Parma, Italy information
 

A small group (8 of us) of 50+ yr old travelers, are planning to stop over in Parma, Italy (Sat / Sun - 9/3 & 9/4) on our way by train from Milan to Florence. Looks like an interesting area. We are part of a "walking tour" of the Cinque Terre & Dolomites regions of Italy that will start later in the week. Anyone have suggestions for sites to visit while we are in Parma . . . wineries, food tours, castles, restaurants, etc. and the best way to get around. Are there local trains and/or buses serving the area that can be used to get into the countryside, or should we try to rent a vehicle, motor scooters, etc. for a day or simply book private tours. Thanks!!

I visited Parma (way too long ago) while traversing Northern Italy and stayed one night. LOVED it. We didn't have enough time to tour a prosciutto and/or parmigiano facility, but that's just as well because we would have been tempted to smuggle multiple hams and cheese wheels back home with us!

My best memories of Parma were simply strolling around the centro, enjoying great food, shops and the cafes/bars. This was in the 90s, and we encountered for the first time a non-smoking establishment. It was a casual bar that had a laminated triangular "non fumare" sign glued onto every table. Kind of tacky, yet ahead of its time.

We found Parma to be particularly vibrant and later learned that it must be at least partially because of the University in town.

The historic centre of Parma is worth a visit - walking is the best way to view the central sites. There is certainly no shortage of nice restaurants in and around the city - the city of course being famous for Parma ham (prosciutto).Generally speaking Italian regional trains are fairly efficient although if you really want to see 'rural Italy' a hired vehicle is recommended. Driving in Italy is not as dangerous as many people make it out to be. It has been a while since I last visited Parma and I can't really give you precise details.

In October we stayed in Parma central for 3 nights in the hotel Palazzo Dalla Rosa Prati right on the Piazza Duomo. Although we mostly had day trips in the surrounding countryside, the town of Parma itself was charming!

Parma is really a delightful city, compact so it's easy to get around and lots to see in the city.

Here's a link to a v. good tourism site operated by the city of Parma: http://turismo.comune.parma.it/tport...=cartinaIAT_en


Just for fun, if you're a John Grisham fan, he wrote a fun little novel about an American football player who ends up living in Parma and playing for a football team there: Playing for Pizza.