International Travel Group Meeting - Sunday May 3 @ 9:30a.m. Pacific Time

Yes, please include me. And, note I finally got over the 2500 mark and now have my gold star. Yeah......

Hi Andrea, I can probably attend this one because I will be quarantining for an upcoming trip, so I’ll be home Sunday morning…..to head south of Rome again. ; )

Great topics! Count me in!

Yes, include me in the invites - thank you

Andrea, I would like to join the Zoom , please add me.

I hope to join.

I’d like to join. Thank you.

Jean, I’m so happy you can join us. You are so knowledgeable about Italy and that area.

I'm looking forward to seeing everyone again. I am going to Italy in October (fingers crossed) and will be in Salerno for 5 nights. I've used both Sorrento and Salerno as bases in the past, both times in February. I rented a car in Salerno and drove the Amalfi Coast - sometimes exciting, always beautiful. Wouldn't dare drive it in October.

Chani, I’m sorry that we won’t be overlapping in Salerno in October. I think you’re leaving just before we arrive. We are spending 4 nights there, 4 nights in Sorrento and 3 nights in Naples before we go to Rome.

I’m bumping this up so more people will see it.

Andrea, is it okay if I answer any questions people have for me during the first half hour? I think I will try to keep the option open to head off to church a few minutes after 10am. If it helps, here’s the cities I have stayed in south of Rome:

Caserta - a quick 1-hr fast train from Rome. A gorgeous summer palace and huge expansive garden of the Naples King. I tried to return there last year, but a train strike prevented it.

Amalfi Coast: Salerno, Amalfi. (Day trips were Paestum, Ravello & Positano) I’m sure someone else can cover this area.

Puglia: Lecce, Ostuni, Martina Franca, Locorotondo, Alberobello, Matera (adjacent to Puglia), Trani, Bari, Monopoli, Polignano a Mare. One day trip: Giovinazzo. (Cities in bold are also on my upcoming itinerary for return stays.)

I'm game.

Jean, it’s no problem to start with you.

I think that is 6:30pm Paris time😎
If I’m “home” I’d love to attend.

me please

Add me please, Andrea.

I would like to be added. I am first time out of USA traveler. I will be in Italy (Rome, Naples) June 15 - 20.
Going to Germany December 16 - January 4

Welcome to the forum kb95695. See you on Sunday.

Please add me. South of Rome sounds exciting....I really want to visit Matera ( and about 100 other Italian places.....)
And train trips too, Although you guys pretty much shot down my idea to take the Orient Express last time....I will be anxious to hear BUDGET train trip ideas!!!!

I just emailed the zoom link to everyone. Please let me know ASAP if you did not receive it. See you soon!

Can't join afterall. Please take good notes on train travel.

Thanks once again to A&J for bringing us together this morning.

What are zombies most likely to choose for a favorite train journey?

The Goreient Express.

I’m sorry i wasn’t able to attend as we are currently in Sorrento. If anyone has a question just dm me. See you next month.

I enjoyed seeing your faces this morning to catch the first 30 minutes. Here’s the details you requested:

https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/italy/my-1-month-independent-trip-to-southern-italy-tribute-to-my-husband

https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/trip-reports/3-week-italy-trip-to-puglia-plus-tivoli-rome-may-2025

For the transportation from Bari to Matera, I took the train - very easy. But, the platform is not inside the Bari Centrale train station. Here’s the instructions I found to be very helpful:

https://happytowander.com/bari-to-matera-by-train/

The amazing black licorice gelato - hands down the best black licorice gelato I have ever eaten! I Vizi degli Angeli - Laboratorio di Gelateria Artigianale in Matera. I paired it with coconut - perfect combo!

As for Scenic Rail routes in Europe, the ertswhile Thomas Cook European Timetable (the Red Book) used to publish a list once or twice a year (from memory, certainly not every monthly edition)- split by country and the type of scenery (coastal, forest, gorge, lake, mountain, river), and the most outstanding in each country were then further sub-divided out. A very useful tool.
The most recent edition I seem to have on my bookshelf is dated July 2002.

Other such lines were marked on the TC Rail Map of Europe- which I will have somewhere.

Looking very quickly down the list two routes which have closed in the interim are Elbasan to Pogradec (Albania) and Rosslare to Waterford (Ireland).

Note the list excluded many "specialised mountain and tourist railways" so excluded many Swiss lines.

Memory is there may also have been a list for the Rest of the World in the Overseas Timetable (the Blue Book) but I don't seem to have one of the relevant editions.

Andrea, im sorry. i wont lie. I fell asleep.

Oh, Stuart, you brought back memories by mentioning a T Cook timetable book. In 1978, my friend and I were doing a three week Eurailpass trip on the continent during winter break from our little college in Bracknell. It seems the timetable book was about an inch or two thick, although my memory may have failed me. I remembered that it was red or orange. We often used it to find a long trip during the night so we could sleep on the train. Donna was in charge of the the train schedule. I was in charge of navigating within the cities. That timetable bible was the most important item in Donna's backpack!
Cheryl

Jody - I will PM you about Chicago.

Italy - There are 3 SITA bus lines on the AC: Salerno-Amalfi, Amalfi-Sorrento and Amalfi-Ravello. Get schedules here. Pay attention to the headings for each train, some run daily, some not. To board a bus at an intermediate stop, if the bus is full, only as many people as get off can get on. This can be a problem from very popular places like returning from Positano to Amalfi, since the bus is coming from Sorrento and many people may be going all the way to Amalfi. I haven't done research yet on ferries. 2 ways to get to Ravello, which is said to have the best views and lovely sights and gardens - bus or taxi. Buses can be crowded. I'm told there's a scenic path you can walk down to Amalfi, no idea how difficult or long it is.

Many people walk between Maiori and Minori - scenic, not difficult, downhill. In Minori, look for Sal de Riso - to-die-for-pastries and excellent gelati too. You can't miss it, right on the main road by the sea. I went back two days later and also got a box to take back to my room. They also have "real" food.

Take a good look at info on Paestum. Really beautiful.

Pompeii is huge. I recommend including the Villa dei Misteri - more recently opened to the public, wonderful frescoes.

Lastly, in Naples I had lunch twice at da Carmine, simple, homey atmosphere. Back then (2017) it was frequented mostly by locals. Here's what I wrote about Naples. It includes my visit to Caserta.

Thank you Stuart and Chani.

No worries Mr E. It happens.