Italy

[Bjornebye]

Rem/L19 red - where is the best place round cinque terre to stay? any ideas? booking the hotel for a night this week but not sure where is the best part to stay 

[The Flâneur]

North Sardinia has some amazing beaches, and the Cavalcata Sarda in Sassari, last Sunday of May, was quite a spectacle. 

[Malarkey]

Pigs in blanket

 

Can I kiss your penis?

[L19red]

Rem/L19 red - where is the best place round cinque terre to stay? any ideas? booking the hotel for a night this week but not sure where is the best part to stay

We stayed about an hour by train to the north of the cinque terre in Santa Margherita Ligure which is a big and classy seaside town, big harbour, pricey shops, loads of big hotels, Rod Stewart got married there. Portofino is a few miles around the headland and is even more expensive. Smaller but also very nice and a couple of miles further north is Camogli and above it San Rocco. The path that goes around the headland from San Rocco has the most amazing little bar built into the cliffs with views over the Gulf of Paradise that are breathtaking.

The 5 villages of the cinque terre are lovely but not much more than a harbour and a few streets apart from the one on top of the cliffs which is just a few streets. There are plenty of places to eat in all of them and you can get around them all in a day using the ferry. If you want small they are great, if you want bigger then try Santa Marghertia and pop into the Hotel Splendido in Portofino for a €25 cocktail.

Rapallo was ok but I dont know about the towns in between Rapallo and the the cinque terre or La Spezia to the south.

[Bob]

Nice one Stickman , we weren't sure where to stay on Garda

 

How long do we need to stay in Rome to get everything done?

My slim experience of Rome tells me that you'll never get everything done, no matter how long you stay, so either go for a few days with no plans and just stumble into whatever you stumble into, or go with a realistic plan to see the 6-10 things you really want to tick off a list, but no more.

 

Trying to do too much in Rome is a recipe for not enjoying it.

 

I didn't enjoy Rome partly for that reason, partly cause it was too hot for me and partly because of the sheer amount of people (tourists and people trying to fleece tourists) absolutely everywhere that you want to go.

 

My favourite bits of Rome were inside churches here the sun was off me and it was quiet.

 

Edit; honeymooned in lake como. Idyllic, will defo go back, but its probably not part of a quick tour as there's almost nothing to 'do'.

 

Florence is incredible and Perugia is cool too.

[Remmie]

Stig, I've been looking at hotels in Cinque Terre also, haven't stayed there before, only day tripped. From what I've seen so far most places want a 2 night minimum stay.

[bouncebrigade]

Rem/L19 red - where is the best place round cinque terre to stay? any ideas? booking the hotel for a night this week but not sure where is the best part to stay 

 

Manarola is a lovely village.  Great seafood restaurants and lovely vibe, especially at night time when the day trippers have all left.

[Bjornebye]

Manarola is a lovely village.  Great seafood restaurants and lovely vibe, especially at night time when the day trippers have all left.

 

Nice one mate

[Jairzinho]

Going again in September. Fucking love Italy.

[bouncebrigade]

Going again in September. Fucking love Italy.

 

It's quality alright.  Everywhere is so different.  Been there annually for the last three years and can only see that continuing for the forseeable.

[Bjornebye]

we cant wait to be honest. We have pretty much been told we have 4 days free in florence in a lovely city centre hotel and all. we were going to do one of the day trips to pisa, cinqueterre and back but to be honest that manarola looks like the type of place to see in the day and the night so we will stay there. 

[Jairzinho]

It's quality alright.  Everywhere is so different.  Been there annually for the last three years and can only see that continuing for the forseeable.

 

I've been at least once a year for the last eight or nine (since my mate bought a house there). Seen quite a lot of the country, but think if I were to move there (which I'm seriously considering) it would be central Italy, probably Le Marche.

[Jairzinho]

.

[Jairzinho]

When you going, Stig?

[Bjornebye]

When you going, Stig?

 

september mate 

[Jairzinho]

See you there.

[Bjornebye]

See you there.

 

sound mate, cant wait to tell me bird we are taking an 80 mile detour on our road trip to meet jairzinho off the forum 

 

she will fucking love that 

[Jairzinho]

Yes. Yes she will.

[L19red]

we cant wait to be honest. We have pretty much been told we have 4 days free in florence in a lovely city centre hotel and all. we were going to do one of the day trips to pisa, cinqueterre and back but to be honest that manarola looks like the type of place to see in the day and the night so we will stay there.

Pisa is all about the tower, duomo and baptistry which is all in one place the campo dei miracoli. If you are going under your own steam from Florence then half a day max for Pisa and go to Lucca for the rest of the day

[M_B]

I've been at least once a year for the last eight or nine (since my mate bought a house there). Seen quite a lot of the country, but think if I were to move there (which I'm seriously considering) it would be central Italy, probably Le Marche.

 

I live here (Italy, not Marche) so if you need any help then PM me. The bureaucracy at the beginning can be a headache.

 

Its a lovely place to live.

[Jairzinho]

I live here (Italy, not Marche) so if you need any help then PM me. The bureaucracy at the beginning can be a headache.

 

Its a lovely place to live.

 

Yeah, I've heard. And thanks, mate.

 

Where in Italy are you?

[M_B]

I live in Bolzano, but I've lived in Viterbo (Lazio), Rome and Bari (Puglia) in the past. Each region has its own feel so its worth exploring to find the right one for your taste.

[Jairzinho]

Bolzano is right up near Austria and Switzerland, no?

 

You seen much of Marche?

[M_B]

Yeah Bolzano is about an hour or so from each and is a German speaking region although you can get by ok with Italian.

 

I've been through Marche a few times and visited a few places, but I haven't spent a long time there. Urbino and Gradara are fantastic. I didn't stop at a beach, but I have heard there are a few nice ones. You've also got mountains if you fancy hiking and in general its a beautiful region.

 

Marche has an English community if you want to keep in touch with British culture - most Brits opt for the Tuscany, Umbria, Marche, Emilia-Romagna regions to live.

[Jairzinho]

I just like central Italy, I certainly wouldn't be moving to be near Brits. That's the main reason I'm fucking leaving. Marche, from, I guess, a combined 5/6 months of being there, seems like a slightly less high brow version of Tuscany. Macerata is a great little University big town/small city. Ascoli Piceno is also really nice. Not seen much of Ancona, usually go to the beach a few miles further south.

 

The town I usually stay in (probably only about 2000 people) as far as I'm aware has no other Brits. I speak some Italian, from travelling there a lot, and having an Italian ex, and to be honest I like having to engage with the local culture.

 

Thinking of moving next year, probably just after the general election. It may sway my decision!