San Gimignano and Lake Como 2 weeks
Dec 12th, 2006, 07:03 PM
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San Gimignano and Lake Como 2 weeks
We are planning to visit Italy with our 2 high-school aged kids in June of 2007. To really "feel" the country, we think of staying for a week in San Gimignano and taking day trips around there, and then a week in Careno on Lake Como, again doing the same. We will have a car. Any comments would be appreciated. I seem to have found perfect apartments for us thru vrbo.com, and can hardly wait! Thanks everyone!
Dec 13th, 2006, 05:43 AM
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We took our kids out of school this fall (ages 11 & 13)for a 5 week trip through Europe. What they missed in classes they more than made up for in what they saw and learned. We spent one week close to Siena visiting many hillside towns, and would highly recommend your week in San G. We also spent 3 1/2 days in Menaggio, which is down and across the lake from Careno. Menaggio is larger than Careno, and we were ready to move on at that point. It is pretty quiet up on the lake area. For us,if it was summer and you were beaching it, then it would be a beautiful place to stay for a week.
Dec 13th, 2006, 03:02 PM
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Ira, we've already given them a taste 2 years ago when we spent 4 days each in Rome and Venice, and then a 12-day cruise. Now we want to focus on smaller areas... I can never get enough of Italy...
Dec 13th, 2006, 04:13 PM
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We love Lake Como.
Considering the fact that there are teenagers involved, you might want to be in one of the towns that is one of the 'transportation hubs'. These are the the towns of Varenna, Bellagio, and Menaggio.
Considering the fact that there are teenagers involved, you might want to be in one of the towns that is one of the 'transportation hubs'. These are the the towns of Varenna, Bellagio, and Menaggio.
Dec 13th, 2006, 06:26 PM
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Tuscany may be a little too laid back for teens (at least it is for mine). Spend a few days there and go South to Rome and the Amalfi coast or North to Forence and Como. As an ault - 4 days in Como area was plenty. For painful.
Dec 17th, 2006, 03:50 AM
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Depending how independent your kids are, they might prefer to be on the eastern shore of the lake where they can catch trains and boats all over the place. From Varenna to Milan is about 75 minutes by train, and of course there's plenty to do in the city, e.g. shop: http://www.beginningwithi.com/italy/...nteenshop.html
best regards,
Deirdré Straughan
beginningwithi.com
best regards,
Deirdré Straughan
beginningwithi.com
Dec 17th, 2006, 05:07 AM
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You can certainly get a feel for things at the lake IMO as it is very relaxed and depsite the fact that there aren't a lot of "high powered" nightspots even mid-lake, it can be a memorable place to be.
Ira, believe it or not there are actually teenagers who enjoy this kind of thing.
Ira, believe it or not there are actually teenagers who enjoy this kind of thing.
Mar 1st, 2007, 04:59 AM
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As others have said, with that location, your daytrip options will be quite limited. We chose Lugano for our one week stay so that we were equidistant to Como and Maggiore, not to mention the beauty of Lake Lugano itself. Having experienced all of them, we found Lugano to be the most interesting and scenic.
A great daytrip from Careno would be to the perched village of Soglio, just over the border, in Switzerland.
A great daytrip from Careno would be to the perched village of Soglio, just over the border, in Switzerland.
