As I understand it, LaSpezia is a naval port, and it doesn't get good press. This is my problem: Leaving JFK 6:00 p.m., arriving Rome 8:30 a.m. (AA flys direct to Rome). We are taking the train from Rome to LaSpezia, which will get us there at 4:00 p.m. At this point, we expect to be very tired. I made a reservation at the Jolly Hotel for one night, then we are on to SML. Is this a poor way to start our vacation? Does anyone have a better suggestion?

Where are you spending the rest of your trip? I would have flown to Milan to go to Cinque Terre first, but if you are going to do alot of other things, perhaps Cinque Terre can wait until later in the trip.

Thanks for replying. AA doesn't fly direct into Milan, only Rome. We are leaving out of Milan - Heathrow - NY. We didn't want to have "connections" both ways, so we opted for a direct flight into Rome. I'm not crazy about flying anyway. Got any ideas?

Sorry, I didn't give you the entire itinerary: On to SML as a base for 5 nights (we can move around from there -north to Portofino, Camogli, south to the Cinque Terre. After that we are going to Menton, Fr (French Riviera)as a base for another 5 nights. Train to Milan, bus to Malpensa, staying 1 night at the Villa Malpensa.

&lt;I'm not crazy about flying anyway. Got any ideas? &lt;<BR><BR>I hear you there. Thank God for Jack Daniels. Have you thought about a few days in Florence and the Tuscan hilltowns. I would probably go first to Tuscan hilltowns (rent a car for a couple of days and explore), then to Florence and then on to the Cinque Terre (use Levanto as a base in my opinion). I'm not a Portofino or French Riviera guy, so I am sure one of the many posters on the board can help you there. If you get to Provence, I would recommend St. Remy or Arles as a good base. My own personal Hell in Europe is Aix-en-Provence (trust me, it's worse than flying on any airline). It's polluted and overcrowded. When I want that experience, I drive a few miles into downtown L.A. and stand by the bus exhaust. Actually another place to stay before Milan would be in Lake Como area (Bellagio and some neat towns are connected by ferries (very relaxing). Hopefully this all make sense. If not, a Jack on the rocks brings evrything into perspective.

Message to Maitaitom, Thanks for the input. We've been to Florence, Tuscany, and enjoyed it, but want to stick to the coastline this time. Actually, Lake Como was on the agenda, instead of France, but decided against it because May 4th, it may still be chilly that far north, and we've had enough winter this year in Connecticut. Want some warm weather and sun (hopefully).<BR><BR>Grazie! (I'm 1/2 Italian)

We did a walking tour based in Aix-en -Provence for 5 nights in May a couple of years ago and the town was wonderful! We stayed a little way out from the centre of town, and would catch the bus in &amp; out for dinner at the hundreds of outdoor and indoor cafes! An old Roman town with plenty to see by wandering around with a guide book - Lonely Planet. Also Van Gogh and Cezanne studio to see. If you're only staying 1 night, it's not going to matter where you stay really - just have some Italian wine with dinner and take a valium to be sure, go to bed at 8.30 if you last that long!<BR>Buon Viaggio

i_am_kane, we stayed at the Jolly in La Spezia in June 2000 and thought it was a very nice hotel. We were in La Spezia for a very short time (2 nights) and really did not spend much &quot;day&quot; time there-we spent the day at the Cinque Terre so I'm not the expert on this town but I wished I had had more time to spend there. I liked all the palm trees, etc. <BR>There was a lovely little restaurant that the front desk at the Hotel told us about and it was only about a block away-I think it was called La Posta or something close to that....just ask at the desk.<BR>Have fun!<BR>Shadow

Kane - I can't see much point in stopping at La Spezia.<BR><BR>SML is only another hour further, so you may as well go all the way, - you'd be there by 5p.m.<BR><BR>If you prefer to break the journey, - why not Pisa or somewhere more interesting?<BR><BR>Steve

I posted this on your other thread - you didn't do anything wrong, there's only one Europe board, and indicating 'Italy' just sets a search term that helps others locate posts having to do with Italy.<BR><BR>You can do as Steve suggests, and go all the way, or try for something like Viareggio or Forte dei Marmi, which are about half an hour south of La Spezia. Or you could even pick Pisa (not an especially great place, but it does have the tower, and it would be a shorter distance to cover on your first day.)

As usual, I concur with Steve !

I'm a quick study...if I can get an additional night at The Continental Hotel in SML, I will cancel the Jolly Hotel. I already have my train tickets, which are valid 5/3-7/2, so we're good to go! (I just knew there was something wrong with my original plans). Everyone on this board is so kind and generous with their expertise, I only wish some of my replies to other posts were as good (I try).<BR><BR><BR>Cindy

La Spezia is a wonderful city and there is nothing to fear. Beautification efforts over the years have really helped improve the port/harbor area and there are lovely parts of the city. There are nice accommodations near the train station if that would be more convenient (I don't know where the Jolly is located). I consider La Spezia my 2nd home as it is the base for the Cinque Terre area and all the residents do their shopping there as it is the biggest city in the area. You will enjoy it - if you can take a stroll down the main pedestrian boulevard, Corso di Cavour, with all the lovely lights, window shops and restaurants. It is very pleasant.

As all have said, it's best to continue onward to SML. It'll only be a change to the local train once you get to La Spezia; fyi, make sure you use the facilities before you get off the ES train. The restrooms in the La Spezia train station are clean &amp; well-maintained, BUT they are the old-fashioned 'hole in the ground' type facility. It's been a couple years since I was in Spezia, so possibly they've updated them ~ but don't bet on it. <BR><BR>It would be best if you can get that addl night at The Continental Hotel; otherwise, look into spending your first night in Levanto or one of the CT towns. <BR><BR>Should you end up staying the night in Spezia, it's okay. I'd characterize it as a town that's nice to live in, but doesn't have much tourist appeal. I had a friend who used to live there (her husband is a naval officer &amp; they've since gone back to Rome) and so my perspective as a visitor is different than most. <BR>

Cindy, I agree with others that you might as well continue on to SML, especially if it's just an hour further. <BR><BR>That being said, a word about La Spezia. We had to drive there from Vernazza last spring to drop our car off. While waiting for the rental office to open after lunch, we found a restaurant/trattoria a few doors away, called Il Gargantua, and had one of the most delicious meals of our trip there. Nothing fancy, just great pasta. And no one there spoken any English so we had fun communicating with our limited Italian and sign language. Our waitress was delightful. <BR><BR>From there, we took a taxi to the train station for the ride back to Vernazza. With a hour or so to kill, I began walking toward a pedestrian shopping area (Corso di Cavour maybe?) and, while it was no Via della Croce in Rome, it was still quite nice. It was interesting to spend just a bit of time in a &quot;real&quot; working Italian city that most tourists probably go out of their way to avoid.

You’ve got two threads running on same topic. Here’s the connection to the other one so you can easily review the input on “Having Second Thoughts on LaSpezia - Need Some Input, Please.”<BR><BR>http://www.fodors.com/forums_reg/pgMessages.jsp?fid=2&amp;tid=34410344<BR><BR>

Haven't stayed at that particular Jolly, but they are excellent, small &quot;business&quot; hotels. They are immaculate, with room service on offer (not always the case in Italy even at pricier hotels) with gorgeous bathrooms. The ones in Italy are used to train dining room wait staff and thus are very well-served in the food/service area.

Many thanks to everyone for their input. We are cancelling the Jolly Hotel in La Spezia. I have a confirmation from The Hotel Continental in SML for one additional night. This new itinerary makes more sense.<BR><BR>