More Feedback on Rick Steves' Italy
Please share any ways we can improve or fix this guidebook. Are there recommendations in this book that disappointed you? Do you have any new experiences or new places we should consider? Any warnings or tips for people traveling with existing edition?
(Please note: Feedback on specific hotels, costs, etc. is deleted yearly after Rick uses it to update his guidebook. However, general, timeless recommendations are left here online.)
I went to Italy for the 4th time this past August. It was the first time using Rick Steves' guide & it really was invaluable. I bought Mona Winks too & was very thankful to have it! I traveled with my husband and two young daughters, ages 4 and 7. My husband is Italian and we have a villa near Sperlonga, so we are no strangers to travel in Italy.
We spent several days in Sorrento and stayed at La Minerva, based upon the guide's recommendation. The hotel was lovely and everything was as described, with one very significant exception. Although we had called to confirm that the room was air-conditioned, we found out after we arrived that the hotel only provides this service (regardless of your offer to pay extra) during very limited hours: 7:30am-9am, 1pm-4pm and 9pm-1am. After 1am in the morning, the air goes off and you spend a very restless and uncomfortable night in a hot, airless room.
We complained and were shown a very small sign in an unobservable location in the main office where this policy is posted. Even my Italian husband was surprised at this "fine print" and unaware of this practice. The hotel would not provide fans.
This is the perfect hotel in cool weather & I subsequently sent friends
there in September on their honeymoon. They raved. But please do not recommend
this hotel to Americans during the hot summer months as one offering air
conditioning. They would be better off staying at a lower-priced inn where
they are forthright about their lack of air conditioning, or at a more
expensive hotel where they can sleep through the night in peace.
Beth Graham <gramom123@aol.com>
Boston, ma USA 01/23/01
I was in Italy last week and I visited the Cinque Terre and the nearby
town of Levanto. I highly suggest to you these gems! What a surprise was
Levanto, especially the old part of it that nobody mentioned — a castle,
a wonderful church (S.Andrea), and little roads that told me about MEDIO
EVO (middle age) in Italy. I found a lot of tips in www.cinqueterreonline.com
where you could find some of the best photos on the net about 5 Terre.
Francois Le Pen <esperienzeinrete@yahoo.it>
Nice, fra 01/16/01
We stayed in Bellagio on Lake Como and found it a charming place and not as overpriced and stuffy as Rick seems to make it. We loved it! We stayed at the Hotel Belvedere which was great. The staff was very friendly, breakfast yummy with views of the lake, the room clean with a balcony. Instead of taking the train back to Milan we took the two-hour boat into Como. Amazing is the word that comes to mind.
In Milan we loved staying at the Antica Locanda dei Mercanti. The room was small, but gorgeous and we had a real shower. Bottled water was given to us at check-in, breakfast was served in our room, and the front desk attendants were very friendly. Easy walk to the Duomo.
In Venice we stayed at the Locando Sturion right on the Grand Canal.
Though our room did not face the Grand Canal we had a great view overlooking
the rooftops of Venice. Our first morning I opened the window and the
gentleman from a few buildings away was singing loudly in Italian. Beautiful!
Starr and David <scarr@iex.net>
Highlands Ranch, CO USA 01/15/01
We were disappointed in Rick's recommended Trattoria Al Cugnai in Venice.
Long wait for a table, with many people walking in and being seated ahead
of us. We were told they had reservations, but we never did see a list.
Food was OK but overpriced. They kept pushing the higher-priced items
and kept asking if we wanted full courses. We just didn't feel comfortable.
Joe and Kay DeVita <jdevita@qwest.net>
Phoenix, AZ USA 01/15/01
We just got back from an 11-night stay in Milan, Venice and Florence. Being a teacher, I am forced to travel during the peak weeks. Therefore, I haven't worked up the courage to go without hotel reservations and most of the time I am glad. We used Rick's book to plan a general itinerary and he was right on the money!
FLORENCE: As one traveler previously noted, HOTEL CASCI is a real find. They have clean, comfortable rooms with ALL the amenities at an extremely affordable price. We paid $93/night in the high season. You cannot beat the location — within walking distance of ALL the sights. They offer on-line reservations and will answer any questions by e-mail. It is modern, with firm beds, TV, and hair dryers. They serve a great breakfast and the staff, the Lombardi family, is extremely helpful. They gave us information, made phone calls to confirm theater tickets and are very friendly warm people. They even have an extensive library of guidebooks to lend, a lounge with free e-mail and internet access, coffee bar and board games. Although a 2-star hotel, it rose far above the 3-star hotels we stayed at.
I was happy to see that Rick is including info on buying tickets to the UFFIZI and ACCADEMIA online. It is well worth the small extra price to buy these in advance! At both museums we saw lines waiting 90 min. to get in.
We were enticed by the Florence Ballet and purchased tickets online. Being used to the Boston ballet, we were quite surprised: best described as "interpretive dance" to the rhythm of heavy breathing! Most of the international audience walked out after the first act.
We agree that PISA is not worth much time. Literally the only thing to see is the tower and cathedral. But I am glad I did it.
MILAN: I definitely recommend HOTEL BAVEIRA. Although not within walking distance of major sights, it is one block from a metro stop, and one metro stop from the Duomo. The rooms were a bit tacky, but clean, comfortable and affordable. The breakfast was very nice and the staff was helpful. Being a bit off the beaten path, it was easier to find affordable local restaurants and we were within walking distance of the popular Buenos Aires street.
Milan is a wonderful, clean, small city that is easy to navigate and I wish we had spent more time there. Please take the elevator to the roof of the Duomo, definitely worthwhile! Breathtaking!
Note that the MALPENSA EXPRESS TRAIN that runs directly from the airport terminal to downtown, at the Cardona Metro stop, IS FREE to people traveling on all the major airlines. Ask at their ticket counter if your airline covers it. They will ask to keep or make a copy of your boarding pass/ticket. It is the same both to/from.
VENICE: Arrange for someone from the hotel to meet you at the closest vaparetto stop if you are staying off the canal. We have traveled independently all over Europe and never get pre-arranged transfers, always relying on public transport. This was a mistake here. Our hotel was only a few blocks off the canal, but it took us nearly two hours to find. It is hard to be prepared to navigate Venice, and best to wander aimlessly and enjoy the quaint charms of the back alleys and side streets. This is not possible while carrying luggage after a long train ride, and it can be very frustrating. Vendors and locals are often not helpful or forthcoming with directions and initially it is difficult to imagine how something that looks to be a doorway or ally is actually a street. Have the hotel staff meet you and get settled, then you can go out and really enjoy all Venice has to offer.
Don't expect to find the real Italy in these cities. They are extremely
commercial and tourism is their primary industry. This means that they
are overrun with high-priced souvenirs and restaurants and little of the
true Italian culture is left. Go to see the uniqueness of Venice's architecture,
and the beauty of Florence's art, but don't expect a whole lot more. After
visiting Prague right after the Velvet Revolution, before the tourist
trade was up and running, I can only imagine what Venice and Florence
must have been like 20 years ago. I could not help feeling that much of
the charm had been drained from them, but they were still well worth the
experience.
Cathy Routhier <cathyrouthier@mediaone.net>
Rehoboth, MA USA 01/13/01
We had a great visit to Rome, Florence, and Venice the last 11 days. We went with Rick's recommendation of the HOTEL ABERDEEN in Rome and the HOTEL MARIN in Venice. We were more than pleased with both hotels as I will explain below. We also slept on a night train from Venice to Rome in a couchette. We tried to sleep on the night flight to Italy without much luck.
ROME: The staff at the Hotel Aberdeen was pleasant, helpful, and spoke English. They helped us find a bank that gave good exchange rates for our traveler's checks; made reservations for us to an opera; helped us find a nearby church for Sunday mass in English (at a very nice church — St. Susanna); and picked up Vatican tickets to a Papal event for us since we weren't in town early enough to pick them up before the event. (And we left a tip but Sabrina insisted we did not have to).
The rooms were very nice and clean, with TV, mini-bar refrigerator, and hair dryer. Breakfast was very good with many choices. The hotel is on a quiet street close to many points of interest as well as a bus stop, subway stop, and the Termini train station. We pulled our bags from the train station to the hotel with no problem.
There was a very nice inexpensive pizzeria about a block away from the hotel on the little street, Via Napoli, running parallel between Via Firenze and Quattro Fontane Oepretis. There was also a very nice little food place diagonally across the street from the hotel on Via Firenze where we bought drinks and ice cream. If we make it to Rome again again, we will definitely stay at the Hotel Aberdeen.
VENICE: The Hotel Marin was also very nice and clean, with hair dryer in the bathroom, and a satisfying breakfast. Best of all, the hotel was close to the train station. We recommend this hotel to everyone.
TRAINS: One unexpected problem we faced was figuring out how find the right track for the train we wanted to catch and which train car we were reserved for. It took some time to find an English speaker who could explain how to read our reservation cards. We also finally found someone who showed us how to use the departure board to figure out at what track (binario, abbreviated as BIN) and whether or not it was on time.
We used the kilometric pass but had to pay extra for the trains we needed. We could not make reservations from the USA on the trains we wanted. When we arrived in Italy, first class was the only room they had on one train. First class seats are much bigger than second class and they electrically reclined. You received a beverage at your seat. Train travel was an experience not to be missed.
PICKPOCKETS: We traveled as a group of nine. Four of us had hands in our pockets. We managed to catch it as it was happening and avoided getting anything taken. Three of us had the experience on a crowded subway or bus. Since we three had money belts as Rick suggests, nothing much but a small amount of Lire was vulnerable. When caught, they drop what they were after. The fourth instance was two gypsies on a streetcorner who managed to get the wallet of one of us who did not have a money belt. He noticed it missing immediately and saw it in her hands. She claimed she found it on the ground and he took it back from her.
CHURCHES: In Rome I recommend visiting St. Susanna (many gorgeous frescoes and pleasant nuns) and St. Mary of the Victory (stunning statue by Bernini of Ecstacy of St. Teresa) which are across the street from each other close to the Hotel Aberdeen. We also recommend visiting the major basilicas: St. Peter's, St. Mary Major, St. Paul's Outside the Walls, and St. John Lateran. We were able to walk through the Holy doors of each one. The churches are large and very beautiful.
Rick's Rome 2000 book was indispensable for Rome. Our trip to Italy
was well worth it!
Mike <maljdougherty@netzero.net>
Cuyahoga Falls, OH USA 01/08/01
I stayed at some great hotels on my 2-week visit to Italy in Oct. 2000. Recommended: Hotel Casci in Florence (www.hotelcasci.com) is a 2-star but let me assure you it is perfect — just a 2-min. walk to the Duomo and San Lorenzo market (great outdoor market). Hotel is extremely affordable and very nice — friendly Lombardi family runs the show.
If you are fortunate enough to travel to the Amalfi coast, I stayed at Hotel Aurora in Amalfi (www.amalfinet.it/hotelaurora), a lovely hotel with beautiful rooms and view of the waterfront. Once again affordable for the location and rooms. I really loved Amalfi.
In Venice I stayed in Hotel Tintoretto (www.hoteltintoretto.com), which is a 3-star hotel kinda off the beaten path but still close to a vaporetto stop on the Grand Canal. No elevator, however, decent rooms and the rates for Venice weren't bad.
In Milan, Hotel London in Rick's book proved to be a decent, relatively
inexpensive, well-located 2-star. We had a very short stay in Milan but
I was able to see the Duomo, shop at the Galleria and explore the shopping
area in the old section of the city.
ckeathley <ckeathley@earthlink.com>
st. louis, mo USA 01/05/01
We spent the Christmas/New Year's holidays in Italy. Comments:
TRANSPORTATION: We rented a 7-passenger van in Rome, which worked out great (6 adults plus luggage). We parked the car and used public transportation or walked in Venice and Rome, but it came in very handy in Tuscany, and of course for traveling between areas.
The autostrada is excellent, and you can tool along at 140 or 150 KM per hour very safely. One danger however is the cars going MUCH slower in the righthand lane — very scary when you come upon them quickly.
Driving in Tuscany is very slow, since the roads are extremely hilly and hairpin curves constantly slow you down. But the countryside is awesome, with astounding views. So just allow plenty of time and enjoy the ride. And don't even think about driving the backroads of Tuscany if you have been drinking.
Driving in Rome is certainly not for the faint of heart, but the trickiest part of it is not the drivers but rather trying to figure out where the heck you are and how to get to where you're going. Just trying to drop our luggage off at the hotel (near the Pantheon) and then park the car at the Villa Borghese took a good three hours, mostly because we couldn't find the hotel. My advice would be to try to find a large boulevard-type road and use it to get near your destination, then ask for help.
VENICE: The Antica Locanda Al Gambero is nicely situated between the Ponte di Rialto and Piazza San Marco. It was great, and was only about $115 per double with bath. We had a nice meal at the "Bistro" that the hotel runs on the first floor of the same building.
Venice is wonderful. We took Rick's advice and just wandered through the tiny streets like rats in a maze and had a blast. The vaporetto boats are reasonable and are a great way to see the palaces along the Grand Canal. Make sure the vaporetto you get on goes along the Grand Canal — we got on one by mistake that didn't.
TUSCANY: We stayed in a 3-bedroom, 2-bath apartment on the Il Caggio estate (booked through Cuendet on the Internet), about 10 miles north of Siena. This worked out great. The apartment was recently renovated, so we had all the modern conveniences in a circa-1400 building. The downside of this (villa/apt.) approach was that we had to pay for an entire week even though we were only there for 3 nights (these places mostly don't rent for less than a week, even in the off-season, and those that do are REALLY expensive on a daily basis). The 3-bedroom apt. cost us $850 + $210 cleaning + $75 heat, or a total of $1135.
We took day trips to Florence and Siena, and went to San Gimignano and Castellina-in-Chianti at night. All were interesting and worthwhile. I definitely recommend the Gallopapa Restaurant in Castellina-in-Chianti: great atmosphere, food, and wine, and the waiters were charming and fun (ask for Fabio).
By the way, we (six reasonably intelligent adults) spent about 30 minutes trying in vain to find the "Osteria Sapori" restaurant that Rick recommends in Florence. If anyone can find it, I recommend a career with the FBI.
ROME: Hotel Navona has an incredible location between the Piazza Navona and the Pantheon, and we would highly recommend it. The English-speaking staff was very helpful and knowledgeable. They recommended two restaurants ("Tre Amici" and "Pizzeria Monte Carlo"), both of which were excellent. We found that going to dinner early (arriving by 8:00) worked best for avoiding the crowds.
A word of warning when timing your sightseeing: do not trust the hours of availability listed in Rick's book! This is not a knock on Rick — the fact is that these places seem to change their hours on a whim. For example, we waited in line for 45 minutes at St Peter's only to find out that they would not sell us tickets to ascend the dome, even though it was more than an hour before the listed closing time, because they "had a lot of people today, and the lift is very busy." So, get there early in the day to avoid this problem.
Also, we arrived too late to get into the Colosseum on New Year's Eve afternoon, but were told by some dude outside dressed up like a Roman soldier that "it will be open again tomorrow at 9:00." Who better to trust in Rome than a Roman soldier? Well, we returned the next day only to find out that both the Colosseum and the Roman Forum were closed the entire New Year's Day.
GENERAL: We found Rick's book to be really helpful. Three top reasons
to use Rick's book: 1) It's light — when you're lugging stuff around all
day, you really appreciate a small, light, book; 2) Hotel recommendations;
3) the cut-to-the-chase, no-nonsense sightseeing information. One suggestion:
list three or four internet sites for booking a villa.
Jay <james.keeley@unisys.com>
Erdenheim, PA USA 01/03/01
My husband and I just returned from Rome after a one-week stay. Wonderful
city, great food, best pizza restaurant EST EST EST. We lodged at Hotel
Pensione Italia — very clean, comfortable with a great buffet breakfast;
our host Andrea was extremely helpful as well. The only word of caution
with this hotel: there's a bar next door that has a disco on the weekends,
so Fridays and Saturdays don't plan on falling asleep much before 3:00
A.M.
Vera and Yves Hebert
Toronto, on canada 01/02/01
Bologna definitely merits an entry in any guidebook to Italy — Europe's
oldest university, numerous churches, some of the best food produced in
Emilia Romagna (Parmiggiano Reggiano cheese, culatello, prosciutto, real
balsamic vinegar), what some people consider to be the gastronomic capital
of Italy, an ancient and compact town centre just excellent for walking,
a vibrant lifestyle with 80,000 students from the university, etc. To
miss Bologna is to miss what some consider to be the 2nd best-looking
city in Italy (after Venice) and some of its best food.
John <jman@home.org>
London, UK 01/01/01
I suggest adding a wonderful hotel in Venice that is away from the crowds but close to everything. It is located on the opposite side of the Accademia Bridge from San Marco. It is an absolutely charming place with plenty of cafes and a pleasant plaza filled with an open market of vegetables and fruit. Steps away from the hotel is a nice little drug store that seems to carry everything you might have forgotten...toothpaste, brushes, umbrellas, etc. The hotel name is Antico Capon (Campo Santa Margherita 3004/B,30123, Tel/Fax:o41-5285292, 12 rms., 9 w/toilet & shower or bath, 80,000-160,000L). Breakfast included in rate but can be deducted. The breakfasts were at a restaurant across the plaza and well worth keeping not only for the wonderful croissant and drink, but the restaurant owners were also pleasant and helpful.
The hotel manager Elias speaks English. He is also very, very helpful
and patient especially to a firsttime European visitor as myself. The
hotel is not hard to find if you go the opposite direction of the yellow
signs directing you to San Marco, and the Vaporetta 80 or 1 leaves one
off at the Accademia bridge from the train station. It is the only wooden
bridge crossing the Grand Canal, so I always knew when to get off. Remember
this is not a fancy starred hotel but a quaint, clean room that made me
feel that I was living like some of the natives. Also there are stairs
to climb-no elevator. (If you go there please tell Elias Linda sent you
as I am so grateful for all the support he gave me.)
Linda H. <Jolie61563@aol.com>
Los Angeles, Ca USA 12/31/00
For my first trip, in November, I made reservations thru the internet for our hotels in Rome and Venice and had no trouble with confirmations. We loved the Hotel Italia in Rome. It is close to the Termini station and, though close to busy Via Nazionale, it was a quiet place to recuperate at the end of the day. We lived on paninis, pastry and Peliggrino water.
We reserved two first-class tickets on Eurostar Italia from Rome to Venice. The train was fantastic, clean and on time. A super way to travel.
Venice: Hotel Guerratto's staff was friendly and the proximity to vaporetto service can't be beat. But we were woken up every morning by the market noisily setting up right out our window. It's a beautiful market where the sellers are proud of their vegetable and flower displays so I can't really complain.
Florence: Hotel Bellettini was perfect. The rooms were prettily decorated in an Italian Provincial style. It felt like we were staying in a chalet. The free internet service was welcome too.
It's hard to go wrong in Florence since everything is within walking distance. I especially liked the Pitti Palace and Boboli Gardens up behind. The view of the Florentine landscape was indescribable. The rose garden at the top even had some blooms still hanging on. And being a cat lover, I was happy to finally see where all the cats have gone: they are all at Boboli Gardens. You can smell them even.
Our last night we splurged and stayed at the Hilton Airport in Rome
as I had an early-morning flight. The trip was much too short but a good
taste of what's possible. I will definitly be returning.
mary marotta <mary.marotta@dot.state.mn.us>
St. Paul, mn USA 12/30/00
Just returned from a short exploration trip. Hotel Certosa on the Amalfi Coast was a treat. Clean, quiet rooms (unless you consider hearing the surf a problem), spectacular views and hikes, good food/wine and reasonable prices. Considering the get-away-from-it-all location, bus access to Sorrento and Amalfi coast is good and cheap.
Jet boat to Capri from Sorrento is a good day trip.
Catch the Vesuvius stuff as a daytrip, or better, on the way out or back on the Circumvesuviana train.
A tip for Heculaneum: get off at Erculano Scavi (not the other one).
Follow the street outside the station downhill 6-7 short blocks where
it deadends at the excavation site entrance. The blue Vesuvius bus was
weird when I was there (12/26) but eight of us waiting for it got one
of the small, white vans in the railstation lot to take us up the mountain
for L10,000 a head.
Norm Holmberg <boris813@aol.com>
Minneapolis, MN USA 12/29/00
We were in Italy for two weeks in October 2000. I used information from books (Rick Steves as well as Sandra Gustafson's "Cheap Sleeps Italy") and the internet. Most helpful was the Italy Hotels site (www.venere.it). I also highly recommend using e-mail for requesting rates and making reservations. Not only is it much cheaper than making international calls but it's more convenient and you don't have to worry about the English skills of the person answering the phone.
This was my first trip to Italy. I was delighted by how nice the people were, the fact that almost everyone spoke English (well, at least well enough for these non-Italian-speaking tourists to get by), and the exchange rate made the trip very affordable. I can't wait to go again.
As for trains: ALWAYS make advance seat reservations! I've never needed seat reservations in the rest of Europe except for holidays but even though we were in Italy in October we learned very quickly to make reservations for all of train rides unless the station told us it wasn't needed.
Venice: I highly recommend the Hotel San Gallo (3 stars). It's a small second-floor hotel on a nice small quiet square behind San Marco. The hotel was clean, quiet, and very reasonably priced. Our room was about $140 per night for a double. When I booked via e-mail I asked for the "Rick Steves Discount" and they gave us 10% off. Room #11 is at the end of the hall and therefore very quiet because no one walked past our door.
Venice is good for a couple of days. Stay near San Marco; it's more expensive but you'll be glad that you can walk everywhere. For eating stay away from the places right on San Marco as they are very expensive. Be adventurous and walk until you find something to your liking.
Sorrento: Hotel Minerva (the jewel of our trip thanks to the recommendation in Rick Steves' book). This hotel is on a spectacular site on a cliff just outside of town and the view from our window was incredible. The hotel was everything I hoped for: clean, quiet, reasonably priced ($105 per night for a double) and only a half-hour walk from the town center. It's quite a haul with luggage so I recommend a taxi (about $12) to and from the Circumvesuviana station when you arrive and depart. A bonus if you go during warm weather is the pool on the terrace about 5 stories up.
Sorrento is a great place for relaxation or to explore Herculaneum, Pompeii, Capri, Amalfi, etc. As for the debate of Herculaneum vs Pompeii. If you can plan a whole day exploring, go to Pompeii. It's huge and you'll need at least 4-5 hours to see the major parts. I found Pompeii to be better than Herculaneum (and I saw Herculaneum first) so if you can spare a whole day for Pompeii you won't need to see Herculaneum. On the other hand if you only have a few hours then go to Herculaneum instead of Pompeii. Yes, Pompeii has more crowds but that's because it is a better site (IMHO).
Florence: The gelato at Vivoli's is good and worth the effort to find the place but I was truly embarrassed at the number of loud Americans fawning over the place all because Rick Steves recommended it. The most outrageous was the older woman who, in a voice loud enough for even the people in the street to hear, announced, "I'm going to have Rick Steves' favorite-est flavor of all."
For the Accademia go late in the day to avoid the lines. For the Uffizi buy advance tickets on the Internet if you can. We tried going late in the day (4:00 pm) and still had to wait 90 minutes to get in. And we weren't even sure we would get in.
Skip Pisa and pick some other day trip that has fewer people and more charm (like Siena). You've seen pictures of that damn tower and trust me, you won't need to see it in person.
Rome: What a wonderful place in spite of the noise, crowds, and dirt. It will hypnotize you with its charms (or was I just drugged on the fumes from the scooters?). One pleasant surprise was the Castle Sant Angelo for its great view over Rome (and of the nearby Vatican).
The Vatican Museum was overwhelming and the crowds were awful. On this Board back in August or September someone recommended going on Wednesday morning when the Pope is in the plaza and the crowds are outside to see him instead of in the museum. We tried that and the museum was still packed. In addition, the Vatican Museum is not laid out like other museums and you can't just wander around. They force you to follow a path (although you can choose the 2, 4, or 6 hour tour).
In Rome, my favorite area for finding restaurants was the Piazza Navonna.
Patrick Wessels <pwessels@earthlink.net>
Milwaukee, WI USA 12/26/00
I am in the Army stationed in Germany and decided to drive down with my wife and 1-year-old. Follow Rick's advice on this one: Never, Never, Never drive in Italy. Road signs are few and far between, our Toyota Camry seemed like a stretch limo, parking costs about $20 a day in guarded garages, and highway tolls are very, very high. However, we were able to quickly cover time between cities and carry the large amounts of luggage my wife insists are needed for our baby. Mixed blessing.
I found that the only tour worth taking in Rome was the Vatican. Otherwise, maybe one tour to orient yourself to the city is needed and save your money on the others. We took one that tried to cover the entire Roman Forum in 30 minutes. What a waste of time. And money.
Most everything else major in Italy can be seen by train.
Chris Reich <csdreich@yahoo.com>
Ansbach, GER 12/24/00
I highly recommend the Casa Olmata in Rome — prices can't be beat, people are absolutely sweet, and they have good internet service too!
Also, the Hotel Tina in Milan has very good rates and great service
(and an elevator!).
Nicole Apostola <napostola@yahoo.com>
Worcester, MA USA 12/17/00
I was in Italy for 2 weeks in Oct.-Nov. I absolutely loved my 2nd trip — used lots of tips from Rick's book, including pulling into Milan's train station with his list of recommendations, and after just 2 calls got a room at the last minute.
I would highly recommend that you travel to spectacular Amalfi, one of my all-time favorite spots. Stay in one of the villages. You get to experience the busy and laid-back sides of village life.
Always re-verify your train number and platform. I made the unfortunate
mistake of letting the ticket clerk convince me my train was leaving early
("Adesso" — "now" — she says). I didn't confirm the train number on the
signs they post for you everywhere. So we rushed over to the platform
and I did ask a train attendant in pidgin Italian if this was the train
to Bologna. "Si." He tells me to get on, I did, and an hour and half later
I find out I am headed north instead of south to Rome. I had the experience
of a lifetime being stuck on a 10-hr. overnight, packed train to Rome — we
were miserable! But we did survive and now I have a great travel tale.
c keathley <ckeathley@earthlink.com>
St. Louis, Mo USA 12/15/00
Rick's book proved invaluable on our recent trip to Rome, Florence and Milan.
The Hotel Pendini in Florence was adorable. It was right in the middle of everything. We loved it. The staff was terrific! Our room overlooked the Piazza. This was great except for the night the cafe next door decided to play music until 1am. An inside room would cure that.
Also, we discovered a great family restaurant in Florence not mentioned in the book. It is called L'Che Che at Via Magalotti, 11r Firenze. Our hostess Monica was the best ever and the food outstanding for a very reasonable price. You need to call or stop by early to make reservations. We got lucky and walked in, but the rest of the night was reserved so no one else got in.
We were also happy with the Hotel Speronari in Milan — great location,
great price.
Dana McAleer <anadmc@cs.com>
Jacksonville, fl USA 12/13/00
We spent about two weeks in Italy in early November. We took the train throughout Italy and it worked great.
Hotel Marin in Venice is rated one star but I'd give it two. The hotel is about five minutes from the train station. I'd stay there again. The breakfast was pretty spartan, but enough to get by on.
Next was Florence where we stayed at the Hotel Pendini, which is rated as three stars but I'd give it two. It's a bit rundown, but good central location.
Day-tripped to Pisa and Lucca. Pisa is not worth the time; however it is a touristic must-do. Lucca was a 20-minute train ride from Pisa, so it was easy to see both cities in one day.
In Rome Hotel Aberdeen was simply great. The staff is wonderful and super helpful. Walking there from the train station is disconcerting, 'cause it's a pretty rough neighborhood outside the station. However, as Rick's book indicates, there are armed guards across the street. Once you get a few blocks away from the station, it's nice.
We didn't find the free tours in the Collosseum, however we did stumble across one at the Forum. We gave him 10000 lira tip and it was well worth it. They do try to drum up business for their other tours, but the freebies are great!
All three dinners were great in Rome. La Scala (not in Rick's book) is one set of stairs off Via Veneto. A little pricey but good. Hostaria Romana was GREAT! We will definitely go back for dinner when we return. Last was Est Est Est. Food was good, but the server was pretty poor. He forgot our potatoes, but did subtract them from the bill with no complaint. Did I say the house wine was GREAT everywhere: "Un litro vino rosso de la casa per favore."
Allow 4 to 4-1/2 hours to get from Rome to Sorrento via the train, connecting to the Circumvesuviana to Sorrento. The ride on the Circumvesuviana is scenic and simple. Hotel Desiree in Sorrento on the Via Capo is a nice place with good views of the Bay of Naples. The bathroom was a bit dirty and has a funky "telephone"-type shower. It's about a one-mile walk into town, but a beautiful view the whole route. Pretty good breakfast here.
We toured Pompeii (AWESOME) on a very hot morning. Check out Vesti's place! Great artwork. The plaster casts of the ashed remains at the corner of Pompeii is really amazing. You can almost see the anguish of those people.
We also did the Amalfi Coast bus ride. What a view. Rick's right, you
gain respect for the road builders and the bus drivers. We connected from
Amalfi to Ravello, a small town about 1000 feet above Amalfi, with spectacular
views of the Med and the coast. Tour a couple palaces while you are there.
Tim <tim.lynch@worldnet.att.net>
Pacifica, CA USA 12/12/00
Lucca is a lovely Tuscan town. However, I have a warning about accommodation there: DON'T STAY AT AFFITTACAMERE LA TORRE IN LUCCA! They are unscrupulous!
I reserved an apartment for my group of 5 at "Affitta Camere La Torre" run by Alfredo and Paolo Lazzarini in Lucca. I know that accommodation in Lucca is limited, especially during the festival of Santa Croce in September, so I phoned them in April. They confirmed my reservation over the phone but also told me to e-mail them. I did this the same day and got a confirmation back. They NEVER said that because it was so far in advance I should contact them nearer the time as well. However, just to be thorough, I e-mailed them again in early August. I never got a response so I tried again later in August and again got no response. So when I arrived in Florence, 4 days before my group was due to go to Lucca, I phoned them.
I spoke with Paolo and he could not find my reservation. I reminded him that I had called in April and told him that I had his e-mail confirmation in front of me. (I print these things and bring them with me in case of problems.) He just brushed me off and said, "Look, don't worry, there's some rooms." I was left not knowing what was going on.
We got to Affitta Camere La Torre and without telling me anything, they had us follow them away from their place, dragging our luggage, to a totally different affitta camere where they showed us rooms in a hallway with no bathrooms, which were clearly NOT the apartment that I had reserved.
I said, "Hey, this is not the apartment!" And the nice lady who ran the place realized that I had not been expecting this setup. Once she heard the runaround that Paolo had given me, she took my side.
I was trying to gently tell him that I understand that sometimes reservations get lost, but that the right thing to do was to admit this to me when I called from Florence and give me the option of NOT COMING!
We stayed at her place, and she was very nice and I would for sure recommend her place. The beds are rather saggy but other than that, it's good, simple accommodations for very reasonable prices. It is centrally located on a charming street and she is a sweetheart. She really tried to make me feel better and apologized for what had happened although of course she had nothing to do with it.
Another stunner was that she told me that Paolo had only called her 2 days ago to see if she had rooms and only by chance she had a cancellation. So this meant that when I had spoke with him by phone from Florence 4 days ago and he told me, "Yeah, there's some rooms" in fact he did not know if he could get rooms, and he did not ask for my number in Florence, so if this woman had not had rooms, how was he supposed to call & warn me?
Here's the nice woman's info:
Affittacamere San Frediano
Via degli Angeli 19
Lucca
e-mail: sanfrediano@tin.it
Chandi Wyant <chandi@sogniitaliani.com>
Boulder, CO USA 12/10/00
Just returned from a 7-day trip to Rome. Took Rick's advice and booked three seperate guided tours with Scala Reale. This is a great organization, very professional, and very knowledgeable. The prices weren't bad either.
Also, definitly get reservations for the Necropolis below St. Peter's
Basilica. This little-known and little-seen excavation was one of the
most thrilling things we saw on the trip.
John Martin <jpm@john[nospam]pmartin.com>
madison, wi USA 12/07/00
Rick's suggestions are great, but if you go to the Dolomites for hiking don't expect to do his trip around Sassolungo in 4-6 hours. We are experienced, fit hikers, got an early start (or as early as possible with the bus and chairlift route). We moved right along, but by 2:30 were at a pass on the back side, less than halfway around. There was no way to finish in time to make the last chair lift down at 5:30.
Luckly, there was an alternate route — a 2-person gondola that carried
us up to the notch above Sella pass, and a rocky route down from there
back to the start. It was lots of fun to do it that way — but it was only
half the hike Rick describes. But his other recommendations for the area — Bolzano,
Castelrotto, and Kompatsch — are great.
Lura <lura.smith@stanfordalumni.org>
Seattle, Wa USA 12/04/00
I want to warn others from staying at Mike Castiglione's place in Vernazza, in the Cinque Terre. He is the New Yorker that Rick Steves refers to in his book. Mike will approach you as you leave the train station in Vernazza, saying that he is Rick's friend. Mike's place is dank, dirty, and freezing cold. Even after pleading at Mrs. Castiglione's door to lend me their extra heater during a rainstorm in 6 degree weather, she refused to do so.
I just returned from a 5-week trip around western Europe and, other
than that experience, I had no difficulties at all in securing a good
hotel.
USA 12/03/00
My wife and I returned on 7 Nov. after two weeks in Italy using Rick's book exclusively for hotels.
Most were great, especially Hotel Umbria in Assisi. My wife was not feeling well and they sent dinner up for us from their restaurant. Best "room service" we've ever had!
Most hotels charged less than the prices in the book and we had no trouble getting reservations a day or two ahead. EXCEPT for our last night in Milan. Everything was full until I called the Giulio Cesare Hotel. They charged MORE than the highest price in the book. We were flying home the next morning so we didn't have much choice. It was the WORST hotel we stayed in, cold and bleak. They said the heat would come on at 8:00 pm but it never did. They said we could get breakfast at 7:00 am, but when we came down in the morning the new staff said no breakfast till 8:00. They wouldn't reduce the price and we needed to leave for the airport, so we paid up and left, feeling ripped off. We wouldn't have minded so much if we didn't think we were paying too much to begin with, 270.000 lire. I hope this hotel is removed from the book next year.
I don't want to end this on a negative note. This was our 3rd trip using
Rick's books including Mona Winks and wouldn't go without them.
Roger Geisler <geislerr@cs.com>
Encinitas, CA USA 12/02/00
I just went to Italy and it was great. I would like to make the following recommendations.
Venice: Pensione Guerrato is a fantastic hotel, service was extremely good and the guys at the front desk were friendly and helpful. I felt very comfortable there. They also gave us a Rick Steves reference discount when I didn't even ask for it. Do not eat at the restaurants on the side of the Grand Canal by the Rialto — ripoffs. Just pick a restaurant on a small street and you can't go wrong. Saw the city flood — very neat.
Florence — Hotel Torre Guelfa. Older hotel with a great view of the city from the tower. Christina (Wynona Ryder lookalike) was very nice at the front desk.
Rome: Hotel Miami's 4th floor is redone very nicely and is different than the older 5th floor, but the bed was as hard as a rock, and Via Nacionale is very noisy. Other than that a real nice floor and hotel. Loved Rome, and the highlight was the "Walks of Rome" tour of the Vatican. So good we did the "Evening Stroll Walk" through the Forum, Trevi Fountain and Piazza Navona — which I recommend doing the 1st night in Rome for a good overview of these sights. Eat at a restaurant called "Antonio's" by the Pantheon. The service was excellent and the owner very nice! Good authentic Roman cooking.
November is a great month to do Italy — fewer crowds, thieves, and lines;
complete Vatican access, more intimate smaller tours, soccer and easy
weather (no heat but a little rainy).
Robert <blaze1071@earthlink.net>
Austin, TX USA 12/01/00
We just returned from Italy and were in the Cinque Terre between Nov. 12-15, 2000. The trails between the towns were closed. Some were "more closed" than others (read below) but the first two between Riomaggiore, Manarola and Corniglia were blocked off.
You probably recall a month or so ago there were terrible storms and floods along the Ligurian coast and in the Po Valley. One of the nights we were in the Cinque Terre, the papers mentioned a meeting earlier that day between the mayors of the 5 Cinque Terre towns and the government agency who is supposedly responsible for maintaining the trail. Anyway, the outcome (more or less) was that neither group would assume responsibility for repairing the damage. The "damage" consists of washouts of the trails in places, particularly the easy one, the Lover's Walk, between Riomaggiore and Manarola. I saw some of that damage and it looked like places in Southern California when the mudslides wipe out a road. There was supposedly damage to other trails but I did not see those. The trail is closed with gates in places (at the start in Riomaggiore for example) and not in others.
With that wonderful Italian consistency we all love I saw a policeman stop one group who tried to go past a barrier, and blithely ignore another group five minutes later. I also spoke to two Australian young men who had hiked the first two "closed" stretches by just crawling over the washed-out places, although they admitted it was a bit hairy in spots.
The owner of a local hotel said he predicted it could be years before the trail was open, given the usual Italian bureaucracy. Unless, he mused, somebody put up some ropes to help people navigate the bad spots. Was that a hint of his intentions?
What to expect? Well, most certainly the usual Italian speed and efficiency.
Beyond that, I would say you could probably start out and then turn back
if it got too hairy.
Charles Luther <cmluther@swbell.net>
Katy, TX USA 11/29/00
Re: the Palazzo Ravizza in Siena, recommended by Rick. After faxing
and e-mailing and hearing no response, I called this morning and found
out their e-mail/web system isn't working, but they didn't say for how
long. The price for a double room facing the countryside is L360,000.
This is for late March, which they consider high season, so they are requiring
dinner to be included in the price.
cindy <cindy.hilton@seminis.com>
Oceano, CA USA 11/25/00
Just got back from holiday in Italy. Using a local phone card (purchased at all places that sell cigarettes) to call the United States was a real moneysaver, but there are a lot of numbers to dial.
Really enjoyed the mini-guides of what to see in Florence. Thanks.
Elizabeth Magill <emagill@isc.upenn.edu>
Philadelphia, PA USA 11/25/00
Re: Hotel Pasquale in Monterosso, Cinque Terre. Very nice people who own
it but you will be doing NO sleeping there! It literally sits on top of
the train tracks connecting the towns. The train starts very early in
the morning. Additionally, the hotel is right at the docks and at the
pathway between the old and new town so the traffic is constant. A better
alternative (I believe) is the hotel on the bluff directly across the
water from it. Sorry, I don't know the name.
Shannan
Marathon, FL USA 11/21/00
We had the most wonderful experience in Rome with Scala Reale Tours.
We took tours of Pompeii, ancient ruins, Vatican, and the evening fountain
tour. All three of our guides were very knowledgeable and interesting
and fun as well. Can't praise them enough!
becky smallwood <smllwd@flash.net>
Flower Mound, Tx USA 11/20/00
We just stayed in a wonderful little hotel in Florence which is a former
1500's convent turned into a 10-room hotel, only a 5-minute walk to Michelangelo's "David." The hotel is called the Morandi alla Crocetta (ph# 055-2344747,
e-mail: welcomehotelmorandi.it). There were two outstanding restaraunts
there: Maximillian and La Giostra both were excellent food and value.
Becky Smallwood <smllwd@flash.net>
Flower Mound, Tx USA 11/20/00
We propose a new rating for hotels in Venice — whether they are in a high or low area of town, i.e. how much they can be expected to flood during high tides and stormy weather. For those of us who prefer to travel off-season, flooding in Venice could be a definite issue.
In Venice in the winter, if you hear air raid sirens, or prolonged church bells, this means the tides are beginning to rise. If they begin to rise before 6 pm, it is a sign that flooding can be expected, and perhaps rough waters. (During the recent severe floods, the sirens rang at 3 pm. Very ominous to the locals.)
If the tides begin to rise when you're out in the lagoon, on a boat, or an island, it would be wise to head back to Venice ASAP before the water can get too rough in the open lagoon. (And before the vaporetti stop running, and you find yourself stranded.) The water rises rapidly, so don't assume you can just wait another half hour for the next boat after you finish your shopping on Murano.
Recently, our vaporetto pitched dramatically from side to side (almost as bad as we ever experienced in Puget Sound) and waves crashed over the top for most of the crossing. Locals were shrieking nervously, though no one seemed truly fearful. But Italy is not quite a first-world country regarding safety — don't expect lifevests for every passenger, or even for most passengers.
The flooding often has nothing to do with rain or flooding in the rest of Italy. It is purely a tidal phenomenon, which can be exacerbated by wind or stormy weather.
Don't let any of this intimidate you, and keep you from Venice. We have no real complaints — the flooding last week, the third worst this century, according to our hotel keepers, added to the overall experience, and gave us a new insight into how the modern culture copes.
We loved the location of the Hotel Doni, as well as the hospitality and accommodation (room 8 is best, with fresco and sparkling new bathroom cubicle unit). The great location, close to San Marco, puts it at one of the lowest points in Venice. It is, in fact, lower than the Hotel Danieli, though it is not quite so close to the waterfront.
Note that Hotel Doni handled the flood with grace, lending out all the boots they had, even as driftwood was floating down their first floor hallway. Also note that there are no Italian boots large enough for my husband's big American size 12 feet. Large heavy plastic trash bags on each leg were adequate substitutes, though they didn't allow us to plow into Piazza San Marco when it was waist deep. Needed fishing waders for that.
While it would have been a shame if Venice had been flooded on a one and only evening spent there, we had 5 nights on this trip, so one evening eating pizza in our room was no great loss.
Venice still has the magical feel of being its own country, with its
own culture, much more than do Monaco or San Marino.
Jill and Gary Keeley <jgkeeley@tin.it>
Rome, Italy 11/16/00
Listen to Rick! He knows what he is talking about! His hotel recommendations were right on.
We especially enjoyed Pension Sole in Florence — it was a great deal. However we did not reread the book when we arrived in Italy and I wish I had. Rick said first thing when you arrive in Florence to go see the statue of David because you never know when there will be a strike in Italy. He wasn't kidding: we waited to see David, and what do ya know, there was a strike that day!
Also, in Rome we wandered around the Forum looking at piles of rubble
wondering what they were. Then later I read in Rick Steves' book to pick
up the small red guidebook sold on the streets that have plastic overlays
of the ruins to see what they used to be. It's a very cool book. We picked
it up later, but wished we had it at the Forum. Do as Rick says, and you
won't go wrong!
Jen Parks <paul-jen@gci.net>
Anchorage, ak USA 11/12/00
In Bolzano, there is no Dolomite TI anymore. Also, if you patronize the fancy restaurants, Vogele or Forst, you pay 2000/each cover. The museum where Oetzi resides(6000 y/o man) now costs Srs. 9000 lire.
If Srs. are going to Varenna, be warned that Hotel Olivedo may put you in a 2 stair flight room, w/outside bath & toilet; front rms. are illuminated from signs at night.
Hotel Suisse in Bellagio locks its gate to your staircase at night & there's no one around until 7:30 am to open up. So, if you have to catch early ferry, out of luck. Also, they didn't honor price with show of book, as indicated.
Bolzano is a great little town...superb.
Rick has been so accurate on distance from train station to hotels.
Also, in Milan Central Station, the info man doesn't understand English.
Go to Polizia Booth, instead. Don't believe that most people speak English.
Arrivederci!
Jan Evans <fredjan@medford.net >
Medford, OR USA 11/08/00
I'm a great fan of the Cinque Terre area. I visit every year, choosing
every time a different town. This year Monterosso and all the other towns
were overcrowded (first days of September). Well, as per Rick's suggestion
I stayed at the Hotel Nuova Riviera (http://space.tin.it/viaggi/gsabin/)
in Santa Margherita Ligure: simply worthy! Nice old villa with large and
bright rooms, most with private bath; good service (the friendly atmosphere
created by the Sabinis is really magic!); homemade pesto and fresh fish
prepared by Senora Sabini. For just Lire 160.000 you can have a nice accommodation
(but reserve far in advance) and Papa Sabini offers you also a ride to
the station! This could be a valuable alternative solution to the all
other tourist-invaded villages of the area. Try it!
Jenny + Mark COHEN <cohen@yahoo.com>
San Diego, CA USA 11/07/00
Shame on you for not recognizing Levanto just north of the Cinque Terre! We visited all of the Cinque Terre towns as well as Portofino and Portovenere, the latter two which you didn't include in the book. All these towns are lovely but the latter two especially. We used your guidebook which was helpful in Florence.
We suggest you insert some blank pages in between chapters in the book. There, you can make notes about the area for the next visit. We scribbled notes on the pages which messed them up a bit.
This was my second stay at the Villa Margherita in Levanto and it is delightful, beautiful, and I highly recommend it again to your readers.
Note, the walk to the first of the Cinque Terre villages, Monterosso,
from Levanto is about 3 hours. If you're weak, it's better to take the
train which is an easy few minutes. Ciao!
LouAnn King <laking@earthlink.net>
Visalia, CA. USA 11/03/00
Just back from two wonderful weeks in Italy thanks to Rick's books and contributors' advice. Thank you everyone!
Hotels, trains and museum tickets booked on line saved us countless hours. We highly recommend it.
We booked rooms at the Holiday Inns in Milan and Florence because we were late and couldn't find accommodations elsewhere. Seemed any grief we experienced was in some way connected to those two hotels. For instance, in Florence the hotel offered a shuttle service to downtown. The bus was always over booked, the driver kept a bottle of alcohol in the vehicle and dropped us off at a bar a good distance from the sites but where he could have a drink. Just say NO to Holiday Inns in Italy.
The Hotel Aberdeen in Rome was wonderful. Sabrina is very patient with guests prior to arrival and just as wonderful afterward. As a matter of fact, we found the entire staff to be a delight. Location of the Hotel Aberdeen turned out to be ideal.
We found that in nine days we rarely needed transportation unless we traveled to Tivoli or Ostia Antica or went out at night.
Rome was incredibly inexpensive compared to Milan and Florence.
Rick's instructions on using subways and buses should be heeded. We spent an hour waiting for a bus after we got off a subway too early. After that, no more deviations for us!
In the Hotel Aberdeen area, we found the Snack Bar Gastronomia a great windingdown place after a long day of walking. The Flann O'Brien Irish Pub turned out to be a fabulous surprise and we loved the two full evenings we spent there. Get away from the tourists inside the front door and head toward the back where the locals are.
We did try Restaurant Grill Target Pizza and would never recommend it to anyone. Service was atrocious and food mediocre. Instead, try Trattoria Abruzzo on Via Viminale, and Il Barocco. When you get greeted with a handshake, you know you're welcome. Food in both places was wonderful.
For day trips, Tivoli was short, inexpensive and well worth it. We loved Villa D'Este.
For a break from the guidebook we took a day tour to Naples, Sorrento and Pompeii. Naples turned out to be a drive-through, Pompeii a two-hour visit and Sorrento a half-hour visit. These are wonderful stops and really deserve better. We wish we would have gone on our own. Just say NO to day tours. We felt better after visiting Ostia Antica for four hours. Best audio we encountered. We highly recommend Ostia.
ATM's are everywhere. Being able to take out small amounts of money at a time made us feel more secure and we never had a machine problem. We did find that we got better service when we used cash.
No problem finding internet access in any city.
We were approached by a young boy with a newspaper but shooed him away. After giving us a dirty look and spitting at us, an Italian woman got ahold of him and gave him a good bawling out. She got the same reaction we did. We were disturbed at the social commentary the situation represented more than the actual act. We heard numerous stories every where we went from people who had been robbed. Our last night in Milan a man was mugged outside the front door of the Holiday Inn. Don't carry any more with you than you have to and use a money belt. It's better than worrying about becoming a victim, and you'll have a better time.
Lastly, we'd like to say we really did find the Italian people to be
warm and friendly. They do have very strong dispositions and may come
across in an abrupt manner at first, but once they get to know you, will
do anything for you. Take advice when it's given, and you'll find yourself
seeing things and experiencing things no else is. "Please" and "Thank
you" go a long way. Just like they do in other countries. We hope our
coin in the Trevi Fountain is good insurance of our return to the wonderful
and diverse country of Italy!
Dawn <raddmd@uswest.net>
St. Paul, MN USA 10/29/00
Using your guidebook really helped. We used your tour group itinery to plan our own trip. Everywhere we went, we encountered hordes of people with the guidebook in hand.
Our favorite area was the Cinque Terre; we stayed in Levanto at Villa Margherita B&B and throughly enjoyed the area and our rooms.
A "find" that wasn't in the book was the Hotel "Il Gabbiano" near Montecatini. We had a nice room and fabulous dinner for under $100.
Thanks again for great advice.
Frank Latisani
Denver, CO USA 10/29/00
We just got back from 3 weeks in Italy. We found the Hotel Pension Italia, one of Rick's suggestions for Rome, to be excellent. The owners run a excellent little hotel, and are very friendly and super helpful. Rooms are spotless and breakfast (which is included) is large with many selections. Compared to other hotels in his book, it's relatively inexpensive, and only minutes' walking distance fron the Roman Forum, train station, and Spanish Steps.
In Venice we stayed at another Rick suggestion, Albergo Guerrato. Again, spotless with friendly English-speaking desk help. Also a good spot for the money.
Finally we stayed at the mosquito-infested Pensione Bretagna in Florence.
After the 3rd night, when our bodies were covered in bites and we were
drained of blood, we asked for another room. Only then did they tell us
of the anti-mosquito electrical outlet plug-in device. Sure enough, it
worked. But it was too little too late. The young bald guy who runs the
place is not very personable. He looked annoyed when we checked in, never
made eye contact, didn't explain anything, and only smiled briefly when
we said goodbye. Great location, yummy breakfast...just beware of the
mosquitoes!
Tom <tsgibble@armstrong.com>
Lancaster, PA USA 10/25/00
Bring some church clothes! There are many churches and church-run sites
that you will not be allowed to enter unless you have appropriate clothes
on. For men this means long pants. For women, a dress that goes at least
to the knees and sometimes something to cover your head. Our solution
was a pair of surfer baggies for my husband and a long t-shirt dress and
scarf for me. We carried these items in our daypack and slipped them on
over our t-shirts and shorts when we needed them. It worked great!
me <snakebite05@yahoo.com>
los angeles, CA USA 10/25/00
My family and I have been in Italy several times over the past two years. Our tours with Scala Reale in and around Rome were superb, including the Evening Baroque walk.
Another of our favorites is Firenze Antica and its founder, Simone Gaddini. The tours of Florence are full of interesting, accurate detail about the architecture, history and art of the city, carefully organized and great fun. Firenze Antica has a link on the Scala Reale site and its own web site at www.firenzeantica.org. The organization also does single or multiday custom itinerary trips in Tuscany, including hotel and restaurant recommendations.
One of the must-do's is hiking up Mount Penna at La Verna and enjoying
the spirit of the place at the monastery located there, the site of Frances
of Assisi's personal cell in the rock. It's best to get there by car.
katherine <springave@msn.com>
Ridgewood, NJ USA 10/25/00
ROME: We loved Rome, although Rick's description of touring it as 'grueling' is accurate.
We stayed at the Hotel Miami (in Fodor's), 3 blocks down Via Nationale from Repubblica. It was an air-conditioned oasis and amiable Mario took good care of his guests.
We tried the much-lauded (from the graffiti board) Il Frantoio and although the food was good, we felt the attention we received was a bit disingenuous ("I'll take care of you" seemed more like, "I'll serve you what I'm trying to get rid of/I'll run up the bill"). We recommend the Teatro of Pompeii restaurant off of Campo dei Fiori instead.
Be warned: the lines to get into the Vatican Museum were the longest we have seen anywhere, HOURS long, so get there early!
SORRENTO: We loved the perfectly situated and reasonably priced Foreigner's Club, which was not in Rick's 2000 edition, but was in his 1999. Put it back! It's a great place, with not only the best views in town, but good food and entertainment, and bulletin boards with all the transportation schedules in English.
If we had a 'bad' meal in Italy it was at the recommended Zi'Antonio. I felt that the people who ordered the "Tourist Menu" were treated like tourists, rushed and served mediocre food.
CASPERIA: We wholeheartedly recommend a stay with Maureen and Roberto (latorretta@tiscalinet.it; see multitude of recent graffiti under "Virgin Hilltowns"). Thanks to all who recommended their gorgeous 15th-century restored home in this tiny, quaint hill town.
Across from Casperia is Rocantica where we had our best meal in Italy, at "La Rocca." We regret we had not planned to stay longer.
ASSISI: We loved it and found it to be less trampled and more spiritual than expected. The Hotel Italia on Piazza Commune was CHEAP but it served our purpose, and we ate twice at the terraced restaurant next door (try anything cooked 'norcina' style).
CIVITA: Our experience in Civita di Bagnoregio was even better than we dreamed of, and we'd been hearing about it for 10 years through Rick. After our hike up to the town, Franco and his family practically took our packs from us, then sat us down to free bruschetta, wine and water while we relaxed and chatted with them. Later, he made a delicious dinner, for the only 6 guests at Antico Forno.
SIENA: We did not agree with the many ETBD folks/hilltown aficionadoes. We liked Siena, but we did not "luuuvv" it.
DOLOMITES: We also love this region, did the drives and hikes in the book, especially the spectacular longer drive through the passes from Venice to Castlerotto (Kastlruth).
In Castlerotto, stay at Albergo Torre (Zum Turm), which Rick describes as "clean, with modern bathrooms"...what an understatement! Owners Gabi and Gunther could not be more welcoming, the rooms are huge, clean, modern and very Tirolean with spectacular views. The food in their restaurant was fantastic, extensive buffet breakfast included in the rate, etc. etc. We stayed an extra night here.
And if the weather turns sour, side trip 30 minutes to Bolzano to see
the "Oetzi," the 6000-year-old "ice man" discovered and chopped out of
the neighboring mountains in 1991, in his new "home." The museum was fascinating.
Celeste & David Gobeille <cdgobeille@aol.com>
Rehoboth, MA USA 10/18/00
1) The Villa Margherita in Levanto is a very nice small hotel, however it is very noisy due to the road that runs in front of the hotel.
2) There is no reason to buy your train tickets at the station. Any travel agency will sell them at the same price; they all spoke English and reservations can be made at the same time. (Trains are very cheap!)
3) In Rome, try "Welcome in Rome" for a great, private apartment for L175,000 per night plus L50,000 cleaning fee.
4) Most small hotels don't want to let you out very early in the morning (e.g. for a 5:00 jog). Ask for their policy.
6) The Hotel Figl in Bolzano is a steal at L150,000 night.
6) The Malpensa Express train is the only way to get from the airport to Milan city center.
7) Most every business takes Visa and you can get mileage points and
the best exchange rate.
Eddie <totallynuts@earhtlink.net>
Agoura Hills, CA USA 10/14/00
The Cinque Terre was charming, despite being INUNDATED by tourists (and sun-seeking Italians on the weekend). Vernazza looked like it was actually lifted from a postcard. Getting there via the path from the south gave it even more allure. We opted to stay in Levanto, just north of Monterosso at the Villa Margherita (the best showers in Italy) and thoroughly enjoyed it. While there were some tourists, it was uncrowded, pretty and a more relaxed Italian coastal village.
BE AWARE that the walk between the villages is only easy from Riomaggiore north to Corniglia. The stretch from Corniglia north to Monterosso al Mare is definitely NOT easy, as claimed. In fact, as you leave Corniglia there is a warning sign advising hikers not to walk this trail during the middle of the day. There are simply far too many demanding, steep upward steps and slopes, and far too little shade.
Our best find was the 2-1/2-hour hike from Levanto south to Monterosso. It was far more scenic and enjoyable than was the Cinque Terre hike. Virtually the entire hike was under a canopy of pine trees. It crossed through oak groves and small olive tree farms. The path was dotted with small houses, an occasional ruin, and steep vistas that overlooked an incredibly blue ocean. This hike should be started in Levanto heading south towards Monterosso. The ascent from Monterosso north towards Levanto belongs in Dante's "Inferno." There is an incredible view of the entire Cinque Terre coast and all the villages at the top of this ascent and at the end of a large peninsula (or descent at the end of your hike, if heading south from Levanto) that belongs in Dante's "Paradisio." It is truly spectacular.
Amazingly, apart from the easier stint from Riomaggiore north to Corniglia,
there were fewer people hiking the path than we had expected (enough,
though). In fact, the path from Levanto to Monterosso was virtually empty.
And this was during a very sunny, perfect late September weekend.
Jed <jedmed2000@aol.com>
Tucson, AZ USA 10/12/00
We visited Florence, Umbria, Mantua, Vicenza, and Venice in September. For art lovers, I recommend you always have plenty of Lira coins on hand in churches to illuminate the colorful frescoes - they are so hard to appreciate in the dim light. Small binoculars are also well worth packing to enjoy the frescoes.
In Florence, the best frescoes are in Santa Maria Novella (Ghirlandaio and Lippi), Santa Maria del Carmine (Massacio), and Santa Trinita (Ghirlandaio).
Browse in the large indoor Mercato Centrale - lots of meats, produce, etc., including some stalls where picnic items can be purchased.
The pension Dei Mori (http://www.bnb.it/deimori/dmrh.htm) was wonderfully located near the Piazza della Signoria and Duomo, and the hosts were very courteous.
We drove around Umbria and loved Orvieto, Todi, Assisi, and Spello. Deruta has some of the best painted ceramics in Italy and has a tradition dating back hundreds of years; the ceramics there are fabulous to browse and buy. The best prices are found in the factory shops on the main road off the south Deruta exit of the autostrada.
Perugia was interesting with its wide pedestrian street, medieval piazza, Perugino frescoes in the Collegio del Cambio, and Galleria Nazionale dell'Umbria. But it was hard to find the escalator that leads up to the historic town center in Perugia; there is a parking garage there. Overall, the hill towns are more charming than Perugia, which is a larger city.
We stayed at a wonderful farmhouse in Umbria, the Fattoria Antica del Colle in Deruta (Fax/Tel: 39-075-972201), recommended in Karen Brown's guide. The fabulous multi-course dinners would have cost a bundle in a restaurant, but the price for the room and half-board (breakfast and dinner) was reasonable. At this fattoria, they grow almost everything they serve on their property. There are lots of other such "agrotourisme" farmhouses in Umbria and Tuscany; be aware that some do not serve dinners on Sunday evenings.
Mantua is a nice small city to visit in Lombardy. The Palazzo Te and Palazzo Ducale have some great artistic offerings (especially the Mantegna frescoes in the latter), and pedestrian streets and piazzas in the historic center are charming.
For streets and atmosphere, we liked Vicenza even more. Lots of pedestrian areas, fine clothing boutique windows, and great Palladian architecture. The Villa Rotonda (interior only open on Wednesdays), Villa Valmarana ai Nani, and Olympic Theater are fabulous. In Vicenza we loved the very reasonable and beautifully situated Albergo San Raffaele (Tel 39-0444-545-767). It is on Monte Berico with a nice view and right below the attractive hilltop basilica, and is still situated close to the main part of town.
We also visited Villa Barbaro to the northeast, which has superb Veronese
frescoes and a peaceful country setting. It is only open on Tuesdays and
weekends. We highly recommend staying at the nearby small town of Asolo
in the foothills of the Dolomites. We loved the Hotel Duse (Fax: 39-0423-95-0404),
recommended in Karen Brown's book. Asolo was a quiet and picturesque hill
town and had some nice restaurants and shop (it has no great artistic
treasures, but is a charming place to stay overnight).
Kevin <kevin.torres@tetratech.com>
El Cerrito, CA USA 10/11/00
I cannot express how wonderful I found Florence and Venice to be. I suppose it depends on when a person visits these two cities. I absolutely fell in love with both of them. Don't be put off by all this talk about them being too touristy — these two cites are GEMS.
Florence is so compact and you get to see so many wonderful masterpieces. The Uffizi has spectacular art, and the views of the Ponte Vecchio from the second-story windows are great. Definitely go to the top of the Duomo; you will be proud you hoofed it to the top for the view of Florence and the hillsides. I also recommend the Bargello if you like sculpture and San Marco for the Fra Angelico frescoes. Take in the street market around San Lorenzo — what fun.
Venice is a wanderer's paradise. I stayed right off St. Mark's Square
which is great. I took in the Fish Market near the Rialto Bridge and went
to an intimate concert at the San Bartolomeo Church which enhanced my
stay even more. Enjoy!
C Keathley <ckeath01@earthlink.net>
USA 10/09/00
During our May 2000 visit to Rome my family took the Evening Baroque
tour offerd by Scala Reale. Although the tour was informative, the guide
was very condescending. We were very turned off.
Sherry Stilin <sherrystilin@hotmail.com>
WA USA 10/09/00
Just returned. Here's the rundown on hotels, beginning with our best "find":
PENSIONE LA CERTOSA (www.hotelcertosa.com), Marina del Cantone, Sorrento Peninsula: If you're planning time in Sorrento, Positano, Capri, or all of the above, this is THE place to stay. It's in Marina del Cantone and barely got a mention at the end of the Amalfi Coast section (not under "Sleeping" — under "Sights") in the Italy guidebook. For about $50 US, including breakfast (roughly 1/4 what you'll pay for similar accomodations in Positano or Sorrento), we got a lovely, roomy double with private bath, air-conditioning, and a terrace overlooking the sea. The inn is right on the water. Our room, #49, was on the third floor, but had double doors opening to a long, covered portico which opened up to the terrace. The portico had table and chairs and a clothesline. The food is freshly made by the family that runs the place and our meal here was one of the 2 best we had on the entire trip.
The village is small and sleepy with just 3 inns, a few restaurants, taverna, and a couple of tacky souvenir shops. The prices are dirt cheap. Besides the $50 room (!), we picked up reasonably priced bottles of lemoncello at a little taverna 2 doors down and we bought gelato from the same place for $1.50. The owners will provide you with maps of numerous walking trails at the tip of the peninsula and many private little beaches. If you like the Cinque Terre (we've been there on a previous trip), you'll love this spot. I can't recommend this place enough — cheap, quiet, convenient — a short hop to all the spots mentioned above — what could be better?! Also, just up the hill in Nerano, we stopped at a little alimentari where we stocked up on reasonably priced bottled water and a couple bottles of homemade wine for about $2 each!
SELIANO ESTATE FOR AGRITOURISM (www.agriturismo-seliano.it/), Paestum: Our second favorite place, it would have vied for first if there'd been waves lapping at our door as there had been at La Certosa! Our room here was a huge triple in a recent addition with a modern, tiled, private bath and expensive antique furnishings. The room was downright luxurious and this was another incredible deal at only $65 US. In addition to the sites of Paestum, you can ride horses, attend culinary school, visit with the farm animals, or take a short walk to the beach. The hotel is on the grounds of a lovely estate with a swimming pool. They offer culinary courses so you can imagine how good the food is. This was our other favorite meal. For $15 per person, we had gourmet food, unlimited wine(!), dessert and lemoncello — absolutely wonderful!
HOTEL NAVONA, Rome: This place got a bad rap on a previous post. The hotel is in a very old building which, as Rick says, is "ramshackle," but the rooms are recently renovated and absolutely spotless and charming! We were in room 15E which is up on the third (top) floor but is a roomy corner room with 2 double windows opening to very small terraces, and is nicely decorated with a wood beamed ceiling. There's also a nice, modern bathroom and air conditioning (though it was turned off when we were there at the end of Sept. so if you feel you require it then, ask prior to booking). Our kids were in a double in room 15D which was smaller with just one window but included a little writing desk.
The hotel is on a quiet street, 1-1/2 blocks from Piazza Navona. The location CANNOT be beat! It's convenient to everything and there's no neighborhood in Rome with more charm than the old center. We stayed out late and always had a short walk back to our room.
I wouldn't say the staff was overly attentive but we had everything we required and they were available whenever needed. I don't believe there's anything in Rome that can beat this place for location, quality of room, and price. Our double room was US $100 per night with "breakfast" (a fresh roll and coffee). We would definitely stay here again!
HOTEL GRITTI, Milan: This is just off Via Torino, 2 blocks from the Duomo. Again, the location cannot be beat. It's 1/2 block from via Speronari and, after reading some recent posts on this board, we felt it was a better choice than the Hotel Speronari. This is a modern hotel with elevator, air-conditioning and private, modern bathrooms. No quaint furnishings here — more like a Holiday Inn — but very comfortable, clean, convenient and inexpensive. Our quad room was packed tight with the fourth bed but was only about $150 including breakfast. The staff was very helpful, making several phone calls for us.
HOTEL BRETAGNA, Florence: Great price here again, $120 US for a quad with breakfast, and a convenient location on the Arno River a couple blocks down from the Ponte Vecchio. An old-world inn with a frescoed breakfast room and lovely views over the river. Very friendly staff — we arrived at about 8AM and they allowed us to eat breakfast on arrival as we planned to leave very early the next morning. The room was old but clean and included a private bath.
HOTEL DUOMO, Siena: This was the biggest disappointment of our trip. The free parking is about a 15-minute walk away and the room was old and dingy. It's convenient to the Duomo, but it's tough to find, not very pleasant inside and not exactly cheap at about $175 US for a quad with breakfast and private (old) bath.
ROME: Our favorite Italian city. We felt safe at all times and were never threatened by gypsies. Yes, there are annoying peddlers of roses and junk, but they're in EVERY city (we've encountered more of them in Paris and Seville). The city is much more intimate and less touristy than Milan and particularly Florence.
Don't skip Galleria Borghese — sculptures, many by Bernini, and paintings in the most sectacular setting I've ever seen in any art museum. It doesn't have the number of masterpieces you'll find at the Uffizi and Pitti but it has many important pieces and the presentation beats them both, hands down!
Follow Rick's night walk across Rome and don't miss stopping for gelato at Giolitti's. It was the best (though not least expensive) of our trip.
Stay in the city center, have a good map, and wander the streets — it's terrific! Go to St. Peter's at 7AM and be among only a handful of people — we saw the window close on the Pope's bedroom — could it have been him?! If you like creepy things, don't miss the Capuchin Crypt.
We had no trouble driving into the city and we kept our car parked at the huge Villa Borghese parking garage. We parked near the Hertz rental office (we had a Hertz car from Milan) and they called a cab right down for us. The lot seemed very safe and was full of nice cars, many with layers of dust.
POMPEII: Not to be missed. Rick doesn't say a lot about driving there, but it's easy to get to and we found close, convenient parking easily.
SORRENTO PENINSULA/ AMALFI COAST: Again, stay in Marina del Cantone. See it all without the crowds!
PAESTUM: Two of the three temples are still scaffolded. One of them is almost completely covered in it. This was disappointing but our trip here was saved by the incredible accomodations mentioned above.
SIENA: Skip it and visit the smaller hill towns. I know it's well liked on the board but we found it dark, dingy and unpleasant. We didn't get to many hill towns but quick stops in Montalcino and Montepulciano found both of them to be MUCH nicer — especially Montepulciano — and they have great wine instead of that awful fruitcake stuff that Siena is famous for!
FLORENCE: Everyone seems to favor the Uffizi over the Pitti. But I was disappointed that the last rooms in the Uffizi, including the Caravaggio room, were closed and there seemed to be an awful lot of empty spots where a painting was on tour or being restored. Also, the Palatine in the Pitti is a much prettier gallery though it doesn't have as large a number of masterpieces as the Uffizi. If you can do it, see both.
Don't miss the frescoes at San Marco — incredible!
The city itself is grander but more touristy and crowded than Rome. I'm glad I saw Florence once but I don't feel it has the character of some place I'd like to linger.
MILAN: Like Florence, grand, but not intimate. I would definitely not
go back here. I'm glad to have seen the Duomo, which is magnificent, but
I don't care to shop for Gucci bags and Ferragamo shoes and I really didn't
feel the city offered much else. Except the Princi bakery on Via Speronari — the finest bakery of our whole trip! Hmm, on 2nd thought, maybe I would
return...!
Jenny Meyer <elma@execpc.com>
Green Bay, WI USA 10/07/00
Rome is much more alive and vibrant than Florence and absorbs the hordes of tourists much more easily. Eating in Rome is wonderful. Guidebook recommendations are nice, but we found that looking at what folks are eating is the best barometer of good food. Also, we had NO ripoff or thief problems — anywhere.
In Cinque Terra, Manarola to us was the place to stay. We arrived with no reservations and a local directed me to Luica Cozzani, who had apartments overlooking the harbor and down the coast. Better and cheaper than any hotel in the area. A storm came through the night before and the waves were amazing. Best restaurant in Italy was Trattoria dal Billy in Manarola. Billy (Alberto) speaks adequate English and excellent French. He hustles and gets the food up and down his steep stairs.
Orvieto is worth a quick stop if you cannot go to a hill town, which we could not. Really hopping on a Saturday night.
Italians are wonderful people — especially to put up with so many Americans.
I found that a genuine effort to stumble with Italian language bought
amazing goodwill.
Matthew Bryant <mbryant@hendricklawfirm.com>
winston-salem, nc USA 10/06/00
In September spent 16 wonderful days in Italy. Probably the best trip yet, because of our trusty Rick Steves' Italy guidebook. It was our bible! All of Rick's recommendations were great. Didn't have any reservations or a plan, everything was spur of the moment. Sometimes we decided what train to take while standing on the platform.
The museum in Naples was really worth it especially before going to to Pompeii. All of the artifacts and mosaics from Pompeii are in the Archeological Museum; do the tour of the secret room.
Three days in Rome was fabulous; stayed at Hotel Firenze, with nice rooms, 2 blocks from the Spanish Steps.
Saw the Palio in Siena, and loved Siena so much we stayed an extra day.
Went to Perugia, had a blast. Hotel Europa is the best hotel ever and only a one-star (should be 3), at 100,000 Lire for a grand double with private bath (telephone 075.572.6883).
Milan, what a great city — walked around until way after midnight and
it was so safe!
Riana <youfauxgirl@yahoo.com>
Los Angeles, CA USA 10/05/00
Just returned from Italy using Rick's guidebooks and most went very well.
The biggest disappointment for us was Capri. Specifically Rick seems to recommend skipping Capri town for Anacapri. But we found Anacapri horribly tacky, not the quaint area Rick describes (the existence of "Capri in miniature" attraction should have been our first clue). We were shocked at how bad it was, especially around the small main square. Our experience was very bad restaurants, unfriendly people, tacky tourist shops, and quite frankly, low-class tourists and tour groups swarming the place. Felt like a combination of Brighton, UK and downtown Las Vegas.
Certainly Capri town is also very touristy but I found much more character there; and it was much nicer than Anacapri. I see very little reason to go to Anacapri at all and sleeping there, as we did, was simply a waste of time and money using the overcrowded bus service to go where we wanted to go. Otherwise, we had a great time on our trip.
Rick warns against any driving in Rome. But my experience in 3 trips
has been no different than any big US city. If you are comfortable driving
in a big US city and can read a map, don't fear Rome. This past trip we
also rented scooters for our last 3 days and had a BLAST. They are only
about $25 a day and give you tremendous freedom to move around quickly
and see things you otherwise might not. The cars were actually quite considerate
of us on scooters even when we made dumb moves. Have no fear.
Eric <eric3@bigfoot.com>
Chicago, IL USA 10/04/00
Just returned from 1 week in the beautiful Cinque Terre. We rented a
nice apartment in the town of Levanto, the doorway to the Cinque Terre.
E-mail Luca the owner: agenziaamica@hotmail.com. He rents different properties
in the town.
Marco Lohre
Lugano, Switzerland, USA 10/03/00
ALWAYS have traveler's checks as a backup. Rick mentions this in his book, but it's worth repeating. ATM machines are plentiful, however, I had a very unpleasant experience in Savano: I tried several ATM machines, and I couldn't get any of them to recognize my ATM card. So I tried to get a Visa cash advance at a local bank, and they told me that my credit card couldn't be validated. Another ATM finally worked but I learned Lesson #1: They may have ATM machines, but it may be hard or impossible to find one that is on your bank's network...and considering Italy's infrastructure and labor problems, it's possible that the communication lines between an ATM and your bank could be down for days. Lesson #2: My Visa card was my backup, but it was useless in that situation. A few hundred bucks in traveler's checks is a failsafe backup, and worth the peace of mind.
If you're using train tickets in Italy, you have to stamp your ticket in the yellow metal box in the train station before you board, else you'll probably get a $5 fine.
Another train station tip: Although the printed departure schedule will list a specific platform ("binario"), don't count on it. Always check the current electronic board before you board, especially in large train stations like Milan.
Rick says that when giving a large bill (such as 100.000 lira) to a clerk, you should loudly say the bill denomination so the clerk is less likely to shortchange you. What Rick doesn't mention is, that if you don't know how to say 100.000 lira in Italian, the Italian word for the bill is printed right on the bill. For example, the 100.000 lira is "centimilla".
When I first arrived in Venice, I was disgusted by the rampant tourism, so I mostly wandered the backstreets (you'll definitely need a map), and I had a great time. Eventually, I came across all the major tourist sites, then returned to the back streets. If you don't mind a lot of walking, you can do Venice in a day or less (longer if you want to go inside museums and churches). Rick suggests using the vaparetto (water shuttle) to get around, but I thought the waiting lines were far too long.
Be careful of confusing similar names when getting/giving directions or a train ticket: there are cities named Varenna and Varrenza, streets named Mancini and Manzoni, and so on. As Rick mentioned, when buying a train ticket, write down the name of the destination city so there's no confusion.
A few times I approached a clerk and ordered something in Italian, only to have the clerk respond to me in English. Perhaps it's because my Italian has an American accent, but I think it's obvious you're an American when you're wearing shorts.
And speaking of shorts...I hate to be gross, but I walked at least 5 hours each day, and on the 2nd day I developed painful skin irritation where "the sun don't shine." I bought vaseline at the local pharmacy (just ask for vaseline) and liberally applied it every morning, and the problem was solved.
I agree with Rick that first-class train travel is the way to go in Italy. In second class, the floors are often filthy and the seats are stained from beverage spills.
Buses have entry doors and exit doors, but the locals use whichever door is closest.
It's dangerous to walk in a major city because (a) traffic laws appear to be suggestions rather than actual laws, (b) cars are very small but agile, and they dart around like hyperactive fish, (c) scooters dart between the cars and pedestrians, (d) sidewalks are often small and filled with bicycles and (believe it or not) parked cars, and (e) people walking while talking on cell phones forget that you exist. Still, walking is the best way to actually see a place.
Your hotel can probably tell you how to use the bus or tram system, and in some cases can actually sell you tickets.
You can often get city maps for free at the information office near
the train station.
John Glossenger
Silicon Valley, CA USA 10/02/00
I read Rick's books and took all of his advice on the TV show. In Venice we did as he said and got lost. We went into a back area and watched young kids playing soccer (just like on the TV show). Then we wandered out onto a private jetty and who was right there filming for his TV show? Rick Steves! It really made a great story to add to our European adventure.
Thank you to Rick and his staff for helping us prepare for the best
trip of our lives.
Kris Conzet <ksconz@aol.com>
Rapid City, SD USA 10/02/00
Just returned from our "luna di miele" (honeymoon) in Italy. Rick's books were great and evidentally very popular — most of his recommended hotels were full. We did find his information to be very useful, especially for navigating.
Venice: Stayed 3 nights (too long) at Hotel Centauro — a three-star hotel just in from the Grand Canal and Rialto Bridge, on a well-traveled smaller canal popular with the gondoliers — it was like having your own Italian soundtrack playing in the background. The hotel was nice and the staff was friendly. This was the only place we reserved beforehand (http://www.hotelcentauro.com).
We found the food mediocre in Venice. We did like Rick's recommended Pizzeria Accademia Foscarini next to the Accademia Bridge (there is a great internet cafe on the way there).
Venice is exciting, full of tourists and an easy place to get lost — but fun for 2 days. Next time we would definitely stay on Lido (a 10-15 minute ferry ride across the bay) with beautiful beaches, villas for cheap, nice restaurants and a more open feeling.
Leaving Venice we picked up our rental car. We loved flying down the Autostrada at 150km and getting passed by Mercedes and BMW's doing 170+km. Italians drive fast but very efficiently, the Autostrada is awesome and its toll system is quite reasonable. Stopping at the Autogrills is a thrill — where else can you grab a great panini sandwich, a cappuccino, and a martini and get back on the autostrada and do 100 mph.
Florence: We really enjoyed the city, the shopping, the food, and all the sights — waiting in line for the Galleria dell' Accademia is worth it (if you didn't reserve online). We got to sneak a peek at a party for one of the Ferrari sons which filled the Uffizi piazza — a sit-down dinner for 300+ people complete with red carpet, lots of Ferraris on display, and beautiful Italians dressed beyond belief — this was closed to the public of course but if you peered through Ferrari-horse-shaped hedges which were placed to keep people out you could get a full view.
Lucca: An interesting little town enclosed by a wall — rented bikes and rode the wall. Ate at a great restaurant located just of the autostrada in Cappanori, "Il Cantina." Rick, you should add this one — it was excellent! It's right on the way for those heading to Cinque Terre.
Cinque Terre: By far our favorite place. The parking areas Rick outlined in La Spezia are not available for overnight parking anymore — parked at the Autorimessa Stationi Rick recommended, which worked out great! Took the train into Vernazza; while looking for Rick's suggested rooms we met Giacomo Callo who said he had a house with the best views of the harbor, new bathroom, and kitchen for only L90,000 a night. While standing on the breakwater look up the hill across the harbor by the trail to Monterosso; it is the very last little white house you see up on the hill.It was beautiful, private and an adventure staying there — definitely the highlight of our trip. When we mentioned we were from Seattle, Giacomo immediately said, "Oh, Ricka Steve, he here 2 weeks ago." Rick, you should definitely add his little villa to your list. Giacomo Callo can be reached at: Piazza Marconi 26, tel#0187-821199.
We hiked the hour-and-a-half trail to Monterosso (beautiful), went to the new internet bar, ate lunch at the restaurant up near the castle (can't remember the name — but it was great) and opted for the 3-minute train ride back to Vernazza. A big storm hit while we were there and flooded "Gambero Rosso" (one of the best places we ate) while we were eating there — but regardless, the food was excellent and it made for a fun atmosphere. It must happen often as the staff was prepared with mops and scoops. The Cinque Terre was awesome.
Orvieto: another cool little town, but very confusing if you arrive at night and try to follow the signs to hotels. Stayed at the Hotel Royale (?) which was one of the only one we could find after driving around an hour that had a room. We never did find Rick's recommended Hotel Picchio — where the heck is it?
Rome: stayed at Hotel Rex, exspensive but worth it! Nice staff, valet parking, excellent rooms, close to everything! Didn't feel as threatened by pickpocketers as we had expected. Returned the car at the airport and flew to Catania, Sicily.
Sicily: beautiful but much poorer. There are piles of garbage everywhere and lots of stray animals (which really gets to me). We visited some beautiful beaches with warm water, and no people (evidentally locals think summer is over when it hits September even though it is still 85+ degrees out). In Siracusa see the Greek/Roman ampitheatre; and visit Ortiga, a smaller island in Siracusa which has nice shops and great restaurants! Taormina is also a beautiful town with an amazing Greek ampitheatre on the top of a mt. with an amazing view of the ocean and the volcano Etna. The town is nice and has great shopping and food. I would definitely stay in Taormina if planning a trip to Sicily!
Our trip was excellent, adventurous and fun! Rick's books made it a
great deal easier to get around and get a feel for each city/region. Definitely
bring another book detailing history and the fascinating art and architecture
of the regions you visit. If you go in September it is really, really
hot and humid — dress light and don't bring much. Don't plan on eating
breakfast or getting anything to go (which drives us Seattlites nuts,
not being able to have our grande cappucinos to go) and don't expect to
find much to eat between 1pm and 4pm. Learn to speak some Italian — it's
fun and the locals appreciate your efforts and are much more helpful if
you give it a try. Don't think that speaking English loudly will make
them understand what you are saying! Wine is way cheaper than water. Vespa
drivers will cut in front of you. Be patient, soak it all in and enjoy!
Summyr and Kurt Widmann <summyrw@hotmail.com>
Redondo Beach, WA USA 10/02/00
Albergo Barbara in Vernazza apparently has a policy of only making reservations
for two or more nights. After my e-mails and faxes went unanswered, I
telephoned and found this out. They were nice on the phone, and I still
will try to stay there (off season), but save your money on faxes, phone
calls and letters if you're only trying to reserve for a night.
Mike McPhillips <mrosemcp@aol.com>
Columbus, OH USA 10/01/00
Rick, just want to say how much we appreciated your book, "Rome 2000!" Va bene! Magnifico!
"Rex" and Irene Zubris <ozbo1st1@juno.com>
Hauppauge, NY USA 10/01/00
I went to Pompeii and I loved it. We took the early train from Rome to Naples. The Circumvesuviano train takes you on to Pompeii. Unfortunately on the day we went, this train was on strike. We had to wait a couple hours, until 11:20 (we missed the 9:20 train) for the FS train to go to the town of Pompei (40 minutes) and walk to the site. But the wait was still worth it. Just keep your handy train schedule with you so you know when the FS train from Pompei to Naples leaves.
We got lost since all our maps started from the main entrance instead of the town entrance we used, but you see more of Pompeii that way.
Pompeii is open until sunset so hours are shorter in the winter. BTW — tour book guidebooks of the site are better than the maps they sell
you outside the gates.
Kirsten <mkfisher2@hotmail.com>
San Francisco, CA USA 09/29/00
While Milano is certainly not as interesting as Rome, Florence, or Venice it does have a great atmosphere. Even though most things are closed on Mondays, it is a great day to arrive. The stores stay open to 10pm around the Duomo and the atmosphere in the square is much better than Venice at night.
We found gelati to die for right down the street from the Porto Romano Metro exit (about 50 meters).
Peck is a museum to food and you can eat at some places for $4US if you stand. You have to try the risotto.
The Last Supper and Pinateco Ambrosiano are great. The latter is just around the corner from Peck.
Also flying in and out of Milan is wonderful. Malpenza overlooks the
Alps. For 9,000 lire you can take an express train to Cardona station
in Milan.
Patrick Dennis <psdennis@hotmail.com>
Indiantown , Fl USA 09/28/00
Well, you did warn me! You described the Hotel Baia in Monterosso as grumpy and money-grubbing. I suppose I deserved the money-grubbing part, having arrived in town at 7PM, with no advanced reservations and no energy to keep up the search. And maybe I even deserved grumpy? Admittedly, my attempts to spit out the niceties in Italian were not very pretty. But the staff at this hotel was downright rude! The woman staffing the reception area seemed to know English pretty well when it suited her, but somehow not at all when it would have helped us. Was it necessary to endure her tirade when we wandered innocently onto her freshly mopped floor? If I'd known that was the local custom, I'd have delivered my own tirade when I slipped the day before on the freshly mopped marble stairs. Surely at their rates, they could afford a wet-floor sign or two (in any language)!
Not to be outdone by her, the "gentleman" staffing the dining room delighted us with a barely contained temper tantrum one morning. For some unexplained reason, he decided to close the ocean-view side of the room halfway through the breakfast hours. His way of doing this was lifting a corner of the table cloth onto the tabletop. What a treat to watch him implode as, one after another, we sleepy tourists came along and helpfully put down the corner of the cloth that had been blown up by the wind. (It was, in fact, very windy in there that morning.)
Anyway, just wanted to say you were too easy on the Hotel Baia! Thanks
for all the other great travel trips!
Mary Ellen Hunter
USA 09/26/00
My husband and I just returned from ourItalian honeymoon. We started our trip at Albergo Olivedo in Varenna. Laura, who speaks English and German, was without a doubt the friendliest and most helpful person we met on our entire trip. The food was excellent, the view terrific (although a little noisy because of the ferry early in the morning) and a wonderful way to start out the first three nights of a honeymoon. I strongly recommend hiking up to Castello di Vezio with a picnic — the view is wonderful.
In Venice we stayed at Hotel Marin, very quiet and close to the train station (for those of you who insist on carrying lots of luggage). There is laundry and a not-so-cheap internet cafe nearby. Watch out for the WC youth mob. Five twelve-year olds tried to extort money from us in order to use the WC — we decided we could wait.
If you need a little dose of the U.S., please, please visit Paulo at New York, New York. It's very close to the Rialto bridge, not the P. San Marco side, on I believe Speciati Orefici. He's a Venetian-American-Canadian who has worked incredibly hard at creating an environment that's a hit with tourists and locals alike. He is a terrific source of information and can direct you to a restaurant he owns a part of — Laguan Blu — which had amazing food!
Siena reminded me of a small, proud college town. They had just had
the Palio before we got there, so the only place with a room was Alma
Domus, which was clean and quiet. We ate at Alla Speranza on Piazza del
Campo, which was very leisurely but delicious, and had a front seat to
the nightly Palio "Parade." Apparently, the district that wins the horse
race marches through Siena, playing their drums, waving their flags and
singing for the better part of a month after the race. It was definitely
a treat! As for Florence — it was crowded and I'm glad we stayed in Siena
and day-tripped in. But, it had better prices for shopping and any tacky
souvenirs you might want.
Eve & Brent Rutherford <eveerickson@hotmail.com>
Seattle, WA USA 09/22/00
My wife and I just returned from a whirlwind tour of Italy. We used the Italy guidebook to figure out how much time to spend in each city. Aside from skipping Milan entirely due to Monday closures, we were able to visit almost everything we hoped.
We found the pickpocket hype to be exaggerated, although we met several people who did have the child hordes accost them in the stations. Keep a close hold on your bags when passing through passages and doorways of train stations. Also, avoid the touristy locations (Trevi Fountain, Rome) after dark. We were thoroughly disgusted by the obnoxious Arab and Indian rose peddlers, postcard sellers, and roving conmen. They basically ran us out of the fountain area by standing in our view and harrassing us to buy their garbage. I tried the polite refusals, the angry look, and considered body slamming them into the fountain itself, but finally we left frustrated and disgusted.
Vatican City, regardless of religious belief, is a MUST. St. Peter's is best seen at 7:00 a.m. weekdays when the normally clogged square and basilica are virtually empty and begging to be photographed cleanly. The resulting photos were rewarding and appreciated for their lack of tourist clumps in every corner of the city. When we arrived at the square, we were two of 10 people, and two of only about 100 in the cathedral itself.
Venice is best avoided altogether unless visiting during May or early
June. The crowds in Venice on weekends are smothering, and gondolas resemble
a log ride at Six Flags. Very mechanical, clogged and unromatically cliched.
Mike <ferret9999@home.com>
Downriver, MI USA 09/22/00
Thank you, Rick, for your wounderful guides. Our experience in Italy was amazing.
In La Spezia, a 15-minute train ride to the Cinque Terre, we stayed at Hotel Firenze, very clean and very good breakfast!
In Vernazza Senora Rita got us a very clean and comfy room on 62 via santo. We hiked the Vernazza to Corniglia trial which is AWESOME — the views are fantastic!
In Venice we stayed at Allogi alla Scala, very colorful but clean.
Jean-Paul Rivera <esp8@netzero.net>
Orlando, FL USA 09/21/00
When in Florence, consider staying at the Tourist House Liberty. It
is quiet, centrally located, clean, very reasonably priced (we paid 150,000L
per night for a double room with bath), and has a friendly English-speaking
owner. It is not a fancy place: no breakfast, TV, or in-room phones (no
hotel-type amenities except for daily maid service), but if you are looking
for an inexpensive place that is not rundown, I would highly recommend
it. You can see pictures and book online at: http://www.italyhotel.com/firenze/libertyhouse/
USA 09/21/00
I just returned from Florence and stayed at a wonderfully-run pensione
near the Santa Maria Novella station. Hotel Pensione Ferretti is a great
place to stay because the owner, Luciano Michel, is such a gracious host.
The rooms are clean and spacious and there is a nice breakfast room. Luciano
really cares about your comfort and gives you all the advice and directions
that you may need. And, it's inexpensive for the quality and the value
of your stay there! It's within walking distance of everything and not
noisy at night. He even has free internet service! His email address is:
pensioneferretti@pronet.it
USA 09/20/00
I just returned from a week in Italy. We stayed at Hotel Navona in the
Piazza Navona in Rome and were very disappointed. The owners were indifferent
and not hospitable. They made our stay in Rome for our first time very
unpleasant and disappointing.
USA 09/19/00
I have just returned from my 2-week trip in Italy. Thank Rick for his
wonderful guidebook, but I have to disagree his recommedation for Hotel
Nuova Italia Firenze. I found this hotel very noisy all the time. My friends & I couldn't sleep well. Also, I left my 13 film rolls in the desk drawer.
I phoned the hotel immediately after I had arrived at Venice, my next
stop. The staff said that nothing was inside the drawer & the maid hadn't
thrown my films away. How could that be? Someone must be dishonest. Think
twice before you go to this hotel.
Evie <eviewong@netvigator.com>
Hong Kong 09/17/00
Federico and Cecilia of Villa Margherita B&B in Levanto, Italy are the
nicest, most pleasant people. If you can get in, stay there. The room
was like home; they were like family. I can't say enough about them. They
went out of their way to make sure we had all our needs fulfilled. They
now have an e-mail connection which is villamargherita@hotmail.com, a
web site www.villamargherita.net and their correct tel. no. is 0187807212
.
Mary Scalese
New York, NY USA 09/14/00
Looking for a honeymoon spot in Rome? We enjoyed the Hotel Lancelot,
a couple blocks from the Colosseum. Our room on the first floor had a
really nice garden patio. (It does adjoin the patio of the next room,
but we had privacy while we were there, as they were never outside.) See
lancelot@italyhotel.com. Happy travels!
victoria <scimitar7@webtv.net>
Palo Alto, ca USA 09/08/00
In Florence, Rick's recommended Hotel Loggiato dei Serviti is a delight.
Loved every minute of my stay there. It is beautiful!
deborah <deb_kollas@mccann.com>
nyc, ny USA 08/25/00
My wife and I hiked the Cinque Terre during Holy Week in April. Only
when we got there did we learn that many Italians travel to the coast
for Easter. Put that in your book! Adding to the problem, Monday was Liberation
Day making for a long weekend. There wasn't a room to be had in any of
the towns. We strolled into Corniglia during the passagiata, cursing the
trust we had placed in Rick Steves. Fortunately, we found a room available
in La Spezia, right near the train station. Very convenient. We were back
on the trail the next day to finish our hike.
USA 08/18/00
We are 6 crazy ladies who recently toured the French and Italian Riviera with a minivan. We used Rick's recommendations for Santa Margherita Ligure (the Nuovo Riviera) and found the Sabini Family absolutely gracious.
In Levanto (the town before you come to the Cinque Terre), the Villa Margherita should definitely be one of Rick's suggestions. It's run by Federico, who speaks English very well, and his cousin, Celcilla(?) who does a wonderful job of taking care of all your needs and desires. Thanks, guys, for making our trip all that much better!
This trip was a flashback for me as I was a student in Italy 32 years
ago and visited Cinque Terre before it was discovered by Rick — when fishing
was the main industry and not tourism. The beauty is still there if you
can see past the backpackers and all. I guess it's good for the locals'
economy, but it was a little like Disney with all the T-shirt shops and
souvenir places. It's true, "You can never go back." Nevertheless, it's
nice to share the beauty of a place with the rest of the world.
Stepahania Cambridge <waynejc56@earthlink.net>
Berwick, ME USA 08/18/00
Just returned from Italy using Rick's guide, and most of his recommendations were great.
At Villa Cipressi (Varenna), we got a suite for $100 USD with an incredible view of the lake and lots of space, and a great garden right on the lake.
At Hotel Galleria (Venice) the room was very small but with a view of the Grand Canal right next to the Accademia bridge (not very quiet though). It's a small hotel that's very charming and you get breakfast served in your room — I enjoyed mine at the window watching the early-morning Grand Canal traffic.
Hotel Ritz (Florence) is a nice, comfortable hotel right on the river. We got a 4th-floor room with nice view of the river. Very nice management; they also own the Pendini which has more central location, but all of central Florence was very walkable.
I have to disagree with Rick regarding gelato at Vivoli's. We had to search for it and were very disappointed. It was expensive (compared to other gelaterias we went to), gave small portions, and not as good as many others we tried all over Italy. Don't go out of your way for it.
If you want a break from Italian food, try a great hole-in-the-wall place with stools only, right on the street where the San Lorenzo street market is...the stall keepers ate there and we had the best gyros ever there, and went back several times.
At Trattoria Gianni (Vernazza) our room was okay but no view or garden as was promised when I made the reservation, and Vernazza was sooooo full of (young and drunk) American tourists, as was Monterosso. I would recommend another village or Levanto (north of Monterosso) which was bigger but quieter. Also, I do not recommend doing your laundry at the Blue Marlin unless you are in a bind — they seriously overcharge. Wait until you get to a bigger city where prices are much more reasonable.
Albergo Canon D'oro (Siena) is a nice, comfortable hotel with big rooms and good location. We saw a free opera on the Campo one night — it's beautiful at night.
Hotel Corso (Orvieto) — comfortable hotel with cheap Ikea-like furniture and they turned off the power to the air conditioning each time we left the room — you have to ask them to turn it on whenever you return.
Hotel Del Corso (Sorrento) — nice hotel with great location right on the main strip; we got a quiet room on the back side.
Hotel Aberdeen (Rome) was our favorite of all, with hardwood floors, super clean and comfortable bathrooms and very helpful management...the location was great too because it is close to buses and subway but away enough from the action to give you a quiet night's sleep...highly recommend it.
One of Rick's restaurant recommendations in Rome, La Rustichella near
the Vatican: beware of their "buffet" antipasto plate...first, it's only
one trip to the bar, and when we loaded up on our plate, they charged
us for 2 plates. The Millenium gelateria next door had the best gelato
of our trip (try the melone and watermelon, incredibly refreshing on a
hot day).
Diana Tran <diana_tran@hotmail.com>
Los Angeles, CA USA 08/15/00
At the Hotel Campo de Fiori in Rome, the noise outside kept us up until 4:30am! What a shame, since the staff was great, the room nice, good breakfast, convenient location, etc.
The Campo de Fiori seems to be the center of party activities in Rome. It's packed, and is a meat market. Even worse is the smaller piazza off the Campo. This party goes on until 2:30am, then the dogs bark, then the street cleaners come and sweep broken bottles up off of the cobblestones until 4am. And this was a weeknight! We requested a room change the next night, and it wasn't much better.
Albergo Bernini in Siena was wonderful. I especially enjoyed the cat. The bird Romeo flew away, and the owner thinks that someone stole him. The terrace and staff are wonderful. The "scene" on the Campo didn't bother me at all.
Because of recommendations on this site, I went for the Villa Margherita in Levanto. The 6th village in the Cinqueterra (make that the Seiterra!), Levanto is larger, less touristy, more of a small city that the other quaint towns. I loved it. (villamargherita@hotmail.com, www.villamargherita.net) When I booked, I told them I'd heard about them on the Rick Steves site, and they gave me a discount. I loved staying there. Vernazza was SOOOOO packed with tourists, I'm glad I wasn't staying there.
We did the hike from Vernazza to Monterosso. It was divine, although
I thought I might have a heart attack on the initial uphill incline! But
it was completely worth it.
Abby <anardoca@indiana.edu>
Bloomington, IN USA 08/15/00
My husband and I went to Nero's house, in Rome, and were disappointed.
The tour for English was on audiotape, but it is a timed tour. We were
supposed to have already listened to the introduction by the time we entered,
but we hadn't figured that out and so we were behind the others listening
to the wrong section of tape... and could not stay behind to catch up
on the audiotape. The guide kept asking us to move along, and it was very
frustrating. We tried to fast-forward the audio but could not figure out
what section matched the room we were in. All in all, very frustrating.
All I remember of it is dank corridors and dark rooms with high ceilings.
If you do go there, I guess all I can say is to be sure your audiotape
is wound to the correct part when you enter.
Teresa <Teresa_Buswell@hmco.com>
New York, NY USA 08/14/00
We are in Rome for one month this summer on our 4th home exchange. We are big fans of Rick Steves and have used many of his suggestions over the years. Some of his more rustic lodgings have been our favorite places in all of Europe.
However, we finally found one place Rick lists in Sorrento that no one should ever have the misfortune of staying in — PENSION MARA. Rick said in 1999, "simple and clean." In 2000 Rick said, "a dirty, T-shirt kind of place." Let me clarfiy what this means: dirty ash tray in room upon arrival, mold in toilet and shower, hair on floors and sheets, etc.
We had no other place to stay for the evening so we "grinned and almost
bore it." However on day two we split for the Hotel Del Corso in the Old
Town, which was great.
Jeff LaVal <jlaval@telis.org>
Irvine, CA USA 08/14/00
I benefited a lot from this message board so I wanted to pass on my advice. We spent 18 days in Italy in May-June. That was an excellent time to go: Crowds were not bad at all, and we had the longest days of the year and good weather.
The best place we went to was Passo Pordoi in the Dolomites.
Definitely take Rick's advice on Alpe Di Siusi.
When you go to Venice, arrive early and walk around at 6Am as the locals wake. It is cool to have St. Mark's all to yourself. Take a long nap midday, and stay up real late and watch the dueling orchestras at St. Mark's Square and walk around and get lost.
We bought point-to-point train tickets and recommend that. Learn how to use the ticket machines; they are easy and convenient.
We didn't have any hotel reservations at all. Next time I would have reservations for Venice and Siena (don't stay in Florence, Siena is way better). I would never bother with reservations in Cinque Terre, it is so easy to find places there.
Corniglia in the Cinque Terre is a gem. Definitely hike all the towns — very rewarding.
We did Rome in a day and I recommend that if you are in shape. We saw all the sites and walked everywhere. On Catholic holy days the Sistine Chapel is closed, as we found out that June 1 was one such day. The best part of the Vatican is the hike up and view from the top of the dome. The "no shorts" rule is strictly enforced.
My biggest disagreement with Rick's advice is the merits of San Gimignano. A BIG tourist trap — our time would have been best spent renting a scooter and seeing the back roads of Tuscany. The best part of San G. is the view from tower that you can pay to climb.
Regrets:
1) Not writing down the name of wines we had in resturants that were
really good, so we could buy them later.
2) Not buying pesto to take home before leaving Cinque Terre.
3) Not having another day in Venice
4) Not having the time to make it down to Pompei, after talking to other
Americans using Rick's book
No regrets:
1) Only having one large backpack and one small backpack to carry
2) Only going to one museum the whole time (to see David)
3) No reservations, no train pass = freedom
4) Spending a week in the Dolomites
5) Renting a Smart car
6) Walking everywhere — that is why the Italians are so healthy anyway;
it's certainly not from a lowfat diet.
7) And most importantly, not being part of a tour group. I'm sure Rick's
tours are somewhat different, but we noticed that we were watched by other
Americans in their little tour group circles listening to their monotone
guide with the funny bright pink hat. They looked jealous of us — like
they just weren't enjoying themselves that much. Tour groups are great
for hostile countries like China, but for Italy do it yourself — buy Rick's
book and your plane tickets and go.
One more thing, try to go to a local soccer/football game. They are great!
I hope people find my advice as useful as I have found the others on
this board.
Steve Zavocki <zavocki@hotmail.com>
Lewisville, TX USA 08/13/00
I read Rick's recommendation of Trattoria Gianni's in Vernazza, and booked by 'phone about 4 weeks ahead for a Sunday and Monday night in August. Even so, it seems that you can get rooms if you just turn up, though I suspect this may not be the case on a Friday and Saturday when the town is evidently more crowded. I was worried that the price seemed relatively low (Lit. 90.000 for a double) but the room (sharing a bathroom with only 3 other parties) was nicely furnished with fantastic views out to sea.
In terms of the the other villages, we thought Manarola looked attractive but we didn't like Riomaggiore at all — much less family-oriented and far fewer Italians than in Vernazza.
Beware of an attempted scam we experienced on what I thought was the Nuovo Eden beach in Monterosso but my receipt says Centro Residenziale "Padre Semeria". It apparently happens fairly frequently, according to Italian friends, and you should always stand your ground. We were allocated 2 sun-beds and an umbrella on the front row for Lit. 32.000. After a couple of hours, a rather cheeky chappy (beach attendant) comes along and tells me that we have to move because the places we are occupying belong to someone else and his colleague who had placed us earlier was unaware. I refuse (in my Spanish Italian), saying it's rather like being told to move tables in a restaurant mid-meal. A debate ensues during which time I feel somewhat menaced by the beach attendant. Finally he leaves us alone but then the couple who it seems had occupied our places for 2 hours in the morning come back from lunch. Heaven knows what the beach attendant tells them as he places them behind, although they don't seem particularly bothered. However, we then feel acutely uncomfortable, not helped by the fact that when one of our fellow (or so we thought) sun-worshippers leaves for the afternoon, he delights in offering the couple his front line places just next to ours, shrugging his shoulders in our direction! He could well be a reader of this page, but he doesn't understand Italy or discretion...
Rick, I really value your work on the Cinque Terre and I'm looking forward
to checking out other Mediterranean hideaways your highlight.
Michael Black <infierno@altavista.com>
London, England 08/12/00
The highlight of our trip to Italy was our stay at IL NIDO in Sorrento
(www.ilnido.it). The view of Vesuvius and the Bay of Naples from our room
was wonderful. The food was great — best we had on the whole trip. The
rooms were very large and exceptionally clean and quiet. The service was
wonderful too.
Peggy Anne <gyanne@hotmail.com>
Boston, ms USA 08/10/00
A few more comments from our trip:
1. Traveling from Assisi from Siena via bus, watch the weekend schedule. As soon as you arrive in Siena, find out the schedule to Assisi. We arrived on a Friday, and we soon realized that there was only one bus a day on Saturday. The Italy 2000 (page 151) says there are four direct SENA buses/day. Be aware!
2. We stayed at the Hotel Aberdeen in Rome (a wonderful place!). We were told by them that you can't do laundry on Sundays. We were disappointed and rearranged our schedule. But this was wrong information. The Bolle Blu is open every day from 8:00-22:00 (116-118 Via Principe Amedeo). They also have Internet service.
3. In Pisa, we had a hard time getting on the right bus from the leaning
tower that would take us back to the train station. We boarded Bus #A
that said "train station," but we ended up doing a loop and coming back
to the leaning tower. Ask the bus driver before you enter, despite what
the bus says on the outside. Happy travels!
Dawn Dalton <jeffdalton@pacbell.net>
CA USA 08/08/00
Just got back from a 12-day trip to Italy with our 3-year-old son. We were worried about traveling with a young kid — but now, I must advise anyone considering it — GO DO IT! It is such great fun! And as I benefited from the notes on this b-board, here are my own:
1. Hotel Aberdeen in Rome is EXCELLENT. The people — especially Anna and Sabrina — are very friendly. The rooms are VERY clean and noise-free. We loved the conveniences of Via Firenze — especially the Gastronomia snackbar across from the hotel (why can't I get such great vegetarian sandwiches in US?). Ms. Sabrina is also _very_ prompt in responding to e-mails. We recommend the hotel very highly.
2. Hotel Al Piave in Venezia was very clean and was set in a quiet residential place. I did have a suspicion we got over-charged though. Do stay overnight in Venice and go into interior streets. It is one of the most beautiful cities I have seen, made all the more alluring by its slow and graceful decay.
3. The Artiginale gelateria in Vernazza is worth a trip just for itself. I went there twice a day for three straight days — ostensibly to let my kid play on the children's beach there — and stocked up on the ice cream. Everything I tried was truly marvelous. The 60-ish man who runs that place started recognizing us from the second visit on (it was hard to miss us — an Indian dad/son team rolling through Vernazza with their stroller in tow).
4. While Vernazza was great, it does have more than its fair share of American tourists. In Manarola we got a better sense of Ligurian living. The town was mostly devoid of tourists when we went there. In the town church square, my son joined in soccer practice with another kid. Soon enough 3 granddads came along and started showing their prowess!
5. Advice for vegetarians: Italy (unlike, say, southern Germany) is a great place for vegetarians. Most of the first courses are basically vegetarian (they don't seem to have the "we must have meat in every course" mentality) and they are all so delicious. So, just go boldly and enjoy!
6. Do make reservations for Firenze museums — you can just make a long-distance call from the previous city. It is well worth it.
Waiting for my next chance to go to Italy.
Subbarao Kambhampati <rao@asu.edu>
Tempe , AZ USA 08/07/00
We traveled throughout Northern Italy "with Rick," and found a wonderful
B&B in Umbria: La Villetta di San Martino. Ernie and Gisbert Schwanke
have created a wonderful escape in the countryside — we highly recommend
enjoying their hospitality!
Donna Brown & Adam Wodka <1dbrown@msn.com>
Orlando, FL USA 08/06/00
Bruno at Albergo Bernini in Siena was very sweet to us. I was whining, "Is everyone full?" to him, after a tiring couple of hours phoning for
reservations, and he said, "Call my friend Maria." Maria, it turns out,
has a medieval castle-like building with huge rooms and outstanding views.
We tried to find Bernini's to thank Bruno for the recommendation, but
got confused on all the curving streets. Siena tied with Monterosso for
our favorite place in Italy; we did Florence as a short day trip.
victoria <scimitar7@webtv.net>
USA 08/05/00
Two years ago we visited a charming little town in the Dolomites about
30 miles south of the Brenner Pass named Brixen/Bressanano and spent two
nights at the Hotel Elefant (est.1509). This is a wonderful little hotel
with an amusing history. It was reasonably priced and had an outstanding
restaurant. The town is somewhat out of the way and I would highly recommend
a stopover there.
Charles C. Brown <ccb@fuse.net>
Cincinnati, OH USA 08/02/00
re: hotel baia in monterossa, my girlfriend and i stayed there last
year and Tony (the owner — who is also an amazing photographer) helped
us when we needed a room, and bought us dinner and treated us to sciacchetra
after dinner at the bar next door — maybe he was just having a bad day
when you were there — he runs the place with his ex-wife — that could
be the reason...anyway don't let anything keep you from the Cinque Terra — it's fabulous
USA 07/29/00
The only negative in my whole Europe trip was the attitude of the Hotel Baia clerk (owner?) in Monterosso. He did not honor our reservation, and apparently does not care, as there are always more people coming to him. I hope Rick takes that hotel out of his next guidebook.
La Spiaggia, on the other hand, a couple of doors down, was wonderfully
friendly, accommodating and helpful!
Maryann <makemper@webtv.net>
Palo Alto, ca USA 07/29/00
In Florence, if you have a car, check out the Villa I Cipressi. You get the best of both Florence and the Tuscan landscape. Monica and her family rent out rooms in a very pleasant old villa with a huge patio and a surrounding countryside of classic Tuscan cypresses. The rooms are huge and well appointed. You can hang out with the family or be completely left alone depending on your tastes. They can give you great specific instructions of things to see and do and how to get there. It is only 6 km south of Firenze yet seems way out in the country. You can park in the town and then take the city bus into downtown Firenze (about 45 minutes total in traffic) to avoid the nightmare of driving there. Also it is a good base to explore the rest of Tuscany. The 222 heads south toward Siena. We drove all over every day and returned there at night.
From Florence Sud Exit head south toward Impruneta on the 222 about
6 km and there will be a sign on the left. Go down a long gravel road
and you're there. They speak English and can be reached at 055 2301089.
Stephen <wombat@texas.net>
Austin, TX USA 07/24/00
We had a wonderful trip to Italy in March — thanks largely to tips from
Rick's book. Stayed at the Galleria in Venice and loved the Grand Canal
view; Albergo Cesari in Rome, where they steered us to an excellent restaurant
(not on Rick's list) — Il Falchetto on Via Montecatini (excellent rabbit!);
and the oft-mentioned here and absolutely fabulous Bretagna in Florence.
Mike Hallman <halchemist@aol.com>
Seabrook, TX USA 07/21/00
In Rick's Italy 2000 I found the Hotel Riva in Venice, which was very nice — just as described, very close to Piazza San Marco, and charming. (By the way I happened to find directions in Frommer's Europe from $50 a day and they came in very handy!) I did have to send a deposit of 100$ for our 2 night stay, and then I called twice before departure, as Rick warned to check on your reservation. When we got there everything was in order.
I also found the Hotel del Corso in Sorrento in Italy 2000. I contacted them via email and made a reservation. They now have a very nice web site (hoteldelcorso.com). The Marciano family runs the hotel, but you will see their helpful and very polite son, Luca, most of the time, and then Signore Marciano if Luca is not there. They have a very nice hotel that is clean and bright with big windows and pleasant rooms. We had 3 in our group so some of our triples left us little room to move around, but not the case at the Hotel del Corso. The bathroom was new and modern and the nicest we saw in Italy. They have a solarium on the 3rd floor if you want to sun yourself, and they have a great terrace outside of the breakfast buffet area. So you can eat as much as you want sitting in the garden terrace, overlooking Sorrento's main stretch, Corso Italia. The people were great and the location was the best — 2 seconds from Piazza Tasso and a short walk down many stairs to the water and lots of beaches.
They were also one of the few places we stayed at that offered to keep
our bags after check out but before we departed — a great help. So thanks
again to Rick — these were GREAT recommendations!
Leah <TRAVELSKR@aol.com>
MA USA 07/21/00
We followed Rick Steves' recommended itinerary, and we weren't disappointed at any time. Here are some things to investigate/change in your book:
1. A suggestion on guarding your buttpack: buy a packet of big safety pins and pin the zippers shut. We also threaded our butt pack in our pant loops to prevent it from being snapped off. (Of course, we wore a money belt with the majority of our valuables in it.)
2. Before ordering a meal, write down how much everything costs in a little notepad. We were often overcharged by 2,000 — 20,000 lira.
3. Skip Naples. What a disgusting place. I thought the Museo Archeologico wasn't even worth going to.
4. The only cathedral where the dress code was fully enforced was St. Peter's at the Vatican City. If you shoulders were bare, they would often not let you in Italy's cathedrals, but we saw many, many people wearing shorts.
5. Buy a first class sleeper car. We met a couple who were on the same train as us on a trip from Naples to Venice who were in a second class sleeper car. They didn't have air conditioning and tried to sleep with the window open. They barely slept at all because of the noise. Their room was also tiny.
6. You must go across the street to catch the bus from the train station in Pisa. Ask to make sure you're waiting in the right area. We took the bus you said that was on the right of the station, and we ended up at the airport!
7. Don't waste your time going to the Baptistery in Pisa. What a waste of money.
8. In Siena, I would not recommend the Santa Maria della Scala. It was a boring museum.
9. I would adjust your itinerary to allow one day to travel to Rome (especially from the hill town region), and three full days in Rome.
10. The La Minervetta Pension in Sorrento was really dirty; it has an incredible view but the floor hadn't been cleaned in a long time. The restaurant there was wonderful, though.
General recommendations to readers:
1. I would visit Italy in May instead of June. It was a bit too muggy for us.
2. I never felt unsafe in Italy (except Naples). We never saw any gypsy gangs. (This may be because of the Julibee year.)
3. MILAN: Definitely go to Leonardo da Vinci's Last Supper. It was really
worth it, especially knowing that it's been closed for 21 years. Make
sure you've got reservations.
— Go to the top of the Duomo. It's very rare that you get to walk around
the top of a cathedral.
— Hotel Rovello was a great place to stay.
4. CINQUE TERRE: The Vernazza to Monterosso hike was very hard; a tremendous
amount of steps.
— Be warned that the trains there don't always come when scheduled; plan
accordingly.
— Eat spaghetti al cartoccio at Ristorante La Lampara in Riomaggiore.
It was delicious!
— Edi's Rooms were a pain because they don't take credit cards. We had
to send a cashier's check Federal Express to reserve the room. The room
we stayed in wasn't quiet.
5. FLORENCE: Get a reservation for the Uffizi Gallery so you can zip
right in.
— Don't stay at Pensione Maxim if the only room is the one near the lobby.
It's very, very noisy.
6. SIENA: See the Palio al Cinema film. It really brought the race and city to life. — Hotel Cannon d'Oro was great.
7. ASSISI: I loved Rick's self-guided short walk; Basilica of St. Francis
is a must see.
— I highly recommend Hotel Dei Priori — what a great place!
8. ROME: Get Rick Steves' Rome book. Well worth it. Do Rome in three
days as recommended on pages 22-23; skip the Baths of Diocletian. There
are no baths, you just have to use your imagination.
— Definitely get the Rome: Past and Present book. It really helped bring
the ruins to life.
— Hotel Aberdeen was wonderful; and nice to be close enough to the train
station to walk.
9. AMALFI COAST: If you're prone to motion sickness, the bus ride down the coast will do you in. We didn't make it past Amalfi.
10. OVERNIGHT TRAIN: We won't ever do it again. We didn't get much sleep so our first day in Venice we were extremely tired.
11. VENICE: Our favorite city in all of Europe! Hotel Locanda Ovidius was a great place to stay. It was very hard to get reservations in Venice. Start as soon as you know your dates. It's also a very expensive city (food and hotel).
12. CASTELROTTO: The Albergo Torre was wonderful. They have shutters so the room was pitch black. And it was so quiet! The Alps were beautiful.
13. LAKE COMO: Like Rick Steves says, if you can't relax then don't
go. There's nothing to do. We liked Bellagio. It had more charm then Varenna.
We stayed at Albergo Olivedo which was okay. The half-pension dinner was
good but since it's right next to the ferry dock, it gets noisy pretty
early in the morning.
Dawn Dalton <jeffdalton@pacbell.net>
CA USA 07/20/00
Hotel Aberdeen in Rome was the best place we stayed during our 3-week June trip to Europe (using Rick's picks). The hotel is clean, air-conditioned, and the staff is the best we encountered!
We foolishly left a passport in a drawer at La Scaletta hotel in Florence, and the staff there was very rude about helping us out. But the Hotel Aberdeen arranged to have it sent "speedy mail" to us in Rome — and they even paid the mail cost! They would not let us pay for it — said it was a service to their guests. (We left a nice tip instead — and received a thank-you note in return!)
I'd choose Hotel Aberdeen again; La Scaletta — I don't think so. The
location is great, but it was not very clean and human feces sat on the
staircase for over a day until I overheard another American complain that
"something nasty still needed to be cleaned up!"
Lynn <chaika_us@yahoo.com>
USA 07/19/00
The Hotel Speronari in Milan wasn't great, but the location is well
worth it — close to everything. Our room was clean and fine....just lots
and lots of stairs...and the front desk people seemed a little rude at
times....but then it's a big city and we all have our off days. Plus the
hotel is right next to a large church belltower that rang and rang very
early in the morning. But other than those few things, I think a one-night
stay is fine because it puts you close to the Duomo and lots Historic
Milan.
lholliday <elropoknight@earthlink.net>
sf, ca USA 07/18/00
Thanks to the threesome from Pennsylvania who were at Tirler Hof in
Castelrotto on 7/8-7/9. You insisted we (4 from Denver) take the time
to walk through the Alpe di Siusi before we left and it was one of the
highlights of our month in Europe — only wish we had had a tape recorder
for the cow bells! Happy trails.
Janice Johnson <jjohn59192@aol.com>
Denver, CO USA 07/16/00
We just returned from Venice, Florence, and Rome. I recommend starting in Rome and ending in Venice (if you can). After visiting hectic Rome and Florence, Venice is an even better treat (no cars, no scooters, relative peace and quiet, and a nice moderate pace).
Highlights in Florence: besides the usual, check out the Church of San Miniato (it's worth the climb for the view of Florence, and the church itself was great), and the Stibbert Museum (in a nice area of Florence).
Train rides were scenic — esp. from Rome to Naples to Pompeii.
Karen and Lou <newtleib@aol.com>
Philadelphia, PA USA 07/16/00
Before my trip, I called for reservations in Vernazza. My 3rd call was to Anna Maria, who speaks good English. She very happily took my reservation for an apartment with a small refrigerator for 180,000 Lire/night, and told me to confirm by phone the day before.
We got to Vernazza and headed to Anna Maria's house on 64 Via Carratino. We walked up some stairs, and then some more, and then saw there were even MORE. I wished I had taken Rick's advice and left half my stuff at home. My 2 friends and I dragged our oversized suitcases up increasingly difficult stone steps until we saw the light at the end of the tunnel. But it was well worth it — we had unwittingly rented paradise for 3 nights. The upstairs room had a pullout couch, table w/4 chairs, and small refrigerator. The downstairs had a big bed, armoire, and bathroom with shower. Our door opened up to a beautiful terrace with a table, chairs, and a lounge chair, and an amazing view of the sea and the whole town below. Anna Maria's apartment must be one of the highest points in Vernazza.
If you are familiar with the towns and the hikes, you will know where it is: Once you come down from the Corniglia-Vernazza hike you pass a restaurant called La Torre. You go around a bend and then down some steps; as you begin to see the town there is a black gate on the left leading to a big green door. If you are going from Vernazza to Corniglia, it is right after you see the sign describing the path. Once you look up and begin to walk you see the green door.
Not more than 2 minutes up the stairs on the way to Corniglia was the restaurant, La Torre. This was also run by Anna Maria's family. I highly recommend it because it is quiet and somewhat isolated, with awesome views. The food and service were also great.
We had a fantastic time in the Cinque Terre and loved Vernazza, as it
is the nicest and most charming of the towns. So thanks Rick for the info
on the room and the area, it was the most beautiful place I think I've
ever seen! We had the best vacation from our vacation in Vernazza!
Leah <TRAVELSKR@aol.com>
Hingham, MA USA 07/13/00
Siena is a beautiful town and worthwhile but be prepared for a nightmare
driving into the city. If you stay at Albergo Bernini it is best to park
for free near the soccer stadium and walk. It is only a few blocks. We
circled the town in our rented car at least three times before figuring
this out. The map in Rick Steves' Italy book is vague and not helpful
for driving.
A. Bly <aebly@stlnet.com>
St. Louis, MO USA 07/13/00
During a recent three-week trip to Italy, my wife and I took Italian
lessons in Florence with a small school called Centro Studi Filippo Brunelleschi.
The experience was great and was very reasonably priced. The instructors
all speak English (as did most of the students, from many different countries)
so communication was not a problem. The school can also help you find
accommodations in Florence for a week to several weeks at reasonable prices.
We took classes for a week; the price for lessons and very pleasant accommodations
was less than the price of a hotel, and we met many nice people and learned
some Italian. We look forward to going back again for more lessons! The
school's website can be found at www.speakitalian.com.
Bill Bloom <willster00@aol.com>
Portland, OR USA 07/13/00
I live in Milan and have been gradually working my way around the North
of Italy at weekends. Try going to some of the lesser-known lakes (Lago
d'Iseo and Lago d'Orta) and get away from the other tourists. Also try
Piedmonte (a little like Tuscany with some great wines and beautiful hilltop
towns). Please do not do as another reviewer (below) did and eat pizza
at Spizzico. Italians invented pizza and it is meant to be thin crust!
Miranda Scott <miranda.scott@bancaakros.it>
milano, Italy 07/12/00
This June, I visited Italy for the fourth time, but it was the first time in Cinque Terre and in Siena.
DO NOT stay at the Hotel Baia in Monterosso! The people who run it are very rude and not at all helpful. I have never had this experience. Also, loud Americans drink and yell until wee hours of the morning outside the hotel.
We loved the Hotel Gianni in Vernazza, but anyone with foot or joint problems would have quite a time with all the steps.
In Florence, the Loggia dei Servetei is a wonderful hotel — a splurge — and close to the Accademia. We went to see the David early, getting in line 1/2 hour before opening and were able to see him without crowds.
In Siena, the Hotel Garden is an amazing and beautiful place that is quite reasonable and only a brief bus ride from the Campo. It has a beautiful pool, terraces, flowers of every kind, woods, huge breakfast buffet served on a terrace overlooking the countryside, and dinner there was amazing!
Thank you, Rick, for all your help on this trip and others and, especially,
for introducing us to the magical Cinque Terre with its gem, Vernazza.
jean Martinelli <linnroth@locusinc.com>
Madison, Wi USA 07/11/00
My wife, ten-year-old son, and I just returned from a fabulous three-week trip to Italy. This was my fifth trip to Italy. We are already planning our next trip.
We made all our train reservations at the travel agency at the front of the Cardona Rail Station. For the three of us to travel second class from Milan-Florence, Florence-Rome, Rome-Naples, sleeper-Naples-Venice: $300 U.S. All on fast Eurostars. We received a 30% family discount. If traveling with family, check this out.
While surfing the net for a place to stay in Rome, I came upon Roma B+B. They had an impressive website. I sent them a check for $200, which they promptly cashed. WARNING: Don't even think about staying here. It is tired and rundown, and located on the farthest outskirts of Rome.
Stick with Rick's recommendations on restaurants. We particularly enjoyed in Florence: Trattoria La Burrasca (splurge on the Steak Florentine), and in Sorrento: Ristorante Zi Nitonio (ask for David for your waiter, be surprised, and receive the best service anywhere). We ate at each of these places twice.
If it's been a while since your last trip to Italy, I must warn you that the attractions that use to run L500-1000 have risen sharply in price. Be prepared to pay 20-25% above the rates listed in Rick's book. For the three of us this often hurt.
Our favorite hotel was the Hotel Casci in Florence. Great location,
newly renovated rooms and baths, AC, and friendly family-run. Rick, how
did you miss this one?
Jon Stephens <jstephens@smcoe.k12.ca.us>
Foster City, CA USA 07/11/00
I was in Milan and the Lake Como area in early June. It was hot and sticky.
In Milan, Hotel Speronari nice, helpful, but many stairs. Had a room in courtyard, awoke several times to smells of cooking, no A/C, ceiling fan noisy and inadequate, one toilet/bath per floor, so may have to visit other floors to use.
STANDA dept. store, to right of Castle/Fortress, similar to KMART. La Rinascente, west side of Duomo, is like Nordstrom.
We didn't care for the thin-crust pizza. Our favorite, with thicker crust, at various outlets of SPIZZICO, usually next to a Burger King, both sides of Duomo area plus down road to Castle. Good chain cafeteria chain is BREK. Gelato Viel near Castle is closed for renovation.
For current info try apt@netitalia.it for Milan tourist info, but ask them not to send a WORD attachment — I had to send the e-mail to friends to translate it to a plain e-mail so I could read it!
At Hotel Olivedo on Lake Como, Laura, owner, nice but totally into it for the $$. Room okay looking out at ferry; #15 and #18 have balconies. Had dinner, the menu is fixed and has few choices — if you eat there several days in a row, you run out of new choices. The food was good but nothing special for 40K per person. I got yelled at for bring a small bottle of water to the table (I have coughing attacks occasionally and carry water everywhere). The location is very convenient to the train and ferry, but I'd experiment eating also at other spots, especially on the waterfront midway around at Nilus Bar.
At hostel in Menaggio, owners very nice and accommodating. Ask for quiet
room in back. Good, well-priced dinners; have half-price tkt. to Villa
Carlotta and day boat pass. Villa d'Este in Cernobbio is open only to
guests, but there is great gelati in the bakery on the main street to
the right from the ferry.
lorre <bijoux@uswest.net>
Phoenix, AZ USA 07/11/00
DO NOT stay at the Ostello Mergellina (the only hostel in Naples). I've
stayed at numerous hostels all over Europe and this was the most disgusting
place that I have ever seen. The rooms had a layer of dust and dirt so
thick I could actually write my name in it, and old, moldy garbage under
the bed and on top of the closet that had been left there from previous
occupants. Considering that the hostel is closed from 0930 — 1530 for "cleaning" I fully expected to at least have the garbage taken out of
the room. On top of everything else, the staff as a whole were very rude
and unhelpful. I would sooner stay on the street then return to that place.
(In Naples, that is quite a statement!) Please, follow my advice and stay
somewhere else!
EJones <jonesee78@hotmail.com>
Vancouver, BC CAN 07/05/00
We toured Italy last fall using Rick Steves' Italy book. It was great!
Alma Domus in Siena (see comments below) had a fabulous view, although the beds were a bit creaky.
We loved Hotel Speronari in Milan and received a warm welcome after we mentioned Steves' book.
Our only complaint with hotels was the Villa Cipressi in Varenna on
Lake Como. The first night I felt something crawling in the bed — bed bugs!
We asked to be moved to another room and the manager was grouchy about
our request and wanted us to pay for the upgrade (only an upgraded room
was available). The next day we noticed they had sealed off our old room
and fumigated. Exactly two weeks later I had welts all over my arms and
went to the dermatologist — bed bug bites! Disgusting. I never should have
been charged for the first night's rate because of the bugs.
Kimberly Wold <Kwold!@dellnet.com>
Mesa, az USA 07/04/00
Just got back from 3-1/2 weeks in Italy using Rick's book. Had a great
time. Regarding musc88keys' post (below): We stayed at Alma Domus, the
convent in Siena. The rooms, though rather plain, were all newly renovated
and had the best showers on our trip. Maybe the heater wasn't working
the day they were there. Also had a problem, though, with the nuns. We
showered and the slope of the floors in the new rooms let the water run
everywhere except down the drain. The water ended up pooled in one corner
of the bathroom and actually ran out the door into the hall. We mopped
up as best we could but the nun, the next morning, started to bawl me
out. I tried to explain the problem but no luck. Finally I walked out
making several unkind comments to the grumpy nun. Overall enjoyed the
stay, there but the whole staff could use some training in customer service.
G Han <ghan@bigfoot.com>
Key Biscayne, FL USA 07/02/00
Just came back. Don't miss Siena and its countryside. It's incredible.
We stayed at the Palazzo Ravizza, a very old charming hotel with a very
good restaurant. Most of all we had an incredible day with a local guide
who showed us beautiful places in the countryside and took us to dinner
in Pienza, a very nice small mediaeval town. See www.toursaroundtuscany.com;
I suggest the Red Itinerary, it was fantastic, one of the best experience
of all my life.
John Reddle <redjohn@usa.net>
NYC, NY USA 06/27/00
Just returned from a 4-week Europe trip, including 1 week in Italy using Rick's guidebook (and Mona Winks). I only wish that I had used Rick's books for the other countries we visited.
The best tip was the reservation for The Uffizi and David, which we made about a month before leaving. We were able to go right in and I kinda felt sorry for those in line in the 90+ degree weather in Firenze that day.
In Rome, wake up early and go to St. Peter's at 7:00 am — enjoy the Basilica without the crowds. But be sure to check the Vatican Museum schedule as soon as you get into town; after enjoying the Basilica, we went around to the museum and found out that it was a church holiday and was closed. Had to rearrange the next day's train schedule, as I was not going to leave Rome without visiting the Sistine Chapel.
Also in Rome, be sure to dine at Hostaria Romana. Just as Rick stated, those men are so much fun — my husband was nicknamed "The Boss" and when we returned 2 nights later, all of them remembered us from before and had great fun with "The Boss and his family," and the food was delicious!
Take a few traveler's checks in addition to your ATM card. In Paris
in May there was a strike by those who service ATM's. Most of the ATM's
were out of service, but luckily I was able to exchange a few traveler's
checks to make the purchases that you can't with a credit card.
Linda <lqcaldwell@hotmail.com>
Cerritos, CA USA 06/21/00
Just got back. After many attempts to reserve the Alma Domus, I got a reservation — but I wish I hadn't. We had to take cold showers; the austere nun kept saying you must run the water longer. I could have run it all day; the only thing that would have worked was a "miracle" by St Catherine herself. My husband said it was a dump. It was worst place of the trip and ruined Siena for us. The only smile I got was when I paid and left. Ditch this one from the book! Take my advice and stay at a real hotel.
Also, do not go to the restaurant listed for Siena — the Chiacchera — especially late. After a long wait we were served stale bread and the beef was all the leftovers from the evening, burnt on the bottom.
In Varenna, reserved dinner at the Olivedo but when we got there the woman said well, you didn't call today to reconfirm, so come back at 8:00. When we came back in the rain we were surprised when she refused to give us a menu and proceeded to ask us what we wanted, fish or meat. When we said we just want second courses, she said only full meals here. Don't be taken in! We ate what we wanted everywhere in all the rest of Italy. We should have left but it was late. No wine or dessert, either. Avoid this place!
In Florence we were treated to appetizer and free grappa from our host
at the Cantina Bretagna. Go there — what fun!
Sb <musc88keys>
fl USA 06/21/00
We are planning a future trip to Italy. We are primarily using your
book, but for maps we must look in another book. Your maps are very difficult
to read. Please consider traditional maps with typed words. More boring,
maybe, but infinitely more useful.
Anna Robertson
USA 06/20/00
We enjoyed the Osteria Vini e Vecchi Sapori, Via dei Magazzini 3, Florence. Thanks. But thought you might be interested in our experience at Trattoria Al Cugnai, Venice. A crab appetizer had many pieces of shell mixed in and omelet was uncooked. The bill was the largest we had in our 3 weeks of travel in Italy. This is of course our fault for selecting appetizers not priced on the menu, and we were unduly trustworthy because it was recommended in your book.
We are grateful for the Fondazione Levi, Venice. A wonderful loft room,
perfect for traveling with family. We hope to return and use more of your
suggestions.
<SueLowrey@hotmail.com>
USA 06/20/00
In regards to Abby's comments about the Hotel Campo di Fiore (below):
Three weeks ago my husband and I had a late Saturday dinner at a restaurant
right across from the hotel. The food was great, but it was like watching
locusts swarming as more and more noisy kids arriving. We were very glad
that we were not staying there. We finished up about 11:30 pm and then
tried to get a taxi. After waiting 15 minutes with 20 people in front
of us and not a single taxi showing up, some guy came by and offered to
take us to the hotel for 40,000 lire (4x the standard price). The kids
around us couldn't afford it, but we agreed pretty quickly and were back
to the hotel in 10 minutes. Best $20 bucks we spent!
Sallie Jo <sperraglia@aol.com>
USA 06/18/00
How we had 5 minutes alone with David in Florence (okay, there was a guard sitting in a corner): Weeks in advance, reserved Uffizi at opening time on our first day, and Accademia for its opening the second day. We picked up both reservations at the same time. When we arrived at Accademia we went directly to the door and were the first inside. Fortunately, the next in was a tour guide who had to buy tickets for the group and blocked everyone else from getting tickets for about 5 minutes — then tour after tour came in.
I hope others can have this great experience.
Graham <sgh123@hotmail.com>
Orlando, FL USA 06/18/00
I need to comment on what Steve Carpenter wrote (below). First off, yes, the Campo does seem like a frat party at night, but that is because Siena has 15,000 college students. Instead of looking down on it, go to the birreria, get a beer and sit down and listen to the kids playing guitars and singing.
About the trash, well, I can only blame tourists for this. During the low season, there is virtually no trash on the streets.
About some other comments re: hotels not holding reservations, this happens everywhere. If you know that the time restriction is going to be difficult for you, leave a deposit when making reservations and let them know what time you will arrive. Also, when making reservations, ask the receptionist where you may arrive with your car and, if you need parking, which is the closest one (either free or paid).
Siena is such a beautiful city and I just hate that people don't enjoy
it because of problems that are avoidable.
Cristina F <siena_us@yahoo.com>
Siena, Italy 06/17/00
At the Hotel Campo de Fiori in Rome, the noise outside kept us up until 4:30am! What a shame, since the staff was great, the room nice, good breakfast, convenient location, etc. The Campo de Fiori seems to be the center of party activities in Rome. It's packed, and is a meat market. Even worse is the smaller piazza off the Campo. This party goes on until 2:30am, then the dogs bark, then the street cleaners come and sweep broken bottles up off of the cobblestones until 4am. And this was a weeknight! We requested a room change the next night, and it wasn't much better.
Albergo Bernini in Siena was wonderful. I especially enjoyed the cat. The bird Romeo flew away, and the owner thinks that someone stole him. The terrace and staff are wonderful. The "scene" on the Campo didn't bother me at all.
Because of recommendations on this site, I went for the Villa Margherita in Levanto. The 6th village in the Cinqueterra (make that the Seiterra!), Levanto is larger, less touristy, more of a small city that the other quaint towns. I loved it. The only thing that may annoy people about the Villa Margherita is the walk up the hill, since the road doesn't have much of a shoulder. When I booked, I told them I'd heard about them on the Rick Steves' site, and they gave me a discount.
I loved staying there. Vernazza was SOOOOO packed with tourists, I'm
glad I wasn't staying there. We did the hike from Vernazza to Monterosso.
It was divine, although I thought I might have a heart attack on the initial
uphill incline! It was completely worth it.
Abby <anardoca@indiana.edu>
Bloomington, IN USA 06/16/00
I agree with Gene (below) about Siena. This was the second time we were
there, and the first time I'd been there during high season, and I loved
it just as much (if not more) as I did the first time. Also we were there
during the weekend, when young people from all around the region converge,
and I was truly impressed at how Siena was able to absorb all these kids.
It was so fun to walk around and see people talking, laughing and enjoying
a summer night out. For those people who complain about the parking or
dragging their bags to their hotel: Remember, Siena is a walking city.
It helps to pack light! I thought the parking signage in Siena was better
than lots of other places we visited.
Cil <Cil@aol.com>
Denver, CO USA 06/16/00
Followed Rick Steves' guide and found it right on the mark. With regard to Siena (see Steve Carpenter's post below), I was there almost at the same time he was, and thought it was outstanding. At night it does have a somewhat "frat house" atmosphere around Il Campo, which appears to be the gathering place for the area's youth, but it is a lively scene, not a threatening or disgusting one.
If you are driving, the Minotel Il Palio at the Piazza del Sale has parking and is on the closest car-accessible street to the town center (ask for a room NOT facing the street — it's noisy at night).
Rick's tip about taking the bus to Florence from Siena rather than train is correct. The rapide Sita bus is a cheaper, faster run than train and is comfortable. The last stop in Florence is a 1/2 block from the train station. One note: Rick's book shows the SITA buses in Siena pick up at the Church of San Domenico — the bus stop was recently moved about two blocks away to Viale Tozzi. The ticket office is underground to the right of the Jolly Hotel entrance and does not appear marked as such at ground level.
Rick's advice about the Florence train station is also correct. It's
very busy and the lines for tickets/info are long. You can get train tickets/info
at the Amex office near the Palazzo Vecchio. Get tix early; I took a Sunday
afternoon train to Venice and bought tickets day before — they only had
two 2nd Class seats in the smoking car left.
Gene Brennan <e.brennan@worldnet.att.net>
New York, NY USA 06/16/00
Making hotel reservations in Italy, protect yourself and ask for a FAX DI CONFERMA. Fax your reservation information back to the hotel, clearly indicating the arrival, departure and price per day. They then fax it back to you with the hotel's stamp and OK. This is the best way other than shooting the desk clerk.
It also never hurts to call and reconfirm everything, and get someone's
name just as you do at home.
Rene <rene_cibelli@yahoo.com>
Florence, Italy 06/12/00
I'm with Rick Spears (see his posting of June 2, 2000, below): Rick seems so enthralled with Siena that he left out a LOT of information, or his books simply don't present a totally accurate picture of the city. My partner and I not only lost our hotel room there (which we had reserved in advance and confirmed the day before), but ended up not finding ANYTHING good because Siena is so popular with not only foreigners, but Italians as well.
We also found Siena in general to be filthy. The otherwise beautiful Campo, by 10:00 at night, looks like the frat boys from Animal House just finished partying there, and it stays that way well into the mid-morning. The other streets and establishments in Siena are similarly trashy. It was surprising to see that a city which had taken the radical step of banning cars from its interior would seem so cavalier about litter and filth. There are some lovely spots in Siena, but the overall gestalt of the place detracts severely.
I was excited about Siena — it was one of the cities I wanted to see
most in Italy. I hope others have lower expectations, or at least find
their times there better than ours.
Steve Carpenter <stevio55@earthlink.net>
Portland, OR USA 06/09/00
We just returned from our second trip to Italy. First, about what the last writer said:
The free trip to Murano is well worth it. We were told we just had to take the tour of the glassworking and their shop. The hotel made it clear to us we didn't have to buy anything and we didn't. We enjoyed the glass working and went on to other places.
Also, the train to Pompeii has two different lines and stops. Both stops are easy access to the Scavi.
Now to our trip: We stayed in the Cortina in Rome. I can't say enough about the service. The hotel is lovely, the rooms are clean and the people can't do enough for you. Don't be turned off by the entrance; they are working on it.
In Pompeii we stayed in the Forum. This hotel is steps away from the scavi's back entrance. It's also very clean, lovely, the people are very helpful and well worth the stay.
We also hired Carmine Monetti to drive us. He took us to a village east of Salerno to see where my family came from and then to the Amalfi Coast. He was a lot of fun, very informative and worth every penny. We fully enjoyed our day with him and I highly recommend contacting him. (Fax 011 39 081 878 4795; cell phones 0335 602 9158 or 0338 946 2860)
I agree with the last writer on taking a taxi in Rome. There were three
of us and we did a lot of walking and taxis. Taxis in Rome are quick and
really not that expensive for three people.
A. Iacono <fiacono@optonline.net>
Huntington, NY USA 06/08/00
Italy was my 3rd Europe trip. Used Rick and Mona everywhere. Some points to pass on:
Venice: look out for the free trip to Murano. It's a rip off — pay for the vaporetto instead.
Be certain what fuel your rental takes. You can ruin a motor with gas in a diesel and it is not obvious which is required.
Make reservations for Florence museums and save yourself 3-5 hours of lines.
Guard valuables and take the taxis, they are a good value.
The digs at Pompeii are well worth a visit, but make sure you get off
the train at the right stop.
Roy E <roy_ethridge>
Atlanta, GA USA 06/08/00
If Rick's recommended Venice hotels are booked, try www.bestwestern.com.
We just stayed at the Best Western Hotel Bisanzio in Venice and it was
very nice. BW has a half dozen hotels in Venice.
Sallie Jo <sperraglia@aol.com>
USA 06/07/00
We just returned from a terrific trip to Italy, based primarily on the
info in this book. One of the more outstanding tours was on the Amalfi
Coast: we used the taxi tour mentioned in this book. Outstanding and worth
every penny. I can't say enough good things about Carmine Monnetti. He
gave us an all-day tour tailored to our requests (at a reasonable price)
that made the trip for this part of Italy. Thank you so much.
Marsha Black <marshablack@finsvcs.com>
Pleasant Hill , ca USA 06/05/00
Just got back from a great week using only Italy 2000 — great book.
Hotel Nardizzi in Rome was fine. There is scaffolding on the front so it looks bad at first sight. Great location on Via Firenze with public transportation.
Great drive to Siena vis the Via Cassia instead of the Autostrade. I would have liked more warning about Siena, as far as cars. We parked at the south entrance to the city, and couldn't find a cab or phone or any way to get to the hotel. Should have arrived at the north entrance where there is more public parking and help.
In Venice we loved the Hotel Riva. Not too friendly hosts, however.
Again beware that you will have to drag your luggage around a lot, since
of course there are no cars in Venice. So you have to drag your bags onto
the vaporetto from the station, across the Piazza St. Marco, and over
steps and bridges to get to the hotel.
Rick Spears <rspears@gate.net>
Ft. Lauderdale, FL USA 06/02/00
This was our 3rd time to Italy. We decided to return to the Cinque Terre area, making reservations 2 months in advance. But our reservation in Vernazza was not held(!), so we decided to leave for S. Margherita Ligure.
Here, as per Rick Steves' advice, we tried at the Hotel Nuova Riviera
(an elegant liberty villa style with garden around), just a few steps
from town centre and sea promenade. Well, we started with one night...and
stayed 10! The owners, the Sabini family — the NICEST FAMILY we ever met
in Italy — made our stay a most memorable one. Cristina was very helpful
organizing our tours around the area. The food of Mama Angela was delicious
(best pesto of Liguria!). Papà Giuseppe runs all day long to make you
feel like at home, and Giancarlo is always happy, especially with Rick
Steves guests. This is for sure a place to recommend! See: http://space.tin.it/viaggi/gsabin/.
Many thanks Famiglia Sabini, see you next year!
Diana & Tom COX <cox2@yahoo.com>
San Diego, CA USA 05/31/00
Just got back. In Venice, stayed at Fondazione Levi, which was great.
In Florence, stayed at Soggiorno Pezzati Daniela. Daniela was extremely nice; however, Italy 2000 lists her rooms as "quiet," which was not our experience. Especially coming from the pedestrian-only streets of Venice, the late-night Florentine scooter races down the street outside were very noisy.
Food in Florence was outstanding (esp. Burrasca and Vini e Vecchi Sapori);
however, remember to plan mealtimes carefully. A few times we were ready
to eat and everything was closed.
RT <grtsuyuki@erols.com>
Sterling, VA USA 05/30/00
Rick's advice was right on. All our hotels were accurately described and well located.
The folks at Albergo Pasquale in Monterosso were especially gracious and accommodating and served us breakfast at 6 AM before our very early all-day train ride.
The info about hiking the Cinque Terre in the Italy 2000 was much better than the previous guide, but still a little misleading. The hike from Riomaggiore to Manarola was easy and the path is quite wide, but saying it's "wide enough for baby strollers" made me concerned for those who would take this advice literally. The path is rough and would make one's baby a good candidate for shaken baby syndrome. Also, there's the matter of the stairs. A backpack rather than a stroller would be a better choice, I think.
In Pisa, there was no mention of the Sinopte Museum. It was included
in our 5 museum pass and should not to be missed!
sgarber
clackamas, or USA 05/29/00
My fiance and I spent 10 days in Italy, and this guidebook went everywhere with us! It was great.
The Hotel Speronari in Milan was so friendly it was the perfect intro to Italy.
The Sorelle Bandini in Florence was also fabulous — it was quite something to stay in a place hundreds of years old, with incredible ceilings and huge windows and doors! And I have a great picture of our Hotel Kitty. But request a room away from the square — with the scooters and the people hanging around, we didn't get a lot of sleep. And believe it when Rick says hit the Uffizi late in the day — we went around 3 and walked right in. I thought we'd gone in the wrong entrance.
We spent a lot of time in Bologna, and I hope it gets covered more. I recommend it to anyone who goes to Italy. Incredibly beautiful, all earth tones and arcades, it is a very alive place because of the university — it goes about its business and as a tourist I felt as if it didn't really care if I was there or not. We had such a feeling of just being a part of a real Italian city. And the food — oh my. Bologna's a big international conference location, which is why we were there, but I will go back. You can still climb up its leaning tower, in the center of the town.
My Venice recommendation — head away from San Marco and just wander aimlessly. Campo Santa Maria Formosa is a brilliant spot for lunch. And the Customs house next to the Salute church has a soundtrack playing outside so you feel like you are in a movie, looking across the Grand Canal at St. Mark's. And the Rialto Bridge is overrated — head for the Accademia for a far better view. (Disclaimer: I did get proposed to there, so I am biased, I suppose.)
All in all, a great trip — and I'll use the book again for our honeymoon!
Genie
Arlington, VA USA 05/27/00
Steves' books proved invaluable. His warning about watching your change in Italy proved accurate, as we were taken several times, none too seriously, fortunately.
If you take a guided bus tour in Rome, I would suggest avoiding Gruppo
Carani Tours. We took both a morning and afternoon tour with this company,
and after those experiences we cancelled the tour we had booked for the
next day. They were greatly disorganized, and much time was wasted sitting
in hot buses, waiting for the tour to begin. One tour guide was not very
proficient in English, and showed little interest in the group. We covered
few sites for the time allotted, and the company simply omitted one site
with no explanation, obviously because of time restrictions. We saw much
more on our own, using the guidebook as a reference, for the rest of our
stay.
Mike Beaky <mbeaky1@san.rr.com>
San Diego, CA USA 05/24/00
"Italy 2000" was the best investment. Rome the week after Easter was great! Flowers and trees blooming, Romans out of town on their vacation, clear skies! Enjoyed the walking tour so much that others in the group had us lead the tour the next night.
Stayed in Vernazza at Gianni's. The pesto and seafood were excellent!
Senora Carla Rossi in San Gimignano now has a website: www.appartamentirossicarla.com.
Her rooms in Piazza della Cisterna are newly renovated.
Alan Magnuson <rmagnus@uswest.com>
Denver, CO USA 05/22/00
In Umbria recently, our group of 5 fairly well-traveled ladies had the great fortune of hiring a superb licensed guide, Anne Robichaud, who has lived in Italy since 1973. Our trip went from a simple birthday "Italian getaway" week to one of the best travel weeks any of us has ever experienced. Her detailed knowledge of the language, geography, culture, and art history is amazing, but never overwhelming. She exudes joy as she shares her wealth of knowledge. Many local clergy, merchants, farm people, members of prominent families, etc. greeted her warmly and extended many unexpected courtesies to us because we were with "Anna."
Anne guided us to special destinations. At the exquisite Palazzo Terra Nova, we had a sumptuous gourmet meal and a personal tour of this jewel of a restored palazzo. We shared tea with a charming Italian countess and her granddaughter in their own centuries-old palazzo. We also shared private time with two wonderful and utterly saintly members of the Franciscan clergy in Spelo. We toured both the public and private areas of their churches and were touched by the love they showered upon us, again because we were with Anne R. We even received a personal cooking lesson and meal in Anne's farmhouse. This was preceded by local shopping for the fresh ingredients at the local outdoor produce market, the cheese manufaacturer, and butcher.
E-mail Anne at arobichaud@tecnonet.it (website:www.bloto.com/Anne).
Contact her well in advance of your trip as she books up fast. Anne can
also connect you with excellent guides in Venice, Florence, Rome, Naples,
and she often finds rental properties for clients in Umbria.
Peggy Worthing <mommypeggy@aol.com>
Atherton, CA USA 05/20/00
My wife and I spent 4 days in Rome over Easter week. The 3-hour Easter mass at St. Peter's was quite a thrill. To get into the basilica on days when the Pope celebrates Mass, you pass through metal detectors. As we didn't reserve months in advance, we stood with the other commoners near the obelisk. It felt like I was at a rock concert with the Pope as the star. Note for this Jubilee Year: two days we were there, the Pope celebrated mass in the basilica courtyard/square which meant the interior of St. Peter's was closed. On 2 other days, the Vatican Museum was closed.
On Easter weekend, there was actually little traffic. Apparently all the Romans leave the city for the holiday.
The next day we came back to St. Peter's at 0800. We took a quick peek inside the church and headed for the cupola. You pay extra to take the elevator to St. Peter's roof. From there it's 300 steps to the lookout at the very top of the dome. On the roof, there is a shop selling religious articles run by very nice and persuasive nuns. When we got back down to the ground floor, there were wall-to-wall tour groups packed into the church.
We stayed at Hotel Gerber (a fine Rick pick), a 15-minute walk to St. Peter's. The restaurant San Marco near the hotel had the best pizza I had ever eaten.
The subway was fine but didn't go to many destinations. Taxis were reasonable; walking in the Italian afternoon heat is not fun. The Termini train station was a confusing mess. We saw sleazy sharks with semiofficial name tags lurking outside the tourist info office. Fiumicino airport was a tired traveler's joy — no crowds and no sharks.
Downtown, we only saw a couple of Gypsies — young mother with baby sitting on a sidewalk. Several selling stuff at the Spanish Steps.
We dropped off a load of laundry at an Onda Blue laundrette. Picked it up in the afternoon and cost us about $10 US.
I experienced the slow count everywhere. Definitely wait patiently and count your change.
Greenline Tours picks you up at your hotel and drives you to their downtown
office to join bus tours with factory-like timing. At the end of the tour,
they drop you off somewhere in your hotel's zipcode — unless you negotiate
with them beforehand to return you to your hotel's front door. The tour
actually was all right.
Louis Nguyen
Dallas, TX USA 05/17/00
We are 6 crazy ladies who recently toured the French and Italian Riviera with a minivan. We used Rick's recommendations for Santa Margherita Ligure (the Nuovo Riviera) and found the Sabini Family absolutely gracious. In Levanto (the town before you come to the Cinque Terre), the Villa Margherita should definitely be one of Rick's suggestions. It's run by Federico, who speaks English very well. And his cousin, Celcilla(?) who does a wonderful job of taking care of all your needs and desires. Thanks guys for making our trip all that much better!
This trip was a flashback for me as I was a student in Italy 32 years
ago and visited Cinque Terre before it was discovered by Rick — when fishing
was the main industry and not tourism. The beauty is still there if you
can see past the backpackers and all. I guess it's good for the economy
for the locals but it was a little like Disney with all the T-shirt shops
and souvenir places. It's true, "You can never go back." Nevertheless,
it's nice to share the beauty of a place with the rest of the world.
Stephanie <waynejc56@earthlink.net>
Berwick, me USA 05/16/00
Just returned from two weeks in Northern Italy. We stayed at Rick's recommended Villa Cipressi in Varenna on Lake Como. We would highly recommend this hotel. The staff was friendly, the breakfast plentiful and good. We had a "suite" for three persons, a loft bedroom and a single downstairs. At L250,000 for three it was a good bargain. If you eat at the Hotel Olivedo's restaurant, the food is good and the staff friendly, but be aware that the menu is fixed with good but limited options.
The Hotel Marin in Venice was near the train station and very easy to find. The L205,000 price for three was a bargain in Venice. The family that runs the hotel is helpful. The breakfast is good and served in a nice room. The popular restaurant La Zucca is located a 10-minute walk from the hotel. We ate there twice, reservations recommended, even in the off season.
In Castelrotto we highly recommend the Haus Silbernagl. A hotel garni,
breakfast only is served. The hostess is a friendly local woman who can
direct you to many interesting sights. She served the best breakfast we
had on this trip. There appear to be many good choices in Castelrotto
but for 68,000/person/night, we thought this one was just great. Email:
gsilber@tin.it, web site: www.garni-silbernagl.com. Petra Silbernagl is
learning English but is doing a great job. She is funny and entertaining
and will make a stay worthwhile. Tell her Larry and Sue sent you.
Larry K <Deekii@aol.com>
Gladstone, MO USA 05/14/00
A new hotel in Florence that is really special is the Soggiorno Battistero.
It has only 7 rooms, with a shared bath, but has an amazing view overlooking
the Piazza Del Duomo, where you can see both the Duomo and the Baptistery
right from your room. The hotel is run by an American and Italian couple
who speak fluent Italian and English. Prices are really cheap compared
to most places in Florence, and there is NO Curfew, unlike many smaller
Florentine hotels. It is also a lot cleaner than most hotels in Florence!
See http://www.venere.it/firenze/battistero/
Roger <rrudoff@aol.com>
Cupertino, CA USA 05/14/00
I spent Dec.-Jan. in Italy and Malta, did most of my own reservations by internet with a couple of exceptions, and with good and bad results. I am 60+ female, in not too good health. All in all, it was a good trip. One disappointment: I didn't get pinched once. But, I did get my hand kissed, so I guess that's ok. I'd go back tomorrow to Taormina and Stromboli, but not anywhere else.
— Rome: Hotel Nova Domus, nothing fancy, but ok. single rooms on top
floor. some have views of St peter's dome, near vatican/subway. Scala
Reale Walking Tours excellent. Subways great to get around, but check
times of everything. — Sorrento & Montacatini Terme with GCT tours (1 week each) tourist class
but worth the price. Aminta Hotel Sorrento is 3 miles straight up with
very limited transportation — not recommended. Driving Amalfi is like Big
Sur/Carmel, only lots of italian drivers (wild). Croc di Malta in Montacatini
nice and central on spa park but best spas not open in winter. nice friendly
people. convenient train ride to Florence, last return about 9pm.
— Capri: iffy boats in winter and still lots of tourists. Nice prices
on good silk scarves.
— Florence: Ufizzi easy in winter, but I liked the Pitti Palace better.
cheap prices on good gold on gold bridge.
— Cefalu pretty but hard to find your way around if you don't read Italian.
— Millazo: Rick Steves is right on. Hotel California is clean, cheap,
convenient, nice people. But, cold in winter, no hot water, heat, elevator,
or private bathroom. Ferries to islands often don't run in winter. Wait
it out at California. Not recommended in winter is the big, cold, expensive
Eolian Inn up on the hill.
— Vulcano (Aolean Islands): couldn't find a room in winter.
— Lipari: interesting place, great shell restaurant at dock. Do not stay
at La Filadelfia Hotel. They lied about everything, even where the restaurants
are and when they will be open. They charged me US$110 to get two meals
on Christmas Day after assuring me that there would be restaurants in
town open.
— Stroboli: my favorite island. friendly people, lovely scenery, pleasant
hikes, great hotel with good food at La Sirenetta.
— Taormina: DO NOT TRUST ARISTON HOTEL. They confirmed a room with view
of Mt. Etna. I got a view of a rock wall — not even any sky. When I complained,
they walked away, so I did too, to the Hotel San Dominico. Wonderful decision.
the price was a bit higher, but well worth any price. Beautiful gardens,
views of Italy, Sicily and Mt Etna, good food. Only a couple of blocks
walk up to the main drag. Town is very interesting combination of tourism
and history. — Palermo and Catania are creepy. Both look dangerous and locals told
me not to wander alone, especially after dark. Flight to Malta from Catania
was delayed for several hours, while we were captive on the plane. Once
there, Malta was fun. Lots to see and do, if you get the right tour company,
which is NOT Heavenly International Tours of Milwaukee or their representative
in Malta, United Travel Agency (see my note under "Tours" for more info).
Buses run from Valetta to all the main resort areas. Price is 18 cents
to St Pauls Bay. It is easy to get any kind of day trip you want over
there, but they only do certain types on certain days. The temple tour
of Gozo is Wednesday, the lace & farm tour is Thursday.
From Malta you can fly to Munich, Rome, or Catania, but not Naples. The train from Rome to Naples is easy if a couple of hours long on IC; buy your supplement first. Rick Steves' train instructions are exactly accurate. Only trouble with the intercity buses is they often let you off at some outlying area, not right downtown.
Naples was dirty, hectic, mostly unfriendly. The museum where most of the Pompei and Herculaneum artifacts are stored is often closed, or at least that part is.
Do not trust the Tourist Information Center in Ercolano. They lied three
times about where to catch the bus to Mt. Vesuvius so I missed all three
of them and never got to the top. (Each time I went back after missing
one, he would tell me something else). Other than that, I would recommend
Ercolano (Herculeneum) over Pompei if you only have time for one. Both
is best. the Circumvesuviana train is fine except at rush hour. Stay in
Pompeii or one of the other villages. But be sure you are near the train
depot or you can have a looong hike up/down hill. Taxis are hard to get
(and not to be trusted at all in Naples.)
Kit Stewart <kit@olypen.com>
Sequim, WA USA 05/10/00
My husband and I just got back from a 2-week trip to Italy over Easter weekend. It was the best trip of my life. Rick's book was great — I have been a big fan of his for years. We stayed in 2 of his recs: Hotel Italia in Rome, a very nice 2-star — very clean and friendly with good breakfast. Hotel Pendini in Florence was also wonderful. Both of these are very well located.
It was suprisingly uncrowded in Florence considering Easter week; Rome was a little more crowded. I was surpised at the ease of walking around Rome. We did taxi it when we wanted to go across town which is generally about $7 to $10 at the most. The ride to Fiumacino was L80,000, just as Rick said.
We found some great maps of Florence and Rome by MapEasy. They are very easy to follow, have major sites, hotels and restaraunts marked, and are laminated so easy to carry and don't rip or tear in the rain.
Our favorite thing in Rome (being Catholic, but I am sure people of all faiths would enjoy) was a tour of the Scavi, or underground excavations of St. Peter's. They only allow small goups so you must book in advance, and you can find the e-mail address on the net. We did luck into a last-minute tour by simply going to the Scavi office and asking — it's amazing what you can do if you just ask! Also, I really loved reading "When in Rome" by Robert Hutchinson, especially with a Catholic background and if you're interested in the Vatican.
Our other favorite was the Tuscan countryside — geogeous in the spring!
The hilltowns are everywhere. The cuisine and wine is fabulous. We stayed
at a agriturism farmhouse with 5 apartments for 3 nights. It was about
$135 per night for a small 1-bedroom apartment. They served out-of-this-world
dinners in their restaurant for about $70/2 people for 7-course dinners
with wine and the works! These places are everywhere — we just picked one
off the internet. For those in love with Tuscany: read Frances Mayes'
books! It is everything she makes it out to be!
Leigh Ann Martin <LAMRAMLEX@aol.com>
Louisville, Ky USA 05/07/00
In Sorrento, I'd recommend a wonderful hotel called Hotel del Corso.
It's not far from the main square, yet quiet. Our room was SPOTLESS! The
sundeck on the top floor is a great place to nap after a day of touring
the Amalfi coast. One recommendation: if you like to sleep with open windows
in Italy, take some mosquito repellant — we got eaten up!
Sandy Koopman <skoop@hotbot.com>
Seattle, WA USA 05/05/00
I don't know about this summer...but Italy in March was great! No large
crowds (except in Florence and Venice and even there the crowds weren't
bad). We loved our trip and only used Rick Steves' book this time. I do
have a few simple requests for people going to Italy (especially this
year). Please obey rules such as keeping quiet in churches. We had a few
bad experiences where tourists came and sat next to us during mass and
started comenting on the wonders of the cathedral while we were trying
to worship. Also, please keep quiet and don't take pictures in the Sistine
Chapel. Not only is it truly disruptive to others but someday I'm afraid
we will not be allowed to see this worderful place if we don't abide by
the rules set out by the Vatican.
Jessica <abril126@hotmail.com>
Austin, Tx USA 05/04/00
The crowds expected for Jubilee have not materialized. We were in Rome during Holy Week and found the city busy, but not anywhere near as bad as we'd expected. We were even able to move hotels with 2 days' notice when we had a room snafu.
As to getting reservations at the Uffizi with one day's notice...uh,
nope. We tried 2 days ahead and didn't get reservations. If you're stuck
without reservations, arrive at the Uffizi a half hour before opening.
You'll be one of the first 200 or so people in, it's quiet and uncrowded...unlike
later in the day. Don't be surprised to see lots of others there, too.
Lauri Hart <lhart@zott.com>
Menlo Park, CA USA 05/03/00
The Cinque Terre can feel overtouristed. There was a rude note in Steves'
recommended ice cream place in Vernazza stating such sentiments! Monterroso
is the best town, but don't stay near where the train goes through the
mountain — stay on the ferry side of the town. The cliff walk was the highlight
of our trip.
Shannan
FL USA 05/03/00
Just as Rick says in his book, Venice is an island — you really can't
get lost so just stroll the tiny alleyways. For a GREAT picture of the
Grand Canal walk to the Accademia bridge — it is situated right where the
canal opens up and takes in the view of Santa Maria della Salute. For
fun take the traghetti (ferry used by locals) to cross the Grand Canal
(about $.50). In the morning there is a great open-air fish and produce
market a block from the south foot of the Rialto bridge. Definitely take
a ride on a vaporetto from the top to the bottom of the Grand Canal. Grap
a seat outside up front, you'll get a great overview. A gondola ride is
a must, and you definitely can negoiate on a price. I chose to take a
gondola ride that went mainly on the inner waterways — the ride was much
smoother and very enjoyable.
Cheryl <ckeath01@juno.com>
St. Louis, USA 04/30/00
Florence was great in early November '99. The weather was still very pleasant (light jacket) and there were no large crowds to contend with. I found that the off-season worked to my advantage. I had just 3 days in Florence but I really feel like I soaked it up.
Some of my favorites: the Uffizi for art lovers; the Bargello for sculpture
fans; Piazza della Signoria (perfect place to sit and soak up the atmosphere);
climbing to the top of the Duomo (a lot of stairs but the views are worth
the effort); Mercato Centrale (market — great for purchasing those little
mementoes); San Marco convent (early in the morning, only 4 other people
there — Frescoes by Fra Angelico were wonderful). The Ponte Vecchio (bridge):
only when you see it and stroll over it and all around do you really understand
how beautiful it is. Fort Belvedere in the Boboli Gardens has spectacular
views of Florence and the surrounding countryside. Also the lookout at
the rose garden has awesome views of green lush hillsides smattered with
cyprus and olive trees. Enjoy.
Cheryl <ckeath01@juno.com>
St. Louis, USA 04/30/00
Hotel Locanda al Leon is a great place to stay in Venice, just off the
Grand Canal near St. Mark's Square. Beautiful rooms and friendly staff.
The hotel location was perfect. I was close to all the action but not
too close, and the rates were reasonable.
Cheryl <ckeath01@juno.com>
St. Louis, mo USA 04/30/00
One of the very best tips I received from Rick's book was the website
for booking online tickets for popular museums in Florence. I was able
to book tickets for the Accademia to see "David," for the Uffizi Gallery,
and for the Bargello. I walked past dozens of people in line just to purchase
tickets and was able to show a copy of my reservation that I had printed
out.
Cheryl <ckeath01@juno.com>
St. Louis, Mo USA 04/30/00
I went to Florence over Easter and made a reservation at Hotel Enza.
Rick recommended this hotel as a spacious place to stay that is sometimes
a little dirty. It cost $50 a night and was a dump. I would not let my
dog stay there. I am not much of a backpacker so I was expecting something
a little more upscale. Nothing fancy, just clean sheets.
Cleveland, OH USA 04/27/00
Do not stay at Hotel Asterix in Rome! I paid for two nights there and
came in at about 8pm on my second evening there to find out that the owner
had put a Danish group in two out of the three bedrooms. The 15 of us
who were already there would have to bunk up in the one bedroom left and
share the 6 bunk beds. I asked for my money back and got it.
Aletha Walker
Lakewood, WA USA 04/25/00
We had a little trouble with the handdrawn maps in the Rome 2000 book.
A full metro map would be helpful, too.
Lauri Hart <lhart@zott.com>
Menlo Park, CA USA 04/24/00
I wouldn't have missed the Herculaneum ruins in Ercolano for anything. In some ways they were even better than Pompei. Herculaneum has more frescoes and mosaics intact and in place than Pompei. It's smaller and easier to get through the entire ruins in a half day. I could have spent a day and a half in Pompei!
I also went to see the ruins at Pasteum, which is far to the south of
Salerno. Had a spectacular day. Did the trip by train & bus, but it would
have been more efficient by rental car.
Lauri Hart <lhart@zott.com>
Menlo Park, CA USA 04/24/00
We just returned from Italy. Rick Steves' book was great. Hotel Silla
in Florence was wonderful. If touring the Uffizzi gallery it is a must
to make reservations. We waited in line for 3 hours. Call ahead at least
1 week in advance. Pensione Guerrato in Venice was a nice clean place
to stay also. Also remember the Vatican Museum's Sistine Chapel is closed
on Sunday. Gondola ride in Venice is a must. The gelato is out of this
world.
<mexsalsa@aol.com>
USA 04/22/00
By the end of our trip we reverently referred to the book as "the steve." The hotels were exactly as described. hotel alpiave in venice great...faithful molly (the dog) was there to greet us as well as the lovely mirebella. venice was horribly packed though.
At lake como we stayed at the hotel milano. the owner amelia doesn't speak english but didnt matter...she was wonderful, the hotel had a fabulous view.
We were circled by gypsies like a pack of raptors when we arrived in rome...you are stalked just like rick said. thanks for the warning.
In florence, THE best steve event: we had missed seeing david on sunday,
and it was closed monday (double-check all the museum times locally; some
in book wrong), so we rushed there tues. morning, not having done our
homework and reading about the reservation system. the line was around
the museum several blocks with a three-hour wait. standing in line, used
our cell phone (got so family could find us — what a good idea) and called
the number in the book (got second number from them) and got a "now" reservation
for us and the lucky american couple behind us...walked past many hundreds
in the rain and into david. it was a triumph...so thanks, mr steves and
your crew!
jdailey <janede@aol.com>
lansing, MI USA 04/14/00
We took a direct train from Monterosso to Milan in March. It took about
3 hours. I believe it was a "rapido," and there are only three or four
a day. The Italian Railway has a web site with a very complete timetable.
Make sure that you figure out what the final destination point of your
train is so that when you ask people what track (binario) your train is
leaving from in the hectic Milano Centrale train station, they will direct
you to the proper one. Guaranteed that if you ask where the train to Monterosso
is leaving from you will not get a correct answer (at least the FIRST
time). Enjoy the Cinque Terre!
Andrea
Corvallis, OR USA 04/12/00
Rick Steves rules! Italy 2000 and Mona Winks made my 3 solo days in Rome incredible. The best advice is to go to the Vatican at 7:30 in the morning when it opens. I climbed the dome before the official opening at 8:30 and there was only one other couple up there — magical. I loved the asides in the descriptions of the Vatican Museum (Salvadoro Dalio). Also, the advice about sneaking out the side door of the Sistine Chapel with a tour group was a godsend. I did the Vatican in the morning and taxied to the Colosseum, etc. for the afternoon (Siskel and Ebert — giggle, giggle). I recommend the Rick Steves books to all my friends. They are the best!
Recommended *** hotel in Venice: Santo Stefano. Very cute, quaint and
great service (English spoken). About 10 minute walk from San Marco.
Judy Brandon <quillgordon@prodigy.net>
Seattle, WA USA 04/10/00
In Venice watch out for the artist who has set up his easel on a corner
in the Grand Canal-side walkway between Salute and the Guggenheim. We
were just walking by and had shown minimal interest in his paintings,
but he started a pressured, irrational sales pitch that rapidly escalated
into an aggressive and insulting harangue. He continued to yell at us
as we walked away not quite sure what had just hit us. I wouldn't bother
to mention this incident — but we recently discovered that he did something
very similar to friends of ours who visited Venice last spring.
Jacquelyn Schechter <sojournr@ix.netcom.com>
Durham, NC USA 04/10/00
We recently took an 11-day tour of Italy followed by 11 days on our own in a rental car. Every tip we got from "Rick Steves' Italy" was a gem! We saw things the average tourist wouldn't know about and it made our trip unforgettable. Three things that stand out in our memory are Civita di Bagnoregio, a private wine estate and Kastelruth.
We stayed for a week in Leifers in the Alto Adige area and used that as our home base to research our family that came from the Tyrol in 1890. The people in the area were phenomenal! When they heard we were in town looking for Menapace and Demattio families, they couldn't do enough to help us! We went to Trento and Bolzano to the Archives in both cities to find birth and marriage records but our new friends in Leifers translated the records as they were in Italian and German.
We never would have had the confidence to go out on our own if it hadn't
been for all Rick's "Travels in Europe" PBS shows we have watched over
the years, and his guidebooks. They are head and shoulders above any guidebooks
we have ever read because they show you how to see the real Italy and
encourage you to meet the people. That advice from Rick made this trip
unforgettable! Keep up the good work!.
Bill and Lois DeMattio <guidodemattio@webtv.net>
Midvale, OH USA 04/10/00
The Alma Domus in Siena was a bargain, as great as the view from our
window. But the faint of heart should not venture into the nearby San
Dominico church...
Rachel Hunt <rachelannhunt@hotmail.com>
Germantown, MD USA 04/09/00
I was in Rome last spring, and ate at a wonderful restauraunt on Borgo Pio called Tre Pupazzi. With L8.000 Pizza Margherita, and excellent pasta (try Fettucine al Tre Pupazzi), my mother and I ate there almost exclusively. We tried to branch out a little, but we just kept going back. Good prices, great wine, no English is spoken. A real Italian place.
I was disappointed to read in Rick's Rome 2000 book that "if you found the Forum enthralling, you'll be mildly entertained by the Palatine Hill." The Palatine hill was the highlight of our trip! We discovered it by accident, and were mildly entertained by the Forum once we got there. Sorry, Rick, it's not often that you're wrong, but you're a little off on this one.
Hotel Alimandi was a true pleasure to stay at. Within walking distance
of everywhere we wanted to go, or at least to the Ottaviano Metro stop,
it was well located. Also, the Alimandi brothers and the sister were wonderfully
helpful and polite.
Adam Johnson-Howe <swimWY@aol.com>
Chicago, IL USA 04/05/00
I am going to Italy in April and will be visiting Cinque Terre with
my friend. She has made arrangements to stay in the hotel Robertos. Has
anyone heared of this? If so, could you please tell me a bit about it?
Robert Urbanic <rurbanic@uoguelph.ca>
Guelph, Canada 04/03/00
Rick, your book saved us time and money over and over again. One example: When we arrived in Venice, an official-looking guy with a walkie-talkie stopped us just as we were entering the parking garage. He tried to convince us that we HAD to take a water taxi to get to the Accademia, where we were staying. We listened politely and ignored his directions, proceeded to the vaparetto, and saved about $35.00. Thanks!
Instead of staying near the Milan airport the night before our departure, we stayed at Lake Maggiore, in the Hotel Tigli — a wonderful hotel, with helpful staff. (I left my contact lens at the hotel; I called after we got home and they happily mailed it to me at no cost.) Our room had a terrace with a view of the lake; we were within walking distance of the waterfront and excellent restaurants. The rate was reasonable.
Civita was great! As we walked up the footbridge, a guy on a scooter saw we were carrying your guide, stopped and asked if he could look at it — "I haven't seen the 2000 edition", he said. It turns out he was Franco — he invited us in to his restaurant (we were the only ones there that day), prepared pasta for us, and sat and talked a long time. It was one of the highlights of our trip.
Thanks again — I will highly recommend this book to anyone going to Italy,
and I can't wait until we go somewhere else — the first thing I'm going
to do is buy your guidebook.
Dawn Banker <bankerd@vancouver.wsu.edu>
Portland, OR USA 04/03/00
In Rome, Villa Paola is a beautiful villa with one of the world's best innkeepers. It is in a small community that is barely on the outskirts of Rome, in the direction of GrottoRossa, if you're following the inner city train. The Villa has been in the family for many years. The innkeeper, Fabiana Mastropietro, and her friend, Francesco, go above and beyond to help with sightseeing recommendations, pick-up and drop-off at train stations or airports, will cook dinner for the weary traveler or she will pick up a pizza for you if you're too tired to go out! All of this for $52 a night is quite a bargain. I knew we made the right choice prior to leaving the US after several conversations via email with Fabiana. I would recommend the villa over any hotel in the city since you are outside of the city, slightly in the country and have lots of quiet.
Her family also owns a small castle south of Rome on the coast — you can stay overnight in the tower.
Fabiana speaks excellent English, she is highly educated and I can't praise her and her friend Francesco enough for all of their efforts. She has just now sent me an email inviting us back to Italy. I have not received that type of service from a hotel.
About 10 miles outside of Florence, we stayed at the very nice Petrognano
farmhouse. For $50/hight we rented an apartment for 4 with 2 bedrooms,
one bath, kitchen and living area. The rooms were very secure, very nicely
decorated and quiet. The innkeeper is really nice, although she does not
speak much English. The breakfast was really good. All in all it was very
relaxing environment. They will sell you wine and olive oil made on site;
their Cabernet is one of the best I had in Italy. I highly recommend this
farmhouse!
julie ledbetter <ronl@prodigy.net>
houston, tx USA 04/03/00
Re: the Hotel Aberdeen in Rome. We stayed there last May for 3 nights
on Rick's recommendation. The first room they tried to give us was very
small; we asked if something larger was available and they immediately
gave us a much larger room. We found the room to be clean (contrary to
another comment below). The location was great, the breakfast was adequate,
and the price was right for Rome (discount when you show Rick's book).
Just be sure to close your windows at night and use the a/c or it will
be noisy.
Judy Skalberg <jskalberg@jps.net>
Granite Bay, CA USA 04/02/00
Just stayed at Hotel Italia in Rome — great service, the owners speak perfect English and are used to Americans. It is on a quiet street, and the rooms are clean and homey.
Malpensa airport reminds me a lot of the Denver airport, located a ways out of town, with nothing around it. If you have an early-morning flight, I would just find a decent hotel near the train station or the Cadorno (sp?) Metro stop. From either of those places, you can catch the convenient and reliable Malpensa Express which goes twice an hour. Very painless. Figure an hour to get to Malpensa from the time you arrive at the Malpensa Express pickup.
Regarding train travel in Italy: Be flexible! We ran into a train strike, and because we were flexible, it was no big deal. We just had to haggle with our hotel owner a little to not charge us for the room we had reserved. Also, read the comprehensive paper schedules posted around the stations rather than relying on the large automated boards. They give much more info. The Cinque Terre trains have a schedule, but they follow it very loosely. The trains will come, just not always on time. Again, be flexible. The splurge on 1st class is probably worth it, but 2nd is not too bad. More comfortable than American air travel, that's for sure.
We found Rick's hotel recommendations to be excellent, but restaurant
recs were so-so. Walk around and find eateries that look good to you.
They are all over the place.
Paul <Hazelmn@yahoo.com>
Chicago, IL USA 04/02/00
We met Americans carrying Steves' Italy guidebook in JFK airport and then everywhere along the way until our final destination, the Hotel Speronari in Milan. I found if the room doesn't suit you, ask for another. Sometimes it might mean waitng a while for a new one to be available, but usually our request was granted.
We used the kilometric ticket for rail, but it helps to know some Italian
to do so.
Kathleen Gwinnett <hannah01@netpath.net>
Burlington, NC USA 03/25/00
The Walks of Rome company that Rick recommends has a free coupon for
tours on their website: www.walksofeurope.com
Laurie
USA 03/24/00
I lived in Siena for a month and traveled around the area quite a bit.
Many of the hill towns are not accessible by train but are by bus. Look
for the blue buses leaving from the Piazza San Dominico almost every hour
to Assisi. You can purchase tickets in the office to the right of the
Church of San Dominico. Make sure you check for return times, since many
of the buses stop after 6 pm. I was satisfied traveling that way, and
felt no need to rent a car (especially because it is outrageously expensive).
I hope you enjoy Siena as much as I did — I think it is the most beautiful
place in the world.
Jamie Halsey <lupis@jps.net>
Sacramento, CA USA 03/21/00
Rick's Rome 2000 book is a must to get the most out of any trip to Rome.
We used it exclusively for a 4-day trip earlier this month. It offers
just enough detail, background, and history to make sense out of what
easily could have been an overwhelming city. It really made our first
trip to Italy one to remember.
Greg <gsj1@mindsping.com>
franklin, ma USA 03/20/00
In Florence, the Accademia and Uffizi are now requiring exact change
(12,000 Lira) for admission. They will not make change for you at the
ticket window, and we were also turned down for change by the Accademia
bookstore/gift shop cashier and a local business. Make sure you have the
12,000 L on you when you get in line or you will be sorely disappointed
at the ticket window. We did have good luck getting smaller bills at two
money change bureaus for no fee. Hopes this helps someone avoid the hassle
we had.
Tim Dungan <swiss.dungan@bluewin.ch>
Nyon, Switzerland, 03/20/00
We took our four kids, ages 7 to 15, on a 12-day trip to Italy based around the 1999 guidebook. It was a great experience. The trip cost about $50/day per person. It would have been very hard to do without the insight of Rick's book.
I was concerned about wasting precious time on the trip to cranky jet-lagged kids. Our solution worked wonderfully: For a few weeks beforehand, we got the kids up a little earlier each morning so that just before we left we were getting up at 1 AM. Sounds goofy, but it worked. We had absolutely no jet lag.
We walked the Cinque Terre the Monday after Easter. Warning: This is a national holiday and the trains and trails were packed!
San Gimignano was worth the quick detour. Our favorite gelato was there.
Siena may have been the highlight of the trip. Alma Domus was fantastic. All the kids were in one room with us across the hall with a room overlooking the city and the cathedral.
When you arrive in Venice (or any city) early in the morning, walk straight into town. It was a wonderful experience to walk the streets as the city was waking up. Only a few locals are out and you get a feel for the city before it becomes mobbed by other tourists. It was amazing how different the city became in a couple of hours.
From Venice we went to Interlaken, Switzerland. After the grit and grime of Italy this was a great way to wrap up the trip. We stayed at a wonderful little B&B called Sunny Days. It cost less than anything in Italy and the place was beautiful and like being at home, which was appreciated by the kids. If you decide to tie in a trip to Switzerland with your trip to Italy, don't start out in Switzerland.
We did the entire trip by train. After pricing rental cars, this was a bit cheaper when also accounting for gas and tolls, not to mention how simple it is to get around by train. Couchettes to Venice are a great idea, but the trip was not long enough for a decent night's sleep. Packing light is the way to go. A good gauge is if you can get all your luggage on the plane as carry-on. Each of the kids had their school backpack for their clothes. I had a slightly bigger one for my clothes and the other essentials.
The days can be a bit long for smaller kids. It is amazing what you can get them to do as long as they know at the end of the day they will get gelato. The kids learned how to ask for their favorite flavors in Italian.
Maybe this is cheating, but a couple of times we were "rescued" by the
local Mormon missionaries. In both Pisa and Siena we were a bit lost and
they showed up and were more than happy to get us pointed in the right
direction. With the white shirts and ties, they are pretty easy to spot.
Greg L <gdlechem@earthlink.net>
Santa Rosa, CA USA 03/15/00
I've always wondered why Rick doesn't cover Lago di Maggiore more in his
guidebook? It's just as beautiful as Lake Como but is more tranquil and
sees less tourists — -in other words, a Back Door! The Borromean Islands
are also incredible, especially in late spring when the gardens are in
full bloom.
Anya Welles <anya@hotmail.com>
San Francisco, CA USA 03/14/00
I stayed in Vernazza in mid-May of 1997 without any reservations. Locals
with rooms to rent approached me just as I was leaving the station. There
is usually a row of older women sitting in the main piazza offering rooms
for rent, too. I stayed in a great apartment with a balcony, kitchen and
bath. I believe at the time it was only about $40 a night. This may be
a bit more difficult to do if you're traveling with a family, however.
RG <gronnie@hotmail.com>
USA 03/14/00
I finally got an answer after contacting the Alma Domus but they would
not reserve only one night, so I asked for two nights and they said to
send a postal check. I sent a check from my bank in Lire several weeks
ago, but still have no confirmation fax.
Sharon <musc88keys@aol.com>
fl USA 03/11/00
I'd like advice on traveling with kids to be included in the guidebook.
It would be helpful if those hotels that are more suited for kids (larger
rooms, near a park) were specifically identified. Thanks.
susan Taylor <Montlake@AOl.com>
Seattle, WA USA 03/10/00
I agree with the last posting about the Hotel Speronari in Milan. Our
room was okay but faced the Bell Tower. It was noisy and not as friendly
as other places we stayed in Italy. Ditto on the Pensione Bretegna in
Florence — that place was charming and the staff excellent; best breakfast
in Italy. At the Nardizzi Americano in Rome, the rooms were very clean,
new — they just upgraded the whole place — best bathrooms! They bring the
breakfast to your room each morning...it was lovely. Rick's tips are excellent.
We can't wait to go back.
laura holliday <elropoknight@earthlink.net>
san francisco, ca USA 03/09/00
My sister and I just returned from a 9-day self-guided tour of Italy, and we used Rick Steve's Italy 2000. It was a lifesaver and so accurate!
We went to Rome, Florence, Venice, and Milan. We paid no more than $50 per room, and we were impressed with all of the pensiones, except for Hotel Speronari in Milan: no character, no elevator (we had to climb four steep flights of stairs!), the shower room was dirty and water leaked to the floor, the beds were uncomfortable, we could smell the sewer from our room's sink, and no welcoming capuccino! True, right next door the bakery is worth your while, and maybe we got spoiled from the prior hotels, but this hotel was not worth our money.
We loved Suore Sta. Elisabetta in Rome, never seen cleaner rooms! Really charming, and worth every penny. We loved Tuscan restaurant Antonini (sp?), inside the mall and close to the central station — excellent lasagna and osso buco! We thought the Museo Nazionale merited one and half stars, not three; it was nice but not worth the time or money.
In Florence,we highly recommend Pensione Bretagna, an old place, but incredibly charming, comfortable, clean, and its staff is wonderful and very helpful. The service and breakfast are the best we had anywhere. The restaurant La Spada is good, but too busy.
In Venice we stayed at the hotel closest to the station, which was a blessing because Venice is a maze. (Its name escapes me but it is behind a church dome.) It was quiet, clean, good breakfast, not as charming, but its staff is pleasant and very helpful. We also liked St. Bartolomeo's rosticceria. Delicious and cheap! We came back the next day for more.
Rick's book was great and made our first trip to Italy more enjoyable.
Thanks!
Ilsa M. Valdez <ivaldez27@hotmail.com>
San Antonio, TX USA 03/09/00
We stayed at the Villa Margherita in Levanto, and thoroughly enjoyed the
facilities and the hospitality. Federico, the host, was very helpful in
guiding us around the area, including the Cinque Terre walks. The Villa
is located very close (walking) to trains and main center of Levanto.
A very good and reasonably priced place to stay.
Sara McKinley <Sara9889@aol.com>
San Francisco, CA USA 03/07/00
We used Rick Steves' Italy book like a bible throughout our 3-wk trip in 5/98. The one place we stopped that wasn't in his book was a disappointment.
Our flight out of Venice left at 7 a.m., and we could not find a room for the night before. There are no "airport" hotels in Venice and the train station closes from about 1 a.m. — 5 a.m.. So we slept on the steps of the train station with everyone else who had the same intentions. It made for a memorable last night — trying to use your suitcase for a pillow while sitting on cold marble steps and listening to men serenade women as they floated down the canals.
We did make reservations in advance by fax/e-mail. We never had to look for a place to stay, and ended up getting our pick of the places in Rick's book. Having a faxed confirmation also saved us a couple of times as we were able to show it. In Siena, the nun at Alma Domus crossed someone else's name off the list and put us in thanks to our confirmation. Now that I've been to Italy once, I might consider "winging it," but I would also hate spending part of my vacation looking for a place to stay.
We found Italians for the most part to be friendly, hospitable people and thoroughly enjoyed our trip. We spent a minimum of two nights everywhere, with three nights in a few cities. So glad we took our time exploring one country thoroughly.
Our favorite places that we plan on returning to ASAP:
— Positano, while somewhat touristy, it was less crowded than the Cinque
Terre and provided a truly amazing bus ride around the cliffs from Sorrento
to Positano. Stay at Hotel LaBougainville (great balconies with sea views,
and family-owned). We bought cheese, bread, strawberries and wine for
lunch each day and sat on our balcony and watched the world go by.
— Assisi was still enmeshed in scaffolding after the earthquake, but the
people were incredibly friendly, and so happy to have visitors. — In Vernazza, Rick recommends renting rooms through a woman that owned
a bar. We ended up with an APARTMENT (unfortunately without a stove, but
it did have a small fridge)! It had a great rooftop patio and the building
was built over an inlet, so the ocean waves lulled us to sleep each night.
The hike from Vernazza to Village 5 was absolutely amazing — wear good
hiking shoes and abandon your fear of heights and narrow (12") paths.
What views!
— Varenna: Albergo Olivedo and its kind host, Laura, was a favorite spot.
Dinner was wonderful and watching Laura breeze from table to table speaking
different languages was fun. And where else in Europe can you write a
check to pay for your room?
— Rome: it is worth the effort to make it to St. Peter's by 7 a.m.. We
were two of about 20 people in the Basilica and that was amazing. It's
worth the climb to the top of the dome too for the view of Vatican City. — Bolzano is high country, but be warned that the ski lifts to the Alpine
Meadow aren't open until June and July. You also need a GERMAN phrasebook.
We didn't find English "subtitles" anywhere and more people spoke German
than Italian. Bolzano is incredibly beautiful, especially the park near
the river, with its huge rose garden and lush landscaping. Next trip I'd
learn a little German first so I could communicate better.
Our trip to Italy was probably the best three weeks of my life! We had
no problems getting around by train on the Italian railpass we got through
Rick Steves. I listened to Fodor's Italian for Travelers tapes before
we went, and while not fluent by any means, I had a blast using my Italian
and was able to carry on some memorable conversations with some of the
locals. (I helped a pharmacist in Florence set up prescription labels
on his computer in Microsoft Word, for example.) Give me a ticket to Italy
and Rick Steves' guidebook and I'd go back in a heartbeat!
S Brown <brownx2@flash.net>
Dallas, tx USA 03/03/00
Italy is without question our favorite place. From my first trip there
in 1951 to my most recent last October I have found something new to enjoy
every time. I had always promised myself a month in Tuscany and finally
last October we rented a villa close to Reggello about 37 k from Firenze
and close to Figline where the trains took us into Firenze in minutes.
We had a car to tour the hill towns of Tuscany and went everywhere. Renting
a villa in Tuscany was economical as well as a perfect homebase for sights
in Tuscany and Umbria. And I can certainly recommend Eurocar. Of all the
rental agencies we have used, it was the first one we had no trouble with.
But my first advice always, GET RICK'S BOOK AND READ IT.
Charles Luther <charlesluther@msn.com>
Katy, TX USA 02/26/00
A recommended hotel near Malpensa (Milan) is Hotel Cardano (sorry no address).
Info on Malpensa trains can be seen at www.malpensaexpress.com. There
is a 1 hr bus from Malpensa airport to Como at 12 noon and other times
avoiding Milan. A hotel 1/2 hr from Malpensa, right outside Bovisa train
station is Hotel Valganna, much info available, contact: hotelvalganna@traveleurope.it.
Weekend rate 165K dbl w/ buffet bkft, 190K dbl weekdays.
L. Napoli <bijoux@uswest.net>
Phoenix, AZ USA 02/22/00
The Hotel Olivedo in Varenna can be booked online at olivedoit@tin.it.
Dbl w/bkft, no bath=120K Lira, 2 for dinner add 80K Lira, total approx
$100 for 2.
lorre <bijoux@uswest.net>
Phoenix, AZ USA 02/22/00
Rick Steves is the man, full stop. Read his books carefully because
they are chock full of information. For example, it is true what Rick
states about the Office of Tourism in the Naples train station. It is
great and the folks in the office guided us to one of the best and cheapest
island cottages I have ever stayed at. Thank you Rick Steves for your
accurate and dependable information. I and my travel companions are in
the Rick Steves fan club.
Dustin Hindman <dustinhindman@hotmail.com>
Dallas, TX USA 02/21/00
In doing my research on hotels in Rome, I found a great site with reviews
of many hotels in the "Rick Steves price range." I thought I ought to
share: http://www.twenj.com/romehtlothr.htm.
Abby <anardoca@indiana.edu>
Bloomington, IN USA 02/20/00
For a great beach in Italy, go to Lido de Jesolo about 1 1/2 hours from
Venezia. While not as high-priced or glamorous as Rimini or the Italian
Riviera, Jesolo is a gem. Cheap, friendly, and fun, this is where the
Italians, Hungarians, and Slovenes go when they want to get away. You'll
likely be one of the only Americans in town. Enjoy!
CJ Courtney <christopher.courtney@nau.edu>
USA 02/06/00
The Alma Domus in Siena was by far our favorite hotel during our month
in Europe. It is quiet, clean and cheap, but our favorite thing was the
view. From our balcony we could enjoy the full moon, music from the restaurant
below and an amazing view of the cathedral. [Editor's note: Make sure
to ask for a view room — some of the non-view rooms look directly at a
wall!]
Gary <grice@kings.k12.ca.us>
Hanford, CA USA 01/24/00
Rome, Hotel Kennedy: Admittedly, the location near the train station is probably not the best, but for the price, it is great. It is family-owned — they are super friendly, the rooms are comfortable, spotlessly clean, nicely decorated, and there's a/c — an absolute necessity if you're in Rome in the summer. There's a nice breakfast every day, overall a very pleasant place to come back to in the evening which in Rome is welcome. About US$60 for a double.
Florence, the Hotel Concordia from the Rick Steves guidebook: I wouldn't
recommend it. It's not awful, but I think there are better places out
there. Our room was sort of dingy/depressing, cleanliness sort of suspect
(lots of gunk on the shower curtain).
J.
Washington DC, USA 01/12/00
For our Nov 99 visit to Italy we booked Hotel Aberdeen in Rome, which
is recommended in the Rick Steves book and in other travel guides. Unfortunately
when we arrived we found dirty rooms and unbearable stinking bathrooms.
On the second morning we heard terrible noise from construction work in
the room just above us. We complained but the hotel management said there
is nothing they could do about it as the floor above is not part of the
hotel and has a different owner. We have been offered different room but
because of the poor hygiene in the hotel we moved to another hotel — Duca
D'Alba — also recommended in various guides. This hotel was clean, but
the staff tried to charge us for an extra day. I insisted on looking in
the check-in register and they quickly backed off saying it has been a
mistake. Be very careful when choosing hotels in Italy; they might offer
unpleasant surprises...
George Zahariev <cheverme@hotmail.com>
Houston, TX USA 01/01/00
For a great location & inexpensive accommodations in Rome, I recently
stayed in a convent on Via Sistina. This street is located at the top
of the Spanish Steps. Cost for a room with toilet, shower, and sink for
two is about $67 — this also includes light breakfast. No one speaks English
but the nun in charge is Sister Armida and she knows what you are trying
to accomplish.
Bill Morgan <Bill930@email.msn.com>
North Palm Beach, Fl USA 01/01/00
I have traveled all over Italy and never heard anything about Basilicata
Province. It is a remote part of Italy just above the "arch" in the "Boot."
A small mountaintop village there named Castelmezzano is located about
25 miles from the province capital of Potenza (from which you can take
a bus). The old-world charm in this village of about 900 people is fantastic.
It is perched high in the mountains at about 3600 feet. The view is spectacular.
The bus lets you off 100 feet from the only hotel in town, Hotel Dolomite.
The owners, Giovanni & Angela, cook and serve all meals for you if you
desire. If you buy any vegetables or other foods they will cook anything
to your liking for you special for no extra cost.
Bill Morgan <Bill930@email.msn.com>
North Palm Beach, Fl USA 01/01/00
A few ideas for those who enjoy a bit of Mother Nature between museums:
When you have tired of museums and palaces, do not miss the very beautiful Boboli Garden in Florence. It is a beautifully terraced garden with a rose garden and stunning views of the countryside at the top, and it's studded with very dramatic modern sculptures. We spent a very relaxing 2 hours walking there on a Sunday morning in September.
One of the high points of our trip to Rome was a long walk through the Villa Borghese Park. You'll need a good map, and be aware that the park is massive and intersected by some major thoroughfares. Find the entrance through the metro near the Spanish Steps — follow the signs that read to Villa Borghese.
In Venice, we took the vaporetto to the very end of San Marco and walked
through a lovely, quiet public park and residential area with laundry
hanging on the line and trattorias full of locals — not another tourist
in sight!
Susan Rebillot <rebillot@gte.net>
St. Petersburg, Fl USA 12/26/99
We spent three weeks in France and Italy in September 1999 and found Rick's guidebooks very helpful. We really appreciated Mona Winks as we toured the Accademia in Venice and developed a true appreciation for Renaissance art. We want to recommend very highly a few excellent hotels that Rick would consider splurges:
In Varenna on Lago di Como, we enjoyed the Villa Cipressi, a gorgeous restored villa that sits atop a stunning garden that is terraced down to the edge of the lake. For a large double with huge, modern, fully-appointed bath and a view of the lake, and breakfast, we paid $88 a night! It was a decadent place to stay.
In Siena, we stayed in the Palazzo Ravissa, a stunning fine hotel with excellent service and very comfortable rooms furnished with antiques. Half-board was required and worth it for one of the most memorable dinners of the trip.
In Lucca, Hotel Celide was a very comfortable, elegant small hotel with
great service just outside the walls of the ancient city. For those like
us who love Rick's sightseeing advice but prefer a bit more comfort but
not necessarily much more price in hotels, check out these hotels.
Susan Rebillot <rebillot@gte.net>
St. Petersburg, Fl USA 12/26/99
I am planning my 2nd trip to Italy — solo this time. My ex-fiancee and I went last February and had a wonderful experience using advice given by your book.
In Milan, I wholeheartedly recommend Albergo Speronari, a Duomo-convenient Rick-recommendation. Paolo and his staff were very friendly and helpful to us. A warm memory.
Varenna, on Lake Como, was THE BEST choice that we made the whole trip. As we went off-season, the town was absolutely still, and we sat on the porch of the Albergo Olivedo drinking cup after cup of capuccino staring over the water. The lady who owns the hotel was very gracious and invited us in for dinner, and we were treated to the best meal of the whole trip.
I will be using your book again this next year, as every recommendation
that we utilized was right on target. Thanks, and where do I sign up for
your job?
Eddie Y. <YarberryE@aol.com>
Little Rock, AR USA 12/23/99
The Rick Steves' book was the best! We loved the Hotel Bretagna in Florence. Our favorite place to eat was Casalinga....when we were there so was President Clinton, Hillary, Chelsea, Madiline Albright, Tony Blair, plus other heads of state. We viewed "David" with Ms. Albright. Let's just say Florence was well guarded.
Vernazza, Cinque Terre was incredible. There's even access to the internet in the local bar! We stayed at Trattoria Gianni....great rooms but a bit chilly at night. The best pesto!
I highly recommend the Hotel Nardizzi in Rome! Nick is so helpful and Mario too! Also, we took a great tour with Caroni Tours to Pompeii! People smoke in Rome...too much! The food was not as good as Florence and up north. We even heard this from our friend who is a chef in Milano. He's from Rome and even admits this fact about the food.
I loved Milano...maybe because we had friends there, but the old part of the city was so beautiful. Plus all the shopping!
Best Duomo is in Siena! Lucca is nice for a day trip too — you can walk
around the town on its wall. Italy is a wonderful country to visit. Thanks
to Rick and all the tips from this website we had a wonderful trip.
Laura Holliday <elropoknight@earthlink.net>
San Francisco, CA USA 12/08/99
Ditto the comments re La Scaletta! They cancelled our reservation and
gave our room to another couple. The woman was very rude and sent us on
a wild goose chase. Thanks to the kind nuns who took us in at 11pm or
we would have had to take turns sleeping in the Florence train station.
Take this place out of your guidebook Rick, this is the third complaint
I've seen in about 4 months.
Chris Blum <cjblum@rconnect.com>
Rochester, MN USA 12/08/99
The Hotel Scaletta was the worst hotel of our trip. The staff were rude
and very unhelpful. We travel all over South and Central America and I
never had an experience that ruined my stay in Florence. I do not recommend
The Scaletta. I would rather sleep on a bench in the train station.
lynn and michael Krause <lynnmike@stans.com>
Woodstock , Il USA 12/05/99
Early November had a lot fewer tourists if you don't mind the cool temperatures (60' F). In Florence a good 1-star Michelin restaurant is Il Latina — a lot of locals. Other than a great Duomo, Milan was skippable. Lucca has a great "old town" area for shopping and way fewer Vespas than Florence — worth half a day.
I was panhandled in Milan by two older women holding a baby and a three-year-old
girl. Turns out panhandling was their cover as gypsies to pickpocket you.
They were really good and fast but failed since I had read about them.
Wear a money belt — they are just too good and fast at pickpocketing.
Bob <rew_us@yahoo.com>
San Rafael, CA USA 11/27/99
My wife and I just returned from two weeks in Italy. The guidebook proved
very reliable. However, you definitely understated the value of a day
walking in the park at Villa Borghese. It is peaceful, quite nicely kept
(better than Central Park), and a great break from the hustle and bustle.
In Rome we used the walking tours provided by "Enjoy Rome," which were
great! We also commend your recommendation of two restaurants, in particular.
In Rome's Piazza Farnese, Da Giovanni Ar Galletto had roast lamb "to die
for." Also, in Florence's Oltrarno area, Trattoria Casalinga had us coming
back night after night for the food and the atmosphere. Top sight for
us was the Vatican Musuem/Sistine Chapel/St. Peter's Square & Basillica.
We strongly recommend going with a tour, such as Enjoy Rome, because there's
simply too much that you will not appreciate without the coaching and
scouting given by knowledgeable guides.
Tony Gigliotti <ajgiglio@netscape.net>
Syracuse, NY USA 11/23/99
When leaving Milan the best way to get to Malpensa Airport is the new "Malpena Express." The train departs from Milan's Cadorna train station,
which can easily be reached by taking the #1 metro line (if you're staying
near the Duomo) to the Cadorna stop. Once there you can either purchase
the "Malpensa Express" ticket for 15,000 Lire or on the train for 20,000
Lire. Best of all the train drops you right inside the airport's international
terminal. See www.malpensaexpress.com
E. Lynch <elynch@roadrunner.com>
Santa Fe, NM USA 11/22/99
My family's last day in Sorrento, we followed advice from Rick's Italy
travel guide and hired a fellow named Carmine Monetti. Carmine provides
day tours in a very nice air-conditioned Mercedes station wagon. Carmine
is an older gentleman who speaks decent broken English. He is an absolutely
wonderful person with a fabulous sense of humor. Our day trip was fantastic.
He took us from Sorrento to Rivelo, to Positano to Amalfi. All the while
he entertained us with detailed history of all the sights and many extremely
funny stories. All of this in broken English led us to uncontrolled laughter.
This was truly one of the highlights of our entire trip. As an added bonus
we needed to get to Naples by the end of the day so Carmine took us there
for a very reasonable fee and we stopped along the way to visit Pompeii.
Info: Carmine Monetti, tel. 0335 6029158 or 338 9462860 or (081) 8784795.
Vince & Bonnie Link <vince.link@owenscorning.com>
Newark, oh USA 11/19/99
I am Italian but currently I live in Los Angeles. I just came back from 4 weeks' travel through Italy, and my favourite place was Cinque Terre and the surrounding towns of Levanto and Bonassola. Please consider adding these to your guide.
I rented a room in Levanto from where you can easily reach Cinque Terre
(just 5 minutes by train) at "Villa Margherita by the Sea" B&B. It is
a restored classic Italian villa located on the last undiscovered section
of the Italian Riviera. Each room at Villa Margherita is unique and includes
television, phone, bath and comfortable beds. The rooms are decorated
with antiques. Federico, the owner, is multi-lingual, guaranteeing your
visit will be a truly warm and international experience. (E-mail: villamargherita@hotmail.com
or http://www.ztour.com/top/villamargherita.htm)
Enzo <epos999@yahoo.it>
Los Angeles, ca USA 11/13/99
Just got back from Italy. Some of the major galleries in the Uffizi — namely Botticelli, Titian, Rubens, and Raphael — are still closed.
In Rome, if you plan to see Nero's home (across from the Colosseum),
make reservations 2-3 days in advance — more if you want to visit on a
weekend. We didn't make reservations in advance and were unable to get
tickets until Friday as of a Wednesday morning. Also, if you want to see
the Sistine Chapel, get to the Vatican Museums as soon as they open. Lately
the museums have been packed to maximum capacity and it has become very
difficult to enjoy with all the crowding.
L <lschreiber@amrresearch.com>
Boston, MA USA 11/08/99
I just returned from a 5-week stay and as usual Italy is WONDERFUL.
Be warned that in Rome everything is still scaffolded or being repaved.
The Trevi Fountain is fenced off as well as the Bernini fountains in Piazza
Navona. The Campo di Fiori was virtually fenced off. You can still get
to the resturants but the central piazza with the statue is closed. The
Italians swear that all the work will be done by December 24th, but I
find this highly unlikely.
Kevin Flynn <kal-el96@msn.com>
Oakland, Ca USA 11/05/99
Your book was great for planning what we wanted to see and how much time we wanted to spend.
The best restaurant experience of our 3-week trip was in Siena at Guido's. Excellent food, service and populated by locals who made us feel at home (shared their after-dinner liquor and biscotti with us). The Italian people in general were so wonderful and willing to help. Like you said, if you show a little effort and try to speak the language, they respond.
The Best Western Hotels in Italy were great. We stayed at one in Roma (Hotel Villafranca), Siena (Hotel Executive) and Florence (Hotel Laurus). They were very clean, had private baths, staff was very accommodating, and they were fairly reasonable.
The whole time we were in Europe, not only Italy, we saw no evidence of Gypsies or pickpockets.
One item that was invaluable was a currency converter calculator.
Wendy Dorn <wdorn@spdpharma.com>
Altamonte Springs, FL USA 11/02/99
If staying in Venice you must check out VeniceRentals.com! They rent
apartments with a 2-night minimum stay to vacationers for less than a
hotel room. The service of the owners, Denise and Maurizio, is fabulous.
Denise is American and Maurizio Italian, and they both know the city inside
and out and can help you with the language barrier. They offer many services
with their apartments and have over 40 to choose from, all of which have
full kitchens, bathroom, living rooms, dining rooms, some with gardens,
etc. It's really a bargain for couples and families alike and this couple
does an excellent job at making everything simple and wonderful. They
even pick you up and bring you to the apartment. Their prices are all-inclusive;
there are no hidden fees or costs. I highly recommend Venice Rentals!
Venicerentals.com or Info@venicerentals is how they can be reached.
Judi Corsile
Boston, MA USA 10/29/99
When we were in Venice, my boyfriend's parents took a vaporetto (water
bus) using a ticket they had bought the day before (and not used). They
were fined 30,000 Lire because their ticket was over 24 hours old, even
though it had only been stamped 30 minutes before. Nowhere on the ticket
or ticket booths does it say anything about a time limit on using tickets.
Rip!
Paige
Munich, Germany 10/26/99
The Mona Winks tour of St. Peter's in Rome was invaluable. Everyone else just walked over the spot where Charlemagne was crowned, but I was able to recognize and appreciate it!
Our favorite church was Maria sopra Minerva. What a ceiling!
My son's favorite day trip from Rome was Caserta Palace, Queen Amidala's palace in Star Wars. My favorite day trip was Ostia Antica; getting to the oldest synagogue in Europe took some doing, but we did it despite the trail vanishing and the rain starting. I just loved the floor mosaics at Ostia, especially the mermaids and the soccer ball.
I read "Rome: Biography of a City" by Hibbert before going, which helped
me make sense of all that we saw. I also recommend the Didius Falco paperbacks
by Lindsey Davis as travel reading. It's fun to think, "Oh, this was the
road he took when he was investigating the murder of...."
Glenda <mckinney@onr.com>
Austin, TX USA 10/25/99
I can't say that I agree that Rome's public transit is very good. Even
locals think the subway system is a mess with its two seperate lines,
sauna-like atmosphere, and limited service. Buses are a bit better, but
can be confusing to people who are not residents. With smallish signs
indicating the stops and no route maps posted inside the buses, it is
hard to know if you are approaching your stop. Thankfully people are helpful.
chris blum <cjblum@rconnect.com>
Rochester, MN USA 10/25/99
Staying in Orvieto? Please note that when you get off the train in Orvieto
and you are staying at any of the places Rick suggests, you still have
to take the funicular to get there. They charge for this ride, so make
sure you have cash on hand. There might have been a way to walk it but
we didn't see how. (P.S. It's the same for going down.)
Melissa
Minneapolis, MN USA 10/22/99
Thanks Rick! My wife and I just returned from three glorious weeks in Italy, all the while utilizing Rick's Italy guide for transportation and hotel tips. When in Rome travel the subway and buses; they're simple and cheap. Stay outside of Florence and take a train into town. Same for Venice even if you happen to be driving. Park in Mestre, $10.00 for two days, take the train $1.25 one way.
Another good accommodation guide is Karen Brown's Italian Bed & Breakfasts.
And remember the McDonald's usually have decent bathrooms!
Tom Magnone <tom_magnone@hp.com>
Liberty Twp, OH USA 10/18/99
Jules and I loved our 3 wks. in Italy. It really helped learning some Italian as people in most places we visited spoke very little or no English. Room finding in Florence is a nightmare. We spent 5 hours at the station after our hotel cancelled our reservation at 5pm. Finally the nuns took us in at 10:30. DO NOT go to Florence without a reservation. One other tip — the Uffizi at night is quiet and evocative. Check the schedule to see what nights work.
Sorrento is nothing to write home about. Positano is about a half hour south and is much more enjoyable. WARNING: The Circumvesuviana train from Naples to Sorrento is a private train. Railpasses do not work and you must buy a ticket or pay a fine on the train.
This time of the year is truffle season and you can get these delicious
morsels very cheaply from farms around Umbria. Don't miss this chance.
Chris Blum <cjblum@rconnect.com>
Rochester, MN USA 10/15/99
Set the alarm and visit St. Mark's square in Venice right after sunrise — it
is a completely different place...quiet, empty, even serene. Great light
for photos. The pigeons don't show up until the guy selling seed shows
up, so they are nowhere to be seen at 6am. No packs of tourists, no dueling
orchestras, no lines for the museums, just you and a few locals going
to work, plus a handful of smart tourists just like yourself!
Bob L.
Derby, USA 10/13/99
Italy has become my absolute FAVORITE destination. For those afraid of having bad experiences:
1) Every train station in Italy has boards posted showing timetables of arrivals (ARRIVI) and departures (PARTENZI) (not the overhead things showing current arrivals and departures — but paper timetables, usually posted next to the tracks.) They show a chronological listing of every train scheduled at that station, including a notation of which days of the week the route is run. They also show every stop the train will make on its route, whether a supplement is required and which track the train will be on. If you consult the timetable when you get to the station, before trying to make your arrangements, you'll be better equipped to do so. You will also be aware of any need to change trains.
2) Yes, Venice (and Rome and Florence and any other town on the tourist map) can by packed with tourists. The best way to avoid them is to go sometime other than peak season, but if that is not an option there are other strategies. The same areas that are overrun with tourists during the day are often quieter at night. Not deserted, just less crowded and more pleasant. That doesn't help much with the crowds at museums, but by and large, Italian cities (and their people) are their own best attractions anyway. What museum could be as amazing as a moonlit night in Venice?
3) If the crowds of tourists or the hustle and bustle of a city start interfering with your enjoyment, GET AWAY. Before leaving home, read everything you can about the regions you plan to visit. Try to identify some small towns you might escape to, ask locals for advice on tourist-free places to visit, or just go to the train station, pick a train and get on. Relax, and try to be flexible. Sometimes the very best experiences are completely unplanned. A few days in a quiet little town can do a world of good for frazzled nerves and you might just find it to be the most rewarding and memorable part of your trip.
4) Remember that you are NOT in Disneyland. People working in tourist
information offices are there to give you information, and virtually anyone
else who does is DOING YOU A FAVOR. No matter how frustrated you might
get, never, never forget to smile and treat people with the same respect
with which you would wish to be treated. If you go into every day looking
for friendly, helpful people and wonderful experiences, you will find
them.
Angela <horger@uky.campuscwix.net>
Lexington, KY USA 10/13/99
Try to get off the heavy tourist track. Try the Marches along the Adriatic Coast. There are beautiful hill towns that way too. People will not assume that you are an American! You could be German or English as far as they know. Ascoli-Piceno is charming and beautiful. Fried, stuffed olives are a local delicacy. Try a plate on the piazza with a glass of the vino locale bianco. Santa Vittoria in Matenano is another place to see the real Italy. The locals will toast you as a visitor to their village. Servigliano, Fermo and Porto San Giorgio are also must-sees. If you have time, visit San Benedetto del Tronot, the Conero Peninsula, Loreto and Ancona.
Mention Rick's name and you might get an upgrade. We did that a couple
of times. But it didn't fly in Siena, where the receptionist at the Hotel
Duomo laughed and said that 80% of their guests arrive with Rick Steves
under their arms! Thanks again, Rick. We're looking forward to the next
excursion.
Robert Newton <spirit48@teleport.com>
portland, or USA 10/13/99
My husband and I just got back from Italy with my parents and sister.
Several of our friends had strongly recommended this guide book and were
very fond of Cinque Terre. With 5 of us, we decided to rent a car for
excursions out of Florence, including the Cinque Terre. The guide book
mentioned treacherous roads to the towns, but it was one of the most miserable
driving experiences of my life. We had hoped to have a nice relaxing day
in Cinque Terre. Instead, we were so wound up from the ride down (and
the prospect of having to go back) that we had a pretty miserable time
there. Instead of driving, we suggest parking in La Spezia or somewhere
else that isn't as nerve-wracking.
Megan Pratt <mebenson@fas.harvard.edu>
Boston, MA USA 10/02/99
I've seen many warnings about Gypsies at the Colosseum trying to rip people off. Having just returned from Rome, I saw no such thing. In fact, I saw no one in any of the ancient sites who even looked suspicious. I never once felt uncomfortable, never had the alarm bells go off. I found out from a cabbie that the gov't relocated Gypsy camps outside the city, so the situation at the sites is much better now (of course, I had on my money belt).
But an apparently new annoyance has cropped up in Rome: endless hordes
of people (a cabbie told me they are Pakistanis) selling roses, toys,
postcards, you name it. Some of them were incredibly pushy. They'd force
a rose in your shirt pocket, leave, then come back in 30 seconds asking
for money for it. At one point near one of the fountains, I was asked
probably 10 times in five minutes to buy something. These people were
incredibly annoying, It's depressing to try to relax at a piazza and constantly
have cheap junk pushed in your face. The cabbies told me that the locals
are becoming very irritated with them, and I can see why.
Jon <secondaddress@hotmail.com>
Columbus, oh USA 10/02/99
We did churches while in Rome (7 in 2 days) and found that our favorites
were the ones that are often overlooked. Don't stop with just St. Peter's
but check out two more of the major basilicas. Our favorites were St.
John Lateran and St. Paul beyond the walls. These two are a bit more of
a challenge to find but are both located very near a metro stop.
Ann <DCE85@aol.com>
Merritt Island, FL USA 10/01/99
I think the island of Burano has attained full front-door status. We
visited in mid-September and it was jam-packed with tourists. Most appeared
to be on tours but many also came by public transportation. The lovely
campo looked like the annual gathering of the "Ladies who Lunch and Buy
Lace" convention. No more pleasant, quiet, village here. We ate our picnic
lunch in the park, did a fast walk through the very charming streets and
caught the next boat out. We had a memorable hour-plus on the peaceful
cemetery isle. Nothing to buy here...very quiet!
Jim <jimdawng@aol.com>
Los Altos, CA USA 09/28/99
Two of our favorite places mentioned in Ricks' book were the Santa Maria Della Scala Hospital in Siena and the Farmaceutica di Santa Maria Novella in Florence.
The old 14th-century hospital sits directly opposite the Duomo. It is in restoration and not all rooms are open. However you get a great sense of how a hospital developed through the years and a look at some amazing frescoes depicting the workings of the hospital during the 14th C. Below the main floor is a lovely and strangely odd chapel (with displays of self-flagellation chains among other things) that belongs to one of the confraternities still active today. There are also a series of underground tunnels being excavated that we were told extend far into Siena. These were being used as very effective art galleries during our visit.
The Farmaceutica was a wonderful surprise as well. It is housed in a beautiful couple of rooms attached to the monastery of Santa Maria Novella. I had a great time smelling samples of all the old perfumes and shopping for face soaps and all sorts of luxury items for both men and women. In the next room is the Pharmacy. The clerk will give you, if asked, a sheet explaining in English all the various teas, capsules and other items available for purchase. We ended up buying a tea for sleep and a tea for high cholesterol. An English lady I'd met there waited for my husband to leave and then asked if there was any tea for a poor libido...there is. Oh those monks!
Both of these places had very few tourists. That was a pleasure too.
Dawn <jimdawng@aol.com>
Los Altos, CA USA 09/26/99
My 8-yr old son and I spent 23 days traveling in Italy this summer.
The highlight of our trip was SARDINIA. Cagliari was wonderful, with the
pristine beaches, very good food, and the people very friendly. We can't
wait to go back.
tess <tssy@chevron.com>
Pleasant Hill, CA USA 09/23/99
Arezzo is still relatively off the beaten track in Tuscany. It is located
45 minutes from Florence by train. (The train passes Montevarchi — home
of the Prada outlet, and jumping-off point for the Gucci outlet as well.)
It is a beautiful well-kept medieval town with a lot of charm. No group
tours here — it is known mainly for its antique market. It is also where
the film La Vita e Bella ("Life is Beautiful") was made. Also a few miles
outside of town is the bridge that appears in the background of the Mona
Lisa (Ponte a Burriano). While there drop in at the Caffe Costanti, in
front of San Francesco. The style and quality are what you find at Rivoire
or Gilli in Florence, but at a fraction of the cost.
RMD <rene@fionline.it>
Firenze, Italia 09/20/99
This summer I attended 6 weeks of language instruction at Centro Studi Filippo Brunelleschi in Firenze. It is a small, friendly school, started by three young people, with a view to providing interesting classes in a fun and stimulating environment. It is situated between S. Maria Novella and S. Lorenzo, in a small but well-equipped building on Piazza Indipendenza. Social activities are organised with students from other schools in the city. These included, among others, trips to the Cinque Terre, Fiesole, the Palio in Siena, and a walk from Certaldo to San Gimignano. Every month, there is a wine tasting, held in the garden of the school.
The classes are small - for my first 4 weeks, I was in a class that comprised of 6 people, and for the last two weeks, there were only three. The staff are dedicated young teachers, who are approachable and enthusiastic. Classes run from 9:30 am to 1:30 pm, and again (in the super-intensive course) from 2 to 5. They usually consist of a good mix of grammar and conversation, and are very much based on the needs of the students.
Firenze itself is a wonderful place to live, and the school provides an accommodation service that manages to find excellent living quarters for all. Prices for accommodation varied from L1,000,000 for 6 weeks (my apartment) to about L450,000 for a shared room.
The staff at the school were always happy to help me plan trips, and
have a good collection of guidebooks. My e-mails to the school were always
answered promptly and fully, and this took much of the stress out of travelling
alone to Italy. Having been to an unpleasant school as a teenager, I appreciate
just how important it is to be welcomed properly, and to have someone
available to answer questions and worries.
Catriona Berman <catber@hotmail.com>
Dublin, Ireland 09/20/99
For anyone considering a spa resort vacation in the U.S., please consider
Abano Terme in Italy first. My friends and I recently completed a two-week
stay in Italy which included three days at the Brisol Buja Spa and Resort
Hotel in Abano Terme (just a few miles from Padua and Venice). It was
wonderful, relaxing (mud baths, facials, and massages) and inexpensive.
We figured that for an entire week's stay plus airfare we couldn't find
a better value anywhere in the U.S. (And you're in Italy!!).
Joe Dyabelko <ftown600@aol.com>
Flourtown, PA USA 09/18/99
My friend and I were in Varenna, the Cinque Terre, and Milan. Though
the Cinque Terre was beautiful, we were slightly disappointed by how crowded
and filled with Americans Vernazza was, at least in late August. When
we arrived by train, hordes of people were literally swarming the place.
Not my idea of a "back door." Riomaggore, Corniglia, and Manarola seemed
quieter. Also, being used to wide, sandy American beaches, I was disappointed
in the sandless, pebbly beaches in the Cinque Terre, although the water
was totally clear and gorgeous. Also, we tried to hike to the botanical
garden in Riomagiorre, but it closed for the day at 1 PM. Rick's restaurant
recommendations in Vernazza are right on the money — the best reason to
stay here is because the food is the best and and it is a little busier
here.
<jenhandler@aol.com>
New York, NY USA 09/17/99
My daughter and I recently returned from Italy and France. When we took
the train from Venice to Monaco, we almost had a duffel bag stolen and
I had to grab it off the man who took it, so never leave anything unattended.
The train was a ten-hour overnight trip, and they provided no water or
blankets, just a paper sheet to put on the rock-hard mattress. The overnight
train from Monaco was a little better, with a bottle of water each and
clean cotton sheets and blankets. However, despite the fact that we didn't
lose valuable sightseeing time because we traveled at night, I would only
do it again if we had a private car.
Diane Froias <RInative@hotmail.com>
Orlando, Fl USA 08/28/99
I was in the Cinque Terre a few weeks ago and LOVED IT. But just one
thing: Rick wrote that there are showers by the beaches and swimming areas,
and that these may well be cleaner than in the hotels, so we should grab
our soap and shampoo as we head out to swim, and just do our showering
by the beaches. Well, I was lathering up at the Corniglia beach showers
when a tirade of shouting came my way from two older local women. They
said soap was forbidden, that it goes straight into the ocean, and that
all the Americans always come to the Cinque Terre and pollute the ocean
this way. I felt very bad, and they were furious.
Claudia <cvonderohe@hotmail.com>
Los Angeles, CA USA 08/26/99
After being in Italy for 3 weeks with Rick, I am even more grateful
for his Italy guidebook. However, I have to say that I really wish he
would expand it, especially to include Sicily. This island has much to
offer the traveller, such as the oldest ruins in western Europe, great
beaches, and some of the best food around. However, it is fraught with
dangers and annoyances, and it just screams for a Rick guide.
Nicholas Berry <isian@angelfire.com>
Seattle, WA USA 08/17/99
My girlfriend and I just returned from Rome, Florence, and Venice. We
used "Rick Steves' Italy 1999" as our travel Bible. It was an invaluable
resource and I only regret not reading it through and not visiting the
website prior to the trip. It was as if Rick Steves were with us in person,
so much so that we named the book "Rick," and all through Italy we'd say,
"Ohh, you dropped Rick," "Don't forget Rick," "I can't believe you spilled
wine on Rick," "Rick is getting a little tattered," or "I'm sorry but
it's not very comfortable to have Rick in my back pocket," etc.
Mike Harris <lvfrerdie@aol.com>
Mahwah, NJ USA 08/16/99
Just returned from Italy. Riomaggiore is too crowded during August.
People — especially Americans — descend on the town in waves from the train
station. Hard to even get a seat at a cafe for a drink.
J.W.
N.J. USA 08/14/99
I just got back from Italy and did not have any problem reserving rooms
from the US or in Italy. From the US, I reserved rooms through the Internet.
There are several sites — just search for "hotel rooms in Italy." In Italy,
we called hotels the day before we arrived in the town. Most hotel clerks
speak English. The drawback is that most want you to fax a credit card
number in order to hold the room. If possible, call from the hotel you
are currently staying at. Most hotels usually have a fax machine.
Manny from Sac <mmorales@giantsfan.com>
Sacramento, ca USA 08/13/99
We spent two weeks in Italy and used the Florence and Rome chapters
from "Mona Winks" and selected portions of the "Italy 1999" book. We arrived
in Siena and got turned around (literally — we could have used some warning
about those roundabouts!). We eventually found the Italian version of
a "park-and-ride," but we had no clue as to our position relative to the
cute little map in ETBD. The same thing happened in Perugia, but after
trying to figure out where we were going — at night, no less — we gave up.
You'd think that these towns were situated in the middle of a field somewhere,
with nothing else around them. Hey, Siena and Perugia are comparatively
large towns — they have suburbs and an industrial district just like places
in the US.
Bob Kingston <bkingstn@teleport.com>
Portland, OR USA 07/28/99
The guidebook is very good (and very lightweight) for showing you things
you may otherwise miss. I think the issue of traffice noise in the Italian
cities should be stressed more, as it is very difficult to have the energy
and attitude for sightseeing during the day, when the previous night was
spent tossing and turning listening to screaming mopeds.And I live next
to a busy Houston thoroughfare! Otherwise Italy is great — we will go back.
Fred Tooley <Fredtoo@ix.netcom.com>
Houston, tx USA 07/25/99
[Editor's note: We at ETBD recommend travelers pack earplugs for just such situations.]
We just returned from 11 days in Italy. We used Rick's Italy guide as our primary resource.
Lake Como: Varenna is gorgeous and served as a wonderful center spot for visiting the mid-lake area.
Cinque Terre: Our biggest disappointment. We followed Rick's advice
that we could find a spot to stay without advance reservations. When we
arrived, the place was swarming with Americans trying to do the same,
and there were absolutely no rooms to be had. We ended up taking the train
back to La Spezia and driving on to Florence.
Matt Boulton <boulton123@aol.com>
simsbury, ct USA 07/19/99
I love Italy! My favourite place is Rome. It is so exciting. You could be walking down a little narrow street and all of the sudden you see a famous monument. There is an adventure on every corner. Pizza by the Trevi Fountain at night is great. More of my favourite places are Siena and San Gimignano.
The South of Italy (Sicily) is the best place to be in July and August.
There are fiestas (fairs) every week. It helps if you have family that
can take you around because Sicily can be a little dangerous if you don't
know where you are going. But if you are careful you'll be right. The
best gelati are in Messina, Sicily. They are out of this world!
Josie
Sydney, NSW AUSTRALIA 07/08/99
We just returned from a three-week stay in Italy. We agree with Rick's
observation about staying in Sorrento. Another "Back Door" is the Island
of Ischia. It is only a one-hour ferry ride off the coast of Naples.
Bob Ogden <oggie2@aol.com>
Carlsbad, CA USA 06/27/99
A hill town not to be missed is Gubbio. This delightful town (our favorite)
is off the tour-bus route, so no crowds. Along with the delightful medieval
city streets, there are Roman (theatre) and Etruscan ruins, and a wonderful
Palazzo that is said to rival Florence's Palazzo Vecchio. There are also
two artisans claimed to be among the most gifted ceramicists in Italy,
who work in gold-incised black "bucchero," an Etruscan technique. Gubbio
is about an hour's drive north of Assisi. The drive will take you through
some of the most beautiful rolling hills and meadows. Each mile brings
another photo opportunity.
Harry and Donna Loving <hgloving@aol.com>
San Diego, CA USA 06/22/99
Save yourself the time and money and see my comments about the Blue
Grotto on the wall section for "tourist traps." All in all, though, we
had a fabulous trip and, aside from the guy at the Blue Grotto, no one
tried to rip us off — not a single gypsy in sight, either, much to our
surprise. (We were always aware, paid attention to each transaction, and
wore our moneybelts.) Next spring I'm going to a tiny town in Tuscany
to study Italian and I can't wait to go back and experience life in the
country.
<levin@mesirov.com>
USA 06/15/99
How the Boboli Gardens in Florence saved my vacation: Florence is beautiful.
It is also swarming with noisy vespa motor-scooters and mobs of sweaty
tourists. My wife and I needed some ambience and romance, and we found
it in the Boboli Gardens. First, we arrived at the Pitti Palace Art Museum
when they opened in the morning. We were practically alone for an hour,
surrounded by amazing art in this magnificent palace! Totally refreshed
by the lack of crowds, we walked behind the museum into the vast, wildflower-filled
Boboli Gardens. I suggest after strolling the paths and visiting the fountains,
you make your way up to the 16th-century cafe for beautiful views of the
Duomo. Venture east out the gate, and in five minutes you arrive at Fort
Belvedere. Walk up the stairs. The view of Florence sitting majestically
in the haze is unforgettable. Put your hand to your ear...no motor scooters.
The few people around you at sunset will be dreamers, poets and lovers...
John <tinaandjohn@earthlink.net>
Los angeles, Ca USA 06/14/99
SORRENTO: You were right on the money, suggesting it as a base.
P. B. Rogers <note2u@hotmail.com>
The Woodlands, TX USA 06/13/99
For years we heard you rave about Cinque Terre and a "vacation from your vacation." Well, this May, we got there. It was everything you said it was and more, especially Vernazza, our favorite. Your timings for the walks from Riomaggiore to Manarola to Corniglia were dead on. It took us a bit longer than your estimate to walk from Monterosso to Vernazza, but it was raining and hey, we're old!
This is no longer an undiscovered paradise; there are lots of walkers, mostly German. They don't spoil it, but be prepared.
We stayed in Santa Margherita Ligure where there are a lot of choices
and took the train (about 9 am) to Cinque Terre each day. Second class
is cheap and fine (but slow — although no slower than first!). We can't
wait to try your recommendations in the Dolomiti!
John & Carolyn Baker <jandcbaker@erols.com>
Oakton, VA USA 06/10/99
During my last visit to Rome, one of my favourite "Backdoor" spots was
Piazza Santa Maria in Trastevere. First, the church itself is a masterpiece.
One of the oldest in Rome, it is home to a Byzantine mosaic interior and
antique marble columns — stolen from ancient Roman (pagan) monuments.
The dim candlelight and the cool, damp odor of old stone, incense and
wax contribute to the mystical, eastern feel. At night, come back to the
small Piazza for a bite to eat and gelati. Here is where the natives of
Trastevere gather, entire families from the toddlers to grandparents — all going strong at 9:00-10:00 PM. Rick, thanks for your Italian Phrasebook,
it came in handy while smiling and sharing with the Romans. Also, I loved
the entire page devoted to gelati flavours. My favorite is a combination
of stracciatela, tiramisu and coco.
Aaron Rose <arose@saff.utah.edu>
Salt Lake City, UT USA 06/10/99
Just returned from Firenze. Rick's Tuscan tips were great! A quick trip
to San Gimignano is a great way to spend a day. Incredible views!
Tom Weiland <anchorise@netscape.net>
Seattle, WA USA 06/10/99
My husband and I returned from Italy yesterday. We were so sad to leave because we had such a great time, following Rick's book and Mona Winks. We also had Frommers, Fodors and Eyewitness guides, which were very helpful in the museums that were not mentioned in Ricks' books. The Eyewitness guides had floorplans — especially helpful because some of the museums didn't have floorplans to give out, or you had to buy them.
Take the night train from Naples to Venice. However book first-class SLEEPERS, not couchettes. It costs the same as a hotel but you will sleep better in a sleeper than the couchette. There is a lock on the door, and it's air-conditioned.
The ICEMAN is in Bolzano. Get the English audioguide. It's pretty amazing to see the videos.
We had a car in the Dolomites and the mountains are really spectacular.
Take the gondola up to Pondoi Pass. It was scary but fun.
Maria <demini@acninc.net>
Laurel, MD USA 06/07/99
Just got back from 3 weeks in Italy (with a family of 6), using Rick's book and a handful of internet postings — homework that paid off magnificently.
VENICE — Can't thank Rick enough for the Pub Crawl recommendation.
ROME — Avoid the tourist trap restaurants in the Piazza Barberini area (near the Trevi Fountain). The snack bars in the Vatican area were a real bargain and tasty as well. No sign of the gypsy children anywhere despite the many warnings.
SICILY — Visit the "ball" at the end of the "boot." Highly recommended! Our family's favorites included Palermo (glorious chaos), Monreale (beautiful church), Agrigento, and Caltagirone (spectacular old city with ceramic artistry).
Used ATM's and credit cards almost exclusively with no problem...As
Rick says, a few Italian words and phrases combined with a smile made
our trip go very smoothly...Italian traffic took a little getting used
to, but, by using the tips on the graffiti board and in Rick's book, you
should be fine...Also, very little road rage among the drivers we saw,
so there must be something to their ways...The Platypus collapsible water
bottles saved us on more than one occasion...Next time, more small towns
and villages, fewer big cities.
T.J. Murphy <tjmurphy@westgroup.com>
Petluma, CA USA 05/20/99
Just returned from 8 days in Italy, referring mainly to Rick's book. The guidebook and especially the tours in Mona Winks were extremely helpful.
MILAN: We did Rick's three-hour tour, and it was splendid. Highly recommend going to top of Duomo. Galleria is packed at entrance because construction creates a logjam. Was bummed that postcards showed fountains at the Duomo — I guess they're under construction right now. Also, Rick thankfully included info on getting from Linate to Milan.
VENICE: Mona Winks tour of Doge's Palace in particular was outstanding. Recommend Chiesa dei Frari as well.
FLORENCE: Where'd all the gypsies go? I assumed military preparedness but didn't see a single gypsy in three days. Uffizi is completely worth the wait, so was David at the Accademia. Pitti Palace: everyone talks about the paintings, but also notice the furniture — it's amazing. Dinner places were disappointing — we tried real hard to find places away from the tourist center, but they were all still packed with Americans. Folks in Florence also appear to seat all the Americans in one room and all the Florentines in another. Florence at night is dead, but the gelato is out of this world.
ROME: Ricks' Caesar Shuffle Tour in Mona Winks was great. We did Vatican in one day — St. Peter's first thing in morning, climb to top, go for lunch at nearby eatery, Museum in afternoon. It seems like that method avoided the lines, which got long at St. Peter's once the tour groups show up (right after we came down from the top, thankfully). Campidoglio at night is wonderful, so is Forum and Trajan's Column.
Hope this helps any other travelers.....
John Hollinger <jholling@oregonlive.com>
Portland, OR USA 05/10/99
I spent a summer in Italy and one memory that stands out is crossing the street in Rome. Tourists stand there petrified because there are no traffic lights around. You just have to step out into traffic and the Vespas weave around you. If you panic and stop, there could be trouble. The problem is when you return to America and this has become habit!
In Italian train stations and TI's I couldn't find the little train schedules pamphlets like Britain and France have. Finally, an Italian man told me that the schedules are compiled into a little monthly magazine sold at newsstands for about $5.
Someone suggested (below) how they use scents to remember their trips.
Back at home, I planted oregano, rosemary, and basil (in lots of foods
there) as well as jasmine which bloomed along the Forum and other sights.
These smells help bring back memories...as do the tastes of Chianti and
Nutella!
Elizabeth Davidson <EDavi1404@aol.com>
Lafayette, LA USA 05/03/99
We visited Italy in April 1999.
FLORENCE: hopefully this is an annual event: April 12-19 was free art week. We got into the Uffizi and everywhere else free!
ROME: last time no problem, this time pickpockets everywhere! No problem anywhere else. Problem with spring is many people get married so we missed several art works in churches because they were closed to the public during weddings.
TIVOLI: If you're in Rome during the shoulder season and have seen the sights, take a very nice bus trip to Tivoli. Lovely gardens at the Castle.
SPOLETO: hit antique market day. If you can stop in small towns on their market days, Italy would be pure heaven. Very nice town, lack of gelato stands.
ASSISI: we love Assisi, touristy but lots to do. Hang out in the town square.
CORTONA: Museo Arch. Etrusco very nice. Great views from the town, we saw an awesome sunset. And a cross-eyed baby Jesus. (Not at the same time)
LUCCA: fun town for a day trip. Santa Zita in chiesa San Frediano was lovely if a little dessicated although it says she is untouched by time, so we assumed she didn't drink enough liquids.
BOLOGNA: like Milan, a business city. They actually stop for stop lights!
VICENZA: what a lovely little town. Good sights, good food, compact. Watch out at the Pinoteca, there's a painting on the ceiling where you're literally looking up at Apollo and horses going across the sky. Ahem. The locals get a laugh as the tourists finally realize the naughty bits they're looking at.
FERRARA: Este Castle worth a look.
VENICE: Expensive and worth it. Boats to Murano and Burano fun rides if you've got time.
We use the Rick Steves method of travelling — low-key — and we were more
often taken for European tourist than American/English. Thanks, Rick,
this makes us feel like real world citizens.
DFDaily <dfdaily@juno.com>
Seattle, WA USA 05/02/99
We just came back from Rome, Florence, Montecatini Terme (our newly discovered back door), Venice, and Naples. We met several ETBD travelers as well as an occasional ugly American. Yes, there are mountains of scaffolding, but mostly in Rome. It seems not as bad if you are prepared for it and just shrug it off like an Italian would. My fourteen-year-old had the biggest problem ignoring it.
Don't buy a first-class train pass for Italy. Sometimes there are no seats, couchettes or sleepers in first class but there are in 2nd class. We paid first-class prices for flea bites in the 2nd-class sleeper from Venice to Naples because that was all that was available, ouch!! Besides, generally 2nd class is a lot friendlier.
Never, ever try visiting the Cinque Terre on or around Easter Weekend. My original reservations were not honored, although made over 60 days in advance. I believe I called every single listing in all 5 CT towns; some of them laughed at me for inquiring about rooms over Easter Weekend!
Get this: the waiter in a hole-in-the-wall pizza place asked if he could help me. I told him I needed a room for my family for the weekend, that we wanted to leave Florence and experience more of Tuscany. The manager called a friend. And we were directed to a picturesque, clean, safe spa town about an hour N-NW of Florence. We were so happy we chanced on our own back door that was loaded w/ hotels, soft prices, and good gelato & transportation connections. We fell in love with Montecatini Terme & Montecatini Alto (on top of the mountain)!
Do not be afraid of Naples. Just keep your wits about you, be flexible,
don't walk around loaded down with stuff. The people look scruffy and
unwashed but inside most are goodwill ambassadors of their City and will
go out of their way to try and help.
brad smith <bsmith1240@aol.com>
tiverton, ri USA 04/25/99
I went to Rome, Florence, Verona and Venice and lived by this book.
In Rome, I loved the commentary on each sight and the little "tours". I would also like to suggest eating Chinese in Rome — we found great chinese food for a great price.
In Florence, I don't think it is necessary to see the real David becase there exact replications everywhere, like Palazzo Vecchio. The line to the Uffizi was too long all day so we hiked up to Michelangelo's birthplace — a great view of the city but not worth it.
To anyone visiting Florence, I highly recommend a day trip to Cinque Terre — it was the most beautiful scenery ever. We hiked through the mountains and went down to all of the cute towns. The train ride was about an hour with a stop in Pisa.
In Verona, we checked our bags at the train station — where we ended up sleeping. Piazza Bra was really pretty and interesting. The Arena wasn't too exciting, but we did really enjoy the pedestrian streets and the cute shopping along the way. I wouldn't recommend sleeping in a train station. We were woken up every half hour by the cleaners.
Our gondola ride in Venice cost L100,000 for about 45 minutes. It was very relaxing and worth the money.
The best gelato was in Rome and Florence; Venice had the worst. The
food in Italy was good but you don't get enough and you get it slowly.
Stephanie Krause <stephk@falcon.cc.ukans.edu>
Chicago, IL USA 04/24/99
Rick mentions with a few hotel entries that that particular place won't respond if it is full, but I have found this to be the case with almost all budget or family-owned hotels, B & Bs, etc. If they're full, they just won't respond — I imagine because of the cost of faxes. So when I fax, instead of sending my credit card information with the initial inquiry regarding a room, first I fax a place to find out if they have the type of room I want on the date I want, what the complete price is, and what that price includes. If I don't hear from them, fine — I assume that nothing is available. I don't have to worry that, even though they didn't respond to me, they have my credit card info and might claim that I made a reservation and never showed and, therefore, charge me for at least one night. If they do respond and everything is suitable, then I immediately send them my acceptance and my credit card info to hold the reservation. I write simply and make everything clear in my faxes. (I usually do this in their language.)
I've never had a misunderstanding doing it this way and the cost to
me of a few extra faxes is worth it considering the potential cost and
trouble of disputing invalid credit card charges.
<levin@mesirov.com>
04/20/99
Recently returned from Venice, Florence, Pisa, Naples, and Rome. I agree
with Rick's description of Naples. Nothing happened to me there, but the
city was confusing and a little scary. Nonetheless, it had an old-world
beauty.
Angel <ef55@iona.edu>
New Rochelle, NY USA 04/15/99
Spent 25 days in Italy March-April '99.
Assisi: Too downplayed. Sunsets overlooking Umbria, strolls around the town's midieval core, food and wine. Assisi was as close to perfection as we could find.
In Florence, you might mention the degree of filth...everyone loves this city but it seems to have nothing to recommend it besides David and the Uffizi.
We got attacked by a gypsy mother with screaming baby and her small horde of 8-year-olds near the Ponte Vecchio. Mentioning these people and their ploy of waving cardboard etc. while looting you was a great mental advantage — but very scary nonetheless. Being prepared helped: wearing mostly black clothes (like the locals) with no bags, fanny packs, or backpacks made us less targetable, but Florentine sidewalks are very small and walking around a corner into the sun with a waiting band of theives comes as a surprise.
Vatican: Very tough to do both the Sistine Chapel and Basilica in a
day. It wasn't clear how squirreled-away the Sistine Chapel really was..."You
have to walk through the whole museum???"
Tuffer Mayeda <cmayeda@csus.edu>
Davis, CA USA 04/13/99
I fainted on the metro from Rome to Ostia. I got nothing but help from the other passengers. I was given a seat and made to put my head down. A nice lady helped carry my cousin's heavy bag up the station stairs. I was vulnerable for robbery and was instead treated wonderfully.
Ostia is a great place to stay if you don't mind taking the Metro into
Rome. Beats having to try to drive in the city traffic.
Judy Steele <steelej@pls.lib.ca.us>
San Bruno, CA USA 04/08/99
If going to stay in Vernazza in the Cinque Terre, make sure you book
and arrive early, as it will be full with Rick Steves' readers. I also
get the sense that they don't take reservations too seriously. You might
want to try Corniglia if you can handle the uphill hike from the train
station. It is more scenic than Vernazza, less touristy, and has more
rooms with views of the sea.
Frank
New York, NY USA 03/25/99
It's fun but not essential to study some Italian before going. It expands the possibility of saving money by renting rooms where they don't necessarily speak English.
Train service is excellent. You tend to meet people. The scenery we saw from the train (especially Roma to Florence to Siena) was beautiful. Second class is fine. We were there in Oct. — Nov.; summer may heighten the need for reservations. As you wait for a train, stay alert for last-minute announcements of track (binario) changes.
Venice was our favorite place. It's cleaned up, so tales we were told about filth must be obsolete.
Siena is charming, a pleasant place to hang around. We were there one
day; would now stay longer. Florence is a must for the museums, but is
more commercial and noisy. Rome is noisy and hectic; we would spend more
time elsewhere.
Joel Greenberg <joelgr@gte.net>
Santa Monica, CA USA 02/25/99
We made 4 trips to Italy using the guidebook, all great. Don't miss Verona, but don't stop for ice cream on Piazza Bra. Walk 100 feet down Via del Costa and save several dollars per cone.
The Amalfi Coast bus ride is great and Paestum was worth it for even the one unswathed temple. We went back to Sorrento by train from Salerno to Pompei, walking across town (very short) and catching the Circumvesuviana.
We parked in Orte twice, emptied our minivan and returned days later to find it untouched. Several friends did the same. Hadrian's Villa was hard to find but well worth it.
Looking up from reloading my camera outside the Colosseum to see two
young gypsy women approach a friend who had not read the book. The one
in front engaged his eyes and pushed a newspaper above his open fanny
pack that was in front. The other moved in from the side with her hand
under the paper. I yelled just before she reached the fanny pack and they
disappeared quickly!
Steve G <aggie@usit.net>
Ft. Campbell, KY USA 02/25/99
Pompeii is the historical site. Pompei is the modern town. Pompeii is
only a short walk from the train station in Pompei. When you tour Pompeii
(and you should if you get anywhere near southern Italy) do rent the taped
tour. No matter what entrance you take you can just punch in the number
for the site you are at, and get an in-depth description. One other thing — in the summer go early in the day, and bring water; it is very hot and
dusty there, and there isn't much shade.
Ed B. <veteran_writer@hotmail.com>
Boston, MA USA 02/24/99
The highlight of our tour of Italy was the in-house tour of St. Peters.
You pick it up just inside the main doors. An aggressive priest who speaks
fluent English will try to sell you his guide book while you wait for
the tour to begin. An English lady (who has been giving tours for 17 years)
provided a spiritual and emotional tour that will not be forgotten. The
tour ends in time for the 6:00 benediction.
Bob Mazurek <rmazur@mpw.net>
Milwaukee, WI USA 02/15/99
Siena is one of the nicest towns we have visited in Italy and I would
highly recommend it. But if you go to Siena in August or September, take
ear plugs. We take them as a matter of course and they sure came in handy
with the Palio, as there are loudspeakers blaring until 4:00am.
Craig McHaffie <mailaig@bc.sympatico.ca>
Victoria, BC CAN 01/30/99
At the Rome railroad station, we told the ticket seller we wanted to see Pompeii. He sold a ticket to the modern town, which could be OK if you realize it. From that station, we came upon the site at a back entrance (near the amphitheatre). We rented a audio wand (tape recorded tour). It was keyed to entry at the main entrance, so we generally could not find the sights being described. An Italian man on the train had recommended that we hire a human guide. In retrospect that would have been a good thing to do.
To return to Rome, we were directed to the narrow guage CircumVesuviana
back to Napoli. This could be fine, and scenic, but the F.S. ticket isn't
good on it. We found that out when I tried to validate the ticket; fortunately
in time to buy a new ticket to Napoli.
Joel Greenberg <joelgr@gte.net>
Santa Monica, CA USA 01/17/99
Have just returned from 2 weeks in Italy following many of your suggestions. Varenna on Lake Como was so lovely we added another day. Vernazza, Cinque Terre and the walk to the next village were also wonderful finds.
Do watch the pickpockets in Rome, and generally be alert. We found the
"back doors" preferable to the "must see" cities. We also never had a
poor meal, in a country that really knows food.
Julian <jcowburn@iafrica.com>
Gordon's Bay, South Africa 01/17/99
My husband and I travelled around Italy over the Christmas holidays. We really loved Verona. Many of the piazzas are closed to traffic.
I find that the book was written more for people travelling during the summer months. We took the bus ride to Fiesole, and didn't find much for us in the winter.
We are pleased with the book, and now that we've moved to Italy, we
plan to use it again as we continue our travels throughout the country.
Michele <mrs13@hotmail.com>
Torino, Italia 01/03/99
My husband and I have been to Italy 3 times since 1994 and have used your books each time.
The suggeston of seeing "David" late in the day was great — nobody was there! Also.. visiting St.Peter's at 5 PM mass was wonderful. No tour groups and the sunlight is so gorgeous at that hour.
In 3 different years we have used the trains quite often. We have had
1 or 2 problems but in each case either another passenger or the conductor
helped us patiently. This past spring at Termini on a train to Naples
a man in my car ran back and validated our tickets just as the train was
pulling out. I always forget the first time! And when we got to Naples
another man in our car showed us the way to the Circumvesuviana trains.
We always meet really nice people on the trains and I wouldn't want to
be in first class. Keep up the good work and we look forward to another
trip in 1999 with the aid of your book.
Luci Christina <antluci@webtv.net>
Lititz, PA USA 11/28/98
Rick says although one has to go through Brindisi, Italy to get a boat
to Greece, not to stop in Brindisi because nothing much is there. We must
beg to differ. We missed the boat to Greece because it left an hour early.
We were convinced there wasn't a nice place to stay there, but the policemen
at the harbor found us a room. There were two restaurants in town that
served very good meals at low prices. Since we had to wait for the next
boat the following night, we had a whole day to tour Brindisi. The harbor
was interesting since it was full of Albanians fleeing their country,
the shopping was really rather good, and prices for clothes very low.
When we got home, a well-written letter to the shipping company demanding
that they pay for our hotel and meals was answered with a check!
Sharon Henry <sahenryaty@aol.com>
Highlands Ranch, CO USA 11/23/98
I decided to take Rick's advice and use the T.I. as soon as I got into
each town for latest attraction hours, etc. However, I found the T.I.
is frequently closed in the smaller towns, such as Como and Assisi. So,
you should plan as if your destination has no T.I. and be pleasantly surprised
if one is open when you pull into town.
<TealbyAbby@aol.com>
nc USA 11/21/98
First, they refused to take my VISA card at the Milan station, without a word of explanation, although they were taking VISA from other passengers. The agent was rude, too. I tried again in Foligno, and this agent was polite. He explained that my card was on a foreign bank, one not acceptable to the Italian railway. He had a picture book of foreign bank cards they would accept, and my little credit union was not there!
Another thing about finding your track. I find it best to say to the agent, 'Que binario?' as you buy the ticket. They will tell you what track. Otherwise you lose valuable time peering at the monitors.
One way I screwed up: I heard the announcer announce a train to Venice,
where I was headed: track five. Not wanting to delay, I sprinted to the
track, asked the bystanders, "Venezzio"? "Si," so I hopped on. But it
turned out it was the Express and the conductor charged me a fine that
exceeded the price of the ticket! It might be a good idea to stand in
line at the information booth and ascertain your track and time even if
you think you know what you are doing! The information booth guys speak
English and are courteous and helpful.
<TealbyAbby@aol.com>
nc USA 11/21/98
This past summer we followed your guidebook, but added a few days in
Florence and Rome — how can you only spend two days in Florence or Rome?
Great itinerary. We went in August and missed all the lines (David, museums,
tower climbs, etc) by getting there either first thing in the morning
or late at night — we waited 20 minutes to see David and had no crowds
at 8:30am.
Laurie Keechler <lkeechler@aspsky.org>
San Francisco, CA USA 11/16/98
My husband and I visited Florence in early November. Be forewarned...as
our bike ride guide said, "Florence is a mosquito-infested swamp." She
was right...our hotel was old and the windows didn't close properly so
it was impossible to eliminate all of the mosquitoes from your room. My
husband took to sleeping wrapped up like a mummy from head to toe. I got
more bites in Florence in 4 days than I did during an entire summer in
Des Moines, IA! There may be fewer mosquitos in a hotel that isn't right
on the river.
Margo <mcm1993@mindspring.com>
Des Moines, IA USA 11/14/98
I spent a week this past June in the small towns on Lake Como. The town
was just as he had explained. Quiet, with not much to do, but it was very
restful. At the castle on the hill above Varenna, the views from the tower
are spectacular. We also stayed a couple of days in Bellagio. It too was
very nice, although the town was much busier and more touristy.
Rick Herbert <rherbert@niagara.com>
Fort Erie, ON CA 11/11/98
I really think Rick should add Lucca to the Italy guidebook. It is an
easy stop between Pisa and Florence or Pisa and the Cinque Terre. In June
there were virtually no tourists so we had all the fascinating sights
to ourselves, and it was market day too so all the people from the surrounding
countryside were there buying stuff and we chatted with them in our rudimentary
Italian.
Andrew<andrews@coredcs.com>
Plover, WI USA 11/09/98
We had a fantastic time on Rick Steves' Best of Italy tour. Having some
free time after the tour ended in Rome, we went to the Villa Borghese
to see the Borghese Gallery. Arriving in the afternoon, we found to our
surprise that all the tickets had been sold or reserved for the day. This
could be an unpleasant shock for others on a hot day since the Borghese
Gallery is a long walk from the Metro station at the Spanish steps. Fortunately,
we followed the signs to the Modern Art museum (Galleria Nazionale Arte
Moderna), also in the Villa Borghese, and had a very enjoyable 2-3 hour
visit. The collection is richer than one might suspect since the Italian
definition of modern goes all the way back to the early 1800's.
JAN COLLINS <collinsjm@compuserve.com>
PORTLAND, OR USA 11/08/98
The Accademia Gallery in Florence does not require much time. Go at
5 in the afternoon and you'll get unobstructed pictures of David.
Ken Zaremba <kzaremba@pacbell.net>
Boulder Creek, Ca USA 11/05/98
The Sorrento Connection: After getting off the train to Naples and looking
about for some pointer to the train to Sorrento, strange men approach
you along the way and ask, "Sorrento?" Fearful of another scam, you mutter
to yourself, "What's it to ya?" Unfortunately, I learned too late that
they were offering, for a fee, the valuable service of schlepping our
bags a considerable distance — both vertically and horizontally — to the
"Sorrento Subway" (as I call it), which haltingly (there are some 30 stops)
carried us to our destination.
Arthur King <muzart@gte.net>
New Port Richey, FL USA 11/05/98
We love the freedom of the Italian Rail Passes. They are great for spur of the moment trips on the great Italian State Train system. Unfortunately many of the trains for the longer distances are Eurostar or InterCity Trains that require reservations. I have suggestions for any one attempting to get a reservation:
1) Go late at nite (after 9PM); the lines are shorter and the clerks
a little friendlier.
2) Always write clearly on a blank sheet of paper the train number, your
destination and one way or round trip, the day and the time of departure,
1st or 2nd class and smoking preference. Show your rail pass or you will
get a full ticket and NOT a reservation.
3) Have your railpass and passport available.
4) Unless you are really fluent in Italian, do not speak Italian. Use
your native language instead. If they think you speak Italian and you
don't you are riddled with machine-gun verbage and will spend more time
in the line again trying to straighten out your reservation.
5) If you travel with a partner and there are two lines, each get into
a different line. The first one there shows the paper with the reservation
request and the other drops out of his/her line and watches the bags.
This will help with the frustration of getting to the head of your line
and having the "chiuso" sign slapped in your face. Just smile and cozy
up to your partner in the other line.
6) NEVER BE IN A HURRY
Bill Hamilton <hamiltwp@stlnet.com>
St. Louis, MO USA 11/05/98
For a first-time travelor, the trains were a nightmare. Too much in this
wonderful guide book assumes that you know all about trains in Italy. Like
the fact that NO one will help you find your track or that you have to stand
in one line to get information on which train to take and another long line
to buy the ticket. By the time I got to Milan, many stops after Roma, I
got real tired of being yelled at by the man who sells the tickets. I yelled
back at him and then he winked at me and was fine. The lesson learned is
to buy an Italian rail pass, even if it cost more money. The time saved
will be worth it. Just know that you have to get your ticket stamped at
the yellow machine on the platform before you get on the train.
AL <awoodyl@aol.com>
Bellevue, WA USA 11/04/98
After all the hype we heard about the Cinque Terre, we decided to give it
a shot. Well, as SOON as we stepped off the train, we literally fell in
love. NO words can do justice the the beauty and ambience of this place.
We spent two nights there and then, at the end of our 5th week, rented an
apartment for 6 more nights. We felt like we were a real part of an Italian
village. We even got to know the grocers, landlords, bartenders, shopkeepers,
many of whom remembered we two girls from the last 2 nights we visited a
month earlier, and many of whom gave us goodbye gifts and dinners. I now
keep in contact with my Italian "family" and will visit again next year.
Cinque Terre was an absolute dream!
Kasia <Krynski@students.uiuc.edu>
Chicago/Champaign, IL USA 10/07/98