Post by nancybotwin on Mar 14, 2015 13:34:49 GMT -5
DH and I are going to Italy in July. I know it will be super hot.
We are definitely doing Rome and Florence. I think we are skipping Venice (DH has been before and I promised him one new site). We have time to do one other place - I was debating between Amalfi Coast and Chique Terra. Any recommendations for either places to visit or great, off-the-beaten-path kinds of attractions to visit?
The Cinque Terre is really gorgeous, so I don't think that would be a mistake. And it would be one place where hot weather would be a good thing! Where are you flying into and out of? On our last trip we flew out of Milan and spent the last couple days of the trip at Lake Como, specifically in Varenna. It was very beautiful and peaceful, and a great way to end the trip on a nice calm note.
Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one's lifetime. Mark Twain
Hmm...you will have a minimum of 3 hours travel to Amalfi Coast each way (pending where you go and how you get there). You'd lose the better part of a day just in travel. That said, there's nothing better than the coast.
Maybe do something like this: Arrive Rome airport, grab train to Naples/Amalfi spend 3 nights there train to Florence train to Rome go home
I don't have a map in front of me and can't remember Florence connections and all of that.
Post by sunshinedaydreams on Mar 14, 2015 23:23:35 GMT -5
I haven't been to Cinque Terra, so I can't compare the two, but we loved the Amalfi Coast. We took the train from Rome to Naples and then hired a private car to drive us to Positano. We stopped over in Pompeii for a few hours, and the driver waited for us for a small charge. Positano is gorgeous. There's hiking, a decent beach, shopping and good restaurants there. And it's a short ferry ride to Capri to see the Blue Grotto or Ana Capri on the chair lift. We also did a private boat tour around Capri on Gianni's Boat, which was AMAZING.
Honestly, I know we're in the minority, but we didn't like Florence, so I would prioritize time in Positano over Florence. We were there in September, and it was still pretty hot and the whole city stunk of sewage and garbage. We couldn't wait to get out of there.
We had a similar trip in 2010. 5 nights in Rome then 3 nights in Cinque Terra. We flew into Rome, did a day trip to Pompeii (on our own). Took the train to Cinque Terra, did the hike, took the boat back. When we left, we took the train to Pisa with all our luggage just to see the tower (didn't go up) then flew to Heathrow for an overnight before heading home. Our other family members took the train back to Rome and then flew out the next day. It was warm, but we're from Texas so it was cooler than back home. I loved the fountains all over Rome where you can fill up your water bottle. I definitely always had sweat dripping everywhere and had to tub wash anything I wanted to rewear. We loved our Hotel Santa Maria in Rome and walked to everything. We would have a full breakfast, see as much as we could, have granola bars and an afternoon nap, and then a nice dinner usually sitting outside. Tons of sunscreen of course.
My only note of concern is to check recent reviews on hotels in Cinque Terra since they had horrible flooding and mudslides just a few years ago. It would really help their economy for you to visit.
Another alternative would be to spend a few days in the countryside in between Rome and Florence. Cortona is beautiful and there are several small towns nearby that are as beautiful. It has been about ten years since I last visited, but we had a great time exploring the small towns. It would be best if you are driving to visit these places.
We also did a similar trip, flew into Rome, went up to Florence for a few days and then ended our trip in Rome for a few days.
I think with only 9 days of travel I'd do Cinque Terre. You can easily take trains from Rome to Florence to Cinque Terre. You do not want to have a car in any of those cities as the parking & driving is horrible.
We stayed in Manorola which we liked a lot. We had one of the best meals ever at Trattoria dal Billy there. I think I liked the look of Vernazza best though. Monterosso was too big & touristy for me.
If you like history, look at Ostia (about a 30 minute train ride from Rome), and Herculaneum (next to Pompeii/Naples (about three hours by train south of Rome). They're two ancient cities that were preserved incredibly well and are a little of the beaten path.