25th Anniversary in Italy - Spring 2017
Nov 18th, 2016, 08:57 PM
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25th Anniversary in Italy - Spring 2017
I posted several months ago when we first began planning, but the posts got a bit flummoxed and jumbled around. So we are a bit closer to our travel plans and I could use a little input. We are spending 3 weeks in Italy arriving in Naples on the morning of March 15th and leaving from Venice on April 5th. Our itinerary is as follows -
3/15 - arrive Naples, Hire a car to take us from airport to Ravello (Amalfi Car Transfer seems to be highly recommended - does anyone have an opinion?). Have a house reserved in Ravello that is literally just below Villa Cimbrone, so view is similar to Terrace of Infinity just above. Have plans to spend the better part of one day at Mamma Agata's cooking school in Ravello, and generally relax (recover from jet lag!), wander about and eat and drink. Any suggestions of other interesting things to do/see/eat are appreciated.
3/18 - Depart Ravello for Naples. I am genuinely having a hard time deciding where to stay in Naples. Nothing I've seen appeals to us, except possibly a duplex apartment I saw on Borgo Marinari. The hubby happened upon the Hotel Excelsior, which I admit I really liked the pictures of. While we normally prefer to stay in houses (vrbo or airbnb) over hotels for a more authentic travel experience, can anyone offer a good reason NOT to stay at this hotel? We are staying in Naples for 3 nights and it's the only city I haven't determined where to stay in. Will visit Pompeii and spend rest of time exploring Naples. I also need restaurant suggestions in Naples, please.
3/21 - Depart Naples via train for Rome. 4 nights in Rome in a lovely apartment in Monti, about 4 blocks from the Colosseum. Any thoughts on romantic restaurants in Rome?
3/25 - Depart Rome for Florence. 5 nights in Florence right next to the Duomo to explore Florence and surrounding. Will certainly want to see Pisa - any other ideas for day trips are appreciated.
3/30 - Depart Florence for Milan. 3 nights in Milan in apartment 5 min walk from Central Train Station. We are hoping to take the Swiss Alps Bernina Express train one day and enjoy Milan the rest of time. I considered attempting tickets to La Scala as a grand gesture, but neither of us is huge on opera, so will probably tour the facility and take a pass.
4/2 - Depart Milan for Venice. Staying in lovely apartment one block off St. Mark's. Three nights in Venice. Actual 25th anniversary is 4/4. Need recommendations/ideas for dinner/evening plans for that night. (Besides the gondola ride!) And if anyone has suggestions on other interesting or unusual things to see or do in Venice, I would welcome them.
4/5 - Depart Venice for home. Our flight out of Venice is at 9:50am -- what is the easiest way to get to airport during morning rush? I want to be sure to allow plenty of time, as I've heard of people having delay issues...not sure if the issue was the traffic or not allowing enough time, but don't want any hassle to spoil all my lovely memories
Any suggestions or experiences you've had are greatly appreciated. Thanks so much in advance!
3/15 - arrive Naples, Hire a car to take us from airport to Ravello (Amalfi Car Transfer seems to be highly recommended - does anyone have an opinion?). Have a house reserved in Ravello that is literally just below Villa Cimbrone, so view is similar to Terrace of Infinity just above. Have plans to spend the better part of one day at Mamma Agata's cooking school in Ravello, and generally relax (recover from jet lag!), wander about and eat and drink. Any suggestions of other interesting things to do/see/eat are appreciated.
3/18 - Depart Ravello for Naples. I am genuinely having a hard time deciding where to stay in Naples. Nothing I've seen appeals to us, except possibly a duplex apartment I saw on Borgo Marinari. The hubby happened upon the Hotel Excelsior, which I admit I really liked the pictures of. While we normally prefer to stay in houses (vrbo or airbnb) over hotels for a more authentic travel experience, can anyone offer a good reason NOT to stay at this hotel? We are staying in Naples for 3 nights and it's the only city I haven't determined where to stay in. Will visit Pompeii and spend rest of time exploring Naples. I also need restaurant suggestions in Naples, please.
3/21 - Depart Naples via train for Rome. 4 nights in Rome in a lovely apartment in Monti, about 4 blocks from the Colosseum. Any thoughts on romantic restaurants in Rome?
3/25 - Depart Rome for Florence. 5 nights in Florence right next to the Duomo to explore Florence and surrounding. Will certainly want to see Pisa - any other ideas for day trips are appreciated.
3/30 - Depart Florence for Milan. 3 nights in Milan in apartment 5 min walk from Central Train Station. We are hoping to take the Swiss Alps Bernina Express train one day and enjoy Milan the rest of time. I considered attempting tickets to La Scala as a grand gesture, but neither of us is huge on opera, so will probably tour the facility and take a pass.
4/2 - Depart Milan for Venice. Staying in lovely apartment one block off St. Mark's. Three nights in Venice. Actual 25th anniversary is 4/4. Need recommendations/ideas for dinner/evening plans for that night. (Besides the gondola ride!) And if anyone has suggestions on other interesting or unusual things to see or do in Venice, I would welcome them.
4/5 - Depart Venice for home. Our flight out of Venice is at 9:50am -- what is the easiest way to get to airport during morning rush? I want to be sure to allow plenty of time, as I've heard of people having delay issues...not sure if the issue was the traffic or not allowing enough time, but don't want any hassle to spoil all my lovely memories
Any suggestions or experiences you've had are greatly appreciated. Thanks so much in advance!
Nov 18th, 2016, 09:22 PM
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Nov 19th, 2016, 09:18 AM
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Re day trips from Florence... I would play this by ear. You're in the city over a weekend, and not all of the main sights are open every Sunday and/or Monday. Make a list of what you want to see, research the open days and hours, and develop a sightseeing plan. Make entry reservations where possible. If you end up with any open days, and the weather is good, then take a trip. There are many options using public trans. Siena, San Gimignano, Montecatini Terme, Lucca, Arezzo, Bologna, Modena, Certaldo... If you want to climb the tower in Pisa, you need to make timed reservations in advance. Ditto for viewing the Last Supper in Milan.
Nov 19th, 2016, 10:59 AM
#5
hi runaway cat - looks like great itinerary.
though it was a few years ago we stayed in an apartment in Monti and there were loads of great restaurants in that immediate area though as we had our kids with us, we weren't exactly looking for romance.
as for leaving Venice, where are you staying? if you are close to an alilaguna stop, that might be the simplest way of getting to the airport and you won't have any traffic issues. It usually takes about an hour from leaving Venice to arriving at the airport [and 5-10 minutes to walk from the pier to the airport building] but you would need to consent the timetable, obviously:
http://www.alilaguna.it/en/lines/line-timetables
That said, I've never had a problem with the buses; the best one is the blue ATVO bus which leaves from a bus stop on the far side of the piazza Roma from the vaporetto stop which takes about 20 mins to the airport, and runs every 20 minutes. You put your luggage in the space under the bus, and you can buy your ticket from the driver. There is an ACTV bus [the #5] but it stops more often and takes about 30 mins. You also need to allow time to get to Piazzale Roma from your hotel, depending on where it is and which vaporetto you can catch.
So working backwards, you need to allow at least an hour to get to the airport from your hotel, which ever way you decide to go.
Have a wonderful time - and happy anniversary.
though it was a few years ago we stayed in an apartment in Monti and there were loads of great restaurants in that immediate area though as we had our kids with us, we weren't exactly looking for romance.
as for leaving Venice, where are you staying? if you are close to an alilaguna stop, that might be the simplest way of getting to the airport and you won't have any traffic issues. It usually takes about an hour from leaving Venice to arriving at the airport [and 5-10 minutes to walk from the pier to the airport building] but you would need to consent the timetable, obviously:
http://www.alilaguna.it/en/lines/line-timetables
That said, I've never had a problem with the buses; the best one is the blue ATVO bus which leaves from a bus stop on the far side of the piazza Roma from the vaporetto stop which takes about 20 mins to the airport, and runs every 20 minutes. You put your luggage in the space under the bus, and you can buy your ticket from the driver. There is an ACTV bus [the #5] but it stops more often and takes about 30 mins. You also need to allow time to get to Piazzale Roma from your hotel, depending on where it is and which vaporetto you can catch.
So working backwards, you need to allow at least an hour to get to the airport from your hotel, which ever way you decide to go.
Have a wonderful time - and happy anniversary.
Nov 19th, 2016, 11:26 AM
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We were on the Amalfi coast last year in October and stayed in a small untouristy town on the coast below Ravello called Maiori. Next to Maiori is the smaller town of Minori and between them is a wonderful walk called the Path of Lemons. The views from there are beautiful and the reward of the Pear and Ricotta tart at Sal di Riso's restaurant in Minori was worth all the steps we climbed. I think you can also do that and many other walks from Ravello.
There are so many stunning towns along that coast, I was wondering why you were choosing to stay in Naples. The bus service along that coast is amazing and we both agreed that we would not attempt driving on that coastal road. Possibly younger people would be braver than us! We were going to stay at an amazing hotel in Sorrento but ran out of days. It is right on the coast next to the ferry port that goes to Capri. The views are amazing!!
Venice is one of my favourite places and last time we were there we stayed on Giudecca island which is over the Giudecca canal from Venice yet only 4 vaparetto stops to St Marks square. Having dinner at their quayside restaurants looking across at Venice while the sun sets is a wonderful experience. Take a trip over there from St Marks and check it out. Also a great place to escape the cruise ship hoards. The islands of Murano (the glass island) and Burano (the lace island) make a great day trip from Venice. If you buy a 3 day vaparetto pass while you are there you can use this to go to the islands which is quite a saving. Also great for hopping on and off the vaparettos on the Grande Canal.
Enjoy your 25th anniversary - I think you are going to have an amazing time. Funnily when we were in Rome last year we met a couple in our restaurant who were also celebrating their 25th. We joined them for a lemoncello!!
There are so many stunning towns along that coast, I was wondering why you were choosing to stay in Naples. The bus service along that coast is amazing and we both agreed that we would not attempt driving on that coastal road. Possibly younger people would be braver than us! We were going to stay at an amazing hotel in Sorrento but ran out of days. It is right on the coast next to the ferry port that goes to Capri. The views are amazing!!
Venice is one of my favourite places and last time we were there we stayed on Giudecca island which is over the Giudecca canal from Venice yet only 4 vaparetto stops to St Marks square. Having dinner at their quayside restaurants looking across at Venice while the sun sets is a wonderful experience. Take a trip over there from St Marks and check it out. Also a great place to escape the cruise ship hoards. The islands of Murano (the glass island) and Burano (the lace island) make a great day trip from Venice. If you buy a 3 day vaparetto pass while you are there you can use this to go to the islands which is quite a saving. Also great for hopping on and off the vaparettos on the Grande Canal.
Enjoy your 25th anniversary - I think you are going to have an amazing time. Funnily when we were in Rome last year we met a couple in our restaurant who were also celebrating their 25th. We joined them for a lemoncello!!
Nov 19th, 2016, 11:50 AM
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we had a special anniversary dinner at the hotel cipriani we had a special anniversary dinner in venice at the famed hotel cipriani several years ago (now Oro Restaurant.) The food was very good, the view was amazing (get a table on the water) and they pick you up in their private boat from near st. marks square. memorable evening.
something that was super touristy (but we were the only non-italian tourists) but super fun was the ATmosfera vintage tram that they've made into a restaurant that travels around milan for 3 hours of dinner. about 70E each, you drink champagne, wine, apertivo, have a surprisingly yummy dinner, and see a lot of milan. almost every italian on board was celebrating a birthday or anniversary, so everyone was in a great mood. and of course they stopped mid-way for a smoke break, so we got to meet some really interesting italians. only 8 tables on the tram (4 for just 2) so need to book in advance.
something that was super touristy (but we were the only non-italian tourists) but super fun was the ATmosfera vintage tram that they've made into a restaurant that travels around milan for 3 hours of dinner. about 70E each, you drink champagne, wine, apertivo, have a surprisingly yummy dinner, and see a lot of milan. almost every italian on board was celebrating a birthday or anniversary, so everyone was in a great mood. and of course they stopped mid-way for a smoke break, so we got to meet some really interesting italians. only 8 tables on the tram (4 for just 2) so need to book in advance.
Nov 19th, 2016, 01:23 PM
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kawh, finally, someone else who has done the ARmosfera dinner tram in Milan! We didn't know what to expect and were worried about the touristy factor, but we also had a fun time. I think we were the only English speakers on our tram.
Nov 19th, 2016, 03:21 PM
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THE most romantic restaurant I've ever enjoyed in Venice is off the beaten track, but you can take a vaporetto and walk. This place is delicious, it's white tablecloth but feels a little more warm than some of those types. The location is a bit romantic too, walking along a very quiet canal to get there. We loved our meal. Not cheap but not over-the-top expensive.
Antica Osteria da Gino
Fondamenta San Giuseppe Castello
Our other favorite is Osteria Oliva Nera, also in Castello but much closer to San Marco. Not quite as romantic.
Antica Osteria da Gino
Fondamenta San Giuseppe Castello
Our other favorite is Osteria Oliva Nera, also in Castello but much closer to San Marco. Not quite as romantic.
Nov 19th, 2016, 05:15 PM
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RonZ - Yes, that is the one we are wanting to take, just waiting for April dates to open so we can reserve.
Jean - thanks for the thoughts about Florence. I had expected Sunday to be closed, but hadn't considered Monday. I will compile the things we want to do and research times, so I can better organize.
Happy Trvlr - thanks for the suggestion. I am partial to water views, but will check this out.
annhig - Appreciate the timetable info. We are staying 1 block of St. Marks, but I will map out nearest stop. I'm guessing leaving between 6:30-7 should get us to airport with enough time, but will research further.
buzzcolin - The paths you mention on the AC sound great! We chose to go up to Naples as we have friends to see one evening and I also wanted to see the Santa Chiara Monastery - notably the Cloister Gardens. Hubby wants to see Pompeii, and that's not a hard trip from Naples, either. The 3-day vaporetto pass in Venice sounds like a great idea, too.
kawh - LOVE the idea of the ARmosfera dinner tram in Milan! This is totally something we would do - despite being "touristy"...sometimes you can have a great time with other tourists in a foreign country! Going to check that out tonight! Thanks for the restaurant suggestion, also.
tuscanlifeedit - Thanks for these two restaurant ideas - going to research them more.
Appreciate so much all the ideas - keep them coming. As this is our first visit to Italy, we are covering a wide swath of the country to get a taste for things and get a feel for what we'd like to come back and explore further (which I'm sure will be EVERYTHING).
Jean - thanks for the thoughts about Florence. I had expected Sunday to be closed, but hadn't considered Monday. I will compile the things we want to do and research times, so I can better organize.
Happy Trvlr - thanks for the suggestion. I am partial to water views, but will check this out.
annhig - Appreciate the timetable info. We are staying 1 block of St. Marks, but I will map out nearest stop. I'm guessing leaving between 6:30-7 should get us to airport with enough time, but will research further.
buzzcolin - The paths you mention on the AC sound great! We chose to go up to Naples as we have friends to see one evening and I also wanted to see the Santa Chiara Monastery - notably the Cloister Gardens. Hubby wants to see Pompeii, and that's not a hard trip from Naples, either. The 3-day vaporetto pass in Venice sounds like a great idea, too.
kawh - LOVE the idea of the ARmosfera dinner tram in Milan! This is totally something we would do - despite being "touristy"...sometimes you can have a great time with other tourists in a foreign country! Going to check that out tonight! Thanks for the restaurant suggestion, also.
tuscanlifeedit - Thanks for these two restaurant ideas - going to research them more.
Appreciate so much all the ideas - keep them coming. As this is our first visit to Italy, we are covering a wide swath of the country to get a taste for things and get a feel for what we'd like to come back and explore further (which I'm sure will be EVERYTHING).
Nov 20th, 2016, 03:04 AM
#12
annhig - Appreciate the timetable info. We are staying 1 block of St. Marks, but I will map out nearest stop. I'm guessing leaving between 6:30-7 should get us to airport with enough time, but will research further.>>
if I remember rightly there are alilaguna stops at both San Marco and San Zaccharia so that may be the best option for you. There is a line blu leaving S. Marco at 6.50 which gets to the airport at 8.10 [the 5.50 gets there are 7.10 if you are risk averse]; unfortunately the faster line red service doesn't start again until April and their timetables are not available at the moment but it would likely be faster as it has far fewer stops.
hopefully it will be available closer to the time.
if I remember rightly there are alilaguna stops at both San Marco and San Zaccharia so that may be the best option for you. There is a line blu leaving S. Marco at 6.50 which gets to the airport at 8.10 [the 5.50 gets there are 7.10 if you are risk averse]; unfortunately the faster line red service doesn't start again until April and their timetables are not available at the moment but it would likely be faster as it has far fewer stops.
hopefully it will be available closer to the time.
Dec 19th, 2016, 08:43 PM
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StCirq - I know! I've got the calendar marked so I can try to reserve. They look full up for now.
Regarding Milan, has anyone recently taken the Bernina Express from Milan, and do you do you recommend?
Thanks for your help!
Regarding Milan, has anyone recently taken the Bernina Express from Milan, and do you do you recommend?
Thanks for your help!
