Italy anyone?

[DerkPerk]

So my wife and I are planning our 10 year anniversary vacation next summer, 2017 in Italy. Nearly 15 years ago while dating, we spent 2 weeks there, 1 week in Rome and a week in Tuscany. Day trips brought us to Pisa, Florence and Milan. My wife Kelly has been to Venice and Cinque Terra. We are looking for something new.
The plan as of now is seeing Bologna, Parma area, Kelly is a huge foodie. I would love to make some Ferrari stop of some sort along the way.
So where have you all been that has been a great, amazing experience. We are open to almost anything. I'd love to hear any of the personal experiences you've had!
Thanks all.
Derek


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[look 171]

We were bumming around Italy the year before we got married. We stumbled upon the northern lake area. It was Lago De Grada. We loved it because it was a sleepy, slower pace, town around the lake. We ended up staying there for a whole week. Just love it. Not nearly as crowded as Como.

[LakeCleElum]

Been 4 or 5 times....All the areas you mention and a few more. Two of my Fav areas:

1) Amalfi coast
2) Lake District: Como, Garda and Maggiore....Had 2 Bedroom Apt 5 minutes south of Bellagio. From there, walk on a ferry to a different town each day for lunch/beer.

Been to Sicily twice, Sandinia once; not on my Fav list....San Marino is worth it if in the area; add another country visited to your list.....
Try to avoid the busy summer/fall seasons....As many as 2,000 tour buses a day come thru Florence at the height of the season....

[Nickshu]

I lived 2+ years in Sardinia, absolutely beautiful place but it's definitely not the typical US tourist in Italy experience. IMO the north Gallura region of Sardinia is much more fun to visit than the south end around Cagliari (most people only go to the south b/c cruise ships often stop in Caligari)

Sicily is very similar to Sardinia, a bit less rustic.

If you are into mountains the Northeast Dolomites area is nice, recommend staying in Cortina d' Ampezzo. Aosta valley is also very nice and offers easy access to France and Switzerland. Both are ski areas in the winter and outdoor playgrounds in the summer, so mud season (spring/fall) might be pretty dead, but also might be cheaper. The culture here is much more German/French/Austrian influenced but still has some laid back Italian. Food is great....In Cortina the big deal is red beet ravioli.

I agree that San Marino is very nice. Also if you can get to Montecasino its one of the most beautiful Churches I have ever seen, inlaid marble all over in various colors, really amazing craftsmanship and some neat WWII history around there.

IMO Venice is a craphole/tourist wasteland, but if you have to check the Venice box then you need to stop by. I have only passed thru Parma/Bologna...I know a lot of Pottery Barn type stuff is made in that area and you can buy the same stuff for cheap if you want to ship or haul it back.

The best time if year to visit Italy IMO is mid Sept to mid Oct. If you are going south try to get there more into October. Avoid August as its National vacation month and often a lot of stuff is closed, especially in the inland regions as the Italians flock to the beaches for vacanza.

Check out agriturismos. They are farms converted to basically B&Bs (most feature full course Italian dinners). The get $$ from the Italian government for keeping something like 80% of what they make and serve actually grown on the premises. They are all over Italy.

I love to tell people something I learned when living there....Italians are perplexed why Americans love Tuscany so much. Tuscany to them is like Italian Kansas or Italian Nebraska. To them it's like taking your honeymoon in Topeka. LOL!!

If you make it to Sardinia it's worth heading over to Corsica as well. Again not the typical US tourist in Italy/France experience but very beautiful especially the white cliffs on the south of Corsica near Bonifacio. Also make sure to get some Mirto, a liqueur that is only made and sold in Sardinia, also Zuppa Di Sardinia...a dish that I have been unable to reproduce at home despite many attempts. So delicious. Also famous local wine called Cannoneau di Sardinia. The Spaniards copied it by taking the grapes to Spain to make Grenache, but Cannoneau is better and tough to find in the USA.

[Bill Douglas]

Originally Posted by LakeCleElum

1) Amalfi coast

Maybe my most favorite part of the world.


I did the back roads and small villages thing, as well as all the touristy places, and loved the places not mentioned in the guide books.

[daepp]

Assisi.

[Charles Freeborn]

Assisi is wonderful, but everyhere you go you walk uphill. Poggibansi in Tuscany and Gubbio in Perugia are also favorites.Sienna too. North of Florence is Bagni di Lucca with it's famous bridge.
The Duomo in Milan is off the hook, and the Galleria there is the model the rest of the world copied...

Look for the tv series "Italy Unpacked" I think you have to stream it from youtube. It's an art historian and a chef traveling around the less traveled areas in Italy explaining art and food. Must watch...

Love Italy; can you tell?

[imcarthur]

The Amalfi Coast is on my shortlist as one of the most breathtakingly beautiful places that I have ever been. Jammed with tourists but it is STILL worth a visit. Most Americans tend to stay in Sorrento on the Bay of Naples & day trip to the coast – Rick Steves must have told them – and access to Naples & Pompeii is certainly easier from there but the magic is all on the southern part of the mountain spine imho. A car is a useless appendage except for ins & outs or for day-tripping off the coast. Driving is challenging - to put it mildly.

And Sicily is fabulous but it is a whole vacation on its own imho. We spent over 2 weeks there. Outside of very gritty Palermo & Catania or touristy Taormina – which is still a must see – the small hilltop towns & villages are incredible.

Ian

[vash]

as long as you dont make the mistake of going to Italy with my insane sister, you'll be fine.

the place is magic. and it's relatively small..you can blast about the place hitting a few cool places with a sporty fiat.

having said that, i think spent too little time in Venice. i needed more!!

and dont go passing those AutoGrills. essentially highway stops where all the food taste like some italian grandma cranked it out. (coming from a non italian food expert). and they have wine..wine+fast buggy like fiat..whoa.

i'm gonna repeat my exact trip..except no insane sister. try to erase the PTSD i got from that "vacation"

[vash]

btw. AutoGrills made Saveur magazines "top 100" this year. so they dont think it sucks either.

not to go all shrink-doc on you..but i learned on that trip its okay to hate a sibling..and love her as well. without guilt.

[5String43]

As look 171 mentioned, the Lakes District is incredible. Very scenic, very beautiful. A great base there is Bellagio. The Moto Guzzi factory is not far from there and it is still possible, I think perhaps, to cadge an informal tour of the joint.

I also second imcarthur's suggestion of the Amalfi Peninsula. We stayed in a town called Positano, which is incredibly pretty and scenic. Mrs. 5String and I would return there in a heartbeat. If you decide on this, check out the Hotel PosaPosa. Very nice place. Good restaurants within easy walking distance.

As for food, it is really hard to go wrong wherever you are, especially if you ask the staff about local specialties and favorites, for both food and wine.

As for the Ferrari experience, Mrs. 5String and I did this a couple of years ago. We visited the museum and then had lunch at Il Cavallino, the restaurant just across the street from the factory. It's a busy place so even for lunch, a reservation is strongly advised. And parking is tough, so patience and planning are required. This is where Enzo used to lunch every day - lots of race memorabilia on the walls.

The other restaurant worth hitting is called Ristorante Montana and is kind of where the hard-core racers hang out. If I recall correctly it is not far from the entrance to Fiorano, the Ferrari test track so, at least as the lore has it, you might see mechanics and team members in there. Also, lots of race memorabilia. Again, no personal experience.

From my perspective, at least, a possible downside to Maranello is that it is out on its own in the industrial flatlands near Modena. Getting there is not at all interesting. But once you're in town and at the museum, well - that's worth doing, I should think.

While at the museum, if you choose to visit it, be sure to take a turn in the F1 simulator. It's many generations behind the simulators the teams currently use, but it still is a blast and is very challenging. Costs about 35 bucks for 7 minutes. For me, at least, it was a very intense 7 minutes. It allows you to choose your race track and also the amount of interaction you have with the car, from full automatic to you control everything. Not at all easy.

[5String43]

As look 171 mentioned, the Lakes District is incredible. Very scenic, very beautiful. A great base there is Bellagio. The Moto Guzzi factory is not far from there and it is still possible, I think perhaps, to cadge an informal tour of the joint.

I also second imcarthur's suggestion of the Amalfi Peninsula. We stayed in a town called Positano, which is incredibly pretty and scenic. Mrs. 5String and I would return there in a heartbeat. If you decide on this, check out the Hotel PosaPosa. Very nice place. Good restaurants within easy walking distance.

As for food, it is really hard to go wrong wherever you are, especially if you ask the staff about local specialties and favorites, for both food and wine.

As for the Ferrari experience, Mrs. 5String and I did this a couple of years ago. We visited the museum and then had lunch at Il Cavallino, the restaurant just across the street from the factory. It's a busy place so even for lunch, a reservation is strongly advised. And parking is tough, so patience and planning are required. This is where Enzo used to lunch every day - lots of race memorabilia on the walls.

The other restaurant worth hitting is called Ristorante Montana and is kind of where the hard-core racers hang out. If I recall correctly it is not far from the entrance to Fiorano, the Ferrari test track so, at least as the lore has it, you might see mechanics and team members in there. Also, lots of race memorabilia. Again, no personal experience.

From my perspective, at least, a possible downside to Maranello is that it is out on its own in the industrial flatlands near Modena. Getting there is not at all interesting. But once you're in town and at the museum, well - that's worth doing, I should think.

While at the museum, if you choose to visit it, be sure to take a turn in the F1 simulator. It's many generations behind the simulators the teams currently use, but it still is a blast and is very challenging. Costs about 35 bucks for 7 minutes. For me, at least, it was a very intense 7 minutes. It allows you to choose your race track and also the amount of interaction you have with the car, from full automatic to you control everything. Not at all easy.

[Craig T]

If you're going to be as far north as Bologna, you should spend a couple days up around Lake Como. The Palace Hotel is right on the lake in the town of Como and reasonably affordable for a historic hotel. Lot's of great food in Como.

Walking distance from the Palace hotel is the Funicolare Como-Brunate. It's a VERY steep tram to the top of the lakeside mountain with a great view and traditional northern Italian food restaurant in the village at the top. It's not as touristy as you'd think. Locals use it to get home from work in Como.

A good day trip is to drive SS583 around the south side of Lake Como to Bellagio. There is a FANTASTIC lakeside restaurants with local fish name Albergo Crotto del Misto in San Giovanni, just sort of Bellagio. SS583 is the route for the Giro d'Italia (Tour of Italy) cycle race and the top of the climb has a 500 year old church made into a cycling museum...and a spectacular view of the Italian Alps.

From Bellagio you can take the Griante Ferry across mid-lake to Cadenabba (sp?) and drive the north side of the lake back to the hotel. Easy day trip.

[DerkPerk]

Thanks for all the great tips and for sharing your experiences. Sounds like the lakes are a must see spot. I'm sure the Mrs would love to visit the cycling museum, Craig.
Keep it coming!

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[Craig T]

Originally Posted by DerkPerk

Thanks for all the great tips and for sharing your experiences. Sounds like the lakes are a must see spot. I'm sure the Mrs would love to visit the cycling museum, Craig.
Keep it coming!

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Here is some info on the MADONNA DEL GHISALLO and Museo del Ghisallo. At the museum are the most beautiful views in Italy. It's just a short side trip out of Bellagio.

https://sicycle.wordpress.com/2012/11/12/a-virtual-tour-of-the-madonna-del-ghisallo/

[group911@aol.co]

My advice would be to quit planning and just go. Start driving a coast- any coast and see what you find. Not many bad places on the Italian coasts

[DerkPerk]

Originally Posted by group911@aol.co

My advice would be to quit planning and just go. Start driving a coast- any coast and see what you find. Not many bad places on the Italian coasts

I'd be up for it but not my better half. She is a planner and has to get it on paper.


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[bleucamaro]

I stayed 4 nights in Modena on a road-trip a couple years ago (1600+ miles frankfurt-paris via italy & the med). The purpose of the Modena stay was to see a town that wasn't touristy, and to get a taste (more like a big-gulp) of Italian car culture. Right in and around Modena is the Enzo Ferrari Museum, Maserati factory, Ferrari Factory and Museum in Maranello (Enso museum has more race-car stuff), the Panini collection ( CUP Collezione Umberto Panini | © West s.r.l. ), Lamborghini, Pagani. And Ducatti in Bologna.

Also check out: CarGuyTour not necessarily to book a tour with Frank, but to plagiarize ideas of places to go.

We stayed at Canalgrande Hotel, and I feel it was a good value charm/location/comfort/price canalgrandehotel.it

About the Panini collection. I thought it was super cool. You drive out to a dairy. get to pet the cows that make cheese for the pope, wander around and no-one speaks english. I talked to a guy in the office and he said the museum is open and to just go walk around. Its a smallish collection, but impressive. There was no charge to explore and photograph to my hearts content. When we went in, we were the only ones there. After we were done, we bought a bunch of cheese from their little store. I thought it was a really great experience. A tip - if you go, you might want to only tell customs that you went to a car collection, and not to a farm. But, if you can, get a tour of the dairy and cheese making

The food in town was fantastic, but I love norther italian style food. I'm sure tripadvisor can find you some good restaraunts. A food story: one afternoon, while walking in town we stopped to get some gelato. They had these packaged breads with tiny chocolate chips in them. It looked like a good treat for my 1yr old son to eat, not too messy, not too sweet. So we ordered one of the breads, a scoop of espresso and a scoop of pistachio. The girl at the counter takes the bread, slices it open like a hoagie bun, and scoops in the gelato. Voila, ice cream sandwich. It was brilliant! The bread was insulation to keep the gelato from melting, and absorbed the bit that did melt.

My regrets from the trip was not getting to tour a Balsalmic vinegar factory
Aceto balsamico tradizionale - consorzio di Reggio Emilia
How to Visit a Balsamic Vinegar Maker in Italy | Italy Travel Guide )
Or getting to visit a prosciutto maker, and getting to visit Schedoni leather.

Have fun on your trip!

[Craig T]

Originally Posted by DerkPerk

I'd be up for it but not my better half. She is a planner and has to get it on paper.


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Same here. My wife needs an agenda. When we were first married I talked her into a 30 day trip to Europe where we had to plans or reservations past the first night in Paris. Every time we left one area for another she had a panic attack afraid we wouldn't find a room. Finding lodging forced us into some really cool off the path places. I loved it. She hated it.

[group911@aol.co]

Don't tell her.

Originally Posted by DerkPerk

I'd be up for it but not my better half. She is a planner and has to get it on paper.


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