Italy!

[Adam]

Liv! I require your assistance!

So, we're planning a vacation this summer and Italy is rapidly creeping up quickly our list of destinations. Any recommendations? What do we absolutely need to see?

[cappuccino]

First of all, we need to know how many days you plan to stay in Italy. Two days? A week?

Recommendations can vary tremendously depending on how much time you're investing in Italy. While a small country, its treasures are vast, it'll take one decades to properly appreciate them

[livius drusus]

Very true. Other considerations include your preferred approach to travel -- be ye wanderers, dashers about, viewers of all the big sites, off the beaten path types, explorers of nature, explorers of local culture, beach combers, mountain folk, party animals, morning people, etc. -- and your budget.

I prefer to stay in one place and pivot, myself, and for a first time visit to Italy, I think that one place should be Roma, Caput Mundi, natch. But even within that framework there are a million different places to see and things to do.

Narrow it down for us a tad and we'll move on from there.

[ms_ann_thrope]

I vote for Tuscany: Siena, Firenze, Lucca... molto bene!

[Petra]

I spent some time around Largo Di Garda, and it was wonderful!

There was everything from old architecture, a lake as big as an inland sea, mountains, vibrant markets, and great restaurants. I can highly recommend the area.

However, I have not been into the southern areas of the peninsula, so I'll leave Rome, etc, to others to describe/recommend.

The light in the North, though - beautiful. You can see why it was so favoured among artists.

[Legs]

My favourite was Florence.

[Plant Woman]

Off the beaten path is the only way to go, no?

[Demon]

Venice is well worth seeing.

[Watser?]

Pompeii is pretty cool too.

Oh please. "Italy" is about as real as "Luxembourg." Just stay home and play video games.

[cappuccino]

Or go to meatball spaghetti restaurants, that'll be all you need for the fictional Italian experience.

I second liv's suggestion of Rome. Personally I would spend the entirety of my trip in Rome, exploring the sites, food, churches, museums, and arms of belle e belli italiani.

Then you'll end up coming back for more and more, then we can work up to maybe one or two more other places.

If you want the grand urban tour making the most efficient use of your time, I would suggest Rome, Florence, and Venice, in any order you wish, giving one or two days per city.

If you're more interested in the small town, Italian country experience. I strongly recommend you spend time in the Tuscany, working your way across the countryside from Pisa to Florence, stopping in Sienna, San Gimignano, and Lucca.

Or...if you enjoy hiking and ocean views, I would recommend Cinque Terre, a series of five towns perched on the cliffs overlooking the Mediterranean and connected by a marvelous winding hiking trail. You can start at the bottom and hike your way up to the top and even heading to Geneva for a quick stop north of Cinque Terre if you want to.

[Adam]

OK, narrowing down a bit...

We'll likely be there for a week or so. I'm assuming that Rome is somewhere I have to visit, if for no other reason than get a picture of myself in front of the Colosseum and poast it here as proof that I met liv. She's (my co-traveler, not liv) mentioned Venice as something she'd like to see well, and we'd both like to at least spend a day or so on the coast somewhere, since we've never seen the Mediterranean. Capp, Cinque Terre sounds amazing. Do you mean Genova or Geneva? Someone told her that it's cheaper, and very scenic, to actually fly into Switzerland and take a train down to Italy rather than flyign directly in...I haven't done much researchinto how true that is yet.

Thanks for the ideas everyone.

[Adam]

Well, damn, maybe I can talk her into heading for the Old Spaghetti Factory for dinner and then home for some Wii instead. Liv, do you recommend OSF or Olive Garden for an authentic Italian culinary experience?

[Legs]

Hi Adam, would you consider a cruise?

This one sails starts in Rome and ends in Venice and stops in Portofino, Naples and several other ports.

That's just one example, there are many cruises and cruiselines that stop in Italy.

[ShottleBop]

Florence.

[livius drusus]

Rome and Venice in a week, eh? Aight. I'll let you do it just this once, but that kind of trip can tend towards the harried and death-marchey.

If you've got money to spend, the best walking tour of Rome is here. Nancy DeConciliis was my substitute teacher in 4th grade. She's an American expat, a brilliant artist, funny as hell, and knows more about the city of Rome than anyone alive. Her tours are one-on-one affairs. I guarantee you, Adam, it will be the best money you spend the whole vacation. She's a genius, and there is no better way to see the city than by her side.

I don't know what she charges these days, but it's bound to be in the hundreds of dollars. Give her a call, I beg of you.

How would you feel about renting a car? It would give you some freedom to do living-is-easy stuff between the two major cities. Of course, the train system is excellent as well, and most places can be reached either by train or by bus, if you want to go up some hills where the tracks don't go.

Some places between Rome and Venice that you could spend a fabulous day/afternoon in include Tivoli/Villa d'Este/Hadrian's Villa (it's beautiful and cool in the summer, there are insane fountains in this insane garden, oh, and the locals make a traditional cookie in the shape of a woman with three bewbs), Bomarzo, ie, the park of the monsters (it's living fantasy, a mannerist dream, totally, wonderfully unique), San Gimignano (medieval towers everywhere), Assissi (it's just so pretty I can't even tell you), Siena (the town center is so untouched that if it weren't for the clothes people wear, you'd think you were in the middle ages), Orvieto (a former Etruscan acropolis perched on this huge hunk of volcanic tufa with the coolest, bar none, underground tunnel system dug into the tufa that you can take guided tours of), Bologna (Etruscan, Roman, Medieval, pinko commies, a huge historic center and the food of the Gods), and a pile of great little towns like Bolsena, Padova, Verona, Ravenna, etc.

I don't know from Venice. I'm a bit of a grump about the city, myself, but I did read about a great place to stay outside of the city: If You're Thinking of Going to Venice... If I were being dragged to Venice, I'd most definitely stay there.

[livius drusus]

Originally Posted by Adam

Well, damn, maybe I can talk her into heading for the Old Spaghetti Factory for dinner and then home for some Wii instead. Liv, do you recommend OSF or Olive Garden for an authentic Italian culinary experience?

[LadyShea]

We had planned to go to Rome, but ended up without the extra fundage we had been expecting. I am jealous, Adam.

I can't offer you specific Italy advice, but general traveler stuff, I am happy to help....however you still haven't told us what kind of travel appeals to you most A list of things you "might like to see" is not indicative of your travel style. Some people get all stressed at hopping around, others relish a fast pace.

When we did the UK, we went all kinds of balls-to-the-wall; overnights in York, Glasgow, Llandudno, Cardiff, and 3 nights in London with day trips to Edinburgh, St. Andrews, Bath, and Conwy...all in a 9 days and all travel by train. We had a ball. However, we could have had just as much fun staying the whole 9 days in any one of the places we visited. As it was we wanted to see as much as possible.

So, if you want to travel far and wide, get a country wide train pass-usually only sold in advance to tourists- and just get on a train and go wherever you want to go. If you want a less commando mission approach, stick to one place and see as much of that one place as possible.

[Adam]

Thanks for the suggestions, everyone.

Liv, if we end up doing Rome, I will definitely look into your ex-substitute. This is the kind of advice I hang out here for.

Legs, a cruise is a possibility. Personally, I think I'd slightly prefer a more land-based vacation, but the other person involved has spoken highly of the idea of cruises.

LS, I guess I don't know what sort of travel appeals to me. That's a good point, though. I'll have to think about it.

[Plant Woman]

If I could my travels would include spending a year in each place, now there you can really get to know the place and explore to your heart's content. But a month would be ideal, so you can go at a leisurely pace and explore the nooks and crannies, not just the famous stops.

[cappuccino]

Oops, I meant Genova, sorry.

I heartly second Assissi and Orvieto. They have beautiful monuments to see, Assissi's cathedral is simply divine, so is St. Francis' tomb. Orvieto's tunnel system is definitely fun to explore and its cathedral is also something to see.

[LadyShea]

LS, I guess I don't know what sort of travel appeals to me. That's a good point, though. I'll have to think about it.

Maybe you can plan a weekend trip with your companion sometime soon, and see what your styles are and how well they mesh/what compromises need to be made. Not sure what's within driving distance from you, but consider it. You can learn a lot even on a short trip; for example, what if you get there and you are ready for a nap, or to hang at the pool, and she whips out a list of activities and places to eat and wants to start right now? Would you feel bothered and/or balk at going out, or happily go adventuring, or go adventuring but resent it, or offer a compromise of eating first then seeing how you feel?

I have found that traveling with someone is a whole new ballgame compared to dating them, or even living with them.

[Legs]

That 12 night cruise example I gave is $1600.00 per person for August including all your food & entertainment onboard. Not a bad deal.

[Sauron]

I'm doing a Rick Steves city tour of Florence. $1595 not counting airfare. My trip is over the Thanksgiving break, but you could do this one anytime starting in spring.

I prefer the city tours because you get to know one place really well, instead of spending maybe only 1 or 2 days in a town before re-packing and rushing to the next hotel. Rick Steves also sets the tour up so each day is roughly 1/2 guided, and 1/2 free time.

I did the Rick Steves city tour of Prague and it was amazing. In seven days:

• 4 castles
• 5 cathedrals
• 2 nights at the National Orchestra
• black light theater
• Chateau and wine tasting
• at least 1 meal each day is paid, usually 2
• all ticket venues are covered

and we still had a half day off for shopping, sleeping, or whatever.

Photos of my trip:
Collection: Rick Steves Tour - Best of Prague in 7 Days

Collection: Prague - Miscellaneous