The Italy Thread

[BHMCruiser 1819]

I admit I am totally befuddled by love for Naples. I think it is gross, grimy and boring. But I will give it another try at some point I'm sure.

[BHMCruiser 1819]

It's like when people talk about how much they like Baltimore. I'm just utterly flabbergasted. 

[South Austin 52634]

6 minutes ago, BHMCruiser said:

Horse is delicious.

It was when I ate it, though it was prepared in a rich wine braise.  Never had it otherwise.  Donkey was also on the menu.  Like horse, it's common restaurant fare in Northern Italy. 

[PenelopeWitherspoon 19165]

43 minutes ago, BHMCruiser said:

I admit I am totally befuddled by love for Naples. I think it is gross, grimy and boring. But I will give it another try at some point I'm sure.

To each their own.  I will ask when was the last time you were in Naples?  I saw a marked difference for the better between my visit in 2018 and 2021.  

Edited November 10, 2021 by PenelopeWitherspoon

[BHMCruiser 1819]

4 minutes ago, PenelopeWitherspoon said:

To each their own.  I will ask when was the last time you were in Naples?  I saw a marked difference for the better between my visit in 2018 and 2021.  

1995, 1997, and 2004. Like I said I'm willing to give another try. I'm going to reach out for recommendations from you and others before I do because, again, I really hate Naples.

[PenelopeWitherspoon 19165]

37 minutes ago, BHMCruiser said:

1995, 1997, and 2004. Like I said I'm willing to give another try. I'm going to reach out for recommendations from you and others before I do because, again, I really hate Naples.

Yea, I would say if I had visited in those times, I would probably hate it too.  It has been cleaned up significantly and there has been some serious investment.  They are really seeing the returns as well as tourism is way up.  

 

[BHMCruiser 1819]

48 minutes ago, PenelopeWitherspoon said:

Yea, I would say if I had visited in those times, I would probably hate it too.  It has been cleaned up significantly and there has been some serious investment.  They are really seeing the returns as well as tourism is way up.  

 

Good to know. I will check it out at some point. 

[South Austin 52634]

For whatever it's worth, Rick Steves was always a big fan of Naples, even back when most others thought it was shitty.

My only experience with Naples is in 2004, running from our cab through a crowd with our heavy luggage to get to the train station and catch our train to Rome, after being caught in traffic on our drive from the honeymoon spot in Positano.  We made our train with about 2 minutes to spare. For the brief but panicked time I was able to take in my surroundings, Naples seemed like a shithole. 

[VABuckeye 2472]

Our experience was a taxi ride in 2018.  It did seem like a shithole and the driving skills of our taxi driver were scary to say the least.

[LonghornJones 837]

I absolutely love Nipples.

[BHMCruiser 1819]

I guess what it really boils down for me is that there are so many AMAZING places to go in Italy. How does Naples even make that list? If there's stuff to do there (like the Museo) you can't do anywhere else? What is it? 

It seems like the rough equivalent of being a European, coming to the United States to visit, and going to see Tulsa. Why?

[Longhorn94 2458]

ok, we leave for the airport in 1 hour! the next 11 days in Italy. We are soooooo excited. First, Tuscany, then Rome, then Venice.

 

Thanks again for all the feedback and advice. It has been central to our planning and reservations. Y'all made me a hero to the wife. I owe yall!

 

 

[PenelopeWitherspoon 19165]

1 hour ago, BHMCruiser said:

I guess what it really boils down for me is that there are so many AMAZING places to go in Italy. How does Naples even make that list? If there's stuff to do there (like the Museo) you can't do anywhere else? What is it? 

It seems like the rough equivalent of being a European, coming to the United States to visit, and going to see Tulsa. Why?

Pompeii and Herculaneum, Birthplace of Pizza (and the best in the world to be fair), The Underground (pristine Roman ruins buried under tons of volcanic ash...basically a roman market that is almost in tact), plus Naples was the seat of the Kingdom of Naples and Sicily.  It was only with the unification of Italy in 1848 where power shifted to the more industrial north, that Naples really went downhill.  Naples gets a bad rep, but holy shit, there is so much history there.  It was founded by the Greeks.  It really is fascinating.  It is also the first Italian city to rise up against Nazi occupation.

[PenelopeWitherspoon 19165]

1 hour ago, BHMCruiser said:

I guess what it really boils down for me is that there are so many AMAZING places to go in Italy. How does Naples even make that list? If there's stuff to do there (like the Museo) you can't do anywhere else? What is it? 

It seems like the rough equivalent of being a European, coming to the United States to visit, and going to see Tulsa. Why?

It is more like coming to the United States and going to Philly.

[VABuckeye 2472]

7 minutes ago, PenelopeWitherspoon said:

It is more like coming to the United States and going to Philly.

Well, there you go.  No Naples on the itinerary for me.

[52-80 19271]

i liked both napoli and philly is that wrong?

[BHMCruiser 1819]

2 hours ago, PenelopeWitherspoon said:

It is more like coming to the United States and going to Philly.

Or Baltimore

[PenelopeWitherspoon 19165]

1 hour ago, 52-80 said:

i liked both napoli and philly is that wrong?

Not at all.  I like both as well.  

[BHMCruiser 1819]

2 hours ago, PenelopeWitherspoon said:

Pompeii and Herculaneum, Birthplace of Pizza (and the best in the world to be fair), The Underground (pristine Roman ruins buried under tons of volcanic ash...basically a roman market that is almost in tact), plus Naples was the seat of the Kingdom of Naples and Sicily.  It was only with the unification of Italy in 1848 where power shifted to the more industrial north, that Naples really went downhill.  Naples gets a bad rep, but holy shit, there is so much history there.  It was founded by the Greeks.  It really is fascinating.  It is also the first Italian city to rise up against Nazi occupation.

In fairness I said go to Herculaneum and Pompeii, eat pizza, and go to the Museo Nazionale. 

[PenelopeWitherspoon 19165]

30 minutes ago, BHMCruiser said:

In fairness I said go to Herculaneum and Pompeii, eat pizza, and go to the Museo Nazionale. 

That takes more than a day.  You can also hike Vesuvius.  And if you go to the north along the coast, there are a lot of really cool ancient sites.  Also, tons of thermal baths all along there.  Those are a lot of fun.

[VABuckeye 2472]

2 hours ago, 52-80 said:

i liked both napoli and philly is that wrong?

Not at all.  The world would be boring if we all liked the same things.

I like to stay at agritourismos in Piedmonte and the Chianti Classico region.  I'm sure there are people who wouldn't like that.

Edited November 11, 2021 by VABuckeye

[BHMCruiser 1819]

1 hour ago, PenelopeWitherspoon said:

That takes more than a day.  You can also hike Vesuvius.  And if you go to the north along the coast, there are a lot of really cool ancient sites.  Also, tons of thermal baths all along there.  Those are a lot of fun.

I didn't say do it all in a day. I said do half a day in Naples, see the Museo, eat pizza, do a half day in Herculaneum, do a full day or day and a half at Pompeii. You can hike Vesuvius if you want but I'd rather do any number of other things. 

[McCroskey 1492]

I get the hate for Naples, though I liked it.  It's unique compared to the rest of the country but IMO offers by far the best pizza and tomatoes you'll eat anywhere in the world.  We never felt unsafe there but it's certainly dirty with lots of graffiti, etc.  It's a city I feel like someone like Anthony Bourdain would have loved.

I would still recommend spending a day or so there, do a half-day tour of Pompeii, have an awesome lunch and a wine tasting nearby at the Cantina del Vesuvio family-owned winery...go back to the city for an awesome dinner then train out the next morning.  Do NOT drive yourself, however.

Edited November 12, 2021 by McCroskey

[Chopper 17296]

The short answer to "why the fuck go to Naples when there are so many other places to go?" is that the "must see" for us is Pompeii. If I were traveling in a warmer weather month I would absolutely explore other parts of the Amalfi coast and perhaps skip Naples. However I'm keeping some flexibility in the schedule in case we get lucky and catch a warm day with calm seas, which would afford a trip to Capri or Ischia. The other thing about December is the days are shorter so day trips with a couple hours of travel become less enticing, at least for me. Staying in a city with some nightlife, where the good hotels aren't closed for the season, where the restaurants are open and lively...that's the point. Sorrento is the other main option for accomodations in that area though what seems like the nicest hotel is closed in December and Jan but I'm still looking.

On the subject of Philly...between the Italian market, Reading Terminal market, some of the best Italian food in the states...plus cheesesteaks as a work of art, plus the old Barnes Museum, Chestnut Hill, the Eastern State Penitentary Museum...what a great place. I used to love spending time in Philly but it's been a while!

 

Edited November 12, 2021 by Chopper

[South Austin 52634]

Just now, Chopper said:

The short answer is the "must see" for us is Pompeii.

Pompeii blew me away (too soon?).  Good that it's on your "must see" list. 

[BHMCruiser 1819]

I agree you should go to Naples. For the purpose of doing the things around Naples, like Pompeii. I spent nearly a week in Pompeii, and have been there four times. I took my honeymoon in Sorrento. That area is absolutely amazing. Naples sucks. 

If you fly into Newark International, you go into NYC. You don't hang out in Newark.

[elfenix 34340]

how many days do i need in rome?  i can do either 2 or 3 full days. 

[South Austin 52634]

6 minutes ago, elfenix said:

how many days do i need in rome?  i can do either 2 or 3 full days. 

I’d take three if you got ‘em. So much to do there. I spent five days in Rome and it didn’t feel like too many.

[PenelopeWitherspoon 19165]

3 minutes ago, South Austin said:

I’d take three if you got ‘em. So much to do there. I spent five days in Rome and it didn’t feel like too many.

Agree.  At least 3 days.  I did 2.5 days in Rome and it was most definitely not enough.  Dying to go back.

[Chopper 17296]

Anyone done a day trip from Rome to Villa d'Este in Tivoli?

[CoachTex 2629]

On 10/9/2021 at 7:00 PM, Mo Horn said:

And this is in the Italy thread, why? Were these made in Italy? 

No I'm just a dumb ass and didn't realize my fat fingers posted in the wrong thread. I apologize and see my way to the steel shank thred.

[BHMCruiser 1819]

On 11/12/2021 at 7:06 PM, elfenix said:

how many days do i need in rome?  i can do either 2 or 3 full days. 

Definitely three. Vatican alone is a full day, especially if you do the Scavi. Then you have major archaeological sites, including Forum, Pantheon, Colosseum, etc. When you mix in the museums you can't do that in a day. And then you have the other parts of Rome you want to see, like Spanish Steps, Villa Giulia, Trevi Fountain, etc. Even if you lump things together for convenience you can't see it all in three days. 

[BHMCruiser 1819]

On 11/12/2021 at 7:35 PM, Chopper said:

Anyone done a day trip from Rome to Villa d'Este in Tivoli?

Many times. If you go to Tivoli, you should see Hadrian's Villa as well. 

You can do a full or half day tour by bus, or take the train. 

[Mo Horn 8855]

On 11/12/2021 at 7:06 PM, elfenix said:

how many days do i need in rome?  i can do either 2 or 3 full days. 

We got there Sunday morning and left Wednesday morning so we had 2 1\2 days and saw about 80% of what we wanted to see. I would have liked another day. 

[South Austin 52634]

On 11/12/2021 at 7:06 PM, elfenix said:

how many days do i need in rome?  i can do either 2 or 3 full days. 

Oh, and an underrated museum in Rome (at least it seemed underrated to us at the time) is the Villa Borghese.  Check it out.

[Ted Lange 16144]

I chatted with a couple folks who have been to Napoli recently, they all raved about it.  Great food, great people, tons of sights; Great Museum, like 6 castles, underground ruins, solid public transportation.   Its also easy to day trips to Pompey, Capri, Ischa, Procida, Vesuvio, Sorrento, etc...   

I saw people mention up thread about being near the train station and its ugly, the area near the major train stations are generally bad in every major city.  Judging a city by the area around a train station seems pretty short sighted.  And while Central Storico and Spanish Quarter has graffiti they are fun areas to eat drink and hang.   But if the graffiti or grit just isnt your thing, you can easily stay in Chiaia or Vomero.

 

 

[Biff Tannen 45750]

13 minutes ago, Ted Lange said:

I chatted with a couple folks who have been to Napoli recently, they all raved about it.

Yeah, but we were talking about Naples....

[McCroskey 1492]

I know one thing, if I'm able to get back to Rome in 2023 for the Ryder Cup I'll be taking 2/3 of a day and going down to Nettuno to visit the Sicily-Rome American Cemetery.  Have any of you gotten the chance to go there?

[Chopper 17296]

Leave for Italy in 2 weeks. Travel plans have changed a bit. Staying in Sorrento (wife's choice) instead of Naples. The 5 star in Naples is under renovation (Grand Hotel Parker's) so that sealed the deal. Also staying in Florence, not Siena, even though we've stayed in Florence before because it's a good road-trip base. Finally, sticking to just Palermo and Taormina in Sicily because mostly we'll be there during the week b/w xmas and NY and the better resort-y stuff filled up.

Struggling on whether to stay near the Pantheon or in Trastevere. Booked an airbnb 6 weeks ago because it looked great, they had few open dates, and their availability perfectly matched with my arrival.

Here's the trip for now. 4 weeks, flying into Rome and departing from Venice.

5 nights in Rome. Booked this airbnb because the price was great and many flawless reviews from a superhost https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/23776417

3 nights in Sorrento. Hotel Lorelei. 5 star boutique offering sea views.  https://www.loreleisorrento.com

4 nights in Palermo.  5 star art nouveau style villa http://www.villa-igiea.com/

3 nights Taormina. First hotel in Taormina, 5 stars, with views of Mount Etna and the Ionian.   http://www.grandhoteltimeo.com

5 nights in Florence. Hotel Antica Torre. Newly renovated 4 star on Via Tombuoni. http://www.tornabuoni1.com/site/index.php

2 nights Verona. Historic, old world style 5 star. http://hotelduetorri.duetorrihotels.com/en/content/hotel-due-torri-verona-luxury-hotel-verona-italy

4 nights Venice. Hotel Ca’ di Dio New 5 star Small Luxury Hotel in the Castello neighborhood, a more residential neighborhood of Venice, on the water. https://vretreats.com/ca-di-dio/

 

 

 

Edited November 21, 2021 by Chopper
details

[Chopper 17296]

This guy Pierpaolo Guida who own Joe Banana Travel guide and Limo service https://www.joebananalimos.net/  gave a list of his top pizzerias in Napoli on the Untold Italy podcast that I mentioned above. He considers himself a pizza expert and says he eats 5 pizzas a week on average.

Spoiler

 

 

[BHMCruiser 1819]

I'd much rather stay near the Pantheon than Trastevere. Trastevere is really cool but it can be hard to get in and out of when you want to see the rest of town. The Pantheon is in the heart of everything. 

[Chopper 17296]

35 minutes ago, BHMCruiser said:

I'd much rather stay near the Pantheon than Trastevere. Trastevere is really cool but it can be hard to get in and out of when you want to see the rest of town. The Pantheon is in the heart of everything. 

Thanks, that's where I've landed too. The thought was that walking out of Trastevere to the tourist destinations in the morning is more up my alley than a walk to Trastevere in the evening for dinner but I think we'll make it work.

[SimonBolivar 10961]

So honeymoon is looking like the Amalfi Coast this July for a week or 9 days. I'm assuming say trips to Naples and Pompeii are relatively easy. What would you do in the summer besides eat, drink, and bone for a week?

[Biff Tannen 45750]

1 hour ago, SimonBolivar said:

What would you do in the summer besides eat, drink, and bone for a week?

Sounds like you got it pretty much down.

[VABuckeye 2472]

On 12/14/2021 at 6:38 PM, SimonBolivar said:

So honeymoon is looking like the Amalfi Coast this July for a week or 9 days. I'm assuming say trips to Naples and Pompeii are relatively easy. What would you do in the summer besides eat, drink, and bone for a week?

I’d do 10 day trips to Capri before one to Naples. 

[PenelopeWitherspoon 19165]

Capri is amazing.  I would absolutely spend time there.  I loved it.  I also like Naples though.  Naples is cheap and there is a shitload of history there. Capri has a shitload of history, but it is not cheap.  Still love it and will spending a week for my 45th birthday there.

[texasdago 7587]

Working on plans for next year... trying to settle on an possible itinerary... kind of depends on flight costs and what the car rental situation will be (which is hard to predict).  Since I have a bunch of UA credit, I'll have to stick to one of two airports unfortunately (some of my credit can't be used on partner airlines) so flying either into FCO or MXP.

Then...

Option One: Fly into Rome, visit family for a few days (probably no more than 2-3 days) then head over the Appenines to the beach... set a home base in Rimini and just chill out and take occasional day trips into the countryside, Bologna and Le Marche to visit friends.  May not get very creative on this one as I'll just be happy to see family and friends after Covid.

Option Two: Fly into Milano and either a) drive to the French/Italian border to see if we can use a hotel credit in Montgenevre and just hike in the mountains and meet up with some friends who live up that way.  What will the rules be going into France?  b) drive over to the Dolomiti and pick a town to be our base there for hiking... upside is the area is stunning but not sure I want to land and head as far as Val Gardena past Bolzano or c) just stay in Riva del Garda... we've stayed there for a week before and its a great base for enjoying the lake and nearby mountain towns.  THEN... go to the beach.  

So, which airport do I fly into and then based on that, I need to either go with a relatively straightforward itinerary or one that requires extra decisions.  I "should" pick family over mountains.  

TBD

[Biff Tannen 45750]

21 minutes ago, texasdago said:

Working on plans for next year... trying to settle on an possible itinerary... kind of depends on flight costs and what the car rental situation will be (which is hard to predict).  Since I have a bunch of UA credit, I'll have to stick to one of two airports unfortunately (some of my credit can't be used on partner airlines) so flying either into FCO or MXP.

Then...

Option One: Fly into Rome, visit family for a few days (probably no more than 2-3 days) then head over the Appenines to the beach... set a home base in Rimini and just chill out and take occasional day trips into the countryside, Bologna and Le Marche to visit friends.  May not get very creative on this one as I'll just be happy to see family and friends after Covid.

Option Two: Fly into Milano and either a) drive to the French/Italian border to see if we can use a hotel credit in Montgenevre and just hike in the mountains and meet up with some friends who live up that way.  What will the rules be going into France?  b) drive over to the Dolomiti and pick a town to be our base there for hiking... upside is the area is stunning but not sure I want to land and head as far as Val Gardena past Bolzano or c) just stay in Riva del Garda... we've stayed there for a week before and its a great base for enjoying the lake and nearby mountain towns.  THEN... go to the beach.  

So, which airport do I fly into and then based on that, I need to either go with a relatively straightforward itinerary or one that requires extra decisions.  I "should" pick family over mountains.  

TBD

Well I'm biased because I always try to fit hiking and mountains into every trip I take, so I would go for Option 2(b). 

If you go that route, definitely get over to Val Gardena if you haven't been before, though it sounds like you have.  I'm heading back there (Ortisei) in June for the second time.  I loved being deep in the mountains and the culture is a really interesting mix of Italian, Austrian, and German.  Can't go wrong with Lake Garda either though.  

[52-80 19271]

32 minutes ago, texasdago said:

Working on plans for next year... trying to settle on an possible itinerary... kind of depends on flight costs and what the car rental situation will be (which is hard to predict).  Since I have a bunch of UA credit, I'll have to stick to one of two airports unfortunately (some of my credit can't be used on partner airlines) so flying either into FCO or MXP.

Then...

Option One: Fly into Rome, visit family for a few days (probably no more than 2-3 days) then head over the Appenines to the beach... set a home base in Rimini and just chill out and take occasional day trips into the countryside, Bologna and Le Marche to visit friends.  May not get very creative on this one as I'll just be happy to see family and friends after Covid.

Option Two: Fly into Milano and either a) drive to the French/Italian border to see if we can use a hotel credit in Montgenevre and just hike in the mountains and meet up with some friends who live up that way.  What will the rules be going into France?  b) drive over to the Dolomiti and pick a town to be our base there for hiking... upside is the area is stunning but not sure I want to land and head as far as Val Gardena past Bolzano or c) just stay in Riva del Garda... we've stayed there for a week before and its a great base for enjoying the lake and nearby mountain towns.  THEN... go to the beach.  

So, which airport do I fly into and then based on that, I need to either go with a relatively straightforward itinerary or one that requires extra decisions.  I "should" pick family over mountains.  

TBD

Go to Mongibello.  Befriend a rich shipping magnate heir and go with him to San Remo.  Kill him, assume his identity, and continue the act in Rome.  Forget Venice, and definitely no skiing.

[BHMCruiser 1819]

On 12/14/2021 at 5:38 PM, SimonBolivar said:

So honeymoon is looking like the Amalfi Coast this July for a week or 9 days. I'm assuming say trips to Naples and Pompeii are relatively easy. What would you do in the summer besides eat, drink, and bone for a week?

We did our honeymoon in Sorrento and I'd hit Capri and Pompeii but otherwise eat drink and bone