Ancona
 

Has anyone been to Ancona for a Feb. holiday? Flights are cheap – and I’d love to know what there is to do there for a family with 2 young children [8 and 10]. Many thanks - Natalie

Natalie, I was in Ancona in August. It was sunny and in the 90s the entire time. The sea sparkled, the Duomo on the hill was a gorgeous sight/landmark, and there was plenty for us to do. BUT February is a different proposition. Being a working port city on the Adriatic, you will surely find it can get brutally cold, damp & windy. As can Venice to the north. My guess is that the pretty beach areas just south of town will be closed down totally at that time of year. That's the bad news. Your children sound like they are at an age where the pentagonal Mole Vanvitelli would be great fun for a visit. It has an interesting history, is at the port, and generally has a major exhibit inside. There is a fine walking tour described in a guidebook called The Marches put out by the Touring Club of Italy. You can get it from amazon.uk. Hits the high spots. <BR><BR>The kids (and you) would surely enjoy eating in the medieval part of the city just below the church of San Domenico and the watchful eye of a huge statue of Pope Clement - at the Trattoria Moretta. Check out the city's website and watch the film of the city...http//:www.comune.ancona.it<BR><BR>We loved our brief visit there and would like to return. Stayed at the Jolly Hotel Ancona on a bluff overlooking the port. Good restaurant there, but not as cosy as the family run trattoria with stoccafisso to die for. Ancona has an interesting history. Greek settlers, Roman connection, earthquakes, bombings, rebuilding, commercial vibrancy, etc. It is the hometown of the great tenor, Franco Corelli. He still spends time there. The Teatro delle Muse is reopening in October 2002 for the first time since it was bombed in 1943! The reopening is a major event attracting Riccardo Muti and the LaScala orchestra, plus dignitaries out the #@&*%. I believe it may be the third largest theater in Italy. Anyway, if you visit the Comune Ancona site, you'll see all about it. Bundle up & enjoy!

Dear Claire<BR>Thank you very much for your reply. We went to Barcelona this Feb and the weather was fine – so I am hoping it would be the same kind of weather in Ancona. You mention that there was ‘plenty for us to do.’ I wonder, is there as much as in Barcelona - are there tourist buses for example there, and is it easy to get to the hotel you mentioned [thank you for that]. I have looked at the website and ...well mine is badly translated. I cannot understand much and there is no obvious mention of beaches.<BR> Do you remember if there is public transport to ‘the pretty beach areas just south of town’? Is this Sirolo? I have found a website for this which looks interesting - http://en.conero.it<BR>’We loved our brief visit there and would like to return’. That sounds really positive, and persuasive. Thank you for this – I wonder, could you compare it to another place in Europe, perhaps, so I can get an idea of what it is like [if this is a really difficult question – sorry!]<BR>Finally, we are reluctant to hire a car – is this wise?<BR>Thanks - Natalie<BR>

Hi Natalie,<BR><BR>You may very well get lucky and have fine weather in Ancona in February, but I was trying to prepare you for the worst! It can even snow there. <BR><BR>Ancona is much smaller than Barcelona. I think it has a population of about 100,000. Our hotel was within walking distance of most of the points of interest along the walking tour, and is just above the Porta Pia and port. It is a major ferry stop. Mole Vanvitelliana is a short walk to the left at the foot of the little hill our hotel sits on; the city proper is a nice walk to the right and about a 5-10 (depending on your pace) minute walk to the Piazza del Plebiscito (the medieval part of the city). We took taxis (very inexpensive) when we were in a hurry or wanted to go to the outskirts of town. Yes, there is public transportation in the summer to the beach areas. I'm just not certain about winter. But, the distances are not huge and I'm sure you could make arrangements with a taxi or limo/shuttle service. Also, Ancona is a major train stop. Just about 3 hours from Rome (we took the train from Ancona to Rome and traveled through beautiful parts of Italy, esp. in the mountains). An hour and a half to Bologna. A car would not be necessary in Ancona, but there are areas in the environs you might want a car to most easily explore. Yes, Sirolo is to the south a short distance. Closer is Portonovo. The Conero area is a green space. Again, I don't know what it is like in winter. Let me see if I can find some more websites and particulars for you.

Hi Natalie,<BR><BR>You may very well get lucky and have fine weather in Ancona in February, but I was trying to prepare you for the worst! It can even snow there. <BR><BR>Ancona is much smaller than Barcelona. I think it has a population of about 100,000. Our hotel was within walking distance of most of the points of interest along the walking tour, and is just above the Porta Pia and port. It is a major ferry stop. Mole Vanvitelliana is a short walk to the left at the foot of the little hill our hotel sits on; the city proper is a nice walk to the right and about a 5-10 (depending on your pace) minute walk to the Piazza del Plebiscito (the medieval part of the city). We took taxis (very inexpensive) when we were in a hurry or wanted to go to the outskirts of town. Yes, there is public transportation in the summer to the beach areas. I'm just not certain about winter. But, the distances are not huge and I'm sure you could make arrangements with a taxi or limo/shuttle service. Also, Ancona is a major train stop. Just about 3 hours from Rome (we took the train from Ancona to Rome and traveled through beautiful parts of Italy, esp. in the mountains). An hour and a half to Bologna. A car would not be necessary in Ancona, but there are areas in the environs you might want a car to most easily explore. Yes, Sirolo is to the south a short distance. Closer is Portonovo. The Conero area is a green space. Again, I don't know what it is like in winter. Let me see if I can find some more websites and particulars for you.

Natalie, try the site http://www.regione.marche.it<BR><BR>It has a good English version. Also, when you write them with an inquiry, they do respond. Very important when you want to know what beach facilities & attractions are open in the off season. And, here you'll have a bit of information on the surrounding areas, not only on Ancona. Hope this helps. As I said before, we loved our visit to Ancona, but it was at the height of summer.

Hi – thank you - I’ve found the English site http://www.le-marche.com/. I’ve bought the flight tickets now...on to the hotels next. Oh, and I’ll investigate the site for trains from the airport to the villages to the south of Ancona, like Sirolo.

Have a wonderful trip to the ancona area! And, good lucky with the weather. Hope you'll give us a trip reprot upon your return. I think the Touring Club of Italy guidebook I mentioned above (called "The Marches" and available from amazon's uk store) will give you a wealth of information you'll find useful. Have fun.

Forgot to mention that the small airport just north of Ancona (Falconara) is where we arrived and I'm assuming you will too. You can take a bus directly into Ancona, but why bother, esp. schlepping bags & kids around. Taxi was quite reasonable (cheap actually) for the 10km ride directly to the Jolly Hotel. If the day is clear, flying over the coastline gives a beautful view of this old natural port. and, as you come around the bend down the coast from the airport to the city proper, there is a first view of the port & hills that is quite beautiful as well.