Summer 2019 Europa Tour. My daughter was going to Mallorca, Spain for a summer program. What a great chance to take a vacation!
Since we'd traveled through Spain in 2017, we decided to go on vacation to Italy. Weather, food, tons of stuff to see. Can't beat it.
ITALY
Naples / Amalfi Coast
We left Naples the next morning after a surprisingly good hotel breakfast. The train station was close by, and we found the local train that would take us to Pompeii, Vesuvius, and Sorrento.
Pompeii
The train lets you off very close to the ruins. You can leave luggage in the basement of the station for a small fee. Tickets, souvenirs, and cold drinks are all right there. It's well organized. I was surprised at the size of the ruined city and how well it was preserved after nearly 2,000 years. We wandered the streets guided by a map. It was HOT. We directed ourselves toward the main attractions. We walked down old streets, through town squares, and into ancient homes. There were statues, columns, and fountains—even a theater. And a few preserved bodies.
Vesuvius
After witnessing the destruction, we needed to visit the culprit. We took a bus from Pompeii to nearby Mount Vesuvius. The drive up and down the mountain involved many blind switchbacks on a narrow road. The drivers would honk when approaching the turns, and anybody coming the other way had better scram. It was crazy! The walk to the crater wasn't too bad, except that it was hot. And at the top, you looked down into the crater. A big hole. It was our first volcano.
When the bus got back, we collected our luggage and jumped on the next train to Sorrento. Easy!
Amalfi Coast
The next morning, we took a bus along the Amalfi Coast. The road ran up the mountains with cliffs overlooking the coast. There were so many switchbacks we lost count. The drivers here are constantly taking blind turns, and the buses are too big for the roads, so there isn't room for two to pass. So they're constantly slowing on turns and backing up to make room. The scenery is spectacular. Cliffs looking out on the Mediterranean.
We stopped at Positano. It's a town built over a cove. The bus lets you off above, and you walk a zillion stairs down into the town. Nowadays it's all touristy, but you can see the houses clinging to the edge of the cliffs with the town square, beach, and marina below. We enjoyed walking around and swimming at the beach. The water was colder than expected, but refreshing in the summer heat. We took a Positano bus back up the hill and continued on to Amalfi. This town wasn't quite as pretty, but it was a little larger. The guidebooks say Amalfi once rivaled Naples for regional superiority. Now there's mostly shopping and restaurants. So we looked at trinkets and ate.
From Amalfi, we took a boat back to Sorrento. We got to see the cliffs from the ocean side! It was the prettiest boat trip ever. Amazing! Sorrento from the sea is a natural fortress. The town is on a 40-foot cliff with only one long ramp and staircase up. All walled and fortified. It must have been imposing to potential invaders.
We enjoyed our hotel in Sorrento. Our hosts owned the floor of a building with great terraces. They made us great breakfasts and wonderful coffee! Italians know coffee!! One night we stumbled off the tourist trail and into a great local restaurant. Italian pasta and seafood. Yum.
From Sorrento, we took a local train (slow, hot, lots of stops) to Naples and then a Frecciarossa (Red Arrow) high-speed train from Naples to Rome. This train was lightning fast. At times, we were going 185 mph! We covered the 140 miles in a little over an hour. Super-fast!
Rome
We took the underground/Metro to our Airbnb. As we approached the address, we saw the Roman Colosseum right down the road from our building. The building had an immense front door—maybe 16 feet by 8 feet. There was a little door within the door that opened, maybe 4 feet by 2 feet. Built for hobbits. Matteo greeted us and showed us our apartment. It was spacious—a little dark and cluttered, but fine for us. After eating all our meals in restaurants, having a kitchen would save us money.
Staying so close to the Colosseum was unreal—sort of like stepping into a history book! It got us warmed up for tackling more big attractions. In Roman fashion, we came, we saw, and we conquered: the Vatican, the Pantheon, Trevi Fountain, the Spanish Steps, Santa Maria Maggiore, Piazza Navona, the Colosseum, the Roman Forum, Circus Maximus, and Palatine Hill. We rode the Metro when possible, but we still ended up doing a lot of walking. One of the coolest parts was seeing how present-day Rome seamlessly built itself around two millennia of ancient history.
We left Rome in a car—which was very scary. Termini Station is massive, and getting a rental car is a strange process. You take a deli ticket from your rental car agency and wait for your number to be called. Some agencies had upwards of 70 numbers waiting. Once called, it's much like in the US: your car is assigned based on what you reserved. I was intimidated by what I'd seen in Naples and Amalfi, so I made sure to get a car with GPS. As luck would have it, they upgraded us to a giant SUV. It was comfortable, but difficult to maneuver through small streets (and parking!). We were off to Siena!
Arch of Constantine
Colosseum
Florence / Tuscany
Italian highways are fine—mostly two or three lanes each way. Lanes are maybe a little narrower than US interstates. The speed limit is usually 55–70 mph. We didn't hit much traffic. But the highways aren't the fun part; getting off them is. Tuscany is beautiful—everything we imagined. You see the pictures at Olive Garden, and here they come to life: hills, vineyards, and centuries-old stone walls. So cool.
Siena is a hill town—a big fort built on a high hill. What's surprising is how big the walled city is inside. There are little neighborhoods within it, and it was fun to explore. And by explore, I mean eat our way through the city! In the center were the main piazza and cathedral. They were gearing up for some kind of horse race in the square, with riders representing the different neighborhoods.
We stayed in a picturesque inn in the Tuscan countryside. Beautiful views. Great food. Sometimes you get lucky and a place meets all your expectations and more. This was the case. We opened our second-story, shutter-style windows and were greeted by a real-life postcard view. Breathtaking.
We continued on to Pisa. I'd heard about the Leaning Tower of Pisa since I was a kid, but when we got there, it was disappointing. It was leaning for sure, but it wasn't even that tall—maybe eight stories? We looked at it, snapped a few photos, and we were done. I've got to believe there are worse architectural blunders to be found.
It was a quick one-hour drive from Pisa to Florence, where we returned the car at the extremely difficult-to-locate return lot. No matter, Florence is a walkable city. I immediately liked it—much more pleasant than Naples or Rome. We had reserved a place in the area of the Duomo. After a bit of a wait, we were able to enter the Duomo and climb the 450 steps to the terrace. Frescoes on the inside and a great view of the city on the outside! We crossed the Ponte Vecchio bridge and meandered to Piazzale Michelangelo, where we saw a bronze replica statue of David. The next day we paid a ransom to enter the Accademia to see Michelangelo’s marble David statue. The proportions and detail are amazing.
From Florence, we took another high-speed train to Venice. This one stopped a few times, and the track conditions kept us from going quite as fast, but we were still traveling around 110–115 mph. The Italians know their trains.
Siena
Quercegrossa, Tuscan Countryside
Pisa
Venice
Arriving in Venice is a trip. You leave this big train station, follow the sign for the water buses (vaporetti), and there it is: the Grand Canal. It's wide and super busy. So much activity. The canal is a boat highway.
We were in Venice for three days and stayed in an Airbnb. I guess it was a residential area, but in Venice, nothing seems real. No cars. No bikes. Just people walking on stone walkways—some wide, some narrow. Canals with bridges. Churches. Squares. Restaurants. We were a 10- or 15-minute walk to St. Mark's Square, but each time we walked, we went a different way. The fun of Venice is walking around and stumbling onto cool things.
St. Mark's Square is beautiful. The Basilica is breathtaking. The Clocktower is cool. Doge's Palace is interesting. So many grand meeting rooms! I lost track of which served what purpose. Then you cross the Bridge of Sighs, and you see the dungeons. The Rialto Bridge is a functional photo op. The vaporetto close to our apartment took us to the islands.
We walked around Burano with its colorful houses. Such a pleasant place with a relaxed pace. Then we went to Lido and found a beach town that reminded me of Martha's Vineyard. We swam in the Adriatic!
Milan
Milan felt like a big city. More modern than Rome. The Piazza del Duomo is vast, and the Duomo itself is enormous. Awesome. We walked to the top and saw the whole city. Right next to the Duomo is the super-high-end shopping mall Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II: Gucci, Prada, Louis Vuitton, Ferrari. My kind of place. Hah! Those were the only attractions we saw in Milan. We walked around the streets a bit. It felt like a very livable city. People seemed nice.
Sunday June 23 Ryan Air fligh FR6840 from
Dublin, Ireland to Naples, Italy
Depart
DUB Sunday June 23 2019 4:10PM
Arrive
NAP Sunday June 23 8:25 PM
ITALY
Naples / Amalfi Coast
Arrive
NAP Sunday June 23 8:25 PM
Naples Attractions:
Archeological Museum (Greeks, Romans, Pompeii, Herculalaneum), Catacombs,
Castel dell Ovo.
Nearby Attractions:,
Pompeii, Vesuvius, Herculaneum (Train stops in between Naples and Sorrento), Amalfi
Coast – Starts with Sorrento
Getting
into Naples late. After last bus to Sorrento. Taxi to Sorrento is $100.
Plan 1
night in Naples at clean central hotel close to Metro. See Naples sights next
morning then train, bus or ferry to Sorrento, 1 hour away. See Sorrento sights
that afternoon or maybe take a ferry to Capri.
2 nights
at pleasant Sorrento hotel. 1 day will be tour of beautiful Amalfi coast.
Either private tour bus or public bus or ferry. Stops in Positano and
Amalfi.
1 day
will be for Pompeii, Herculaneum and Vesuvius.
Leave
Naples via train to Rome on Wednesday June 26.
Lots of
trains, just over 1 hour duration.
Sunday June 23 – Monday June 24
Hotel Ideal
Piazza Garibaldi 99 Central Station 80142 Naples
1 night stop.
Good reviews. Central Location. Metro. Clean.
Airport shuttle
(need to reserve ahead Laura at Hotel Ideal. $5 per person.
Alibus runs until 11:30 PM and goes very close to hotel.
$5 per person.
Taxi $16-$18.
Monday June 24 – Wednesday June 26
The Wave
Viale Montariello
3 scala b 80067 Sorrento
Check-In 2PM
Check-Out 10:30 AM
Good Location.
Great reviews.
Sorrento to
Naples to Rome
Rome
Train or Bus from Sorrento to Naples to Rome
Arrive Rome Wednesday June 26
3 nights at pleasant apartment in Colosseo area
In Rome through Saturday June 29.
Rome Attractions: Vatican City, Vatican Museums &
Libraries, Raphael Rooms, St Peter’s Basilica, Sistine Chapel, Pantheon, Trevi
Fountain, San Giovanni Basilica in
Laterano, Centro Storico & the Spanish Steps, Santa Maria Maggiore,
Catacombs & Via Appia Antica, Piazza Navona, Colosseum, Roman Forum, Circus
Maximus, Baths of Caracalla, Palatine Hill, Borghese Gallery & Gardens
Day Trips: Ostia Antica, Orvieto. Olive Oil tour,
Hadrian’s Villa in Tivoli, Assisi, Viterbo, Lago di Bolsena
Reservations required: St Peter's Tomb (Scavi), Sistine
Chapel after hours, Colosseum, Colosseum underground, Pallazo Farnese, Galleria
Borghese, Vatican museums, Vatican gardens, Domus Aurea, Domus Romana at
Palazo Valentini, Papal Audience
Papal
Audience Wednesdays AM tickets free pickup previous day
Wednesday June 26 – Saturday June 29
Roman House Colosseo apartment
Need to let host know ahead of time when you are arriving
on June 26
Via Labicana 50 – Roma
Ring at the doorbell named
"Romani" (int2)
·
From Termini take 714 bus
to Merulana/Labicana stop, or
·
From Termini take Metro
underground "A" to Manzoni, or
·
From Termini take Metro
underground "B" to Colosseo
Airbnb
Check-In 1PM
Check-Out 11AM
Full apartment. Kitchen, Air-conditioning. Good reviews. Neighborhood location close
to Colloseum. Close to Metro and Buses.
Thursday June 27
7:30 AM
Vatican Tour -
Enjoy Rome - 00192 – Roma -
Skip the line -
Essential Vatican Tour – Vatican Museums - Sistine Chapel - St. Peter’s
Basilica - 27 Jun 2019 08:00 AM Standard
Reservation code:
ENJOY ROME EOL-VATIC0800-VFYW9
Meeting point is
inside the Enjoy Rome office – located on Via Vespasiano 46A (Metro OTTAVIANO
stop on Line A). Arrive 25 minutes before tour to Check-in.
Rome
to Florence / Tuscany Saturday June 29
Dollar Rental Car
Mid-size - Ford C-MAX
or Similar 75,10 € due at pickup
Pickup
Saturday, June 29, 2019 @ 10:00 AM
ROME TERMINI RAIL, ITALY DSH
STAZIONE TERMINI BIN 24
VIA GIOLITTI, 24, ITALY ROME, 00185
STAZIONE TERMINI BIN 24
VIA GIOLITTI, 24, ITALY ROME, 00185
Return
Sunday, June 30, 2019 @ 5:00 PM
FLORENCE AIRPORT, ITALY DSH
FLORENCE AMERIGO VESPUCCI AIRPORT
In-Terminal
ITALY FLORENCE, 50127
FLORENCE AIRPORT, ITALY DSH
FLORENCE AMERIGO VESPUCCI AIRPORT
In-Terminal
ITALY FLORENCE, 50127
Florence / Tuscany
Arrive Siena Saturday June 29
Siena to Florence Sunday June 30
Florence Attractions:
Florence Accademia (Michelangelo’s David statue), Uffizi Gallery, Duomo, Ponte
Vecchio bridge, Piazzale Michelangelo
Day Trips: Central Tuscany hills, Siena, Chianti region,
San Gimigiano, Pisa, Volterra, San Marino
Reservations required: Uffizi Gallaries, Academia
Michelangelo's David, Leaning Tower of Pisa
Rent
car in Rome, drive thru Tuscany to Siena. 3 hour drive.
·
Car rental
from Rome to Florence one-way, 2 days, total $80
·
Pick up Car
in Rome – Termini
·
Beware Zona Traffico
Limitato
·
Drive out of
Rome to Tuscany countryside
·
See Central
Tuscany hills, Siena, Chianti region, San Gimigiano, Pisa
·
Stay some
hillside place Saturday June 29
·
Return car
Florence Airport 3 miles outside city
·
2 nights
Florence hotel Sunday June 30 – Tuesday July 2
·
On to Venice
Tuesday July 2
Saturday
June 29 – Sunday June 30
La Loggia - Villa
Gloria
SP 222 Chiantigiana - Loc.
Macialla 1
53019 Quercegrossa Italy
53019 Quercegrossa Italy
Outside
of Siena.
Booking.com Booking Number 3650.341.600
PIN 6396
Check-In 2:30PM Check-Out
11AM
Looks like Big Rooms. Very
Pretty in the Tuscany Countryside. Good reviews.
Swimming Pool. Breakfast
Included.
Sunday June 30 – Tuesday July 2
Tourist House Duomo
Via Dei Cerretani 1 (black/nero), Historical Center, Florence, Italy
50123
Check-In 12:00PM Check-Out 10:30AM
Front desk occupied 8AM-3PM, Check-In after 3PM needs to be arranged and
costs $20
Very close to Duomo, Uffizi, Academmia and train station, air
conditioning
Leaning Tower of Pizza (Aka Pisa)
Sunday June 30 10:30AM
Uffizi Gallery Sunday June 30 5PM
·
You can withdraw your
ticket/s directly at the ticket office
·
Galleria
degli Uffizi, Sun 30.06.2019
Duomo Monday July 1 10AM
·
Baptistery of San Giovanni
·
Bruneslleschi’s Dome
·
Giotto’s Bell Tower
·
Museum
·
Santa Reparata
Accademia
Gallery Tuesday July 2 9AM
·
Reservation Date 07-02-2019 at
09:00.
Florence
to Venice Tuesday July 2 2 hour by train
Venice
Arrive
Venice Tuesday July 2
Venice
Attractions: Gondola, Grand Canal Boat Tour, Doge’s Palace & Bridge of
Sighs, Ponte di Realto, St Mark’s Square, St Mark’s Basilica, Murano
Day Trips:
Murano, Torcello & Borano Islands, Venice Lido, Lake Garda, Verona, Padua
Reservations
required: Secret Iteneraries tour at Doge's Palace, Scrovegni Chapel in Padova
Tuesday
July 2 – Friday July 5
DolceVita Apartments N. 408 Terrace
Barbaria de le Tole, 6444 Castello, Venice, Veneto 30122
AirBNB
Castello district, Quiet Neighborhood,
Walking distance to main sights, First Floor, Terrace, fully equipped kitchen, Towels & Sheets, Wifi, No Air
Conditioning, Beware Mosquitos
Check-In 2 PM Check-Out 10AM
Venice
to Milan Friday July 5 2½ hours by
train
Milan
Arrive Milan Friday July 5
In Milan for 1 night only
Milan is
known for Duomo di Milano, Da Vinci's Last Supper, Opera
at La Scala and the Golden Quadrilateral of shopping
Milan Attractions: Duomo di Milano, Galleria Vittorio
Emanuele II, Teatro alla Scala, Braidense National Library, Fontana di Piazza
Castello, Sforzesco Castle,
Naviglio Grande, Naviglio Pavese, Porta Nuova district,
Piazza Gae Aulenti,
Bosco Verticale
Reservations required Da Vinci's Last Supper, Opera at La
Scala
Depart Milan BGY Saturday July 6 2019 6:25 PM Ryan Air flight FR9170
Trains run from city center to airport every 30 minutes. Takes 50 minutes. $15 pp
Buses run
from city center to airport every 20 minutes. Takes 60 minutes. $6 pp
Taxis run
from city center to airport at fixed cost. Takes 50 minutes. $100
Friday
July 5 – Saturday July 6
Hotel RossoVino Milano (aka Hotel
Red Wine)
Via Privata
Francesco Bartolozzi 9
P. Vittoria 20137 Milan
P. Vittoria 20137 Milan
Check-In 2PM Check-Out 11:30AM (Free Luggage Storage)
Residential area. Buses 50
meters. Trains 5 minute walk. Parking $10 per day
Depart Milan Sunday July 6 6:25 PM from Bergamo (BGY) Airport for Mallorca
Milan, Italy - Palma de Mallorca, Spain - Madrid, Spain - Boston
A. Saturday July 6 Ryan Air flight FR9170 from Milan
(Bergamo), Italy
to Palma de Mallorca,
Spain
Depart
BGY Sunday July 6 2019 6:25 PM
Arrive
PMI Sunday July 6 2019 8:15 PM
But then WoW airlines went out of business! We got our money back (thank you Chase Visa Card) but we had to find another flight on short notice. Enter Newburgh New York to Dublin to Naples. Gotta be flexible!
