any quaint and neat beach towns on the "other" coast of italy?

Italy has 5,000 miles of coast line. That's longer than the entire coastline of Brazil. Therefore there are plenty of nice places to go. Cinque Terre and Amalfi Coast are just the most popular with Americans (in part also because of Rick Steves), but they aren't necessarily the top two spots according to Italians. They are just two of the most expensive. I checked the ranking of the best 10 coastal spots according to Italians in several Italian websites. There are several rankings with only slight variations. Positano and the Cinque Terre are consistently part of that list, but there are more. Unfortunately they are mostly on the islands. However, to stay in the mainland, both Otranto and Vieste, both in the region of Puglia (Apulia), also make it on all those lists. An island location you might like and it's a reasonable distance from the mainland (45 min off the coast just south of Rome) is the Ponziane Islands. They resemble Greek islands. The Ponziane (Ponza and Ventotene) also make those top 10 lists. Using Google Image search the above locations and see what you like. Once you decide we'll give you directions on how to get there.

randel, There are lots of "neat beach towns" on the Adriatic Coast, but at that time of year they'll probably be VERY crowded. I've been researching that area for a future trip, focusing on the towns of Rimini, Cattolica & Pesaro. There seem to be lots of great hotels and fantastic beaches, but I'm not sure I'd want to visit that area in late July. You could also head further south towards Bari and Brindisi, but I'm not sure what they're like. Happy travels!

The Cilento Coast (about 100 kms south of Naples) and the Gargano Peninsula (Puglia) are both popular beach destinations for Italians. As with other places you are going in the period leading to the peak of the peak season (August). http://www.cilento-travel.com/en.html http://goitaly.about.com/od/pugliaapulia/a/gargano-travel-guide.htm

Yes. To echo what Linda said. Vieste is in fact in the Gargano Peninsula. The entire area is beautiful, including the nearby Tremiti Islands. Further south at the bottom of the heel, is the Salento. Otranto is in that area. There are many more locations that are beautiful there, besides Otranto. The Cilento, south of Salerno, is another beautiful and popular option. I don't particularly care for the Romagna coast, mentioned by Ken. That's where my parents used to take me as a kid, since it's very affordable and geared to families. I've been there a few times as a youngster too. That area is very crowded in summer. It is Florida on steroids. It is called the "divertimentificio d'Italia" (Italy's entertainment factory). It has the highest concentration of discotheques and theme parks in Italy, more bowling alleys than in most American places. It is the epitome of mass tourism with millions of Italians and Germans converging there in summer. If you are looking for a quaint little fishing village to relax, that is not the place to go in Summer. That is the place for partying. To get an idea of the crowds there just zoom in with Google maps on those beaches. You will see rows after rows of umbrellas on those vast beaches. Due to those massive crowds, the water isn't as pristine. Beaches are beautiful though, but can be enjoyed only off season (June or September are ok). In Summer it's more crowded than Times Square on New Years' Eve. PS for Ken: if you go, go to Riccione. Don't bother with Rimini, unless bar hopping and discos are what you are looking for.

Thanks y'all!!! So excited to get home in front of the laptop and start searching!!!