Italy Beyond the Obvious

Use Assisi as your base in Italy for a balanced visit

 

I'm a big believer that a successful trip to Italy is a balanced trip - maybe after doing it wrong so many times, and then planning it right so many times. The first time I went to Assisi was on a school trip; my principal knew I was having tough time acclimating to my new home, so invited me on all the class trips that year. Pro: I saw a lot of Italy. Con: I didn't know anyone in most of the other classes, so the first few days were lonely until I found my compagnia. In Assisi in particular I remember going from church to church with the Art History teacher, feeling both appreciative and overwhelmed at the sheer quantity of incredible art.

Using Assisi as a base means you can spread out its art & architecture, therefore absorb and remember more of it. But not coming in as a day tripper also means you'll experience the medieval hill town atmosphere that sets in after the tour buses leave every evening. Here's how I'd do it:

• Visit one Assisi church a day. If you had just one day in Assisi, you'd either have to hit five churches or miss some significant art & architecture (and some will argue that limiting yourself to five is already missing some significant ones). So spread them out, and spend an hour or so each at the Cathedral of San Rufino, Santa Maria Sopra Minerva, Santa Chiara, and San Damiano. Allow at least half a day for the upper and lower Basilicas of San Francesco (St. Frances). Check here for opening hours of churches, and research the art in San Francesco before you go.

• Do a cooking class.

• Explore medieval Umbrian hilltowns. After your morning church visit, hit the road to explore the Umbrian countryside. Visit Perugia, Gubbio, Spoleto, Todi, Orvieto - or to get more off the beaten track, go to Trevi or Montefalco. Check on when local markets and festivals are held because they're worth prioritizing if they coincide with your visit.

• Visit a winery.

• And of course, work in these five best things to do in Italy, regardless of your itinerary.
  

Photo of San Francesco by Kevin Day at Tanager Photography. Thanks to James Siddall Jr of the Italy Photo Contest for the great link to the art in the Basilica of San Francesco.

 

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What to do with kids in Rome

 

One of the great things about taking kids to Rome is that many of the city's main tourist attractions are ideal for kids - and are sights you'd want to see anyway. I'd skip the big museums with smaller children, but with a few days in Rome, the whole family can see incredible art, get close to Ancient Rome, eat well, and most importantly, have fun. 

I've shared my Top 10 List of things to do with kids in Rome with David at My Little Nomads so enjoy! 

Photo of the Trevi Fountain by Zugaldia. Kids: did you know half a million Euros worth of coins are thrown into this fountain every year? The Euros go to the Catholic Church and the foreign currency is donated to the Red Cross.

 

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Short Trips from Milan

When I worked in Milan I took advantage of weekends to travel. Below I've made a list of my favorite places to visit from Milan in 1, 2, 3 or 4 days. I've put cities in a list based on the minimum amount of time I recommend spending there. Unless otherwise specified, all travel times are by train.

 

If you have just 1 day...

• Visit the Carthusian Monastery of Pavia, only 20 minutes away.
• The town and beautiful park of Monza are just 10 minutes away.
• The ancient town of Bergamo is under an hour away.
• The Roman town of Como, on the lake with the same name, is just an hour away.
• The Lake Maggiore is also one hour away. Take the train to the beautiful town of Stresa and go from there.
• Go to Switzerland! In 1 hour you are in the pretty lakeside town of Lugano.
• Gawk at the the picturesque alpine scenery of the Aosta Valley.
• In just over an hour, you're in the atmospheric university city of Bologna.
• Visit the gastronomically and architecturally significant Parma, less than 90 minutes away. Arrive hungry.
• At 90 minutes away, Turin is somewhat of a long day trip but one of my favorite people lives there so I've done it many times.
• The port city of Genoa is also about 90 minutes away. It's a long day trip but if that's all you have, then go, and at the end of the day you'll be promising to return as soon as you can.

 

If you have 2 days, consider any of the above, and in addition....

• The spa town of Sirmione, on Lake Garda is a couple hours away. 
• Visit the town or see an outdoor opera in the small city of Verona, under 2 hours away.
• Get a little off the beaten track in the town of Vicenza about 2 hours away - and don't miss Palladio's Villa Rotonda.
• Go to Florence, just under 2 hours away.
• Enjoy art, architecture and food in the gorgeous city of Padua, just over 2 hours away.
• Spend time in Venice, about 2.5 hours away. Two days in Venice is a little rushed but if that's all you have, then go.
• Hike the Cinque Terre, which is about 3 hours away by train.
• Sure why not - go to Pisa and climb the leaning tower.

 

If you have 3 days, consider any of the above, and in addition...

• From Florence, visit the towns of Lucca, Siena, San Gimignano - or if you have a car, Monteriggioni or Volterra.
• Spend a couple days on the island of Elba. Allow about 4 hours for the train plus 1 hour for the ferry. (Though this trip is easier by car when starting from Milan.)
• See the spectacular Byzantine mosaics in the city of Ravenna, and while you're in the area, stop in and visit the town of Brisighella. 
• In 4 hours you're in the gorgeous Umbrian city of Perugia. From there visit Assisi as well.

 

If you have 4 days, consider any of the above, and in addition...

• Venture further into Tuscany, visiting the towns of Pienza and Montepulciano.
• Go to Rome.
• Explore more of Umbria from your base in Perugia. Visit the towns of Gubbio, Spoleto, Todi, and Orvieto.
• Explore more of the Veneto, going up to Bassano del Grappa, Asolo, and the countryside - red and Prosecco wineries! - north of Verona.
• Go skiing at Cortina D'Ampezzo in the Dolomites. Or if it's summertime, go hiking near Ortisei in the Val Gardena.

I don't recommend going south of Rome if you have only 4 days total, nor do I recommend trying to go to Sardinia or Sicily. You just need more time that that (even though, I know, Italy does look misleadingly small on the map!)

Photos from top to bottom: Parma, Sirmione, Lucca, the Dolomites near Ortisei. All photos by Sanjay

Not sure which of the locations above to pick? Italy Beyond the Obvious can plan your entire trip or coach you to do it yourself. If you like what you read, subscribe to this blog for free.

Ten tips on booking hotels in Italy

 

1) Map the location. A hotel may market itself as in Florence, or in Rome, but before booking plot it on the map to make sure it's in the city - and not just in the province - of Florence or Rome (or Milan or Naples or Venice or Palermo etc.).

2) Ask about breakfast. Most hotels include breakfast with the price of the room (though the breakfast could be anything from a stale croissant and coffee from a machine to a huge fresh buffet). If there is an option for a reduced rate without breakfast, consider it, because for a few Euros you can eat breakfast at a Bar with the locals.

3) Ask about taxes. Hotel tax, called IVA, is 10% in Italy, so always check that the quoted price already includes the tax.

4) If you're picky about beds, ask. Expect that much of the time, a "letto matrimoniale", usually translated as queen-sized or king-sized bed, will be 2 twin beds pushed together. Sometimes the gap will be bridged with a filler strip like this one, and sometimes it won't be. 

5) Pay attention to person-per-room limits. Take them seriously, meaning that if you are a family of 4 and the room sleeps 2, ask whether it's possible to bring an extra bed or two into a room for a fee. Sometimes it won't be possible and you will need to book two rooms.

6) Note whether the rate is per room or per person. Some hotels charge by the person, not the room, even though you're staying in the same room. So the rate looks great until you realize you need to double or triple it.

7) Ask about parking. Unless the hotel is in the middle of the countryside, never assume a hotel has free parking - or any parking. 

8) Interpret star levels differently. If you are used to travel in the US, interpret the star-level of an Italian hotel, most of the time, as one star lower. So you'll walk into a 4 star Italian hotel and it will remind you of a 3 star US hotel. The rooms and closets may be smaller, and the bathrooms and furnishings may not be as new. 

9) Consider "half board" options. Especially during high season, it's not uncommon for hotels to offer the option of "mezza pensione", which means the room rate includes both breakfast and dinner. This can be a major cost savings, especially for families, but do a little research on the hotel restaurant before booking.

10) Start using the hotel's concierge before you arrive. Many Italian concierges are on email. Many speak and write English. So once you've booked the hotel, email the concierge, tell them you'll be staying at the hotel, and let them help you. The concierge doesn't know your interests so don't ask "what should I see?". Instead, ask questions like "what's the best way to get from the hotel to X within the city, how long does it take, and how much does it cost?" or "do hotel patrons get discounts at any local restaurants or activities?"

Do you have any additional tips to share about booking hotels in Italy? I'd love to hear them!

Photo of Naples hotel room by Sanjay

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Off the Beaten Track in Tuscany: Volterra

There's off the beaten track and then there's way off the beaten track. Volterra has both. Spend half a day in this tiny medieval Tuscan hilltown (pop: 12,000) without the tourist crowds of say, nearby San Gimignano. Here are five reasons - and two bonus reasons - to go out of your way for Volterra.

 

• Visit the Etruscan museum and the Roman theater. I first visited Volterra on a high school class trip to the Etruscan museum, and indeed if you have any interest whatsoever in the Etruscans, who lived in Italy from about 800 to 500 BC, visit the Guarnacci Etruscan Museum. Also don't miss the 2,000 year old Roman theater (photo above).

• Eat local.You are in wild boar (cinghiale, in Italian) country, so if you're a meat-eater, try it. Volterra is also surrounded by vineyards and olive groves, so don't leave without sampling the local wine and olive oil. I also recommend persimmons, artichokes, white truffles, and mushrooms when in season.

• Buy rocks. The gorgeous semi-transparent stone alabaster is local to this area, so this is a great place to acquire some (or just take photos if you don't really have the extra weight allowance to carry rocks home in your suitcase).

• Photograph the castle. The picture-perfect castle is a maximum-security prison (photo below) so you probably don't want to go in and wander around. But there are a couple good reasons to visit at specific times - see the section below about way off the beaten track.

• Listen to a concert in the Tuscan hills. The famous Teatro del Silenzio (Theater of Silence) is near Volterra, pretty much in the middle of nowhere (aerial photo). If you happen to be planning to visit the area on July 25th, 2010, it may be worth trying to get tickets to hear Andrea Bocelli. And if you do get tickets to any performance at this theater, read these tips on being prepared for a concert at the Teatro del Silenzio. 

 

Way off the Beaten Track

• Eat at the gourmet restaurant inside the prison. So, the maximum-security prison has a restaurant - a good one. Pros: You can see the castle-prison from the inside, the food is allegedly very good, reasonably priced, and it's a unique experience. Cons (so to speak): You need at least 2 months' notice to get a reservation, and that's after checking that the restaurant is actually going to be serving. You'll also go through a background check, and your place setting will be, not surprisingly, paper plates and plastic cutlery. Contact ufficioturistico@volterratur.it to ask about serving days and reservations.

• See the prisoners put on a play. Are you surprised to hear the maximum-security prison that serves gourmet food also has a nationally-renowned theater troupe? About 100 Italian prisons have theater troupes but Volterra's is considered the best in Italy, and even has won - twice - the prestigious Ubu national theater prize. The troupe performs at the Volterra theater festival, held at the end of July every year.

A Note on the beaten track

The popularity of the New Moon book and movie has increased tourism to Volterra, and the tourism agency has made the most of the publicity, leading twice-weekly tours and providing printed maps marked with New Moon sights. So it's useful to know - either to participate or to avoid it - that New Moon tours run Fridays at 9 pm and Sundays at 5 pm between April and September.

Photo of Roman theater by Mike Stewart; Volterra castle photo from istockphoto.com

 

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