Probably down south, along the coastlines. Anyone have any recommendations?

Are those package deals really a deal?

5/29/2007 4:35:35 PM

It costs about the same to book your own stuff as it does to get the package deal. Sometimes less to do your own, because you can search for deals. Or that was my experience with it.

5/30/2007 1:35:19 AM

If you'll be along the western coast go to Sestri Levante! It was BEAUTIFUL! And it's where most of the Italians go to vacation so it isn't inundated with tourists like most of Italy is.

5/30/2007 8:52:45 AM

Go to Capri.

5/30/2007 9:06:17 AM

A couple summers ago I backpacked around Europe and was able to live for $60 a day (including food/museum fees/places to stay/train travel, etc but excluding airfare). So assuming you don't mind staying in youth hostels, you could probably find your plane tickets, multiply $60 times the number of days you plan to stay and work out if the package deal is really a deal.

5/30/2007 9:11:02 AM

Hostels are out. I want nice hotels that are decently priced. I don't want to pay $500 a night, but paying $150 isn't out of the question.

5/30/2007 9:25:27 AM

i hated italy


the further south you go, the worse it is.

5/30/2007 9:34:24 AM

^yeah, I just got back from a semester in france, and people who visited italy seemed to love florence, but rome and other places either were dirty, had hateful people, or didnt feel safe.

5/30/2007 9:46:58 AM

HA, i was the exact opposite. I hated Florence, and was followed and harrassed on the way back home from dinner one night.

I loved Rome and met nothing but helpful and nice people while i was there or in any other city--except for the people running the hostel, bunch of jerks.

Everyone's experience will be different.

5/30/2007 11:00:24 AM

anywhere on the Amalfi Coast is awesome. I'm going to Positano again in 3 weeks.

5/30/2007 7:19:15 PM

Just spent the last couple of nights in Rome (I had traveled alone there in 2010 though) - beautiful city. In Florence for tonight and two more nights - already regretting not spending the time elsewhere. It's clean and pretty and all but I'm not sure what I'm going to do with the time. Everything shuts down super early and there really aren't any bars or nightlife that I've found, just restaurants and high fashion stores. Apparently you can't have open containers after 10pm also.

I feel like I'm about to get bored pretty quick - doesn't anyone have any suggestions?

Only thing I have planned is dinner at a Michelin star restaurant tomorrow night and just walking around.

My last day I'm doing a bus tour that goes to a bunch of smaller towns, Chianti/wineries, and ends in Pisa where we're gonna get off and go to Cinque Terre for two nights before heading to Portugal.

6/30/2018 6:12:18 PM

^Just google the nightclubs they went to on Jersey Shore when they were in Florence.

6/30/2018 7:16:23 PM

My wife and I stayed in Bed and Breakfasts (not AirBnb, actual B&Bs) and found great affordable deals.

We had an unpleasant time in Florence in July (I don't think I've ever sweat that much before), but what's nice is that you can get around both Florence and Rome entirely on foot due to how small the area you actually want to see really is.

I wish I had spent more time in Venice. Such a fantastic place.

7/3/2018 2:55:45 PM

Pisa is cool (the tower was anyway), but it's good for maybe a half a day. I haven't been to either Florence or Rome, but I thought Genoa was vastly underrated and I'd definitely include it on whatever Italy itinerary I come up with the next time I'm there.

7/3/2018 6:26:53 PM

I'm in Cinque Terre now - just got in tonight. We left on a day tour of Tuscany (Chianti, Sienna, San Gimignano - which was gorgeous) from Florence and just got off the bus in Pisa instead of going back with the group and took the train to La Spezia / Cinque Terre. Pisa isn't somewhere I'd go on any more than a day trip. In retrospect on Florence, I think it would be great for couples but not single guys. My last night I went to Piazzale Michelangelo on the other side of the river and watched the sun set over Florence while crushing a bunch of wine and it was nice. The other side of the river in general seems more real than central Florence.

I'm kinda getting burned out on Italy in general, though - I can't wait for my last few nights in Lisbon and then to just get home and sleep in my own bed.

7/3/2018 6:50:53 PM