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So now what....Italy?

Discussion in 'City Talk' started by king karl, May 8, 2022.

  1. Allotment Bantam

    Allotment Bantam Squad Player
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    We did an organised tour to Vietnam (Highlights of Vietnam with Exodus) just before lockdown that followed that route quite closely. We did an overnight train from Hanoi to Dong Hoi and visited a national park with spectacular caves. We didn't stay in Da Nang but caught an internal flight to Saigon from there. It seemed like a large sprawling seaside resort with lots if high rise hotels. We did stay in Hoi An, which we really liked.

    We got the train down to London and flew from Heathrow. At that time it worked out cheaper than flying from Manchester even with an overnight hotel thrown in.

    I'd say your itinerary looks fine, but personally I'd swap Hoi An for Da Nang.

    We loved our trip and avoided getting run over by a scooter, a major success. The people and the food are lovely
     
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  2. Allotment Bantam

    Allotment Bantam Squad Player
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    I believe everywhere in Europe is expensive for car hire at the moment. Friends just back from Porto had to pay €800 for a 5 day hire of a small car. They were told that lots of hire car companies cut their fleets in the pandemic and now there is a shortage. How true that is I don't know
     
  3. Johnny Yen

    Johnny Yen Squad Player
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    Ok , I'll check out Heathrow flights to see if it works out any cheaper
    To be honest when I mentioned Da Nang, I actually had Hoi An in mind.
    I love to visit many other places in South East Asia whilst out there, however having only two weeks, I'll be limited.
    I'm looking at the moment to do more internal flight travel in Vietnam as opposed to trains, just to limit travel times
    Thanks for the info
     
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  4. Offcomedun

    Offcomedun Important Player
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  5. Offcomedun

    Offcomedun Important Player
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    That sounds feasible. I'm staring at around £900 PW for a Focus-sized motor for a week!
    We're based 20km outside Fano for the first week. I'm seriously considering whether to get the train from Bologna to Fano and then just get taxis everywhere. I'll have to check out taxi availability in the area before deciding what to do.
     
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  6. Allotment Bantam

    Allotment Bantam Squad Player
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  7. Bigrod

    Bigrod Captain
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    I totally agree with @Offcomedun@Offcomedun. A neat analysis.

    Stunning food, tremendous wine, history and architecture, great scenery, wonderful people who mostly speak English, lovely climate, good shopping. What is not to like.

    I have been to Lake Garda (near Salo on the west coast) and Lake Como (Bellagio and Como itself), both beautiful. From Como easy to get to Milan (although I haven’t been), from Lake Garda you can get to Verona.

    We have stayed in Tuscany on six breaks. I like Agriturismo’s. Near Montespertoli which is truly in the heart of the Empoli/Florence/Sienna triangle.

    Rome is amazing. Oozez history and class. From the Trevi Fountain to the Colosseum.
    If you fancy Venice (which is pricey), then go in late April to Mid June. The Vaporetto (water buses) are a cheap and efficient way to get around. The Guggenheim is a tremendous art gallery.

    I mentioned Stanley Tucci’s TV series, but didn’t put the link, it is a great show about food and drink in Italy, easy laidback style (OMG) he reviews a very wide range of styles. Dead watchable. https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episodes/p0bncl3n/stanley-tucci-searching-for-italy
     
  8. Offcomedun

    Offcomedun Important Player
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    Hope you get better weather in Taormina than we did. Sadly, Mount Etna was covered in cloud for the three days we were there so we never got to see the classic view from the amphitheatre with the volcano in the distance.
     
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  9. Bigrod

    Bigrod Captain
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    When we went we to Taormina, wewent on one of those tours up Etna, we worth it.

    If you are staying in Taormina and want a beer, then I recommend Re di Bastoni (pub) on Corso Umberto.
     
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  10. Allotment Bantam

    Allotment Bantam Squad Player
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    We did one of those tours on our last visit 40 years ago. We might repeat it!
     
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  11. bantamlad92

    bantamlad92 Squad Player
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    When I saw the title I quickly got very excited that we were having a pre season tour of Italy!

    That along with the Sparks trip to Bologna I quickly, and incorrectly, assumed the best.

    Bologna away would be awesome.
     
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  12. Bigrod

    Bigrod Captain
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    Going to California in June. Booked a Mustang (putting together a Surfs up sound track) to drive down the Big Sur from San Francisco to Santa Monica and then back up to SF. Cost is £290 for 4 nights/5 days with Avis.
     
  13. Tony Wilkinson

    Tony Wilkinson Squad Player
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    Going to Bolton le sands for a day in 2 weeks...!!
     
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  14. River_City_Bantam

    River_City_Bantam Squad Player
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    Another voice in favour of Italy here. I've usually been there for professional reasons, but have managed some touristy activities as well. There is a beautiful chaos to the place that is definitely a shock to the system of an orderly and restrained Northern European like myself, but once one gets over that the country just draws one in and keeps hold of one. Rome and Naples are alive; you just have to get into the rhythms of the places.

    Most of my time there has been spent in and around Rome; if you are interested in the ancient Roman (and Greek) worlds, you can barely move there without coming across something relevant. The main ones are obvious, but some of the smaller ones are well worth a visit: e.g. the Villa Giulia museum for the Etruscans; an offshoot of the Capitoline Museums, the Museo Montemartini, for ancient sculpture. This last is really interesting, as the building used to be a major power station. They have left the old machinery in the site, and installed the sculptures in and around. It proved so successful that what was to be a temporary stopgap whilst the Capitoline Museums were being renovated has ended up being a permanent museum.

    Outside Rome, Pompeii (and Herculaneum) get all the press, and the crowds. I'd recommend Ostia Antica, where you can wander round the ancient city all by yourself, almost, and just imagine. At least, it was always fairly empty when I was there, but I haven't been for years and years.

    Train journeys can be very scenic indeed. I've done the Lausanne-Rome route a few times, which is great for Alpine scenery. If that is your thing, and you're based in the north (Milan and surrounds), then I'd highly recommend the little run between Domodossola and Locarno in Switzerland. From there on to Bellinzona, and either north to the rest of Switzerland, or back south to Milan. Rome-Ancona is interesting too, getting you across the spine of Italy to the other coast.

    RCB
     
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  15. Park bantam

    Park bantam Regular Starter
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    Go to Rome out of season been twice can’t move for crowds
     
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  16. Dubai bantam

    Dubai bantam Impact Sub
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    Just got back from srilanka, back to blighty 9th July, week in brid at haven with the kids, week in Puerto Banus with the wife, then down to Hertford where the missus is from for another week, then back to dubai for before the season starts. Another season of I follow watching from the sofa.
     
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  17. Offcomedun

    Offcomedun Important Player
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    Shameless self-promotion time. :eek: Includes some pics of my Big Sur visit in 2017:

     
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  18. Bronco

    Bronco Star Player
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    Sorry Steve I prefer the Scott McKenzie version ;).
     
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  19. borderlescott

    borderlescott Squad Player

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    Goldfingers?
     
  20. Offcomedun

    Offcomedun Important Player
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    :eek::eek::eek:
     
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