Travel Italy: Vacation Packages, Tips, Tours of Italy

By driving from Rome to Florence you have one of the richest itineraries in Italy for art, history, landscapes etc….

However, as this itinerary is so common and well-known, travelers would like discovering new places worth to see there. So a frequent question is:

“Any suggestions for places other than the common ones - i.e. Florence, Siena etc…, to visit on the drive between Rome and Florence?”

It would be better to list what is intended for common places (1) and what is not (2), first.

1. Common over visited places on Rome - Florence itinerary could be the following.

-Southern area of Tuscany: Siena and surrounding, with S.Gimignano, Montalcino, Montepulciano, Volterra etc…It is a one of the more visited destinations from first time travelers to Italy, because Tuscan countryside is a ‘must to see’ area if you travel to Florence.
- Florence and Chianti countryside (for the same reasons above)
- Umbria: a few cities, such as Perugia and Assisi.

2. After excluding the places above listed, what would remain to visit there?

- In the extreme south of Tuscany, you have the Maremma with great landscapes, different than the typical ‘postcarded Tuscan countryside’, national parks, natural oasis, and ruins from the ancient Etruscan time.

- Approximately 100km away from Rome, you have the hill town of Orvieto, with ruins from Etruscan and Roman time. It is easy to get there, because it is just a couple of km from the highway A1, and well worth seeing. Recommended visits to the Cathedral (Duomo di Orvieto) and Pozzo S.Patrizio.

- By doing a little diversion from highway, still in Umbria but going toward Perugia, there are art cities such as Todi and Gubbio (20km north of Perugia), well-known for being among the more interesting medieval centers in Italy, but not so well connected by rail, so maybe missed from many travelers visiting Umbria.
Those above listed are just a few ideas, we’ll back on the options about this itinerary in the section Italy Driving Tours
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A lot of people ask us about traveling by train by night. By traveling by train overnight you can save money and time, keeping daylight hours for visiting touristic sites.

“I’ll be traveling by night train from Rome to Milan. Is safe for a woman alone traveling by night train in Italy? “

When you buy the ticket you have options to make your night train trip safe and comfortable.

1. You can ask for a women-only compartment (recommended if you are traveling alone).
On Trenitalia website you can choose what sexes are in the compartment by selecting:
-Promiscuo (mixed)
-Donna (women only)

The compartment can contains up to six people; if you like travel alone, you would pay a supplement for the privacy.

2. You can save money: by reserving a couchette you can sleep on the train, it is cheaper than a hotel room.

For the comfort of your night, you have several options; it depends on your budget. If you opt for Excelsior Sleeper Carriage (top option) you have: air conditioning, shower, mirror and private WC, electrical sockets for razor etc….
For a detailed list of options, have a look to Trenitalia page.

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Joanna, from USA, who is thinking of getting married in Italy asked us

“Sorrento or Amalfi Coast? I have not decided yet. What would you suggest? Any advice about restaurant……”

It is a big thing arranging your wedding in the scenery of Amalfi Coast or Sorrento.

However, nowdays that can become a bit commercial, so do plan with care the event. You should choose a good agency which help you in finding the right restaurant, site etc..and what you need to succesfully arrange such a special day.

You can have a wonderful time whether in Sorrento or in the Amalfi Coast, which offers Ravello, Positano, and many other lovely places suitable for the celebration of the biggest day of your life.

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How to get there? A few basics suggestions to meet your budget needs

- Air transport

1. The most common advice is to look for packages including airfare and hotel to find any deals.

2. However expert budget travelers know the low cost companies flying to Italy. Ryanair (Ryanair.com) and EasyJet (Easyjet.com) mostly offer low cost flights from London to several minor Italian destinations. Even though you’ll probably fly into minor cities, i.e. Bergamo or Ancona, and then take the train to reach your destination, it is worth to do it.

3. Try open-jaw flights (flight into one city and out of another), that will save your time and money.

- Rail and driving

Try a combination of train and car rental for your visits across the country.

If you do hire a car, try to limit that for trips in areas not so well covered from trains and hard to visit without a car. The Tuscan countryside could be an example of itinerary requiring you a car.

By renting a car just when it becomes strictly necessary will save you money and the common headaches which are a natural consequence for foreigners driving in most of the Italian cities.
Definitely, do not rent a car to visit large cities.

Jennifer, from USA, asked us very basic information on how to arrange the wedding in Ravello, Amalfi Coast.

- The best time

What is better Summer or September?
September is the perfect time, it is not too crowded time, and weather not too hot, definitely better than in July or August.

- Wedding planner

You’ll be able to find infos on the agencies planning venues in the area, by performing a search on the search engines for “Wedding in Ravello” , “Ravello Wedding” , “Ravello matrimoni” , “Matrimoni a Ravello” etc….
The following websites can help you: weddinginravello.com, wagnertours.it, ravellointernational.it

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