Northern Italy: a geezer, his wife, and 13 year-old daughter
Jun 24th, 2005, 12:32 PM
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Northern Italy: a geezer, his wife, and 13 year-old daughter
Apologize for the title; just wanted to get your attention because we really do need your help. All these recent threads about renting in Italy have gotten me thinking about a trip we're planning for next spring. It will be my wife and daughter's first time to Italy, and except for fading memories of a stay in a La Spezia youth hostel 30+ years ago, mine too.
We're thinking two weeks, with hotel stays in Venice and somewhere along/near the NW coast (Cinque Terre?), and an apartment/farmhouse/villa rental in Tuscany, hopefully near Florence, but preferably not in it. For our rental stay, my wife has visions of touring surrounding countryside and towns, visiting Florence, and drinking wine during the day, then returning to the villa for a relaxing evening and dinner under the Tuscan stars. That's before our daughter and budget come into view. When you consider those, an apartment in a village/town/city probably makes a lot more sense.
Other considerations are that none of us speaks italian, we'd rather not rent a car (but don't want sightseeing/touring options severely limited as a result), and hope to find places where our daughter won't be bored to tears. Oh, and we'd love places that have retained local color/culture/flavor, and aren't completely overrun by tourists (trip is planned for May '06). The only place we're firmly agreed upon is Venice for three(?) nights.
So, the questions are.... Where on/near the NW coast should we be looking and for how many nights? And where in Tuscany?
All input welcome; we're easily swayed!
We're thinking two weeks, with hotel stays in Venice and somewhere along/near the NW coast (Cinque Terre?), and an apartment/farmhouse/villa rental in Tuscany, hopefully near Florence, but preferably not in it. For our rental stay, my wife has visions of touring surrounding countryside and towns, visiting Florence, and drinking wine during the day, then returning to the villa for a relaxing evening and dinner under the Tuscan stars. That's before our daughter and budget come into view. When you consider those, an apartment in a village/town/city probably makes a lot more sense.
Other considerations are that none of us speaks italian, we'd rather not rent a car (but don't want sightseeing/touring options severely limited as a result), and hope to find places where our daughter won't be bored to tears. Oh, and we'd love places that have retained local color/culture/flavor, and aren't completely overrun by tourists (trip is planned for May '06). The only place we're firmly agreed upon is Venice for three(?) nights.
So, the questions are.... Where on/near the NW coast should we be looking and for how many nights? And where in Tuscany?
All input welcome; we're easily swayed!
Jun 24th, 2005, 01:08 PM
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I am a huge fan of the Cinque Terre, having visited in 2001, 2002, 2004 and May 2005.
What month in the spring are you considering going? It doesn't really warm up until May, in fact my favorite time to visit is mid- to late May. There will be tourist crowds then (and the small but picturesque town of Vernazza is almost always packed with tourists these days if you are there from April to October), but it will be nothing like the crush of July and August.
A highlight of any stay in the Cinque Terre is the hike between the 5 towns. It is 6-7 miles. The parts between Monterosso and Vernazza and between Vernazza and Corniglia are the most strenuous (LOTS of stairs and uphill). Consequently, they are the most beautiful. You can also train between the 5 towns or take the boat (in calm seas).
I think that 2 full days in the Cinque Terre is the optimal stay for most travellers. We usually stay 3 days but admit to loving the area more than most.
I highly recommend Hotel Villa Steno in Monterosso. Monterosso is the largest of the 5 towns but the hotel is in the "old town" part which has retained all its charm and is very quiet. A bonus to staying in Monterosso if you are going in May is that you might catch the Lemoncello festival. The merchants in the "old town" portion of Monterosso all drag out their displays into the sunshine and you can sample all different concoctions of lemoncello, lemonade, lemon tarts, lemon cakes, lemon gelato... then there are lemon soaps and lotions and candles too. And concerts in the piazza. A truly wonderful time.
What month in the spring are you considering going? It doesn't really warm up until May, in fact my favorite time to visit is mid- to late May. There will be tourist crowds then (and the small but picturesque town of Vernazza is almost always packed with tourists these days if you are there from April to October), but it will be nothing like the crush of July and August.
A highlight of any stay in the Cinque Terre is the hike between the 5 towns. It is 6-7 miles. The parts between Monterosso and Vernazza and between Vernazza and Corniglia are the most strenuous (LOTS of stairs and uphill). Consequently, they are the most beautiful. You can also train between the 5 towns or take the boat (in calm seas).
I think that 2 full days in the Cinque Terre is the optimal stay for most travellers. We usually stay 3 days but admit to loving the area more than most.
I highly recommend Hotel Villa Steno in Monterosso. Monterosso is the largest of the 5 towns but the hotel is in the "old town" part which has retained all its charm and is very quiet. A bonus to staying in Monterosso if you are going in May is that you might catch the Lemoncello festival. The merchants in the "old town" portion of Monterosso all drag out their displays into the sunshine and you can sample all different concoctions of lemoncello, lemonade, lemon tarts, lemon cakes, lemon gelato... then there are lemon soaps and lotions and candles too. And concerts in the piazza. A truly wonderful time.
Jun 24th, 2005, 01:09 PM
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beachbum, before you do any planning for the Tuscany portion, please reconsider a car rental. To do the sort of trip you have in mind, seeing the countryside and visiting the small towns, you should have a car. I know it is (somewhat) possible on public transportation, but you will see so much more and be able to experience things so differently with your own vehicle.
If you stay in an agriturismo, you can find many that are not budget busters, but a car will most likely be necessary. I would suggest looking for something around Siena, a more central location than Florence for day trips in many directions. Chianti country, San Gimignano/Volterra, Montalcino, Pienza, Montepulciano, and many miles of gorgeous countryside will be within an hour's drive.
If you stay in an agriturismo, you can find many that are not budget busters, but a car will most likely be necessary. I would suggest looking for something around Siena, a more central location than Florence for day trips in many directions. Chianti country, San Gimignano/Volterra, Montalcino, Pienza, Montepulciano, and many miles of gorgeous countryside will be within an hour's drive.
Jun 24th, 2005, 01:17 PM
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P.S. The Cinque Terre is easily accessible by train.
From Florence it is 2-3 hours. You take a train up to the town of La Spezia (occasionally you need to change trains in Pisa). Then you get off at the La Spezia Centrale station. You can then either buy the Cinque Terre card (it doubles as a hiking pass and gives you access to all the trains running through the towns with some of the proceeds going to the nature preserve in the area) or you can buy a one-way ticket to whichever of the 5 towns you are headed (tickets are cheap - under 2&euro
. The trains that run from La Spezia to the 5 towns of the Cinque Terre are small and slow. Ask someone at the ticket counter for a schedule (schedule comes with the Cinque Terre card). You usually won't have to wait more than 30 minutes as they come frequently.
Levanto is the other city (besides La Spezia) from which the trains run to the 5 villages.
The ride is short - from La Spezia to Monterosso (the furthest away train) the ride is about 25 minutes.
From Florence it is 2-3 hours. You take a train up to the town of La Spezia (occasionally you need to change trains in Pisa). Then you get off at the La Spezia Centrale station. You can then either buy the Cinque Terre card (it doubles as a hiking pass and gives you access to all the trains running through the towns with some of the proceeds going to the nature preserve in the area) or you can buy a one-way ticket to whichever of the 5 towns you are headed (tickets are cheap - under 2&euro
. The trains that run from La Spezia to the 5 towns of the Cinque Terre are small and slow. Ask someone at the ticket counter for a schedule (schedule comes with the Cinque Terre card). You usually won't have to wait more than 30 minutes as they come frequently.Levanto is the other city (besides La Spezia) from which the trains run to the 5 villages.
The ride is short - from La Spezia to Monterosso (the furthest away train) the ride is about 25 minutes.
Jun 25th, 2005, 05:20 AM
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As much as I love the Tuscan countryside and the Cinque Terre, I hesitate to recommend it to any family with a 13-year-old daughter; I'm not sure it would appeal to kids in the way that it appeals to grownups. I can envision my taking my 10-year-old to the Cinque Terre, hiking between the towns, pointing out all the different varieties of fruits and vegetables growing by the trail, and him saying "whatever."
What kind of trips/vacations has she enjoyed the most in the past? You don't need to recreate an American amusement park, but you might want to include experiences that she appreciates. For example, my 10-year-old son loves city life (as do I), so his first trip to Europe will be London-Paris, with a couple of days in the Loire. So if your daughter likes cities, or shopping, or movies, then you might want to focus more on those kinds of locations. (Not pandering to the kid, but keeping her interests in mind.)
With each site you're considering, in Tuscany, Florence, or whatever, sit down with the entire group and review what you MIGHT do each day. Not necessarily plan an itinerary, but you might point out that from San Gimignano, you can do X and Y, and see what the response is.
Consider staying in Florence. It's a vibrant, lively city that's very easy to walk around in. Most teenagers would enjoy hanging out by the duomo in the evening (even if you're there too). Great gelato too!
And I strong advise, also, on renting a car to travel Tuscany. It will make your journey much easier.
Good luck planning!
What kind of trips/vacations has she enjoyed the most in the past? You don't need to recreate an American amusement park, but you might want to include experiences that she appreciates. For example, my 10-year-old son loves city life (as do I), so his first trip to Europe will be London-Paris, with a couple of days in the Loire. So if your daughter likes cities, or shopping, or movies, then you might want to focus more on those kinds of locations. (Not pandering to the kid, but keeping her interests in mind.)
With each site you're considering, in Tuscany, Florence, or whatever, sit down with the entire group and review what you MIGHT do each day. Not necessarily plan an itinerary, but you might point out that from San Gimignano, you can do X and Y, and see what the response is.
Consider staying in Florence. It's a vibrant, lively city that's very easy to walk around in. Most teenagers would enjoy hanging out by the duomo in the evening (even if you're there too). Great gelato too!
And I strong advise, also, on renting a car to travel Tuscany. It will make your journey much easier.
Good luck planning!
