anonymous
Traveller
2469 comments
Posted 11 years ago
Hi everyone! :)
I'm currently planning my route through Italy. I'll travel there in summer, staying about 3-4 weeks. I'm still having a bit of difficulties planning the route - maybe someone has some useful advice for me. So far I've written down:
Cinque Terre - Pisa (Anyone knows if it's worth the visit?) - Tuscany - Naples (yes I know it's quite a long journey, but I'd love to go to Venice and Verona at the end of my journey.
I'm also thinking about Siena/Bologna, but I don't know yet how to include them in the journey. I've travelled to Rome before, so I didn't want to go there this time. I know a lot of people here seem to travel to the bigger cities, but maybe someone also knows a typical, smaller Italian city, where you really can enjoy the Italian atmosphere.
I'm glad for any advice! :)
Greets!
TwilightCoda
Traveller
2 comments
Hi, that's a nice route, it'll be a wonderful interrail!
Ok, first if you go to Cinque Terre I suggest you stop in La Spezia, a city in the middle of Cinque Terre that is worth a visit (just half a day is enough time, it's quite small).
From Cinque Terre there are regular regional trains to Pisa, that is worth it too, and very quick to visit (just one day), and then you can move to Florence (Pisa-Florence, frequent regional trains).
I suggest staying in Florence for 4 days, and having a day trip to Siena (there are frequent buses from Florence bus station, it's also served by trains, but they are more expensive, and take more).
Then you could move to Naples, I suggest getting a high speed train, if you buy the ticket in advance you can manage to spend a few money (15/20 € one way). In Italy there are two high speed railway companies, Trenitalia, the national company, and Italo, a private company, both of them have very cheap offers if you purchase the ticket in advance, check them out at rail.shop/acprail/trenitalia/ and italotreno.it (however I prefer Italo). Then 5 days in Naples, remember to have a day trip to the roman ruins of Pompeii, and another to the city of Caserta (its Villa of Caserta is fantastic, there are frequent regional trains connecting Naples and Caserta).
Then either high speed again or IntercityNotte night train to Venice...
Avoid Bologna, Genova and Milano, they're modern cities, without any place of interest.
If you want to stop in other cities I suggest Turin (well connected to La Spezia, you may have to change train in Genova), Perugia, and Ferrara (very nice little city on the route between Naples and Venice, think about having a day there!)
I think that's all, if you have further questions, simply ask!
TwilightCoda :D