I'm planning a trip to Italy this May/June. I plan to visit Rome, Florence, and Venice. I'm wondering what other sites/towns I should visit.
I'm also wondering if there are any nice wineries / vineyards that may offer accomodations in the country-side... Also, would it make sense to rent a car to travel between all these cities. I've never driven in Italy.
Any help or suggestions would be much appreciated and welcomed.
Premium account Joined: Aug 04 Points: 30796 Posts: 958
Posted: 2005-01-12 17:13:00
Only 80 miles west of Venice lies Verona and one of Italys alpine lakes, Lake Garda (Lago de Garda), a particulary scenic area different to the big cities. Also, but far south but away from the industrial areas, Sicily I hear is unique.
Premium account Joined: Jun 04 Points: 14634 Posts: 523
Posted: 2005-01-12 19:43:00
Hi Jay
concerning vineyards/vineries....
Between rome and florence you got the vineyards of chianti, montalcino, montepulciano, bolgheri, morellino di scansano just to name a few. In the last few years there is a new style of hotels that became more and more popular called agriturismo. Most of them are pretty new therefore quite comfortable and generally quite good value for money. They are attached to a agricultural venue, most probably a vinery but also others. There are some guide books available, also on the internet try google.
Much more comments available from me but got not more time right now!
Martin
--- Today is the first day of the rest of your life, enjoy it!
I'll investigate the agriturismo, sounds exactly like what I was wanting. Lago de Garda also sounds like an excellent spot to take in some beautiful Italian scenery.
Premium account Joined: Jun 02 Points: 12835 Posts: 215
Posted: 2005-01-20 00:28:00
Hi There,
If you are a confident driver I would definately suggest to rent a car. If you do so you can take a tent and save on some accomm costs. There are some great campsites in Italy and many of them are in really central locations, for example we stayed in one in Florence (sorry I can't remember the name) that was up on a hill behind town and overlooked the Duomo. This also allows you to explore some of the smaller villages that abound rather than sticking with the big cities.
If you have time I really regret not driving down to Pompei first before heading north.
Thanks for all the suggestions. I just booked my ticket today... So I'm definitely going.
I'd like to go the route of a car rental, do you or anyone have a good suggestion? It really sounds like getting off the beaten path and exploring is the way to go.
The other site you could see would all depend on how much time you have to spend.
You may want to check out Pisa and Siena along with Assisi.
The train system in Italy is quite good. You could make it easily to those cities by train. I would avoid driving as the streets in Italy are confusing, it is difficult to park, and the drivers are aggressive. It's just too much of a hassle for me.
