Italy 2017
Rome.... Who needs it?
It might seem like a crying shame to go all the way to Italy and skip Rome but that's exactly what we did. When we started planning this trip we thought about a cruise and then realized we'd get the most bang for our buck if we did all the leg work (literally in some cases) ourselves. We turned our tour of Italy into a grand backpacking trip that even an Australian would have been proud of.
We decided to fly into Naples and out of Venice, this gave us nearly the whole country to work with. We purposely skipped popular cruise stops (like Rome and Sicily) because a Mediterranean cruise is still on the wish list one day.
Our first stop was Naples, where after a long plane ride, a less than ideal customs experience in Madrid, and a super economy connection to Italy, we were treated to a pretty amazing aerial view of Naples and the surrounding country side. A taxi ride to our B&B later and we were off to see the city. The key to getting a good start with international travel is to stay up as late as possible the first day so we set out to see the city and find some food. We found a nice little restaurant along the coast with a great view of Ovo Castle and we were introduced to the concept here of having to ask for tap water, if you just ask for water you'll get a €2 bottle. We knew we'd have a busy schedule the next day so we did some recon looking for our train stations and plotting our route out of town. We visited the Naples National Archaeological Museum where a lot of the real archaeological finds from digs in the local area are displayed. Many of the sites have mock-ups on display where the real ones once stood. We both really liked our B&B Nel Regno di Napoli, the staff was great, breakfast was good, and the view from the roof was amazing. Our room had a private bathroom and the location was very close to the nearest train station.
Rooftop view from B&B Nel Regno di Napoli
Our next stop was Sorrento where we stayed for two nights at the English Inn Rooms near the train station. We really liked this facility, it wasn't too far away from anything and the staff was very accommodating. It had a shared bathroom but they had two of them so that was nice. Sorrento was a good jumping off point for some of the local sights like Herculaneum, Pompeii, and the Isle of Capri. It was also a fun town to just walk around and take in the local fare, we found a number of good pizza places and our first gelato of the trip.
The next day we trekked to the excavated cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum and they did not disappoint. Pompeii is a 1 hour train ride from Sorrento, armed with some snacks, water, and sunscreen in our day pack we set out. On a side note, our backpack had to be left in a locker at Pompeii as they do not allow them inside, you can carry water bottles in and there are fountains inside to fill them. We explored the the massive excavated site and found that it's bigger than anyone ever describes it to be. If your goal is to see all of the areas open to the public then you'll be there all day, but know that like any other town, there are must-see spots and then there are a lot of similar places. Our highlights consisted of the Granary, the Lupanar, the Small Theatre, and the multiple bath houses. There were a lot of well preserved wall murals as well. We didn't go to the Amphitheatre and if that's on your list I would recommend going early, it's at the far end of the complex and it's easier to work your way back than it is to convince yourself to add it at the end. Comfortable shoes are a must and you can download a walking tour to your smartphone if you want to save a few bucks. We used Rick Steves and felt like we didn't miss a thing. Gallery
Herculaneum is the lesser known of the two sites so the crowds isn't as bad, it's much smaller but it also has some spots that are well worth the trip. It's a short walk from the train station down hill. We found plenty of places to eat on the way so this made for a good lunch stop. Because of the way Herculaneum was buried, it was preserved far better than Pompeii, it doesn't take long to walk the area and it has some incredibly well preserved buildings, baths, and even a collection of skeletal remains in the boat houses on what was at that time the beach, these were the last souls waiting for evacuation when the lava arrived. Gallery
View of Herculaneum from the bridge near the gate.
The haunting sight of those who didn’t escape.
One of our favorite modes of travel for the trip was taking the water taxi from Sorrento to Salerno. This gave us a great view of the Amalfi Coast and allowed us to hang out for a couple of hours in Positano. If you are going to stop along the way then do some research on what you want to do, there are beaches and some small shops and restaurants on the coast but anything else is going to be an uphill walk that you won't want to do twice.
Upon getting our car in Salerno, we set out for Casino to see the Abby and spend the night. The Abby at Monte Casino has been on Scott's list since high school history class, it's been rebuilt since the aerial bombing in World War II that severely damaged it. It's still a beautiful sight perched upon the mountain overlooking the city of Casino and the surrounding countryside. We stayed at the B&B Colle Cucchiara which was a small setup just outside of town with private rooms and bathrooms, the breakfast was a pretty good spread of meats, cheeses, and pastries. The Abby itself was amazing with some incredibly ornate rooms, a breathtaking view of the country side, and a slightly nervous drive up the mountain side. If you take the bus then don't miss the last one down or it's a long walk, we picked up a poor couple that had done just that and drove them to the bottom. Gallery
The next morning we set out for San Gimingano with a brief stop at the amazing Hot Springs at Bagni S. Filippo. This naturally forming calcium deposit looks like something from an alien landscape, the hot springs flowing out from it are a popular attraction for tourists and locals. It's not hard to find but parking can be a challenge, there is free admission or if you want to pay a few euro there is a resort with hot spring fed pools.
Our journey continued to the walled city of San Gimingano, following our little GPS, we arrived in the city and proceeded towards our B&B with one small oversight on our part, you're not supposed to drive on the roads during the day. After a few comical "Americans driving in Europe" scenes we were able to find parking about a mile away and hike to our place. The city is gorgeous, it looks like you could still film a Medieval movie by just pulling in the piazza seating. We spent two nights here, roaming the town and surrounding countryside and we found a winery called Sorvano de Poggio that offered tastings and a tour. The tourism business is pretty heavy during the day but at night it's like you have the whole town to yourself. We stayed at La Casa di Ceci, a great little two story house with a kitchen. Gallery
Our final driving destination took us to Florence, the beautiful city on the river Arno. After another harrowing urban driving experience we dropped off our car and set out for our B&B, La Loggia, which was a short walk from everywhere! We had two nights in Florence and a whole list of places we wanted to see. A car isn't really necessary for getting around in Italy but it made sense for us because of the fact that we were skipping Rome and wanted to hit a couple of spots off the beaten path. Cars are really a deterrent in cities like Naples, Florence, they are banned in St. Gimingano during the day and flat out banned in Venice. Driving can also come with a ticket in the mail via your rental car company months later with little or no explanation or recourse.
Our hit list in Florence was enormous and we knew we wouldn't get it all in, sometimes we let the line dictate where we were going, sometimes it was the distance. We weren't far at all from the Piazza della Signoria and the museum in the Palazzo Vecchio, there was some sort of concert going on but we were still able to make it into the exhibits. We stopped to see the Basilica of Santa Croce which is the final resting place of Galileo, Michelangelo, and Machiavelli. We took an early morning walk to the top of Piazzale Michelangelo for some amazing pictures of the city. We visited the San Lorenzo Market which was a mix of tourist trap craft booths and a food market, and we tried to make it into the Duomo but forgot that as an active church, proper attire is always required. For dinner on both nights we ate at Ristorante Hostaria Il Desco, this wasn't by design but we had no regrets. The steak Florentine was amazing, the table wine was very good, and the short walk from our place couldn't be beat.
The next morning we boarded the train to Cinque Terra with a stop in Pisa. We'd heard that Pisa is basically just the leaning tower and a few museums. Since we weren't going in expecting much, we weren't disappointed, the area surrounding the tower was very well kept with a picturesque setting next to the Battistero di San Giovanni and the Cattedrale di Pisa. The area is a manageable walk from the train station with our packs on. We posed for the expected pics, took a few for other tourists, found a little lunch spot, and then were on our way.
After a short train ride we arrived in the first town of Cinque Terra, Riomaggiore. We had planned to stay here two nights to see all five towns but quickly realized that there wasn't a huge difference between them. We found that the best food options were in Riomaggiore, the best beach was in Monterosso, and the best wine was a local product called Sciacchetra. This desert wine is very similar to a port but without the brandy bite. We had intended to travel the hiking paths between the towns but due to recent mudslides we had to stick with the train. In Riomaggiore we stayed at the Affittacamere La Giare, it wasn't the easiest place to find but it was a nice room and a very helpful staff. Our second night we stayed in Vernazza at La Perla delle 5 Terre which ended up being exceptionally easy to find since it's a pretty small area. This one was more of a hotel with a very small room and a shared bathroom.
Our next stop, Bologna, was chosen nearly at random, we had two days that needed to be filled, amazingly this ended up being one of our most enjoyable stops. First things first, because we left a little early, we had a little more time before we could get into our B&B so we finally had our first full laundry stop, it's amazing how different a washing machine can be in another country. We made it to our B&B called La Finestra, this was just a room being rented out in a large apartment but it was in a great part of town and our host was very nice. We had done some research and found that Bologna was the foodie capital of Italy so we signed up for a food tour, something that everyone should do if they are in town. We tried a number of local dishes, did a nice walking tour of the city, and met some great people. We even lucked into staying during a festival that kept the streets lively well past our bedtime.
Our final stop was the island city of Venice. We arrived via train and took a water taxi to the area of our B&B. A map is a must in this city as even turn-by-turn directions can be difficult to follow. We copied down exact instructions before leaving and even had a walking map with highlighted routes. We were able to find a great vantage point on the top floor terrace of a mall called T Fondaco Dei Tedeschi.
While the gondola's sure looked romantic, they were €80 a trip and we had plenty of time so we took to the streets and saw some of the highlights such as the Piazza San Marco and the Bridge of Sighs. Gallery
When we finally left for the airport we took the water bus which took us right to the steps of the airport, it was quick and easy and very affordable.
Italy was a fantastic trip and the work we put in on the front end made our trip the envy of a lot of people we know. You can do the box trips, you can do the cruises, but there is so much information out there through trusted travel sites and and a number of short term/vacation rental sites that doing a DIY trip isn't as hard as it might sound.