ItalyFavorite discoveries or tips: The most complete and comprehensive website about the inpressive rofless abbey is Sangalgano.org, a no-profit website about the abbey (money for listings must be sent to the "Misericordia" a type public association very popular in Italy and ready to help diseased people. Please help us linking the website. Thanks Giacomo webmaster http://www.sangalgano.org giacomo in San Galgano, Si Italy 07/19/2008 Several favorite tips: 1. Great advice re: set taxi prices from the the airport into Rome. We were approached by about 5 people who claimed that they were the "official" taxi service, but were charging up to 85 euros. Because of your book, we knew to go right to the taxi stand and turn down other offers. 2. We sought out Adamo at Contucci in Montepulciano. When we showed him his picture, he said "I'm famous in America" and signed our book. He was wonderful. 3. When we arrived in Vernazza, we were parched from our hiking (blistering hot in June).We would not have known to explore into town if not for your recommendation on Il Pirata, where we had fabulous lemon and strawberry granitas. The panzerotto are incredible! 4. I sent a lodging recommendation in a separate e-mail, for a fabulous place near Chiusi. Patricia Benson in Ann Arbor, MI USA 07/17/2008 In Florence, a day trip to Greve for wine tasting was one of our best activities. You can only appreciate so many madonnas, after all. Take the bus, go to the shop that has 48 wines for self-select tasting, and have a ball. Also, I had difficulty with ATMs in Italy. Many (usually at the regional populare banks) only took 4 digit PINs or didn't work with the Cirrus network. Best success was with BNL. I bought a pre-paid euro card before my trip for contingencies, and this problem made that purchase a good idea. In Florence, if you fail to get reservations for the Accademia, go 45 minutes before opening for the shortest wait. It's worth it. Linda in Lakewood, CO USA 07/16/2008 Hi-this is Kate Little from Monterosso in the Cinque Terre (www.fishnet.it). I didn't get a chance to meet up with Rick this year but I had a few new Monterosso recommendations for the book that I wanted to let you all know about. The Casello bar is now a bar/restaurant and the food is pretty good and is fairly priced. It is not a late night hangout anymore. Bar Bagni Fegina changed management and is a great restaurant now called Barraba. More expensive. Buranco winery has changed ownership and is now an agriturismo. They have very comfortable rooms and apartments and the setting is beautiful. Their website is http://www.burancocinqueterre.it/prodotti_vini.php?lang=en . Regards to everyone on the staff that I might know- and compliments for continuously publishing quality and conscious guides. 2009 will mark my 20th anniversary of living in the Cinque Terre. I never would have gotten here if I hadn't have packed 21 days in Europe. Thanks Rick! Kate Little in Monterosso al Mare, 5T Italy 07/16/2008 In Pompeii: the triangle shaped park near the Teatre is a nice place to cool off and has a cool ancient bench to the right side. Don't miss the Venus in shell Casa and Octavius Portio Casa and make sure to look in doorways on way to Ampitheater. Sally in Cincinnati, OH USA 07/15/2008 In Taormina, Sicily - Hotel Schuler. We stayed 3 nights and hated to leave. Beautiful hotel, spotless, wonderful bathrooms, unbelievable views, private gardens are incredible and the breakfast the best of our 2 week Italy trip. We can't wait to return. Venice - SUVE supermarket near Rialto bridge - great fresh prepackaged insalate mista - 1.60 euro! meat counter great - fruits and veggies fresh ripe. all you need for cheap great meal is here. Tony Caruso in Alpharetta , GA USA 07/12/2008 We found a wonderful restaurant in Siena. Ristorante Enoteca Le Vie Del Gusto, Via dei Fusari, 9. It is near the Duomo. Carlo and Carlos are wonderful people. The food is fantastic; the service is wonderful and the prices are quite reasonable. Highly recommended. Mary in Arlington Hts., IL USA 07/09/2008 Restaurant in Florence: Cipolla Rossa Osteria, Via dei Conti 53. This restaurant is down the street from Hotel Centrale. Great food, Super service, Very reasonable prices. Highly recommended. Mary in Arlington Hts., IL USA 07/09/2008 We used the guidebook in Rome and Sorrento and found the information so informative and so precise. We did find a wonderful pub in Sorento, Chaplins Irish Pub which really was wonderful. A wonderful family runs it and we made it our daily stop. They were helpful with local restaurant recommendations. Bonnie Cardow in Shalimar, FL USA 07/09/2008 I recommend La Bernineta restaurant, near piazza Cavour, down stairs from Hotel Sant Angelo. Daniel in Calexico, Ca USA 07/04/2008 We arrived in Vernazza about three weeks after you left in 2008, Rick...lots of Steves' books out and about! Sandy in San Bruno, CA USA 07/02/2008 We discovered two wonderful restaurants in Rome we wish to share. The first is Romilo Il Ristorante, via di Campo Marzio, 13, 00186 Roma, (06 68.93.499). The food was outstanding and our waiter was excellent! The prices were also reasonable. We highly recommend it. Our second recommendation is Trattoria Cecio MMVII, via Principe Amedeo, 104, 00185 Roma, (06 44.64.991). This restaurant also had excellent food and service and extremely reasonable prices. Michael Viscomi in Whitefish, MT USA 06/30/2008 Be very careful of the taxi drivers in Rome! Ana Miner in Novato, CA USA 06/26/2008 http://www.hotelduomofirenze.it/ - The Hotel Duomo is fantastic! The views from your window cannot be beat (you are literally right next to the Duomo). Hotel staff was pleasant and helpful and breakfast was brilliant. Did I mention the view? Cyndi in Watertown, MA USA 06/26/2008 Il Faro Hotel Sorrento, Italy. The rooms are typical italian with views of the Bay of Naples. Location is great for island hopiing or using the ferry to visit Amalfi, Positano, Salerno and Ravello. Luigi, the 3rd generation owner and his nother who still lives on site take care to provide the absolute best service in Sorrento. Breakfast is served daily and special orders are recognized as normal and provided for on a daily basis. There are 4 restaurants within this boutique hotel. The Vela Bianca serves delicious and fresh meals with 5 star service at a 3 star price. All breads, apstries and desserts are made on site daily. This hotel was listed in your older guide books but somehow is not in your current issue. Theresa Del Brocco in Costa Mesa, CA USA 06/23/2008 In Siena, another restaurant deserves mention. We ate at the Gallo Nero on Via San Martino. They serve Medieval meals in great atmosphere. They have ala carte, but they also have several prix fixe options. We opted for the Medieval banquet, which was an excellant four couse meal, including bottled water spiced wine, and a bottle of local wine for 30 euro per person. The waiter was very patient with us and our questions. He seemed quite well versed in local historical cuisine and eating practices. It was our big night out, and it did not disappoint.53100 Siena - Italy - via del Porrione, 65/67 - tel 0577/284356 - fax 0577/284346 http://www.gallonero.it/medievale.html Also in Siena, we stayed at a hotel called La Locanda di San Martino, at via San Martino 14. It is a four story hotel (no elevator). The rooms are really small suites, with modern bathrooms. They had WIFI and a nice breakfast. One of our rooms had original frescos on the ceiling. 39 (577) 223885 Andrew Crowley in Woodlyn, PA USA 06/23/2008 My tip for rick is stress over and over that italians view meals differentlty than north americans, encourage more strongly that when travelling in italy visitors should order like a local, the service, and overall experience is much better, we ordered as if we were in a canadian resturant for 1st week of 3 week trip and were disappioted with results both service and food, after changing our ways and ordering as a local the service was much better and the food experience was fantastic, we did read your book prior to trip but did not connect how important this small item was and how it impacted our trip Mark Hurworth in Courtenay, BC Canada 06/23/2008 La Renella, a bakery in Rome, Italy on via dell renella, which turns into via del moro in trastevere. This local bakery has the best fresh baked bread, and amazing table pizza. Take a number and be prepared to wait a few minutes when the bread comes out hot. andrea seremet in newington, ct USA 06/23/2008 Hotel Il Nido was in the 2007 book but not in the 2008. We stayed there in 2008 and it was wonderful! It was the best value of any of 4 hotels we stayed in. Jolien Mierke in Alexandria, VA USA 06/21/2008 The Manarola Vineyard Walk is a MUST! We absolutely loved this when we were in the Cinque Terre Jessica in Baldwin, WI USA 06/17/2008 I found a wonderful restaurant in Venice and wanted to share it with you and your readers. The name is Trattoria-Pizzeria al Gallo D'oro. It's on Rio Tera 'De Le Colonne, between St Mark's Square and the Rialto Bridge. They had the best meat sauce I'd tasted in Italy and had the best prices I'd found anywhere in Venice. I highly recommend them to your readers. Their phone number is (0039) 041 5230624 Amy in Buffalo, ny USA 06/17/2008 When I was planning my trip to Florence, I called the Hotel Maxim, which is listed in your guidebook. They were sold out on the days I wanted, but they referred me to the Hotel Axial, which is in the same building and is owned by the same family. Hotel Axial is one star more than Hotel Maxim and was an EXCEPTIONAL hotel. Very clean, incredibly friendly service, plentiful breakfast, and an outstanding location. I highly recommend you add to your Italy and Florence guidebooks. Your readers will not be disappointed. Hotel Axial Via Dei Calzaiuoli 11 50122 Firenze (Florence) www.hotelaxial.it (web) info@hotelaxial.it (e-mail) (0039) 055 21894 (telephone) Amy in Buffalo, NY USA 06/17/2008 Ristorante Da Giovanni, Via A Salavandra, 1, Roma Tel 06.48.59.50. My daughter and my favorite restaurant during 7 days in Rome, went back two more times.Excellent food, in particularly the daily specials. Elderly wait staff is courteous and helpful. No bread charge, no gratuity. We averaged 40 euro for antipasto, 2 prima dishes, 1 seconde, desert, wine, cafe. Excellent food, well prepared. Mostly Italian clientele, but tourist friendly. recommended by staff at Hotel Oceania. Chet Brewer in Severna Park, MD USA 06/16/2008 If you have room for another hotel recommendation in Firenze, you might want to check out he Hotel Casci. Carole Bennett in Daytona Beach, FL USA 06/15/2008 Hi Rick and associates - I would like to submit a recommendation for your consideration to include in your next book. We've just recently returned from 3 weeks in Italy and found all of your suggestions and recommendations to be very useful. Thank you!! However, during our stay in Monterosso we ended up using someone off the street for accomodation and it was not good to say the least. When we went to the T.I. she put us in touch with Francesco who also owns Fast Bar (already featured in your book, Italy 2008). He has 3 beautiful new rooms, (not yet a year old) flatscreen TV, mini fridge, airconditioning, blowdryer, and it's also ecologically friendly. Francesco's english is very good and he was helpful with our questions concerning the area and culture, in general. He was very accomodating and went out of his way to make us comfortable. Out of all the places we stayed this was truly a highlight for us. He is planning on opening more rooms in the near future. It was also great to visit the Fast Bar as he would make you feel like part of his community even introducing us to his mom! I think your readers would benefit greatly from this knowledge. I would like to give you Francesco's webpage for your information. It is www.iltimonedimonterosso.it Thank you again for making our first European adventure so enjoyable. Lucy Neary LN in Lake Country, BC Canada 06/14/2008 Capritime Tours: info@capritime.com. Enjoyed our tour of Capri with this company - it included circumnavigation of the island, Monte Solaro, Villa Jovis, Augustus Gardens and time to explore Anacapri & Capri towns. Villa San Michele was a worthwhile extra. Our guide, Fabien, was very knowledgeable and helpful; introduced us to a local artist as well as the best sandwiches we had in Italy - caprese was delicious. Bolsena Lake was beautiful, it's so close to Civita it might be worth mentioning in the guidebook...it also has an interesting little castle. Roma Pass we found more a headache than useful - only saved about 4 euros per person, and had problems - some places that take the pass let you choose whether you want to use your free admission there or just take the discount ( e.g. Castell St Angelo, Ara Pacis, where they even wrote us a letter correcting the mistake after swiping one pass by mistake), others insist that you have to use it on your first two sights and won't give you the discount otherwise. Capitoline Museums were in this category, we ended up paying full price because we wanted to save the pass for the Colosseum which we were scheduled to visit the following day. Maybe if you're planning to use a lot of public transport it's more worthwhile, but we found taxis more convenient for longer trips. Alcalay in Platteville, WI USA 06/11/2008 In Verona, there is a family run restaurant off of Corto Porto Borsari that we felt was quite superior. It is "Osteria S?" It is on the same street as Enoteca Oreste but on the other side of Borsari. This was our ninth trip to Italy, and my first time being victimized by a pickpocket. Alas, I carried by prescription sunglasses in my Rick Steve's backpack. They are now helping some other equally blind soul watch sunsets in Venice. In short, don't put anything in your backpack that you can't live without. (I did, indeed, have a money belt.) Alfonso Damico in Iowa City, IA USA 06/10/2008 Arriving at Varenna station, if no taxi waiting (to get to Eremo Gaudio), just try calling out "Taxi!". A driver lives directly across the lot. That's what my wife jokingly did, and that's how we found out! Richard Harned in Kenmore, NY USA 06/10/2008 Recently stayed at the Palace Hotel in Levanto. Very friendly staff, 10% discount with cash. The beauty is that first, Levanto is a very quaint town just north of the Cinque Terre, and it is one stop on the train to Monterosso, the first town in the Cinque Terra. The prices are very reasonable and just about 1 km walk to train station. The gardens are very pleasant, a little noisy at night. A good buy in the region. The Palace Hotel. Check it out. Tom Priest in Melbourne, Fl USA 06/09/2008 After disembarking our cruise ship in Naples, we engaged a private tour driver Fabrizio Melaragno through allarounditaly.net We would highly reccommend him as he was an informed, responsible, passionate and friendly guide and he made our day. He drove us to Sorrento, Positano and along the Amalfi Coast and then took us to Pompeii always being aware of the time needed to get back to the ship. He does tours out of Rome and Florence as well and if and when we return to Italy , we would certainly use him again. We highly recommend this enthusiastic fellow. ruth altman in Thornhill, On canada 06/09/2008 My husband and I had a great trip in Italy this spring thanks to Rick Steve's books. After using his books last year in the UK and Paris, we find that we often "do whatever RS tells us" and are usually extremely pleased with the results. Paula Lowe in Hillsborough, NC USA 06/09/2008 Florence restaurant: Palle d'Or (Via Sant'Antonino 43-45 (much more reasonable than Trattoria Trebbio and friendlier service). W. Wong in San Francisco, CA USA 06/08/2008 During our trip to Rome, Florence and Tuscany, we spent a day near Greve in Chianti with Paola and Simonetta de Mari, two sisters who run a company called Toscana Mia (http://www.welcometuscany.com). In the morning, Paola guided my wife and me through the preparation of a 5-course traditional Tuscan meal, which we enjoyed for lunch with their family. In the afternoon, we went to the Agraria Casanuova Ama family winery, where we were treated to a tasting by the vintner himself. He took immense pride in his exceptional wines. The setting was the beautiful Chianti countryside, and Paola, Simonetta, and the family have renovated an amazing medieval farmhouse into a home for their family and a setting for the cooking class. In addition to the cooking/winery tour, Toscana Mia offers other courses in Italian language, olive grove walks, trips to the market, etc. in Florence and Chianti. The hospitality they showed my wife and me, and the day they spent with us, gave us an idea of Italy beyond the museums, tourists, trains, and restaurants. I would highly recommend their inclusion in a future Rick Steves guidebook for Italy and/or Florence and Tuscany. Russ Lorber in Westminster, MD USA 06/07/2008 We just got back from two weeks travelling by train all over northern Italy. Rick's guidebook was read before and during our trip, it provided our "guide" very well, as well as his handy little phrasebook. We took a basic Italian language course before the trip and it really helped us. We recommend this for all who can do it. We used our Rick Steves backpacks and they worked great on trains, in towns, everywhere. We recommend them. We are senior citizens in decent shape and got along very well carrying 17 pounds on our backs. Ron and Linda Schroeder in Portland, OR USA 06/06/2008 Try the little restaurant "Il Giardino di Barbano" (www.giardinobarbano.com) in Florence at Piazza Indipendenza, 3r. The menu is a idiosyncratic mix of English and Italian, and American students come here, but so do Italians. The pizzas were good; the gnocchi divine. And the prices were good (under 10 Euros for most). Perhaps the best reason is that this is a low key place where American tourists don't have to feel intimidated. Susan Aldridge in Milwaukee, WI USA 06/06/2008 I would recommend including the following two accommodations to the guidebook on Italy: First, La Locanda del Capitano in Montone, is the wonderful hotel that the Rick Steves' tour groups use 10 times a year. However, it is not listed in the guidebook - wonder why?!? Giancarlo and Carmen Polito are the hosts, with Giancarlo also serving as the chef. Meals are fabulous and Montone is a quaint medieval town. Montone is the perfect place to stay and make day trips to Assisi, Cortona, Gubbio, etc. Secondly, we finished our 15 days in Italy in the Dolomites and Kastelruth. A wonderful accommodation was Haus Silbernagl, run by Petra Silbernagl-Zeni. Her parents built the facility 30 years ago and she has been running it for 20 years. What an innkeeper! She was bubbly, high energy and knew everything about the region. The accommodations are excellent with an indoor pool, sauna, wonderful breakfast, and unbelievable views. What a way to end the trip! Bill Davis in Winston-Salem, NC USA 06/04/2008 Florence and Tuscany Sharon Hodgkins in Sheffield, UK 06/04/2008 Dear Sirs, I am recommending an addition to the Rick Steves guidebook for Naples, Italy. My party of five were fortunate to stay at the Bonapace bed and breakfast at Porta Nolana. This is one of three Bonapace b & b's in Naples. Our host was the gracious and warm Arrigo and the hotel was impeccably decorated, clean and warm. The breakfast was plentiful and delicious. The exterior is a bit formidable, but this was expected. The transformation of the inside was nothing less than marvelous. I sincerely believe Mr. Steves should investigate this family owned business of b & b's. They also have one in the Dolomites. Please e-mail me for further information. stkdanbev@hotmail.com. Sincerely, Beverly Sheehy (P.S. I was in Casastarita in Sorrento when Mr. Steves looked at my room. To my surprise, he signed my guidebook which was sitting on the nightstand. Thanks, Mr. Steves)Hotel Bonapace Porta Nolana bonapaceportanolana@virgilio.it Beverly Sheehy in Stockton, Ca USA 06/01/2008 I stumbled up Fiat 500 Tours in Florence quite by accident. A friend and I took a tour with Sophie and Alex, and it was SO MUCH FUN. This is an excellent way to experience Florence from a totally different perspective. They're so relaxed about letting perfect strangers drive these amazing little cars, and the reaction from other tourists and locals alike was incredible. It just makes you laugh and smile the whole time. There is nothing like a bunch of locals coming up to have their pictures taken with the cars. This was my third trip to Italy and this was one of the most enjoyable experiences ever. This would be a fabulous addition to the guidebook. Their web site is: http://www.500touringclub.com/ Lisa Marzano in Belmont, NC USA 05/31/2008 We were looking for accommodations for the evening in the Genova area and found ourselves in a little area called Savignone. Driving up a mountain and looking for signs for a hotel, we came upon a delightful little square/piazza with an old hotel, called Palazzo Fieschi. The owners were very hospitable, friendly people. Rooms immaculate, marble staircase, very old but lovely hotel. In the morning at breakfast, we were asked if we would like eggs instead of the usual European breakfast. I highly recommend the Palazzo Fieschi in Savignone - we were so lucky to find this great spot.Address is Piazza della Chiesa 14, 16010 Savignone (GE), Tel. 010.93.60.063. We hope you'll consider this hotel for your Italy book, Rick. Marge Sykes in Elbridge, NY United States 05/24/2008 We visited Rome/Florence/Venice/Sorrento in May 2008 using ‘Italy 2007’ as a main source for accommodations and places to visit. It is our third trip with Rick’s books (first two were France and UK) and the book helped us great deal as usual. We’d never be able to make our itinerary as we did with this book. Some tips: 1) Audioguides – was the best new thing we had – I was hesitant at first but we did ALL tours and museum tours and city walks were absolutely wonderful. The only problem was that schemas did not work with my MP3 player and for museums- it is nice to have a visual clue (thumbnail picture) for the object we are looking at like in ‘Mona Lisa winks’. Also the tours in the each ‘city’ book is more detailed then in the ‘Italy’ book, but we can’t have all of those with us. Managed to use the ‘old’ Mona Lisa tours with Italy book for updated info about other issues like transportation connections; Thanks, Rick and team for the great time! Irina in Daly City, CA USA 05/20/2008 We went to Italy last month and LOVED the audio tours. Especially in Rome, we saved money on tours and still learned the history of the ancient sites. Katy Strange in Newcastle, UK 05/19/2008 For those interested in hiking, I found a fabulous book (the only non-RS book I brought on the trip!) called "Walking and Eating in Tuscany and Umbria" by James Lasdon and Pia Davis. Many detailed instructions for wonderful hikes - we hiked from Pienza to Montepulciano one day through beautiful countryside - great views of the hilltowns, and lovely flowers. The town of Montichiello was a great place to stop halfway. I highly recommend this book for travellers who enjoy being more active. Susan in Boston, MA USA 05/14/2008 Phone: 206 772 2015 Scott in Renton, WA USA 05/12/2008 GENIUS LOCI COUNTRY INN - BEVAGNA, UMBRIA While our guests arrive with an array of guide books in hand, it seems the most common one is Rick Steves. We find these guests most often to be real travelers and not simply tourists, ready to capture the essence of Umbria from the base of our upscale, charming Inn. A huge thank you to all the Rick Steves family of travelers. www.geniuslociumbria.com Mary Thomas Tacconi in Bevagna PG, ITALY 05/04/2008 I made two delightful discoveries in San Gimignano. The World Famous Home Made Gelato by the Gelato World Champions. The only place to find the original saffron ice cream, "Crema di Santa Fina" (registered). It was a very beautiful taste (they offer tastings), and one of the best gelatos in Italy (and I LOVE gelato), and generous scoops. The place is: Gelateria di Piazza, Piazza della Cisterna 4. The other find, was during Market Thursday, in the middle of Piazza Duomo, (don't recall the stand having a name), a very nice gentleman sells spiced roasted pork (he'll give you a taste) which he'll put into a sandwich (4 Euro) for you, which is large enough to share, but ask to have it cut in half. Very tasty. Sheryll Matheson in Coquitlam, BC Canada 04/21/2008 Rome Restaurant: Nana Vini e Cucina Via della Panetteria, 37 Rome, Italy Romantic napolitan restaurant near Fontana Trevi, excellent foor & service. Best restaurant experience for my wife and me in Italy. Les Garcia in Miami, FL USA 04/20/2008 Recently returned from a trip to Italy (Rome, Amalfi Coast) for which we used your 2007 book (uh, we'd been planning the trip for more than a year). Found the book very helpful and well organized. Couple of things, tho. We had brought along a GPS gizmo (a TomTom One XL, fyi) from the U.S. for help in navigating. First time we'd ever done that on any vacation, and it paid for itself over and over again. If we hadn't had the GPS, we'd never have found our B&B high above the town of Minori on the Amalfi Coast. (Villa Marietta -- I highly recommend it) And we might not have found the town, given that flight delays into Rome pushed back our eventual arrival there by rental car til about 11:30 p.m. But we used the device over and over again to find routes to such places as Paestum, Herculaneum, Pompeii, Fiumicino Airport's international departure terminal, etc. It was way handier than a map (tho we had one of those, too, for backup). You might want to think about recommending use of a GPS in future books. It was an invaluable help in places where some of the roads had been laid out by people driving ox carts 2,500 years ago. And these days, lots of car rental companies will rent you a GPS if you don't have your own.
Also, our trip included a week in Malta, which holds more history and pre-history per square mile (all 122 of 'em) than maybe anyplace on Earth. We weren't insane enough to rent a car there and found their bus system and its antique buses part of the fun of the whole thing. But, anyway, my point is that you don't have a guidebook that covers Malta, as far as I can tell. The place drew 1.2 million visitors in 2007, but only about 20,000 from the U.S. While I enjoy visiting someplace where every accent I hear isn't American, I think Americans should know more about Malta. Its history is both immense and fascinating, its people are way beyond friendly, its food is good, its climate is benign (well, compared to Minnesota, where I live) and there's lots to do there besides absorbing history (I'm a scuba diver and could have happily spent my entire week there diving, for instance). Might be worth considering as a separate book or as an addendum to an Italy book, since Malta is only about 100 miles off Italy's toe and spent a good chunk of its history as a political appendage of Sicily. We ended up using a Lonely Planet guidebook for Malta that was written in English English, rather than American English. Not a big problem, but it did occasionally require a bit of translation. Dennis Buster in Prior Lake, MN USA 04/20/2008 Duomo Secret Itineraries tour in Venice was fabulous! Nicole in Denver, CO USA 04/18/2008 La Piana Trattoria, Via di Camollia, Siena - best food, best atmosphere and most reasonably priced food in Siena. Not near tourist sights, but an easy walk. The restaurants near il Campo were overpriced and full of tourists. La Piana was mostly locals, with wait staff who could help translate the menu. Well worth it. Mimi Satter in Syracuse , NY USA 04/13/2008 We lived near Orleans, France for over 2 years in 1999-2001. We sent our 2 elementary aged children to public school there. We traveled only to places recommended by Rick, and we relive wonderful memories of many European hostels and back-door places. I could not begin to thank Rick enough, not just for specific recommendations, but for the mind-set he helped us to adopt. Bob and Jennifer Campbell in El Paso, TX USA 04/12/2008 I just have to put this story up! I was walking around Assisi, it was getting late in the afternoon and I wanted to get up to the Rocca Maggiore, the big castle at the top of the town, before it got too late. I was in the Piazza Commune and I saw a staircase going up. It looked like it may get me up there, but, I wasnt sure. I saw a man walk out of a store and was just standing there. So, in my very best AWFUL Italian, I asked him if that was the way to get to Rocca Maggiore? He noticed the Rick Steves book in my hand and grabbed my arm and said, "I'M IN THERE!!" I had no idea what he was talking about for a second, then I realized, it was the Rick Steves book! It was Friendly Fabrizio from La Bottega dei Sapori! He welcomed me in to his store, made room for me on a counter, that was full of products that he just moved away and pulled up a stool for me to sit and eat. He asked me what I wanted to try. I remembered in the guide, it said someplace to try Porchetta in Umbria, so thats what I asked him to try. He took out a big tray of carved porchetta and took a HUGE, beautiful looking roll, cut it, and piled it HIGH with porchetta and then drizzled some of the thickest looking olive oil I had ever seen on it and just handed it to me! It was delicious!! As I was eating this amazing and HUGE sandwich, he poured me a glass of local wine and started making me little bruschettas with olive oil, various truffle spreads, a chickpea spread and an arrabiatta spread. He also let me try some of his 8 year old aged Balsamic Vinegar on some fresh greens. Everything was FANTASTIC! He didnt charge me a dime for any of it!! Of course, I bought a bunch of stuff from him, because it was SO good and he was SO nice! It was just one of those experiences that makes travelling SO great!! It is also something that would have NEVER happened had it not been for Rick Steves guidebooks!!! Thanks again!!!! Brian Freund in keego harbor, mi USA 04/11/2008 Rick Steves' Guide books have given SO much to me, I want to try and, if nothing else, give as much and as accurate feedback for my experiences as possible! This was my 2nd trip to Europe. I went to Amsterdam, Barcelona and all around France last year with a friend, using Rick Steves' as my main source. I just returned from Italy, by myself, using Rick Steves and a few other books. Rough Guides and Fodors. In reading the books, I found that I typically like Rick Steves more, but, there were some things that, in reading, I thought did a more thorough job of some cities and sights that I was interested in. In practice, I found nobody and nothing compares to Rick Steves books! I had the most up-to-date books from each series, and the Rick Steves books were so much more accurate and up to date than the others, I was amazed! I also found, that, at least for me, the guided tours that are in his guides may not go over every piece of every room in every museum, but, they go over the most important things and keep things light and interesting, while giving enough depth to be informative and moving, at times! I kept thinking, through my whole 2 weeks in Italy, how lucky I was to pick his books out of all of them! My trip would have been great, no matter what. But, thanks to Rick Steves', it was 2 of the best weeks of my life! I really cant thank Rick Steves, his staff and the whole online community that takes advantage of the resources and answer all the questions from people like me, enough. I know that I experienced Italy in a way that such a small percentage of the millions of Americans that go to Italy, experience. If there is ever anything I could do to show my gratitude, I would gladly do it. I took pictures of everything in every self-guided walk I took, of almost every hotel and restaurant, as well as food and wine that I really liked. I also would love to share my opinions about what I experienced with the other readers, obviously, but, any information that I can give to help make the Rick Steves guides any better I would love to give!! Brian Freund in keego harbor, MI USA 04/11/2008 We discovered a great hotel in Venice. The Al Vagon and Al Campiello, www.hotelvagon.com and www.alcampiello.com have a great location between Ca D'oro and Rialto vaporetto stops, reasonable prices (we paid 100 euros first week of April, for a room with balcony overlooking a small canal. This is less than we paid 5yrs ago for a less convenient location and much smaller room. Would recommend adding it to the book. The proprietor, Mauritzio, liked the idea too. Jean Yoder in Ann Arbor, MI USA 04/10/2008 In future editions I'm sure travelers would benefit (no matter the country) from extra blank pages in the front and back of the books- any of them. I loved the cheat sheets, yet I needed extra space for phrases and words that I in particular needed.
Also, a recommendation for any traveler to any country: take non perishable munchies (customs friendly) with you. Our flights were delayed, we had no car, the wind was howling and the rain was pelting sideways when we arrived in the dark to our apartment with a kitchen. If it weren't for some luck in timing and guts in asking our host to drive us to the grocery store 10 minutes before it closed, we would have had trail mix and dried fruit for dinner- but at least we had that. 10 minutes and less forward thinking would have left us hungry, exhausted and isolated in a new place. April O'Connor in Portland, OR USA 04/07/2008 we happened to be in florence last week and it was cultural week in italy so we scored big time. free entry to accademia, uffizzi, and bobloi gardens. we had to pay our 3 euro per person reservation fee to the 2 museums but it was all cool bruce lahr in sauk rapids, mi USA 04/03/2008 Cinque Terre was wonderful! In addition to the hike between towns we hiked up to Volastra.
Naples was fascinating. Thanks for the walking tour of the city. I was a little nervous (traveling alone) and heeded the safety concerns but so glad that went. I went as a day trip out of Rome and it was flawless. I saw Pompeii, Naples Museum and walking tour of Naples. Scott Hovey in Durham, NC USA 03/31/2008 In Florence, we ate a wonderful meal at the Osteria Santo Spirito located at Piazza Santo Spirito! It is 2 easy blocks from the Pitti Palace. Just ask a museum guard to point you in the right direction. Gale in Melbourne Beach, FL USA 03/24/2008 Antico Borgo Poggiarello near Monterrigioni, Tuscany www.poggiarello.com Wonderful agritourismo out in the heart of Tuscany with beautiful Tuscan sunsets out the apartment windows, great food, antiques, wine, roman bath, lovely grounds and pool. Sue Laabs in Northville, MI USA 03/23/2008 Tuscany Hotel- Borgo il Poggiaccio. You should check this place out it is a Tuscan Fairytale. The prices were reasonable and the experience is memorable. The service is excellent. It is not in the heart of a big city but neither are the agriturismos. It seems like a place you would like. We stayed four nights in a roomy two bedroom two bath apartment for 172 Euro! Check out their website: http://www.borgoilpoggiaccio.it/home_en.htm Carolyn Sleeper in Phoenix, AZ USA 03/22/2008 Calabria, Southern Italy. You must include Calabria in your next book. It is amazing even in the month of January. Lamezia, Catanzaro, Brancaleone, Reggio Calabria, Sicily, Vibo Valentia & Pizzo are awesome. Brancaleone is a costal town on the Ionian sea, a small town on the edge of the sea but the location is georgous. An approx 1 hour drive by car or train from Reggio Calabria. Siciy is a piece of heaven. The entire coast is pure magic, the views are awesome even in January. Pizzo is a small hillside town and it is just magicial. The views over the piazza are amazing. Take a trip and include in your next book please. Maggie Ireland 03/11/2008 I took the three city guidebooks (Rome, Florence & Tuscany, and Venice), and they all proved to be the best heavy-items i packed. I read the "Transportations Connections" sections of the books before arriving into the airports/train or bus stations, and was able to hit the ground running. Thank-you! I did realize, though, that there doesn't seem to be a real "off-season" or "low-season" of tourism in italy (especially rome and florence)... more like "high season" and "really high season"...? st peter's basilica and the vatican museum were packed (although i found it amusing to hear the vatican guide say, "we can stay and admire this painting for a couple more minutes because it's not so crowded" even though we had to squeeze past and through groups of people because the room was so full... wouldn't like to be there when it IS crowded!), as were the other big sights. luckily we had booked the guided vatican tour, so were able to skip the long line of people waiting along the wall to get in, and also took the exit from the sistine chapel into the basilica (great tip!) so avoided the security line-up outside. i can't wait to go back! miki s bc canada 03/01/2008 My only suggestion would be to include La Baia Di Rio in Riomaggiore and B&B Pascucci in Rome under accomodations. I feel that both fit the "Rick Steves" type of accomodations! Robert Villigram in St. Louis, MO USA 02/28/2008 Traveling in Tuscany during the heat of summer, I found Montepulciano the place to be. According to Rick, nobels maintained summer palaces here to escape the summer heat. While there, I discovered a lovely red wine called 'Vino Nobile' during a tasting at the Cantine Cantucci as highlighted in one of Rick's Italian shows. Delicioso! Gary Y. in Mission Viejo, CA USA 02/23/2008 Please add information about Sicily
Jeanne Galvin, Jgalvin2@optonline.net Jeanne Galvin in Malverne, NY USA 02/12/2008 We visited Italy in October, 2007 using your guidebook and we had a wonderful time!!! We followed your tips and all went well. We especially enjoyed the Dolomites, Cinque Terre, Tuscany, the Amalfi Coast and Rome....my hats off to you Rick...you did a wonderful job with these guidebooks... DELIA EPIE in CLOVIS, CA USA 02/12/2008 I love the Italy 2007 book. I have read many different guides but this one never left my hand. We actually ran into some new friends on the trip and they actually picked up this book while in Italy after seeing so many people with it. It took us through Tuscany, Rome and the Cinque Terre. We made use of your guides through Museums, the hike of the Cinque Terre and your travel info. Great book, highly recommended. Tara Dickie in Warwick, Bermuda 01/26/2008 We drove throughout Italy with our 2 children and I would recommend the following: When traveling to Rome, park your car at the outskirts of the city and take the Metro (M) into the city. We drove to the Tiburtina station and took the Metro - B line to the Termini where we tranferred to line A for a full day of walking the city. The locked parking lot was adjacent to the Metro for 10 Euro/day and was open until mid-night if one was doing a day trip only. Another note on Rome. if you go by car on the weekend, arrive on Friday or Saturday and leave on Sunday. You will be going against the traffic jams!
Another tip, get a GPS with a European map. Eventhough I have driven throughout Europe numerous times, I still make wrong turns or miss a sign or the map i have is not quite right. A GPS would save time and reduce some of the stress.
A favorite town that we encountered was Castellina in Chianti
A very centralized city in the heart of Tuscany surrounded by vineyards and Etruscan tombs that you can walk into without crowds or fees. Florence, Siena and San Gimignano were all less than 20kms away and was very relaxing and friendly after spending a day touring the area. The restaurants were fantastic with a pizzeria/anti-pastsi bar that was phenominal. Greg DiGregorio in Broomfield, CO USA 01/06/2008 We stayed at the Hotel Principe in Florence, Italy. The hotel is not in the guidebook - but it is an excellent fasmily run "Classic Italy" style hotel. It's on the Arno just a few bocks from the historic section - so everything is close, but it's still quiet. The rooms are great (ours had a balcony overlooking the river) and the free breakfast includes eggs and omelettes. The best part is the staff. Very helpful and friendly. Giulano, the owner, spent time with us talking about the hotel's fascinating history (built for a mistress of the King) and life in Italy in general. We will defnitely stay here again. I am suggesting you try this hotel and add it to your guidebook. Kent Campbell in Carlsbad, CA USA 12/20/2007 My son and I flew to Italy from Madrid,and stayed 11/26 to 12/4. This guidebook proved invaluable. I found the Hotel Aberdeen to be delightful and well situated to many of the sights of Rome. We used the guidebook to walk to the Colosseum, tour the Forum and found a great guide for the Vatican through Through Eternity tours. We did eat at the Caffe dello Studente and while my panini was not the best I've had, Simona gave us a wonderful welcome. Prior to staying in Rome, my son and I took the train up to Cinqueterra and stayed for four nights at the Locanda il Maestrale. Stefania and Giovanni were friendly and helpful. Breakfast was in a lovely room and included fresh pastries and boiled eggs. A good eating place was the Ristorante Belvedere. Most of the recommended eating places were closed when we were there, although there were other good restaurants. Took a train to Genoa to meet our cousin who took us to a wonderful local restaurant called Sa Pesto--great farinata--a foccacia made with chick pea flour. Fresh pasta with a flavorful pesto sauce, fresh anchovies. Great tour of Palantine Hill with Hannah (Australian) from Roberto's Walking Tours in Rome. Marie Lavendier in Unionville, Ct USA 12/14/2007 Hotel Elda in Siena - we stayed there in November during low season and the rate was very reasonable (100E/nt) and the accommodations were fabulous. The B&B is an easy walk from the central district, the room was large and comfortable with a great bed and the best bath room we had in Italy, and the view was breath taking. From our window we could watch the sun rise over Siena, and from the roof top desk we watched the sun set over Tuscany. The staff was very helpful and breakfast was delicious. It was truly a 4 star experience on a 2 star budget. Ann Stafford in Austin, TX USA 12/06/2007 I'd like to recommed the Vigna Sant'Elena and Villa Germaine agriturismo in Arricia near Castel Gandolfo south of Rome. It is a beautiful winery and farm with a very good restaurant. The room was fantastic, very cozy and well-decorated, and the family treated us great. They have a vineyard, olive groves, citrus groves, farm animals, and a garden for their restaurant. They also provide a breakfast every morning, which I think is rare at agriturismos. The location is very centrally located. We drove all throughout the regions hilltowns and to Anzio and Rome without much difficulty (always get GPS in your rental). Chris in Lafayette, CO USA 12/04/2007 Hotel Corona d'Italia in Florence - simply the best hotel we stayed at the whole time in Italy - 90euro per night, great location 2-3 blocks from stazione, walking distance to most downtown sights and great restaurants. BEST SERVICE we had at a hotel in Italy - above and beyond with a great lounge area and bar on the main floor, outstanding breakfasts, comfy and surprisingly roomy bedrooms. MUST STAY! The staff was over-the-top with fantastic service. A true find, should really be in your book. Hotel Corona d'Italia: Via Nazionale, 14 - Firenze. Tel - 055.261.501. www.hotelcoronaditalia.com info@hotelcoronaditalia.it
Also, the best meal we had in Sorrento was hands-down at the Mayflower restaurant near the train station. Please mention. It was possibly one of the best meals we had in all of Italy - great flavor and fantastic service, but a deceiving strip-mall location makes it look like it will just be run of the mill, but it is anything but! Mayflower Ristorante - Sorrento, Tel 081.8075809
We also discovered a "Fort Hike" through the backyards and trails of Capri, which was the best surprise. The hike has a rudimentary map on ceramic tile and we ended up on it for a couple hours. It begins nonchalantly enough but then takes you along the coastline, from the east to west end of the island along the southern edge. It was a true gem and pleasure to find; despite the hoardes of Cruiseship tourists that day and the 70degree weather, we only saw one other couple out hiking it the whole time. It connected us to the Blue Grotto as well and it was a great way to unwind, get away from the tourist traps and tourists, and see the real Capri island. At one point you go from modest backyards and people's garages all the way to overlooking the mansions with pools over the water's edge. It was spectacular - please check it out and mention for Italy travelers who are trying to escape the shopping!
In Sorrento - "Pizzeria" Gelato on Corso Italia - the best gelato we had in all of Italy. Creamy every time, soft and delicious. Sometimes the gelato was harder and less tasty and fresh. They have fun pictures plastered over their walls and ceilings with hot guys and gals dipping themselves in chocolate as a promotional stunt, famous Italians who have come by the gelato stand etc. Fun atmosphere and the best gelato. Taya Rotering in Minneapolis, MN USA 11/30/2007 Validate! Those little yellow boxes at the train stations are often crowded out, or in a rush one might forget to validate the ticket, but this new posting seems to be serious:
"New regulations for anyone traveling without a valid ticket come into force on 17 September 2007. Ticket inspections will be increased on trains and at the stations. Penalty fee, in addition to cost of ticket: Payment on train or at station upon arrival: 50 Euro Payment within 15 days up to 116 Euros Payment after 15 days: up to 224 Euros www.ferroviedellostato.it" (can't find an English translation site)
Also, there seems to be a small coin market open on Sunday mornings from about 9-1 around the back of the post office in Milan, just beyond the Piazza del Duomo.
And, a specific travel agency near the Rialto Bridge that is an authorized agent for Trenitalia is Kele & Teo Viaggi Tourism, on Marzaria Del Capitello, at the head of some steps. We needed to book Eurostar tix. We were told at our hotel that there would not be a transaction fee, but there was one, for only 1 euro.
Also, you may wish to check on Hotel Luciani, around the quieter side of Rome's Termini: Hotel Luciani Via Milazzo, 8, 00185 , Roma, Italy, Fax : +39 (06) 97612699, Phone : +39 (06) 491327, Phone : +39 (06) 490659, info@hotelluciani.it We found it cheap, simple and quite adequate. The managers were extremely pleasant. They had 2 computers in the lobby for guest use (requesting 1 or 1-1/2 euros for a little bit of time, but they waived it for us). What attraced me to their site (other than Trip Advisor.com general recommendations was their "Peace Pole" in the lobby that says, "May Peace Prevail on Earth" in 4 languages. We stayed there in November, and while it wasn't whisper-quiet due to its proximity to the station it was OK.
Finally, we took the Autostradale tour bus in order to see the sold-out Last Supper (that was a great suggestion, not because the tour was so dazzling but because it was the last ditch way for us to see the LS). However, in the Scala museum tour (pp247 and 258) that was part of the tour we were amused to see that Verdi's death mask cast contained some actual whiskers from the casting! Ouch! Well, maybe not.
Laura in Redding, USA 11/28/2007 I really enjoyed Basilica San Clemente in Rome, near the Colosseum on Plazza San Clemente, not mentioned in the guidebook. It was 5 Euros extremely well spent. The top level is the 12 century church with incredible and approachable frescoes. Then there is the excavated 6th century church below the current church that is beautiful in its own way. Finally, below the two churches is an excavated 2nd century Mithraic temple. This church is much nicer and more educational than many churches that are mentioned in the guidebook. Craig in Portland, OR USA 11/27/2007 Chiusi -- fantastic Etruscan, Roman, and Renaissance art and artifacts. Fascinating underground tours. Not very touristy, but easily accessible by train or car. Jill Grigsby in Claremont, CA USA 11/23/2007 Train from Venice to Florence...drive through Tuscany. We loved driving...it was a little tricky, but not too bad, and the way to go! Carol Dierkes in Hartford, Mi USA 11/19/2007 Florence - We went on 3 tours with "Walking Tours of Florence" and they were all excellent! We stayed at Residenza il Villino and it was wonderful with 2 computers available for guests. Osteria-Pizzeria Zio Gigi at Via F. Portinary 7/R was the best restaurant we ate at in Florence. Shelley in St. Louis , MO USA 11/18/2007 I originally wasn't going to spend any time in Venice because I thought it was nothing more than a tourist trap. I was convinced to go because I was told by friends that "you have to go to Venice". We spent two days and nights there. What a place! We wished that that had planned more time there , but who knew? The town is magical. My wife and I went on a one hour gondola ride at night (pretty cheesy right?)but it was an incredible, mostly silent trip through some of the narrow back canals. We were not on a tour but travelled by ourselfs on a trip planned using "Rick Steves' Italy 2007". We hope to return someday. John in Newtown Square, PA USA 11/14/2007 YES! Mami Camilla's B&B. It is in Sorrento. It is a little far from the main center of town, but it is on the Orange bus route which drops you off in the main piazza in Sorrento. They provide on-line booking, cooking classes from a professional chef, Internet access, Amalfi tours, and 15 Euro dinners prepared by the chef and his students. It is a bit rustic, and the rooms are in buildings scattered around their large citrus/olive grove. I cannot recommend it enough. They speak English, too. Barry DeVine in Eugene, OR USA 11/14/2007 We stayed 5 nights at the Palazzo Minciotti in Assisi, Umbria Italy and I have to say that it was the most incredible apartment that we have ever sublet. The apartment we stayed in was the San Rufino with 3 large bedrooms and 2 bathrooms with a separate kitchen and a large living area. The host, Anna Maria Minciotti, was very gracious and furnished the apartment with everything conceivable that a traveler could need. The location is at one end of the town near the Church of San Rufino. This location is perfect for those who have a car because it is a short distance to the underground Matteotti parking lot. Wake up each morning to the church bells and gaze out any window for an incredible view of the Church, the hillside and fortress above the town or the Umbrian valley as the sun starts to chase the early morning fog away. Then walk downstairs to a very nice coffee and pastry shop with internet access or directly across the street to shop that sells delicious paninis and pizzas. Try the potato pizza for breakfast with thin crisply seasoned potato slices on top of an incredibly delicious pizza. Walk and shop the beautiful and when you come back to Palazzo Minciotti in the evening open the windows and watch time come slowly to a halt. Incredible! Patrick Elder in Oklahoma City, OK USA 11/13/2007 Your staff (Paul Orcutt) responded to my question about local wines. (Specifically, are there added sulfites.) He gave us a great answer, and using it my husband was able to drink wine for the first time in years. We enjoyed the local wine and cuisine without worry (but did stay away from bottled wines, all of which carried the dreaded "Contains Sulfites" warning.) Thanks. Marian in Orange County , CA USA 11/12/2007 Rome: Fior di Luna Gelateria In the heart of Trastevere, there is a gelateria called Fior Di Luna featuring freshly made Gelato from all organic ingredients by friendly brothers Aldo and Fabio (who also speak English). Their fruit and nut- flavored gelato is the best, made from the real thing only days after being picked. http://www.fiordiluna.com/ D in San Francisco, CA USA 11/11/2007 We liked the restaurants recommended by Casa Santo Nome di Gesu in Florence. Ristorante Totó at Borgo SS Apostoli 6r and Trattoria l'Brindellone (around the corner from the hotel). ping wang in Lausanne, Switzerland 11/11/2007 I want to thank all the people at Through Eternity Tours for the wonderful experience that my wife and I had during our eight days in Rome. I realize that many people would not decide to have eight days of private tours, but we found it a most rewarding and comfortable experience. All of the tour guides assigned to us were extremely informative, and they all went the extra mile to make our visit less difficult by calling taxis and finding restaurants, grocery stores, and even park benches. We highly recommend that any future visitor to Rome consider having one or more private tours with your company. For us, tour guides are the best way to see and learn about Rome. As we review the hundreds of pictures we took, we remember fondly how the guides explained the sights and answered our questions. We highly recommend Through Eternity Tours to anyone who is seriously, and even moderately interested, in learning about ancient Roman history. If all goes well, we would like to return to Rome perhaps in May of 2008. Carol in Mesa, AZ USA 11/09/2007 Florence - I' Brindellone restaurant across the river near P. Piatellina. Small, locals only place with a great value lunch menu. Doug Floore in Albuquerque, NM USA 11/09/2007 Many national and historical sites allow free entries to Canadians over 65 with proof of citizenship and age (ie: Driver's Licence or Passport). My husband and I were in southern Italy last month. He (a Canadian senior) visited, for free, the Colosseum in Rome, Pompeii, Paestum, Napoli Museum, and the Reggia in Caserta. He just had to show them his Canadian ID. What a pleasant surprise. We were told by the tourist office in Pompeii that Canadians over 65 have free entries to most (not all) national historic sites in Italy.
Unfortunately, this freebie is not available to Americans.
Love your guide books and PBS shows. And keep up the good work. Sylvia Lim in Vancouver, BC Canada 11/07/2007 This one tip alone is worth the price of the Italy guide book: buy the Roma Pass. The time spent finding the TI at the Roma Termini to buy the pass is more than made up by the time you save at the Coloseum. Also, we may have just been lucky, but we were able to enter four attractions on the pass without having to pay. Among those was the newly opened Trajan's Market, which was very enjoyable, in part because of the excellent video diagrams of the ruins. James in Durham, NC USA 11/07/2007 Context Rome Tours. We took 4 small group (6 or less) tours with this company, 2 in Rome and 2 in Florence. All were excellent, led by guides with advanced degrees in Art History. This was especially helpful at the Borghese Gallery in Rome, where you are booted out after only two hours. We feel we saw and understood much more than if we were muddling through reading a guidebook. Sure the tours are expensive, but well worth it. Ed in Seattle, WA Ed Deal in Seattle, WA USA 11/07/2007 Florence was fabulous! We stayed at a brand new B&B that was recommended to us from one of your recommendations when they were full. Its called Lanterna Fiorentina. The website is http://www.lanternafiorentina.it/index.eng.html. The woman who ownes it is Gianna who is wonderful. She is happy to make reservations for the Accedemia and the Uffizi. It is a 10 minute walk from the train station and a 10 minute walk to the Duomo. Gianna re-did each room when she started the b&b with very nice furnishings. The bathroom was completely new. What a great place!
Also in Florence was the restaurant Auqua del 2. It was fabulous and has a steak with blueberry sauce and was delishious! We went back two nights in a row.
And for the last florence addition-- Tuscus Wine Tours with Todd was great! http://www.tuscan-wine-tours.com/index.htm Todd is a wonderful tour guide and guided us through one of our best days of the trip. 2 wineries and lunch. Perfect.
Alexis Bock in Washington, DC USA 11/04/2007 We went to the Vatican at 3 p.m. on a Tuesday, and there was no line! Great way to breeze through the Sistine Chapel, the Basilica, and Vatican Square if you are pressed for time!
Found a nice little local restaurant in Florence. Great beef stew and risotto with duck breast. It is called Osteria Cocotrippone, (di Filippo Baldini), Via Gioberti, 140/r-Firenze-Tel. e FAX 055 2347527, on the electric mini-van route A. Linda Hornbeck in Torrance, CA USA 11/03/2007 Borghese Gallery in Rome, Italy: My husband and I were late 15 minutes for our reservation but they let us in anyway! Jessie in Chicago, IL USA 11/03/2007 Osteria Quatro Pass, via XX Settembre, 20 Varenna, (Lecco) tel. 041.815.091 welcoming, charming decor, good food and wine; francine faribault in Montréal, Qc CANADA 11/02/2007 Sirius Hotel - This hotel was not in the guide book about Italy. In fact, Perugia was not even in your book. We love this hotel and have stayed there on two different trips. It is a great base for visiting a number of hill towns in Italy, namely Perugia, Deruta (great for ceramics), Assisi, Gubbio, Orvieto, Civita de Bonareggio, Cortona, just to name a few. The hotel is out in the country on the top of a very high hill. Instead of city traffic, you hear birds singing. You do need a car to get there, but the rewards are a great view of Perugia (and Assisi in the distance)seen from a beautiful terrace, a very quiet hotel, and most of all, a wonderful experience getting to know Guiseppe Angeli, his wife Kula and their son Spiro. The hotel has extremely reasonable rates that include breakfast (€48 for a single and €65 for a double - slightly more during high season and holidays). It is reasonably close to restaurants. One of our favorites was part of a nearby amusement park (great for kids) and also with a great view. Perugia is a wonderful city to explore. It has easy access with a parking lot at the bottom of the hill and escalators that take you up to the center of town. The escalators literally take you through layers of history, going through rooms created by the Etruscans and Romans. The town is basically a university town and you can often witness new graduates celebrating in the streets. There are many medieval streets to explore, lots of which do not have cars. It is also the chocolate capital of Italy. Many shops carry their famous chocolate and there is a chocolate festival in October.
Sirius Hotel Via P. Guardiano,9 06131 Perugia Italy tel. (39)75-690-921 fax (39)75-690-923 website: http//www.siriush.com e-mail: Angeli.Giuseppe.@siriush.com Pat McClung in Mt. Pleasant, TX USA 11/02/2007 In Rome, book a walking tour with Angel Tours. You can email a booking without having to give them your credit card at info@angeltoursrome.com. The tours cost 25 Euro plus the cost of admission tickets and the guides are Irish or English and wonderful. We did the Colosseum and Vatican Tour with them just last week, wonderful, knowledgeable, passionate about history, great value. Also, a wonderful hotel in Rome not in the book Arena House, it's near the Colosseum, wonderful helpful Vincent speaks excellent English, a frig in your room and one in the hallway and computer and internet in each room for 120 Euro a night. In the middle of the city and so quiet at night. Address via Marco Aurelio, 37, Rome Tel.0039 06 97615384 Fax.0039 06 97615384 Email at info@arenahouse.com Chere Weiss in Kelso, WA USA 10/29/2007 If staying in The Cinque Terre, we can recommend Egi Rooms in Vernazza. Egi is most hospitable, knowledgable, charming and helpful. He met us at the train station and carried our luggage to his hotel, and up the stairs. We had a large, comfortable room with a kitchen for 110 euros per night. The location was great, but then, Vernazza is not that large a village. David Reiser in Cadillac, Mi USA 10/29/2007 The Siena restaurant Osteria Enoteca Sotto le Fonti was one of the best we experienced in Italy (which puts it in a rare class indeed.) While it is slightly off the main drags of Siena, it was no further from the center than several of the other restaurants. Josh Zimmerman in Salt Lake City, UT USA 10/28/2007 We understand from Dino at Il Nido in Sorrento that this great place will not be included in your 2008 edition. Please reconsider! This was a great place, phenomenal value, and the whole family couldn't have been more accomodating. Rick -- it was an excellent recommendation! Rick Peterman in Marion, MD USA 10/27/2007 Suggestion: A convenient way to carry back-up copies of important documents is on a USB flash drive. We scanned our passports, reservations, credit cards, rental car voucher, etc. on our PC and saved them as .pdf files along on a memory stick. Fortunately, we didn't need it, but in event of loss or theft, we could have accessed the information at almost any hotel of internet point. This seems an obvious thing to do but I haven't noticed the suggestion in any guidebook. Murray Duke in Ottawa, ON Canada 10/26/2007 Consider adding a blurb about their obsession with giving you your receipt. It was very amusing that they would not let you leave (holding up a hand, telling you to wait)until they firmly placed the tiny scrap of paper in front of you documenting the 1.50 gelato you were happily munching. What gives with this? Anne in Spencer, SC USA 10/23/2007 How about more info on Sicily? We finished our 2wk trip in Cefalu and had a great time! (you were dead on about the Germans!) Frank Washburn in Orogon City, OR USA 10/22/2007 GENIUS LOCI COUNTRY INN in UMBRIA (www.geniuslociumbria.com) closes its first successful year of operation on Nov. 5. We have so many Rick Steves readers to thank, some of whom have already returned a second time in these few months. Two of you have already booked a stay during the early Easter week in March, 2008. We have lots of surprises planned for those who spend at least 3 nights during the Easter week (an Easter Egg hunt, a drawing with prizes and a BONUS), a typical Umbrian Easter Sunday breakfast and a wine and olive oil tasting in our own winery. Book your Easter stay while rooms are still available. And again, a HUGE THANK YOU FOR THIS SUCCESSFUL FIRST YEAR. Your enthusiastic response to our new inn has been wonderful! Mary and Michael - www.geniuslociumbria.com Mary Thomas Tacconi in Bevagna PG, Italy 10/22/2007 You should include the La Bottega Del Gelato Piazza Garibaldi Giuseppe, 11, Pisa Italy in your guidelook. The gelato was the best I had in Italy. The gelato store was passed during the walking tour of Pisa sighted in your guidebook. A. Overen in Montgomery, Al USA 10/19/2007 A great restaurant in the Jewish Ghetto area of Rome is Da Giggetto at Portico d'Ottavia 21/22. It is right next to an excavated Roman temple that was dedicated by an emperor to his sister. Very romantic and the food was wonderful, veal escalope and eggplant parmesan to die for. The artichoke and cod starters were the best. Opens at 7:30. Tel:06 6861105
Scuola San Rocca in Venice is definitely worth a visit. The ceilings were amazing. We were so glad that we did not miss this.Use the mirrors, it saves the neck. L M Stewman TX USA 10/19/2007 Sicily. RS has already discovered Sicily and runs tours there, but does not include in Italy book. The coastal areas are especially beautiful and interesting. Highlights of our 8 days in Sicily were Taormina, Mt. Etna, Cefalu, Lipari in the Aeolian Islands, and Scopello. Ron in DeWitt, MI USA 10/17/2007 Please put more urgent warnings in your book about the dangers of sudden large waves on the coast of Cinque Terre. See this link for one of the latest tragic casualties. http://www.granvillesentinel.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071011/NEWS01/71011011 Cindy in Cumming, GA USA 10/13/2007 Addition of Restaurant in Rome. "Osteria Roma" I could not get an exact address but I think it is in a little alley (just wide enough for a vehicle) just South of Piazza Navona between Via de la Cuccagna and Piazza di Massimi. Pieter Booth in Kent, wa USA 10/10/2007 The town of Mestre, on the mainland from Venice, is a nice alternative to the high costs of Venice hotels. We found a great hotel (I forgot the name) next to the train station. It was only 3 Euros on the "Blue Bus" from the airport to the train station and only 1 Euro from the Mestre train station to Venice's Santa Lucia train station. You can catch any east-bound train and get off in 5 minutes and be in Venice, the same holds true for west-bound trains, all stop in Mestre. Mark Olsen in Flagstaff, AZ USA 10/09/2007 Following a tip posted on one of these feedback pages, we stayed at Gianicolo's Home B&B. This is rather upscale apartment family home of Valentina Schiaroli, who fixed us two marvelous breakfasts, one including eggs (rare in Italy). It is located in a residential neighborhood on the Gianicolo hill. It is a leisurely half-hour garden-like walk to St. Peter's, and a 20 minute walk to Trastevere. The apartment features a terrace with views of the green neighborhood. There are convenient buses to the major tourist areas, but we chose to use taxis. For the price this is a step up from the usual accommodation. As is often the case in Italy, there is traffic noise until 10 p.m. Contact info: vschiaroli@hotmail.com. website:http://www.gianicolo-bb.it/in/home.htm Jim & Megan Taylor in Seattle, WA USA 10/09/2007 Ristorante Il Cavaliere, 50129 Firenze, Viale Spartaco Lavagnini, 22, 055 471914
Large salad buffet at Ristorante Vecchia Roma, Via della Tribuna di Campitelli 18, www.ristorantevecchiaroma.com John Watson in Houston, TX USA 10/06/2007 We d iscovered a truly charming bed and breakfast in the heart of Rome that deserves to be included. At just 80 euro per night, Anna Rosa's Bed & Breakfast remains on of our best memories! Upon arrival, we were met by Anna Rosa herself who gave us a welcome "Italian style" which included a hug and kiss on the cheek! The "apartment" included a spacious room with private bath - both decorated in a lovely "Old Italy" style, a shared "family" dining room and kitchen (fully stocked for travellers). You felt at home instantly and everything was spanking clean. Contact information: Anna Rosa's B&B, via Principe Amedeo, n. 165, Rome 00185 Italy. ph. +39 06 7915020 Sandy in Harris, MN USA 10/06/2007 My husband and I recently went to Italy for our honeymoon and brought along Rick Steve's guidebook. It was the best investment we made for the trip. We ate at only Rick Steve's recommended restaurants and were amazed at the hospitality and delicious food we received. Mikki at Miscellaneous in Rome was so kind to us that we had to take a picture to remember him by. 1000 thanks for writing and researching the perfect book to travel through Italy with. (By the way, we ran into some old locals on the Cichetti bar tour that showed us a really, really good time--on our first night in Venice, we did as the locals did, and it was GOOD!) Don and Judy Rohn in Redondo Beach, CA USA 10/05/2007 Tip: If you are renting a car with GPS, be sure to get the portable GPS, not the built in, as they work better in the close quarters of Italian cities. Also, have the staff change the GPS to your native languange, and make sure they load the correct disk so that you have information available at the street level. Having the Autostrada is fine, but you need the street level information to get to your hotel. Danielle Lambert in Lake Oswego, OR USA 10/04/2007 Cinque Terre hike -- We hiked fom Vernazza TO Corniglia and I would highly recommend taking the train to Corniglia and hiking the other way (toward Vernazza). My husband and I are in our early 50's and hike often -- this was one of the hardest hikes I have done -- estimate 1000's of steep stone steps -- beautiful scenery and we were proud of the accomplishment but take plenty of water if you go on this route! Dont forget the camera - click, click, click! Tandy VA USA 10/02/2007 Hotel Continental, Vicenza, Viale G.G. Trissino, 89 36100 Vicenza, rel +39 0444 505476/78, Fax +39 0444 513319, Wonderful staff, feels like a business traveller's hotel, we had a refurbished room which felt very Scandanavian, very clean. DB 89 euro in Sept 2007. We asked for a dinner recommendation. "It's Monday, there's only one place." It was a quick walk around the corner and the almost the best food we had in Italy (my husband's starter wife was Italian, so he has experience with real Italian cooking.)
Il Picchio D'Oro, Via G.G. Trissino, 153--36100 Vicenza, Tel. 0444 504 238, Family run, full of locals. No one spoke much English, but it wasn't a problem. My husband pointed to the bottle of water and asked for glasses for the water. She brought them, set them down firmly, looked him in the eye and said clearly, "bichiere." You have to love a place that takes the time to help visitors improve their Italian.
We had fresh sea bass baked with olive oil; Gnocchi with a sauce of shrimp, zucchini and caviar; Truffle ice cream called tartuffo bianco. A nice wine--the waiter's English and our Italian failed at the same time--he said, "I bring a 1/4 liter to see if you like it." We did and ordered more. Good food, reasonable price, wonderful service. Diane Flindt in Sugar Land, TX USA 09/30/2007 Money Madness: We took enough American money to get us to our hotel just in case the bankomats did not work on arrival at the airport. Could have quickly exchanged dollars for euros(if needed)to get us on the train, bus, shuttle or taxi.
Musicals: We attended the Sorrento Musical on a Sunday night in Sorrento, then found a great Opera performance in Rome's St. Paul's within the walls (near Termini). The Opera was very powerful. No electronics, no amplification, just wonderful musicians and singers using natural accoustics. Booked though: classictic.com
Pantheon: Go to the Pantheon early in the morning. No one is there. You have the place all to yourself.
Travel on the Eletrico Minibuses when possible. Less intense than the metro or big city buses. Furnancefighter in Philadelphia, PA USA 09/29/2007 A great restuarant in Rome is DoDo at Via dei Serpenti, 87, Excellent food, friendly smiling faces and great prices. I don't know what time it opens and closes, but it was open on Sunday evening, that's why we ate there. Beth Nolan in Dover, Fl USA 09/28/2007 Having advance tickets to the Accademia and Uffizi in Florence has its plusses, but buyer beware. I would make sure that my plans did not include these attractions to be seen on a Sunday. The Italians like to Strike on that day. Not only was our scheduled Sunday musuem day spoiled, on our return the following Thursday, there was a sign posted on the Accademia Door of a possible strike for the coming Sunday. So, you take your chances with the Sunday reservations and a once in a lifetime experience. Karen in Palatine, IL USA 09/28/2007 When visiting Venice, we stay at the Best Western Biasutti Hotel on Lido Island. A delightful hotel away from busy Venice and only 8 minutes by water taxi. The island is small and only a 10 minute walk across the island to the Asiatic Coast. Beautiful! And the food is very good! Cynthia A. Brewer in Gilbert, AZ USA 09/27/2007 Italy; Venezia. Wonderful accomodations at Hotel Tivoli. Clean, secure and reasonably priced. Highly recommended. John E. White in Altadena, CA USA 09/27/2007 We "did" Rome in a day by 4 quick taxi trips from the train station to Colosseum/Forum, then Vatican, then Pantheon, then return to the station. Walked the rest of our way around Rome via the Piazza Navrona,Piazza Pietra, the Trevi Fountain, Spanish Steps, & Via del Corso shops. We found the taxi method comparable to the Hop On/Hop Off Bus prices, with a lot less hassle and saved wear & tear on feet and nerves. We were amazed we saw so much and still had time for gelato, panini under the Arch of Constantine lunch, and dinner at a nice trattoria. Deb Kozak in Redmond, WA USA 09/25/2007 Email your hotel from home for specific directions from the airport, bus, or train station. They will have directions using public transportation. Actually many even have a web site with this information. Lowell Houghton in Sylmar, CA USA 09/23/2007 Add the Segway tour in Florence. They do English tours twice a day. It was a wonderful way to get the feel of a new place and SO much fun! Mary in Boulder, CO USA 09/22/2007 Helen Donegan at italywithus.com has after hours tours of the Vatican Museums and the Sistine chapel that are fabulous. Her guides are extremely knowledgeable and the groups are limited to about 20. An incredible experience well worth the €250 price. Really! Janet Thomson in Buttonwillow, CA USA 09/21/2007 Our favaorite place was Capri and Anacapri. We stayed in a place called Hotel Casa Caprile. (www.casacaprile.com) Fabio Rusconi was more than helpful in our bookings, local information and bookings in other cities, without charge. The hotel is very small, but nice rooms with cold air conditioning! The only downside is that you have to walk down about 75 yards worth of slight steps to get to the hotel. The restaurants around the little sleepy town are great. Especially drinking with Anna and friends at Bar Bloom, via Caprile 5b. Good drink prices and I was able to sample and drink her family's homemade wine. Anna is the owner and her good friend Alessandro who is a local phtographer, was there every night and both speak good english. In Capri, I recommend a local spot called Bucca di Bacco. Through the center square and all the locals recommended going there. scott in dallas, tx USA 09/20/2007 I just read most of the feedbacks and there are a lot of disappointed people because there is no info on Southern Italy!! The book's name is ITALY, so it's not just Vnice, Florence, Rome and Cinque Terre, right? I love Rick, I love his books and his shows, but ITALY stops at ROME. Incredible! You HAVE TO include Southern Italy or don't call the book ITALY. Unfortuanely I'm stuck with the book for the next year as well, as I bought the 2008 version... Victoria in houston, tx USA 09/16/2007 I must highly recommend adding the Hotel Lato Azzuro on San Erasmo island in Venice. Picture'esque former home converted into a hotel that is run by a warm and affectionate group of individuals. A private room for two people was around 75 euros a night and the staff was extremely friendly. My girlfriend and I felt like we were the only non-locals on the entire island when we were there. A real slice of Italian life away from the hustle and bustle of Venice. Kevin in Bakersfield, CA USA 09/15/2007 Must agree with a previous poster about BarDavi in Cinque Terra (Monterosso al Mare). Food was very average, eggs were runny, and the owners were not particularly friendly to myself or my girlfriend until after we paid for the bill and tipped.
On the opposite tip, however, I highly recommend the Ristorante Ciak just down the street from BarDavi. It is a tad pricy but was some of the best food I had in all of Italy, especially the shrimp raviolis that was served in a terracota pot. Fantastic. Kevin in Bakersfield, CA USA 09/15/2007 Cinque Terre: I cant believe you actually recommend this location. The towns are unbelievably touristy with virtually not a single store worth seeing. The towns themselves might have been charming once upon a time, but are now overrun with tourists and crappy stores that cater to them.
Much better than the Cinque Terre is the town of Lerici, which is developed but not overly so, and which has the most magnificient architectural features without having been cursed by the term of being one of the Cinque Terre.
Two days at Cinque Terre? Please. Let them be. If you must come to this area, Lerici is the pick. Michael in Sweda, MD USA 09/11/2007 Istituto Raffaele (Estetica di Caccavo R. &Figli Snc, 12, via Porta Rossa 50100 (50123?) Tel. (011+31) 055216460) is a great place to get a pedicure,etc right near the Uffizi Gallery. Bring Uffizi there when they hurt!! It's a family business run by Raffaele Caccavo, an octogenarian, and his 5 sons Marco, Paolo, Simone, Stefano, and Alessandro. It is warm and unpretentious!
Also,Ca'Madonna is a sweet little apartment in Venice run by a very sweet couple. It makes a great base of operations for sightseeing, is in a great little (real!) neighborhood where children walk by on their way to school, with a vegetable market and grocery stores nearby. Maria is an English teacher. Her husband Leo is an artist, and his lovely paintings of Venice decorate the apartment, which has 1 master bedroom, a bunkbed and a child-sized day bed available, along with cute little kitchen and bathroom. The apartment is in a historic building, the birthplace and home of Francesco Guardi, the artist. Maria and Leo kindly met us at the boat, late at night when we came in after very long 2 days of travel, took some luggage off our hands, and walked us to the apartment! They were lovely people and helped us get oriented to Venice. The info is: “Ca’Madonna”, tel: 338 713 4203 – Maria, mariab49@virgilio.it and please tell her that Carey and Jim sent you! We want her to know how grateful we are for their going beyond the call of duty. They even sent a few e-mails for us, as we had left something at home and there were problems to overcome!
And, a great little restaurant around the corner from Piazza Navona in Rome, was Antica Trattoria LA SCALETTA Degli Artisti, Via di Santa Maria dell'Anima, 56, Roma tel 06 /68.80.18.72
We enjoyed Hotel Azzi in Florence and Villa Lituania in Rome. I am happy to describe them if you contact me. Carey Caccavo Wheaton in Sebastopol, CA USA 09/07/2007 After I submitted Feedback here, I then placed graffiti on your Mouthwatering Italy site. After I did that posting, I read the site and found two more postings from two other people who had the same wonderful experience I did at Sotto le Fonti in Siena.
Sotto le Fonti looks 3 for 3. It's everything I would expect from a Rick Steve recommendation. Please list it in your guidebooks. Future readers will be glad you did. Mike Sulaver in San Jose, CA USA 09/02/2007 We discovered a wonderful neighborhood restaurant in Siena just outside the old city wall. We emphatically recommend you visit it because of the food, ambience, and hospitality of the owners. The meal was fantastic, the best we had in Italy, and the seasonal fig cake from their own figs was exceptional.
We found it by asking locals for recommendations. A local recommended Sotto le Fonti and called for us. When we arrived, Britta met us at the door.
The contact info is: Britta Rogge, Sotto le Fonti, Via Esterna Fontebranda 118, tel. 0577.22.64.46, www.sottolefonti.it; sottolefonti@hotmail.com. Mike Sulaver in San Jose, CA USA 09/02/2007 Again, I want to thank the many Rick Steves readers who have been our guests at GENIUS LOCI COUNTRY INN in Umbria(www.geniuslociumbria.com). Your enthusiasm tells us we are doing things right at our new inn and your promises to return mean so much to us. To other Rick Steves' readers who come for a stay in September and October, we offer a complimentary bottle of our vintage wine. Fall is a splendid time to visit Umbria, during our grape harvest. Thanks again for your strong support these first 4 months of operation. Mary Thomas Tacconi in Bevagna PG, Italy 09/01/2007 As a graduate student studying at the Loyola Chicago Rome Center, my fellow travel mates and I found your Italy guidebook indispensable. Your tips on Rome, Florence and Cinque Terre made our experience stress free and gave us the experience of a lifetime. We can't thank you enough.
We would disagree on only one thing. Upon arriving in Roimaggiore we saw the sign for Mamma Rosa's Hostel, which you wrote was on the bottom end of accommodations. Mamma Rosa could not have been more friendly and when we told her we found her place from your book her face lit up, "Ricky Stevy, he big, wife small", making the gestures with her hands.
The problem was the room and the bed bugs that my mates and I itched for the remainder of our stay in Italy. The showers and bathrooms were disgusting. We just feel that if you or someone from your group goes through there again, you might want to rethink the inclusion of Mamma Rossa in your book. We wouldn't have enjoyed the trip as much without your book and hate to slight Mamma but you should rethink her "spaccio" in future editions. I am planning a trip to Florence and the Tuscan Region in the spring and I am buying the new edition to begin planning. Thank you. Philip M. Johnson in Chicago, Il USA 08/28/2007 Traveling by car for 3 weeks in May was a dream: perfect weather, medium sized crowds, no school groups, road traffic normal (except Milan at morning rush hour). Thank you, Rick, for suggesting travel during the "shoulder months." My best tip: Buy an Italian Travel Language CD and study it for a month before you go. Knowing the basics of the language opened us up to many, many wonderful and friendly Italian people. In Vernazza, Martina's family invited us into their house to try Mama's homemade limoncello crema. We've traveled around in a dozen European countries, and found the Italians to be the most open, fun-loving, and friendly of all. Polly in Morro Bay, CA USA 08/28/2007 The walk from Riomaggiore to Manarola was incredible, and as you mention, not too difficult. I would mention the Via d'Amore, a graffiti-strewn passageway, which was a lot of fun.
I know that it's impossible to list everything, but Mantua and Ferrara are cities worth a visit. The castles in both cities are really great, and the drive across the causeway into Mantua is something very special. Also, for anyone who finds themselves in the Abbruzzo area, about 60 miles east of Rome is the city of L'Aquila, whose Collemaggio church and Fort are outstanding.
I like the informal style of your book very much, as well as your excellent TV series! Carl Topilow in Beachwood, OH USA 08/26/2007 Gaetano Manfredi at Pompeii is an absolutely wonderful tour guide. Rick Steves recommends him in his Italy guide book and I have never had a more informative tour. He brings the city alive. There are no wasted moments: his information is scholarly and vibrant. The highest compliment came from my 14 and 16 year old sons who decided that he was very "cool". Geatano is a great guy and a masterful historian. He is easily reachable by email and setting up a tour is effortless. I give my highest recommendation. His email: 3387255620@tim.it. Oliver Stanton in Davis, CA USA 08/24/2007 Italy with a baby is fabulous. My husband and I took a two week trip to Italy with our 8-month-old. We thought we'd have a good trip despite having the baby along; now I don't want to return to Italy without a baby. Everywhere, we were treated like royalty: people jumped up to offer me a seat on the bus, we went to the front of lines at museums, grandmothers and teenagers and everyone in between cooed, "Belissimo! Complimenti! Bello, bello, bello," as we walked by, airport security put us on the plane first and waved us by the final security check. We had three days of jet lag purgatory (which I think Rick Steves might have overheard in the Loggiato dei Serviti and I'm sorry if we kept him up) and past that it was fabulous. I recommend trips to Italy with babies who are four to six months: smiling but not cruising or walking. We had such great conversations with people without knowing a bit of Italian; I don't think we would have had a quarter of the conversations without our bambino along. I had heard before we went that Italians love babies, but I had no idea how much they love babies. Kim Schultz in San Diego, CA USA 08/14/2007 Eating in Orvieto at Pizzeria Ristorante Re Artu, 14 via Loggia dei Mercanti, tel. 0763/393-438. Lovely, quiet outdoor courtyard restaurant located on a quiet, non-touristic street. Good food and great prices. Denise Beever in Lake Foest, CA USA 08/12/2007 Discovery in Cinque Terre, Monterosso al Mare. "Angelo's Boat Tours" on the waterfront, right on the boat dock in the old village. Angelo, with decent command of English, offers private swimming, snorkeling ans sunset tours along the Cinque Terre coastline. The snorkeling is very dramatic as the water is extremely clear and deep right up to the cliff. he knows the secret caves, waterfalls, and beaches after spending his entire life on the water in this area. Angelo's family is one of the five oldest families in Monterosso, known for fishing for anchovies "al Lamparo", as his family has for the recent 8 or possibly 9 centuries. The church and cemetery are full of the Benvenuto family crypts. His friendly wife Paula provides the best picnic ever for a small extra charge, which turned out to be our best meal in Italy. She cooks only organic and completely fresh foods from their "horto" (garden) on the hill, and her fresh pesto pasta, eggplant compote, served with ice-cold Prosecco or homemade fresh lemonade make for the most amazing memory and amazing day in our entire trip! Book ahead because they can get very busy in August! A pricey 60 euros per hour (groups of 1-4) and 75 euros per hour and worth every penny for larger groups might discourage some, but pool your money and do this tour! It is stunning! +339 314 0582 or 333 318 2967. Paula speaks English (she's American), Angelo's is also quite good. paula55@libero.it Cindy Nelson in Palo Alto, CA USA 08/12/2007 Casteletto Di Montebenichi - medieval castle converted to hotel with 9 rooms in small hamlet atop hill in Montebenichi. Guests are treated royally and the castelleto is enchanting! Owners live on site and are there to help guests get teh most out of their stay. Truly a find. Donna Sanfort in Hamilton Square, NJ USA 08/10/2007 We had luggage on our visit to Herculaneum(we were on our way to Sorrento) and I had a difficult time finding out if there was luggage storage there on site (there is). Also, don't get a cab right outside the train station there, walk a block and then get a cab and save 10 Euros! Same with the Venice airport, get a water taxi down at the water instead of inside the airport. We saved 25 Euros by walking down to water! anne ozmer in atlanta, ga USA 08/09/2007 The last two weeks in May, 2007, my father and I toured in the Umbria region of Italy. We stayed several days in a wonderful agriturismo named Genius Loci, a farmhouse restored by Maurizio and Mary Tacconi and managed by their son Michael. (Maurizio is Italian with roots in Foligno and Mary is American, living in Italy for over 30 years) It is located about 2 miles from the ancient village of Bevagna on a hillside overlooking a beautiful farming valley with vineyards, olive orchards and sunflower fields.
Michael and Mary have a wealth of information about the area – villages, sites, art, wineries, restaurants, places to explore and experience and provide several day-trips within a 40 km radius. Michael is professional, attentive and warm in his interactions with guests, makes you feel at ease in the surroundings and makes great cappuccinos!
Genius Loci is about 15 minutes from Foligno and Spello, 20 minutes from Perugia, and near Assisi and Spoleto. The place is newly redone, using the old timbers, stone and tiles from the original 1880’s farmhouse. The rooms (8, one is assessable) are comfortable for two, with antique furnishings. Bathrooms are large and clean and there are wonderful sweeping views from the windows. The eating area, bar and reading room provide a variety of areas to talk, read or nap. Outside there is a large pool and patio for sun and water fun. My favorite spot was the lovely portico which looked out over the valley and mountains and was a perfect location when the thunder and lightening storms passed through.
Our Umbrian experience was wonderful, thanks to the warm and friendly dealings with the Tacconi Family. We will be back!
www.geniuslociumbria.com Michele Tacconi, Manager Localita Fonte Caime 250 06031 Bevagna (PG) Tel./Fax - 0742 362111 Holly Brownscombe in Berkeley, CA USA 08/07/2007 Looking for a car service? We found ourselves in Stresa on a Sunday, with most car rental places closed....we wanted to go to Bellagio, and Venice. That meant many train changes, and two trips through Milan. We found Noemi and Giuseppe, through Slow Travel. Their ad on Slow Travel is: http://www.slowtrav.com/cl/detail.asp?l=2124. They met us at the ferry stop in Stresa (we had been staying on il Pescadore Island). Not only did they get us to Bellagio, but they found out ahead of time the ferry schedule so that we could go see Villa del Balbianello of Star Wars fame! They took us to lunch at this great place just outside of Como, which was just a fantastic meal. The fish was so fresh, straight from the lake. We enjoyed our day with them, they let us stop and stretch our legs in Bergamo, which was a pleasant surprise. They called our hotel in Venice, to advise our arrival time, and to make sure of our correct vaperetto. Giuseppe, does all of the driving, and Noemi is American and does all of the translating. They even stopped at a pharmacy and helped our daughter buy anti-itching medication for her mosquito bites. All in all, a pleasant way to travel, I highly recommend them. Kathy and Mark Kelsey in Santa Clara, Ca USA 08/06/2007 We had house wine for lunch and dinner and never were disappointed. Also never had a bad gelato. Your book was such a wonderful guide and help to us. Katie Ruggieri in Greensboro, NC USA 08/04/2007 Abby San Antimo. Beautiful Abby in a beautiful valley. It is an active monastery. Perfect example of the beautiful Tuscan countryside. They play a tape of the Brothers chanting, and the altar had sunflowers. Very impressive. The drive to San Antimo is breathtakingly beautiful. Mark and Kathy Kelsey in Santa Clara, CA USA 08/04/2007 Hotel Berna in Milan was clean, quiet, around the corner from the Metro, 2 blocks from the train station and provided a continental breakfast and afternoon tea. www.hotelberna.com email: info@hotelberna.com. We usually stay at the Speronari and found it was being renovated. There is also a good restaurant just down the street toward the train station from the hotel Berna. Bonnie Reynolds in Manchaca, TX USA 08/03/2007 We had a much easier time driving in Italian cities than we expected, thanks to GPS! Rental of the guidance device only added 6 Euro per day to the cost of the car and allowed us to travel much more confidently. I would even go so far as to say that driving in Milan is fairly comfortable with a GPS box on your dash. Gabrielle Peterson in Winona, MN USA 08/01/2007 Franco Wine Tour
Accommodations: Venice - Locanda Ca' del Console, Castello 6217 (calle Trevisan;)near Campo Santa Maria Formosa, close to Osteria al Mascaron; www.locandacadelconsole.com Old Austrian consulate, attentive service, includes breakfast.
Florence - Panella's Residence, Via Della Pergola, #42, east of Duomo, http://www.panellaresidence.com Old convent. Wonderful rooms. Sra. Panella is an attentive hostess. Includes a delicious breakfast.
Rome - Hotel Navona, Via dei Sediari, 8; between Pantheon and Piazza Navona; www.hotelnavona.com A great find in Rome. In the middle of everything. Includes breakfast.
Restaurant Florence - La Pentola dell'Oro Osteria. Great ambience. One of the best (of many great) meals of our trip. Marie in Oak Park, CA USA 07/27/2007 Go on line at home to see what times the trains run and print out the schedule. It's invaluable in planning at home to realize what is possible to see in a day with travel and cuts down your time in front of the electronic ticket machines in Itlay's train stations. Rob DiCocco in Broomall, PA USA 07/24/2007 The Colosseum at night (after sunset) is cooler, much less crowded and an amazing view! Anu and Velu Bala-Subramanian in Westford, ma USA 07/23/2007 This amazing restaurant in Rome near the Spanish steps shoudl be added as a suggestion. la Buvette 00187 Roma - Via Vittoria 44/47 Tel 06 6790383
Also La Medusa, a lunch place near the Vatican museum was really good and cheap. STACY NAGEL in Capitola, CA USA 07/23/2007 I HAVE READ MANY OF RICK STEVE'S TRAVEL BOOKS, AND THIS SUMMER I USED THE ITALY BOOK TO TRAVEL THROUGH ITALY WITH MY for later research, and passed on the used parts as I could to whom ever wanted them. The information is so useful and the maps are a necessity when trying to negotiate Italian cities. 16 YEAR OLD SON. The general ITALY guide book was accurate (except Euro's are quite a bit higher than noted in the book) and every single bit of advise that Rick gave was "right on". I tore out the sections of the book that I needed, left the bulk of the book at home and passed along my "used" sections to anyone who might need them. Thanks for a great guide to getting around Italy ! Pam PAM in DEMATTEO, TX USA 07/22/2007 In Venice, check out the Hotel Antiche Figure. Great location, right across the Grand Canal from the Train Station. They have opened up some new rooms next door which were very nice. Staff very helpful. Kathy Brownfield in Stow, OH USA 07/19/2007 Discovered the small Tuscan hill town of Casole d'Elsa near Volterra and San Gimignano. Much quieter, but also less shops and things to do. Charm and views make up for it. The restaurant overlooking the countryside has a large patio and is a must with great pasta.
In addition, we discovered a small restaurant called "Al Promessi Sposi" in Venice which was fantastic. We started off with some "chicchetti", then had amazingly fresh seafood pasta (octopus was delicious!).
Lastly, we discovered "Fattoria Lischeto" outside of Volterra. Gorgeous little farm resort with incredible views of the hills, and homemade cooking for dinner and breakfast. Michael Crichton in Ottawa, ON Canada 07/18/2007 Ate the best pizza ever in Via degli Apuli, Via San Lorenzo, Bologna, they also do great traditional dishes from Puglia, fresh seafood etc, fantastic decor, beautiful outdoor courtyard with olive trees, friendly staff on hand to recommend wine (they have a massive selection so it was really hard to choose) Can't wait to go back! vicky in Tipperary, Ireland 07/18/2007 Ristorante Borgo Antico, a wonderful find halfway between Siena and Firenze, at Tavarnelle Val di Pesa. Via Roma 55/57, ph. 055/8076180. This is a few km. west of the autostrade, worth a side trip for a meal. Excellent food at reasonable prices, presided over by a lively signora. The town is nothing special, but does have a "Coop" supermercato for stocking your kitchen if you're renting a villa nearby. Also, Pensione Paradise, not far east of the Vatican in Rome. Small, close to subway, 2 stars, so not fancy but adequate -- and a good value for Rome. Viale Guilio Cesare 47, Rome, 00192. Ph. 06/36004331. They recommended some good neighborhood restaurants. Mark Adams in Gig Harbor, WA USA 07/17/2007 Visitors to Rome this summer (2007) should know that the Bernini "Four Rivers" fountain in Piazza Navona is completely covered in scaffolding. Also covered is the majority of the Victor Emmanuel monument.
Santa Maria Novella in Florence: the facade is covered in scaffolding. kath in los angeles, ca USA 07/16/2007 Il Vegetariano - restaurant in Florence, we found this in the the Lonely Planet Guide. It was the only restaurant in our 3 week stay that served excellent vegetarian food and whole grains. I was surprised you didn't list it. We ate there every night we were in Florence, 5 times Jan Lapetino in Denver, CO USA 07/13/2007 Your book provided the backbone of our very successful 2006 3 week Italy trip-thanks! We have one recommended addition for a fantastic place to stay in Assisi. Palazzo Minciotti turned out to be the stay that highlighted our 3 week Italian adventure. Edoardo and Anna Maria Minciotti were extraordinary hosts, featuring 4 separate apartments in the heart of Assisi. The apartments are located right on the uber scenic Piazza San Rufino, directly across from the grand church of San Rufino, where Saint Francis was baptized! Between the warmth of the hosts and the pealing of the church bells-this was Italy at it's best! We will be returning to Palazzo Minciotti soon!http://palazzominciottiassisi.com/ Todd Brown in Groton Long Point, CT USA 07/11/2007 When visiting Montepulciano by car, if you park in one of the northern lots, you can go to the tabachi shop in Piazza don Minzoni and buy a city bus ticket for .90 Euro. The bus will take you up (and I do mean up!) to Palazzo Comunale. The rest of your stroll through town will be all downhill. Also, while in town and after wine tasting with Adamo at Contucci Cantina, make sure to stop and visit the copper workshop of Signor Mazetti at Bottega Del Rame, about 100 meters north at P.tta del Teatro 4. He is truly an old world craftsman creating stunningly beautiful handmade copper utensils and artwork of all shapes and sizes. Limited English, but he managed to get across the fact that his grandfather made most of the tooling that he uses daily in 1857. If he takes a liking to you, he'll handcraft a copper gift for you on the spot, as he did for us. He also let us know that his wife, or as he called her - the "Minister of Finance" -runs their store which you should pass on the Corso on your way down the hill. In Corniglia, Enoteca Il Pirun makes an interesting stop. You can't miss it because Mario, the owner, has a display of wine bottles with very politically uncorrect labels out front, and what sounded like Italian blues on the cranked up stereo inside. A glass of the local white comes with olives and snacks. Mario also rents at least one room at 70 Euro that looked pretty nice from the pictures. I asked if the vino was "incluso" and he just grinned. Joe St. Laurent in Gresham, OR USA 07/06/2007 Italy Guidebook, Venice Portion: I recommend reading John Berendt's "City of Fallen Angels". It gives so much background about the La Fenice fire,some sites, American contributions to "Save Venice", Venice society and Venetian attitudes. Otto Fafoglia in Chatham, Il USA 07/06/2007 This scam happened to my son and I and also to two other guests we met later at the Il Bargellino in Florence. In fact, on the day in question, I would suspect that dozens of foreign travelers found themselves ripped off.
On 12 April, when my son and I were in the Rome terminal train station and walking along the tracks looking for the correct Eurostar car, we noted a number of offical looking (all wearing dark pants and blue shirts) non-Italian men and one approached me and asked to see my ticket. Being fully aware of pickpockets, etc. I grudgingly let him have it and then found myself following him to the next car where he "very officially" proceeded to board and my son and I boarded after him. It was only when he demanded (and I do mean demanded) 5 euros for lifting both of our bags to the overhead compartment that I knew I'd been had. I was led into this ripoff as I never imagined that nonticketed people could board a Eurostar train then get back off. THINK OF THE SECURITY IMPLICATIONS!!
Despite this one incident, we had a wonderful time and truly love Italy. Thanks for all the helpful tips in your book. John Alvin Henningsen in Decatur,, AL USA 07/06/2007 We just returned from Bellagio and want to recommend Aperitivo Et Al, as Sarah mentioned. We were there twice and had a great time. They poured us some great wines and everyone there (including Sarah) was helpful and friendly. Kevin Fairchild in San Marcos, CA USA 07/05/2007 In Isola d'Ischia, we stayed in the town of Forio at the Hotel Villa Carolina. It proved to be a real find with luxury at a great price. Well located, it provided exceptional facilities for a highly competitive price. they can be researched and reached via their web site at www.hotelvillacarolina.it. Frank DeLustro in Charleston, SC USA 07/02/2007 In Siena, behind Il Campo, is the Piazza di Mercato. There are two restaurants - da Papei and Le Fenestre. A guide recommended the former; it was closed, so we went to the latter. Very reasonably priced, good food, though no one spoke English (probably a good omen). We later discovered that Frances Mayes had recommended da Papei in the NYTimes as well. My husband says he had one of the best sandwiches of his life (made of the local wild boar proscuitto) at Antica Pizzicheria al Palazzo della Chigiana, a funky meat shop with long thick ropes hiding the entryway, and a bespectacled wild boar's head above and to the right. L & N Liss in Salem, OR USA 07/02/2007 Tip: 1) Rick Steves' restaurants are popular, Eat early. 2)Train track listed with letters after the numbers (ie Track 1-OC) are often terminus tracks and are located in a different place than regular tracks. 3) Always begin transactions with a friendly "Buon Giorno". It makes a difference in how you'll be treated. Thomas Vincent in 2913 9th Ave W, WA USA 07/01/2007 The wine tours provided by Rebecca at Tuscan wine tours (www.tuscan-wine-tours.com)out of Florence were great. This was definitely one of the highlights of our tour. The group was small, no more than eight people. She does a great job giving people a taste of some of the hill towns (we went to Pienza and Montepulciano), while also giving wine tours of some of the smaller, more intimate growers in the region. We happened to also visit a Cheese making farm on our wine vist and got to experience several types of local cheeses. This is a great tour and everyone will fall in love with helpful Rebecca. P. in Jones, GA USA 06/29/2007 I have just returned from Italy and discovered a few tips:
A great intenet cafe in Bellagio. It was Bellagiopoint.com, Salita Plino 8-10-12. It was a short walk up the street from the boat dock. Not only did it offer good inexpensive wine and reasonable internet access in a cozy environment, they had free food (cicchetti style). Not only could you eat all you wanted, but we liked the cheese so much we asked for a piece to take along fully expecting to pay for it. But no, the proprieter gave us the cheese at no cost. He really meant free food. My wife and I had two glasses of red wine, lunch, a take away snack and 30 minutes of interent access for 14 Euros. As a bonus, they have a very clean WC. A great stop
For our stay in Venice, we had a hotel in Lido, just across the lagoon. It was a short bus ride to St. Marks (the hotel was near the Lido bus dock) and it was great to get away from the bustle of Venice each night. I highly recommend it.
I got taken by a quick change guy at a small town snack stand. I gave him a 20 Euro note for a 1.5 Euro item. He gave me change for a 5 Euro. When I protested, he pulled a 5 note out of the cash box and claimed that is what I gave him. My bus was leaving and the language barrier made my position hopeless. It was a 15 Euro education. Be alert. It was really the only problem I had with the merchants. Bruce Smith in Appleton, WI USA 06/28/2007 Tickets to the Uffizi in Florence can be bought on-line at www.florenceart.it along with tickets to other pardon the pun, big ticket venues. You can print your voucher on-line etc. Of course you need to buy ahead of time, especially I suspect for the summer (mine are for October). This suggestion is not for the spur of the moment crowd but most Americans going to Florence are planning months out. Beats trying to buy tickets by phone hands down. Also I find STREETWISE MAPS (www.streetwisemaps.com) really handy. Laminated and shows sights in context to the bigger picture. I've used them for Florence, Paris and London with great success. (Also helps when you're lost - natives can just point and gesture). Marie Thayer in San Diego, CA USA 06/27/2007 Domus Inn in Rome is great (once you get past the rickety elevator). Right by Bolghessi and a bus ride from the main sights. In general, when you get turned down on a bunch of booked Rick Steves hotel pics, try trip-adviser. They can tell you which hotels have openings, you then find the one with the highest ratings and then call then directly using Skype. This worked well for me. Jeff in Merced, CA USA 06/27/2007 Bellagio Lake Como: My partner Aurelio and I have recently opened a new bar in Bellagio opposite his existing restaurant Trattoria San Giacomo which already appears in the Italy book. It has been refurbished beautifully and we provide hot and cold food all day from 11am until 1am. All of our food is fresh and of the highest quality. We also have a climatised cellar inside the bar with over 130 Italian wines and French champagnes. We also make great cocktails and stock a locally brewed beer. All before dinner drinks come with complimentary nibbles. For more information please email us and I can mail our full menu with prices and photos. We will shortly been putting our website on line at www.bellagio.co.nz/aperitivoetal. Sarah Heard in Bellagio, Co Italy 06/27/2007 Yes, I do! My husband and I just stayed at an excellent hotel in Anacapri (Hotel Biancamaria, Via G. Orlandi, 54; 39-081-837-1000). It was only 160 euros per night and in the heart of Anacapri. Clean and spacious rooms and most have balconies. I use your travel books often and just thought you might want to check it out! Therese DeMatteo in New York, NY USA 06/26/2007 Dear Mr. Steve's, I just wanted to thank you. I just got back from Florenece and Venice with my girlfriend and with the help of your guidebook, we were able to maximize our enjoyment of each city. I do not pretend to be an expert, for that matter not even a novice, but I wanted to reccomend a restaurant in Florence that I do not believe was in your book. We ate there and were astonished at how good the food was and how cheap the price was. I had a plate of osso buoco for 10 Euros! My mother made that dish for out family at Christmas and it cost her 8 Euros just to buy it! They had a house wine that was just as good as any of the other restaurants that we went to. The name of the restaurant is Trattoria Marione, and it is on Via Della Spada. Their telephone number is 055.214756. I highly suggest this restaurant. Like I said, I do not pretend to know anything about Florence or Italy, and thus I used your guidebook. We just happened to come accross this restaurant by chance, and since we could not find it in your book, I figured I would let you know about it. Thanks again for all your help. Sincerely, Dave Preziosi Dave Preziosi in Oradell, NJ USA 06/25/2007 A fabulous B&B seven miles south of Siena run by two wonderful people, Laura and Luciano: Il Canto del Sol, Via di lla Canina,1292, Il. Cuna - 53014 - Monteroni d'Arbia e-mail: info@ilcantodelsole.com Jack Johannes in Philadelphia, PA USA 06/25/2007 I just want to write and say how wonderful the Monetti Taxi service is! We had arranged for Tony to take us on a tour of the Amalfi coast this June. He was more than we had hope. Personal, informative and genuinely excited about what he was showing us. Thanks. Margaret Ann Burtchaell in St. Petersburg, Fl USA 06/23/2007 The city of Siena just might very well be the most romantic place I've ever been. Very convenient to anyone seeing Florence, this city - with its labrynthine passageways - is the perfect place to stroll away the stresses of 21st century life. Stephen Donovan in Worcester, MA USA 06/18/2007 We found it better to reverse the evening walk in Rome. That is start from Spanish steps and walk upto Campo Di Fiori and eat dinner there Vinay Malur in Queensbury, NY USA 06/18/2007 Here is a tip that I think is very important for your consideration and it is about European train travel. All of the guidebooks I read of Rick's (Venice, Florence, and Italy) suggest to the reader that it is a perfectly good idea to go second class. My son and I travelled this spring from Zurich to Venice (about 8 hours) second class. This was a problem, our train car was filled with 2 school groups, one of high school students and one of middle school students. They went the entire distance with us, and their teacher chaperones were extremely indulgent. did you ever go on a class trip with kids on a school bus--imagine the cacaphony. While the kids were not bad they never shut up and the din got louder as every hour passed. As for the middle school teacher, she got on the train, settled the children then she and the other chaperone popped open a bottle of fine white wine!! After 2 glasses and a few hours as the decibel level was rising, I looked over and she was fast asleep. Imagine this here in the US!! There were elderly people in the train car, as well, and it was very exhausting and tiresome for them, me (58) and my easy going son(27). So, on the next leg, From Venice to Florence we booked first class, and it was a peaceful ride in an environment of quiet. For the next leg, feeling guilty about the extra fee for first class, we tried second class again, from Florence to Milan. Big mistake, this time there was a group of young men (skinheads, maybe) who were totally rude, loud, singing things that had the other folks on the train rolling their eyes..one advantage for Americans who dont speak the language... they also took a lot of pleasure playing a tinny am radio that was just playing static and it was very loud. Nobody did a thing to quiet these people down, so we had to listen to this for the entire trip. Finally, the last leg was from milan back to Zurich, and we had to just book first class. It is definitely a must in my book and I think you should give some consideration for your book(s) to recommending first class for your travellers. Second class was not pleasant or adventuresome and did not fit in with our expectations. Linda Nasser in Danbury, CT USA 06/18/2007 You really need to include Ferrara. We spent 5 days there and loved it. We also used it as a day-trip base for a day in Ravenna. Ferrara has a |
