Home base for a month- where would you stay?

[bgilbertsound]

Looking for suggestions- We are in the planning phase of some longer-term stays in Europe, and are thinking of getting a furnished apt for a month somewhere (to save $$$), in order to REALLY get to know a place, and then taking day trips out from there. In general, we prefer smaller rather than larger towns- but of course, not so small that you see everything there is to see in three days. Good train connections are a must, as we normally use only public transportation (We rented a car once in Italy, and it was an absolute nightmare... we avoid car transport whenever we can). Places we are considering are S. France (we loved our 5 days in Arles), S. Germany (we have friends in Hamm that we'd love to see again), N. Italy (been 3 times, but haven't explored the north much), and Portugal (just got back from Lisbon, Coimbra, and a day trip to Porto, and the affordability is a huge plus), and maybe Ireland or the Netherlands

Are there any great towns that we should consider? This trip is probably 2-3 years down the road, but it's never too early to plan... thanks!

 

[Tina]

What time of year would you be going?

 

[Ian Sutton]

Useful to think about how many day trips a week it would be. One or two, gives a very wide spread of locations, whereas 4+ a week would probably demand somewhere with very good connections / options nearby (e.g. somewhere on the via Emilia rail link, like Reggio nell'Emilia or Modena or Faenza).

 

[Pauline]

Places we are considering are S. France (we loved our 5 days in Arles), S. Germany (we have friends in Hamm that we'd love to see again), N. Italy (been 3 times, but haven't explored the north much), and Portugal (just got back from Lisbon, Coimbra, and a day trip to Porto, and the affordability is a huge plus), and maybe Ireland or the Netherlands

All good options!

For southern France maybe Avignon or Aix-en-Provence. Or if earlier/later in the season, Nice on the coast. Excellent train and bus options from Nice.

Southern Germany I don’t know well but I’ve been looking at the Black Forest area. That town called Freiburg-em-something sounds nice.

Northern Italy - we have several experts on that area on the forums.

The rest, I don’t know.

You will need to book an apartment a year in advance to make sure you can get a full month. If you decide on Avignon get back to me because I know someone who rents an apartment there who might be interested in a longer rental. But look at our vacation rental reviews. And have a read through some trip reports. Several people have done longer rentals like this.

Another option which you’ve probably thought about is the same country but two different places, two weeks each. We used to do this when traveling in England and we really got to know the areas.

Have fun researching and hopefully you will get some good ideas on this thread.

 

[Georgia & Zig]

We really enjoyed Tuscany. Florence isn’t really very big and there are fast trains to Sienna, Pisa, Bologna and even Venice.
Another place I could stay for a month is in the Cinque Terra or the Amalfi Coast.

 

[bgilbertsound]

What time of year would you be going

Probably shoulder season... say, early March to late May or so, maybe a little before. Avoiding crowds is something we try to do, though not always possible.

 

[bgilbertsound]

Useful to think about how many day trips a week it would be. One or two, gives a very wide spread of locations, whereas 4+ a week would probably demand somewhere with very good connections / options nearby (e.g. somewhere on the via Emilia rail link, like Reggio nell'Emilia or Modena or Faenza).

Im thinking more like one or two per week. Previously, our longest stay in Europe has been two weeks, but it's usually 8 days or so. When you only have 8 days, you're on VACATION and extra costs are a part of that. I would think that traveling longer term would require a different approach in terms of spending money & conserving dollars vs a straight-up vacation. I'm thinking that we'll spend the rest of the time just relaxing and taking in the local sights, doing some watercolors, maybe a language class or local volunteer opportunities. So it won't be a "go, go, GO!" kind of trip

 

[bgilbertsound]

All good options!

For southern France maybe Avignon or Aix-en-Provence. Or if earlier/later in the season, Nice on the coast. Excellent train and bus options from Nice.

Southern Germany I don’t know well but I’ve been looking at the Black Forest area. That town called Freiburg-em-something sounds nice.

Northern Italy - we have several experts on that area on the forums.

The rest, I don’t know.

You will need to book an apartment a year in advance to make sure you can get a full month. If you decide on Avignon get back to me because I know someone who rents an apartment there who might be interested in a longer rental. But look at our vacation rental reviews. And have a read through some trip reports. Several people have done longer rentals like this.

Another option which you’ve probably thought about is the same country but two different places, two weeks each. We used to do this when traveling in England and we really got to know the areas.

Have fun researching and hopefully you will get some good ideas on this thread.

Thanks Pauline. The main reason we were thinking a month in one spot is that might get us a price break on our rental, though that may not be the case.

 

[bgilbertsound]

We really enjoyed Tuscany. Florence isn’t really very big and there are fast trains to Sienna, Pisa, Bologna and even Venice.
Another place I could stay for a month is in the Cinque Terra or the Amalfi Coast.

We LOVE Vernazza in the Cinque Terre! But we have been there three times already, and it is in danger of being "loved to death." We don't want to be part of the overtourism problem, but it's an incredible place and we've had fabulous experiences there.

I have wondered about staying there very early in the season, as in before the crowds get there, but not so early that everything is still closed. Might not be possible these days.

 

[Tina]

Have a careful look at the calendar if you're planning on spring. There will be crowds and prices will be higher most places over Easter but also around 25th April and 1st May which are public holidays and any long weekends created by those dates. For example this year the red days in Cinque Terre are these:

https://www.cittadellaspezia.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/calendario_allegato1-1-1.pdf

But those dates are a good indication of high season for città d'arte and just about any tourist destination.
Another risk in spring for sightseeing are the 'dreaded' - joking but not entirely, school trip groups. Coach loads of mostly bored and noisy kids/teenagers traipsing around museums and other attractions and città d'arte.....
You could think about mid-September to mid-October. It's true that the evenings aren't so long but in the North of Italy weather could be more reliable. We're having a crazy spring this year.
Somewhere on Lake Garda like Desenzano could make a good base. On the main train line so Milan, Brescia, Sirmione, Peschiera, Verona, Vicenza, Padova, Venice all easy to reach. And places on the lake by ferry. It's a wider and sunnier lake than Como, there will be a lot more choice for apartments than in the bigger cities and it's very nice on the days you do nothing in particular to have a stroll passeggiata along the lake to enjoy the sun and have a coffee

 

[Ian Sutton]

Some thoughts:

- Reggio (nell'Emilia) mentioned is an eco-friendly modest town, generally bypassed by tourists in favour of Parma, Modena, Bologna etc. It's got a lovely central green space popular for the evening passeggiata, and importantly is on that frequent via Emilia rail line, so there are an abundance of easy day trips by train, adding Faenza, Ravenna, Ferrara, Imola and even pleasingly humdrum Sant'Ilario into the list of options. Downsides? Possibly just the walking distance from train stations to the centre as the minor inconvenience, with many places a 15-20 walk from the train station.

- Pogerola (amalfi coast), or indeed another off the tourist trail village here, or elsewhere that's near, but not in the tourist hotspot. We stayed a week there, after a week in Ravello (such a loooong transfer ) and it made a lovely contrast, staying in an apartment block that may not have had other tourists there. The views were still good, the walking still superb, but it had a nice 'back to basics' feel, as if getting insight to that area without tourism.

- Villages of Puglia. It is possible to get around here by public transport (train and bus), and the villages have differing charms. A decent chance of warm or even hot weather, but still a low season for them. Very good food, mixed quality on wines, but when lucky the value can be superb. Locorotondo probably appealed the most to us, but Martina France another option.

- Trento. Not a town, but a moderately large and visually appealing city, mostly untroubled by tourists. It's a great place itself, but the appeal here is if you want to take day trips to go walking in the mountains, using the decent local bus services. Rovereto / Lake Garda in range, and Bolzano/Bolzen is a short & fast train ride away.

- Lucca. A lovely walled small town, with the train station unusually close, just outside the city walls. Lots of places to explore locally, some touristy, some not. Being inside the city walls may help the feeling of 'embedding in the culture'.

 

[bgilbertsound]

Some thoughts:

- Reggio (nell'Emilia) mentioned is an eco-friendly modest town, generally bypassed by tourists in favour of Parma, Modena, Bologna etc. It's got a lovely central green space popular for the evening passeggiata, and importantly is on that frequent via Emilia rail line, so there are an abundance of easy day trips by train, adding Faenza, Ravenna, Ferrara, Imola and even pleasingly humdrum Sant'Ilario into the list of options. Downsides? Possibly just the walking distance from train stations to the centre as the minor inconvenience, with many places a 15-20 walk from the train station.

- Pogerola (amalfi coast), or indeed another off the tourist trail village here, or elsewhere that's near, but not in the tourist hotspot. We stayed a week there, after a week in Ravello (such a loooong transfer ) and it made a lovely contrast, staying in an apartment block that may not have had other tourists there. The views were still good, the walking still superb, but it had a nice 'back to basics' feel, as if getting insight to that area without tourism.

- Villages of Puglia. It is possible to get around here by public transport (train and bus), and the villages have differing charms. A decent chance of warm or even hot weather, but still a low season for them. Very good food, mixed quality on wines, but when lucky the value can be superb. Locorotondo probably appealed the most to us, but Martina France another option.

- Trento. Not a town, but a moderately large and visually appealing city, mostly untroubled by tourists. It's a great place itself, but the appeal here is if you want to take day trips to go walking in the mountains, using the decent local bus services. Rovereto / Lake Garda in range, and Bolzano/Bolzen is a short & fast train ride away.

- Lucca. A lovely walled small town, with the train station unusually close, just outside the city walls. Lots of places to explore locally, some touristy, some not. Being inside the city walls may help the feeling of 'embedding in the culture'.

Thanks very much for all these suggestions. I've added them to my giant "notes" document & will definitely look into them. We are still awhile away from actually booking our trip (our aging doggie is a barrier to long trips), but I love doing the research!

 

[Ian Sutton]

Also a book suggestion, but not for the reason you might assume.

Italy for the gourmet traveller (Fred Plotkin) is ostensibly a book about finding the culinary treats of Italy, and in that respect I find the book only moderately successful, with too much focus on central & obvious locations, and understandably skims the surface. If you want something more encyclopaedic, then the Italian language Golosario (Paulo Massabrio) is remarkably good, rarely disappointing, and rarely missing a gem.

However Fred Plotkin is someone clearly with a deep love of the country, and this shines in his descriptions of regions, cities, towns and villages. I've often used the book for such high level research, trying to find a broad area that appeals, with some ideas of potential bases. He writes in a way that really helps capture the essence of a place.

 

[phirhon]

We have only really travelled to France with only two weeks in Italy several years ago. We always stay in self catering holiday rentals and for us it is the most economical way to travel. We travel for an extended time, so I can relate to your desire to watch your costs. We stay at least a week, sometimes two in one place and we always have a car. So not your sort of trip at all.

I can think of several places in France where we would happily stay for two to four weeks. Places such as Uzes in the Gard and Pezenas in the Herault, both with populations around 8,000- 9000. These are lovely small towns and good bases to explore the area - if you have a car. However wanting at least a few days of things in the town as well as six to eight day trips in the month by public transport, to me, implies you need a large place as a base. Avignon is often suggested as the best base for stays without a car, but even from there it can be difficult to visit small villages in the Luberon for example. There is a big difference between staying somewhere for four or five nights in a hotel and staying two weeks to a month in a self catering holiday rental.

One thing to keep in mind when you are looking for accommodation is , of course, location. Hotels are often centrally located with access to train/bus stations, restaurants etc. Some holiday rentals, however, may not be so conveniently located and require a walk to the centre and these facilities. Location of supermarkets is also a factor if you are going to self cater. The largest place we have stayed had a population of around 10,000 and it was a long walk to the supermarket. We had a car, so not a problem, but something to consider when choosing.

Our most recent trip was in 2023, the first since Covid. We spent ten weeks with six bases and it was lovely. We visited a variety of regions and had some great gites. This is not really what you are looking for though. We are Australian, so driving in France means driving on the opposite side of the road, but we could not do our trips without a car.

Country Roads Less Travelled

THE BEGINNING There were times during the last few years that we thought we would never return to France. Our last trip was in 2018 and here we are, several years older and a little lacking in confidence, but at almost 70, we decided it was now or never. Our time was running out if we wanted to...

www.sloweurope.com

We are not wealthy, but always find very economical gites in the areas we wish to visit. We then fully self cater and eat out once or twice a week, usually a lunch menu du jour , very reasonable, in a small local place.

For us , slow travelling is a lovely way to visit France. We have been able to spend time in some wonderful places, not just tourist hotspots, and would happily return to any of them. So I hope you can find a place that meets your expectations and you have a memorable stay.