MegaSack DRAW - This year's winner is user - rgwb
We will be in touch
Had a great hol in cinque terre last year, so looking for some other Italian coastal gems for main holiday this year. Preferably a little off the beaten track to avoid tourist traps but would consider any recommendations.
What have you got?
Expecting to go in maybe easter or whitsun week so further south for sun is preferered.
(I think there was a thread on this a few months back but my search fu couldn't find it.)
In typical 'recommend what you know' STW style, Amalfi Coast.
It can be a massive tourist trap, Positano and Amalfi in particular and the road in between.
However we visited Ravello which is slightly further up the hill and much quieter (although still busyish). It was beautiful and there were little paths linking it back to Amalfi.
I guess if you did some research and found accommodation outwith the three areas above you would not be hemmed in by tourists during the day, but could visit the busy spots in the evening when the hordes have left.
I did a day's hiking on the coast up to one of the peaks and taking in loads of hillside paths. It was amazing, and there was so much else to explore. The Sentiero del Deigli was spectacular also.
[url= http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/med-cities-on-the-coast ]http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/med-cities-on-the-coast[/url]
[url= http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/italy-honeymoon-recomendations ]http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/italy-honeymoon-recomendations[/url]
Again in the style of recommend what you know and bearing in mind that you haven't mentioned if it's solo, couple, w/kids, beach, walking or cycling holiday etc. then I would add Roseto Degli Abruzzi into the mix.
I was lucky enough to go there last June rent free due to an Italian cycling colleague at work.
Not a particularly 'pretty' town but it's off the beaten track i.e. I didn't see another Brit in five days (that's good). But it has a beautiful beach and a busy town centre, loads of decent quality, cheap restaurants, pizzerias and [s]gilat[/s], [s]gella[/s] ice-cream parlours.
It also has a bike shop that rents an alu Shimano 105-level road bike for 3 days for €60 and a load of local riders who are happy to meet up for a ride.
The beach was 100 metres away to my left and there were 3,000 metre mountains 25 miles away to my right. I would drop the good lady off at the beach in the morning and then go out for a four or five hour spin on my own.
Plenty of routes available to share via strava if you need them.
Closest airport is Pescara/Abruzzo with regular flights from Stanstead.
Here's a vid of my cycling experiences showing some of the mountain/hill riding and fast forward to the last few seconds if you want to see the beach
[url= http://www.pinkbike.com/video/447858/ ]Ray of Light[/url]
Edit: mid 20's temp wise, short sleeve riding weather and wife was able to sunbathe. Very nice for early June compared to the UK. We did have a heavy thunderstorm tho' one morning. Additional vid available of Italian riding buddies and the thunderstorm/soaking I got.
thanks for the info.
sorry forgot to say, will be family hol with 2 youngs uns (7 & 4).
Looking for good beaches, food, adventurous walks and stuff to do.
Italy does beaches 'differently' than most of Europe - something to be aware of if you have kids.
Most are private and you pay for access.
There are some public beaches around, but fewer than private
Finale Ligure was good for us with little one in tow seems to attract lots of families in the evening we took the train along the coast east and there were some nice spots and very quite!
Italy does beaches 'differently' than most of Europe - something to be aware of if you have kids.
+1
I love Italy and we visit 2 or 3 times a year, but I really don't rate it for beach holidays.
Having said that, northern Sardinia (Santa Teresa Gallura) is worth a punt. Fly to Algherro or adventure ferry from Civitavechia (Rome).
Ciao ragazzi! I'm half itai so know a few spots, but totally depends on what you want. Lido di camaiore is nice but has gotten a bit posh over recent years, but generally I'd prefer to head south... Salerno, Sorrento, Ischia are all beauts. And right near Napoli if you want some action...
Cheaper down south, better weather, nicer people and better grub.
Eat in trattorie not ristoranti, learn a bit of the lingo and make an effort to have a laugh with them and it'll go a long way. Laugh at the England football team too, they love that in Italy ha.
We went to Vasto last year for a week at Easter, the beach is amazing, it seems to go on for miles. Restaurants in the town are a bit few and far between but those that are there are incredible.
[url= https://www.theguardian.com/travel/2008/may/21/italy.vasto.beach ]Vasto review from the Guardian.[/url]
We stayed in a guest house just up the road, the owners are now family friends and are coming over in the summer.
I can't fault Italy, every where I've been I've never been made to feel more welcome.
learn a bit of the lingo and make an effort to have a laugh with them and it'll go a long way.
This. I felt like a proper hero for managing to have a laugh with a couple of waiters despite barely managing twenty words of Italian, and I'm pretty sure we got a couple of free rounds of Limoncello* out of the deal 8)
*and before anyone says anything, that's a good thing, I liked Limoncello
Cheaper down south, better weather, nicer people and better grub.
Mi permetto di dissentire!!
Food and wine oop North much more refined and people SO much nicer!! 🙂
Ischia. Only downside is flying into Naples but to be fair thats exactly like you'd expect an Italian airport to run. Its where the Italians go on Holiday which is always a good sign