Italian Vacation
February 4, 2011 4:09 PM Subscribe
Suggestions for an Italian Family Vacation?
My wife and I would like to plan a trip to Italy sometime in the next six months.
Her are some parameters we consider important to the trip:
We have a one year old.
We would consider doing a home exchange for our house in Venice, CA.
We would like to base out of one area and then do day trips by car to explore adjacent areas with possible overnights.
We are not looking to sight see, more like enjoy the lifestyle, food, geography.
We are thinking about going for 2-3 weeks
I are looking at areas such as Sienna and Como. We have both spent a little time in the northern part of Italy and would like to explore it more. But we are also open to basing out of the south.
Looking forward to hearing some thoughts here on MetaFilter
Henry
My wife and I would like to plan a trip to Italy sometime in the next six months.
Her are some parameters we consider important to the trip:
We have a one year old.
We would consider doing a home exchange for our house in Venice, CA.
We would like to base out of one area and then do day trips by car to explore adjacent areas with possible overnights.
We are not looking to sight see, more like enjoy the lifestyle, food, geography.
We are thinking about going for 2-3 weeks
I are looking at areas such as Sienna and Como. We have both spent a little time in the northern part of Italy and would like to explore it more. But we are also open to basing out of the south.
Looking forward to hearing some thoughts here on MetaFilter
Henry
If I were you, I would look for a smaller town. Lots of villages and small towns have amazing character. If you spend a 6 or 7 nights in a smaller town, you will really connect to the place and the people and the culture. A village will be slower pace and more friendly than a city.
The bologna area is good for days trips, as mentioned above. In that area, I would stay in a town like Ferrera. It is an amazing medieval city, way off the tourist path. Day trip to bigger places, like Florence, Bologna, and Venice.
I would also consider the Amalfi Coast. The small villages, beach towns along that part of the Mediterrean are amazing. And some great day trips with with in 2 hours drive, like the ruins of Pompeii, the Isle of Capri, and Naples.
Have fun. I am jealous.
posted by Flood at 8:20 PM on February 4, 2011
The bologna area is good for days trips, as mentioned above. In that area, I would stay in a town like Ferrera. It is an amazing medieval city, way off the tourist path. Day trip to bigger places, like Florence, Bologna, and Venice.
I would also consider the Amalfi Coast. The small villages, beach towns along that part of the Mediterrean are amazing. And some great day trips with with in 2 hours drive, like the ruins of Pompeii, the Isle of Capri, and Naples.
Have fun. I am jealous.
posted by Flood at 8:20 PM on February 4, 2011
My family is from the Salerno area in the south of Italy, so I'll happily second the suggestion for the Amalfi Coast.
If you want to stay in the north, though, Lake Garda is an ideal location, especially if you want to have a "base" to work out of. I was there last May, before tourist season was in full gear, and discovered that it's popular with German and Austrian tourists, though it isn't as touristy as Lake Como.
I stayed in Sirmione, a town on what's essentially a very thin peninsula jutting out into the lake, complete a castle and an old Roman grotto. You could easily spend a week or two just there alone if you wanted, but you'd be missing out on the wonderful sights in the surrounding area to be seen, too (so you'll want a rental car). Driving the windy roads around Garda on an early summer afternoon is an experience you will not regret having.
It really is the perfect location, because, by itself, it's beautiful, but is also kind of at a crossroads that makes it very easy to access four different regions: Lombardy, Veneto, Trentino-Alto Adige, and Emilia-Romagna. If you have the time to visit a couple (or all of them) you'll see that there are some noticeable differences in lifestyle, food, and even general attitude.
From Lake Garda, I was able to make day trips to Milan, Verona (you could go to an opera! I didn't have a chance to do that), and Mantua. You could easily make it to Modena or Trent or maybe even Venice or Bologna if you wanted to and didn't mind not being able to spend a lot of time at your destinations.
If you speak Italian, talk to the locals. Actually, talk to the locals even if you don't speak Italian. It's well worth it. I had the best meal of my life in Verona after stopping someone on the street who was returning home from grocery shopping and asking her where the locals ate. Next thing I knew, I was in restaurant with half a dozen tables and was asked what I'd like to eat--no menu--by the waiter whose mother was doing the cooking in the kitchen.
Also, going in late May-mid June is the best time--tourists are just starting to filter in, so you don't feel completely alone, but you don't have to wait two hours for dinner, either. Also, it's much, much cheaper. Like, many hundreds or thousands of dollars cheaper.
Feel free to MeMail me if you have any questions! Or if you'd like to take me back with you as a tour guide!
posted by dcheeno at 12:17 AM on February 5, 2011
If you want to stay in the north, though, Lake Garda is an ideal location, especially if you want to have a "base" to work out of. I was there last May, before tourist season was in full gear, and discovered that it's popular with German and Austrian tourists, though it isn't as touristy as Lake Como.
I stayed in Sirmione, a town on what's essentially a very thin peninsula jutting out into the lake, complete a castle and an old Roman grotto. You could easily spend a week or two just there alone if you wanted, but you'd be missing out on the wonderful sights in the surrounding area to be seen, too (so you'll want a rental car). Driving the windy roads around Garda on an early summer afternoon is an experience you will not regret having.
It really is the perfect location, because, by itself, it's beautiful, but is also kind of at a crossroads that makes it very easy to access four different regions: Lombardy, Veneto, Trentino-Alto Adige, and Emilia-Romagna. If you have the time to visit a couple (or all of them) you'll see that there are some noticeable differences in lifestyle, food, and even general attitude.
From Lake Garda, I was able to make day trips to Milan, Verona (you could go to an opera! I didn't have a chance to do that), and Mantua. You could easily make it to Modena or Trent or maybe even Venice or Bologna if you wanted to and didn't mind not being able to spend a lot of time at your destinations.
If you speak Italian, talk to the locals. Actually, talk to the locals even if you don't speak Italian. It's well worth it. I had the best meal of my life in Verona after stopping someone on the street who was returning home from grocery shopping and asking her where the locals ate. Next thing I knew, I was in restaurant with half a dozen tables and was asked what I'd like to eat--no menu--by the waiter whose mother was doing the cooking in the kitchen.
Also, going in late May-mid June is the best time--tourists are just starting to filter in, so you don't feel completely alone, but you don't have to wait two hours for dinner, either. Also, it's much, much cheaper. Like, many hundreds or thousands of dollars cheaper.
Feel free to MeMail me if you have any questions! Or if you'd like to take me back with you as a tour guide!
posted by dcheeno at 12:17 AM on February 5, 2011
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posted by argonauta at 4:39 PM on February 4, 2011