The East Coast of Italy

I too am very interested in the East Coast of Italy. It does look very intriguing. I'm interested in the Marche area. The coast looks beautiful and there seem to be a lot of ancient towns around as well. I'm keeping my eyes open for a possible home exchange in that area for 2011. Has anyone visited the area around Ancona?

There appears to be more interest - especially in the south. But shhhhhhhhhhhh! We need to keep a couple of secrets!!!!!!!!

You hit the nail on the head. There are so many marquee attractions in the rest of the country that they eclipse the less famous sites on the Adriatic coast.

For U.S. visitors, ease of transportation (i.e. no big airports, direct flights) is a major reason the region is not as well know. Places where the low cost euro carriers go have more European visitors, but we had a stranger approach us on the beach last September in Salento just because she heard us talking and wanted to speak English with someone (a Canadian living there) because it had been so long for her!

I will be going to Ortona in July to see the Moro River Cemetery in which my uncle was buried (died during the war in the Battle of Ortona).

It seems somewhat of a challenge (not cheap and a long trip) to get there from Rome so maybe it is easier to travel north/south than east/west?

Dallas...unfortunately, north-south links along the Adriatic coast aren't any better than the east-west links. The train ride takes about 5 hours on two regional trains (about twice the driving time) at a cost of about 13 Euro each way.

Yea Norm I was looking at the trip back up to the Milan area where I will be meeting my friend and it didn't look like it was going to be a quick trip.

It will mean a lot to my family for me to pay my respects to my uncle as nobody from my family has had the chance to go over so the extra time spent will be worth it.

Dallas...the train trip from Ortona to Milan isn't actually much longer than from Rome to Ortona....a little over five hours, transferring from a regional train to an express at Pescara. Cost is a little higher though...about 60 Euro, but that's still under $100.

Thanks for the info Norm!

(Tiptoes back into the room)

Should I delete the post? Don't want this to become the CT!

We have done the NE (Venezia-Giulia) and the SE (Pulia) both were wonderful because of the limited amount of people like us; tourists.

VG had the best white wines in Italy...and I am not even a white wine fan.

Puglia was our favorite.......fantastic food, sights, and people...and was everything was so "cheap". And only four hours from Rome by car.

http://travel.nytimes.com/2007/05/06/travel/06Puglia.html?pagewanted=1&ei=5124&en=7fc0ee4c82bf1ba5&ex=1336276800&partner=permalink&exprod=permalink

We just got back from Sardinia the nite before last.......and absolutly loved it.

All of these areas are not covered extensivly, and are wonderful places to visit. They are best seen by using a rental car, and I think that takes them off the radar screen.

Elizabeth, my wife and I spend quite a bit of time in Le Marche region as her grandparents were from there and she has many cousins in the area near Pergola. 30 km from Ancona into the mountains. Beautiful area. Check out the Grotti di Frasasi, the Fonte Avellana, beach town of Sassoferrato, the castle of Gradara. Many things to do. More and more english is spoken now as more Europeans are migrating and buying there.

Elizabeth, just read your post; hope it's not too late to add my strong encouragement to, YES, do Puglia. We stayed in Lecce (the old part); took bus trips to Gallipoli, Otranto, Ostuni, and Santa Maria di Liuca at the tip of the Salentino peninsula affords a magnificent view of both the Ionian and Adriatic Seas. Further north, Alberobello and those cone-shaped houses. Do Puglia!

I spent a few days in the Pescara area in April. It was absolutely dead quiet (high season isn't until July), but for all those looking for a great beach in Italy, look no further. The Adriatic is beautiful with sand for miles and miles. Beaches, mountain towns, wine and olive oil, and no crowds! Very little English there, but most restaurants had English speaking waiters. I was on my own during the day as my husband was on business, so it was quite an adventure.

have been telling myself for the past decade, the next time I go to Italy I have to visit Le Marche. That trip hasn't materialised yet! From all accounts, it's a region worth exploring. This New York Times article "Is Le Marche the next Tuscany?" was written back in 2005: http://travel.nytimes.com/2005/05/22/travel/22tuscany.html

We drove for approximately 10 miles along the beaches near Pescarra before finding a parking spot - in August... VERY crowded with Italians on holiday!

Hi, My wife and I are planning a second trip to Italy and we're interested in looking into the eastern coast. Several months ago the NY Times did an article on what they called 'The New Amalfi Coast' or something to that effect - which is on the eastern coast. But we can't remember the name of the region/area/city. If anyone knows what I'm referring to - I'd really appreciate your help. Thanks!