http://www.hoteldeimacchiaioli.com/. I've heard horror stories and i work for a teacher and have the summer off, believe me i am researching like crazy. There is one place people venture out here to visit, and its just a half-hour from Lucca: Pisa. 16:30 Uffizi with a reservation. Lucca Charming town with a lively (and flat) center full of pleasant cafs and shops, ringed by intact Renaissance walls wide enough for biking and strolling. We stay at a beautiful apartment facing into Piazza Santa Marie Novella - 2 minutes walk from the station. If you want to be closer to Florence maybe someplace Certaldo which has easy train connections to Florence from the modern lower town and a small ancient hilltown in the upper town. Love going to Italy and we are raking our family there this summer all 11 of us. This topic has been automatically closed due to a period of inactivity. Booking.com is a good place to start your search Use the filters and see what grabs you Cant offer much more not knowing your budget or specific needs Your stories of un-touristy restaurants reminded me of our time in Olcio just outside of Como. Mantua, Moderns, Padua, Vincenza, and a foray into the alps to Bolzano. Pistoia (40m) , Prato (20-30m) on the train, If you fill us in on what you're looking for/looking to get away from you'll probably get better answers, Vincenza is worth a day, the others could be several days. We didn't have a car and didn't use public transit even once from our hotel during our 5 night stay. Terms of Service | Privacy. We will be staying 2-4 days in October. So having input from other travellers is actually meaningful to us. well. Travelers new to Italy are sometime more at ease at a hotel with 24/7 desk services than being on their own. You may find those are the places youll never forget. And the upstairs is a bustling food court open late into the evening. theres too much out there. Happy Travels! After visiting each one, I wondered whether I should pitch Rick on adding them to the book. I have been to Florence several times and this is my favorite. You might have a look at THIS place which is relatively close to Firenze SMN rail station. In order to post comments, please make sure JavaScript and Cookies are enabled, and reload the page. We plan to fly into Rome, spend the night at a little hotel we like near the train station, then take the train to Florence. --Page 4 of cover. After visiting each one, I wondered whether I should pitch Rick on adding them to the book. Web10:30 Duomo Museum (statues by Donatello and Michelangelo), or Galileo Science Museum (if art's not your thing) 12:30 Lunch, then wander and shop. In a single day, you can look Michelangelo's David in the eyes, fall under the seductive sway of Botticelli's Birth of Venus, and climb the modern world's first dome, which still dominates the skyline. Do you have any recommendations for places to stay for a couple of nights? They do breakfast outside on a patio (unless it's raining) and it faces a small courtyard. With its stunning scenery, hill- and harbor-hugging towns, and historic ruins, Amalfi is Italy's coast with the most. It was less crowded and might be fun to be there when the bell goes off. --Page 4 of cover. We stayed in apartments that we found on vrbo. For short stay pick anywhere in historic center Between/near Duomo-Ponte Vecchio- train station. Keep in mind that the smaller the village or the more rural the locale, the more challenging will be to reach it without a car. We were in Italy in September-October 2021 and felt very safe, but much has changed since then. Probably not. Traffic-free lanes are lined with stone arcades and all of the hallmarks of an untouristy town: big chain stores with no interest in tourists, locals commuting by bike, and lots of people sitting at cafs sipping cappuccinos or bright-orange spritz cocktails. And my favorite of these was. WebAnd talking about where to stay near Siena, Rick Steves recommends Borgo Argenina: Borgo Argenina has eight rooms & villas in a well-maintained splurge of a B&B, 20 minutes north of Siena by car in the Chianti region. But we did reserve at Massimos casual bistro, Franceschetta 58, which offered a sampling of that world-renowned fare for one-tenth of the price. I could go back any day and bike or wander across the city walls. Also went back twice to our favorite restaurant in Florence (Rosso Crudo) which seems never to be busy. I always add a couple to an itinerary. And, while not exactly undiscovered, it was noticeably (and enjoyably) less crowded than Siena. If money is a factor - try not eating on San Marco square itself. Instead, I enjoyed simply exploring Treviso, which I had entirely to myself. 10ish day itinerary Amsterdam, Paris, Swiss Alps is this doable or advised. And I must stay, I liked them at least as much as the biggies. My family is from a small town in Calabria called San Vito Sull Ionio. On the flip side, I really feel sorry for Cinque Terre, and to an extent, whats happened to Venice. My Italian brother-in-law says to go in the winter to miss the tourists. Your email address will not be published. My family and I stayed at Hotel Tivoli. Arcades are populated by intriguing shops and delightful cafs. You do not have to pay to see the museum to eat there. The only people I have observed arguing with the police (always a bed idea) are Americans. Maybe my personal favorite part was walking all the way around the top WebTuscany With its manicured fields, rustic farms, cypress-lined driveways, and towns clinging to nearly every hill, Tuscany is our romantic image of village Italy. Maybe its because I was in Treviso to wander, rather than to work, but I never even began to get a handle on the curling snarl of streets that make up its historical core. This far out, you should be able to find the perfect place. Helpful Gabriele and Stefania offers cooking classes, can arrange wine tasting, and provides lots of thoughtful touches. Helpful Gabriele and Stefania offers cooking classes, can arrange wine tasting, and provides lots of thoughtful touches. There is even a McDonald's next to it for those who can't get enough (we can). Amalfi Town Less picturesque, but still atmospheric center with a real-life feel and a handful of sights, including a paper museum and an imposing Romanesque cathedral. It is just a few seconds from the Duomo and an 8-10 minute walk from the Firenze S. M. Novella train station. A little surprised at the comment of having difficulties finding high quality meals in Florence and Venice. (It was much less touristy than Sorrento.) I completely agree with your comments to visit the less touristy locations, too. What are your favorite untouristy towns? Hopefully well cross paths again someday. Note: I didn't change the city names to scold you, but to remind you what to look for on http://www.trenitalia.com/tcom-en and/or http://www.italotreno.it/en. On to Pietrasanta, our coastal base where we saw Botero statues and frescoes. They also operate a Trattoria, and I thought the food was good. We just returned from Italy and spent 4 nights in Florence. My friend and I signed up for one that took us shopping for our ingredients at the local markets then spending the rest of the day learning, cooking, making new friends and eating fabulous food with wine pairings. Our family of four ("kids are 20 and 22) loved it; we had a large room, with a private bathroom. Also a fine jumping-off point for exploring the Tuscan countryside with a driving tour of the Crete Senesi region. I realize you're looking for a budget-friendly room but you don't say what your budget is. I love all of these places and suggestions, especially the food. I set my expectations low, simply relieved to find an alternative to a meager picnic dinner in my Airbnb. If youve heard of Modena, its probably because of food. Some suggest staying in Treviso and day-tripping to Venice just 30 minutes by train. Montepulciano Rugged town crowning a ridge, with dreamy vistas of the countryside and wine-tasting in inviting cantinas; makes a good home base for drivers. I knew Rome like the back of my hand. Unless you already have a specific place where your party wants to paint or photograph, I would stay in Florence or Siena and use it as your hub. When we go to Venice, we stay in Venice. After visiting each one, I wondered whether I should pitch Rick on adding them to the book. Totally agree with your comments only thing I would disagree with is your suggestion to included Bologna and surrounding towns in R.S.s guidebooks. My next trip needs to be to Pulia to connect with my mothers family roots. The Field of Miracles is stunning and worth seeing. A/C comes on at 9 pm and shuts off at 6 am or so. Go. Then drove through the Garfagnana to our base in Barga, where we stayed in a small villa across the valley with a view of the duomo and its huge trees against a backdrop of the Apuane Alps. Dont tell anyone but In nearby Possagno you can visit the church dedicated to hometown hero Antonio Canova who has art all over Italy and even a statue in The Louver. Eight days later we will return to Florence for a day or two, then return to Rome for our flight home. People moon over Trevisos canals, but thats an overstatement motivated, I believe, by a sort of inferiority complex relative to Venice. Locals commute on streets and alleys, right through the center of town. Loggiato Dei Serviti, is a Rick Steves' recommended hotel, and it's about five minute walk to Accademia and about eight minutes to Duomo. We found the piazza where they were holding a mission festival. Any hotel recommendations that are budget friendly? one of three wants to be outside city to paint. A car is most helpful for exploring the hill town regions and the Dolomites. Elba Small island an hour's ferry ride from the mainland, with a ruggedly mountainous landscape and twisty drives to inviting beach towns. It is one area of Italy that is very enjoyable due to being non-touristic. Perfect location, and several great Gelato shops very near by. Trento has handsome, wide streets with marbled sidewalks. WebAs far as where to stay, you essentially have 3 choices: the historical center, outside of the center but still within the city and outside of Florence in the surrounding countryside. Any chance we can get the names of a couple of restaurants you enjoyed the most? In untouristy towns like Modena, another thing you notice is the near-total lack of souvenir stands. i'm thinking of staying in Lido, it seems less crazy and has a beautiful beach. WebFocus on the top sights, explore the most characteristic neighborhoods, dine on the best local cuisine, and stay in good-value hotels. WebFlorence for Foodies By Rick Steves Florence's Mercato Centrale bursts with colorful meats, olives, produce, and cheeses perfect for cobbling together a fresh Florentine picnic. Also the Scrovenci. Over the centuries, the spectacular scenery and climate have been a siren call for the rich and famous, luring Roman emperor Tiberius, Richard Wagner, Sophia Loren, Gore Vidal, and others to the Amalfi Coast's special brand of la dolce vita. WebFlorence, the home of the Renaissance and birthplace of our modern world, has the best Renaissance art in Europe. Thank you for your article, I am a very proud Italian and I just love reading about your appreciation for our beautiful country and our traditionsAs it happens in all countries, the real people and the most delicious dishes are often found far from the big cities and the usual itinerariesI have been a tourist myself, both in my country and throughout Europe and many other places in the worldBig cities do tell stories and show you a great deal, but usually you find that the real beating heart of a country lives in the smaller towns, in the old hands of a granma still cooking and baking for her family, just like she used to do before technology made us a bit less humansThank you all for the beautiful comments, keep safe, keep exploring the world and its wonderful colours. 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Small town in Calabria called San Vito Sull Ionio them to the book a hotel with desk. Visiting each one, I wondered whether I should pitch Rick on adding them to book.
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