Lucca as a base?
Jan 15th, 2012, 08:52 AM
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Lucca as a base?
I am new here. Spending most of my spare time going through back-posts.
We are going to italy for 2 weeks at the end of march.
Thinking of this.
Fly into rome. Rome for 3-4 nights
2-4 nights in venice or florence ( cant decide)
Then we found a farmhouse we are thinking of renting about 12k out of lucca.
Looks really nice and peaceful
We were thing of training to lucca, renting the farmhous, and using this as a base .
5-6 nights in lucca with a car for day driving trips. We really like driving and exploring
We dont know what to expect. Is lucca too small of a destination to base for 6 nights?
We like some touristy things , and dont want to complete isolate ourselves. My wife loves shops ...
I guess what I mean is...we definately like the idea of a smaller stay to get the feel of real italy, but this our first trip and we dont just want to be isolated in a farmhouse feeling cut-off.
Sorry if this is a vague question.
Would appreciate any and all thoughts
mike
We are going to italy for 2 weeks at the end of march.
Thinking of this.
Fly into rome. Rome for 3-4 nights
2-4 nights in venice or florence ( cant decide)
Then we found a farmhouse we are thinking of renting about 12k out of lucca.
Looks really nice and peaceful
We were thing of training to lucca, renting the farmhous, and using this as a base .
5-6 nights in lucca with a car for day driving trips. We really like driving and exploring
We dont know what to expect. Is lucca too small of a destination to base for 6 nights?
We like some touristy things , and dont want to complete isolate ourselves. My wife loves shops ...
I guess what I mean is...we definately like the idea of a smaller stay to get the feel of real italy, but this our first trip and we dont just want to be isolated in a farmhouse feeling cut-off.
Sorry if this is a vague question.
Would appreciate any and all thoughts
mike
Jan 15th, 2012, 09:10 AM
#2
Welcome to Fodors. Good question. Lucca is a nice base and you can train to Pisa and Florence from there.
The cut off issue is a sensible question. I like to be able ti walk or bicycle to a basic shop but then that is me. The benefit of being able to go to the same shop every day is you get to meet the locals and interact. I would think there are plenty of smaller villages where you can do this and maybe your farm is like this. 12k from Lucca is not really staying there but it is certainly big enough.
So thinking about Tuscany I have stayed on the edge of 1000 people villages and had a great time. Why not send us the link to the farm and we can see what else there is. For instance staying in Capannori (to the East) might be ok, I've spent 30 minutes in it having a coffee and I could see a post office, Tourist office etc around and would say that would be perfect and Lucca for Mrs Bilbo to spend my money would be perfect.
I find using google maps is great way to get to understand what I want from a place
The cut off issue is a sensible question. I like to be able ti walk or bicycle to a basic shop but then that is me. The benefit of being able to go to the same shop every day is you get to meet the locals and interact. I would think there are plenty of smaller villages where you can do this and maybe your farm is like this. 12k from Lucca is not really staying there but it is certainly big enough.
So thinking about Tuscany I have stayed on the edge of 1000 people villages and had a great time. Why not send us the link to the farm and we can see what else there is. For instance staying in Capannori (to the East) might be ok, I've spent 30 minutes in it having a coffee and I could see a post office, Tourist office etc around and would say that would be perfect and Lucca for Mrs Bilbo to spend my money would be perfect.
I find using google maps is great way to get to understand what I want from a place
Jan 15th, 2012, 09:10 AM
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Lucca is not small and it has a lot of shops, but if the farmhouse is 12km from Lucca, you probably won't be spending much time in Lucca, especially once you realize how hard it is to park there. If you don't want to feel "isolated", maybe a farm stay isn't for you. March is very early to be in the hills around Lucca. It is likely to be wet and cold, so you won't be eating dinner outdoors.
Lucca is pedestrianized, and therefore very quiet, and if your wife wants to shop, consider staying in Lucca. After 2 or 3 nights there, if the weather forecast is nice, take the train to Pisa and rent a car there. Keep it for the remainder of your stay, having fun driving to the sea or into the hills. (Overnight parking in one of Lucca's parking lots is easy.)
If the weather forecast isn't so great, you can use the trains to get to other places of interest -- like the spa town of Montecatini Alta, or pretty little Pistoia, or the museums in Pisa, or even to dip back into Florence or Prato (more shopping!).
But a March farmstay in the Lucca hills might be a bit of a bust in March.
Lucca is pedestrianized, and therefore very quiet, and if your wife wants to shop, consider staying in Lucca. After 2 or 3 nights there, if the weather forecast is nice, take the train to Pisa and rent a car there. Keep it for the remainder of your stay, having fun driving to the sea or into the hills. (Overnight parking in one of Lucca's parking lots is easy.)
If the weather forecast isn't so great, you can use the trains to get to other places of interest -- like the spa town of Montecatini Alta, or pretty little Pistoia, or the museums in Pisa, or even to dip back into Florence or Prato (more shopping!).
But a March farmstay in the Lucca hills might be a bit of a bust in March.
Jan 15th, 2012, 09:14 AM
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Sorry if my writing wasn't clear -- I am suggesting that you rent a nice apartment in Lucca. If the weather turns out to be very nice, rent a car as well (you can do that in Pisa). If the weather isn't nice, simply use the trains to go sightseeing to other towns if you feel like. Lucca has good train connections and is sizeable enough that you won't feel isolated.
Jan 15th, 2012, 09:40 AM
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I agree with zeppole. Maybe for your first trip to Italy its more convenient to stay within a city. Lucca is a lovely base. I stayed there for two weeks while going to a language school and never got tired or bored with it. There are many apts there for rent. I wouldnt think March is a particularly a good time of the year to be in a farmhouse.
Jan 15th, 2012, 11:08 AM
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booking.com for great hotels my favs
www.lucca.info is awesome IN town stay inside city walls
www.venice-tourism.com
seat61.com/italy train to save a tonne.
Good luck!
www.lucca.info is awesome IN town stay inside city walls
www.venice-tourism.com
seat61.com/italy train to save a tonne.
Good luck!
Jan 15th, 2012, 11:56 AM
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Agree with above suggestions that staying in Lucca would be the best choice. Great train connections and easy to get to station. That time of the year the countryside is simply not at its best but the city is great...just the right size.
Jan 15th, 2012, 12:00 PM
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We stayed in an apartment that was about 6 blocks from the walls of Lucca, so it was an easy walk into town. There was a small shopping district a block away, with a very good small friendly family run restaurant on the corner near our apartment. We could park on the street there, so it was easy to come and go. The owner, Aldo, is the manager of the local Audi dealership, also right around the corner. He and his wife, Cinzia, are very nice and helpful.
http://dormireintoscana.it/CasaZiaBeppina/enindex.htm
http://dormireintoscana.it/CasaZiaBeppina/enindex.htm
Jan 15th, 2012, 01:38 PM
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Thank you so much for the replies.
I have to say...we were starting to lean that way , especially for our first trip.
So heres a follow-up...we really chose lucca as a base because we wanted to slow down a little and not change motels that often in our second week. Basically see a lot in rome and florence, possibly venice, then pick somewhere for at least 4 nights.So we can maybe feel more a part of things instead of just visitors.
We really chose lucca because of the small farmhouse we found on a rental sight.Thats what decided our location. Now that we have decided against that and are going to staying in a town, it doesnt have to be lucca...
We even considered training down to naples and taking an overnight ferry to sicily....
( Can you tell we are all over the place on this trip planning?)
I have to say...we were starting to lean that way , especially for our first trip.
So heres a follow-up...we really chose lucca as a base because we wanted to slow down a little and not change motels that often in our second week. Basically see a lot in rome and florence, possibly venice, then pick somewhere for at least 4 nights.So we can maybe feel more a part of things instead of just visitors.
We really chose lucca because of the small farmhouse we found on a rental sight.Thats what decided our location. Now that we have decided against that and are going to staying in a town, it doesnt have to be lucca...
We even considered training down to naples and taking an overnight ferry to sicily....
( Can you tell we are all over the place on this trip planning?)
Jan 15th, 2012, 03:38 PM
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Going south is not a bad idea in March, but if you want to go to Sicily, it is better to fly from the north than take a ferry in March. (I doubt the overnight ones run in March.) However, taking on Sicily as a sightseer is usually quite a project, especially if you have less than a week.
Naples is a fantastic destination, but it doesn't ordinarily pop to mind when people are looking to slow down. However, if you are up for some of the challenges of Naples, it is one of Italy's most open cities. Everything comes to life on the streets of Naples. The Vomero neighborhood is a wonderful place to stay that is middle-class family oriented (with beautiful views) and quick access to any place you want to go via cable car. Weather in Naples is rather nice in March (and you can easily wander out to Pompei for an afternoon before coming back for pizza).
If you'd rather a less rambunctious place, there are literally hundreds of beautiful, beautiful mini-cities or large-ish towns in Italy where you can feel very much a part of things and not just a visitor.
The beautiful town of Arezzo is very easy to reach from Florence and has brilliant shopping, and it is so much more than a tourist destination. It has an Italian life all its own.
Parma is a simply gorgeous gem of a small city, with legendary cheese and perfume, and plenty of wonderful shopping. Also very easy to reach from Florence.
If you don't mind climbing stairs, Perugia is an amazing one-of-kind city, filled with students and chocolate and great vitality.
Spoleto is much smaller, but it is a complete town with everything you need and beautiful views, and you can get there by train (and visit other towns like Assisi by train).
The list could just go on and on -- Treviso (near Venice) or Verona (shopping!!!) or Bologna (shopping plus pasta).
You should elaborate on your idea wish list -- what kind of weather you like, what kind of food you like, what kind of shopping you like, what kind of wine or music or race cars or architecture (Renaissance? Medieval? Baroque? Norman?), etc. That would narrow down the possibilities (somewhat).
Naples is a fantastic destination, but it doesn't ordinarily pop to mind when people are looking to slow down. However, if you are up for some of the challenges of Naples, it is one of Italy's most open cities. Everything comes to life on the streets of Naples. The Vomero neighborhood is a wonderful place to stay that is middle-class family oriented (with beautiful views) and quick access to any place you want to go via cable car. Weather in Naples is rather nice in March (and you can easily wander out to Pompei for an afternoon before coming back for pizza).
If you'd rather a less rambunctious place, there are literally hundreds of beautiful, beautiful mini-cities or large-ish towns in Italy where you can feel very much a part of things and not just a visitor.
The beautiful town of Arezzo is very easy to reach from Florence and has brilliant shopping, and it is so much more than a tourist destination. It has an Italian life all its own.
Parma is a simply gorgeous gem of a small city, with legendary cheese and perfume, and plenty of wonderful shopping. Also very easy to reach from Florence.
If you don't mind climbing stairs, Perugia is an amazing one-of-kind city, filled with students and chocolate and great vitality.
Spoleto is much smaller, but it is a complete town with everything you need and beautiful views, and you can get there by train (and visit other towns like Assisi by train).
The list could just go on and on -- Treviso (near Venice) or Verona (shopping!!!) or Bologna (shopping plus pasta).
You should elaborate on your idea wish list -- what kind of weather you like, what kind of food you like, what kind of shopping you like, what kind of wine or music or race cars or architecture (Renaissance? Medieval? Baroque? Norman?), etc. That would narrow down the possibilities (somewhat).
Jan 16th, 2012, 12:02 AM
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wow that really does help a lot
zeppole, thank you so much for the city suggestions.
And yes I ment hotel.
I know my question is vague. We are not real well-off people, so this will probably be a once in a life-time kind of trip.
We have actually been worn down by a very bad past year. We were hoping to re-kindle some romance , and experience italy as a tourist but also get a feel for daily life. And maybe slow-down and catch our breath a little
Maybe theres a good reason people travel to the big three. They are concentrated with things to see and do.
Thats not altogether bad.
I guess we just had an idea of staying 4-5 nights in one place and slowing down. I know I am over-romantisizing things, but all the books and travel guides show the best possible pictures and views. They make every place look perfect . Its their job to do that i know.
I know this sounds corny , but when I watch the godfather ,a and the scenes are in italy, I see these windng climbing narrow streets . Its awesome looking.
I see pictures of rome and florence and it looks like a day at disneyland it looks so packed.
This isnt what we had in mind.
zeppole, thank you so much for the city suggestions.
And yes I ment hotel.
I know my question is vague. We are not real well-off people, so this will probably be a once in a life-time kind of trip.
We have actually been worn down by a very bad past year. We were hoping to re-kindle some romance , and experience italy as a tourist but also get a feel for daily life. And maybe slow-down and catch our breath a little
Maybe theres a good reason people travel to the big three. They are concentrated with things to see and do.
Thats not altogether bad.
I guess we just had an idea of staying 4-5 nights in one place and slowing down. I know I am over-romantisizing things, but all the books and travel guides show the best possible pictures and views. They make every place look perfect . Its their job to do that i know.
I know this sounds corny , but when I watch the godfather ,a and the scenes are in italy, I see these windng climbing narrow streets . Its awesome looking.
I see pictures of rome and florence and it looks like a day at disneyland it looks so packed.
This isnt what we had in mind.
Jan 16th, 2012, 10:21 AM
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That actually does make sense.
If you are still trying to decide between Venice and Florence, it sounds to me like VENICE is really what you are looking for. You can get away from the crowds in Venice, even in March. Just make sure you are not booking at the same time as carnevale. You can also find a nice affordable b&b by using a website like Venere.com and reading the reviews. Just DON'T book in the neighborhood of San Marco, so you get away from crowds and Disneyland feel.
You said you like to drive and explore, right? Then go to the hilltown area of Tuscany that is south of Siena. Take a train from Rome, get off in Orvieto. See the catheral and have lunch. Pick up your car. Drive to the area of Montepulciano. Stay on a nearby farm, but pick one within 5km. Or pick a b&b at the edge of town. (Again, you can use venere.com for these places).
And then explore.
You can drive the car all the car all the way to Venice, and drop it off there. Or you can drop it off in a town like Chiusi and take the train. Or you can skip Venice.
When you go to Rome, stay in a nice b&b to save money and be EXTREMELY CHOOSY about what you see. Make a plan to only "sightsee" for a half-day, and leave the rest of the day for whimsy. Believe me, if you stayed 4 years in Rome, you'd still only see about half of it. It's OK to go to the Vatican and see one or two rooms and leave. It's OK to see the Forum by going to the Capitoline museum and looking at it from inside the museum. If you go to the Borghese Galleries, you must make a reservation because they limit the number of people who can be in there every hour -- and that is fantastic, because it is therefore never crowded. If you see a handful of beautiful things in Rome it can be better than putting yourself on a tourist march.
Seeing small Italian towns makes many people much happier than seeing Rome, Florence or Venice, so don't be afraid to go out and explore like you want to. These places have art and history too.
If you are still trying to decide between Venice and Florence, it sounds to me like VENICE is really what you are looking for. You can get away from the crowds in Venice, even in March. Just make sure you are not booking at the same time as carnevale. You can also find a nice affordable b&b by using a website like Venere.com and reading the reviews. Just DON'T book in the neighborhood of San Marco, so you get away from crowds and Disneyland feel.
You said you like to drive and explore, right? Then go to the hilltown area of Tuscany that is south of Siena. Take a train from Rome, get off in Orvieto. See the catheral and have lunch. Pick up your car. Drive to the area of Montepulciano. Stay on a nearby farm, but pick one within 5km. Or pick a b&b at the edge of town. (Again, you can use venere.com for these places).
And then explore.
You can drive the car all the car all the way to Venice, and drop it off there. Or you can drop it off in a town like Chiusi and take the train. Or you can skip Venice.
When you go to Rome, stay in a nice b&b to save money and be EXTREMELY CHOOSY about what you see. Make a plan to only "sightsee" for a half-day, and leave the rest of the day for whimsy. Believe me, if you stayed 4 years in Rome, you'd still only see about half of it. It's OK to go to the Vatican and see one or two rooms and leave. It's OK to see the Forum by going to the Capitoline museum and looking at it from inside the museum. If you go to the Borghese Galleries, you must make a reservation because they limit the number of people who can be in there every hour -- and that is fantastic, because it is therefore never crowded. If you see a handful of beautiful things in Rome it can be better than putting yourself on a tourist march.
Seeing small Italian towns makes many people much happier than seeing Rome, Florence or Venice, so don't be afraid to go out and explore like you want to. These places have art and history too.
