| non QPR: Italy holiday advice 16:52 - Nov 16 with 3372 views | PeterHucker |
quick question for you well travelled and knowledgable lot.....
Big wedding anniversary in October next year, want to surprise the Mrs with a little trip to Italy. Would like to go somewhere new. Already been Rome, Venice, Florence, Pisa, Trieste, Naples, Amalfi Coast and liked them all except for Venice (overpriced, too many tourists)
Any recommendations?? Just want somewhere not too expensive for a long weekend break. |  | | |  |
| non QPR: Italy holiday advice on 17:00 - Nov 16 with 2498 views | DevonWhite |
If you liked the Amalfi coast then the Ligurian riviera could be worth a look. The Cinque Terre part is nice but quite touristy if that's a concern. The rest of the region isn't as touristy though. Genoa and Turin are both nice cities as well. Otherwise maybe Sardinia or Sicily? Depends how long you have. |  | | |
| non QPR: Italy holiday advice on 17:10 - Nov 16 with 2491 views | PeterHucker |
probably only going to be 3 nights.
can't persuade anyone to look after our kids for any longer than that!! | | | |
| non QPR: Italy holiday advice on 17:29 - Nov 16 with 2461 views | Pablo_Hoopsta |
| non QPR: Italy holiday advice on 17:10 - Nov 16 by PeterHucker |
probably only going to be 3 nights.
can't persuade anyone to look after our kids for any longer than that!! |
Lake Garda? My parents went recently and loved it. |  | | |
| non QPR: Italy holiday advice on 17:46 - Nov 16 with 2449 views | CroydonCaptJack |
One of the lakes. Como is beautiful. |  | | |
| non QPR: Italy holiday advice on 17:54 - Nov 16 with 2440 views | MrSheen |
| non QPR: Italy holiday advice on 17:10 - Nov 16 by PeterHucker |
probably only going to be 3 nights.
can't persuade anyone to look after our kids for any longer than that!! |
What was Trieste like? Always wanted to go?
People rave about Lecce, but not sure how easy it is to get to - right in the heel. Ask them if they remember Danny Dichio. |  | | |
| non QPR: Italy holiday advice on 18:16 - Nov 16 with 2422 views | stevec |
| non QPR: Italy holiday advice on 17:10 - Nov 16 by PeterHucker |
probably only going to be 3 nights.
can't persuade anyone to look after our kids for any longer than that!! |
The lakes are great but if you are going in October maybe check if restaurants and bars are closing down late in the tourist season. We went in late March a few years back but, that said, it's very pretty.
If you're looking for inexpensive and for 3 nights, Catania in Sicily might fit the bill. Mount Etna is well worth a visit but the higher up you get, believe me, it's freezing. Taormina, a short train ride away along the coast, has stunning views. If your wife likes shopping and restaurants the squares in Catania are good. Beer and wine was surprisingly cheap and the bars invariably offer you local delicacies for free. |  | | |
| non QPR: Italy holiday advice on 18:27 - Nov 16 with 2412 views | derbyhoop |
Bologna would have been nice but, when we went (2004) they were digging up most of the inner ring road. Just see what is open.
I thought Sienna was lovely. |  |
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| non QPR: Italy holiday advice on 18:33 - Nov 16 with 2404 views | ted_hendrix |
Try Assisi in Umbria;
We've been about 10 times and never tire of the place, almost a second home (I wish).
06.55 Ryan air flight from Stanstead book seats 1A and 1B and you'll be of the plane in seconds, you pick the hire car up while the wife gets the luggage and you'll be in your car and gone from Perugia airport in about 20 minutes with a 25 minute drive into Assisi. Perugia airport is only small but brilliant as opposed to Rome.
There are thousands of hotels and guest houses in the area, there are good links for other Cities both train and car.
I'm not religious by any stretch of the imagination but Assisi the city and its history have always fascinated me, I love the buildings and the churches/basilicas to walk through the City or the surrounding hills in the evenings is bliss.
Pretty dammed good restaurants if you want them but the cheaper no frills ones are easily the best. (The Umbrian sausage is the best sausage in the World)
October is the St Francis festival i believe so it might be a bit busy but you will need a car, Umbria is of course a good place to set out for the day as I said with good rail and car links.
October weather in Umbria can sometimes hit 25c. |  |
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| non QPR: Italy holiday advice on 19:08 - Nov 16 with 2376 views | PeterHucker |
I knew I could rely on you guys to give me some good tips.
Keep em coming folks. | | | |
| non QPR: Italy holiday advice on 19:49 - Nov 16 with 2339 views | CheshireR |
Trapani in Sicily is a great place for a relaxing couple of days. |  | | |
| non QPR: Italy holiday advice on 20:57 - Nov 16 with 2288 views | johann28 |
Verona. Venice without the tourists. |  | | |
| non QPR: Italy holiday advice on 22:30 - Nov 16 with 2232 views | QPRMUSO |
Go to Stresa on lake Maggiore, been there a few times and it is absolutely stunning, then take boat trips to the Islands Bella and Pescatori, my wife and I had our 25th wedding anniversary dinner including our kids at a stunning restaurant on Pescatori and they had a private boat come and pick us up from our hotels private landing point. So much to do and see there. Been to all the lakes but Como and Maggiore are the most beautiful. My favourite place on Earth now.
Good luck and let us know what you go for! | | | |
| non QPR: Italy holiday advice on 22:56 - Nov 16 with 2211 views | qprissimo |
Strongly recommend Puglia region which includes Lecce as mentioned above. There are some beautiful small towns, particularly coastal ones. It's not overly touristy, it's cheap and the food is incredible (raw seafood if you're into that, otherwise usual Italian food). It's also really easy to explore by car, perhaps using Lecce as a base.
Verona is a lovely city that you've not seen yet too. | | | |
| non QPR: Italy holiday advice on 07:34 - Nov 17 with 2165 views | Konk |
I'd also recommend Bologna - good looking city, the oldest university in Italy, so a more Interesting night time scene in terms of bars than most other major Italian cities in my experience. And it's famous for it's food, so well worth consideration. Otherwise Verona or Padua are both lovely places and close enough to maybe stay in Verona and do a day trip to Padua - 45 mins apart by train.
Lecce has been top of my list of places to visit in Italy for ages - if you fly into Brindisi, you can either then head into town and get the train - 25-30 mins from memory, or I think there may be a direct bus connection.
Siena is lovely, but a day and night tops for me. [Post edited 17 Nov 2014 8:44]
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| non QPR: Italy holiday advice on 08:10 - Nov 17 with 2143 views | Lancashirehoop |
Try finding Alex Polizzi's Secret Italy on catch up. Apart from her superceding Joan Bakewell as the thinking man's crumpet, she's travelled to a number of less touristy locations. Pesaro on the east coast looked particularly picturesque. That said Cinque Terre is magnificent and you can soon get off the tourist track anywhere in Tuscany. Felice anniversario for next October. |  |
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| non QPR: Italy holiday advice on 08:21 - Nov 17 with 2135 views | BrianMcCarthy |
Have only been to the same places as you, Peter, but have heard great things from people I trust about Assisi, as per Ted's post. |  |
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| non QPR: Italy holiday advice on 09:57 - Nov 17 with 2086 views | ngbqpr |
Lecce is great...I also recommend Perugia...not as big or 'obvious' as the main tourist cities, but definitely worth a long weekend
If you want somewhere smaller where you can just have a really chilled weekend in beautiful surroundings with guaranteed great food...San Gimigiano (sp?) is tiny but lovely, the classic hill town, and I'd guess less full of bus tours in October...we also really liked Ascoli Piceno...Polignano al Mare...and so many more
Hard to go wrong in Italy IMHO, a beautiful medieval town at every turn. |  |
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| non QPR: Italy holiday advice on 10:07 - Nov 17 with 2080 views | rongould |
Bologna is a favourite,
Turin is a regular standby (lots to do,great food,not as industrial as imagined,three rivers,wonderful parks,some of the best museums and art galleries,and the cinema museum is one of the best days spent ever)
Went to Palermo (Siciliy)in the summer,liked it so much we are going back for New Year
Naples can be great to.
One more tip...
get a map of Italy,close eyes,stick a pin in at random, there you are great place to go.
G
Have fun |  | | |
| non QPR: Italy holiday advice on 13:20 - Nov 17 with 2039 views | Brightonhoop |
Central is good too, towns of Cortona in Tuscany, Assisi an hours drive away, Siena nearby, great food and wine, superb restaurants, and Florence to the north. Gatwick to Pisa is a 2hour flight, you'll need a car to do the countryside. Or if staying in the City train to Florence from Pisa airport takes about an hour, lovely way to see the countryside too.
Como is the dogs bollx. |  | | |
| non QPR: Italy holiday advice on 15:21 - Nov 17 with 2013 views | westberksr |
Florence is beautiful but overun by fashion nuts from all over Asia; just too busy for such a small place.
Lake Como is lovely and only has a certain capacity for tourists so rarely feels too busy; might be a bit late in the season as mentioned earlier but certainly worth looking into.
Sardinia is a different option and the weather should still be great at that time of the year.
i'm planning to go back next year and i'm kidnapping Ted as a tour guide; gonna pay him in tobacco and american hard gums. |  | | |
| non QPR: Italy holiday advice on 15:46 - Nov 17 with 1989 views | hopphoops |
| non QPR: Italy holiday advice on 15:21 - Nov 17 by westberksr |
Florence is beautiful but overun by fashion nuts from all over Asia; just too busy for such a small place.
Lake Como is lovely and only has a certain capacity for tourists so rarely feels too busy; might be a bit late in the season as mentioned earlier but certainly worth looking into.
Sardinia is a different option and the weather should still be great at that time of the year.
i'm planning to go back next year and i'm kidnapping Ted as a tour guide; gonna pay him in tobacco and american hard gums. |
As said, it's hard to go wrong though i'd avoid Naples frankly unless you are specifically after the world's best pizza for under a fiver. (also Ancona, Brescia, Crotone, Frosinone are famous in Italy for being only slightly beautiful, but i guess they weren't on the list anyway...)
In October you'd do well to head via Turin to Alba in southern Piemonte for some of the country's best wines (Barolo, Barbera etc) and the truffle season. track down a local sagra (foodie piss-up, dancing in the piazza etc) and as well as having a brilliant time you will look seriously ITK. |  |
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| non QPR: Italy holiday advice on 16:03 - Nov 17 with 1978 views | Konk |
| non QPR: Italy holiday advice on 15:46 - Nov 17 by hopphoops |
As said, it's hard to go wrong though i'd avoid Naples frankly unless you are specifically after the world's best pizza for under a fiver. (also Ancona, Brescia, Crotone, Frosinone are famous in Italy for being only slightly beautiful, but i guess they weren't on the list anyway...)
In October you'd do well to head via Turin to Alba in southern Piemonte for some of the country's best wines (Barolo, Barbera etc) and the truffle season. track down a local sagra (foodie piss-up, dancing in the piazza etc) and as well as having a brilliant time you will look seriously ITK. |
I really like Naples. I know it’s a bit scruffy, but I’ve had 5-6 days there and had a great time. Nice people and plenty of good side trips.
Bizarrely, of your list, I’ve been to Brescia for football — pretty underwhelming/industrial — and an ex-girlfriend booked us a WEEK in Ancona as a surprise! We sacked that off after the first day and went to Urbino (lovely) and Bologna (great). Nothing especially wrong with Ancona, just a bit like travelling over from Italy and spending time in Ipswich or somewhere. | |
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| non QPR: Italy holiday advice on 16:29 - Nov 17 with 1958 views | hopphoops |
| non QPR: Italy holiday advice on 16:03 - Nov 17 by Konk |
I really like Naples. I know it’s a bit scruffy, but I’ve had 5-6 days there and had a great time. Nice people and plenty of good side trips.
Bizarrely, of your list, I’ve been to Brescia for football — pretty underwhelming/industrial — and an ex-girlfriend booked us a WEEK in Ancona as a surprise! We sacked that off after the first day and went to Urbino (lovely) and Bologna (great). Nothing especially wrong with Ancona, just a bit like travelling over from Italy and spending time in Ipswich or somewhere. |
naples - more marmite than marmite. certainly good for a night out.
Otherwise, yes, the worst Italy has to offer is more or less Ipswich but with great weather and food and beautiful women. | |
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| non QPR: Italy holiday advice on 16:31 - Nov 17 with 1958 views | GetMeRangers |
| non QPR: Italy holiday advice on 18:33 - Nov 16 by ted_hendrix |
Try Assisi in Umbria;
We've been about 10 times and never tire of the place, almost a second home (I wish).
06.55 Ryan air flight from Stanstead book seats 1A and 1B and you'll be of the plane in seconds, you pick the hire car up while the wife gets the luggage and you'll be in your car and gone from Perugia airport in about 20 minutes with a 25 minute drive into Assisi. Perugia airport is only small but brilliant as opposed to Rome.
There are thousands of hotels and guest houses in the area, there are good links for other Cities both train and car.
I'm not religious by any stretch of the imagination but Assisi the city and its history have always fascinated me, I love the buildings and the churches/basilicas to walk through the City or the surrounding hills in the evenings is bliss.
Pretty dammed good restaurants if you want them but the cheaper no frills ones are easily the best. (The Umbrian sausage is the best sausage in the World)
October is the St Francis festival i believe so it might be a bit busy but you will need a car, Umbria is of course a good place to set out for the day as I said with good rail and car links.
October weather in Umbria can sometimes hit 25c. |
+1. Probably the best holiday I have been on, bar skiing. Based in Perugia and so many places of interest within easy reach. Want to go again. |  | | |
| non QPR: Italy holiday advice on 18:10 - Nov 17 with 1925 views | R_from_afar |
| non QPR: Italy holiday advice on 18:16 - Nov 16 by stevec |
The lakes are great but if you are going in October maybe check if restaurants and bars are closing down late in the tourist season. We went in late March a few years back but, that said, it's very pretty.
If you're looking for inexpensive and for 3 nights, Catania in Sicily might fit the bill. Mount Etna is well worth a visit but the higher up you get, believe me, it's freezing. Taormina, a short train ride away along the coast, has stunning views. If your wife likes shopping and restaurants the squares in Catania are good. Beer and wine was surprisingly cheap and the bars invariably offer you local delicacies for free. |
Taormina is great, in some hotels, you can see the sea and Etna. It also has a superb Greek theatre.
Also close to Catania airport is Siracusa. I just stayed there and the Piazza del Duomo has to be seen to be believed at night, it is magnificent, plus there are great seas views all round Ortigia, the main tourist area in Siracusa. Siracusa also has a big archaeological park with an amphitheatre and other impressive ruins.
Cefalu is also spectacular. Nice beach, majestic cathedral set below a towering cliff, great places to eat.
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