Travel Recommendations for Italy

Veek

Pat

Supporter
The wife and I plan to spend the last two weeks of this month primarily in Italy with an initial stop in Lugano for a couple of nights. Our itinerary after that goes to Venice, Florence and Rome. I'm pretty familiar with the famous tourist sites but was wondering if any forum members had any recommendations that may be a particular local or personal favorite outside of the normal mega-tourist destinations. (great food & drink, historic, beautiful etc.).
 
K

Paolo-LoveGT40 Modelworks

Hi Pat,
September is a great month to be here...even more this year cause we had a really NUT summer(august was cold and rainy).
All the places here are now perfect and without the usual italian mess (august is the ALL-IN-Vacation month here).
U just will have better service..better prices and much more attention.

All the trip u are going to do is wonderful..just consider those days here is really hot (now..14.00 pm we have +38 C° of humidity...so maybe select some dress for the occasion).
Even Lugano is wonderful (great lake there, very very nar to varese, and they also have a very nice Casinò there).

In the trip u are doing will be nice visit town as Verona or Padova (even in veneto..near Venice..on the road to),
In my opinion anyway the nicer part of all italy is the part between Florence and Rome (all middle italy).
Dunno the way u are going to move, if by car..i suggest u not to make the highway section between Bologna and Florence...and DEEPLY suggest u to drive on normal (free) streets, incredibly nicer than that ugly traffic highway (that part is one of the slower and worst one here).

Loose yourself in tuscany..wherever u are u will love to be lost there.
Places are simply awesome.

If u drive here anyway..always remember here is one of the worst country where to drive.
Seems all italian wants to be as schumacher on the road..so be very very careful (is actually one of the worst european place where to drive...for other drivers common bahaviours).

Florence is a must, maybe u can spend there 2 Days..cause there are too many places and things to see.
For some reasons is even more nicer than Venezia.
Even there..in tuscany, if u can try visit also Siena and Pisa (no words for that places too..really).

just keep Rome maybe as last destination (there the traffic becomes a real theory..)
Giant city and with same traffic as new dehly.


If u need any other info..dont hesistate ask me..also in PM Pat:))

Paolo
 
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Veek

Pat

Supporter
Thanks for the insight.

Hello Paolo and Pat,

Thanks for the tips. Paolo, your insights are great and I look forward to taking your advice. Armed with your suggestions my wife is now out buying clothes!
 
B

BenL

There are two tourist spots in Rome that I enjoyed that weren't crowded (but we were visiting in October).

In Rome, near the Colesseum is the Domus Aurea (or Golden House) built by Nero. It was buried and lost until it was found in the 1500s. They've excavated part of it, so you can join a small group for an escorted tour (you'll need to get your tickets in advance).
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Domus_Aurea
(This and some other sites say it closed in 2001 and won't reopen until 2008, but I was there in 2004)

And a short train ride outside of Rome is Ostia Antica, an ancient Roman port city that was lost until recently when they started construction work. You can easily spend a day walking around the old city (bring good shoes).
http://www.ostia-antica.org/
 
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N

Hi Veek. Going from Venice to Florence why not try Modena (Ferrari, Lamborghini, Panini (Maserati) and Stanguellini collections are all close.) Other spots are the lakes with Como/Cernobbio on Lake Como and Stresa on Lake Maggiore are great spots. The Cinque Terre and north to St Marguerita and Portofino are fantastic. South of Rome the Amalfi coast with Sorrento , Positano and Pompei are a must see. You won't do this in two weeks but the tourist numbers will be dropping off, so any of these are great. Have you quessed I love Italy? Have fun. Regards
 
M

Marcus

Travelling through Italy

...go and see Lago Trasimeno in Umbria.
(One of many sites where Hannibal clobbered the Romans...)

And don`t miss Ferruccio Lamborghini`s nearby vineyards on that occasion!

Marcus
 
C

CliffBeer

CURRENTLY BANNED
Veek, definitely don't miss Sienna - a summer sunset/eve with a bottle of wine and your wife/gf on the central plaza is must do. Some great history and countryside around Sienna as well. I believe Sienna was the start or finish of the Mille Miglia at one time.

And, as Paolo suggested, if you're in Venice, go hang out in Verona for an evening. The Roman stadium there is the second largest in the world, is pretty intact, and has nice plays/opera in the evenings in the summer - a wonderful experience.

The Cinque Terre in NW Italy used to be an undiscovered favorite of mine. Rick Steve's coverage popularized the place so it's not as nice now but it's still worth a look.

You'll love driving in Italy, if you have the right attitude. As Paolo suggest everyone thinks its F1 time. You can tell how sharp an upcoming turn is by the number/amount of tire marks going off the side of the road as you get to the turn....

Have fun.
 
ckouba

Chris Kouba

Supporter
I've only spent about 3 days in Italy but one of them was spent on a train from Torino to Modena and then a ride up to Maranello. There is an impressive museum at Ferrari and even the girlfriend really enjoyed it. I'd bet you would as well. It was worth the trip to get there.

Chris
 
B

BenL

CliffBeer said:
And, as Paolo suggested, if you're in Venice, go hang out in Verona for an evening. The Roman stadium there is the second largest in the world, is pretty intact, and has nice plays/opera in the evenings in the summer - a wonderful experience.
Click to expand...

That sounds like fun.

I just remembered, in a park in Rome there's a former Cardinal's house that has many scupltures by Bernini. I recommend getting an audio guide, it'll explain some of the stories behind the art work and their acquisition (the Cardnial was not a nice person)
http://www.galleriaborghese.it/borghese/en/edefault.htm
(you might need to reserve tickets in advance, access is limited)

In addition to the many art museums, a couple of the churches in Rome have some very lovely original art work by Michelangelo. There's a church near the Panteon (Santa Maria sopra Minerva) that has a nude statue of Jesus (but someone added a gilded loin cloth), and there's a church near the Colesseum that has a huge sculpture called "Moses".
http://www.cptryon.org/hoagland/travels/stpeterchains/moses.html

Usually there isn't an admission fee to enter a church, but there might a small box that takes coins to turn on a couple of spotlights to aid viewing.

http://www.stuardtclarkesrome.com/churches.htm
 
K

Paolo-LoveGT40 Modelworks

eheheh..I love to see so many friends here inside loving Italy:)

U surely will have a great period down here Pat,surely also wife will love this.
Just hope for u to have good weather (maybe better than those last 3 days..too humid for being italian september).
Surely Dave Morton can tell us maybe more about future weather forecast (and also Dave likes a lot Italy, being here...think also those days for Monza F1 race:).

there are really too many nice towns to visit.
For food ..u cannot miss emilia romagna (le mans campus still remembers the mortadella ham we bringed there..100% from Bologna:)
For wines all Veneto region (the road to venice) is too great.

Personally I love the central part (Tuscany, lower Emilia Romagna and Umbria as well as high Lazio) cause too much art and things and places to see there (and food..prepare to grow at least 10 kilos Pat..will be hard for u to refit inisde the CAV or the F-Vee:D).

...just maybe avoid my town..Milano for too many reasons:
also here we have nice things to see, but Milano is famous to be a workplace and the land of fashion (if wife likes to buy dresses...that will be a BIG problem here..cause in the heart of Milano is easy to fire millions of dollars in a while buying cloths).
We have prices alligned with 5th Street in NYC..
Prices for jurney and food is definitely too high (normally twice than rest of Italy)traffic is terrific and (being in a flat part of italy) is easy to have shitty weather.

Hope u enjoy.
For any other info..just ask and I will try to do my best Pat:)

Paolo
 
Veek

Pat

Supporter
Thanks for the great insight

Thanks Paolo,

With all this great advice, I came home last night and the first things my wife did was tell me what was happening on the GT40 forum. She's now an avid reader. Thanks for all the tips.
Since I know she reads this, there is that thing with the French Maid outfit we can discuss later ;)

Seriously, thanks to all for all the great suggestions. If any of you head to Florida, I'll be happy to reciprocate!
 
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