JOAN GARGANO

My friends and I are from Canada. We will travel to Italy in September 2001. We plan to spend 1-day in CASERTA (my grand-father's birthplace). As we will be staying in Rome, what would be the easiest and fastest way to get to Caserta? (bus, train, taxi) and how much would it cost? Any good restaurants recommended in Caserta? Any information will be appreciated.

D.

caserta is about a 15 minutes drive from Naples, the best way would be to get to naples then get on the A1, exit at Caserta North...the palace is a huge attraction there, it's where they filmed the palace scene from the latest Star Wars movie..there is also a very famous Gelota place..(ice cream) called the green garden you HAVE to go there, it's always crowded but well worth it..as far as restaurants, there isn't any one particular that I could chose over another in Southern Italy the food is just damn good..there are dozens of quaint, cozy pubs also, Caserta is a place where you just walk around, it's cleaner than Naples, and not as overwhelming for a first time visitor..if you have anymore questions let me know, I'd be glad to help-

spqr

You can take a regional train direct (without changing trains) from Rome to Caserta via Frosinone and Cassino or you can take a Eurostar (express) train non-stop from Rome to Naples and then change to a local to Caserta. Check the Italian State Railways webpage for train times and frequency. If I remember correctly, the regional train runs approximately every hour to Caserta. Probably faster to take the regional train than to go to Naples and change trains back to Caserta.

Howard

For a meal, just find one of the small, family-run restaurants asnd you'll have good food and a wonderful experience dining with the locals. <BR>Check on the visiting hours of the palace. We missed seeing it last October because it closed at 2 p.m.

nancy

Joan, <BR>took my children to Caserta on our vacation. <BR>A wonderful place to visit! <BR>We really only had time for a visit to the Palazzo Reale ,and walking the gardens, towards the waterfall, <BR>As, the children got very tired after 4 hrs. <BR>but, we got to see alot of the city, driving in, and leaving, as I kept getting lost. <BR>I would love to go back, esp. to see the Caserta Vecchia (the Old City) and San Leucio, a town planned and built for the silk workers. <BR> <BR>Enjoy your visit. <BR>It is a lovely place.

Carol

Hi Joan, <BR> <BR>We visited Caserta in March. My husband has family there so we stayed with them and did day trips to Amalfi, Pompeii and, of course, the towns where his mother and father emigrated from, Santa Maria a Vico and Sassinoro. <BR> <BR>We took a train on a Sunday morning from Rome's Termini which went directly to Caserta so no change of train was necessary...it was fast and easy. I think it was around $100 for two, first class. <BR> <BR>If you have any other questions, let me know. <BR> <BR>

Lesley

We stayed in Casera and walked the gardens of the palace this past March. My daughter had taken a school trip there earlier and really wanted to show us her "off-the-beaten-trek" find. We loved it. We stayed over at the Hotel Jolly, a business hotel chain, quite fun, with a Murphy bed for my daughter and huge bathrooms AND an excellent dining room. The chain trains ALL its staff there for Europe and its inexpensive, great imaginative food and meticulous service. Have fun and visit the silk factory, too, if you have time.