Italy

Going on a break to Italy in August. It is not booked yet.

Going for a long weekend, Thurs - Monday

Obvious destinations stand out, Rome, Pisa etc

But are there any really nice places with a more quieter/country backdrop???

cheers

Verona is lovely and well placed between Venice (which despite the hype is awesome) and Lake Garda. Florence is worth a visit as is Sienna. Not been to Naples/Pompeii yet next on my list. You will love it there.

how far is venice from verona. or should I say, how long by train??

how far is venice from verona. or should I say, how long by train??

Not far. Verona is a lovely place, as is Padua & Vicenza, on the same line between Milan and Venice.

Only downside is that that part of Italy is cripplingly hot in August.

If I'm honest, and we go to Italy a lot, I'd avoid any of the cities in August. Rammed full of tourists and very, very hot.

Go to the mountains - e.g. Aosta Valley. Very few tourists.

Florence

Verona as has been mentioned is a lovely place. The Amalfi coast is amazing, sorrento is the main tourist resort there and rom there you can visit Capri, Pompei, Vesuvius and for 10 euros do a bus trip down the coast. The views are spectular, google them. Stop off as Positano, Amalfi and Rivelo. Italy is expensive and at that time of the year very hot and full of tourists. We went to the Amalfi coast first two weeks of August a few years ago and it was sweltering but its without doubt one of the most beautiful and interesting places I've ever visited.

Go to the mountains - e.g. Aosta Valley. Very few tourists.

Yep, or the Marches mountains. Lovely place.

We did Milan - Verona - Venice by train a couple of years back and would definitely recommend it. The train service is very good. The cathedral in Milan is breathtaking, Verona very picturesque and Venice is just amazing. We did go in spring time though, Venice is supposed to get a bit stinky in the summer.

Go to Sicily. Fantastic place.

Take a trip up Europe's most active volcano, see some old dead bodies in the Capuchin catacombs, lay on the beach and drink good food and wine.

I've only been to Monza and Venice.

Lucca.

Not far from Pisa and Florence for day trips. Very near the coast and the beaches on the Versillian Riviera (Viareggio, Marina di Pietrasanta, Forte dei Marmi).

Lucca is one of those old medieval independent republics and also has an identity of its own. It has an amazing set of walls around it, and at the heart is a piazza built on a Roman amphitheatre, and retaining the shape.

I'm not an opera buff by any standard, but Puccini was born in Lucca and they stage open-air operas in the Piazza Anfiteatro on summer nights - amazing.

I've been lucky enough to go to Italy quite a lot, but Lucca is my favourite place.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lucca

Go to Sicily. Fantastic place.

 

Take a trip up Europe's most active volcano, see some old dead bodies in the Capuchin catacombs, lay on the beach and drink good food and wine.

And off the coast of Sicily are the Aeolian Islands.

Very quaint and each of the 5 islands is unique. Fabulous boat-trip at night to watch Stromboli, a constantly active volcano. The biggest island is Lipardi but it really is like stepping back into the 1960s. Probably the best pizza I have EVER had there.

But probably wouldn't appeal to a 'youngster'.

Just having a look online.

Lake Garda area? looks nice

Just having a look online.

 

Lake Garda area? looks nice

probably. Stayed here in Varenna, Lake Como, that was beautiful. So so rooms and food, in a great building with fantastic views and gardens. http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Hotel_Review-g187837-d244518-Reviews-Hotel_Villa_Cipressi-Varenna_Lake_Como_Lombardy.html#photos

Missus wants to go to Florence. So it will probably be there

I was gassed in Turin.

Lucca.

 

Not far from Pisa and Florence for day trips. Very near the coast and the beaches on the Versillian Riviera (Viareggio, Marina di Pietrasanta, Forte dei Marmi).

 

Lucca is one of those old medieval independent republics and also has an identity of its own. It has an amazing set of walls around it, and at the heart is a piazza built on a Roman amphitheatre, and retaining the shape.

 

I'm not an opera buff by any standard, but Puccini was born in Lucca and they stage open-air operas in the Piazza Anfiteatro on summer nights - amazing.

 

I've been lucky enough to go to Italy quite a lot, but Lucca is my favourite place.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lucca

Lucca is a wonderful place. Love it.

Missus wants to go to Florence. So it will probably be there

Word I never thought I'd see ...

Just having a look online.

 

Lake Garda area? looks nice

North of the lake is better than the south.

Missus wants to go to Florence. So it will probably be there

Good luck with that. It'll be utterly rammed and baking hot. Wonderful city, but not in August.

Naples is a dump utter ****hole, never ever go there ....ever

all the usual suspects are good Rome Venice Florence Sienna Lucca Pisa etc but will carry the usual tourist premiums Turin is underated Milan nice shops, Bologna and Verona are both good but can get edgy Genoa so/so Lecce and Bari are nice but a long way from anywhere else Sicily is beautiful although Catania is a dump Palermo is a rough diamond

a lot of cities are kind of grouped together so id pick best flight pick up a car and travel about explore and just get lost bologna up to venice take in padua ferrara parma vicenza or ravenna all really nice milan brescia bergamo turin all real close to each other Tuscany with pisa sienna florence lucca rome is a bit on its own but by far my favourite city

oh and you must at all times wear sunglasses

Sermoneta

Lake Como is lovely. Sicily also fantastic place.

Verona as has been mentioned is a lovely place. The Amalfi coast is amazing, sorrento is the main tourist resort there and rom there you can visit Capri, Pompei, Vesuvius and for 10 euros do a bus trip down the coast. The views are spectular, google them. Stop off as Positano, Amalfi and Rivelo. Italy is expensive and at that time of the year very hot and full of tourists. We went to the Amalfi coast first two weeks of August a few years ago and it was sweltering but its without doubt one of the most beautiful and interesting places I've ever visited.

Going to Sorrento in a couple of months. Did you hire a car (guessing not if you went on a bus trip down the coast)? Assuming you didn't, did you get a bus from Naples airport to Sorrento? How was that?

how far is venice from verona. or should I say, how long by train??

Just over an hour, iirc. Caught the train to both from Peschiera Del Garda when we stayed there. Verona is an excellent city and well worth a visit. Didn't get to Vicenza or Padua due to time constraints, which are supposed to be just as good. Stayed in Amalfi on honeymoon. The coastline is really nice, but Amalfi itself is boring and not really worth a visit. However, Sorrento, Capri, etc around are good.

Piedmonte. Lots of wonderful places to see in that region. Turin is lovely, as are Asti, Alba and numerous medieval hilltop villages. Wine growing country, not too crowded, but the mountains one way and the coast the other. Where we stayed, Turin was 20 kms and Genoa 30 kms. Visited the lakes on the way down and also places like Portofino are within reach.

Otherwise, Liguria, the Italian Riviera of flowers. Stay near San Remo close to the French border and you can nip across into Monaco/Monte Carlo, Menton, Nice, Cannes quite easily. The best of both worlds.

Just over an hour, iirc. Caught the train to both from Peschiera Del Garda when we stayed there. Verona is an excellent city and well worth a visit. Didn't get to Vicenza or Padua due to time constraints, which are supposed to be just as good. Stayed in Amalfi on honeymoon. The coastline is really nice, but Amalfi itself is boring and not really worth a visit. However, Sorrento, Capri, etc around are good.

I honeymooned in Sorrento. There is more to see in that area than almost anywhere else. The Amalfi drive is spectacular, Amalfi, Positano, Ravello. Sorrento is great as a base to explore Capri, Naples, Pompeii, Herculaneum, Vesuvius, etc. And I disagree with Sebastian Firefly on Naples. It is a fascinating place, full of character.

Sicily is great, but far too large to cram into a long weekend. I've been three times and just about got a flavour of it. If you had to stay in one place there, it would be Taormina for me.

Piedmonte. Lots of wonderful places to see in that region. Turin is lovely, as are Asti, Alba and numerous medieval hilltop villages. Wine growing country, not too crowded, but the mountains one way and the coast the other. Where we stayed, Turin was 20 kms and Genoa 30 kms. Visited the lakes on the way down and also places like Portofino are within reach.

 

Otherwise, Liguria, the Italian Riviera of flowers. Stay near San Remo close to the French border and you can nip across into Monaco/Monte Carlo, Menton, Nice, Cannes quite easily. The best of both worlds.

Think we are off to Piedmonte in October 1/2 term

If you had to stay in one place there, it would be Taormina for me.

Agree, enough sights to see and do for a long weekend but with the beach to escape the heat in August.

Lido Di Jesolo is a lovely beach - plenty of restaurants and bars stay open late. Easy access to Venice from ferry.

Beer is between 6-8 euros a litre so not cheap.

Going to Sorrento in a couple of months. Did you hire a car (guessing not if you went on a bus trip down the coast)? Assuming you didn't, did you get a bus from Naples airport to Sorrento? How was that?

We didn't hire a car. Publc transport is good and cheap. The train from Naples to Sorrento is regular and efficent, bus cheap and regular and absolutely fine. Wouldn't fancy driving over there to be honest, long, winding roads with steep drops and the local moped riders are nutters. As others have said Naples is a sh*t hole, it's interesting though and worth a wonder round. Everything from Sorrento down is wonderful. Definitely jump on the bus down the Amalfi coast. Goes from Sorrento bus station and i think is was about 10 Euros for a day ticket, can jump on and off as many times as you want, Thompson were charging people £45 for the same trip!

Lido Di Jesolo is a lovely beach - plenty of restaurants and bars stay open late. Easy access to Venice from ferry.

Beer is between 6-8 euros a litre so not cheap.

Yes, liked to there as well. Water taxi across to Venice arriving in St Marks Square is the only way to travel!

Yes, liked to there as well. Water taxi across to Venice arriving in St Marks Square is the only way to travel!

Not many better taxi rides on the planet.

Lucca and Florence are stunning, but Siena is fantastic, especially around the time when the Palio is taking place.

Love Italy. Off to Rome for 4 days in a couple of weeks for the missus' birthday present (back in time for Liverpool at home though, thank you Sky fixture madness!).

Also booked flights for 2 weeks in Sardinia for August, slightly worried now seeing as out of 37 posts no one has recommended it:?! We're flying into Cagliari, any recommendations of places to stay within 2hrs of there (south of the Island) close to beaches and decent restaurants etc the better. Learning Italian so the less touristy areas no problemo.

Also booked flights for 2 weeks in Sardinia for August, slightly worried now seeing as out of 37 posts no one has recommended it:?!

No worries Sardinia is absolutely beautiful. Ive only done the north end around Costa esmeralda though so no idea about the south.

Love Italy. Off to Rome for 4 days in a couple of weeks for the missus' birthday present (back in time for Liverpool at home though, thank you Sky fixture madness!).

 

Also booked flights for 2 weeks in Sardinia for August, slightly worried now seeing as out of 37 posts no one has recommended it:?! We're flying into Cagliari, any recommendations of places to stay within 2hrs of there (south of the Island) close to beaches and decent restaurants etc the better. Learning Italian so the less touristy areas no problemo.

Been told Pula's nice - less touristy than Chia.

Love Italy. Off to Rome for 4 days in a couple of weeks for the missus' birthday present (back in time for Liverpool at home though, thank you Sky fixture madness!).

 

Also booked flights for 2 weeks in Sardinia for August, slightly worried now seeing as out of 37 posts no one has recommended it:?! We're flying into Cagliari, any recommendations of places to stay within 2hrs of there (south of the Island) close to beaches and decent restaurants etc the better. Learning Italian so the less touristy areas no problemo.

I've been a few times (NE) & love it. Strangely enough we were discussing a Sardinian holiday for 2016 only yesterday.

Pisa is nice, but probably you don't want to go there for more than a day trip. Sienna, Florence, Venice all worth the visit - as well as some of the smaller hilltop towns in the area - montalcino, montepulciano (particularly highly recomended), san gimignano - realise this is all in Tuscany - dunno whether apropriate for a shorter trip. Probably want a longer trip with a car for all the hilltop towns.

Love Italy. Off to Rome for 4 days in a couple of weeks for the missus' birthday present (back in time for Liverpool at home though, thank you Sky fixture madness!).

 

Also booked flights for 2 weeks in Sardinia for August, slightly worried now seeing as out of 37 posts no one has recommended it:?! We're flying into Cagliari, any recommendations of places to stay within 2hrs of there (south of the Island) close to beaches and decent restaurants etc the better. Learning Italian so the less touristy areas no problemo.

affanculo testa di cazzo

Lucca and Florence are stunning, but Siena is fantastic, especially around the time when the Palio is taking place.

Sienna has a charm all of its own. Not as commercialised as Florence, but a very good base for exploring Tuscany. I've stayed on a Black Cockerel Chianti wine estate in apartments in a medieval building, 8 kms away from Sienna. From there with a car you can do Montepulciano, Florence, Montelcino, San Gimignano, Arrezzo, Cortone, even the coast near Grosseto, Lake Trasimeno and even Perugia into Umbria. The food in Tuscany is fantastic, lots of game, cooked in rustic style.

Padua is great - and cheap. Worked there for a year. If visiting Venice, stay in Padua, the taxi / train to Venice for the day.

Did a little tour a couple of years ago using their trains. Milan - Rome- Florence - lake Como

Rome is fantastic, was baking in June and can only imagine the heat in August.

Didn't really appreciate Florenece enough, was knackered after 4 packed days in Rome. Will go back there.

Lake Como is beautiful, can spend your days on the lake visiting lovely little towns.

Go to Florence in June and watch the calcio storico

Anyone mention sorrento? That is where we are looking. Currently researching the hotels etc

Looks nice around that part

Anyone mention sorrento? That is where we are looking. Currently researching the hotels etc

 

Looks nice around that part

Yes I did Jamie. Tsk.

go to the border and take the train into the Alps, it takes a slow climb up to St Moritz. An absolutely stunning experience