Please help me plan my trip to Italy.

June 10, 2010 4:36 PM

Please help me plan my trip to Italy.

My wife and I are going to Italy for 10 days in September - flying into Rome and home from Milan (tickets already purchased). I am looking for feedback on our itinerary and suggestions on specific places to stay.

A working draft of the itinerary is here: http://grab.by/4SdA

I was in Italy on a business trip last year, and saw the major attractions in Rome, Florence and Venice, so I am not interested in seeing all the same places. My wife is interested in a few attractions in Rome, and we'd both like to visit the Vatican, so Rome is a definite stop.

I'm interested in Napoli because of the pizza and because I've heard it's much less touristy than the more popular destinations. So that's a definite stop.

Bologna seems like a good stop because the food is supposed to be amazing.

I would like to do a day or two outside of the cities... considered Cinque Terre but leaning towards Tuscany because driving from town to town sounds like more fun than hiking mountainous trails from town to town. (Where in Tuscany?)

FYI - we are in our mid-30s, foodies, into exploring. We are more into visiting different areas than visiting every museum or church in a city. We'd probably hit the big attractions in a town and then head out to explore on our own with a good map in hand.

My favorite days on my trip last year were the following: (1) the day I rented a Vespa in Florence and drove all over town. Pizza in Oltrarno. (2) A six-hour outing in Venice - walking, eating, resting and cooling off at coffee shops, taking hundreds of photos.

Would love some hotel suggestions too. Mid-priced - maybe $150-200 per night if possible. Must be air conditioned, have a lobby, etc. Nothing that feels like a youth hostel. (Here is where I stayed in Florence last time - way too youth hostelly for me... and my wife!)

posted by kdern to travel & transportation around Italy (31 answers total)

Don't forget to go to Tamburini in Bologna for lunch. It's in the center of town - near the towers. It's cafeteria style, only with - like you said- amazing food.
posted by L'OM at 4:41 PM on June 10, 2010

I haven't been to Italy so I don't have a lot to add, although I have a friend who went and raved non-stop about how great Cinque Terre was. So data point for you, I guess.
posted by sharkfu at 4:56 PM on June 10, 2010

I spent some time in Siena which is hard to beat if you want a historic Tuscan town. If you're going in September you'll miss the annual medieval-style horse race (featured in the Quantum of Solace intro) but it's a beautiful town to spend a day or two wandering through. It's a popular tourist spot and will thus have plenty of nice hotels, but it's not the crowded Disneyland you'll find in Venice or Florence.
posted by PercussivePaul at 5:11 PM on June 10, 2010 [1 favorite]

I'm interested in Napoli because of the pizza and because I've heard it's much less touristy than the more popular destinations. So that's a definite stop.

I'm sorry, but Naples is not a very interesting or enjoyable place for the most part. I showed up there with a couple friends, and as soon as we got there, one of them said, "This could be some big industrial American city, like Detroit or Pittsburgh." I've never been to Detroit or Pittsburgh, but that sounded about right. The pizza? You can get great pizza all over Rome. Also, the traffic is really scary -- the worst I've seen in my life, much worse than Rome (which is pretty bad itself). I saw a car stop just short of hitting an old man, and that was only the most jarring Napolitan traffic incident that sticks in my memory several years later.

To second PercussivePaul, Siena is a wonderful and romantic little town -- felt like being suddenly transported to 100s of years ago. The main thing is the overall experience; it's not like Rome where you should make sure to spend enough days there so you don't feel like you missed out. However, the Siena Cathedral is a "must" -- better than St. Peter's in Rome.
posted by Jaltcoh at 5:21 PM on June 10, 2010 [1 favorite]

I'm from Detroit, I've been to Pittsburgh several times, and I have lived in Italy. Napoli is not like Detroit or Pittsburgh.

That said, I would not go to Napoli, especially if you're planning on just popping down there and then back up north. If I were going down that way, I would spend a week in Positano, Capri, Amalfi, and Sorrento and spend only enough time in Napoli to catch the train. Respect to my friends from Napoli, but it's not worth visiting unless you've done a lot of other places in Italy first.

And as much as I love Bologna, I would recommend that your itinerary start in Rome, then go to Assisi, then Siena for at least a full day and overnight stay, then either Cinqueterre or Portofino and Santa Margherita Ligure, and from there head to Milano to catch your plane home. Don't spend any time in Milano and don't go to Bologna unless it's on your way somewhere or you are compelled to go there because of the history of the place.

When you're in Rome, try to see at least some of the following: Hadrian's Villa, Villa D'Este, Ostia Antica, Borghese Mueum, and as many Caravaggio paintings as you can.
posted by The World Famous at 5:43 PM on June 10, 2010 [4 favorites]

I'm from Detroit, I've been to Pittsburgh several times, and I have lived in Italy. Napoli is not like Detroit or Pittsburgh.

Yeah, my comment was more trying to say that Naples is a big, drab, run-down city that's not particularly romantic. As I said, I have no idea if it literally resembles Detroit or Pittsburgh.
posted by Jaltcoh at 5:53 PM on June 10, 2010

I thought Siena was great--it's wonderful to just sit in the piazza and people watch, but the Siena Cathedral is absolutely breathtaking.
posted by inertia at 5:56 PM on June 10, 2010

I totally agree about skipping Naples, and I'm also a person who prefers to visit less-touristy locales. Granted, I was in Naples during the summer when the garbage collection folks were in the midst of some kind of strike, so there were literally piles of rotting, stinking garbage on every corner. I really hate to bash a city, and I understand that my experience may not have been normal, but that was some kind of biohazard. I wish I had skipped Naples.

Seconding Siena for that "people actually live in this city" feeling.
posted by samthemander at 6:01 PM on June 10, 2010

Yeah, my comment was more trying to say that Naples is a big, drab, run-down city that's not particularly romantic.

That's an accurate assessment.
posted by The World Famous at 6:02 PM on June 10, 2010

if you are food people make sure you pick up the slow food guide to locande and osterie once you arrive in Rome. Its in Italian but easily decipherable. the best guide to casual dining.

For me 10 days isn't enough time to do Rome - Naples - Cinque Terre-Milan. I would rent a car in Rome do a bunch of the smaller towns between Rome and Florence, then go to the Cinque Terre and then on to Milan.

But if you are really in to food you have to work the area around Alba into your plans - maybe 2 days.
posted by JPD at 6:18 PM on June 10, 2010

I stayed in, and loved, Riomaggiore, the most southern village of Cinque Terre. Be prepared for crowds, but don't stay away because of them -- I was there in July and I still didn't find it horribly tourist-y; I'm sure it will be lovely in September.

Tuscany: I stayed in Certaltdo. It's beautiful, small and worth a day's visit, although that probably sums up most of towns in that reigon.

If you have to pick between Cinque Terre or Tuscany, my vote is with the latter. Cinque Terre was amazing, but it sounds like beaches and hiking may not fit your goals this trip. Also, September is grape-harvesting season; lots of festivals and wine!
posted by bluestocking at 6:20 PM on June 10, 2010

Certaldo, that is.
posted by bluestocking at 6:26 PM on June 10, 2010

I wouldn't go to Naples either as it takes you out of your way, especially when you could be exploring more of Tuscany, which is wonderful. I went with my family a few years ago (my mother is Tuscan) and we did a lot of touring around.San Gimignano is a very beautiful medieval town, as is Pienza, but they're both relatively small; you could do them in a day and then go on to Siena. Montepulciano and Montalcino if you're wine fans. We also went to a little town called Bolgheri on the coast; not much there but it's lovely.

I highly recommend Cinque Terre; it is absolutely stunning. When you're there, try the torta (sometimes called torta di ceci); you can usually find it at pizza places. It's basically chick pea dough baked in a special flat pan; it's a specialty from Livorno (in Tuscany) but it's possible to find it up in Liguria -- I remember having it in Cinque Terre so it's there to be found!
posted by pised at 6:33 PM on June 10, 2010

Things I loved in Tuscany as a Foodie:
Lucca has fabulous places to eat and it's an out of the way town with almost no tourists. Just outside of Lucca, I took an amazing one on one cooking class at this with "a local chef named Lido Martini, at a charming restaurant on a vineyard estate, "Fattoria Gambaro" about 2 kilometers from the Mulino." (That quote is from an e-mail I wrote at the time. If you're interested in getting in touch with these people I have an e-mail address and phone number for them. Mulino is just outside of Lucca. The price was quite reasonable and included dinner and a bottle of wine.) This is absolutely my number one memory from Tuscany four years ago. The food was amazing, the hosts were wonderful and now I can make some really fantastic, authentic dishes. They grow the vegetables and meat themselves.

Pitigliano is the birthplace of eggplant parmesan and has some lovely eateries. It's also carved out of the rock bluff it sits on. A very neat trip.

Cinque Terre was nice, but not spectacular from a food stand point. It was quite beautiful, though. I would want to return someday. Sienna is a wonderful suggestion, although very touristy.
posted by stoneweaver at 6:42 PM on June 10, 2010

I heartily second San Gimignano. Also, if you're lovers of meat I will dig up the name of the restaurant with the best steak in the world (so I am told) in Tuscany. I recall it being about an hour outside of Lucca.
posted by stoneweaver at 6:43 PM on June 10, 2010

Go the the slowtrav.com Italy forum and re-ask your question. Posters there will help you do a reasonable itinerary.
posted by Elsie at 7:28 PM on June 10, 2010

Just a note that some friends took Rick Steve's advice with regards to dining in Italy, and were much impressed with his recommendations.
posted by backwards guitar at 7:50 PM on June 10, 2010

I agree with others who say to skip Naples. It is a gritty, dirty city. The pizza is very good (try the deep fried pizza! its like a giant wonderful calzone) but I don't think it's worth going out of your way for. If you do go, be sure to check out The Veiled Christ for 5 euros.

Also suggesting a visit Lucca! It's a beautiful place. Depending on what you prefer, spend more time in Rome or Tuscany. Rome is huge, vibrant, chaotic city but if you prefer something more quiet and naturally beautiful, spend time visiting random places in Tuscany. I haven't been but I've heard Pescia is a nice place with good food and is probably not swamped with tourists. Eat some ribollita which looks gross but is delicious. In my opinion the Florentine steak was pretty blah for something so expensive. And it goes without saying, eat gelato. In fact, I found the gelato in Florence to be way better than Rome.

Oh and about Rome! (Just to contradict myself) Go to Giolitti. MMMM so creamy and good.

I thought Cinque Terre was a decent foodie spot. Of course it is really, really beautiful. Try the dessert wine called Sciacchetrà and of course the sea food.

I could go on and on about food in Italy. Memail me if you have any questions!
posted by joeyjoejoejr at 8:04 PM on June 10, 2010

I was in Naples last September. Walking around made me feel like I needed a shower and a tetanus shot. I know a lot of other people who feel similarly though I do know one person who loves Naples. If you go, I enjoyed the Hotel 241 Correra. A little off the beaten path but not impossible to find. They had internet, satellite TV and a nice little breakfast in the morning. The staff was super nice and they helped me fax something to the US which seemed above and beyond the call of duty. It's a funky place.

The best thing about Naples IMO is that it's easy to get from there to a lot of other places like Capri. I didn't make it there but I went to Ischia. The people were lovely and it was beautiful. We went to radioactive hot springs and the beach. I really dug it.
posted by kat518 at 8:21 PM on June 10, 2010

If anything, Rome-Naples-Florence would definitely give you an eye on the north-south divide in Italy.

Like others, I'd say skip Naples and stay centralish: as others have said, there's Siena in Tuscany, possibly Ravenna or Rimini in the Emilia-Romagna, and you have Umbria (wine in Orvieto, black truffles in Valnerina) and the Marche (pork and polenta) within easy travelling distance -- though you'd probably need to rent a car instead of using trains.
posted by holgate at 8:55 PM on June 10, 2010

Our family has a place in Umbria, so I know Umbria best. If you're going to rent a car, on your way North from Rome, if you can, visit Bomarzo for a pretty trippy experience, and if you can also visit Civita de Bagnoregio which may be gone in our lifetime. If you visit Assisi, which I highly recommend, be sure to make time to also visit Deruta if you like ceramics.
posted by gen at 12:41 AM on June 11, 2010

Both Siena and Arezzo are good driving trips from Florence if you want to see a bit of Tuscany.
You can drive down through the Chianti region. We did when we drove around this area a couple months ago. The lunch stop was Taverna del Guerrino in the cute town of Montefioralle. Amazing steaks here. This guy gets all his meats from the Panzano butchers down the road.

Regarding Cinque Terre, the area is beautiful and unforgettable. We stayed in RioMaggiore for two nights as part of a driving trip last year which took us up the coast and eventually into Provence. Cinque Terre still stood out as one of the highlights of the trip. We didn't do any hiking. We took the train from twon to town.I disagree strongly about the food. Unless "food" is the same as "restaurants." We were happy to buy fresh fish, roast it in the kitchen of our tiny apartment and sprinkle it with olive oil and salt and eat it with a side of focaccia bread. Simple and absolutely delicious. In the afternoon, we would stop and have some Sciacchetrà and an espresso at one of the cafes. In the evening, we would usually boil some trofie pasta and eat it with a homemade pesto sauce and anchovies.

All of the above mentioned things - fish, anchovies, focaccia, trofie, sciacchetra, pesto - are unique to this area. I had the best focaccia bread of my life here. It was my impression of Cinque Terre (and Liguria in general) that the local food was more about unique ingredients than about a unique style of cooking.
posted by vacapinta at 1:42 AM on June 11, 2010

If you decide to go to Bolonga, I can recommend Hotel Paradise, which fits your criteria well.
posted by ellieBOA at 2:49 AM on June 11, 2010

Pop up to the lakes for something a bit different? Garda most developed, Como quieter.
posted by Phanx at 3:40 AM on June 11, 2010

We went to Italy in 2007 with a tour (which I highly recommend for anyone who wants to see and do lots!) and part of that was a trip to the Vatican. Word to the wise - go and get in line EARLY EARLY EARLY for it and be prepared to stand around and wait a lot. It was quite crowded and personally, I was overwhelmed with all the people and stuff to look at.

You might even want to look for tours that handle Vatican trips. They know their way in and out of the place and it helps to have an insider's view.

Have a wonderful time! I can't wait to go back. Loved Rome and Florence. Venice was meh to me. I'd go elsewhere next time.
posted by Mysticalchick at 5:44 AM on June 11, 2010

For areas south of Rome, I highly recommend Sperlonga. A lovely little coastal town about an hour by train - I stayed at the Park Hotel Forelli on the beach which was just beautiful.
posted by bluesky43 at 7:04 AM on June 11, 2010

As a former Italian-specialist travel agent, I concur with the above advice to skip Naples. You'll spend a bunch of time in transit down from Rome to me it's not worth it. Cinque Terre is my favorite place in Italy, hands down, but if you're going to do Tuscany instead, Siena and Assisi are very, very nice. The cathedrals in both are spectacular. I love Bologna, but Ferrara, an hour north on the train, is where I have spent the most time. Go there, eat capellacci di zucca (squash ravioli) and be happy. Have a great time!
posted by hungrybruno at 7:24 AM on June 11, 2010

I was dead set on Naples for the pizza as well, but I ended up going to Sorrento instead (about 30 minutes south of Napoli on the train). It was my favorite part of Italy and I was still able to get Neapolitan pizza there. If you do go to Sorrento, I suggest staying in a room at Mami Camilla, which doubles as a cooking school. They have some rooms that will remind you of a hostel, but they have lovely private rooms as well. Also, Rick Steves lead me to Pizzeria da Franco and suggested Standa for groceries.

I agree that if you have ten days on the ground, you should only attempt three cities at most, with a day trip or two. The train from Rome to Naples was around 90 minutes, so you could do it as a day trip in theory.
posted by soelo at 9:56 AM on June 11, 2010

You hardly need another voice advising you to skip Naples, but you're getting one. That place is actually pretty depressing. Seconding Vacapinta on the Tuscany option of Arezzo, though; a few years ago my wife and I spent a week there and thoroughly enjoyed it. I got the very best dirty look from some old crone when she heard my no-doubt grating American speech. See if you can find her!
posted by Skot at 10:06 AM on June 11, 2010

I'm not sure how this might fit into your interests, but consider visiting Pompeii. It's basically an outdoor museum, but if you're into history/archeology, it's a must see.
posted by specialnobodie at 11:47 AM on June 11, 2010

I have also heard great things about Cinque Terre from different people.

Also, I've heard the Istand of Capri and Positano are good and that Solerno and Naples are less welcoming to American tourists.
posted by mintchip at 10:50 AM on July 21, 2010