2 posts tagged “rome”
Hi neighbors! I’m back from my Italian getaway. It feels like I’ve been gone forever! I’m going to blog on a separate Italy story each day for a little while.
First, I thought I’d start with my itinerary and some recommendations for any of you who want to go to Italy. This was my third trip to Italy, and this time it was tour-free, all on our own. I really feel like I got to know the country a little better since we spent a good amount of time in each city we went to.
Our itinerary:
May 22 – 27: Rome
May 27 – 30: Tuscany (we stayed in Gaiole in Chianti)
May 30 – June 1: Naples
June 1 – June 5: Maratea (in the Cilento Coast, a couple hours south of the Amalfi coast)
June 5: One last night in Rome before departing to the U.S.
Our itinerary worked out great. The six days in Rome was a nice amount of time to explore the city pretty fully. On the tours I’ve taken in the past, they’ve only allowed 3-4 days in Rome, which is too fast. Rome is a very fun city with vibrant nightlife, and you want to have adequate time to enjoy it while absorbing some of the history.
I would recommend cutting out Naples for most people. Naples has its charms, and some really great pizza, but you must be prepared to be cheated by every taxi driver, be on your guard when you go out, not walk down certain streets at night… and it gets to be tiring. We stayed in Naples for easy access to Pompeii, but you could stay in Sorrento also, which might be nicer.
I would have loved to add a day to the Tuscany part of the trip. An event called the Classico e started the day we left – what a miss! It’s an event where a bunch of wineries open up their cellars for tasting.
We decided to go to Maratea after I read a Conde Nast article about the Cilento Coast. Just south of the Amalfi coast, it has some beautiful views with much fewer tourists. After driving through and exploring both areas, I would definitely recommend the Cilento Coast and Maratea specifically. Maratea is at the very south end of the Cilento Coast, so it’s a little distant from Amalfi (2.5 hour drive), but much more authentic, quieter, and just as beautiful. It’s located on the edge of a huge national park, with dramatic cliffs going into the very blue Mediterranean sea. It’s a tiny town, but a great place to unwind and enjoy some amazing food.
All the hotels we chose turned out to be awesome, with really helpful staff, and nice rooms in our price range. Here they are:
Rome – Hotel Fontanella Borghese. Perfect location – close to everything but on a quiet street, excellent concierge. We had considered renting an apartment in Rome, but I’m glad we went with a hotel because the concierge helped us with many things like restaurant reservations and recommendations.
Tuscany – La Badia a Coltibuono. A former monk’s cloister which is now a hotel, organic farm, winery and cooking school. Absolutely gorgeous. If you aren’t concerned about budget, Hotel Le Fontanelle would be a spectacular choice.
Naples – Palazzo Turchini
Maratea – Villa Cheta Elite. Gorgeous, wonderful food. It doesn’t have a pool, but you can use the pool at the Villa Mare hotel across the street for 4 euros/towel.
Here are some resources I found helpful when planning the vacation:
The book, Osterie & Locande d'Italia: A Guide to
Traditional Places to Eat and Stay in Italy. My friend gave it to me, and
this book pointed me to the best restaurants, including one transcendental
dinner experience I will blog about next! This is a real foodie's guide to Italy.
RomAround Tours – good company to use for tours in Rome.
Another note, do NOT use Appian Line Tours. Worst tour I’ve ever been on. More than half of that tour consisted of waiting in line and waiting for the bus - it was awful.
Well, all for today. Stay tuned for some food reviews and
photos!
The honey and I have booked a 2-week vacation in Italy, and I am so very excited! Below is our general itinerary -- if you have any tips or suggestions, please let me know! I've been to Rome a couple times, so any out-of-the-ordinary suggestions are especially appreciated. Grazie!
May 22-27: Rome
We're staying at the Fontanella Borghese near the Spanish Steps. So far on my "must do" list are the catacombs, the Vatican, Forum, Pantheon, Borghese Gardens, some shopping, and obviously, plenty of eating. :-)
May 27-30: Tuscany (Gaiole in Chianti)
We're staying at Badia a Coltibuono, a former monk's cloister that is now an organic farm and winery. I'm thinking we'll do a cooking class, and driving around the countryside. Maybe some laying by the pool and reading.
May 30 - June 1: Naples
Staying at the Hotel Palazzo Turchini. Mainly staying in Naples to visit Pompeii, and eat pizza. I'm thinking of going to the archaeological museum too.
June 1-5: Cilento Coast
Staying at Villa Cheta. The Cilento Coast is just south of the Amalfi Coast. I was intrigued ever since I read in article in Conde Nast that said it's as beatiful as the Amalfi Coast, but a lot less crowded and very charming. I've never been south of Naples, so I'm really looking forward to this part of the trip. We'll have a car, and I'm a bit nervous about driving on the cliff-side roads full of hairpin turns, but I think it will be worth it to explore the area.
On June 5 we head back to Rome, and we're out on the 6th. I cannot wait!! Oh, and if any of you have suggestions about Italy movies to watch to get me excited, that'd be cool too. I still have not seen Roman Holiday!
