Hi,

A friend and I will be travelling in Italy this summer. Part of our trip is set:

-fly into Venice, spend week with family in a nearby town
-train to Florence, two weeks there and one week in Rome while earning a university credit

Then we want to spend a week on a beach and a week somewhere else before heading back to Venice to spend a week in the city itself. Any suggestions on a great beach and another city/interesting location while keeping in mind that we'll be ending in Venice?

Some stuff to consider:
-I've heard great things about Pescara, but found little information...it appeals to me very much as well because I have family in Abbruzzo
-the idea of a crowded beach doesn't bother us too much if it's a nice beach
-we'd love to stay on or near the beach but can only afford budget accommodation
-Also really interested in visiting Pompeii which I believe is in the opposite direction from Pescara?
-I've never been to Italy so I don't know where to start when considering another city to visit. My friend has been to Italy a million times to visit family but hasn't spent too much time in the cities. A location that would impress both a new and somewhat seasoned Italy traveller would be great.

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated! We were also open to spending an extra week in either Rome or Florence...is one week in Rome enough?

Thanks!

Andrea

You don't say if you'll have much free time during your week in Rome or if during your course you will be visiting tourist sites. If not, you'll want more time in Rome.

I recommend the region around Naples:

1, the archaeological museum in Naples is world class;

2, you mentioned wanting to visit Pompeii, and there are a few other interesting ancient sites in the region of Naples (including Herculaneum, which is a must see);

3, there are some good beaches in the bay of Naples (I had fun at a beach near Miseno, I believe);

4, it's worthwhile to visit the island of Capri

SECONDLY, I think you really do need more time to visit Rome, which is a spectacular city.

Hi whimsicalkid,

Between Venice and Florence, try to stop over in Ravenna. Amazing mosaics in the churches there. You'll never forget them. We left Venice in the morning, stopped over for the day in Ravenna, took a late afternoon train to Florence and arrived to have a late dinner. Managed to see all the major Ravenna sites and take a bus out to St. Apollinare in Clase as well.

If I had a week to spend "somewhere else" in Italy I'd definitely pick the Amalfi coast! Make it two weeks and it could be your beach place as well. You could see the museum in Naples, Herculaneum, Pompeii, Sorrento, Amalfi, Positano, Ravello, maybe go up to Paestum and see some amazingly intact Greek temples (yes, intact Greek temples, as in more than just a few columns!)Capri is gorgeous, and a boat ride around the island is so much fun and not too expensive. The water is so blue it will amaze you.

Italy doesn't have a lot of big expansive beaches due to its geography, but there are nice little all over the place that are very enjoyable.

I'd spend a couple more days in Rome and cut a couple of days in Venice. Way more to see/do in Rome.

Ciao, Lisa

Hi whimsicalkid. If you do want to go to Pescara I just wanted to tell you I have stayed there a couple of times and it is a nice place to visit.

Beaches are great. The Carlton Hotel is right across the street from a long stretch of beach. Resaurants on the beach side serve great fish etc.

If you go to www.google.com and type in Pescara,Italy you will see website including info the the Carlton Hotel and other info on Pescara of course.

Whatever you decide have a fun trip!

Thanks for your replies everyone! I'm still so overwhelmed but I will look into your ideas.

I do have time to see the sites in Rome as class will only be in the mornings four out of the seven days I'm there...still, if it's that spectacular, maybe we will add on a few extra days there.

The Amalfi Coast and Naples sound amazing, any ideas on whether travelling as far south as this might be really far out of the way since we'd be leaving for there from Rome and have to make it back up to Venice? Just wondering how gruelling of a journey this might be.

Hi whimsicalkid, may I suggest that you go to your local library and check out a couple of travel books regarding Italy.

Also, go to somewhere like Barnes and Nobles and buy a map of Italy. I would stronly suggest one that gives the names of everywhere in the Italian name versus the English names. For example, Milano, Roma, Venezia, Firenze.

You are going to have seven weeks in Italy. How beautiful! You have so many options. But to take the most advantage of this fantastic summer you need to start right now looking at travel books, see what interest you, and have the map open next to you so you truly know where each location is.

A trip that memories are made of!

Hi whimsicalkid,
Naples/Amalfi coast area is only 2 hours south of Rome by train, about the same by car, costs about $20 by train. Train tickets are pretty cheap in Italy.

The area is easy to navigate without a car. You can take the train from Rome to Naples or Salerno. There are buses from Salerno to Paestum, and from Salerno to the rest of the coast: Amalfi, Ravello, Positano, Sorrento. There is a light rail train from Sorrento to Naples that will drop you off right at the Herculaneum and Pompeii sites. You can take a ferry from Naples, Sorrento to Capri, and there are less frequent ferries from Amalfi and Positano to Capri as well.

Try Fodor's, Frommer's, Rick Steve's web sites for good info about traveling in Italy. When you select some places you'd like to see, just type them into yahoo or google and you'll find tons of information.

The railpass section of the RS website has good info about train travel in Italy; look for the time/distance chart. You can search the deutsches bahn (DB) site for up to date train schedules throughout Europe. You can savor quite a bit of Italy in the time you will have.
Enjoy your trip.

Hi whim,

I also recommend Naples and the Amalfi Coast.

We very much enjoyed our stay at the Hotel Le Sirene in Praiano. There is a small beach nearby.

See www.lesirene.com.