ekscrunchy

We plan to spend most of the months traveling in southern italy. All if not settled yet, due to many hotles being full in an around Salerno. We can get a room, I think, in Vietri, at Hotel Raito, so might choose that.

Day 1...fly on delta from Jfk to Naples with change in Roma

Day 2..transfer Napoli airport to hotel (TBD) near Salerno..would like name of transfer company.. Possible stay in Vietri, with dinner in nearby Cetara, at Acquapazza. Need taxis for this.... (Hotel Cetus in Cetara is full for my dates)

Day 3 Transfer to Salerno rental car agency, will use AutoEurope
Continue on by rented car to Maratea...5 nights at Villa Cheta in northern area of Maratea...

Day 4
Day5
Day6
Day7


Day 8...Drive from Maratea to Tursi..one night there, with visit to farm of Sr. Pennella (we've met before) that grows, and sells, peperoni di Senise (cooked form=cruschi) Stay in 2-room in in Tursi....

Day 9 Drive to Matera..stay at Sextantio.....2 nights (been to Marera before)

Day 9/10..Matera

Day 12--Drive to area of Minervino..stay 3 nights at local inn (very kind about booking outside restaurants; gets good reviews; owner nothing but kind..

https://www.italytraveller.com/en/z/cefalicchio-country-house


Drive to Termoli, in Molise. 5 nights at Residenza Sveva

https://www.residenzasveva.com/

Drive to inland Molise; stay 2 nights near Larino,possible visit to Agnone, famous for bells!

https://agriturismoessentia.com/en/rural-residence

Now, wend back by car to FCO with 2 nights stop in Castrocielo, Lazio...near Montcassino:


https://www.villaeuchelia.it/?lang=en

Finally, one night in Fiumicino town with dinner as Pascucci al Porto....reservation request in for Hotel Seccy and for restaurant Pascucci al Porticolo....among the stlellar fish restaurants in the Rome area........ too many people spend time in no-character airport hotels, ignoring the loveliness that is Fiumicino town, with its great restaurants and amiable atmosphere...


https://www.pascuccialporticciolo.it/

SusanP

I don't have information to share, but you left out Day 11. 😀😀

ekscrunchy

You have an eagle eye! I abandoned the day count, but here is the upshot..it is a fairly unusual itinerary for newcomers to Italy (me included!!)..so please bear with me if I have the day count off.

To continued where I left off, mistakenly:

After a night in Tursi, and 2 nights in Matera at Sextantio, drive to near town Canosa di Puglia (much discussed in another thread); spend 3 nights at the B&B that was kind enough to book me the restaurants, and was half the price of the first-chosen masserie; have Sunday dinner at:

Masseria Barbera
Monday dinner..Le Tradizione, Minervino Murge
Tuesday dinner..Antichi Sapori


Day 14..Drive to Termoli..RESIDENZA SVEVA..albergo diffuso in old town of Termoli adjacent to the shore.

5 nights in Termoli with side trips to (possibly, (Agnone for bell foundries) and Vasto (for trabocchi; fishing structures suspended above the sea some of which have restaurants with the faous brodetto of Molise and Abruzzo)

Drive from Termoli inland to Molise countryside to small B&B with food on offer; visit olive oil center of Larino, lauded by Gambero Rosso for their oils in past years..

AGRITURISMO ESSENTIAL DIMORA RURALE..2 NIGHTS...likely food at B&B

Drive to CASTROCIELO in LAZIO:

VILLA EUCHELIA...2 nights..dinner there at least one night. Possible visit to battlefields or Montecassino.

Drive from Castrocielo to FCO to return car. Taxi to Fiumicino town...one night in Hotel Seccy. Dinner as Pasciucci--booked already.

Last day..taxi to FCO for direct flight back to NYC.



As per the poster on my other thread........Should I append the moniker "KAREN" to my screen name, because I had the temerity to ask a hotel (with a dinner eating place on site (tasting menu mandatory, priced very high in comparison to local prices ...no accommodation for anyone who preferred only one dish, perhaps after having eaten a full lunch away from the hotel)....

Anyway, to fill in..yes, this way out of order...

Take it from the top!



Trip begins on Thursday 7 September.

Happily, partner has just has surgery and can now walk somewhat, and drive a car...so situation is much improved after last May's Sicily trip when we had to use drivers and he spend most of his time in hotel room (happy, did not have to settle any misfeasance caused my my sending my cc info to the hotels!!!) He has now had more than one month to recover from total hip replacement surgery and at his age, prefers to use taxis and drivers more often than public transport at least until he gets both let steadily on the ground!

Arrive 8 September to Napoli; driver to Hotel Raito in Vietri, since could not find nice hotel available for less than 2 nights in Salerno. 8 September, dinner in Cetara at a long-time favorite, Azquapazza..bus or taxi to get there and back..if we can arise from bed after long flights) (hotel Cetus would not take 1 night booking) (BTW---Quotes for drive from Naples airport to hotel varied widely, by almost as much as 100 euro per one-say drive---be sure to investigate before booking. Most impost a supplement for cash payment. In general prices were fr higher than those a couple of months ago, in Sicily)

9 September...real trip begins with pick up in Salerno of rental car....must arrange this asap, as well as secure new IDP for both of us...


9 September for 5 nights..Maratea, Villa Cheta.... (I've been before and thought the swimming in the sea was sublime..partner has never been). Would love tips on where to eat and swim and visit, hopefully in the lower stretches of the area...have gone as far as Castrovillari in Calabria foro lucn but this time will try to limit wanderings and keep close to Maratea...

14 September...Drive Maratea to Senise to Pepper farm....spend night in Tursi, where owner of two room B&B could not have been any kinder and more hospitable: THE ORANGERY B&B TURSI......again, tips on where to stop elong the route would be welcome as I do not know this area well....

Do you want to get away from the tourist trail in southern Italy? For me, this wish has been fulfilled again and again by staying in the areas near, but outside, Matera.....I am really looking forward to staying here with the owner Martine, who could not have been kinder in heer back and forth e-mails to us...even offered to set us up with a visit to the azienda of Giusseppe Penella, who frowns the covered Senise peppers on his farm now far away....


https://www.theorangeryretreat.com/




https://www.peperonipennella.it/


From there, on to Matera and I think I wrote about this in a backwards way, earlier!!

JAimeParis2

Question, for someone that has been to Italy 25+ times, are you actually looking for feedback? Or is "comments welcomed" only for those that agree with you? And with that, do you even need help? I'd think you would be an expert by now.

SusanP

Wow, JAimeParis2, what is your problem with someone asking for feedback? The feedback not only helps the OP, but others who are considering the area. And since it's apparently a new area for them, information from others who have visited the area would help. After all, that's really the purpose of this forum!

SusanP

I would add that I have been to Italy many times (13), but that doesn't mean that I wouldn't be looking for feedback if it's an area I haven't visited before.

bilboburgler

The idea we normally work to is we assume the OP is asking a clear question which needs answering. The quality of the questions vary enormously but it helps best if those questions give enough back ground information as possible (dates, limitations and knowledge base) so, for example in this case there is no need to chat about ZTLs or how to order in restaurants etc. I'd go with it. I'm not a big fan of Matera so I cannot really comment except to mention that there is a lovely Greek/Roman temple south overlooking the sea from there which is worth a short visit to and perhaps a picnic.

ekscrunchy

Thanks, Bilbo..I think you may mean Metaponto. We did visit there on a different trip (stayed near Bernalda) but that would be helpful for others because for some reason it does not get very much attention on these forums as far as I remember.

I am leery about Matera. We were years ago, as I said and I was overwhelmed in a great way...it was one of the most fascinating towns I'd visited in Europe. But with all the publicity I am afraid that it may have become a kind of Disney-fied "attraction." That's one of the reasons I originally wanted to stay in the Upper town, not in the Sassi, but there were not many convenient hotels in that part of town. I hope we did not make a mistake and choose Matera over Gravina, which a poster here had suggested while back.

I'm also leery about the trulli towns of Puglia for the same reason....so many tourists now, so many new hotels and villa rentals.......I would love to see more of the Salento and maybe I will someday, but for now.....

This Paris-lover poster, above, has made a total of about 2 posts on Fodors..why she or he would bother interjecting into this is beyond me.
There always seem to be some people with an "issue" to vent... I've been to Italy about 24 times, but only a few times to the deep southern regions, and never to Molise or to the province of Frosinone. First I get called a "Karen" and now this silly criticism which I do not even understand. I got news for you, honey...24 visits to Italy barely scratches the surface of all that country holds for the visitor. Look at me...all those times and never to Molise, never to Alto Adige, never to Emilia Romagna apart from Bologna.......a hundred visits would not even begin to penentrate the wonders that await.

And yes, I posted the general itinerary cause some people here are interested, and some may have tips about the places we are going...Molise, especially, and the part of Lazio where we will spend 2 nights before heading to our hotel in Fiumicino. And sometimes people get ideas for theiri own future trips when they read about the plans of others. Last time I looked, this was a travel website, predominantly.

joan

[QUOTEWould love tips on where to eat and swim and visit, hopefully in the lower stretches of the area..][/QUOTE]

EK, in September 2022 we stayed in Maratea as a one night stop while enroute from Sicily to Fiumicino. (way too much driving...)
We stayed at Hotel Gabbiano - which is a spectacular seafront setting, with views all around of the cliffs. The staff were charming, the pool was immaculate, and the food was so-so. Still, I would recommend you stop there and at least have a look around, if not a swim (choice of pool or sea) and a meal. Easy level spot for your new-hip travelmate too. And google maps tells me it's only a 4 minute drive from your Villa Cheta.
Here is a link to the website. Google kept trying to keep me out, saying it was "unsafe". However, I went anyway lol. And if you click on "itineraries" there is loads of info about the area, which you may not need since you've already been there. But heck I did not know there is a giant statue of Christ in the vicinity, for example.
Have fun!
​​​​​​​Hotel Gabbiano Maratea | Splendido Hotel a picco sul mare

ekscrunchy

Joan thank you for the tip on the Gabbiano. II had considered it last time but the couple I was with preferred the Donna Monachie. I will certainly take a look at the Gabbiano....

I am happy to be returning to Maratea. Because the Donna Monachie is in the hill town, it was a little convoluted to drive in and out. so I am happy to be spending 5 nights at Villa Cheta on this trip...gives us easier access to the shore road with the marina, and the private beaches.....

I do remember a moving religious procession in the hill town during the September we were there...must find out this year's date as I found it very interesting....

If anyone wants to offer some restaurant tips, they would be welcomed. I really liked Da Cesare last time, and then there is the land-based menu at Giardino del Epicuro near the Christ statue.....but think I will skip that latter place this time....I wish I had written a trip report after that trip...we actuallyl got trapped inside the Christ statue's fenced off area....yet another adventure...

uktravelover

I noticed that your partner will not long have had a hip operation. Whilst I have not, I know a number of people that have and you may want adjust your itinerary slightly for shorter drives and longer stays. I would also suggest stopping in Rome on arrival and perhaps take the train to Naples and pick up the car for the rest of the trip.

bilboburgler

We have done a fair bit of this trip by train and the odd taxi one time, if a hip is an issue there are alternatives to driving a car.