risab

I am taking my daughter to Rome to celebrate her 18th birthday in November - visiting our friend who lives there. We want to take a 2-night trip to somewhere in Italy that we haven't been to and is easily accessible by train (or bus), interesting, and maybe off the beaten track that would keep us busy for two days.

We were thinking of Perugia...but would be open to some other suggestion for interesting Umbrian places (been to Orvieto).

We were also thinking of going south - and wondered where would be an interesting place to go in November. We thought of Naples or Sorrento (we've been to both for the day but have not yet done Pompeii or Herculenium).

Again, out of the usual tourist zone would be really nice, too.

Appreciate destination and accomodation recommendations. We love small hotels and pensiones.

Thanks.

zeppole

I absolutely adore Perugia, and to me it is one of the great mysteries as to why it has fallen off the tourist map, because in terms of sheer urban engineering, it is as unique a city as Venice.

Spending the night there really maximizes your chances of enjoying it. I think many people don't just because they day trip there instead of staying there.

Perugia has one of the very finest art museums in all of Italy, so if either of you is interested in painting in particular, this is a great destination.

To me, it has the best chocolate in Italy, hands down.

Being a student capital, it is filled with life -- youthful life -- a rarity in many Italian places these days. The top of the hillcity is completely pedestrianized (and the town is mostly carless, due to all the staircases) so it's a great break from Vespa-filled Rome.

November is a good time to visit Pompeii -- another of my most favorite destinations, and an overnight really lets you see it. But expect lots of other tourists.

Absolutely out of the tourist zone is most of Lazio, but most of it requires a car with the exception of Tarquinia and its legendary Etruscan museum.

Using fast trains, you are also within striking distance of Bologna, with a day trip to Ravenna, but I'd sooner Perugia unless you have a special interest in food or mosaics.

risab

zeppole: thanks for your quick response and glad to hear your enthusiasm for Perugia. My daughter just spent a month in Tuscany (with two weeks in Florence) so I thought she might enjoy Perugia and the fact that there are a lot of young students there. I think we'd also love to be in a pedestrian only zone 'cause we love Rome but it is crazy.

Do you have any pension or hotel recommendations for Perugia? We are looking for clean, lovely, but not super expensive.

Any favorite restaurants?

I've been to Bologna and Ravenna years ago and I always talk about the mosaics of Ravenna - she'd probably love Ravenna as she does love mosaics...

zeppole

I stayed at an adorable, inexpensive place at the foot of the escalator called the Hotel Rosalba. It's location is great for touristing and for really feeling a part of Perugia: You zip up the escalaltors through the historic tufa, and emerge on the Corso Vanucci.

http://www.hotelrosalba.com/

However, my main reason for staying there was because I had a car, and it had parking. So there may be other places on the Corso itself or tucked into the city. Just be aware that apart from the Corso (or the elevator) you'll probably have a staircase outside for a sidewalk (pack light!) and make sure you are actually in Perugia proper, because many hotels that are on the web are in the suburban ring outside.

If you are thinking about going to Ravenna instead, you should use Trenitalia to see what the actual travel time would be as compared to Perugia.

By the way, if in your previous four trips to Roma you still didn't have time for the church of Santa Maria in Trastevere, the mosaics there are beautiful.

I don't have restaurant recommendations other than to say the pastries taste as good as they look at Sandri's on the Corso Vanucci

http://www.jczinn.com/Italy/Italy%20...dri_0532a.html

Graziella5b

Hi zeppole, I have been only once in Peruggia and I have stayed in a hotel near the main plaza, up,(Iguess we left the car in the street?) I am considering your recommendation which has two great values, one you find it charming, second good rates.
One question where is it located, what do you mean
by "escalator"....can you elaborate a little please. THank you.

Dayle

Hi risab,

If you haven't visited Pompeii yet, I would recommend either Naples for 2 nts to see Pompeii and the Arch Museum,

or, how about Assisi? Enough there for 2 nts easy.

Buon viaggio!

ellenem

The old center of Perugia is on a hill. The train station as well as some parking options are on the flat, the lower part of the city. The bus station is part way up the hill. From the parking areas and the bus station, you can ride a series of escalators cut into historical tunnels and excavations within the hill to reach the old center. Thus a location near one of the escalators makes it easy to reach the old center.

http://tourism.comune.perugia.it/canale.asp?id=220

risab

Naples has been on our list but we were concerned about the garbage situation & crime.

Any recommendations for hotels in Naples - a safe economic choice for two women?

I work in rough neigbhorhoods in Brooklyn NY that most people would not venture in for vacation - I hear Naples is rough- but what does that really mean in comparison to high crime areas that I am use to?

Zeppole...checked out your hotel recommendation and it looks quite nice...does it include breakfast?

ellenem

I stayed here about 10 years ago, but the Tripadvisor reviews sound about the same as what I remember. Plain clean rooms in a great location just around the corner from the main street and museum.

http://www.hotelpriori.it/

risab

read further...Hotel Rosalba does include breakfast - and online advertised price looks wonderful.

risab

Thanks Ellenem - I had also done some research on Trip Advisor and had listed Hotel Priori on my list.
It looks really nice and yes, it had very good reviews.

Other hotels with good reviews for Perugia were:
Hotel Fortuna
Albergo Morlacchi
Hotel La Rosetta

Anyone familiar with these hotels?

Graziella5b

Thank you ellemen, as I said I have stayed a few days in Perugia but the hotel was located up the hill , one or two blocks from the Main Square. I had no idea of the escalators and elevators, I am sure they are a good thing because by all means it is a fairly steep hill. The idea of paying less these days is reassuring. Also I cannot imagine how we got away with leaving the car on the streets without getting a ticket.

toni_g_b

We stayed at Hotel Fortuna last August. Loved it. This is my review on venere.com

"We thoroughly enjoyed our stay at Hotel Fortuna. It's a 15th century building that kept some of it's old "bones" exposed while modernizing - frescoes in the reading room, ancient brick walls, and, in our room, the original beams. We'd lie in bed wondering how the heck they got something that heavy up there. The staff were wonderfully helpful and friendly. Good breakfast in a beautifully frescoed room. A roof top terrace to enjoy the view and maybe a last glass of wine at night. But best of all may be the location - just off one of the main streets just down from the Museum and Cattedrale. Perugia is pretty hilly so it's nice to be able to get back to your hotel during the day to put your feet up. We'd gladly return to Hotel Fortuna!"

risab

Toni - thanks for your input. Fortuna does get very good reviews. I will contact them, too.

Dayle

risab,

I traveled solo in Naples and was there just for 1 day and nt, mainly to see the Acheological Museum. I wish I had at least 2 more days there!

I stayed at Hotel Pinto Storey*** in the Chiaia District which was a VERY nice neighborhood. Their main street of the district with all the designer shops was one street over from the hotel.

The hotel itself was conveniently located at the Piazza Amadeus, where there is a metro stop of the same name. Very nicely renovated property, quiet with the windows shut and A/C. Good breakfast.

My trip was 3 years ago before the garbage problem got so bad. I did see horrific trash right around the train station, but other than that, all was very nice.

I had no problems walking around or using the metro by myself. In fact, I met some of the nicest people in Naples and was offered help of various kinds several times (not from the scammers).

I would love to go back for a few days to see the Farnese Museum, Herculaneum, and Caserta, plus some of the famous art in the Neopolitan churches.

Hope this helps, buon viaggio!

risab

Dayle...your post helped a lot, too. My daughter and I will discuss all of these wonderful options we are fortunate to have!

Oh, Bella Italia!

zeppole

risab,

I'm planning to spend a week in Napoli in November, and I don't consider myself daring. I will be staying in the Chiaia district. I expect the worst of the garbage to be collected in the central core of the city -- although I still expect to see a lot of garbage in Napoli, because it's trash problems were chronic before the present "crisis."

Brooklyn, although it has changed greatly in recent years, is still a more worrisome place for women to wander around, especially women unfamiliar with the town. Napoli is not that way. Tourists and women are not targets (except perhaps their handbags -- don't carry one).

If you are going to see Pompeii, it is no exaggeration to say that it is worth a 2-day visit, with a side trip to Napoli to visit the archeological museum. You can stay in Pompeii itself, you can stay in Sorrento and you can even stay in less-touristy Salerno, a 20 minute train trip from Pompeii and not far from Paestum as well. Just be sure to visit the archeological museum in Napoli at some point. They will hold your overnight luggage at the desk.

Of course, there are always a trillion things to see everywhere in Italy. Have a fun time decideing with your daughter.

zeppole

Graziella,

At the other end of the Corso Vanucci from the fountain -- all the way down at the other end, at the belvedere with the pretty view -- you can find the entrance to the public escaltor that will take you all the way to the train station, buses, etc., and the Hotel Rosalba.

It is fascinating to join the Perugians in using the escalator (which is made of up of many separate levels of moving stairs), because the escalators pass through the historic jails of Perugia, and often there are art exhibits, or people who've set up tables for one cause or another. It is very much a public thoroughfare.

If you are staying at the Hotel Rosalba -- which does serve a breakfast, although I didn't partake so can't describe it -- one of the escalator entrances/exits is almost at the hotel doorstep.

vetralla

Check out Dave Morton's www.romanroadwalks.com for some good trekking ideas.

risab

Grazie to all for offering great advise (and glad some people were able to get their own questions answered)..

So, we have decided to go to Perugia and we booked a room at Hotel Priori and got a good rate.
I am thinking of taking a day trip to Assisi, too. But, we'll decide on that once we get to Perugia - if we just want to take that in for two days - and of course, weather.