Ian,
The train from Milan to Parma takes about an hour. The cost is as low as 9 euros, which isn’t bad. We have 2 -3 extra days this trip, and want to check out someplace new before departing for Tokyo. We may day trip it to Bologna from Parma. We were in Italy last fall. We flew in to MXP, rented a car, and headed to Turin. We spent 4 days in Turin (Turino), and 4 days in the Piedmont wine region. ![[cheers.gif]](/uploads/db3686/original/2X/0/0ff9bfcdb0964982cd3240b6159868fbdf215b1a.gif "cheers"){kind=small}
Will you start a Tokyo thread too ?
Hi Dan
That’s cool.
One issue in Bologna is the expensive hotels, mainly driven by the Expo/Conference scene. The tourist office does have an extensive accommodation listing, which helps, however price-wise I’d expect Parma to be much better.
regards
Ian
p.s. Off-topic, Parma has a wonderful small airport, with good coffee at normal prices in the departure lounge itself. More and more, I appreciate these small airports that lack the ‘cattle-herding’ nature of the larger airports. I doubt they do long haul from Parma though (London Stansted is one of the destinations).
I have been to Rome, Venice and the Amalfi coast with our boys who are now 13 and 17. I was not a huge fan of Venice. It is certainly unique but I found it too crowded, and touristy. Rome is a must see, that goes without saying. We stayed on the outside of the city at the Waldorf which in retrospect was a good decision as it got us out of the hectic city and allowed us to relax. They have a beautiful pool and a commanding view of the entire city, plus 3*** Michelin restaurant La Pergola and the ability to walk to some nice little neighborhood places. Highly recommended.
Amalfi is phenomenally beautiful. We rented a villa right on the coast in Praiano for a week. Couple hundred stairs down to the sea a pretty good central location and just views to die for. We did rent a car which others have said is a challenge …and it is. We drove up to Rome and to Pompeii and all over the coast. If you like to drive it is fun but if car sickness is an issue or you are a timid driver, definitely skip it. A boat trip to Capri and time in Ravello is an absolute must. Get out on the water and see the coast from there. A life changing experience. I found the food and wine on the Amalfi coast absolutely amazing. Better than Rome (outside of La Pergola) and certainly better than Venice.
George
That remind me of my No. 1 Amalfi Coast recommendation. It’s great to see the coast from the ferries and hydrofoils. But it’s even better to do it on your own time. The highlight of our last trip to Italy was when we rented a small boat in Positano on a whim and went up and down the coast for an afternoon, including dropping anchor and swimming in the Sirenuse Islands off of Positano (https://www.google.com/search?q=sirenuse+islands&safe=off&espv=2&biw=1777&bih=861&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=r0nzVKz9GsKPyASCo4DQCg&ved=0CAcQ_AUoAg&dpr=0.9). Next time we go I’ll rent a boat for the entire day rather than an afternoon. A truly memorable experience.
Praiano is definitely a favourite of the crowd on SlowTrav forum, and worth a look over there for specific recommendations of places to stay if that location appeals.
A thought for Rome, not from personal experience, but a friend spoke highly of his time in Frascati. The small town he found very charming, yet Rome was in easy reach for a day trip. He liked the feeling of escaping the big city at the end of the day. If you wanted to balance the differing views of wanting to see Rome, but taking into account the other couple’s desire to not retrace steps, this might be a neat compromise. It also allows them to say “Let’s take you here, as it was great last time”.
I cannot recommend Barbara enough! An amazing lady.
George
Got busy over the weekend and am just now checking this forum. Amazing advice!!
Thanks to all for the help. I’ll review it with my wife and our friends. I am sure that I’ll have other questions as we progress in planning.
Thanks again!
With limited time you could just fly in to Venice. Stay there or in one of the other towns nearby and explore all four. Very little travel and no car. Train runs from Verona, Vicenza, Padova and Venice. Four great places all within a hour of each other.
I’m also planning my first trip to Italy for this summer. I have roughly two weeks to work with. To be honest, I’m only now just looking at a map, and I never realized how long Italy really is, but I’m looking at Florence to Rome and the Amalfi Coast thanks to the recommendations on this board. Just wanted to drop a quick thank you!
Also, out of curiosity, are there any vineyards people would recommend going to, or particular wines that would be worth exploring while over there?
Wines? Drink any and all of them. The best wine I had was in a tiny town called Pontone, just below Ravello on the Amalfi Coast. When we ordered the house wine at the little restaurant, the bottles, one white, one red, were brought to the table without labels. When I inquired on where they were from, the waiter waved his arms to the terraced hillsides and smiled. Best wine of the trip, never to be repeated again.
Yep. In Italy drink local. Every region has its wine. They will be fresh and delicious and go well with the food. Most places you’ll drink things that don’t come within thousands of miles of the USA. It’s glorious.
Sounds exciting. Thanks for the tips, guys!
Something else I thought of if you go to the Amalfi Coast area. The town of Amalfi is the only city on the coast that allows bus parking so it gets the day tourist. The town is much more crowded and has a sort of seedy/touristy feel to it. Positano, Ravello and the smaller towns nearby don’t have the big crowds and have a more laid back, resort feel since they can only be accessed by boat or car. Something to consider.
Michael
TBH I don’t find tourism as invasive in Amalfi as it is in Positano, and I never found it seedy. Positano seemed to have little about it that wasn’t tourist focused, whereas Amalfi has a bit more of a functional town feel about it (albeit heading down the coast to Salerno gives something very much more functional).
In each place it is very easy to escape the tourists by heading off on the paths
However my last trip there must be about 10 years ago, so maybe it changed? For me, Sorrento was the one most blighted by tourism, but then it’s not technically Amalfi Coast.
regards
Ian
I was there last year and agree with all of this. I stayed in Ravello, which I adore, but I actually think Amalfi is underrated. I like that it feels more like a real city and I found it charming.
I entered Amalfi from the Valley of the Mills trail on the backside of town. So my first sights after coming out of the forest were all the ticky tacky shops on the back side of town. The town square also very overcrowded that day. I couldn’t wait to get back to Ravello where we were staying. I guess first impressions are lasting ones.
Michael
What a wonderful walk that valley of the mills walk is. Perhaps my favourite in the region.
When we did it, I think we saw just a single other person for the duration until we reached the edge of Amalfi.
Timing can indeed be everything, and there can often be plenty of people milling around not just in Piazza Duomo, but also from the top end of town by the paper museum all the way down there. One favourite haunt was Cantina San Nicola, an enoteca up some steep steps from that main ‘street’ and housed in an old monastery. Wonderful setting and great wines and food. I think it is now more a trattoria/ristorante but I’m sure the setting remains ideal.
regards
Ian
… and we all agree Ravello is exquisite!
I may be biased though, as it was my first experience of Italy back in 1990
Ian, we hiked many trails in the region and I would agree that Valley of the Mills along with Path of the Gods were our favorites. The paper museum in Amalfi is a good stop as well.