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Itinerary help Summer 2018

RachelP

10+ Posts
Hi all,
We are planning our second 8 week trip to Italy in August and September of 2018
We are a family with four kids.... 16,14,11 and 6 at the time of travel.
So far...
Arrive Rome stay 2 nights for rest, recovery and gelato ( flying from Australia) arrive around 1 August
Train to Roccella Ionica in Calabria for one week... meeting friends there
Sicily staying with friends 2 weeks near Syracuse
This takes us up to around 20 August
Here is the gap......... 20-26 August free
26 August Spello Umbria for a month
Last few days of September in Rome before heading home
I am after a beautiful destination enrouye from Sicily to Spello....
Preferably accessible by train or plane or ferry
Any ideas?
Happy to spend a little more as the budget is looking healthy
We stay in apartments generally
Kids love swimming
We love food, panoramic views, lemon scented air....
Hit me with your ideas please ☺️
 
The suggestion above for Matera gives you a good alternate route to Spello from Sicily. There are a lot of things to do if you were to use Matera as a base for a stay -- Lecce, Otranto, Gallipoli, Taranto, Metaponto, Alberobello, Locorotondo, Martina Franca, Cisternino, Ostuni, Bari to choose from (with lots of panoramic views and a regional menu that is different from other areas of Italy).

We travel by car, so can't help with rail suggestions (but do think that you'll be much closer to sanity with your kids on a train than we ever were with ours locked in a car with us for a month at a time).
 
If trying to break the journey between Siracusa and Spello, then Amalfi Coast seems the obvious candidate. We've flown from Catania to Napoli before, though the ferry might also be an option, and something a little different.

L'altracostiera are a good local travel agency who have apartment listings. Whilst there are beaches, I'd definitely recommend the charms of a place with a pool, especially after trekking up / down the many steps in the area. In terms of beauty it definitely ticks the box, with superbly panoramic views (especially from Ravello) that can enchant. As for lemon scented air - yup that's the Amalfi coast, with arguably the best lemons in the world. The food is wonderful as well, especially the fish/seafood.

Logistically it will be a bit of a transfer on arrival / exit, though if you can arrange for one of the larger taxis, taking that to/from Napoli to connect with airport and then train station on the return should make it easier.

For me it jumps out as the obvious choice.

Regards
Ian
 
I LOVE Matera and also highly recommend. Not sure about staying there without a car though

I'm wondering if Ischia might be a possibility? I haven't actually been there, but thought about it a few years ago when my girls were young teens, and seem to recall it sounded very family friendly. It looks like there are cheap flights from Catania (near-ish Syracuse?) to Naples, and the fast ferries to Ischia run several times a day.
 
A second vote for the Amalfi Coast. I usually rent an apartment for a week in Positano each June and never run out of things to do/see, if I get tired of relaxing on the beach.
 
Thank you all
I dreamed perhaps romantically of Ischia. Also the Amalfi coast. Just the logistics of getting us all there gives me a headache
Thanks for the Matera suggestion too. Not sure it work without a car.
We do rent a car in Spello, but after we have arrived by train. We can't fit all of us and our luggage into a car.
Thanks all and will research some more now.
Cheers
 
Hi Rachel
The other option for Amalfi coast is train from Sicily to Salerno & then pick a taxi up from outside the train station. Trenitalia.com will have the schedules.

There is always the Cilento area which has plenty of beaches, perhaps easier logistically via train and then shorter taxi journey. Then the train up north at the end of that leg. Personally I'd be tempted to wait until you'd be in the area with a car, as the national park sounds very good to explore. Plus Amalfi coast is very welcoming to non-Italian speakers.

Regards
Ian
 
Thanks Ian,
I will explore some more options. Is there a preferred transfer company for Naples to Amalfi coast?
 
Thanks Ian,
I will explore some more options. Is there a preferred transfer company for Naples to Amalfi coast?

We were just in that area and used Astarita Car Service (based out of Sorrento) to transfer from Naples train station to our apartment in Positano, and then a very early morning pickup from Positano to Naples airport on our way home. Our driver Guiseppe was wonderful and the car (a van, really) was clean and comfortable.

Sounds like a wonderful trip no matter where you end up spending that extra week! We loved the Amalfi coast and were fine without a car during our short (four day) visit, though the bus can be quite crowded (even when we were there in October) and the ferries could be expensive for a large party (I think it was around 8 euros from Positano to Amalfi, more like 20 to Capri, and that is one way).
 
Thanks Devarae,
I am now considering even a bit more time in Sicily just to keep it simple....hmmmmm
Yes, I know the Amalfi coast can be pricey and with 4 kids in tow, three of which eat like adults.... maybe not a great idea. Also the getting around can be pricey as you said. Thanks for your input!
 
I always use a private driver to get from NAP to Positano and save money by renting an apartment instead of a hotel room. To get around while in Positano, I almost exclusively use the ferries.
 
Hi Rachel
We rented apartments via local agency l'Altracostiera, so asked them to book the taxi, which was reasonable (about €70 each way Ravello/Pogerola - Napoli airport), presumably more like €100 each way now. The other time was our last package holiday ~ 2002 with Magic of Italy, so I don't know the individual cost / details

I'll second the apartment recommendation, as it often:
- gives you more space for less money, that extra space reducing fraying nerves on a longer holiday and feeling less regimented than a hotel
- allows you to set the day's schedule, from heading out at 5:30am, to sleeping in until midday
- gets you closer to local life, shopping at the weekly market, in specialist shops, or in a local supermarket (the latter can surprise, e.g. the one in Pogerola having (wet) smoked mozzarella, a rare delicacy).
- gets you out of a cycle of two big meals eating out every day. We tend to have a revolving selection of salami/prosciutto, bread, cheese, salad leaves, tomatoes, cheeses, fruit plus other stuff including the odd prepared dish from a gastronmia. What doesn't get finished goes into the next day's selection.
- Often a washing machine in the apartment, great for helping to cut down on luggage if you can wash the clothes every 4-5 days

I'd recommend l'altracostiera (who also offer coach tours to Pompeii, Herculaneum, Paestum etc.). Worth checking other options as well, but I did appreciate having them on hand locally in case anything went wrong.

Regards
Ian
 
Keep in mind that week is the highest of high season so most beach destinations will be very very crowded. The Cilento is somewhat less crowded than Amalfi Coast will be; further south you go the sparser the crowds (off-the-beaten path destinations like Pisciotta and Maratea would be less crowded, for example). In the Cilento, my favorite destination is Castellabate (San Marco and Santa Maria are both lovely) and Agropoli. We always book through Summer in Italy; on their website are also some reliable tourist service providers, like drivers, tour guides, etc. that we've had good experiences with.

Matera - being in Basilicata myself I LOVE Matera and highly recommend it. Except August will be INFERNAL hot in the rock city. So, maybe a seaside location in Puglia with a day trip to Matera?

OR, to throw another wrench in the works...maybe you'd want to be a little more northward towards Spello, in which case the Lazio beach areas of Sperlonga, Gaeta, or Formia might be nice.
 
Hi Valerie
What are your views on Cilento for having a car / not having a car? In particular:

Is it a burden around the coastal resorts?
Are there ways to get to explore the Cilento national park without a car?

We were looking at the possibility of going there a few years ago e.g. a week on Amalfi Coast, then most likely bus to Salerno to pick up a hire car OR take the train south for another week.

Regards
Ian
 
Thanks Devarae,
I am now considering even a bit more time in Sicily just to keep it simple....hmmmmm
Certainly great variety to be had here including rural escapes, volcanic mountain altitude, busy or quiet coastal, intense city, or diverse island hopping (e.g. Aeolian islands). The latter might be fun for kids, with the natural fireworks of Stromboli, the somewhat smelly but enjoyable open air (volcanic) mud bath at Vulcano, plus plenty of vibrancy on the larger islands of Salina and Lipari, through to the calm peacefulness of Panarea, and the more isolated Filicudi and Alicudi (the latter IIRC an island without cars). Getting around by boat makes the journey more interesting. Ferries easiest from Milazzo, but Palermo the other option.

Indeed looking at ferry routes, I note a Palermo - Civitavecchia ferry route. Perhaps this might be of interest. The only catch I see, is it's MUCH quicker from Civitavecchia to Spello by car (~2 hours) vs. the train which involves a change at Rome and is over 5 hours.

In purely logistical terms I suspect flying from Trapani or Catania to Perugia is the best option (with that :rolleyes: Irish airline). Not as stress-free or enjoyable as train/boat but almost certainly cheaper & faster. Do check Ryanair's charging structure as you'll be paying separately for all your hold luggage, so the advertised price will be much less than what you pay. Personally I'd probably take this option, to take one shorter transfer (take the pain in one hit), rather than more appealing options which eat more more time.

Regards
Ian
 
@Ian It is getting easier to get to and around the Cilento without a car, but I still prefer to have one myself. It's just easier, especially to explore the little inland towns or go out to dinner somewhere different, etc. That said, Italo Treno started one of their train-bus connections from Salerno this past summer (high season only). There is a train to Agropoli (Trenitalia) as well, and to Pisciotta if you go further down the Cilento. There are ferries in summer to Amalfi Coast and Capri from Agropoli; some years there is a ferry that connects the Cilento towns but it doesn't always get funded, for some reason.

Of course, you can get a car service from Salerno or Agropoli to your destination (my personal favorite is Santa Maria di Castellabate), and then you are able to walk to everything in town and there are communal buses to the other Castellabate frazioni, and some good tour guides to help you see the best things (reasonable rates). Boat tours, etc.

But my preference is still to have a car!
 
Hi Valerie
Many thanks. I doubt the beach resorts would hold our interest too long, so venturing out to smaller villages is definitely an appeal, as is getting out for a walk away from civilisation.
Regards
Ian
 

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