stephp

I am planning a trip next month, looking to travel from Florence through Tuscany, perhaps to Naples and Capri. What towns should I consider in my planning? Please feel free to pass along any tips about interesting places to stay, things to see etc. I know I'm doing this last minute, but tend to have my best experiences in that mode...know reservations may be an issue etc.
Thanks for any advice from those who have been there!

HowardR

"I know I'm doing this the last minute, but tend to have my best experiences in that mode."
You asked for advice from "those who have been there." My advice is to do a bit of research! It sounds like you want others to do your work for you.
(I keep thinking of Blance duBois' line from A Streetcar Named Desire, i.e., that she's "always relied on the kindness of strangers"!)

JandaO

You are going next month and are just planning now! Appearantly you dont love this part of a vacation. I have been planning for over a year for my trip in Sept. It prolongs the thrill for me. I take it you do have your airplane ticket? How long is your vacation for? Have you been to Italy before? Do you like cities, countryside or what? Be more specific and you may get more responses.

Best of luck.....

PCircles

HowardR - Dude, here's a quote for you, "If you have nothing nice to say, don't say anything."

Your useless reply to this guy leads me to believe that you are the person who single-handedly hounded me off this site a few months ago!

Anyway, to reply to stephp:

My advice is that if you like to do things by the seat of your pants, then commit 100% to that mindset and have at it! If you stumble upon something you like and you get to see it - great! If not - great!

That said, maybe there are a few things you would hate to miss. Fine. Then make a list of those and make sure you see them. Case in point, when I went to Florence, I had to see David. Everything else was take-it-or-leave-it!

Good luck and don't worry about grumpy old men making unpleasant responses to your posts Post away - Fodor's is free and for everyone, last I heard!

e_roz

I loved Tuscany. Got back last week. San Gimignano, Montalcino, Pienza, Montepulciano. Tons of wineries around Montalcino, I'd stay near there if possible, easy to get to SIena also.

stephp

Gee, must say I'm somewhat surprised by the response. Actually, I've traveled fairly extensively and certainly would not want anyone to do any work for me, but often find talking to nice people I meet along the way leads me to wonderful places I might not have found. Perhaps I misunderstood the purpose for this forum. Thanks for the suggestions about towns to visit from e_roz and kind words from pcircles. Any thoughts about Capri? Is it worth the trip out?

ira

Dear step,

This forum is very good for providing answers to reasonably specific questions. General queries such as, "What towns should I consider in my planning?" are much too broad for us.

At best, we know that you would like to go to Florence next month. For how long? What sort of accomodations? What's your budget? What are your interests? Are you planning on public transport or will you drive, hitchhike, walk? Will you spend all of your time in Tuscany or will you be going to Campania? If so by what route? Do you wish to see anything other than Capri? Will you be staying on Capri or just a daytrip? Do you plan to stay in Naples or just pass through?

Perhaps you have some other thoughts that I didn't consider, please feel free to let us know.

Degas

Ira's got it right - the question was much too vague and lacked enough info to be actionable. A random shot in the dark often draws return fire like that supplied by HowardR.

HowardR

I thought I gave the original poster some very good advice when I said, "...do a bit of research." I sincerely meant it; I wasn't being sarcastic.
(PS to PCircles: Since I never have posted anonymously, I can assure you that it was not I who single-handedly hounded you off the forum. Oh, to have that much power!)

Habanero

I would highly recommend a stop in Naples, and then continue on to Pompeii. After spending a decent day on a self guided tour through the city, I'd go back to Naples, overnight and head off for some relaxation in Ischia . . .the one of the other islands in the Bay of Naples. Recommend the Bellevue Hotel - if traveling alone, ask for the single by the pool. I think it was around $35 in 2000. Feel free to e-mail if you want any more info . . . and defnitely don't miss David. . .

dmkujat

Just came back myself from Italy this past weekend.....I absolutely LOVED Florence and spent 3 days there...still not enough for me! The museums, churches and shopping were right up my alley! Did spend a short time in Sorrento and Assisi and would love to go back there (we were with a tour group that didn't allow us as much time as I would've liked!) We did go to Capri....(and I hope I don't insult anyone with this....)but, I live in northern Michigan and thought it nothing more than an upscale Mackinac Island (minus the fudge!) Yes, it was beautiful, but it was hot, crowded and just trying to get past the tourists onto the Funiculare (the car that takes you to the top) was aggravating! After an afternoon there, I wanted OFF that island! We did take a leisurely boat ride around part of the island which was oh so much more enjoyable! In Florence, we stayed at the Hotel Bagglioni, which was walking distance from the Duomo and center of town...and had a wonderful rooftop restaurant with great views of the city! If you are shopping for gold in Florence, stay off the Ponte d'vecchio (sorry if my spelling is incorrect!) it is overpriced there...just down the street and around the corner, we found great gold prices in some of the smaller stores and lovely, helpful shop owners only too anxious to give us a great deal. The leather was fabulous too...bought several really beautiful purses there!

MFNYC

Just curious, how many days will this trip be and where are you flying in and out of.

elaine

Hi
I'm reading a Bill Bryson book about traveling in Europe, and it's mostly humorous, but he was bowled over by Sorrento and Capri, thought they were breathtaking.

On the other hand, he wasn't there in August when all of the places you mention are bound to be very crowded.

dln

The text search box in this forum is one of the best information gathering devices I have come across. For example, if you type in "blue grotto and capri" you will find message #13, writtten by Kiki. This is one eyeful of info, beautifully and rambunctiously written by someone who thoroughly enjoyed her journey.

Set some time aside to do the "armchair traveller" bit, courtesy of text search. You will be entertained and informed beyond your wildest dreams! The love of travel comes through loud and clear, and can only enhance your trip.

Dick

Roz,

We, also got back last week from a week in Tuscany(in the same towns you mentioned) and 3 nights in Venice.

Feel free to contact me
[email protected]

Carolred

Wow, people, you just seem to think it is appropriate to flame someone who is just asking for good ideas!

1. Asking on this forum constitutes research! The books often don't have much detail on the fun little stuff in between.
2. Not all of us plan our asses off. I usually have a rough itinerary, such as what stephp has, but no details, since I often change it in the middle anyhow. Once, I literally left for Greece for the first time, the day after finals, and read the guidebook on the plane. I had a great time!
3. Informed spontaneity (sp?) is fun.

PCircles, e_roz, dmkujat answered in the spirit of this forum. Bravo!

Shame on you HowardR, JandaO, Ira, for being so judgemental.