Amalfi Coast and Umbria?
 

My husband and I will be traveling to Italy in October 2009 for two weeks. The first week will be at the Amalfi coast and we're still deciding the second week. We want somewhere within a 2 hour train ride to Rome, but still in the country. Any suggestions?

Also restaurant, sightseeing suggestions appreciated!

Hi I,

Umbria is a good idea, as is Tuscany.

Are you planning on having a car?

((I))

We had a wonderful holiday last October in Umbria, taking the train from Rome to Orvieto and then hiring a car for the rest of the time. We also stayed a few days in Spoleto. see my trip report at http://www.xanga.com/urbino

Yes, we will be renting a car for the entire two weeks I believe.

We did this on our first trip to the Amalfi Coast (have been back a couple times since then). We stayed for a week in Sorrento and then a week in Rancalfo, a county of Perugia. We stayed overnight in Rome, before our flight home.

With a week in the AC, the usual sights would be Napoli, Capri, Pompeii, Positano,Praiano, Amalfi, Ravello and further east, Minori and Maiori. You can add of course little unknown towns that dot the coast.

For Umbria,we have visited Assisi, Bevagna, Gubbio, Spello, Spoleto, Todi,Umbertide, Deruta, Sellano, Montefalco and many others.

Im4wine,

I visited parts of Umbria on my 2nd and 3rd trips and liked it just as much as Tuscany.

Stayed 3 nights in Orvieto (one of my favorites) and did day trips to Civita di Bagnoreggio, Deruta and Todi.

Stayed 3 night in Assisi (spur of the moment and 2 nights in Spello at the wonderful Palazzo Boci. Highly recommend Spello and Palazzo Boci. Also visited Gubbio and Montefalco.

Rome to Foligno via train is about 1 hr 40 min. Avis office right in the station building. Foligno is a very short drive to Bevagna and Spello.

Take a look at Villa Rosa in the small town of Montemelino, not far from Perusia. We took the train from Naples to Chiusi where we rented a car for our week in Umbria. There's a restaurant in Montemelino (the only one) and it's excellent! Todi and Gubbio are towns you should look into, both very beautiful.

Above should read PERUGIA not PERUSIA

We are going on a similar trip this fall Amalfi Coast for a week, Umbria for a week. Umbria is probably within your 2 hour point. this is our plan at this point. We are flying from Boston - Naples. From there, we will take a limo service(thought about train, ferry, bus but figured after ten or so hours of travel we'd be tired), to Sorrento(we've been there before) where will stay 2 nights - mostly because we want to go to Pompeii for a day.
From Sorrento we will take the ferry to Capri and stay 5 nights, doing day trips to Amalfi and Positano and enjoy Capri.
We will then ferry to Naples, pick up a car and drive to Spoleto (I think it's about a three hour drive). We are staing five nights in spoleto (It seemed very central) and plan to visit Montefalco, Todi, Narnia etc)We wanted to be near the airport for our last night or so; we'll be staying in Ladislopi which is only about 30 minutes from the Airport and it is close to Tarquini (Etruscan ruins)Are you planning on having a car in Umbria? A car gives you much more flexibility in that area.
In any event, I would be more than happy to let you know about our trip after we return. We'll be back in late September

Thanks for all the help so far! We are still trying to figure out where to stay our second week, either in Tuscany or Umbria.

We think we want a place in the country, train station within 30 minutes or so (to go to Rome once or twice), near wineries, restaurants/cafe within 10 minutes, walking/hiking the countryside.

We're not too much into sightseeing/arranged tours. We prefer exploring on our own, finding things off the beaten path. When we do go to Rome, we probably will spend a good deal of time people watching from a cafe.

We are hesitant to stay in town, such as Orvieto, because we really want a place we can sit outside in the mornings/evenings and something with a view. We haven't seen anything with pretty views or balconies (other than really tiny ones) through the company we are renting from (Parker Villas).

On the other hand, I'm wondering if we will be bored in the country. We are both very outgoind and love to meet people, so maybe in town would better? The thought of walking to dinner or to have a glass of wine sounds better than driving, even if it's just 10 minutes.

The places we like so far are in Montefollonico, Siena; Asciano, Siena; Lucignano, Arezzo; Orvieto, Terni.

Help! I'm driving myself crazy (in a good way) trying to find the perfect place.

Hi Im,

>We think we want a place in the country, train station within 30 minutes or so (to go to Rome once or twice), ...

A: Going to Rome for a day is not recommended.

B: If you are going to go to Rome twice, stay in Rome overnight and fly home from there.

>we will be renting a car for the entire two weeks I believe.

I suggest that you don't need a car on the AC. If you are going the beginning of Oct, the ferries will still be on the Summer schedule.

There is good bus service from Sorrento to Salerno.

You can pick up your car in either town.

((I))

"The thought of walking to dinner or to have a glass of wine sounds better than driving, even if it's just 10 minutes."

I'm with you! We just returned from our 6th trip to Italy and for us, doing day trips and parking the car in the evening and being able to take pleasant walks in a vibrant town with several dining options is always the way to go. Siena, Orvieto or Arezzo are larger towns where you'll still have great scenery in the cities themselves and be able to stroll at night with wonderful dining options.

I have to also say, we also have enjoyed much smaller towns like Dayle mentioned. We too stayed in Spello at Palazzo Bacci and it was very enjoyable.

Here's an idea of some of the restaurants we went to on our previous trip. If you want the full trip report, e-mail me at [email protected] and I'll send it to you. Good luck!

Orvieto
I Sette Consoli - Piazza Sant’ Angelo (€ 121 for lunch)
- Selection of breads
- 2001 Sagrantino
- Filetti di pesce persico, dorati e croccanti, insalatina di campo all’ aceto di lamponi e salsa di senape (ocean perch with balsamic salad and raspberry mustard vinegarette)
- Terrina di fegatini di pollo, salsa al Vino Dolce di Orvieto, pan brioche caldo e cipolle rosse caramellate (liver pate with sweet Orvieto wine sauce and caramelized onions)
- Risotto Carnaroli ai carciofi agnello e cavolo nero (lamb, artichokes and cabbage)
- Tortelli di anatra al profumo di arancia, salsa di sedano rapa e pecorino Umbro (duck filled pasta perfumed with blood oranges and local pecorino cheese)
- Suprema di pollo farcita ai porcini arrostita in forno, profumata al marsala e tortino di broccoletti “ripassati” (chicken with porcini mushrooms in light marsala sauce and a broccoli tort).

Siena
Ristorante Enzo @ Via Camollia 49 (€ 114 for lunch)
- Selection of breads
- Pureed white bean soup with extra virgin olive oil
- Bruschette with various toppings
- Gnocchi with truffles & pumpkin cream sauce
- Spaghetti with tomato and basil sauce
- Sima pork medallions with quiche
- 2000 Felsina Chianti Classico.

Trattoria Vallerozzi - Via Vallerozzi 36 (€ 44 for dinner)
- Selection of breads
- Local pecorino cheese with honey
- Pappardelle with a chingiale sauce (wild boar)
- Chingiale with polenta
- Pizza with mozzarella di bufala

Ristorante Guidoriccio - Palazzo del Campo (€ 68 for dinner)
- Selection of breads
- Carpaccio di maialino marinato (marinated pork)
- Pici con rucola salsiccia e pomodoro (thick round noodle)
- Gnocchi al radiccio rosso e pecorino fresco
- Fileto con radiccio rosso e pecorino (thin sliced beef)
- 1999 Camigliano Brunello
- 2002 Camigliano Rosso
- 2000 Salcheto Vino Nobile di Montepulciano
- Grappa, variety I couldn’t remember and forgot to write down after the wine.

Il Biondo - Via del Rustchetto (€ 39 for lunch)
- Bruschette Toscona
- Caprese salad
- Gnocchi al pesto Genovese
- Pici al Porcini.
- ½ liter of local rosso wine


Spello
il Molino - Piazza Matteotti (€ 111 for dinner)
- Selection of breads
- 2001 Sagrantino di Montefalco Antonelli
- Varieta di salumi Umbri con crostini rustica
- Cappellacci ripieni di verza bianca in salsa di guanciale e scalogno (large ravioli with cabbage, guanciale and parmagiano reggiano topped with sheeps milk cheese in a light tomato broth)
- Filetto di maiale in crosta di mele e noci su fonduta di pecorino con pere cara al vino caramellate al vino rosso (pork medallions in a cheese & wine sauce)
- Filetto di Vitellone e vino rosso (beef in wine sauce).

La Cantina - via Cavour 2 (€ 49 for dinner)
- Selection of breads
- 2003 Rosso di Spello Secco Simone Veneri
- Stringozzi al salsa piccante (local spaghetti like non egg pasta)
- Spagetti al tartufo (truffles)
- Tagliata di manzo (beef tenderloin with rucola & evoo)
- Tiramasu.


Spoleto
Ristorante Apollinare - Via S. Agata 14 off Piazza della Liberta (€ 50 for lunch)
- Selection of breads
- Minestra di lenticchie, patate e funghi (lentil, potato and mushroom soup)
- Stringozzi alla Spoletina con salsa pomodoro, peperoncino, pecorino e prezzemoto (local non-egg pasta with spicy tomato sauce)
- Stracciata d’ uovo al tartufo nero e bruschette all’ extravergine d’ olivo (scrambled eggs with black truffles)
- Sella di coniglio, salsa di olive nere e scalogno con radicchio saltato all’arancie e meile (rabbit with an olive sauce, green onions and radicchio)


Urbino
Il Cotegiano - via Puccinotti (€ 49 for lunch)
- Selection of breads
- ½ liter of Rosso Conero I Lavi
- selection of crostini
- Tagliatelle all’ Urbinate con verdure, pendolini & salsiccia (vegetables & sausage)
- Scallopina al funghi
- Pasticciata di vitello (veal scallopini with balsamic, rucola and strawberries)
- Grilled eggplant and yellow peppers