My wife and I will be in Italy for the month of March; we are flying into Milan, renting a car and heading south to Capriata d Orba to visit relatives and then to Bordighera (we were told by a good friend that Bordighera is an excellent non-touristy location and a good base for that area of the Riviera. Is Bordighera a good location to use as a base for this area?
Our focus points after the north areas of Italian Riviera are Sestri Levante and then down to La Spieza; from there to Rome, and then on to Amalfi Coast and Pompei.
At what point is it best to turn in the car and opt for the train?
Open for suggestions/
Thank you.
Posted by
San Diego, California, USA
817 posts
Hello timothyjabbott, and welcome to the forum!
While I've been to Menton and Ventimiglia I can't comment on whether Bordighera is a good town to use as base for that area and southward. I know some people love Sestri Levante but the towns become fancier (and more expensive) heading northward from the towards Portofino. So your style and budget will probably determine where on the coast appeals to you. Levanto gives you train and ferry access to Cinque Terre if that's on your list although that's pretty early season so the schedules may be less frequent but there should be fewer tourists as well. La Spezia is kind of a blue collar Italian town but it has some nice pedestrian only shopping sections and park to the water. I liked the south side of the bay San Terezno with a beachfront walk to the more resorty Lerici with its marina and tiny Tellaro. If you want beaches and seaside communities then the south side of the bay has more than La Spezia itself.
March on the coast will still be early season so you should set your attraction hours and weather expectations appropriately.
After that take the train to Florence and switch to the fast train to Rome. After Rome I advocate for the fast train to Naples and then the local train to Sorrento. Sorrento makes a great base for both Pompeii and for jumping off to the Amalfi coast.
As for the car if your intention is to stick to the coastal towns to explore I think you can get rid of the car about the time you hit the coast. The whole of the coast is strung together by rail and unless you want to go inland there isn't much to be gained by having a car which is expensive to rent, to park and there is always the threat of getting a ticket in a ZTL. I would see about dropping the car in Genoa and then switching to the train.
Even with a whole month I sounds like you have a lot planned. I would make a list of all your nights and how long you're thinking of staying in each place and you may find you're trying to do too large an area if you really want to explore. Subtracting the time for visiting relatives and any time in Rome you may have fewer days on the ground than you think. Also transit to and from Amalfi takes time so be sure you're leaving enough time to explore and enjoy the places you're visiting.
Hope that helps.
Have a greta trip!
=Tod