bb_burch_06

Hi there,

I'm an American student that will be traveling to Udine, Italy for a conference in September. I'll be there for 8 days but I will be traveling alone and I've had a hard time finding anything about the town.


Is Udine a safe area for a young college student? Obviously exercising caution as any international travel, is there anything I should avoid..buses, streets or areas, etc? It seems like a small town but I've always traveled with at least a buddy and let's face it, it's a crazy world out there.

Any opinios on Hotel Cristallo? I have reservations there but they aren't set in stone, any suggestions?

Also, I won't have a ton of extra time, but I'd like some suggestions of must-sees, etc if you'd like to give them.

Thanks for helping the Italy novice.
cheers

tedgale

Udine, the chair-making capital of Europe, is tiny, tiny, tiny. You will have time to see everything in it and then some. You might try a train trip to Venice or Trieste or some other sites nearby...

Safe? It's about as safe as any small town in Kansas.

Why would you think "it's a crazy world out there"? It's not, though there are certainly trouble-spots, many of them in your native land........

Grinisa

Yes, there isn't much to Udine. It's pleasant enough but eight days is more than enough time to see it all, about eight times. Agree that if you do have a free day, take a train trip to Venice. If you only have half a free day, maybe a bus trip to San Daniele to see how they make proscuitto.

scgolfer

Udine is safe and you will be able to get a true Italian experience since you will probably not see any other American tourists unless we are there at the same time. We were there last year visiting our son-in-law's family for two weeks and had a great time. We will be arriving on September 22 for another visit this year.

Many of the shop owners do not speak much English, but you can usually get along alright by pointing and asking in as few words as possible. When we were there one ticket agent at the train station spoke English, so we were able to get tickets without a problem. Udine is less than two hours by train from Venice and less than that from several towns in Austria.

I don't know anything about Hotel Cristallo since we stayed in an apartment. If it is located within the loop that goes around the downtown area, you will be able to walk to most places.

There are several interesting sites close by that can be seen in a half day each. Villa Manin di Passariano, Cividale del Friuli, Aquileia and Miramare castle near Trieste were short trips by car that we enjoyed.
There are many shops to visit in the downtown area and the daily market in the square is interesting to watch.

When will you be there?

basingstoke1

Udine is near the American Aviano Airbase so even though it is a very small town, you have a good likelihood of encountering English speakers. It is also near Pordenone which has a large train station with many daily trains to Venice. Venice is close enough for an easy day trip.

LoveItaly

bb_burch, I would encourage you to go to Google and do a search regarding Udine. You will be in a lovely area and with good train transportation if you have time you will be able to see a few other places.

Regarding "it's a crazy world out there". Well sadly to say the Italian government is releasing a lot of prisoners as their prisons are very overcrowded. So you and everyone else should be aware of that. A plumber from Udine who was in prison for trying to kill his wife was released. He went back to his house in Udine and within hours was again arrested as he again tried to kill his wife.

This is a new problem in Italy, not just in Udine. The public is not pleased, to put it midly.

Anyway, do utilize Google so you will have a better idea of Udine, its history and what it has to offer. Best regards.