Hi,
I%26#39;m a 36, single woman and would like to visit Italy %26amp; France.
I%26#39;m looking July 3 or 4 until August 7 or 8. I can extend the date another week if I need to.
I%26#39;m visiting family in Scigliano, Calabria (Southern Italy) and family friends in Formia, Latina. I haven%26#39;t decided on how many days I will stay with each but I am estimating app. 2 weeks in Scigliano and 10 days in Formia.
There%26#39;s not much to do in Scigliano. My mom told me that the train only stops early in the morning and returns late afternoon. Is this true? Has anyone traveled to this town?
These are some of the places that I am interested in visiting. It doesn%26#39;t mean I will visit ALL but I%26#39;m giving you a general idea of where I would like to go:
Florence
- Tuscany
- Lake Como
Liguria
- Cinque Terre
Naples
- Sorrento
- Amalfi Coast
- Positano
- Island of Capri
Venice
France
- Paris
- ? Any suggestions on where I can go? Not too busy or touristy.
I’m looking for places where I can just walk and enjoy what’s around me and take in the city that I am visiting. I don%26#39;t want to rush seeing things,
Quaint and cute places
Shops where I can buy some nice gifts that are not expensive or close to where the tourists are. I want to buy some things that remind me of where I was w/o looking too much like a souvenir, i.e. spoons,
I’m not much into seeing churches and cathedrals. I feel that once you have seen them, they all look the same.
I’m okay with going to a museum but I need to see something that interests me, i.e. portraits, paintings
I thought of visiting family in Formia, and then traveling around for a bit before heading down south to my grandmother’s. I was going to fly back home from there but I think that it might be too much.
What if I visited 2-3 cities, head to my grandmother’s, visit another 2-3 cities, finishing off in France and going home from there?
Which places can I use as my base? i.e,. Sorrento and travel to Amalfi Coast, Capri.
What are other good travel bases?
Accommodations - I was looking into B%26amp;B, hostels and pensione. Can you recommend any nice places in this area that are a good value.
Thanks.
P.S. Has anyone stayed at Victor Hugo hotel? Is it good?
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The best thing you can do is get a Rough Guide For Italy. It covers a lot of remote areas along with all the usual biggies. You need to do some reading so that you will learn which things most interest you, if any, as well as the cities you will most like to visit.
These are all very personal things, and this trip should be tailor made for you, not for one of us.
BTW, spoons are one of the biggest sellers among souvenir items, all over the world.
Sorrento is on the Amalfi Coast, as are Capri and Positano. Pompeii and Herculanaeum are also on the Circumvesuviana rail route - it%26#39;s a commuter service out of Naples, not operated by the National rail service.
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Sorry, I forgot that you also want to go to France - you%26#39;ll need a good guide book for France, as well. You need to read both of them, or you%26#39;ll have no idea what things will most interest you, and you could miss out on something that would make the trip the best it could possibly be.
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You are going to Europe.. where practically all middle size and big cities have sizable pedestrian areas and many small places are off limit to cars..Outside the places where your relatives are, all the place you mention are touristy but they aren%26#39;t like Las Vegas or Disneyland....in Venice, for example, most tourists use a well trodden path between the Railway station/ bus depot and St Marco square.. leaving the rest of the city to locals and more inquisitive tourists. Don%26#39;t plan to spend too much time w/ friends and relatives..I did that several times and after 3 days my grandma kept asking when I was leaving as I threw her usual routine totally out of whack.
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Wow! It%26#39;s great reading all of your messages, suggestions and tips. Thank you so much.
I have been doing a lot of research, and came across these guide books. I read the reviews on amazon.com b/c chapters.ca hardly has any reviews, and there seemed to be a differences of opinion for most of them and strong %26quot;yes%26quot; for others. Here is my list that I drew up after reading SO many reviews. Tell me what you think.
Rick Steve%26#39;s 2009 Italy
Italy for Dummies 2009
Italy, Eyewitness Travel Guides
Frommer%26#39;s - The Amalfi Coast, with Naples and Capri
Frommers%26#39; Italy 2009
Let%26#39;s Go
Fodor%26#39;s Italy
Fromers%26#39; Rough Guide?
Lonely Planet
Italian Survival Guide - the language of culture you need to travel
I%26#39;m going to take a break from my lap top tonight. I%26#39;m starting to feel like I%26#39;m married to it! lol.
I will write back soon. My eyes need a break.
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Hi,
I haven%26#39;t had a chance to respond because I have been busy with research work, reading TA reviews and reading reviews for travel guides on chapters.ca and amazon.com. I ordered 3 books %26amp; will be ordering a few more from Chapters.
Lonely Planet Italy 8th. Edition
Karen Browns Italy Bed %26amp; Breakfasts 2009: Exceptional Places to Stay
Let%26#39;s Go Italy 2009
I will be picking up the last copy of Eye Witness Italy at Chapters tomorrow (it%26#39;s on hold) and ordering one for France. There are so many reviews but it seems like the Eye Witness, Let%26#39;s Go, Lonely Planet %26amp; Unoffical Guides got more than not favourable reviews compared to Rick Steve%26#39;s guides. There were a lot former Rick Steve fans who are %26#39;disappointed%26#39; with his guides.
I am debating whether to get Let%26#39;s Go France 2009. I have some guides saved in my wish list which I am debating to buy. I spent almost 4 hours searching for and reading travel guide reviews for Italy and France. I was exhausted but excited. I think too excited because I had over $200 worth of travel guides in my shopping bag!! lol. I can%26#39;t afford $200 on travel guides so I had to cut down my list. I can%26#39;t remember what guides I have on my list because I can%26#39;t get into my account but will let you know in my next posting.
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If I understand your post correctly, you will have slightly more than 1 week outside of your visits to Sciliagno and Formia. So, 2-3 cities before AND after your 24-day visit is way too much.
I have been to all of the places you mentioned and, if it were my trip, I would a)add on as many additional days as possible, b)stay within Italy and c)devote all of my remaining time in the Amalfi Coast area (Amalfi, Ravello, Positano, etc.). An alternative grouping that would work well is Venice and Lake Como. Or, go directly to Paris from Italy and forget everything else for this trip.
I would not stay in Sorrento because I find it a bit %26quot;tired%26quot; but would probably split my time between Amalfi and Capri. A day-trip to Capri is nothing like an overnight visit there, preferably of at least a few days. It is a gorgeous island that can not be truly seen nor appreciated in a day trip. And, the evenings there are enchanting.
As far as the books are concerned, I might suggest that you go to the library first then pick up a book at the bookstore once you%26#39;ve narrowed the field. I like Frommer%26#39;s but this is a matter of personal preference.
Once you have decided on the towns or cities you are going to visit, feel free to PM me and I can suggest some very charming places for you to stay.
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I%26#39;m not sure what is most important to you, so I will just give you a brief run down of min. days needed in my opinion. I left out Lake Como since it is not near the other towns listed.
Florence and surrounding towns to check out: Lucca, Siena, Pisa, San Gimigiano. You can base yourself in Florence to visit these cities. If just doing Florence stay there a min. of 2 full days.
Cinque Terre: Looks beautiful, I%26#39;m going this year. From what I have learned. 3 days is more than enough time. Genoa is not far from CT if you want to stop there.
Sorrento: Min. of 4 days to allow yourself to see the Amalfi Coast, Positano, the Island of Capri, and if interested Pompeii. Use Sorrento as the base.
Venice - Min of 3 days needed
France - I%26#39;ll say bare min. 5 days
I am surprised Rome is not listed. Rome is a min. or 3 days and you can also take a day trip to Orvieto.
My top two cities out of the list that I say are MUST sees: Venice and Paris.
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Hi Isabella,
You will enjoy Formia, it is a nice beach town, with lots of events going on at all times. It is nice for taking an evening stroll or just sitting outside enjoying a cappucino or espresso and watching the people go by.
I would also recommend capri,naples (beware of pickpockets)venice and florence.
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Hello Everyone,
I have been busy with work and doing research for my trip so I haven’t had a chance to sit down and type. Also, I’m not feeling great today. I woke up with sore throat %26amp; achy muscles so I skipped my workout this afternoon. And decided to respond to messages and relax today.
I am excited about going Italy %26amp; France and planning my trip. I feel overwhelmed some days with all of the research, reviews and readings that I need to do but it’s also exciting and somewhat surprising that I am doing this. I didn’t plan on traveling to Europe this year. I thought that I would be doing. I thought that I would be working at my part-time (which I isn’t exciting or wonderful), and taking a Chemistry course to qualify me for a university program that I am considering. I AM and will be changing career paths. : ) I am hoping to have some leads before I leave for my trip.
I ordered four books so far and I am looking to purchase a few more. I’m not sure how many to buy but some of them sounded so good and I couldn’t resist. These are the ones that I ordered so far:
Lonely Planet Italy, 8th Edition
Karen Browns Italy Bed %26amp; Breakfasts 2009: Exceptional Places to Stay
Let%26#39;s Go Italy 2009
DK Eyewitness Travel Guide for Italy
I will also pick a few from this list:
Eye Witness Travel Guides Italy (will pick up tomorrow)
Eye Witness Travel Guides France
Italian Survival Guide (received great reviews on amazon.com and scored 5/5)
France Survival Guide
The Rough Guide to France
I did a lot of research on the travel guides, and in almost all of the reviews that I read there were former fans of Rick Steve that didn’t get rave reviews. However, there were some positive reviews on some of his books from some new fans.
I am still looking at flights. I feel very overwhelmed with this because I’m not familiar with a lot of airlines. For the most part, I search on Google for ‘multi-city flights’ from Toronto to Rome and Paris to Toronto
I may not be visiting my aunt %26amp; uncle in Formia. My mom told about 30 minutes ago that my uncle might not making it and if this is the case, then my aunt is going to be coming home (to Canada) to deal with things. I feel really bad for this whole situation that both my aunt %26amp; uncle have been through. I wish it never happened but it did. If she does come home within the next month or so, then I will change my travel plans. It will be good for her to be home. She misses being here, and misses everyone.
After all the talk about Lucca (and the free concerts on the streets), it may be one place that I will definitely visit.
Does everyone use a travel diary? Do you write in it often AND do you bring any reading material with you (novels or magazines) to read on a relaxing day?
Hi Nutsabouttravel – Thank you for your suggestions. You have given me a lot to think about. I was originally planning to travel for 5 weeks but I may move that up to 6 weeks. This is not 100% right now but once I map everything out for myself (places to visit, activities, day trips, etc.), I will have a better idea of how long I will want to travel.
I would a) add on as many additional days as possible – I will b/c I don’t want to rush through my trip.
b) stay within Italy – I still want to visit France. I figure since I am already in Europe, then I would take the opportunity to explore another country. I don’t know why I chose France. Spain would be another place that I would consider. Hmmmnn? lol. This might be on my next trip!
c)devote all of my remaining time in the Amalfi Coast area (Amalfi, Ravello, Positano, etc.). An alternative grouping that would work well is Venice and Lake Como. – It sounds like the Amalfi Coast is a hit with many travelers. I will certainly spend some quality time here.
%26quot;....Or, go directly to Paris from Italy and forget everything else for this trip. – I don’t understand what you mean here? I was planning to go to Paris from Italy. What did you mean when you said, “….forget everything else for this trip?”
As far as the books are concerned, I might suggest that you go to the library first then pick up a book at the bookstore once you%26#39;ve narrowed the field.
- It’s good advice. I bought 3 books based on MANY reviews that I read over a period of 2 nights but I noticed that my library has some travel guides that have been discussed on this forum. I was actually quite surprised that they have them b/c it’s a small library and they don’t always have certain materials. I will have to make my way down to the library tomorrow!
Once you have decided on the towns or cities you are going to visit, feel free to PM me and I can suggest some very charming places for you to stay.
- Thank you. I appreciate it. I will certainly be contacting you! : )
Hello Buffalo66,
Thank you for your posting. I greatly appreciate your thoughts and suggestions.
I%26#39;m not sure what is most important to you, so I will just give you a brief rundown of min. days needed in my opinion. I left out Lake Como since it is not near the other towns listed.
- I wanted to visit Lake Como but as you mentioned, it’s not near the other towns that I also want to explore.
- Genoa is not far from CT if you want to stop there. I actually noticed it on the map and thought about it. Hmmnn? I will read up on it and see if it’s a city that I would enjoy visiting.
- I have been to Florence and Pisa. I loved Florence and it’s beautiful. I will check out the other places that you mentioned. Lucca has been mentioned to me several times in other posts. It seems to be getting 2 thumbs up!
- I am adding Rome to my list. I didn’t have it on m y list because I was there in the past (age 12/13 %26amp; 24/25) and visited Vatican (tour), Spanish steps %26amp; Trevi Fountain (but I don’t remember it, which would be a good reason to see them again), and the Sistine Chapel. When I think of Rome, I think of the places that I just mentioned however, I have reconsidered b/c I read some wonderful stories from other peoples’ experiences.
- ……you can also take a day trip to Orvieto. I have never been here so thank you for suggesting it.
- My top two cities out of the list that I say are MUST sees: Venice and Paris. I agree. My list has just grown by a mile! By the time I am finished planning this trip, I’m going to be traveling for 2 months and broke!! lol. I hope to meet a wonderful European gentleman who is financially secure. lol.
Hi vertgpu2,
Thank you for your recommendations. My mom has already warned me of the pickpocketers! The little buggers!! lol. I should carry a pouch with some chocolate pudding or some mashed up ripe persimmons!
I’m not sure what’s going to happen with Formia. I mentioned that my uncle is not doing well so I am not going make any definite plans for there right now. I’m sure that I will find out something early this week.
Thank You EVERYONE for your tips and advice. I greatly appreciate it! : )
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Hello,
I haven%26#39;t been on in a while b/c I have been sick with a really bad sinus cold. I%26#39;m on antibiotics and starting to feel better. I was off of work for almost 1.5 weeks. I rested/slept a lot. However, I did find time and energy to read through the travel guides and do more research on the Internet.
I also decided where, and for how long I will be traveling. I am going to give myself 7-8 weeks (May 19/20 - July 14/15). I am flexible with the dates so even if I leave a few days later or a week later, that%26#39;s okay. I chose these dates b/c I read that flying out on Tues, Wed, and even Saturday%26#39;s is cheaper.
Some of you may be worried or wondering why I haven%26#39;t booked my flight yet and I have been doing a lot of research and studying flight schedules and fares. I would LOVE to fly business class due to my not so great experience in economy class on my last trip with Air Canada. I have found some business class seats for $2726 but would like to get it for about $1000 cheaper. I have VISA GOLD but not enough points to get a ticket. I also have Esso and Petro Points and HBC Rewards (about 140,000) but I don%26#39;t know if I can convert them into airmiles or aeroplan points? I know that business class is expensive (not as expensive as first class) but if I can find a good deal, then I won%26#39;t mind paying for it (within reason). It will be worth it especially on the long flight.
I am also looking at economy tickets and found one for about $570 (round-trip) to Rome. I am trying to book a multi-city flight (Toronto to Venice; Paris to Toronto) b/c I thought and read that it is cheaper however, someone told me that it%26#39;s cheaper to book a round trip. I compared the round-trip to a multi-city flight and there was about a $250-300 difference. However, if I do decide on a round-trip flight, then I need to consider that I will need to travel by train or plane from Paris back to Rome to catch my flight home. Any suggestions or thoughts?
I am using farecompare.com and expedia.ca. I checked out other discount sites but most of them are in U.S. dollars. Also, some discount sites don%26#39;t offer multi-city flights as well as, don%26#39;t fly out of Toronto.
Oh! I almost forgot. Here are the cities that I plan to visit:
Start in....
Venice (5-6 days)
Rome (2 days)
Formia (family) (6-8 days)
Tuscany - Siena, Cortona, Assisi,Umbria(6-7 days)
Scigliano (12-14 days)
Sicily (3-4 days)
I will visit my grandmother for about 6 days; go to Sicily and then return to my grandmother%26#39;s)
Sorrento - Positano, Amalfi Coast, Island of Capri, Lucca (5-6 days) This amount includes the cities mentioned from Sorento to Island of Capri to Lucca.
Cinque Terre (3-4 days)
Provence - (4 days)
I am still doing research on France. My sister suggested Lyons. Any other suggestions on which city to visit instead of Provence? Provence sounds really nice; country like, full of sunflowers.
Paris (5 days)
Go home......
How does this look? This is not 100% (set up of how I will do things) but it gives me an idea of how I will be traveling. The days are estimates. I don%26#39;t want to rush through my visits. What do you think of the time line that I gave myself?
I%26#39;m visiting both northern and southern Italy so I will be doing some traveling but that%26#39;s okay. I%26#39;m going to give myself time to enjoy each city that I am in.
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