Just Back From Italy! Trip of a Lifetime!
Nov 10th, 2006 | 04:19 AM
#1
Original Poster
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 56
Likes: 0
Just Back From Italy! Trip of a Lifetime!
Hello!
We are back from two weeks in Italy! We spent one week in Rome and the last week in Positano.
First of all, let me say thank you for all of your help and the invaluable information on this site.
We rented an apartment in Rome through Rental In Rome; the apartment is located right in the center of Piazza Navona and the Pantheon. The location could not be beat! The apartment was clean comfortable and very affordable. We could not have asked for anything better.
The highlight of our stay in Rome was Vatican City; we booked the Arte Vaticana tour through Context Rome. I know that this company has received excellent reviews on this board; I have to say that the tour was just OK; the tour guide seemed to be in a rush and we never got to visit the Pinacoteca -- although, the tour guide did provide a very informative talk on the Sistine Chapel. However, the Roma Antica tour with Sara from California was excellent! She was very informative and brought the tour to live! I would highly recommend her.
We were very fortunate to have had the opportunity to visit the necropolis at St. Peter’s Cathedral; this too, was one of the many highlights in Rome! I have to say we loved Rome with all of the craziness and busyness of any major city; we would definitely be back! J
A few suggestions regarding how to get to the airport: TrenItalia offer express train service to/from the airport to Termini station for 11 Euros. The ride takes only 23 minutes. From termini station, you can easily get a cab or a bus to your destination – very easy and affordable. If we had known this, we would not have spent the money on a car to meet us at the airport; however, we took the train on our return back to Rome from Positano.
In Rome, you definitely do NOT need to rent a car; public transportation is very reliable and affordable; we took the buses and the metro everywhere. Thus, there’s no need to rent a car here.
Regarding the Amalfi coast, I think that this has to be one of the most romantic places we have visited; we rented an apartment here as well – also, very affordable for $750USD plus $50 for utilities; the apartment was very spacious with a huge terrace overlooking Positano and that beautiful ocean! I would remember those views forever!
In terms of renting a car in the Amalfi coast: in the off-season, do yourself a favor and rent a car; during the off-season, the ferry service does not operate, and local bus service is on a winter schedule; we waited in Ravello for over 1.5hours waiting for the bus to take us to Amalfi for a bus connection back to Positano, and this was on an evening when the temperatures had dropped and the wind was very blustery!
If you go during the summer and seasonal months, you really do not need a car; we took the ferry to Amalfi and to Capri without any problems before the ferry services stopped running for the season. I think the ferry service is the best way to travel in the Amalfi coast during the seasonal months, and very scenic!
Memorable meals: Mark’s Restaurant in Positano; lunch at St. Croce in Nocelle (great service, and those views! J) In Rome, we did not make advance reservations, and we followed the advice of the rental agent! I have to say it’s difficult to get a bad meal in Italy! Everything we tried was delicious and the food very fresh!
We did lots of hikes in Positano based on the Sunflower book that was recommended; this little book is very invaluable. We did the hike from Positano to Montepertuso, from Montepertuso to Nocelle, and back to Positano (only 1700 steps to Positano from Nocelle)! (All in one day…very enjoyable)
The ‘Paths of the Gods’ hike was excellent! The views from up there were amazing! We also got very lucky with the weather; the day we did this hike the weather was in the 60s, clear skies…ahhh J we highly recommend this hike! However, we would not recommend taking the path back to Praiano; it is quite a hike back to the center of Praiano; we finished the hike late in the afternoon, and found it difficult to get the bus back to Positano; we were lucky that we were able to flag the local yellow bus to take back. The other option was to resort to the SITA bus. Thus, once you have finished with the hike, (at the T-junction), simply turn back. We started our hike from Nocelle; we took the bus from Positano to Nocelle.
In terms of the SITA buses, these buses too are very reliable. We took the bus one day to Salerno on our way to Paestum. Well, please be aware that by bus, the ride to Salerno from Positano is long! It took us 40+ minutes from Positano to Amalfi; from Amalfi another 40+ minutes to Salerno; needless to say, we never made it to Paestum, since I could not fathom spending any more time on a bus, and it had gotten colder and windier by the time we got to Salerno; thus, we spent the day in Salerno; Salerno has a beautiful promenade along the seacoast – very picturesque; and saw the Duomo. In retrospect, I would have hired Renato Cuomo to take us to Paestum.
By the way, we hired Renato Cuomo to meet us at the train station in Naples; he sent Francisco; Francisco was very informative and very helpful on restaurant recommendations and local attractions; Renato met us back in Positano to takes to Naples for our train connection to Rome; I highly recommend his services; he’s very professional, and very informative; it was money well spent.
We decided to spent the last night at the Rome Hilton by the airport; this was a good decision since we had a nice leisurely breakfast and then we simply walked to the terminal – very easy and very convenient; when we got to the hotel, we simply went back to Rome (for a little more shopping, and an early dinner) using the hotel shuttle and taking the train back to the hotel using the express train from termini.
Please let me know if you have any questions. Again, thank you very much for all of your help!
It turned out to be a trip of a lifetime! Grazie Mille!
We are back from two weeks in Italy! We spent one week in Rome and the last week in Positano.
First of all, let me say thank you for all of your help and the invaluable information on this site.
We rented an apartment in Rome through Rental In Rome; the apartment is located right in the center of Piazza Navona and the Pantheon. The location could not be beat! The apartment was clean comfortable and very affordable. We could not have asked for anything better.
The highlight of our stay in Rome was Vatican City; we booked the Arte Vaticana tour through Context Rome. I know that this company has received excellent reviews on this board; I have to say that the tour was just OK; the tour guide seemed to be in a rush and we never got to visit the Pinacoteca -- although, the tour guide did provide a very informative talk on the Sistine Chapel. However, the Roma Antica tour with Sara from California was excellent! She was very informative and brought the tour to live! I would highly recommend her.
We were very fortunate to have had the opportunity to visit the necropolis at St. Peter’s Cathedral; this too, was one of the many highlights in Rome! I have to say we loved Rome with all of the craziness and busyness of any major city; we would definitely be back! J
A few suggestions regarding how to get to the airport: TrenItalia offer express train service to/from the airport to Termini station for 11 Euros. The ride takes only 23 minutes. From termini station, you can easily get a cab or a bus to your destination – very easy and affordable. If we had known this, we would not have spent the money on a car to meet us at the airport; however, we took the train on our return back to Rome from Positano.
In Rome, you definitely do NOT need to rent a car; public transportation is very reliable and affordable; we took the buses and the metro everywhere. Thus, there’s no need to rent a car here.
Regarding the Amalfi coast, I think that this has to be one of the most romantic places we have visited; we rented an apartment here as well – also, very affordable for $750USD plus $50 for utilities; the apartment was very spacious with a huge terrace overlooking Positano and that beautiful ocean! I would remember those views forever!
In terms of renting a car in the Amalfi coast: in the off-season, do yourself a favor and rent a car; during the off-season, the ferry service does not operate, and local bus service is on a winter schedule; we waited in Ravello for over 1.5hours waiting for the bus to take us to Amalfi for a bus connection back to Positano, and this was on an evening when the temperatures had dropped and the wind was very blustery!
If you go during the summer and seasonal months, you really do not need a car; we took the ferry to Amalfi and to Capri without any problems before the ferry services stopped running for the season. I think the ferry service is the best way to travel in the Amalfi coast during the seasonal months, and very scenic!
Memorable meals: Mark’s Restaurant in Positano; lunch at St. Croce in Nocelle (great service, and those views! J) In Rome, we did not make advance reservations, and we followed the advice of the rental agent! I have to say it’s difficult to get a bad meal in Italy! Everything we tried was delicious and the food very fresh!
We did lots of hikes in Positano based on the Sunflower book that was recommended; this little book is very invaluable. We did the hike from Positano to Montepertuso, from Montepertuso to Nocelle, and back to Positano (only 1700 steps to Positano from Nocelle)! (All in one day…very enjoyable)
The ‘Paths of the Gods’ hike was excellent! The views from up there were amazing! We also got very lucky with the weather; the day we did this hike the weather was in the 60s, clear skies…ahhh J we highly recommend this hike! However, we would not recommend taking the path back to Praiano; it is quite a hike back to the center of Praiano; we finished the hike late in the afternoon, and found it difficult to get the bus back to Positano; we were lucky that we were able to flag the local yellow bus to take back. The other option was to resort to the SITA bus. Thus, once you have finished with the hike, (at the T-junction), simply turn back. We started our hike from Nocelle; we took the bus from Positano to Nocelle.
In terms of the SITA buses, these buses too are very reliable. We took the bus one day to Salerno on our way to Paestum. Well, please be aware that by bus, the ride to Salerno from Positano is long! It took us 40+ minutes from Positano to Amalfi; from Amalfi another 40+ minutes to Salerno; needless to say, we never made it to Paestum, since I could not fathom spending any more time on a bus, and it had gotten colder and windier by the time we got to Salerno; thus, we spent the day in Salerno; Salerno has a beautiful promenade along the seacoast – very picturesque; and saw the Duomo. In retrospect, I would have hired Renato Cuomo to take us to Paestum.
By the way, we hired Renato Cuomo to meet us at the train station in Naples; he sent Francisco; Francisco was very informative and very helpful on restaurant recommendations and local attractions; Renato met us back in Positano to takes to Naples for our train connection to Rome; I highly recommend his services; he’s very professional, and very informative; it was money well spent.
We decided to spent the last night at the Rome Hilton by the airport; this was a good decision since we had a nice leisurely breakfast and then we simply walked to the terminal – very easy and very convenient; when we got to the hotel, we simply went back to Rome (for a little more shopping, and an early dinner) using the hotel shuttle and taking the train back to the hotel using the express train from termini.
Please let me know if you have any questions. Again, thank you very much for all of your help!
It turned out to be a trip of a lifetime! Grazie Mille!
Nov 10th, 2006 | 05:54 AM
#5
Original Poster
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 56
Likes: 0
Hello Sandi,
Here's the link to the apartment in Rome; the rental agent's name is Marco. He was extremely helpful both via email and in person with restaurant recommendations, etc.
http://www.rentalinrome.com/rondanini/rondanini.htm
Please let me know if you have any questions.
Have fun in the planning!
Here's the link to the apartment in Rome; the rental agent's name is Marco. He was extremely helpful both via email and in person with restaurant recommendations, etc.
http://www.rentalinrome.com/rondanini/rondanini.htm
Please let me know if you have any questions.
Have fun in the planning!
Nov 10th, 2006 | 06:09 AM
#6
Original Poster
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 56
Likes: 0
Hello Rastonian!
The info on the apt in Positano is:
http://www.villeinitalia.com/photos/...tHouseNumber=1
The agent's name is Massimiliano.
I spoke to the owner's; if you book directly through them the rate is much better.
The owner's info is:
Nino La Camera
Piazza dei Mulini, 6
84017 Positano (SA)
Email: [email protected]
Tel: 089 875864
Fax: 089 811854
The apartment is in excellent condition! however, please note, that it took us at least 20 minutes to get there from the beach; we did not mind it since we are both in great shape and since we both love to eat, we thought it was a great way to burn those calories.
If you have any questions, please let me know! Have fun in the planning stages! I just love to plan trips...
Happy travels!
The info on the apt in Positano is:
http://www.villeinitalia.com/photos/...tHouseNumber=1
The agent's name is Massimiliano.
I spoke to the owner's; if you book directly through them the rate is much better.
The owner's info is:
Nino La Camera
Piazza dei Mulini, 6
84017 Positano (SA)
Email: [email protected]
Tel: 089 875864
Fax: 089 811854
The apartment is in excellent condition! however, please note, that it took us at least 20 minutes to get there from the beach; we did not mind it since we are both in great shape and since we both love to eat, we thought it was a great way to burn those calories.
If you have any questions, please let me know! Have fun in the planning stages! I just love to plan trips...
Happy travels!
Nov 10th, 2006 | 06:17 AM
#7
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 9,754
Likes: 0
Hi pnk,
The apartment looks lovely, but geez, is the bedroom really as small as it looks? Also, is the sofa bed comfortable?
My Arte Vatican guide was better than my Antica Rome guide, but I thought both were very knowledgable and personable. Just goes to show, it really depends on who you get.
Sorry you missed Paestum. Yes, you should have spent your money using Francesco to take you. I took public trans (bus-boat-train-walk) and it did take a long time, but was well worth it.
Glad to hear you had a good time!
The apartment looks lovely, but geez, is the bedroom really as small as it looks? Also, is the sofa bed comfortable?
My Arte Vatican guide was better than my Antica Rome guide, but I thought both were very knowledgable and personable. Just goes to show, it really depends on who you get.
Sorry you missed Paestum. Yes, you should have spent your money using Francesco to take you. I took public trans (bus-boat-train-walk) and it did take a long time, but was well worth it.
Glad to hear you had a good time!
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Nov 10th, 2006 | 07:01 AM
#9
Original Poster
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 56
Likes: 0
Hello!
Regarding the bedroom in the apt in Rome, yes, the bedroom is on the smallish side; however, there was enough room on each side to get to bed; however, not enough for a night stand on each side.
The bed was quite comfortable too. I loved the terrace, overlooking the roofs and the church steeples from a distance.
The apt also has an elevator -- on the small side, but enough for two and the luggage.
Nov 10th, 2006 | 07:20 AM
#11
Original Poster
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 56
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Hello nessundorma!
We were there on Nov 2nd. the weather was not the greatest. It was very quiet, just those folks that had to work that day.
We toured the Duomo, and walked around; we also wanted to visit the museaum around the corner from the cathedral, but it was closed.
In retrospect, I wished that we had headed instead to Ravello for the whole day. It was a day that we had planned to go to Naples, but we just did not want to leave the AC.
We did not have lunch here since we have had a full breakfast that day.
Sorry, I could not be more helpful. It was not the most eventful day there, because of the weather and because the museaum was closed -- instead we took the bus back to Ravello, but it was late in the afternoon by the time we got there; however, I am glad we went. we got to go inside Palazzo Sasso (sp?). even though the restaurant was closed, we got to take pictures from the expansive, very scenic terrance. I would love to go back to Ravello -- next time late summer season to take advantage of the summer concerts...
We were there on Nov 2nd. the weather was not the greatest. It was very quiet, just those folks that had to work that day.
We toured the Duomo, and walked around; we also wanted to visit the museaum around the corner from the cathedral, but it was closed.
In retrospect, I wished that we had headed instead to Ravello for the whole day. It was a day that we had planned to go to Naples, but we just did not want to leave the AC.
We did not have lunch here since we have had a full breakfast that day.
Sorry, I could not be more helpful. It was not the most eventful day there, because of the weather and because the museaum was closed -- instead we took the bus back to Ravello, but it was late in the afternoon by the time we got there; however, I am glad we went. we got to go inside Palazzo Sasso (sp?). even though the restaurant was closed, we got to take pictures from the expansive, very scenic terrance. I would love to go back to Ravello -- next time late summer season to take advantage of the summer concerts...
Nov 10th, 2006 | 07:26 AM
#12
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 3,801
Likes: 0
Thanks pnk!
Ravello is a great place, but it is best when the weather is perfect. It would be a great place to really hideout for a week or more, but as a base for touring, its less well situated, and I hear that in high season that the few roads in and out are very congested.
Ravello is a great place, but it is best when the weather is perfect. It would be a great place to really hideout for a week or more, but as a base for touring, its less well situated, and I hear that in high season that the few roads in and out are very congested.
Nov 13th, 2006 | 03:24 PM
#16
Original Poster
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 56
Likes: 0
Hello Denise,
In terms of parking, the apt does not come with a parking space; however, you may want to inquire with the owners; the area where the apt is located is a residential area, where parking is available for residents -- not certain, however, if a resident parking permit is required.
The apt is indeed gorgeous and best of all is that expansive terrace with that magnificent view.
I can't wait to go back; vacations are way too short! I have only be back 8 days and I am already suffering from vacation withdrawal! I am ashamed to say, I have no vacations planned for 2007!
However, considering New Year's in Paris for next year! Ahh, a gal can dream!
Sorry to digress, please call or email the owners, they were wonderful! I am sure they will be able to help you out. BTW, tell them the couple from Massachusetts referred them!
Happy planning!
In terms of parking, the apt does not come with a parking space; however, you may want to inquire with the owners; the area where the apt is located is a residential area, where parking is available for residents -- not certain, however, if a resident parking permit is required.
The apt is indeed gorgeous and best of all is that expansive terrace with that magnificent view.
I can't wait to go back; vacations are way too short! I have only be back 8 days and I am already suffering from vacation withdrawal! I am ashamed to say, I have no vacations planned for 2007!
However, considering New Year's in Paris for next year! Ahh, a gal can dream! Sorry to digress, please call or email the owners, they were wonderful! I am sure they will be able to help you out. BTW, tell them the couple from Massachusetts referred them!
Happy planning!
Nov 13th, 2006 | 07:57 PM
#17
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 202
Likes: 0
We rented the Casa del Sole through the same agency and were equally pleased. It was in Praiano, but we really liked was being away from the crowds of Positano, but only a 25 minute, 1 euro bus ride away, but with an awesome view of Positano. Secondly, our little villa was only about 20 steps below street level (no noise at all), then about 200 meters downhill to the bus stop, stores and restaurants along the mostly level main street. We had all the same amenities, with a bigger bedroom and firm mattress and large side terrace with a laudry drying rack and covered portion,too; the great view was from the front terrace. Enjoy!!
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