zeppole/sl: >>I was addressing the OP, not you.<<

But you were talking about my post >><i>PS: regarding post above mine. . . . <<

We live in Italy, and don't see dramatic price differences at restaurants when we travel in France. Nor do I think there's much difference in the price of accomodation. The only place I've stayed in the south of France was Nîmes, and I don't remember what we paid, probably because it wasn't memorable.

There are no "lunch specials" in Italy. Lunch is more likely than dinner to be the big meal of the day for many Italians.

We're prejudiced, of course, but we prefer Italian food all around. We've eaten pretty well in Paris, apart from a terrible case of food poisoning I once got there. You can get a decent meal at a reasonable price.

In Rome, you do best if you order regional specialties; Italian food is very regional. The typical restaurant in Rome isn't usually very good with northern Italian dishes, such as tortellini, gnocchi, ravioli, and lasagne. It pays to familiarize yourself with Roman cuisine and sample that.

You have more responses on your other thread. Just click on your name to find it.

Rien83,

I live in Italy and share the bias for Italian food, and feel that smaller, cheaper places tend to serve fresher, less generic food than you find in Paris, but you need to do research to locate them. I also think Rome has a great many more b&bs of charm and high quality at favorable prices than does Paris. But for the amount of time you would be staying in either city, I would highly recommend renting someplace with a kitchen. You'll eat better in both places if you do that, although obviously you will want to eat your lunches out. Market foods in both cities can be the best foods you'll find. You need to be careful in Paris, however, about making sure apartment rentals are legal.

janisj,

I was only partly talking about your post. The part where you incorrectly said Rome was wintry in March. But then I added for the OP more information about October weather that had not been mentioned before. Is there some reason you are trying to pick a fight and ruin this thread for the OP? It would be more helpful if you talked about your trips to Rome and Paris (and what year was it? How long ago?)

bvlenci,

Italian food is a huge draw for me as well. I was hoping they do the same thing as Spain as far as a menu del dia. It was our largest meal of the day, with appetizer, entree, dessert all for a VERY decent price. So are you saying there isn't an equivalent to this in Rome?

Sorry for the double threads. For anyone who didn't see my post, I'm new to the site and wasn't sure how to put it in both Italy and France forums.

Anyway, here's my tentative itinerary:

After more deliberation, I've decided to travel in April and extend the trip to 14 days. I also decided to do Capri because it's a place I've always wanted to see, but hesitated for fear of too much glitz and theme park syndrome. I have a feeling I may feel the same way about Capri that I did after seeing Santorini--very commercial but one of the most beautiful places I've ever seen. So glad I went, absolutely no regrets!


Rome-5 nights with one day for Ostia Antica

Naples-2 nights (don't think I could take more!)Pompeii/Mt. Vesuvius Park, one day for the archaeological museum and Naples itself

Capri-4 nights (for the return, take ferry to Naples then train back to Rome)

Rome-3 nights with one day for Villa d'Este/Tivoli

My one concern is costs in Capri. Hotels in Anacapri seem relatively reasonable as April is still off-season, but can anyone shed light on food. I've heard it can be REALLY expensive.

2 nights in Naples is 1.5 days at best. Remember it takes time to check out of your Rome hotel, get to the train station and train to Naples. And ferries to Capri don't run late.

I don't see how you can see Pompeii AND Mt. Vesuvius AND Naples AND the archaeological museum in 1.5 days. Pompeii takes at least half a day plus transportation to and from.

Mimar,

Yea, I kind of thought that myself. I try to not cram too much into a trip, but it's tough when there's always so much to see. I'll have to forfeit a day in Rome or Capri.

If you aren't carrying too much luggage, you can leave it at the entrance to the archeology museum in Naples. So you might try this

Leave Rome, train to Naples, check into charming b&b, have a wonderful grand Neapolitan lunch of pasta and fish, walk around Naples (try to see the cloisters of Santa Chiara as well as the veiled Christ), have a pizza for dinner

Next day, visit Pompei and Mt. Vesuvius -- back for nice dinner and rest.

Next morning, off to Capri for 4 days,

On the return from Capri, take a taxi from the dock to the archeological museum, see the museum, get a taxi to the train station, head to Rome.

PS: I can't resist adding this, which is that if you can get an early start leaving Capri, and are through touring the archeological museum by noon, then what I would do is take a taxi to the train station and stow my luggage again, and then go eat great big lunch at Mimi Alla Ferrovia, which is a 5 minute walk from the train station. Or do it the other way around -- take a taxi from Capri to the train station, stow your luggage, then head to the archeological museum, then go back after the museum to Mimi alla Ferrovia.

If I were taking you by the hand, I would walk you after lunch to Attanasio's bakery, near the restaurant, for hot sofgliatelle, and make a pit stop at Caffe Mexico opposite the train station for one of world's finest cups of coffee-on-the-run, before walking back to the train station.

But there is no two ways about it that marching around Naples is not like walking around Capri! More like an Italian Mumbai. So you might just want to skeedaddle off to Rome pronto.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gDcBI-RS6pA

http://www.cibando.com/en/pasticceri...alde-attanasio

http://www.yelp.it/biz/bar-mexico-napoli

Also, in case you are a late riser (nothing wrong with that when you are on Capri), another possible way to accomplish your agenda is to take a late morning ferry from Capri, go directly to train station to stow luggage, go eat lunch and then afterwards go to the archeological museum. You can still be in Rome in time to comfortably check into your hotel and head out for a light meal, and even enjoy some sightseeing (like the Trevi Fountain or piazza Navona in the evening).

I would consider heading straight to Naples on arrival. It takes about two hours from Fiumicino Airport to Naples, with a change of train in central Rome. It saves you one change of hotel and gives you a little more time doing things that are more fun than packing and unpacking. Yes, you'll be tired, but you can sleep on the Frecciarossa train between Rome and Naples, and you wouldn't be doing much that day anyway. Maybe even pamper yourself with business class (extra €15) or executive class (extra €56, but they often have good discounts available even at the last minute).

Then you could have this more relaxed itinerary:

3 nights Naples
4 nights Capri
7 nights Rome, with two day trips

sandra,

'More like an Italian Mumbai.'

Ha, great description,that's pretty much how I imagine Naples.

I appreciate all your suggestions, especially the food/restaurant-related ones (food IS a priority, no?).

I'm leaning heavily in the direction of going straight to Naples after arrival in Rome, stay there for 3 nights then head to Capri for 4 nights. Seems I'll need some relaxation after Naples. Then I'll take the ferry back to Naples, train to Rome, and settle in there for the remaining 7 nights.

bvlenci,

Bingo! Your itinerary sounds terrific and will probably go with it. Duh, why didn't I think of that? But then that's why we have this forum.

Thanks again, and thanks to everyone who helped me work this out.

Food is certainly important to the Neapolitans. So is their coffee, so if you like coffee, don't miss it in Napoli. Caffe Mexico (there are several branches) is my favorite.

If you like markets, Napoli has vibrant ones.

http://www.wikinapoli.com/to-shop/markets

Napoli also has outstanding dried pasta to buy in an infinity of shapes. And I think Italy's best pastries.

http://www.arthurschwartz.com/guide/...of-naples.html

If the weather is glorious, it can be a treat to go up to Castel St Elmo and take in the view, above the Spaccanapoli and all the way to Vesuvius. You can take a funicular up to it (and sing that famous song as you go) or a taxi. After St Elmo, you can walk down toward the piazza Vanvitelli metro and get to see how the middle and upper classes live in Napoli (it is a bit calmer, but has a lively passeggiata). Some nice places to eat near the piazza Vanvitelli (Dona Teresa, only open for dinner, is a cheap and glorious gem) or you can take a funicular, the metro or a taxi back down into Napoli proper.

sandra,

That Wikinapoli site is tremendous, thanks. I did a little research on Caffe Mexico and it looks to be very popular. I'll certainly be checking that out.

While I know the basics of Italian food, I'm not as well-versed as I'd like so I've been reading up. I love the simplicity of Neapolitan cuisine, can't wait to sample it firsthand. Rome's doesn't look too shabby either. Are there any particular dishes common in Rome that you enjoyed in particular? It's interesting how here in the States we've come to believe certain dishes are authentic Italian and really aren't, like spaghetti and meatballs and fettucine Alfredo.

Fettucine Alfredo actually is an authentic Roman creation. It is authentic to the fancy restaurant traditions of Italy's 20th century, when a ristorante created its own "signature" pasta, but it was invented in Rome. Roman food, at its core, is also very simple, but being a capital city it of course has a big trade in upscale and trendy restaurants. But the every day food of Rome -- including its delicious thin crust pizza, which is different from other pizza in Italy and America -- is straightforward. Rome also has its unique Roman Jewish cooking that is still going strong today.

The best source for learning about the traditions of Roman and Neapolitan kitchens, and the food of Capri, is Fred Plotkin's Italy for the Gourmet Traveler. The book is very much worth having, even though not all the restaurants he mentions are still open. (Although Armando al Pantheon is, and I highly recommend it for one of your lunches). Another source that might work for you is David Downie, because he focuses so much on affordable, traditional eating places. Some of his books are available as e-books or with apps. He's also got a book called "The Quiet Corners of Rome" that might be great for you.

http://www.amazon.com/Italy-Gourmet-...urmet+traveler

http://www.amazon.com/Food-Wine-Rome...sap_bc?ie=UTF8

http://www.amazon.com/Cooking-Roman-...sap_bc?ie=UTF8

http://www.amazon.com/Quiet-Corners-...sap_bc?ie=UTF8

By the way, there are at least 3 branches of Caffe Mexico in Napoli. The easiest one to find is near the piazza Dante, but there is also one up by the Vomero funicular near piazza Vanvitelli and the one opposite the train station.

sandra,

I didn't explain myself right with the fettucine Alfredo. It's authentic to Italy but not in the form we often see it here in the US, with cheese, butter, AND cream. It's really just cheese and butter. I'm reading the excellent David Downie's Cooking the Roman Way, and you've read it so you know he gives the history of its origins. I didn't know about Fred Plotkin though.

Thanks again for all your recommendations, a huge help. I can't wait to eat my way through Italy!

Glad you found Downie! And I do believe I learned everything I know about fettucine Alfredo from him. Cream or no cream, I cannot eat the dish -- it is too rich for me! In general I have learned in Italy to avoid eating the "house" pasta in a restaurant. It almost always has butter or cream in it (yes, even cream in Italy!), and I prefer the simpler dishes that are closer to home cooking.

Plotkin is great (and I am sure Downie would say that too). He is also a wonderful writer.

I've been rethinking my itinerary for my 2016 trip (yes, I like to plan way in advance!). I have a total of 12 days and this is what I'd originally decided:

1. Rome-5 days (with 1 day for Ostia Antica and/or Villa d'Este)

2. Naples-3 days (archaeological museum, Pompeii/Herculaneum)

3. Capri-3 days, then return flight to Philadelphia from Naples


I'm thinking of skipping the Naples and Capri part altogether and spending the whole trip stationed in Rome and taking a few more day trips. There are many parts of Rome I want to see along with easy-to-reach beaches some posters suggested.

The more I think about Naples, I don't know if I would like it very much and I might possibly have had enough of archaeological sites by that time. As much as I love them, it happened to me in Greece.

And even with the beautiful villas and landscapes of Capri, I'm not interested in shopping or the Blue Grotto (I'm claustrophobic!). I also don't care for the glitz/touristy factor, although I've heard Anacapri is better this way. I want a nice place to relax but I'm thinking I could do that with day trips out of Rome.

I'll be going in either April or mid-September, still not sure yet. The older I get the more appealing slow travel becomes, plus I think I'd like to come away with a better sense of Rome. The thing is I may not have the opportunity to return to Italy, so it's a tough decision for me.

Any thoughts?