I generally don’t post without having read much of a thread, but having visited Italy several times (including three of the last four summers), this past trip had a couple of places we visited that don’t often get mentioned, but that I really enjoyed:
Alberobello: We stayed here overnight so that we could see it in the morning and in the evening and try to avoid day trippers. We succeeded, and it was absolutely lovely. This is the town where many homes have stone roofs that remind me a bit of the Smurfs’ abodes. But in addition to the charming architecture and small winding streets, there were some lovely relaxed public areas for dining, etc. We did not come back the next full day though, because we feared the pleasant memories being marred by potential crowds, though perhaps it was a misplaced fear.
Locorotondo: This is another “white town” that’s not too far from Alberobello. Lovely and charming for a quick visit.
Matera: This town was featured in The Passion of the Christ because the oldest part of town (the sassi) is the oldest continuously inhabitated place in the world…about 9k years (it was also in No Time to Die). Most of the houses in that part of town were carved out of caves. It’s really interesting and completely different than other places I’ve been.
This particular trip also included the Amalfi Coast and a day in Rome. Previous trips have included Florence (multiple times), Rome (ditto), Venice, Lake Como, Bologna, Pisa, San Gimignano, etc. I have to say that if I was going to live anywhere in Italy, I’d be very tempted by Alberobello or Locorotondo.
I can’t recall what site I bought my train tickets on. I know it was the train company site but one that booked using US credit cards. I like many of you get nervous and printed out the tickets. I pre booked Milan to Lake Como and Varenna to Venice. The changing of trains was easier and faster than I thought it would be.
Has anybody done any getyourguide tours in Florence??
We’d like to do a cooking class with market tour (or possibly a cooking class with dinner, in town or in a winery) in early Oct. Normally we’d use Viator, which as worked well other places. But this site has interesting options too.
When our family visited Florence in May 2022, I did not book any trips through Get Your Guides; I used Viator/Tripadvisor for a trip outside Florence plus a tour of the Uffizi; and I used City Walks/Walks of Italy for a tour of the Duomo and a visit to David (the “VIP David & Duomo Tour: Early Accademia Tour & Skip the Line Dome Climb with Exclusive Terrace Access”). All of them were very good and well done.
I used Get Your Guides when my wife and I visited France in 2019 to see our daughter, who was spending a semester abroad in Montpellier; we went to Paris, and did a tour of the Louvre and of the Musee D’Orsay through GYG; both tours were excellent with extremely knowledgeable and highly professional guides. I did not use Get Your Guides for our trip to Florence because I was trying to accommodate trip preferences from various family members, and the other tour providers worked better for us on that trip. If the experience that we had in France is any guide (no pun intended), GYG would be a good choice. We were actually going to do a tour through GYG in Modena, as we did a day trip there for a tour of the Maserati factory, and we were hoping to fit in a balsamic vinegar tasting tour (“Balsamic Vinegar ‘Aceto’ Tasting Experience”) inasmuch as Modena is well known for the production of balsamic vinegar; but we had to cancel that due to modifications in our train ticketing schedule.
Colorado_mom - we did ‘Skip the Line’ (actual name) tours of the Vatican etc. accessed through Trip Advisor website. Very pleased! Skipping the line was so, so worth it!
Thanks - We were at the travel agent and then lunch with our travel buddies who will take the trip with us, then out to lunch. We are definitely considering skip-the-line museum tours in Florence (Academie/David, Uffuzi). It is fun planning and dreaming, though a bit of a pain too.
On the last day of our trip we need to drive a rental car from Florence to Rome airport, where we have hotel rooms before our flights the next day. We might stop in Sienna or other town along the way, and perhaps a vineyard too. Continuing to take nominations for place(s) to stop along that route.
Lots of nice places on that route. We stayed near Cortona, which is a lovely small hilltop town. Montepulciano is similar. Siena was nice but a lot busier and it’s more of a hike from the parking. Assisi is interesting too, though quite far out of your way.
Our favorite vineyard is Avignonesi, not far off the freeway right between Cortona and Montepulciano. Book a tour and if possible lunch. Make sure you try the super concentrated dessert wine which is amazing.
Thanks for the recommendations We were thinking our stop between Florence and Rome would be Siena. But I think at the end of our trip (which also includes Rhine river cruise) we’ll be wanting to try one of the smaller towns / vineyard.
I am traveling to Piedmont region of Italy (Turin) in October. I am leaving from Atlanta and flying into Milan. Has anyone ever taken a train or bus from Milan to Turin and if so, what was your experience? Thanks so much, I’ve never been to Italy so no experience at all.
We did not do a wine tasting tour, but we spent some time in Greve and it is so charming and wonderful. Highly recommend seeing it if it fits in with your schedule!
Colorado_mom - for what it’s worth, when we were in Italy, I enjoyed the days when we weren’t super booked. I wished we had more of those! It can get tiring with all the transportation (although I did find riding the trains interesting - women of all ages are great dressers there!).
Thanks for the feedback. I sort of feel the same way. Really like the idea of wine tasting tour with dinner, but it is long (includes bus trip 20 miles each way).v
Doing a cooking class the first morning (of three full days) since it’s on one friend’s bucket list. My husband and the other husband are gung ho on doing two museums - Academie (which we’ve seen) and Ufuzzi. We all are liking the idea of a wine tasting tour, even though on our last day as we are driving to Rome airport we will be able to stop… though can’t all drink due to the driving responsibility. We’ll need to talk it through more.
Note: from a spending standpoint we are ok. Intentionally booked an apartment together (2br, 1 bath, kitchenette) that was handy and a good deal once split two ways. Our thought was to prioritize the Florence experiences, not the hotel.
One thing I found hard in Italy was wanting to see so many places but also wanting to relax and savor my surroundings. We did a lot but also had 4 nights at a place outside Pienza in Tuscany where we did relax. We loved taking a cooking class. It was on my bucket list but my husband ended up enjoying it as much as I did.
We went to Siena for the day by car. We parked in one of the outer lots and walked in. I enjoyed it but I have to say I loved the smaller towns we visited more. Even the tiny churches were beautiful and peaceful as they weren’t very crowded.
We enjoyed a lot of the smaller towns in Umbria as well which might be an option on your way to Rome. If you are traveling on a Sunday make sure you have a lunch reservation in the smaller towns. We found the locals were out for family lunches on Sunday. Spello was a beautiful spot.
