff again (even if labelled bottled in Modena, it probably was grown in California; it has to say made in Modena for the real deal, which involves ageing sometimes up to 75 years).

Less taken with Venice; I like Milan but it's super expensive this year because of the International Exhibition. Turin has a long Royal past which leaves a lot of interesting stuff and it has one of the world's greatest Egyptology Museums.

All this assumes you'll spend a lot of time in Rome as a matter of course.

 

[Renato1]

My wife and I have been to Italy on several occasions over the past 5 years or so, and we have always stayed in Milan, using it as a base to travel around Northern Italy by train.

Milan has a good metro system, and it is easy to reach the central station, for departures to several cities - Bergamo, Bologna, Turin, Padua, Verona, Genoa, Como, Stresa - all day trips.

That's an interesting way of doing northern Italy, much less stressful than using the Venezia-Milan autostrada which, unlike most others, is always a very stressful, very aggressive and draining trip for me. What's the name of the hotel you stay at, please?
Regards,
Renato

 

[TheRealTMA]

In May I spent a week in the Italian lakes - longest stay was at Riva del Garda, at the northern end of Lago Garda. I thought it had a lot to offer over the more tourist concentrated Lake centres, although with plenty of facilities for tourists. Travelling along the Lake in ferries is fun (although sometimes crowded).

I also went for the first time to Modena, where tourists seldom venture - it's a prosperous business oriented city which doesn't need tourists but is attractive and interesting. Having visited a genuine balsamic vineyard I have now acquired another expensive taste, as I'll never be satisfied with supermarket stuff again (even if labelled bottled in Modena, it probably was grown in California; it has to say made in Modena for the real deal, which involves ageing sometimes up to 75 years).

Less taken with Venice; I like Milan but it's super expensive this year because of the International Exhibition. Turin has a long Royal past which leaves a lot of interesting stuff and it has one of the world's greatest Egyptology Museums.

All this assumes you'll spend a lot of time in Rome as a matter of course.

Ah! 25 Year old Aceto Balsamico Tradizionale Extra Vecchio di Modena is an exquisite and very addictive liquid once you've been introduced to it. Fabulous on oysters, prawns, cheese, ice cream, steak, ..., or teaspoon, even at $2 a ml. We try to stock up on a couple of bottles every time we go to Italy. In Modena it's only €60-90 a bottle. Here it's about $250 a bottle if you can find the good stuff.

Modena is a very nice town to spend time in. Did a very enjoyable two week Italian course there some years ago. Has quite a lot to see and do and a very good range of excellent restaurants. A very good Italian school (ROMANICA: Introduction of the Italian language school, Modena), 2nd best restaurant in the world in Osteria Francescana Osteria Francescana - L'osteria di Massimo Bottura., plus L'Erba del Rai Ristorante L'Erba del Re - Modena and others.

Plus easy access to various local Acetaie, Parmesan factories, Ferrarri works and museum in Maranello, Maserati museum and Ducati factory colse by, and day trips to Bologna and Lago di Garda.

 

[Allegro Vivace]

Hi Renato1

The hotel, is the Hotel Manzoni, located in Via Santo Spirito, which is in the same neighbourhood, as Via Montenapoleone. Good comfortable rooms

Quiet hotel, with great staff, who speak exceptionally good English.

Also close to the San Baliba and Montenapoleone metro stations, and very importantly close to "Cova" which is one of the great coffee bars/cafes in Milan

Try to get a room facing Via Santo Spirito,and if the budget permits, one with a balcony overlooking the same street.

 

[RobJ]

Yep, went to the Ferrari museum and of course bought a Ferrari - in a cardboard box.

 

[TheRealTMA]

Yep, went to the Ferrari museum and of course bought a Ferrari - in a cardboard box.

Hard to carry a real one home as hand luggage I guess!

 

[Lutrusler]

On my last trip to Italy two years ago I spent time on the Amalfi Coast It was early October so not so many tourists.I was travelling with my sister in law.
My itinerary was as follows:
Early fast train from Rome to Naples, met by our driver who showed us some of the highlights, after an early lunch he took us to Pompeii for the afternoon then drove us to Sorrento.
After 2 nights in Sorrento we caught the boat to Capri, sadly rained the whole time but, it was still wonderful.
Stayed one night in Capri then caught to boat to Positano, amazing amazing amazing place, only stayed 3 nights but could have stayed much longer.
Our next boat trip was to Amalfi which again we really loved and during the time (3 nights) there we caught the (hair raising) bus to Ravello for the day.
Again another wond wonderful place to visit.
We then caught a boat to Salerno and continues our Itailan trip

 

[italianlover]

With a user name like mine how could I not contribute! Growing up with Italian grandparents from Lipari (Google Aeolian islands) every trip to Italy feels like coming home. The regions are all so distinctive and much of the appeal is the variety and differences. Favourite spots are Bergamo, Siena, Venice, Bolzano, the Dolomites, Verona, and Lipari of course! I can't wait to find more favourite places soon. Viva Italia!

 

[Renato1]

Hi Renato1

The hotel, is the Hotel Manzoni, located in Via Santo Spirito, which is in the same neighbourhood, as Via Montenapoleone. Good comfortable rooms

Quiet hotel, with great staff, who speak exceptionally good English.

Also close to the San Baliba and Montenapoleone metro stations, and very importantly close to "Cova" which is one of the great coffee bars/cafes in Milan

Try to get a room facing Via Santo Spirito,and if the budget permits, one with a balcony overlooking the same street.

Thanks, the hotel looks very good - as it should for the price - though for me I'd only use it if my activities were concentrated in and around Milan ( I never get tired of going up to the spires of the Duomo), else I wouldn't feel I'm getting full value out of it.

However, the 50 Euro a day car parking fee would rule it out for me - since I'm paying 40 Euro a day for the Audi or Volvo that I hire over there.
Cheers,
Renato

 

[Renato1]

With a user name like mine how could I not contribute! Growing up with Italian grandparents from Lipari (Google Aeolian islands) every trip to Italy feels like coming home. The regions are all so distinctive and much of the appeal is the variety and differences. Favourite spots are Bergamo, Siena, Venice, Bolzano, the Dolomites, Verona, and Lipari of course! I can't wait to find more favourite places soon. Viva Italia!

My sentiments are the same as yours. However, don't limit yourself - on the other side of the Adriatic there are a huge number of former Roman/Ventian/Italian cities and towns in Slovenia and coastal Croatia, with just as many famous historical sites as in Italy. The main difference being that they speak a different language, and that accommodation and food is much cheaper than in Italy. If Tito hadn't taken over Istria at the end of the last war, places like Porec/Parenzo, Rijeka/Fiume and Pula/Pola would have been on your to do list for Italy.
Cheers,
Renato

 

[Franky]

Which is also close to Montecatini Terme (for the hot springs), Lucca, and Pisa.

In a word, Florence.

 

[fufan]

Can't anyone spell Cinque Terre? I wouldn't bother going there: it's very touristic, particularly if you are trying to travel by ferry when a cruise ship is in port. We liked Lake Como and Venice.

 

[TheRealTMA]

Can't anyone spell Cinque Terre? I wouldn't bother going there: it's very touristic, particularly if you are trying to travel by ferry when a cruise ship is in port. We liked Lake Como and Venice.

Most people can't spell Firenze either.

 

[TomVexille]

Can't anyone spell Cinque Terre? I wouldn't bother going there: it's very touristic, particularly if you are trying to travel by ferry when a cruise ship is in port. We liked Lake Como and Venice.

Yup, I sure can

Most people can't spell Firenze either.

Or Venezia, or Roma ect...

But the grammar thread is that way ------>

 

[amaroo]

Then to Bergamo, not been, but looks nice.

Interested in your review. Currently viewing this as an option for a few nights - looks good!