Sinead

Hi, I am going to Itlay in sept and spending my first week in Rome and Florence and then I would like to go south to relax on a beach for the second week. I was considering Sorrento but Im told there are no sandy beaches. Can anyone suggest a place that has plenty of restaurants, hotels etc to choose from along with a good beach???<BR><BR>Thanks a mill<BR>Sinead

Rex

For not much more expense, you can now fly to Greece cheaply from Rome - - details on www.europebyair.com - - possibly Spain too.<BR><BR>Best wishes,<BR><BR>Rex<BR>

John

You may want to look at Paestum, South of the Amalfi Coast.<BR><BR>My wife and I stayed at the Best Western Hotel (yes that's right - a good one and quite inexpensive). The area has good beaches, and BW has a private beach for guests.<BR><BR>Have fun

beaches

Just south of Rome you will find a beautiful little beach town named Sperlonga With over 3 km of beach line and remains of the villa Tiberius which makes it cultural as well as very, very relaxing. We stayed in the Hotel Grazia, it cost us only 70 euro for a double room next to the beach. Try a Yahoo search on SPERLONGA

Carol

Though I haven't been there yet, I've heard that parts of the Calabrian coast are wonderful beach areas. I think it may be necessary to be pretty fluent in Italian to get along well in Calabria, though, and it might be best not to go there alone.<BR><BR>There are lots of places in Sicily where you can combine the beach experience with sightseeing (Greek ruins, intereting towns, etc.) or hiking. (I personally wouldn't worry about traveling in Sicily alone but beware of the local mores. It would be best to know Italian, but if you don't you might still manage pretty well in the more touristy areas.)

BOB THE NAVIGATOR

Both Sperlonga and Maratea have fabulous beaches and good ambiance.

GAC

Also add to your list Palinuro (south of Paestum but north of Maratea) and Terracina (near Sperlonga). In Sicily, there are good beaches around Cefalu, Taormina, Selinunte, San Vito Lo Capo, the coasts around Agrigento and Marina di Ragusa. Don't overlook the very popular beaches near Anzio and Nettuno (close to Rome).

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Phil

If it is affordable to fly to Greece from Rome, where would the closest beaches be? Do you have to go to the islands?<BR>

Joe Impullitti

From Florence you can drive or train to the Adriatic coast. I spent time in Alba Adratica. Great beaches and decent hotels at reasonable prices.

John G

What a coincidence because I was just talking to my friend, Jacqui, who lives in London, and she was telling me how absolutely beautiful the beaches are on Sardinia. I know this is quite away from Firenze or Roma, but she said she never saw any place so hauntingly and wildly spectacular. Im sure it is easy to get a plane there from Roma, and probably very cheap too. Cheers.