Taking 17 & 18 yr granddaughters to Italy early June 2016. Their choices: Venice, Vernazza, Rome and beaches. Don't know if Vernazza qualifies as a "beach" experience, though I know it is beautiful. Thinking of Sorrento/Capri for a few days. My delimma is mostly about beaches and access, and figuring out the routing. Not renting a car. Thanks!
Posted by
Northamptonshire, England
32913 posts
The girls are lucky to have a gramma like you, Marilyn!!!
What do you think the young ladies expect from a beach? Are they looking to swim, or lay out and top up the tan? Will they be OK with rocks or pebbles for the surface of the beach, or will they want warm white sand?
The reason for the question is two fold - the water may be a touch chilly in certain areas, and the beaches are very different one from another.
I think you are wise not worrying with a car.
Posted by
San Francisco Bay Area (USA)
15260 posts
The beach in Vernazza is not exactly ideal. However if instead if staying in Vernazza you stay in the next Cinque Terre village of Monterosso (5 min away by train) there is a real nice beach right in front of the station. You can always visit Vernazza from Monterosso by train and I'm sure you will also hike from Monterosso to Vernazza anyway.
Sorrento also has no real beach. But the Amalfi coast has some wonderful spots. The entire area is rocky and cliffs, so the beaches are more like little pebbly coves, but the water is wonderful. Either at the Cinque Terre or Amalfi coast the waters are deep and drop quickly so make sure you know how to swim. Do a
Google Image search by entering 'spiaggia Monterosso' or 'spiaggia costa amalfitana' and see.
Posted by
Long Beach, California, USA
3391 posts
I always bring water shoes to wear on the beaches in Italy...I have tender feet and many of them tend to be pebbly!
Posted by
7 posts
If they like sand beaches i think the best places in liguria are in the province of Savona and Sestri Levante
Varigotti, baia dei saraceni (Savona)
http://www.globeholidays.net/Europe/Italy/Liguria/Media/Varigotti_Spiagge.jpg
Bergeggi, baia delle sirene (Savona)
http://viaggiare.dimoredepoca.it/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/liguria_01.jpg
Sestri Levante, baia del silenzio
http://animp.it/animp/images/Articoli/convegni/sestri_levante.jpg
There are also sandy beaches in Lerici, very close to Cinque terre.
Posted by
Brisbane, Australia
7175 posts
What lucky girls to have such a generous grandmother. However, you didn't say what length of time for your trip.
What you describe sounds quite feasible without a car, and probably best in June without one too.
Start in Venice, then take a high speed train to Florence for connections to Cinque Terre.
As others have said the village of Cinque Terre provides the best beach experience.
Back thru Florence (possibly stay for a few days) and down to Rome.
Finally to Sorrento, which is a good base if you want to explore Capri, Pompeii and Naples.
Depending on time, I would suggest some final beach time relaxing in Positano for a few days.
Three weeks would be a good amount of time for this trip, but you could do a pared down version in 2 weeks.
Enjoy.