This is a bit out of my realm and yesterday I pored over the map and investigated what seemed like dozens of possibilities for this plan:

We are hoping to return to Italy in September. I really want to be able to swim in the sea this trip, and do my usual wandering, people-watching, and eating regional foods in very good restaurants.

I have a few itineraries but due to my desire to swim in the sea, this being probably second week September, I cam up with a new plan to take us first to Maratea, then on to Senise and into Puglia (near Andria and then perhaps area in Gargano, probably Vieste).

From Vieste on to Molise (or Vasto--opinions welcomed in which town I should choose).

I'd like opinions on whether AGNONE and surroundings would be a good stop for 1-2 nights, or to visit AGNONE from TERMOLI.

THEN comes the difficulty:


From AGNONE (or TERMOLI, if we do Agnone as a day trip) I need to return to FCO. Do not want to this drive in one day. (Would prefer not to drive more than 2 hours in same day)

I've pored over towns and hotels in the area of FROSINONE. I found two nice looking B&B's, one in Cassino and one a bit to the NW in CASTROCIELO.
I've no idea bout these towns, but a good place to stay, with good food eitiher or site or nearby, is fine. I've never done a battlefied tour or visited the Commonwealth cemetery near Cassino; not sure if we ought to make time for this or not since we will have already been away for close to three weeks by then.

The area which I have NOT researched yet is the Castelli Romani (looked at Palazzo Fiuggi but you need to sign up for the spa treatments; you cannot just overnight there, and prices, with all those treatments and food by Heinz Beck, are through the roof. Probably will rise even more when word gets out about Oprah's visit!) ) Driving from AGNONE OR TERMOLI to the Castelli Romani would be a longer trip, but if anyone can give me ideas for a wonderful hotel in any of those towns, with easy access to FCO, we could consider that idea. And we might possibly spend 2-3 nights in that town or environs, before making our way to FCO for our flight home. If anyone knows if there are rental agencies in the Castelli Romani, (??) we could drop the rented car off there and get a driver to take us to the airport.

Not sure if the drive to Castelli is to far to contemplate from Agnone/Termoli but if I find a great hotel in one of the towns, we might do this. I've never read much about Tivoli but it sounds as if it might be very busy with tourists and we might prefer a more local base in the area. But again, much depends on the quality of the hotel.

If any of you can offer comments or ideas about this entire plan, especially the portion from Molise back to FCO, please let me know!!!!

ALSO: The drive from Senise (Basilicata) to the area of Andria (Puglia) is a long one, for us (2.5 hours) So, I'm thinking of overnighting between those two towns. The most obvious choice is Matera (upper town, not the sassi). But if anyone has any other ideas (Altamura, Gravina di Puglia, etc) with a very good hotel or agritiruismo, please let me know. Has anyone here stayed in Altamura and is so, how did you like the town? (we've driven through in search of bread but witih parking very frustrating, we stopped only in a bakery on the fringe before moving on to Matera).

Many thanks for help with this somewhat complex and unusual itinerary.

In that broad region (eastern Lazio), I spent one night in Arce, one in Anagni, and one near Patrica.

In Arce I stayed at Palazzo Tronconi, a historic palace turned B&B. Our room was nice, with stone walls and a spa bathtub, but windowless. Arce has a historic town core on a hilltop in a very scenic location, but is otherwise not particularly remarkable.

In Anagni I stayed in Le Stanze del Duomo, a room rental business in a historic apartment building in the town centre. Very nice room with a great view (in a hotel it'd be a suite, probably), but no hot tub. Anagni is very historically and artistically interesting, and very charming, but I was there during pandemic restrictions and didn't see much, only the interior of one church and many picturesque alleys.

Near Patrica I stayed in an awesome place, Dimora Marella. It's a boutique hotel in a former country house, surrounded by greenery, with a lovely living/dining room area with a fireplace (I was there in the winter, it was great). They served me some delicious red wine over dinner. The room was simply furnished but big and with a hot tub and a nice view. Patrica the town, some distance away, is very pretty, a tangle of charming houses and alleys on a hillside and hilltop at the edge of the forest.

In that general area, there's Aquino and Alvito with their hilltop castle ruins, the scenic Melfa gorge, the Casamari abbey, the pretty town of Isola del liri with its historic centre surrounded by the river (that splits in two, forms rapids, and joins again), the historic hilltop town of Civitavecchia d'Arpino, San Donato Val di Comino with a very nice view over the lower slopes and a great restaurant (Baccano), the Carthusian Monastery of Trisulti (an interesting national monument), Collepardo with a massive sinkhole and a cool cave, Pastena with its very cool caves, and on the other side of the Lepini mountains the gorgeous town of Sermoneta, the fairytale-like Ninfa Garden and the impressive Norba archeological area (Roman roads and building foundations with a great view), Rocca Massima with its very long and fast zipline... This is not an exhaustive list. And of course, as you approach Rome, there's the Castelli (and Palestrina) with their treasure trove of things to see and do. I don't have other recommendations for accommodation, though, I'm afraid. As for getting to FCO, once you reach the motorway, or the SR214 if you're staying near Sora, it's smooth sailing to the airport.

Regarding overnighting between Puglia and Basilicata, I did not stay in either Matera or Altamura, but I did stay in Gravina. Lovely town, a bit less dramatic than Matera but less touristy and arguably more historically important (the Via Appia went through it). We slept at B&B Duca Orsini, in a picturesque if windowless room with the vaulted stone ceiling typical of much of Puglia.

Edit: I forgot, I spent two separate nights in Tivoli. It gets tourists, on a scale greater than the other places I stayed at that i mentioned, of course, but most just visit Villa D'Este and Villa Adriana (which is outside the town). I found the historic centre charming and not overrun with tourists, and Villa Gregoriana very scenic, on top of the appeal of Villa D'Este and Villa Adriana. One time we stayed at Dimora del Pavone, a rental apartment/home right in the centre that was very nice, a bit rustic chic, even too large for two people. The other time, we stayed at Antica villa di Bruto, which is a cute B&B at the edge of the countryside that just happens to sit on top of remarkable Roman ruins (the owners' father or grandfather built the house, these days you wouldn't be allowed). Lovely. For food, I highly recommend Avec55 and (outside the town) La Briciola.

Termoli to the greater Rome area is roughly a four hour drive. Castelli Romani isn't going to be much different. If you only want to drive two hours I'd think about something in Pescara or northern Chieti province.

Thanks so much to you both.

Will check out the towns mentioned. Gravina sounds especially interesting, and good to know about Tivoli not being packed in the center. WE'd be less interested in sightseeing at that point than in just wandering around, ,having a good meal or two, and resting before the trek to the airport and home to the US.

T. Nick: Last time we drive from Sulmona, stopped for lunch at an acclaimed restaurant in Carsoli, and dropped the car at FCO before going into Rome. But we are not going into Rome city this trip... I did take a look and it is 2 hours 20 minutes from Agnone to Frascati..maybe that would be a good place to stay before heading to he airport (??) Just a bit more than we wanted to drive but not too terrible.

Given your love of fantastic food, Frascati might not be the best choice. I found restaurants that are cafeteria style, you go through the line. As I recall, the food was OK but nothing special. Maybe somebody knows of a great restaurant there...

Frascati is famous for its good food. Specifically for rustic eateries, fraschette, serving simple local fare. It’s not gourmet dining, but it’s not cafeteria-style, you still sit down and order. There are also proper restaurants; the Michelin guide lists Cacciani in Frascati itself, which I haven’t been to, and Taverna dello Spuntino in nearby Grottaferrara, which I liked (it’s also local food, not fine dining, but definitely nicer than a fraschetta).

Gravina is an interesting visit, lots of rock churches down in the ravine that surrounds 3/4 of the town. The old town is fine. Too long ago to mention B&Bs.

you might want to google maps search for "masseria" in that area as well

All but decided to stay 2 nights in Matera, in upper town. Prices have skyrocketed since we visited about 10-plus years ago..hotel I contacted offered rates akin to a top hotel in Rome...will soon post tentative plan for Basilictata, northern Puglia, Molise and Lazio..three weeks more or less...

eks, more of a question than an answer/suggestion. Some friends and I spent an afternoon in Atina (not Atina Inferiore) about 6 years ago. We arrived during the pausa, so much of the town was shut up tight. But it was really lovely--all the surrounding green hills and Atina's history is interesting--and I have wanted to return for an overnight, with the hope that there is a good restaurant nearby. Have you zeroed in on anything in this part of Lazio? It's quite close to Cassino.

As per my long reply above, I highly recommend Baccano, a restaurant in San Donato Val Di Comino, a 15-minute drive from Atina.

Oh my goodness, you are right about the prices. We "splurged" and spent 2 nights for 323 euros in Sept 2022 at the place I've listed below. Todays price for 2 nights midweek in Sept 2023 is over 700 euros! More than double! (deluxe room with balcony). It was spectacular, if you can cough up the exorbitant rate...So sorry to tease you!
L'Artiere Dimore nei Sassi (booking.com, and it's higher if you don't log in first!)

Thank you!

WOW!! Those prices! And I am looking in the Upper town,, not even the sassi...I am embarrased to tell you all this, but the best-rated hotel (at least on TA..who knows?!) in the upper part of Matera is Palazzo Gattini. They quoted me a price about the same as we paid a few years go at JK Place, THE most wonderful hotel I've stayed at in many trips to Rome.

Ready for this?? Sit down! Double superior at Palazzo Gattini, with breakfast and "spa" access (not needed by me)=675euro . But there is FREE wifi!!!!!!! And parking which of course is useful. BUT if a superior room is too tacky for any of you, the "suite" room for two is 1400euro per night..yes, those are two zeros!!

I know it sounds pretentious and crazy but it seems that just after the travel mags began to publish stories extolling Puglia, about the same time that I wrote (I think) 2 trip reports about our first two trips to the area, ( we took a total of 5 trips there but I did not write about the last 3 on this forum, or anywhere else), the region just blew up in popularity with foreigners from the US and probably other countries as well....I convinced a good friend and his family to go, and my sister as well...both my sister and "celebrity, (albeit with a small circle of theatre people that know his name) husby, and the two of us (partner and me) fell in love with the then very upscale Torre Maizza outside Fasano.

Back then there were about 3 places to eat within a 10 minute drive to the port of Savelettri. I think we stayed at "Torre," as my sister and I still call it) 5 times, back when it was privately owned by the family who did the renovation. And in those days, prices were in the 300euro range which was excruciatingly high for us. But they usually gave us an upgrade for being such loyal customers, and any room there was magical to me in those days...I'm thinking we made our first trip about 2001...and the other within a few years of that....

Now it is under the Rocco Forte umbrella and I don't even want to look at today's prices.....the draw for me was both the architecture and the fantabulous heated, long rectangular pool (heated pools being very rare in Italy; if anyone knows of any,, please do tell!)) .... Look.I am ok with spending more $$$ nowadays, IF merited. But the explosion of popularity in this region means that there are many, many, many tempting places to stay, and although I am still a "fool or a pool," I've had some wonderful experiences in far less exalted surroundings in Salento, on the Ionian coast, inland, and in the area SW of Foggia.....(whee we hope to return on this upcoming trip....mainly for the food; that area, at least, does not get the avalanche of tourists that pour in to the more southerly areas...I think, and I hope!!!

Since I am off on a complete tangent here, let me take this opportunity to speak, again, highly of VILLA CICCHI (spelling??) outside Ascoli Piceno in Abruzzo. I wrote a report about eating there on TA (I rarely review places on that site but this one merited the glowing report). Sure enough, I was looking through Matthew Fort's book about travel in Italy (he's written several and he is a wonderful food-centric, no-holds barred writer for a UK paper) and sure enough, he's written seveal pages about this B&B where we had a time so memorable that not a week or two goes by without me thinking of it and wondering how, next time, I can fashion a trip to include a few nights there... I brought this up to remind all of us, including myself, that there are marvelous places to stay (we had lunch there but having been, I would happily book a few nights next time) that may not rank high on the review sites, and are not even mentioned on this forum. I mean to say that these places can be found, with some research, in (I hope and think) in every area of Italy and I can just as easily bring up other lodgings of that quality in other regions.....just do not limit your researching to TA and to Booking; the latter, to me, is more accurate, but there are other places to investigate..for one, seek out the books written by Matthew Fort.. And I am now reading a memoir named HEAD OVER HEEL, SEDUCED BY SOUTHERN ITALY, written by an Australian who ends up living in Salento,, hometown of his Puglian girlfriend. Available used in paperback on Amazon.


https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g194676-d2169360-r627503332-Agriturismo_Villa_Cicchi-Ascoli_Piceno_Province_of_Ascoli_Piceno_Marche.htm l




Ok, all....many, many thanks and I will now try to revive myself and take a look at another hotel in "upper Matera" the RIDOLA....but not sure about the location.....

Ok, so back to topic: Leely, you are a woman after my own heart, truly! I looked up Atina;; it looks wonderful, but I think it is too far off the A1 for us on this trip. So at the top of my list now stands a place in Grottaferrata, and the VILLA EUCHELIA 'resort" close to the A1 in Castrocielo. Partner prefers to keep the trip as close to 3 weeks as possible. So maybe an overnight there, and then drive to FCo to drop car, OR (my preference) drop car in FCO and take inexpensive taxi ride to Fiumicino town for one last hurrah..dinner at Pacciucci al Porto.

https://www.tripadvisor.it/Hotel_Review-g666976-d1986901-Reviews-Villa_Euchelia_Resort-Castrocielo_Province_of_Frosinone_Lazio.html

No tasting menu for us here....it is wonderful:


https://www.pascuccialporticciolo.it/




In Fiumicino town, we have stayed at Hotel Seccy. But I've also had the TIBER FIUMICINO on my list.....anyone here know that hotel? We want a place near the Tiber, not interested in airport proximity since it only a few minutes from FCO anywhere in the town.

BTW: If you arrive in FCO and want to stay the night in Fiumicino town before, let's say, picking up a rentl car at the airport, be sure to look for the taxi line for LOCAL trips, NOT the taxi line for travelers bound for Roma city....we now spend the night in Fiumicino town before picking up a rental car after the long flight from JFK (NYC)..remind me sometime to relate the tale fo the scene we watched on the way to Norcia when two men actually pulled a female driver out of her car onto the highway, berating her for driving too slowly and, apparently, cutting them off while changing lanes. Might be even scarier than the NYC subway, where just a few minutes ago, we heard of a severe attack on the Lexington line at 86th Street!!!!

Well, so far off course by now, so I close with so many thanks to Leely and to others who gave such detailed information (cannot see the name of the poster I mean to thank, who wrote just before Leely....I can only see the poster right before me when I post a reply...must figure all this out so I can properly thank the superb contributors on this forum!!!

Oh ekschrunch, I feel your pain!
My "must have" is a balcony or terrace, not a pool.
I am going to look up those recs by Mr. Fort, thank you for that tip.
Wish I had known about your fave restaurant in Fiumicino town. We stayed at a very nice and clean mom and pop place (L'Ora Blue, not near the Tiber, no pool lol), figured we'd walk to dinner, chose a really really bad restaurant that stuffed everything into a turnover lol. Why did we NOT choose a pizza place? Hubby got food poisoning BEFORE we even were able to walk the 3 blocks back to the room. Ugh. Lots of fun for him flying out the next day.

I thtink I've spent about 10 hours on this stretchh of the plan alone. Thanks to all who provided advice! It will be best for us if we do not have to drive too far off the main autostrada, so after checking out all the responses here, and about 3 dozen onn TA, I came up with this place, which gets solid reviews and also seems to ahve an excellent restaurant. Now I just have to decie if I want to book the "Love Nest" room!!!!

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

Pretty funny, for me, is that they advertize that their pool has "hydrolyzed cold water!" Guess I can put away the bathing suit.

And from there:

The drive to FCO can be daunting and I want to spare the driver (and his new hip) the anxiety. It is 1:30 to FCO, but I might, nutty as it seems, overnight in Fiumicino town so we can rest before the flight home, and eat at that restaurant that Joan will try on her next visit to Rome!

**Ok, all....many, many thanks and I will now try to revive myself and take a look at another hotel in "upper Matera" the RIDOLA....but not sure about the location...**

I've stayed in the upper town, but I think you stay more upscale than I do. I stayed at Albergo Italia and some of the rooms are antique furniture while others are not (makes no sense to me). I liked the location as the locals were out at night on via Domenica Ridola between Piazza San Francesco and Piazza Giovanni Pascoli. The museum at Piazza Giovanni Pascoli had outdoor performances at night.There's an overlook into the sassi from that piazza. Lots of restaurants and places to have a drink. It's also a short walk from Albergo Italia to Piazza del Sedile with more restaurants and around the corner from that on Via delle Becchiere. There are steps down into the sassi from that area. There is ZTL (upper and lower Matera) and Albergo Italia is just inside the ZTL so I don't know about parking (I took the train). I didn't care for the area between Piazza Vittorio Veneto and Piazza San Francesco as it seemed more shops/less restaurants. Nothing wrong with it, but not the vibe as the other area.

Senise to Andria

Two lovely places pop into my mind. Potenza or Gioia del Colle, both make for a longer journey.

Accom Potenza, no idea as we were staying with friends.

Gioia, if you drive out to the end of the Military airbase (from whence the USA bombed Libya) you will find this little placeTenuta Antico Leccio Agriturismo & Ricevimenti. It has been a few years since we ate there but it was probably one of the most memorable of all my Italian meals

Have just booked the Hotel Tiber Fiumicino for a Night in November so it looks like you'll get there first if you decide to stay.
It was pretty well priced with airport transfers etc and it looks a good location to take it easy for a night.
We're meeting family at the airport after our flight from Sicily and going into Rome for one night sounded too much expense and trouble as we'll be back there a week later.
Someone on this thread also mentioned the ruined village of Ninfa which I think was the most beautiful garden I've ever seen although it can be difficult to organise a visit. As a garden nut it was totally worth the effort.

Ninfa..I need to look that up asap!

In Fiumicino we like the Hotel Seccy...check that out before committing to the Tiber.

And for our next Italy road trip. let's get even further off the tourist trail!! To be discussed, and many thanks....NINFA?!!


Bilborger, I am ever more impressed by your knowledge of Italy. Will now check out what you mentioned; also got a good idea about Gravina di Puglia.....but now I've already comiitted to night Tursi, 2 nights Matera, 3 nights near Canosa.......nowadays the hotels seem to demand some payment at point of reservation if you book direct. But the places you mentioned, together with Gravina and Altamura......plus Bari..there I have my NEXT trip planned. But really want to get to L'Aquila.

So my own calendar looks llike this:


September, 2023 Salerno to Maratea to Senise/Tursi./Montegrossoo area.....Termoli with many stops; followed by inland Molise, Frosinone province, hotel Seccy (Fiumicino)

March 2024..Vejer, Andalucia for 2 weeks plus Jerez/Sanlucar, and one week in the north, prior to Vejer, perhaps Logrono/LaRioja, or return to area near Getaria...north coast, Spain. Rent car for both areas. Solo trip.

June 2024.....Hope to formulate something here which includes places Bilboburger and others mentioned....looking for any ideas on northern Adriatic.....(we've not been further north than Senegalia which we loved)

I should only live so long to be able to take all these future trips, and I did not even mention return to Sicily, to Salina, in September 2024! Same hotel as before, longer stay this time, and combine with other places in Sicily...