Home Base accommodation in Italy
Apr 6th, 2011, 08:50 PM
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Home Base accommodation in Italy
Hello all,
We have had such wonderful responses to our other European threads, that we now would like feedback about the final leg of our European holiday - Italy!
Our plan is to spend between 21 and 25 days - beginning in Milan and ending in Rome from where we will be flying back to Australia. We will be arriving in (or near) Milan from Zermatt, Switzerland on around May 19, 2012.
We won't have our own car. We plan to travel by Train or Bus or whatever is suggested.
We hope to see the following places during our stay:
Milan
Verona (hopefully also drive around Lake Garda)
Venice
Turin
Cinque Terre
Tuscany - including Florence, Siena and Pisa
Naples, Sorrento, Amalfi Coast, Capri, Pompeii
Rome
My questions are:
1. How many days do you recommend we spend in each area?
2. How many Home Bases will we need to see what we have planned to see?
3. Are there any "must see" places that we have missed, but are close by?
4. Can you recommend accommodation (around 120 Euro per night) for these areas?
5. Can you recommend any day tours that will allow us to see more than we could on our own?
6. Is there an Italian equivalent to the Swiss Pass or should we get a Eurorail Pass or simply travel train by train as required?
Thank you in advance. Steve.
We have had such wonderful responses to our other European threads, that we now would like feedback about the final leg of our European holiday - Italy!
Our plan is to spend between 21 and 25 days - beginning in Milan and ending in Rome from where we will be flying back to Australia. We will be arriving in (or near) Milan from Zermatt, Switzerland on around May 19, 2012.
We won't have our own car. We plan to travel by Train or Bus or whatever is suggested.
We hope to see the following places during our stay:
Milan
Verona (hopefully also drive around Lake Garda)
Venice
Turin
Cinque Terre
Tuscany - including Florence, Siena and Pisa
Naples, Sorrento, Amalfi Coast, Capri, Pompeii
Rome
My questions are:
1. How many days do you recommend we spend in each area?
2. How many Home Bases will we need to see what we have planned to see?
3. Are there any "must see" places that we have missed, but are close by?
4. Can you recommend accommodation (around 120 Euro per night) for these areas?
5. Can you recommend any day tours that will allow us to see more than we could on our own?
6. Is there an Italian equivalent to the Swiss Pass or should we get a Eurorail Pass or simply travel train by train as required?
Thank you in advance. Steve.
Apr 7th, 2011, 04:27 AM
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I recommend
Milan - 2/3 days
Verona (hopefully also drive around Lake Garda) - 2 days
Venice - 3 days
Turin - 1/2 days
Cinque Terre - 3 days
Tuscany - including Florence, Siena and Pisa - 5/6 days
Naples, Sorrento, Amalfi Coast, Capri, Pompeii - 5/6 days
Rome - 5/6 days
1. How many days do you recommend we spend in each area? see above
2. How many Home Bases will we need to see what we have planned to see?
Milan for sure, then go east to Verona. Stop in Verona if you are going to drive Lake Garda (stunning sights there - i suggest you to drive around it this way Lazise, Malcesine, Salò, Sirmione). One stop in Venice or in the nearby mainland. Then go to Florence. Stop in Cinque Terre to see them, go north to Turin and then south again to Genoa and Cinque Terre again. Then it's Pisa, Siena, Florence turn. Pisa and Florence are nearby. So stop only once.
Go to Rome and then south to Naples. The places are all close here. so stop in Naples or Amalfi Coast. Spend 5/6 days in Rome because the eternal city has much to offer.
3. Are there any "must see" places that we have missed, but are close by?
Bologna, between Venice and Tuscany / Cinque Terre.
Milan - 2/3 days
Verona (hopefully also drive around Lake Garda) - 2 days
Venice - 3 days
Turin - 1/2 days
Cinque Terre - 3 days
Tuscany - including Florence, Siena and Pisa - 5/6 days
Naples, Sorrento, Amalfi Coast, Capri, Pompeii - 5/6 days
Rome - 5/6 days
1. How many days do you recommend we spend in each area? see above
2. How many Home Bases will we need to see what we have planned to see?
Milan for sure, then go east to Verona. Stop in Verona if you are going to drive Lake Garda (stunning sights there - i suggest you to drive around it this way Lazise, Malcesine, Salò, Sirmione). One stop in Venice or in the nearby mainland. Then go to Florence. Stop in Cinque Terre to see them, go north to Turin and then south again to Genoa and Cinque Terre again. Then it's Pisa, Siena, Florence turn. Pisa and Florence are nearby. So stop only once.
Go to Rome and then south to Naples. The places are all close here. so stop in Naples or Amalfi Coast. Spend 5/6 days in Rome because the eternal city has much to offer.
3. Are there any "must see" places that we have missed, but are close by?
Bologna, between Venice and Tuscany / Cinque Terre.
Apr 7th, 2011, 05:02 AM
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4. Can you recommend accommodation (around 120 Euro per night) for these areas?
Hotels in Italy are expensive. A good solution is a 3 star hotel or a residence. I stayed in those places
Milan - Zumbini Rooms - low cost residence hotel close to train and metro, not in the center, but in a quiet area www.zumbinirooms.com
Venice - Hotel Amadeus *** www.hotelamadeusvenice.it, central position, more expensive than Zumbini
Rome - Hotel Fori Cavalieri *** , my choice for Rome www.hotelforiimperialicavalieri.com
Hotels in Italy are expensive. A good solution is a 3 star hotel or a residence. I stayed in those places
Milan - Zumbini Rooms - low cost residence hotel close to train and metro, not in the center, but in a quiet area www.zumbinirooms.com
Venice - Hotel Amadeus *** www.hotelamadeusvenice.it, central position, more expensive than Zumbini
Rome - Hotel Fori Cavalieri *** , my choice for Rome www.hotelforiimperialicavalieri.com
Apr 7th, 2011, 06:32 AM
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max 2 days in Milan .. there's not that much to see.. the dome is great and unless you love expensive shopping and keen for theatre and opera nights then don't linger there too much... my least favorite city in italy....
Apr 10th, 2011, 05:59 PM
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Hello again. Thanks Lorenzo and Shmushma for your quick replies.
Lorenzo, our plan was to travel by Train most of the time, but are you suggesting that we hire a car for trips like Lake Garda, Tuscany - possibly more?
If so, what are some of the details regarding hiring of a car in Italy? Any traps to look out for? Any places (Rome, for example) where an Aussie should NEVER attempt to drive?
Still need lots more help with regard to spending 20-25 days in Italy.
Accommodation hits
"Must See" and "Don't bother seeing" hints etc etc
Thanks again in advance for all your help.
Steve
Lorenzo, our plan was to travel by Train most of the time, but are you suggesting that we hire a car for trips like Lake Garda, Tuscany - possibly more?
If so, what are some of the details regarding hiring of a car in Italy? Any traps to look out for? Any places (Rome, for example) where an Aussie should NEVER attempt to drive?
Still need lots more help with regard to spending 20-25 days in Italy.
Accommodation hits
"Must See" and "Don't bother seeing" hints etc etc
Thanks again in advance for all your help.
Steve
Apr 11th, 2011, 02:42 AM
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Hi Steve
You could reach Lake Garda by train. Take the train from Milano and stop at Desenzano Sul Garda (1 hour approx). And then choose: boat http://www.navigazionelaghi.it/eng/gar/nlg or bus http://www.lakegarda.uk.com/page.php?dyncnt_id=77. You don't need a car.
Tuscany (http://www.nozio.com/europe/italy/tu...es/tuscany.htm) is made of tiny medieval towns on beautiful hills covered by wine yards so the best way to discover it is to hire a car.
Don't miss in Tuscany the Val D'Elsa (http://www.nozio.com/europe/italy/tu...d_valdelsa.htm).
Remember that we drive on the right. It takes a little time to get used to it (i learnt immediately when i was in the UK driving a car).
Car rental companies...mmm look for the big ones (europcar, hertz), compare the prices and read reviews on it
, take a 1-3 day formula.
Don't drive in Rome! Traffic is impossible to bear. No way to get out of it! Just take the bus or the metro!
You could reach Lake Garda by train. Take the train from Milano and stop at Desenzano Sul Garda (1 hour approx). And then choose: boat http://www.navigazionelaghi.it/eng/gar/nlg or bus http://www.lakegarda.uk.com/page.php?dyncnt_id=77. You don't need a car.
Tuscany (http://www.nozio.com/europe/italy/tu...es/tuscany.htm) is made of tiny medieval towns on beautiful hills covered by wine yards so the best way to discover it is to hire a car.
Don't miss in Tuscany the Val D'Elsa (http://www.nozio.com/europe/italy/tu...d_valdelsa.htm).
Remember that we drive on the right. It takes a little time to get used to it (i learnt immediately when i was in the UK driving a car).
Car rental companies...mmm look for the big ones (europcar, hertz), compare the prices and read reviews on it
, take a 1-3 day formula.Don't drive in Rome! Traffic is impossible to bear. No way to get out of it! Just take the bus or the metro!
