Carol

I'd like to see parts of southern Italy where my grandparents were born, but I do not want to rent a car by myself, reaching small towns and exploring remote areas by public transportation would probably be time-consuming and difficult, and I've found very few tours that go to these areas. Is anyone else interested in forming a small group of people to pool skills and knowledge and travel together to Basilicata and possibly also Calabria and other less frequently visited parts of the south? Or does anyone know of small group tours to these areas? ( I noticed someone in this site trying to recruit an informal group for an indeppendent trip to Hungary and it seemed like an interesting idea.)

Rex

This will be partly duplicative of my e-mail reply to your inquiry about the Hungary trip, but I think that others have expressed an interest in southern Italy before, and I would be certainly interested. <BR> <BR>And for those who want to read an interesting side bar about Basilicata, once again, the NYTimes just so happens to have recently... <BR> <BR>www.nytimes.com/2000/09/03/travel/BASIL.html <BR> <BR>Rex <BR>[email protected] (backup e-mail for now) <BR>

zzz

someone answer him please?

BOB THE NAVIGATOR

CAROL, I have traveled some of this area in the past, and it will not be easy trying to do public transport. You <BR>can get to the major cities by train, but you really need a car to get off the <BR>path. You can design a very nice trip to <BR>include the Amalfi coast and Taormina to <BR>your ancestral destinations. I know of no commercial tours, but you may want to <BR>search and find a tour company called <BR>" Stay and Visit Italy" that had something they offered about 3 years ago. Good luck ! Holler if you need help <BR>

Ed

Carol, <BR> <BR>I think I can help you buy selling you some books at my "non-profit" website. www.twenj.com.

cmt

Thank you. I did find one specialized tour out of NY to towns in Basilicata, and also received an answer from "my" town regarding the bus that goes there from Potenza train station. Though the tour group of 25ish will be about 3x larger than the tours I'm used to, it otherwise meets my needs. However, I'm still looking for either a small group tour (pref. either a commercial "walking" tour or a museum/university educ. tour) or others who might have the same interest to travel part way together. <BR>I already did this kind of visit in Sicily and prefer not to cover too much territory at one time, so a repeat visit to Sicily will be for another time. I will check out "Stay & Visit Italy for further leads. <BR>PS I was surprised to get a response. I'd replied directly to someone's unanswered old posting on this topic dating back to July, so i figured anything about this area must be a dead issue. If anyone is really interested in giving me pertinent info, you can mail me directly, since I won't be checking this site regularly. Thanks.)

carol

The tour I'm thinking of taking DOES go go Matera caves, Metapontum, Maratea, Aliano, plus other places in Lucania that I've heard of, but does NOT go to Pollino National Park, which I'd like to see. Have you been there and do you know whether one can get around much of it by vehicle or is it ONLY accessible on foot (human, horse, donkey, etc)? I hope I'm not breaking some rule by asking this twice. (I'm new here.)

Roberta

Check out GoAheadvacations.com...have good tours and you can make up your own too. But don't be afraid to drive...get a good map of Italy roads and look how easy it is to find the little towns...it's great to drive because you can stop when you want, you can change your plans on a whim and stop wherever you love; and the drive itself is great especially in Calabria/Amalfi coast. In Once you are in the towns, say Taormina for instance, you don't even need to drive to explore the local gems!

cmt

Thank you for the suggestions. However, what I'm interested in this time around is something much, much more specialized and focused. Some places I'd like to visit are pretty remote, on the tops of mountains in the interior, and the improved modern roads may n ot have reached them yet. I personally would not drive there!!! Especially not alone!! That's why I'm looking for either an established, specialized tour or -- a long shot-- people who might want to wander the area with me. <BR> <BR>I am not planning to go to Sicily on the same trip when I go to Basilicata (too much ground to cover in 2 weeks in my opinion). I've been to Sicily three times (most recently this past spring), including to remote mountain towns, as well as to many but not all of the "major" tourist attractions (e.g., Taormina). <BR> <BR>I'll try to find my other posted question on the Basilicata topic, which has a little further info re the major attractions in this relatively unknown area, and will put it back near this one just in case someone, some day, can help. (Or maybe by the time someone reads this, if ever, I'll know the "answers" and I can help you!) <BR> <BR>

cmt

I forgot to add this: please see companion-query entitled "Basilicata (Lucania)-southern Italy)." Thank you.

Howard

Hello - <BR> <BR>Since where you want to go is so specilaized, especially the palces related to your family, I would suggest you skip the group tour idea, and piece together I trip tailored to your interests. <BR> <BR>I would think that some of the places you want to visit are accessible by train and/or bus. If you do not want to drive to other places, you can hire a taxi, or car & driver to get there. There may also be some places where there are day trip tours that can be signed on for once you are in the region. <BR> <BR>Howard

cmt

Howard -Found it, must have crossed in cyberspace. What you suggest is what I'm weighing as well. I can easily plan the itinerary, but public transport is infrequent (I've researched it). I've also considered the car hire idea. I think what you suggest IS what I'll do on a SECOND visit to the area (if any), but the tour (which is surprisingly specialized, just bigger group than I'd like) may be the best option for a FIRST time to this area. <BR>But if you're suggesting that it's time to give up asking for answers to this post, I think you're right. Thanks anyway.

Howard

Be brave, and go on your own the FIRST time!!

t

t

carol

Thanks for "topping." Please see companion query: Basilicata (Lucania)- southern Italy.

xxx

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