We just got back from our trip through Italy. I decided to post because we were dicouraged to take a trip like ours and wanted to give some feed back. We had 2 nights in Venice, 2 in Florence, 1 in Sienna, 2 in Sorrento (Amalfi and Capri), 1 in Pompeii and 4 in Rome. We took a train from Venice to Florence, and then drove until we got to Rome. Although it was a whirlwind tour, we had a great time. We are in our later 50's. Highlights are too numerous to mention, but Pompeii on Saturday night was a great surprise. It looked like the entire city came our for a walk around the square arm in arm. Driving was easy, you just need to be attentive and have good directions.
Posted by
OP
Jenkintown, PA, USA
11 posts
Had you driven in Italy before? No
Did you drive in the Sorrento/Amalfi area or what?
Yes, Amalfi coast was an easy drive for us. My husband drove out and I drove back. It was NOT scary.
We were routed to Sorrento through Naples at rush hour. This was a bit hairy. After Naples traffic was very slow because of tunnel maintenance.
Did you have a GPS? Yes.
Are you the one who actually did the driving? My husband and I split the driving 50/50
Did you encounter any driving situations that you have not encountered in the US? Not too different from any other one lane bridge type situations.
Anything you would do differently now that you've been there? Not really, the Sienna to Sorrento route was tough. We did not account for the unexpected traffic and the difficulty finding our hotel in Sorrento. Our trip took most of the day. By the time we got to Pompeii, we were not enthusiastic about driving into Rome, but that trip was easy and took less than 3 hours door to door.
Posted by
prior lake, mn
43 posts
Thanks for sharing your trip. What was your impression of Siena and where did you stay? Did you drive to Siena? See any of the other hill towns? Was Florence worth it and how did you like it vs Venice?
Thanks
Craig
Posted by
Newburyport, MA
683 posts
You were discouraged from that trip most likely bcuz it is a blitz rather than a relaxation. But tutti gusti son gusti- to each his own, as the Italians say.
By the way, it is hard not to like Italy, no matter what speed you encounter her at.
Posted by
OP
Jenkintown, PA, USA
11 posts
tutti gusti son gusti- I like that, thanks.
Craig: We liked Sienna, it was both city like and ancient. It was rich in tradition. We stayed at the Palazzo Ravizza, which was really nice. We drove to Sienna via Castello Verrazzano (vineyard) and Monteriggioni, vey small walled town. We drove from Florence. My husband really liked Florence (esp. The Uffuzi) and we both really liked Venice. Venice was like no other place I have ever traveled to. There were also very few Americans in Venice. In Florence there were many American students. Anna