Help With Our 27 Day Italian Sector
May 3rd, 2011, 06:37 AM
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Help With Our 27 Day Italian Sector
Hello all,
For those who are new to my threads, let me give you an overview.
My wife and I are travelling to Europe for 8 weeks during April, May and June in 2012.
We have had an enormous amount of help with the first part of our Europen adventure and now need some input for the final 27 days - which will be spent in Italy.
With a combination of Fodor help and our own ideas we have come up with the following working itinerary beginning on Saturday, May 19, 2012 and ex-Zermatt, Switzerland by train:
Milan or Como - day trips to one or the other [ 3 nights ]
Verona - day trips to Lake Garda, Mantova [ 3 nights ]
Venice [ 4 nights ]
Cinque Terre - probably staying at Monterosso Al Mare [ 3 nights ]
Tuscany - Florence, Pisa, San Gimignano, Siena, Chianti [ 5 nights ]
Campania - Naples, Sorrento, Capri, Pompeii, Amalfi, Positano [ 5 nights ]
Rome [ 4 nights ]
And we then fly home to Perth, Western Australia.
My questions are:
1. Can anyone see any glaring mistakes like " you should spend only 2 nights there, and at least 8 nights there? And give some reasons.
2. In the broad areas (Campania region, Tuscany region) are there any places that I have missed and IYO are MUST SEE places?
3. In Campania, is it possible to make Sorrento a base camp and see all of the other places I have mentioned from that base? Or so we need to get accommodation in a few more places?
4. As in Q3 - is it possible to have a base in Florence or Siena or wherever and see all the parts of Tuscany that I want to see or should we get accommodation at a few more places?
Sorry for the number of questions but this is our last leg and I am keen to get a better understanding of what we should be doing in the time we have in Italy.
Thanks and regards, Steve.
For those who are new to my threads, let me give you an overview.
My wife and I are travelling to Europe for 8 weeks during April, May and June in 2012.
We have had an enormous amount of help with the first part of our Europen adventure and now need some input for the final 27 days - which will be spent in Italy.
With a combination of Fodor help and our own ideas we have come up with the following working itinerary beginning on Saturday, May 19, 2012 and ex-Zermatt, Switzerland by train:
Milan or Como - day trips to one or the other [ 3 nights ]
Verona - day trips to Lake Garda, Mantova [ 3 nights ]
Venice [ 4 nights ]
Cinque Terre - probably staying at Monterosso Al Mare [ 3 nights ]
Tuscany - Florence, Pisa, San Gimignano, Siena, Chianti [ 5 nights ]
Campania - Naples, Sorrento, Capri, Pompeii, Amalfi, Positano [ 5 nights ]
Rome [ 4 nights ]
And we then fly home to Perth, Western Australia.
My questions are:
1. Can anyone see any glaring mistakes like " you should spend only 2 nights there, and at least 8 nights there? And give some reasons.
2. In the broad areas (Campania region, Tuscany region) are there any places that I have missed and IYO are MUST SEE places?
3. In Campania, is it possible to make Sorrento a base camp and see all of the other places I have mentioned from that base? Or so we need to get accommodation in a few more places?
4. As in Q3 - is it possible to have a base in Florence or Siena or wherever and see all the parts of Tuscany that I want to see or should we get accommodation at a few more places?
Sorry for the number of questions but this is our last leg and I am keen to get a better understanding of what we should be doing in the time we have in Italy.
Thanks and regards, Steve.
May 3rd, 2011, 06:57 AM
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I think it looks good. A few answers to your questions ...
1. Choose Como over Milano for beauty and peacefulness. Three nights in Verona would be too much for me -- I found it underwhelming, and would add extra nights to mountain/lakes or to Venice, or Cinque Terre.
4. Yes, one base is fine. Florence is center-most of the places you pick, and would be the most convenient for day trips by bus or train. Siena is not bad as a base, but is farther from Pisa and the train is less convenient if you stay in town center.
1. Choose Como over Milano for beauty and peacefulness. Three nights in Verona would be too much for me -- I found it underwhelming, and would add extra nights to mountain/lakes or to Venice, or Cinque Terre.
4. Yes, one base is fine. Florence is center-most of the places you pick, and would be the most convenient for day trips by bus or train. Siena is not bad as a base, but is farther from Pisa and the train is less convenient if you stay in town center.
May 3rd, 2011, 07:06 AM
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Hi capxxx - thanks for the quick response.
When you say spend more time in lakes rather than Verona, I was planning to spend the majority of the 3 days looking around Lake Garda and a few of the surrounding towns - not really all in Verona itself.
Thanks for the tip on Florence.
What about Campania - is there a good single base I should consider there to see all that I have mentioned?
Regards, Steve.
When you say spend more time in lakes rather than Verona, I was planning to spend the majority of the 3 days looking around Lake Garda and a few of the surrounding towns - not really all in Verona itself.
Thanks for the tip on Florence.
What about Campania - is there a good single base I should consider there to see all that I have mentioned?
Regards, Steve.
May 3rd, 2011, 07:32 AM
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I loved Verona. But I think 2 nights would be fine there, and maybe spend a night in Lake Garda before heading on to Venice. Possibly the most extraordinary day we've ever spent "en route" was our drive from Verona through the Dolomites to reach Venice at sunset. Truly visual overload of the BEST kind. Seeing as you will have seen Lake Como and Lake Garda, you may want to take that trip up North past Bolzono and east across the mountains (through Ortisei and Cortina d'Ampezzo then south to Venice). Pretty sure I got that from Bob on this site. You could play with your days if you want more time in the mountains.
May 3rd, 2011, 07:50 AM
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Your itinerary is making me quite jealous of your trip....
For your question #3 - I would absolutely make Sorrento your base camp. Not only is it incredibly beautiful, but you can easily access the rest of the places you listed. I am not sure if you will have a car, but the drive along the Almalfi coast is incredible. The ferry to Capri is very quick and Capri is definitely a must-see. My friends recently stayed in the this hotel and loved it: http://www.hoteldelmare.com/
For your question #4 - Make Florence your base. It is one the my favorite cities I have ever visited (and very romantic in my opinion). It is very easy to get to the other places in Tuscany you mentioned. If you are planning to visit Chianti, even just for a day trip, make time for a winery tour. I did this one last year and loved it - http://www.verrazzano.com/en/index.php.
I also agree with capxxx - stay in Como and do a day trip to Milan (make sure to see the Duomo in Milan!). Milan is a city, so if that's what you would like then stay there. Como is magnificent though, and I personally would prefer to stay there.
I'd be happy to help with any other questions!
For your question #3 - I would absolutely make Sorrento your base camp. Not only is it incredibly beautiful, but you can easily access the rest of the places you listed. I am not sure if you will have a car, but the drive along the Almalfi coast is incredible. The ferry to Capri is very quick and Capri is definitely a must-see. My friends recently stayed in the this hotel and loved it: http://www.hoteldelmare.com/
For your question #4 - Make Florence your base. It is one the my favorite cities I have ever visited (and very romantic in my opinion). It is very easy to get to the other places in Tuscany you mentioned. If you are planning to visit Chianti, even just for a day trip, make time for a winery tour. I did this one last year and loved it - http://www.verrazzano.com/en/index.php.
I also agree with capxxx - stay in Como and do a day trip to Milan (make sure to see the Duomo in Milan!). Milan is a city, so if that's what you would like then stay there. Como is magnificent though, and I personally would prefer to stay there.
I'd be happy to help with any other questions!
May 3rd, 2011, 08:46 PM
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Hi uhoh_busted,
The mountains sound fantastic! At this stage, though, we don't plan to have a car (except for maybe Tuscany) so I'm not sure if we can get from Verona to Venice via the mountains and by train. Is it possible?
Hello cchia130 - I will certainly take up your offer of helping me with other questions. Be careful for what you wish!
1. We love the sound of Como but I am having trouble finding accommodation there. We are looking at spending around 100 euro per night and have no car, so would like to near transport if possible.
2. Speaking of no car - do you think it is required to have a car in Tuscany. I've been told that to truly experience the region, public transport is a little lacking. But before you answer, remember I am from Australia and therefore used to driving on the "other" side of the road. Also, I have heard that driving in Italy is not for the faint-hearted.
3. The Hotel Del Mare looks great going by their website. Do you have any other accommodation suggestions for the places we are visiting?
Hello Ellen - thank you for supporting my Verona itinerary! Seeing has you have already enjoyed a similar experience, can you give us a few pointers please? For example:
1. Accommodation in Verona
2. Which day trips to take around the area
3. Some "not to miss" towns around Lake Garda.
Thanks again everyone for the wonderful, informative and quick responses.
Regards, Steve.
The mountains sound fantastic! At this stage, though, we don't plan to have a car (except for maybe Tuscany) so I'm not sure if we can get from Verona to Venice via the mountains and by train. Is it possible?
Hello cchia130 - I will certainly take up your offer of helping me with other questions. Be careful for what you wish!
1. We love the sound of Como but I am having trouble finding accommodation there. We are looking at spending around 100 euro per night and have no car, so would like to near transport if possible.
2. Speaking of no car - do you think it is required to have a car in Tuscany. I've been told that to truly experience the region, public transport is a little lacking. But before you answer, remember I am from Australia and therefore used to driving on the "other" side of the road. Also, I have heard that driving in Italy is not for the faint-hearted.
3. The Hotel Del Mare looks great going by their website. Do you have any other accommodation suggestions for the places we are visiting?
Hello Ellen - thank you for supporting my Verona itinerary! Seeing has you have already enjoyed a similar experience, can you give us a few pointers please? For example:
1. Accommodation in Verona
2. Which day trips to take around the area
3. Some "not to miss" towns around Lake Garda.
Thanks again everyone for the wonderful, informative and quick responses.
Regards, Steve.
May 3rd, 2011, 09:25 PM
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Mantova is a great day trip, especially because it is on a separate rail line so Verona is one of the best places to start from to get there. I've made this day trip twice. Other good possible choices are Vicenza for Palladian architecture and Padova for the amazing Scrovegni Chapel and and Basilica of San Antonio among other interesting things.
My last overnight stay in Verona was in 2001, so I really can't recommend our accomodations since it was so long ago.
My visit to Lake Garda was limited to a day in Sirmione. I wish we'd had time to head north to the more scenic sections of the lake, but our particular situation did not allow.
My last overnight stay in Verona was in 2001, so I really can't recommend our accomodations since it was so long ago.
My visit to Lake Garda was limited to a day in Sirmione. I wish we'd had time to head north to the more scenic sections of the lake, but our particular situation did not allow.
May 3rd, 2011, 10:38 PM
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Don't worry about driving in Italy. Yes the drivers are manic and they all think they are in a F1 race, but you soon get used to it and before long you are one of them LOL. The worst part is constantly flicking the windscreen wiper instead of the lights indicator.
But to really experience the wonderful Tuscan countryside you need a car. The roads are quite windy so the distances can often take a lot longer than you think. Another tip is that the country roads are pretty much deserted between 12 and 3, the Siesta time, so it is a great time to drive the country roads. Lake Como is a most beautiful Lake and it is easy to get the train from Como to Milan for the day. Bellagio is the place to consider for a couple of nights http://www.hotelbellagio.it/ You can get the ferry or hydrofoil from there to Como and then train to Milan and reverse. Hotels in Milan are very expensive.
Florence is a wonderful base if you don't have a car. You can take day trips by train to Pisa, Lucca etc. or the bus to Siena. Alternatively you could stay just outside of Florence and visit for the day as we have on several occasions. There is good accommodation in Fiesole and then you have no problems with car parking yet still the advantage of having a car. Pensione Bencista is great or a bit further away is Montegufoni Castle. Both have easy access to Florence by bus with the latter being a perfect base to explore all of Tuscany
http://www.montegufoni.it/en/castle_tuscany.php
http://www.bencista.com/main.php
Verona is a delightful town and Hotel Romeo and Juliet is in a brilliant location with no problems parking a car
http://www.giuliettaeromeo.com/index.cfm?lang=en
Sorrento is a good base for the Amalfi Coast, but Capri is magical and Positano is WOW so I would suggest dividing your time between those two places. http://www.laminervacapri.com/
The important thing is that you are planning early.
But to really experience the wonderful Tuscan countryside you need a car. The roads are quite windy so the distances can often take a lot longer than you think. Another tip is that the country roads are pretty much deserted between 12 and 3, the Siesta time, so it is a great time to drive the country roads. Lake Como is a most beautiful Lake and it is easy to get the train from Como to Milan for the day. Bellagio is the place to consider for a couple of nights http://www.hotelbellagio.it/ You can get the ferry or hydrofoil from there to Como and then train to Milan and reverse. Hotels in Milan are very expensive.
Florence is a wonderful base if you don't have a car. You can take day trips by train to Pisa, Lucca etc. or the bus to Siena. Alternatively you could stay just outside of Florence and visit for the day as we have on several occasions. There is good accommodation in Fiesole and then you have no problems with car parking yet still the advantage of having a car. Pensione Bencista is great or a bit further away is Montegufoni Castle. Both have easy access to Florence by bus with the latter being a perfect base to explore all of Tuscany
http://www.montegufoni.it/en/castle_tuscany.php
http://www.bencista.com/main.php
Verona is a delightful town and Hotel Romeo and Juliet is in a brilliant location with no problems parking a car
http://www.giuliettaeromeo.com/index.cfm?lang=en
Sorrento is a good base for the Amalfi Coast, but Capri is magical and Positano is WOW so I would suggest dividing your time between those two places. http://www.laminervacapri.com/
The important thing is that you are planning early.
May 4th, 2011, 02:15 AM
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Hi Thomo - Yes, I remember reading your post about accommodation in Rome. Apart from your name contraction you were easy to spot as an Aussie - 9 weeks, wow! We tend to have longer trips due to the long distance we have to travel from Australia - also, I think that long-service leave may play a part as well, lol.
I noticed that you are travelling with 2 daughters and our accommodation in Paris is a studio (so I thought more suitable for 2 people). However, on looking back at the site it mentions sleeps 2-4 so fingers crossed.
The apartment looks magnificant. The feedback from many posters is all good and I have had many, many emails to and from the owners and they are extremely helpful and give a very welcoming vibe. Here is the link:
http://www.vrbo.com/103254#
Contact the owners (they are Canadian, I think) and I'm sure they will work something out. Good luck with your trip!
Hi DownUnder (another Aussie - we're everywhere).
Wow, the amount of information you packed into such a small post is amazing!
I know what you mean about the windscreen wipers vs indicators. I spent a couple of weeks with work in Sacramento around 15 years ago and I had the same problem. Also, my wife and I have only just returned from a two week driving trip around Tassie so I've experienced the windy, narrow and mountainous driving. Takes a long time to get anywhere. However, I'm still not sure about the F1 circuit.
Thank you very much for all the links. I'm looking forward to researching them all. When you mentioned staying in Positano, is that because it is too far for day-tripping from Sorrento or simply because it is a place that should be savoured a bit more?
Thanks again for the wealth of info and please feel free to add more and more.
Regards, Steve.
I noticed that you are travelling with 2 daughters and our accommodation in Paris is a studio (so I thought more suitable for 2 people). However, on looking back at the site it mentions sleeps 2-4 so fingers crossed.
The apartment looks magnificant. The feedback from many posters is all good and I have had many, many emails to and from the owners and they are extremely helpful and give a very welcoming vibe. Here is the link:
http://www.vrbo.com/103254#
Contact the owners (they are Canadian, I think) and I'm sure they will work something out. Good luck with your trip!
Hi DownUnder (another Aussie - we're everywhere).
Wow, the amount of information you packed into such a small post is amazing!
I know what you mean about the windscreen wipers vs indicators. I spent a couple of weeks with work in Sacramento around 15 years ago and I had the same problem. Also, my wife and I have only just returned from a two week driving trip around Tassie so I've experienced the windy, narrow and mountainous driving. Takes a long time to get anywhere. However, I'm still not sure about the F1 circuit.
Thank you very much for all the links. I'm looking forward to researching them all. When you mentioned staying in Positano, is that because it is too far for day-tripping from Sorrento or simply because it is a place that should be savoured a bit more?
Thanks again for the wealth of info and please feel free to add more and more.
Regards, Steve.
May 4th, 2011, 03:39 AM
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Hi Steve, Your trip sounds great.
We spent a week in an apartment in Paris in 2009 and we loved it. In fact we nearly stayed at your apartment but changed as we decided to stay in the 5th. It is so much better than a hotel, so much more space. We loved wandering the streets and soaking up the atmosphere and then returning to our piece of Parisien paradise.
Italy...we are planning a trip in October. Flying in from Paris and landing in Pisa we will travel by train to Cinque Terre staying 4 nights in Manarola.
From there we pick up a hire car in La Spezia (I know that driving on the other side of the road does take some getting used to). We are staying 1 week in Montepulciano in an apartment in a villa. We will roam the Tuscan countryside.
From there will will drive to San Gimigano where we are staying in an agriturismo for 3 nights where will have half board....looking forward to those tuscan dinners! We will then hand our car back in and then use train for the remainder of the trip.
Florence is next, then Bologna and then finally Venice.
I also agonised about fitting the jigsaw pieces together - half the fun of planning. What I am saying is that your plans sound great, we can never see it all but what you have planned will be a fantastic experience and you will be able to dine out on your experiences. The only thing I would change is to stay in the Lake Como area over Milan.
p.s. we are not doing the Rome and south destinations as we did them last time, but definitely worth the time. I tried to average our accommodations out to 100euro per night also. Some were up and some were down.
We spent a week in an apartment in Paris in 2009 and we loved it. In fact we nearly stayed at your apartment but changed as we decided to stay in the 5th. It is so much better than a hotel, so much more space. We loved wandering the streets and soaking up the atmosphere and then returning to our piece of Parisien paradise.
Italy...we are planning a trip in October. Flying in from Paris and landing in Pisa we will travel by train to Cinque Terre staying 4 nights in Manarola.
From there we pick up a hire car in La Spezia (I know that driving on the other side of the road does take some getting used to). We are staying 1 week in Montepulciano in an apartment in a villa. We will roam the Tuscan countryside.
From there will will drive to San Gimigano where we are staying in an agriturismo for 3 nights where will have half board....looking forward to those tuscan dinners! We will then hand our car back in and then use train for the remainder of the trip.
Florence is next, then Bologna and then finally Venice.
I also agonised about fitting the jigsaw pieces together - half the fun of planning. What I am saying is that your plans sound great, we can never see it all but what you have planned will be a fantastic experience and you will be able to dine out on your experiences. The only thing I would change is to stay in the Lake Como area over Milan.
p.s. we are not doing the Rome and south destinations as we did them last time, but definitely worth the time. I tried to average our accommodations out to 100euro per night also. Some were up and some were down.
May 4th, 2011, 05:46 AM
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Hi aussie_10,
You sound well-travelled, so your compliments on my itinerary are high praise indeed.
Yes, we are looking forward to our 7n stay in Paris - the apartment is supposed to be smack in the middle of residential Paris so we will be tourists when we leave for sightseeing each morning, and locals on our return to our apartment each afternoon/evening. We are also staying in Amsterdam for 6n, Bruges for 2n and Switzerland for 12n. Can't wait!
Well you - and many others - have easily convinced us about not staying in Milan. We have decided to stay in either Bellagio or Como itself.
Your stay in San Gimignano sounds great. I'm in the process of researching several Farm stay type places in Tuscany as well. And I'm EVEN thinking about a hire car - but for Tuscany only!
While on the subject of a hire car, can you, and anyone else who is reading this, offer some suggestions as to how and where I organise a car? In Aussie, I go to vroom vroom pick up a nice family V6 for a reasonable price and I'm away. I've heard in Italy that the cars are on the small side and often are manual. Is this correct or can you get a reasonably-size auto? (I can drive a manual, just usually choose not to).
Also, I would like to know if you can get an English speaking GPS to make things a little easier. Just a thought.
Anyway, thanks for your interest and kind words. I know you are going to have a great time in October. It sounds like you really know how to savour a holiday - from planning stage onwards. Have a safe and wonderful trip. Regards, Steve.
You sound well-travelled, so your compliments on my itinerary are high praise indeed.
Yes, we are looking forward to our 7n stay in Paris - the apartment is supposed to be smack in the middle of residential Paris so we will be tourists when we leave for sightseeing each morning, and locals on our return to our apartment each afternoon/evening. We are also staying in Amsterdam for 6n, Bruges for 2n and Switzerland for 12n. Can't wait!
Well you - and many others - have easily convinced us about not staying in Milan. We have decided to stay in either Bellagio or Como itself.
Your stay in San Gimignano sounds great. I'm in the process of researching several Farm stay type places in Tuscany as well. And I'm EVEN thinking about a hire car - but for Tuscany only!
While on the subject of a hire car, can you, and anyone else who is reading this, offer some suggestions as to how and where I organise a car? In Aussie, I go to vroom vroom pick up a nice family V6 for a reasonable price and I'm away. I've heard in Italy that the cars are on the small side and often are manual. Is this correct or can you get a reasonably-size auto? (I can drive a manual, just usually choose not to).
Also, I would like to know if you can get an English speaking GPS to make things a little easier. Just a thought.
Anyway, thanks for your interest and kind words. I know you are going to have a great time in October. It sounds like you really know how to savour a holiday - from planning stage onwards. Have a safe and wonderful trip. Regards, Steve.
May 4th, 2011, 02:10 PM
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Glad to be of some assistance. It is easy to get to Positano from Sorrento, but Positano is such a spectacular place it deserves a couple of nights. Having said that Sorrento is a good base for the Amalfi Coast if you don't want to move around with ferries taking you to Naples, Capri etc. For car hire Avis is usually preferred as they have many pickup and dropoff points in Italy. There are a couple of agencies that give you discounts on line but definitely book from Australia for the best deals. This is the agency we have used without any problems http://www.driveaway.com.au/
May 4th, 2011, 03:18 PM
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Mates, a couple of trip reports - mostly centred on Venice, but may be of assistance:
http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...st-verbose.cfm
and
http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...rip-report.cfm
http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...st-verbose.cfm
and
http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...rip-report.cfm
May 4th, 2011, 03:45 PM
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Hey - I don't know that you could go through the Dolomites by train....part of the wonder was that we saw about six cars the entire drive (except when we stopped in towns) and it felt like the amazing craggy, snow-topped Dolomites were ours alone. (We did this trip in May). It is a drive we will never be able to duplicate, and considering it ended at sunset on Vaporetto #1 headed up the Grand Canal to our hotel...it was priceless.
May 4th, 2011, 04:08 PM
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Hi again,
You're right that we try to plan longer trips because everywhere is so far away!and yes, the longservice helps
thanks for the information on the apartment I really have to sort something for this week. Sounds fantastic, I hope Aussie 10 keeps adding info too, we're looking at San Gimignano too, and trying to keep the accommodation to under 120 euro a night (tricky with the girls) I'm absorbing as much as I can, last time I was in Italy was nearly 30 years ago, gee that sounds old!
Re the car, I don't know about agencies as we are leasing fm Paris but I do know that most 'navigators' have a language selection in the settings.
Also, when my sister & family travelled around Europe for 8 weeks winter of 2009 they said that they were happy they had a smaller car, simply because the streets are often narrow and windy. They were pleased that they only lost one side mirror on the whole trip! Also, if you haven't driven on the 'wrong' side of the road before, just remember "righty-tighty, lefty-loosy"!! worked for us in the US!
Have fun with planning!
Regards JT
You're right that we try to plan longer trips because everywhere is so far away!and yes, the longservice helps
thanks for the information on the apartment I really have to sort something for this week. Sounds fantastic, I hope Aussie 10 keeps adding info too, we're looking at San Gimignano too, and trying to keep the accommodation to under 120 euro a night (tricky with the girls) I'm absorbing as much as I can, last time I was in Italy was nearly 30 years ago, gee that sounds old!
Re the car, I don't know about agencies as we are leasing fm Paris but I do know that most 'navigators' have a language selection in the settings.
Also, when my sister & family travelled around Europe for 8 weeks winter of 2009 they said that they were happy they had a smaller car, simply because the streets are often narrow and windy. They were pleased that they only lost one side mirror on the whole trip! Also, if you haven't driven on the 'wrong' side of the road before, just remember "righty-tighty, lefty-loosy"!! worked for us in the US!
Have fun with planning!
Regards JT
May 5th, 2011, 02:07 AM
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Hi Steve,
Another Aussie here - we've driven a few times in Italy & it does take a little bit of adjustment, but well worth it! Beware of the Aussie voice on the GPS - we had a Garmin & we were laughing so hysterically at the accent that we couldn't follow the directions!!! We chose the female English voice instead & we nicknamed her "Bella"!
In Como - and I love that city, have stayed there many times as we have rellies there, be sure to visit Villa Balbianello in nearby Lenno - it was a highlight of our last visit.
In Tuscany we based ourselves in Montepulciano, and yes, a car was essential!Enjoy the planning,
Cheers, Ozlinz
Another Aussie here - we've driven a few times in Italy & it does take a little bit of adjustment, but well worth it! Beware of the Aussie voice on the GPS - we had a Garmin & we were laughing so hysterically at the accent that we couldn't follow the directions!!! We chose the female English voice instead & we nicknamed her "Bella"!
In Como - and I love that city, have stayed there many times as we have rellies there, be sure to visit Villa Balbianello in nearby Lenno - it was a highlight of our last visit.
In Tuscany we based ourselves in Montepulciano, and yes, a car was essential!Enjoy the planning,
Cheers, Ozlinz
May 5th, 2011, 06:01 AM
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DownUnder, Peter_S, uhoh_busted thanks for your comments and the link for car hire. I'm slowly getting there.
Ozlinz - thanks for the heads up for both Como and Tuscany. I had a look at the website for Villa Balbianello - it looks magnificent. And at this point, we are hoping to stay in Bellagio so I guess we will be even closer to Lenno.
Please keep the suggestions coming - you fodorites are an absolute fountain of all travelling knowledge if I can paraphrase. Thanks again and regards, Steve.
Ozlinz - thanks for the heads up for both Como and Tuscany. I had a look at the website for Villa Balbianello - it looks magnificent. And at this point, we are hoping to stay in Bellagio so I guess we will be even closer to Lenno.
Please keep the suggestions coming - you fodorites are an absolute fountain of all travelling knowledge if I can paraphrase. Thanks again and regards, Steve.
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