There are 3 of us traveling to Italy in mid-May '12. We are planning on staying in an agriturismo in Tuscany for 1 wk. and hitting the main sites by car then heading to the Amalfi Coast for 1 wk. and hoping to find a neat place with an ocean view to use as home base w/o car. We are also wanting to take hands-on cooking classes-hopefully in both regions. A one bedroom is fine if there is a day bed, etc. or 2 bedrooms is doable. We are looking for places with character, but safe and not extravagant. We're thinking about flying in to Florence and flying out of Naples, and are open to any travel advice. Thanks!
Posted by
Elk Grove, CA, USA
6898 posts
First, Florence and Naples are regional airports. You won't find the big jumbo jets flying in or out of these airports nor will you find U.S. airlines flying directly in or out of these airports. However, it can be done. We've flown into Florence from California but we did it on Lufthansa via Frankfurt where we changed to a smaller plane (737). Several of the international carriers will get you into Florence (Lufthansa, Swiss Air, Air France). These airlines will fly you first to a home country airport before flying you to Florence. Same thing coming out of Naples. It's not a bad way to go and it doesn't take too much longer. Just check closely on your airfares and routes. Your better choices for arriving direct from the U.S. into Italy are Milan Malpensa, Pisa (Delta out of JFK only) or Rome-FCO. As for cooking schools, I suggest looking into www.divinacucina.com. Judy Witts has had her cooking school for over 20 years. She used to be in Florence and still may be but now I believe that she has her main school in Colle Val d'Elsa which is in Tuscany near San Gimignano. Should be a great match if you're staying in Tuscany.
Posted by
Vernon, Canada
32386 posts
Susan, Is this your first trip to Europe, or first trip to Italy? You might find it really helpful to have a look at the Italy Guidebook, as there are some listings there for Agriturismo's, and lots of other good information. One important point to mention is that for driving in Italy, EACH driver will require the compulsory International Driver's Permit, which is used in conjunction with your home D.L. Failure to produce an I.D.P. if requested may result in fines on the spot! You can obtain an IDP easily at any AAA office. Another important point is to be aware of ZTL (limited traffic) areas, which exist in many Italian towns and cities (especially prevalent in Florence). EACH pass through one of the automated Cameras will result in a €100+ ticket, which you'll receive in the mail several months after you return home. As the previous reply mentioned, you'll probably find better availability and cost for flights to Milan or Rome. As you're starting in Tuscany and ending in the Amalfi Coast, flying inbound to Milan / MXP and outbound from Rome / FCO would probably be the best method. Of course, this means you'll have to get from MXP to Florence and Amalfi coast to Rome by train. Which "main sites" are you planning to visit in Tuscany? Which part of the Amalfi coast are you planning to use for a "home base"? Good luck with your planning!
Posted by
Toledo
653 posts
A little further south than Amalfi is Paestum, which is home to several farms famous for buffalo mozzarella. It also has a beach and great ruins from the Greek period, and a good museum. Could be a daytrip if you are interested in how the cheese gets to the pizza.
Posted by
Centennial, CO, US
2191 posts
Sorrento would be a good base for the Amalfi coast part of your trip. From there, you can easily visit Pompeii & Herculaneum, take a boat to Capri, catch a boat to Amalfi and/or Positano for a day, take the hair-raising bus trip down the Amalfi Coast, and visit Paestum as well. A week will go quickly!
Posted by
Sacramento, California U.S.A.
10687 posts
We stayed at Agriturismo Marciano last year and loved it. It is just outside Siena. They have an apartment that would probably meet your needs. Check out the many reviews on Trip Advisor.