| Italy, best places to go
Posted: 1/4/2007 7:29:00 AM | | I totally agree with you, sugetek. I was only in Rome for 3 days but could have easily spent a week there. So much to see and do! I was in Milan for only a handful of hours (stop-over) and, you're right, there's not much to see. Although there are a lot of towns/villages worth visiting that are relatively close to Milan, Lake Como for instance. Really posh area from what I hear. Has anyone been? | |
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| Italy, best places to go
Posted: 1/16/2007 7:56:58 PM | | I was in rome for a day and a half, the place totally rocks, would love to go back. Italy is one of my fav european countries. | |
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| Italy, best places to go
Posted: 1/20/2007 2:00:33 PM | | Venice is one of the most awesome cities I have ever been to. You can walk around for hours and find a new street or dead end. If you go make sure you stay at a hotel close to St. Marks that faces the water. Also, make sure you see the Adriatic Sea. Plus the Alps are great to see in the winter when there is snow. | |
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| Italy, best places to go
Posted: 1/27/2007 10:55:13 AM | | i just returned from italy... Cinque Terra is a place that should not be missed.. it is five fishing villages that are located on the northen Medittereanean coast.. you can hike from one village to the next.. its totally awesome!!! | |
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| Italy, best places to go
Posted: 1/27/2007 6:46:55 PM | Italy is magnifiscent. My best friend and I went the Christmas break 3 years ago. Rome was huge, and a crazy city to drive a rental in, but amazing... Florence is such a romantic city, and great for shopping.
But Venice was, for me, the most incredible. The ferries, and gondolas, and cobble paths... the shops and, well it's very hard to explain. But try to picture sailing down the Grand Canal and seeing a huge Catholic Cathedral rising up from the water. The front steps of the church walk right down into the water, and the very large dome roof holding court over the peacful waters.
Really, anyone traveling to Italy must experience Venezia. | |
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| Italy, best places to go
Posted: 2/2/2007 4:21:41 AM | Visit the Amalfi Coast! If you have not seen the movie "Only You" or "Under the Tuscan Sun" then rent them this weekend. Both have parts filmed in Positano. While Positano is perhaps the most famous of the towns on the Amalfi Coast, there are other quieter and less expensive and ....perhaps alittle less crowded places.. take a look at a great site
exploring-the-amalfi-coast dot com and see for yourself. I am going back real soon, well,
as soon as my broken heel is better. I am thinking in May...Ciao everyone! | |
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| Italy, best places to go
Posted: 2/5/2007 3:21:45 AM | | Visit as many places as you can! Not just the big ones either (Rome, Florence, Venice ect ect ect) check out little places I loved Aviano, Pordenone, basically everywhere in tuscany. I would have loved to go to Verona. Even though I am not Christian I still enjoyed the beauty of the Basilica's. I believe it is the Italian Naval Academy you can see acrossed the canal when standing in Piazza San Marco. Make sure you get to any smaller towns market day... | |
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| Italy, best places to go
Posted: 2/5/2007 3:51:58 AM | Italy is ok...just too many hagglers trying to sell you things! I liked Milan best...but i didnt get to visit the south of Italy :(
And Pisa is a waste of time... :) | |
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| Italy, best places to go
Posted: 5/31/2007 3:07:16 PM | I was born in Rome, and I lived in Italy for more than 23 yrs ...
I can tell you Italy is a great Country and there are many many things to see.
From the north, the Alps, Lake of Garda, Lake of Como, and the small towns at the border with France and Switzerland.
If you are into the "wine route"... you've got to go to Piemonte in the north-west (the land of Barolo) and Tuscany (the land of Chianti and many other italian wines).
One city you have to see in Italy is BOLOGNA. its a medioeval city in the north-east side of the country, This city is so friendly and beutiful. Food is amazing there !! Bologna is the land of Lasagna, Tortellini, Prosciutto (near Parma), Parmigiano cheese, etc ... also its the land of Lambrusco a nice and sweet sparkling wine. Emilia-Romagna is the name of the whole region. Also in the same area there is the Adriatic coast, with popular sea cities such as Rimini or Riccione. There are nice arts cities such as Ravenna...
North East of Italy is ok.. but i'm not a big fan of Venice...
There is Trento and Bolzano at the borders with Austria, that are really nice "german" cities ... they actually speak german as first language and Italian as second language.
Center of Italy ... of course Florence, Pisa, Siena (the nicest city in Tuscany)... they are jewels. Full of art, good food, good wine and nice riviera towns (tuscany faces the Tirrenium Sea). In front of Tuscany there is a small island very nice called Elba Island. Its worth a one day trip with the ferry boat.
keeping going down .. you have the Umbria region with a nice city called Perugia. (if you are into chocolate, this is the city where they have the most amazing chocolate truffles, called "il bacio" aka "the Kiss")
Abruzzo and Molise are two rural regions. if you are into small towns and mountain villages... here's he place for you! Speaking of Molise... in front of Termoli ( a small city in molise by on the Adriatic Coast) there is one really nice archipelagos called "Tremiti Islands" that is a must-see !
Center you have Rome and all the cities around Rome like Viterbo, Rieti, etc. Rome takes 1 week and more to see it all. If you have only 1 - 2 days ... don't bother rushing into Rome... you're not going to enjoy it. every corner in Rome has something to be seen... (sorry i'm very partial here ... being a real Roman :) )
ok .. I'll post a second part of this some other times as the center-south part of italy takes some time to describe.
If any has questions about Italy ... feel free to message me.
Cheers
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| Looking for a travel partner
Posted: 6/5/2007 6:35:45 PM | | I am looking for a travel partner. check my profile. I want to spend the rest of my days traveling and writing about it. Anyone interested? | |
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| Looking for a travel partner
Posted: 6/7/2007 8:02:51 PM | I was in Italy in March, and have some pretty good websites to check for accomodations and events. Rome, Florence and Venice absolutely blew me away. I loved San Gimigniano, Siena, Assisi, and Urbino.
Two completely wonderful, off the beaten path places were Gubbio (walled medieval city that you have to take an elevator to get to) and Trieste (Viennese style on a lovely part of the Adriatic).
One other cool place was Busseto, where we stayed in Verdi's home town at a very nice agriturismo B&B. It was a great introduction to the country.
Things I didn't like: driving! The autostradas were fine, but pretty expensive by North American standards. The cities were insane for driving. Thank God for Google Maps! | |
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Sigi
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Joined: 5/26/2005
Msg: 55 | |
| Italy, best places to go
Posted: 6/7/2007 8:10:27 PM | Milan, Rome, Florence, Sienna, Venice. Well, these are the places I've been a couple of times. Love Tuscany.
Two years ago I was in Luca...great place to wonder around as well. | |
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| Italy, best places to go
Posted: 6/12/2007 7:47:43 AM | | Travelled to Italy this past Spring. Venice is absolutely fantastic. They don't allow cars in Venice, you walk or travel by boat. | |
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| Italy, best places to go
Posted: 6/15/2007 6:27:05 AM | Siena, Venice, Florence stood out when I visited many moons ago. Pisa's cool and you have to get the holding-the-tower-up photo in, that's compulsory!
Got pick pocketed in Rome and felt pretty unsafe on the street in Naples (nice coastal area and Pompeii is worth a visit). The Sistine chapel is a mind blower if you're intersted in renaissance art, and cool architectural perspective tricks that fool the eye.
I hear the models are pretty hot in Milan, shame I didn't stop there....
Go to Sicily to see Mt Etna in action, that's where the cyclops threw rocks at Ulysses from in the days of the golden fleece...
But look out for my rellies over there... nice people but a bit shifty...lol. | |
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| Italy, best places to go
Posted: 6/15/2007 3:21:37 PM | | I have lived in Italy for over a year. Cinque Terra is awesome. Portofino on the Italian Riviera. Also the Amalfi coast near Naples, Sorento, Pasitano, etc.. A weekend hot spot for people from in Milan is Rimini. Not the best beaches but awesome nightlife if you're into that. Drop me a note if you'd like specifics. | |
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| Italy, best places to go
Posted: 6/15/2007 5:01:01 PM | Italy - be still my beating heart... There is something about the Italian character and attitude to life that I just love. As for Venice, it's a total myth that it has a pervasive pong! You get the odd whiff by the odd canal (yes there is more than one canal in Venice) in high season but don't let that put you off. If you can't find the magic in Venice, you have no soul.
So there is the odd thief around. And the point? You get this in most countries and certainly large cities. Tourists are easy meat. I've had this happen in London, Amsterdam, Paris and throughout Africa.
The best place to go is down to individual preference. Personally I am not keen on Positano, Amalfi etc as (to me) they feel too hemmed in. I dislike Rome but I'm not keen on big cities. Love Florence though! I like Umbria, especially Perugia on its border. But most of all, the northern mountainous areas like Aosta and Bolzano (Bozen) - which gives you Italy with a more than a hint of Austria. Actually it was my experience that the locals in Bolzano itself preferred you to speak Italian rather than German but things might have changed. But it's a fabulous area. See Wikipedia for its rather complex history. | |
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ferdg
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Joined: 8/19/2005
Msg: 60 | |
| Italy, best places to go
Posted: 6/18/2007 7:03:43 PM | I would tell you right off the bat, do not go to Naples, it is a dangerous place to visit. If you never been to Italy I would suggest that you visit Rome 1st. From there rent a car and visit Monte Casino from Rome by taking the A1 - E4 south and exit off at SR6 towards Monte Casino. Monte Cassino and the town are lovely. The new Abby that was built is gorgeous. Enrich yourself into the flavor of Italian cooking. I think it will take you no more then 2 hours to get there and the exit is off the road. While in Rome you need to visit the Roman Ruins and the Vatican. Try to visit Castel Gandolfo, where the Pope's Summer Residence is located. There are no tours to go there you need to rent a car to get there.
Another spot is in the county of Umbria, province of Perugia. i I would recommend this area to be an over night trip if you want to take your time and look around and travel to the medieval towns. In Umbria, you can visit Assisi. Travel to Orvieto which it's origins go back to the Etruscan civilization: the first Etruscan settlements, going back to the 9th Century B.C. The town is delightful. Other towns such as Deruta which is known for ceramics and Foligno which is another Medieval town. There is so much to talk about and so broad.
The best resorts by the ocean are along the Adriatic Sea in the northern part of Italy. That would be Venice and along the sea cost. Depends on what you like and want to do. I heard that Riccione is a site to see and stay as well as Cesenatico.
Happy Travels in Italia. | |
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| Italy, best places to go
Posted: 6/27/2007 6:16:00 PM | Well maybe I am predigest: laugh: but you need to start from Milan, and go all the way down to Sicilia...You going to be ahhhhh in every city you go...
It just the way of life, is the so fantastic... the food, everything so if you can... try to see all of it... Viva Italia  | |
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| Italy, best places to go
Posted: 8/1/2007 6:05:39 AM | Florence and Rome for a short italian stay. Add Venice if yoou have more time.
Florence and Venice are too touristy. In Rome you will find more Italian real life. I'm not sure you'll like
Rome is also full of secret places (  ) to discover. Have fun! | |
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| Italy, best places to go
Posted: 10/23/2007 9:50:14 PM | I spent a couple of weeks in Italy after a trip through northern Europe.
I visited Pompei at the end of August, and lets face it, after the tourists left in the afternoons, I fell in love with the area. I found a nice hotel, ( St Catherina ) on the internet, and booked 10 days. I was 100 M from the Pompeii ruins and 500M from the train stations. Pompeii takes at least 2 days to see, and most of the really nice stuff is in the Naples museum.
I walked from the main train station to the museum in Naples, which took about an hour, but it was fun to talk to the people along the way and try the various shops. The Naples museum, took 5 hours and 700 photos....
With Pompeii as my base, I traveled to the Isle of Capri one day. You can enjoy the boat ride around the island, but take a sandwich and something to drink, there was a long wait to get into the "blue grotto". You can kick back with a beer and sandwich while everyone is getting grumpy. Ride the funicular, ride the buses, get your meals at the grocers and enjoy the sea and beaches and sun. Returning boats, well, if there are only a couple of passengers for your destination you may not get back to where you left, but be dropped somewhere not too many miles away, so have some train fare left over.
Herculaneum is for another day, (do not eat at the 'Hercules restaurant' there, they charge double the price the quote you!). The taxi guys aren't the brightest. They all sit at the train station at the top of the hill. The fresh tourist easily can walk down the hill to the scavi (excavation). After 4 hours of wandering the ruins, you stagger back up the hill, because all the taxis are still sitting up at the train station. (Obviously they never figured out to put a taxi stand down by the scavi for tired tourists!  ) Or maybe it's cheaper not to have to drive with the cost of gas.
Capua, the place where Sparticus got his start, has a nice little amphitheater, you can stroll around and underneath, and a small gladiator museum. The city museum is nice. It's a bit of a hike from the train station to either museum, but people are happy to help you along the way. I almost ended up buying a new pair of handmade shoes, but I didn't have enough time.....
Pompeii and other places with the tourist booths, don't pay the asking price, especially if there aren't many tourists around, (Sundays, rainy days, after the tourist season days...)
I fell in love with a tiny restuarant in Pompeii, called "Pompei Life". Great food, and very good service. They are only open in the evenings, and they are between Saint Catarina's church and the main train station, just near the hostel.
Rome, well, you have to, but if when I go back, I'll choose somewhere in Campagnia over Roma for my base of operations. Vesuvius makes the wines taste better, the cactus pears bigger and the figs sweeter. You can ignore the little earthquakes.....
Yes, (God permitting), I am going back! | |
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| Italy, best places to go
Posted: 10/29/2007 6:56:20 PM | From what my family and friends say over there. The South is where you want to go, the north is more MTV-nized.
The thing is you have to be careful when in the South such as Naples. You not only face the problem of getting mugged because you are a tourist but also getting shot. If you leave the city center and head to the country side, you are looking for problems.
If someone lives there and you know them, then you will be ok. But as a tourist, no.
Expensive but nice place is Capri.
Granted there are nice places in the North but the South is more friendly and I like the older style it has.
And don't help strangers out if they seem to have a problem, keep going along. This comes directly from people I know personally in Italy so there you go. | |
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| Italy, best places to go
Posted: 8/1/2008 6:47:40 PM | my girl friend and i are taking a cruise 5th Aug 08 from Palma stopping over in a few Italian cities.
We are looking for any fishes that would like to show us around the tourist sites, we especially want to see all Rome has to offer we will only have few hours.
get in touch if you are intrested
Regards
Spritzer | |
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| Italy, best places to go
Posted: 8/3/2008 2:22:40 AM | | Bologna is a stunning place. Great history available to you. They have the first recognised university, 2 leaning towers!, basilicas galore and if you like your motorsports it is very close to the home of Ducati and some other red style car | |
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| Italy, best places to go
Posted: 8/4/2008 7:39:58 AM | Milan,
I went for my birthday and had a great time...go to La, Scala and hear the opera, I took the trolley around town and found all of the people to be nice and friendly. I stayed right near Statione Centrale Downtown. caught the bus from the airport with the locals. Great fun. | |
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| Italy, best places to go
Posted: 8/28/2008 7:37:03 AM | I backpacked in Italy a few years ago. Started out in Nice, France to Monacco to Pisa to Florence to Sorrento. Without a doubt my favorite place was Sorrento and the Island of Capri. Amazing. Shouldn't be missed and if it is still there "Cafe Favno" in Sorrento is to die for!!!!!!
~Happy travels!~
;) | |
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