Have any DUer's done a Adventure Tour of Italy?

[devilgrrl]

Any DUer's who've been to Italy? If so, any suggestions or tips? I'm planning a trip there this fall and any input would be appreciated.

[capriccio]

1. Bella...bella...bella

Been to Italia four times and currently planning a fifth trip. On our first we did the basics--Rome, Florence, Venice (with a wild, unplanned trip to Naples & Capri on the side). The most recent was a train ride to some destinations that many Americans miss: Ferrara, Montova, Padova, Como and Bergamo. I can go on forever about the wonders of it all...anything specific you'd like to know?

[devilgrrl]

5. Yes...

How much of the native language should I know? I know, silly question... but I'm really gung ho about learning the language. I'm going to jump on that tomorrow. How did you get along?

Also, any dos or don'ts? What's all this I hear about pick pocketers? Do Italians hate us, etc... :shrug: Tell me everything! :silly:

[thom1102]

2. Here's a tip...

don't fall asleep on the early morning bullet train between Venice and Rome, and leave your airplane tickets, Eurorail pass, and airport transfers for when you get back to the states, in the seat back of the chair in front of you, when you get off the train. Especially when your plane leaves from Amsterdaam, and you have to wait on line for three hours in the Rome train station.

I was disappointed with Venice, but I LOVED Rome!! It was wonderful, I had the best time.

[gyopsy]

3. Sure have...

Started out in Rome. Then went north to a little town called Assisi. Then, finally, to a city that I had wanted to go to since I was very little: Venice.

Italy is awsome. There is GOOD reason why it's considered to be one of the best european countries to visit.

[radwriter0555]

4. AVOID TUSCANY like the plague. EVERYONE in arizona got the

brochure and they all bought houses in the country and rent them out to OTHER americans.

Florence shopping is mediocre at best. The trains DO have FEMALE pickpockets, the jewelry is pretty good in Sienna. Pisa is VERY nice. You won't find ANYTHING on the menu other than pasta. No meat and rarely fresh veggies. Water is more expensive than wine.

Go to VENICE!! Stay on LIDO! Venice has great food.... Don't bother with Cinque Terre.. too crowded and hot.

[devilgrrl]

6. Wow, sounds like you didn't have that great a time

:shrug:

[radwriter0555]

22. Tuscany was AWFUL, but Venice was really, really lovely and a major

highlight of the trip.

We didn't expect to find such rude people and boring food... and when we got back and shared the experiences, we found so many who echoed the same issues.

My only mistake was in not having a car... while in tuscany we relied on trains and bikes.. which wouldn't have been so bad if the Tuscans didn't try to run us and our bikes off the road.

We met a good number of very pleasant people, but between the crooked train conductors and arrogant waiters, we ended up having to be very assertive.

But VENICE, oh VENICE! I can't wait to go back... it was truly lovely and the people wonderful and the food even better.

[Kathy in Cambridge]

7. Rome. Sorrento. Capri. the Amalfi Coast.

You could spend weeks in Rome alone-there is so much to see.

I was there fr a week over Thanksgiving, and it was VERY expensive this time around due to the weak dollar. Renting an apartment for longer stays is often cheaper than the hotels (we did this). You can also save money by shopping in the wonderful outdoor markets and food stores and cooking yourself.

[NewHampster]

8. Websites to guide you and my photo gallery of Italia

Art, photography, architecture http://www.thais.it/default.htm

Or the National Parks http://www.parks.it/Eindex.html

and the castles http://www.castellitoscani.com/

the not expedia travel site http://www.initaly.com/

slow traveler http://www.slowtrav.com/

my Florence digs 500 yrs old typical 3rd floor run by mom dad and son. wonderful for the price concious or cheap like us.http://www.hotelcasci.com/

Italia I love you. Firenze is a city of the gods. Roma is more fun than NY. Pompeii is an eye opener. Como and Lake Lugano Swizerland are breathtaking.

Here is my Galllery from Thanksgiving 2002 http://schwartzie.com/gallery/italia

[devilgrrl]

10. Thanks!

:yourock:

[NewHampster]

9. Almost forgot the site for booking Inns and Hotels

It was so much better than expedias we have. All the small places are listed and they are a dream to use. I highly recommend Venere
http://www.venere.com/

[devilgrrl]

11. How about any weird, off-the-wall spots?

Anything of the equivalent of kitsch in Italy that I should see? Any weird shops, museums or sights?

[paulk]

13. Juliet's balcony in Verona?

The statue in the courtyard (with the polished boob 'cause everyone reaches up and grabs it) - I thought that was kind of kitschy.

[NewHampster]

14. Picolo Abruzzo

On Via Sicilia near Via Pliaza
http://mappe.iol.it/mappe/mappa.jsp?poi=&zom=2&siz=1&ind=48+VIA+COLLINA&clk=zin&sty=3&loc=ROMA&cY=1710617&cX=1443540&y=13&x=37&naz=IT&t1y=1710511&cap=00187&t1x=1443540

Ask for Alessandre. Its just him and family anyway.

Sit down, don't look for menus. Say red or white then prepare for the experience of two lifetimes. To say this was the best meal I've ever had does not do the place justice because there is no comparison.

I have the card on my frig. if you want more details PM me and I'll get it to you.

[NewHampster]

15. some more - god I love Italia **Cinque Terre**

http://www.terraditoscana.it/

Cinque Terre
http://www.cinqueterreonline.com/

[radwriter0555]

24. the public restrooms in the cinque terre train station were seriously

the WORST ones I encountered in all of europe.

I don't mind a squat by any means. I object when it's so filthy you can't even stand up to go....

[radwriter0555]

25. The galileo museum, next to the Uffizi, is SPECTACULAR!!!!

It was filled with amazing, astounding inventions and some truly bizarre and strange medical artifacts. NOT to be missed!

[paulk]

12. visit Venice

it's the coolest city on the planet.

You can get by with very little Italian - a lot of people speak English or are trying to learn.

[capriccio]

16. Ho felice

When talking about Italy, that is...so much to say. Let me give you some bullet points.
* You can get by very well with English if you stick to the most traveled places...in out of the way places it's a little more difficult, but the people have such good spirit and love Americans (hmmm, before Bush, that is) that they go out of their way to help.
* With all due respect to a fellow DUer, do not avoid Tuscany even if it is overrun with foreigners...that's for a very good reason...it's beautiful
*Remember that Italian cities, like much of "old" Europe, have inner old cities with newer industrialized cities built around them...you have to get to the old part to fully enjoy the experience
*Get a good touring guide that you like and trust...we've used Frommers with great success on each of our visits...very reliable
*The trains are splendid for getting around, but they still very much run on time (Mussolini's legacy) so take the timetables VERY seriously; driving a car on the other hand is an absolute bitch
*Since you'll be there in the fall, don't expect to find totally sunny Italy...it can get cold and damp, especially in the north
*Plan your itinerary with emphasis on the classic stops if this is your first trip...but if you can do more than Rome, Florence and Venice, my sleeper choice is Montova for the Palazzo Te (the wildest murals in all of Italy) and L'Aquila Nigra for a superb (pricey) dining experience
*Check out some other sites (like the NY Times and Frommers) where people love to talk about travel more than politics and will gladly share great advice with you

And speaking about politics, the one big bummer about Italy is that it's run by Berlusconi, which would be like this country being run by Murdoch...then again....

[BrotherBuzz]

17. Here's a tip

loose ten fifteen pounds before you go so you can gain it back guilt free. Enjoy!

[radwriter0555]

23. oh HELL yeah and so you don't feel intimidated by the rail thin and lovely

girls who are EVERYWHERE.

There are NO fat italian women unless they're over 70.

[BrotherBuzz]

26. Hmmmm, I think you missed the point

[WillyBrandt]

18. Naples is a dump, Venice is a dream

GO TO VENICE!

Can't be said enough. It's unlike any other place on earth. It's almost a miracle.

[kskiska]

19. It's been a while

but I loved Venice. It's the most romantic place to go.

I climbed Mt. Vesuvius. Actually, it was cloudy and windy so the ski lift wasn't operating. We drove partway up and were assigned a guide who led us to the crater. Don't miss Pompeii, of course, though I hear Herculaneum is better preserved.

Villa d'Este, outside Rome, is a beautiful estate with loads of fountains.

The entire Amalfi Coast is beautiful. We stayed way up in Ravello (where Gore Vidal lives). Our rental car broke down and we had to travel up to Ravello by bus for a couple days (a hair-raising ride), but what was even more frightening was when the owner of our pension drove us in his own car down hairpin curves to Amalfi. These drivers never hit the brakes, they just lean on the horn. Positano and Sorrento are nice, too.

[DemBones DemBones]

20. L'Italia è sede allineare del mio cuore e vivrei là se potessi.

My husband taught in Italy one fall, and we have been there together seven times, six of them in November or December-January. Go as late in the fall as you can, to avoid other Americans. There will be lots of Japanese tourists, Germans, etc. I love being there during Christmas (between Dec. 25 and Jan.6, Epiphany, which is a national holiday in Italy) because you rarely hear anyone speaking English. You don't have to deal with the huge crowds of other times of year, either. One time in Florence, we were in the Accademia to see Michelangelo's "David" and the two of us were literally alone in the room with "David." In summer, there would be hundreds of people there, crowding in, and you'd never be able to just stand and look the way we did that day. ("David" is currently being given a special cleaning so you may not be able to see him; I don't know when they're supposed to be through.)

Italians are also traveling at that time of year, visiting other cities, so you may talk to Milanese in Lucca or something like that. Children get their special presents from La Befana (a good witch) on Epiphany, all the cities are decorated and there are special Christmas goodies in the bakeries (not that there aren't wonderful goodies all the time.)

Learn as much Italian as you can because if you go into smaller towns, it's more difficult to find English speakers, and also because Italians love it when you speak Italian and will try to help you speak better. Even in Florence and Rome, all the bigger cities, you can encounter many people who don't speak enough English to communicate well.

If you care anything about art, you must go to Florence. It's so easy to get around in Florence on foot and you can easily take a train to Pisa or Siena for the day while you're staying in Florence. Most people want to see Rome and Venice, too, but how long do you have -- and do you want a crammed-in experience or a more leisurely one? What do YOU want from Italy?

Unless they've declined horribly in quality, "Let's Go, Italy" will tell you good, places to stay and good places to eat, in different price ranges.

Buon viaggio!

[NewHampster]

21. DemBones DemBones Makes a Point that many miss

"If you care anything about art, you must go to Florence. "

I know people who toured Italy to see art but avoided Florence because of some old reputation for crowds and filth.

Florence today in the fall could not be further from that. It is clean and only crowded with people walking and scooters everywhere. I even drove there one day and had a blast.

We went to visit our daughter during her semester at NYU Florence http://www.nyu.edu/global/florence/about/index.html and the huge foreign student population is one reason for the fact that everyone speaks english. Having perhaps the most study abroad campuses in Europe also make Florence the center of activism (think anti globalization rallies) and Europes real center of thriving culture.

It is the largest museum in the world. Yes, the entire central city is essentially a 500 year old museum that happens to hold Italy's largest art museum, a dozen others that hold treasures and the burial place of Michaelangelo, Galileo, Da Vinci and more. Be sure to visit Santa Croce for the cripts.

Copied from NYU Web "Florence's museums, palaces, and churches house some of the great art treasures of the world. The most popular and important sites in Florence include the Cathedral, the Baptistery, the Uffizi, the Bargello, and the Accademia. The churches of Santa Maria Novella and Santa Croce are veritable art galleries, and the library of San Lorenzo is a magnificent exhibition of Michelangelo's architectural genius. Wander some of the oldest streets in the city until you reach the Arno River, cross the Ponte Vecchio, and experience the "newest" area of Florence, the Oltrarno. Be sure to set aside time to see the vast and varied art collection housed in the Pitti Palace. When you grow weary of museums and monuments, head outdoors. Spend a day at the Boboli Gardens or climb the hill to the church of San Miniato al Monte to experience an enchanting view of Florence."

Sorry if I bore any with my infatuation with Italy.


:dem: