Wondering if anyone has ever been to Villetta Barrea - It's the ancestral home of my paternal grandfather. I'll be traveling alone.
If so .. can you offer any advise? This will be my first trip outside of the USA and a woman traveling alone.
Posted by
gaston, oregon, usa
842 posts
Jacki, pick up Rick Steves Italy book, and his Europe Thru the Backdoor and do some reading. He has some wonderful tips in there for the 1st time Italy traveler.
I assume that you will be visiting other parts of Italy, and that this will be just one of the stops, since it is so close to Rome.
While we have not visited Villetta Barrea we have done road trips out of Rome, and find that renting a car(if you have your own GPS, or get one at the rental agency) is a great way to see and get to some of the local areas. Train travel in Italy is really cheap and easy (bus is pretty good...in some places), but you may have to rely on a small car to get to the small towns.
Jacki, post this same question in Trip Advisor.com, and see if someone there a has experience with this area near the Parco Nationale D Abruzzo.
Posted by
Seattle, WA
1317 posts
Steve gave good advice to get started. I suspect Villetta Barrea is too small to be featured in most guidebooks, so I think the Internet will be your best friend. Consider not only the TA forum, but also Lonely Planet's Thorn Tree or SlowTrav.
How comfortable are you with driving? Italy can be a whole other ballgame in that respect, but on the backroads is a lot different than city driving, which is usually not recommended. If you don't want to drive, you'll have to research public transportation or hiring a driver.
As a woman traveling alone, Italy is no more dangerous than other European cities and most people feel it is safer than American cities! You are far more likely to be the victim of a pickpocket or a scam artist than a mugger/murderer/rapist. While Italian men do have a certain reputation, it's not as bad as it sometimes sounds and it's toned down quite a lot since the 70s and 80s.
The best defense against trouble is knowledge. Use a moneybelt. Pay attention to your surroundings and your belongings. Walk with confidence. Use a moneybelt. Keep some personal space about you if at all possible and when on public transportation, be extra-alert.
While this advice pertains more to big cities, it's good to keep in mind no matter where you are. And if I didn't mention, use a moneybelt! ;-)
One last tip--if you can trace some of your relatives who might still be living there, try to make contact. Then you won't be alone for very long!