Vernazza Piazza

But you could still hike far enough up the trail for spectacular views looking back toward Vernazza, which we did.

To further complicate matters, there was a rail strike one of the days we were there, and the seas were too rough for the ferry to run. In our case, this turned out to be a blessing because we had Vernazza pretty much to ourselves. And it’s the most delightful town in the Cinque Terre.

We hiked part of the way to Monterosso, turned around and came back, had a leisurely lunch, and went for a dip in the Mediterranean. Since we’d already been to Riomaggiore and Manarola, we didn’t feel deprived at all.

But our experience serves as a cautionary trail. Despite it’s popularity, the Cinque Terre is still pretty remote and you can’t take the ability to get from A to B for granted. And unless you stay in Monterosso al Mare, you can’t expect to find conventional hotels with lobbies, restaurants, and elevators.

Cinque Terre accommodation runs the gamut from rooms in private homes – known as affitta camera – to individual apartments to hostels. We stayed in the closest thing to a hotel in Vernazza, La Mala, and loved it.

La Mala

As far as I can tell, La Mala is the only place in Vernazza that offers this service. We ate breakfast next to a couple who were staying in one of Gianni Franzi’s rooms. They said that carrying their bags up the steep and narrow alleys almost killed them. They were relieved to reach their room until they saw the spiral staircase leading to the bedroom. It was too narrow to accommodate their bags.

So don’t visit Vernazza with luggage that you can’t carry several hundred yards straight uphill.

If you’re coming from and returning to La Spezia, you might consider checking your luggage at the train station there and just bringing a few things with you to the Cinque Terre.

Most Vernazza hotels don’t have a conventional reception service. So you’ll need to coordinate with someone to get checked in and out. If you rent a room from Gianni Franzi, you’ll check in with the bartender at Gianni’s restaurant on the water-front piazza.

Vernazza Harbor

We’d heard horror stories about cell phone roaming charges, so we bought a cell phone from Cellular Abroad that came with a SIM card for Italy. The phone itself was pretty basic, but it worked great and it was very convenient for reconfirming arrangements, making dinner reservations, calling for taxis, etc. We figured that it would be helpful if we got lost, but thanks to our Garmin GPS, we never did.

It also came in handy when the pet sitter back home needed to ask us a question.

The phone with the card was $119. And the next time we travel internationally, all we’ll need is a SIM card for the country we’re visiting. When we return to Italy, we’ll just swap out the card.

The room at La Mala had a portable cell phone in the room that you could carry with you. The corkscrew and small refrigerator were other nice extras.

Most Cinque Terre hotels don’t have restaurants, so if breakfast is included, you’ll be given a voucher that you can use at one of the cafes in the town.

If you’re planning to stay in one of the five towns, don’t expect all the services and amenities you’d enjoy elsewhere. Come with an open mind and a spirit of adventure. After all, that’s part of the charm.

Italian train -- Eurostar Frecciarossa

Traveling by train in Italy really runs the gamut. It can relaxing or unpleasant, dirt cheap or expensive, fast or slow. There are some things you can do to make the experience more enjoyable. But on certain routes, there’s nothing to do but try not to touch anything.

Another wrinkle: on our recent trip, the trains were on strike from 9:30AM to 5:30PM. Some trains did run – if the conductor chose not to strike. But there was no way to find out in advance whether your train was operating or not. You just went to the station to see if it showed up.

As the Italian government institutes more austerity measures to shore up the economy, more strikes are likely in the future.

We were lucky in that we weren’t traveling that day, but we heard stories about people who had to take $500 taxi rides from Naples to Rome in order to make their flight home.

While driving in the Italian countryside is enjoyable, it’s pretty much a suicide mission in the cities. And if you want to cover some distance, trains can actually be quicker than flying. Taking the train between cities will also help you eliminate backtracking so you can see more places in Italy in less time.

Types of Italian trains.

The pride of the Trenitalia line are the new, high-speed Eurostar trains. Known as the Frecciarossa, or red arrow, these are sleek, modern, and comfortable, with service available in first and second class. Traveling as fast as 175 MPH, they link most major Italian cities. Snacks and beverages are served, and depending on the route, there may be a dining car with a set, three-course menu.

You’ll need to reserve your seats in advance, and on some routes, the most popular times sell out. But if seats aren’t available in second class, there may still be room in first. Power outlets for laptops are available at every seat.

Eurostar City trains, known as Frecciabianca trains, travel at speeds up to 125 and run pretty frequently. Refreshments are available, but there’s no dining car. Reservations are required for these too. Intercity trains that don’t bear the Eurostar designation are one step further down.

Regional trains are inexpensive and can be frequent or infrequent. As a rule, they are not real clean and only second class is available. The ticket you buy is not for a specific train – it is for transportation from A to B. So it’s important to validate your ticket before your board the train. Otherwise, you could face a 50 Euro fine.

Cinque Terre train

The yellow validating machines aren’t always on the platform – sometimes they’re just inside the station. So stamp your ticket before you head for the platform. If you have a rail pass, you can just hop aboard.

At press time, overnight accommodations were not available because the company that maintains them is on strike. But in our experience, taking an overnight train in Italy always results in a sleepless night anyway.

Buying your tickets.

You can buy tickets in advance through Italiarail. If you know exactly when you want to travel, this can save you some time, although you’ll pay for the convenience. You’ll receive a voucher that you exchange for the actual ticket at the train station. You can do it in person or use one of the kiosks. Some advance purchase fares with some restrictions can save you as much as 60%.

If you don’t want to be locked into a schedule, you can buy tickets at the train station. In larger stations, you can also buy tickets for local routes at the newsstands. Usually, there’s no waiting there. Or use one of the machines — there’s an English-language option that walks you through the whole process.

Italian rail passes can save you quite a bit of money if you plan on doing lots of train travel. You can compare the options at raileurope. Just remember that you need reservations for most trains now — at a cost of 10 Euro per reservation. So factor that into the total cost of the pass.

Traveling by train in Italy.

When you arrive at the station, you’ll need to figure out which platform — binario — your train leaves from. Video monitors show arrivals and departures with the Bin. number. Just be sure to check a few minutes before your scheduled departure because sometimes the platform changes at the last minute.

If you have reserved seats, your ticket will tell you the carriage number and in larger stations, signage will tell you where to wait. When your train arrives, board as quickly as you can because they often leave quickly.

Depending on the train, there may be space at the front or back of the car to stow your luggage, otherwise, you’ll have to put it overhead. As a rule, there will be a map inside the car showing the stops. It’s a good idea to figure out which stop is before the one where you want to disembark.

Many larger cities have more than one train station, so know which one is most convenient before you board. For instance, in Pisa, the S. Rossore station is about a ten minute walk from the Leaning Tower while the central station is about half an hour on foot.

Italian train stations are pretty friendly for English speakers, so you shouldn’t have much trouble figuring out where to go and what to do.

Once you’re onboard, relax and enjoy the views of the passing countryside.

Read about traveling on French trains.

Italian train — Eurostar Frecciarossa Image Flickr: angelocesare
Cinque Terre train Image Flickr: langalex

Tuscany

We used both Lucca and Siena as bases so that we’d have the opportunity to explore towns in the northern and southern parts of Tuscany. Although they’re not far apart, each is unique with an appeal all it’s own.

Driving in Tuscany.

Renting a car is the best way to see Tuscany, and it’s an easy place to drive. We took our Garmin portable GPS and it did a great job of getting us from A to B. We avoided the Autostrada – or American-style freeway – as much as possible, and enjoyed the scenery and lack of hassle the country roads provided.The truth is that there’s never enough time. So if you’re planning a trip to Italy, you should make up your mind that you won’t be able to see everything you want to see in one trip.

We reserved our car in advance through Avis and got an easy-to-drive Audi A3 with only 14,000 kilometers on it. As a rule, automatic cars are rare and expensive in Europe, so if you haven’t driven a stick shift in a while, you might want to take one for a spin to brush up.

In Italy, you have to wear a safety vest if you get out of your car on the freeway, so when you pick up your rental, make sure the vests are in the car and not in the trunk. It’s also smart to confirm what kind of fuel the car takes. If given the choice, you’ll get better mileage with diesel.

While driving in Tuscany is a breeze, parking – not so much. Don’t even think about trying to park inside the city walls. Find a parking lot outside the town and walk in. In the case of Cortona or Montepulciano, this may involve a steep climb. But it will be worth it.

Parking spaces with blue lines aren’t free. Usually, there’s a machine nearby where you purchase a ticket to put on the dash. To this end, you should start hoarding your one- and two-Euro coins. Merchant and vendors often ask for exact change, so sometimes it’s hard to hang onto them.

If there’s no machine where you pay, you may need to use a disco orario, which is a card that’s placed on the windshield. You use it to indicate to the parking police what time you parked. When you pick up your rental car, ask the agent if there’s one in the car.

San Gimignano

You can park for free at spaces with white lines, just make sure to look for any signs that restrict the parking to certain times of day.

Tuscany is very safe, so we never worried about leaving the car parked with all our worldly good inside.

The region is wildly popular in summer. And even places like San Gimignano have tour groups arriving in the afternoon. Since the smaller towns don’t have hotels that can accommodate groups, your best bet is to arrive early, do your sightseeing, have a leisurely lunch, and then drive to your next destination in the afternoon. Take a nap, go for a swim, or just relax, then venture out again after 5PM.

Accommodation in Tuscany.

If you traveling during peak season – which these days is from June through September – it’s a good idea to reserve your accommodations in advance. Hotels in Tuscany are of a fairly high standard, and you can rent an apartment or villa if you plan to stay in one place for a week or more.

If you like to be out in the country, consider staying in an agriturismo. These rural farmhouses generally include breakfast and dinner. And your hosts will be happy to help you plan your sightseeing. These are also more likely to have parking than conventional hotels.

Breakfast is included with the nightly rate at most places. This can range from a simple buffet with croissants, juice, and coffee, to an elaborate spread with fresh fruits, meats and cheeses, eggs, and pastries.

We highly recommend this wonderful destination to anyone who enjoys history, art, and superb food and wine.

For more information about Tuscany’s best hill towns, see our Map of Tuscany.

Vernazza, Italy

We love to vacation in Italy and we’ve been lucky enough to return there many times. There are so many places to see in Italy, that deciding where to go is always a challenge. We always want to explore destinations that we haven’t seen. But at the same time, we long to return to our old favorites.

The truth is that there’s never enough time. So if you’re planning a trip to Italy, you should make up your mind that you won’t be able to see everything you want to see in one trip.

Traveling to Italy is easy from most major cities in the United States. Since we’re going to Northern Italy, we’re flying Air France nonstop to Paris and then connecting from there. If you’re not going to Rome or if there isn’t nonstop service to Rome from your home city, consider flying to whichever European city you can fly nonstop to.

It’s only 2-1/2 hours from London to Rome. And depending on when you travel, it may be less expensive to do a roundtrip to some other European city and then buy point-to-point fares to your destinations in Italy.

However you get there, avoid backtracking if you can. Fly into Rome and out of Venice or Milan instead of returning to Rome. Italy train travel is pretty good, but it can be expensive and time-consuming.

Over the years, we’ve learned that the less traveling we do, the happier we are. So we always stay a minimum of two nights in each destination – but more often, three or four. We pick a city that’s central to lots of places we want to go and then use it as a base.

We book all our hotels in advance because the really desirable, affordable ones always fill up fast. For Italy, we like to use booking.com and venere.com. Both these sites have detailed descriptions and photos, and lots of user reviews. Before we make reservations, we usually check tripadvisor just to make sure there are no unpleasant aspects that we don’t know about.

Trevi Fountain

Driving in Italy is pretty manageable in the country, but don’t even attempt it in the cities. We try to keep our destinations just a few hours apart because we want to stop here or there for a leisurely lunch and do some sightseeing along the way.

We’ve used Avis the last several trips and always had positive experiences with them. Like the guy who wears suspenders and a belt, we take a GPS and also screen grabs of maps. The European maps on our Garmin GPS are pretty accurate. The viamichelin web site is a great place to generate point-to-point maps. It will even tell you the cost of the various routes. There are lots of toll roads in Italy.

On this trip, we’re flying into Genoa and staying in Sestri Levante and Vernazza to do the Cinque Terre. We’re doing this part of the trip by train, and then picking up a car in Viareggio for our time in Tuscany.

We’re using Lucca as a base for the cities in Northern Tuscany, and Siena as a base for the towns in Southern Tuscany. In this way, we’ll have nearly a dozen towns that we want to explore that are less than 90 minutes from where we’re staying.

We don’t want to have the car in Florence, so we’re dropping the car in Siena the night before and taking the train the next morning. Be aware that many car rental offices – particularly outside big cities – close for several hours for lunch.

We made reservations and bought tickets online for the Tower of Pisa and the Uffizi Gallery so we won’t have to waste any time waiting in line. Other than that, we have a list of attractions and appealing restaurants in the towns we plan to visit. But we always allow plenty of time for spontaneity.

The first time I went to Rome, I didn’t see the Sistine Chapel because I decided to have a second glass of wine at lunch and just enjoy the piazza. Years later, when I finally went to the Sistine Chapel, I knew I’d made the right decision. It was, in fact, still there.

With so many places to go in Italy, it’s best to restrict yourself to a single manageable area. If you’ve already been to Rome, consider doing Naples and the Amalfi Coast. If you don’t want to drive, you can see Capri, Ischia, Positano, Amalfi, and Sorrento by ferry – which is absolutely delightful.

If you’re all about art and churches, try a week in Umbria and a week in Tuscany. Or visit Milan and the Italian Lakes. Just be sure not to bite off more than you can chew. Nothing is worse than being on vacation and feeling like you have to stick to a demanding schedule.

We’ll have plenty to talk about when we return from our trip in a few weeks.

Find more Italy travel tips.

Vernazza Italy Image Flickr: travellingtamas

Cinque Terre Hiking Trail

Few places in the world offer hiking as spectacular as you’ll find in the Cinque Terre. The Five Towns on the Ligurian coast of Italy are linked by rail and a trail that rewards walkers with one breathtaking view after another.

The best way to get to the Cinque Terre is by train, and you can catch it from La Spezia in the south or Levanto in the north. Trains here run very frequently and the distance between villages is short. If you buy the Cinque Terre card — and you should — get one that includes rail fare in the price.

Nearly 10,000 acres of the region is now the protected Parco Nazionale delle Cinque Terre and the park is responsible for maintaining the trails. Sales of the Cinque Terre card help make this possible.

Plastic water bottles are no longer allowed in the park, but you can get a reusable, one-liter metal flask for one Euro. These can be filled up at the new water fountains that dispense both still and sparkling filtered water. You’ll need sturdy hiking shoes, comfortable clothes, and plenty of sunscreen for Cinque Terre hiking.

More than three million travelers hike the trails every year, so the steep, terraced trails can be packed in summer. But if you spend the night in one of the villages, you can head out early and beat the crowds.

The trail is reasonably well marked, but due to the weather, some sections may be closed during your visit.

The most popular route is the Blue Trail or Sentiero Azzurro which connects the five villages — Monterosso al Mare, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola, and Riomaggiore. It’s also known as Sentiero No. 2. The distance is only 4-½ miles, but since the path is fairly rugged, you should plan on four or five hours. You’ll want to allow plenty of time when hiking in the Cinque Terre to savor the scenery.

The good news is that at the end of your hike, you can take the train or ferry back to your starting point.

The most challenging section of the trail is the two-mile stretch between Monterosso and Vernazza. The trail here goes up and down hill through the terraced vineyards and most hikers will need at least two hours to complete this leg of the journey. If you start the hike in Monterosso, you’ll get the toughest part over with while you’re still fresh.

On the Cinque Terre Trail

The 2-½ mile hike from Vernazza to Corniglia winds through woods and takes about 90 minutes. In places, it’s steep and narrow, with no guard rails. The village of Corniglia is above the trail. It can be reached by the 377-step Lardarina staircase. If you want to conserve energy, you can take the shuttle from the train station up to the town. Because Corniglia has no harbor, there’s no ferry service here.

From Corniglia, it’s an easy, one-hour walk along the coast to Manarola. For 5 Euros, you can cool off with a dip at Guvano Beach. The final mile of the trail is a paved walkway known as the Via dell’Amore or Lover’s Walk. Not only is this the least strenuous part of the path, it also affords some of the best views. You’ll reach Riomaggiore in less than half an hour.

Seriously fit hikers who want to avoid the crowds can tackle the High Trail, which connects Levanto with Portovenere. This hike take eight to tens hours, but you can use one of the trails connecting the High Trail with the Blue Trail to shorten the distance. The High Trail provides amazing views looking down at the villages. Before you attempt it, pick up a detailed map from one of the park centers.

Most of the villages have a church above the town, and there are also trails leading up to them.

Read more Italy travel tips.

Cinque Terre Hiking Trail Image Flickr: Lee Coursey
On the Cinque Terre Trail Image Flickr: Gruenemann

Uffizi

For years, seeing the dazzling collection of Botticellis, Michelangelos, Titians, and da Vincis meant standing in line – some times for hours. But now, there are several options for visiting the Uffizi that eliminate the wait.

If you’re in Florence during the off season (October through April), you can probably buy tickets for the following day at the “New Uffizi” office in the Pitti Palace. You can select a time for your visit, and then show up at the designated hour.

But travelers visiting Florence during the summer will need to make plans in advance. You can buy Uffizi tickets online through several websites. At press time, the charge for two was 28 Euros for admission and 10.98 Euros for online reservations. When there is a special exhibit at the gallery – such as the Caravaggio show – there’s an additional charge.

But it’s a great value when you factor in the time saved. You can also choose from several guided tours, some of which combine the Uffizi and the Accademia,

If you love art and want to visit several of the great museums in Florence, there are two other options to consider. The Amici degli Uffizi, or Friends of the Uffizi card, funds restorations and special projects at the Uffizi museum. The price of the card is 60 Euros, or 100 Euros for a family of four, and it includes admission to twenty museums in Florence for one year. You simply show your card at the Amici welcome desk with proof of ID and receive a ticket for immediate admission.

For those who travel to Florence often – or those who want to visit the Uffizi more than once – it’s the best deal. And it supports a really good cause. Membership also includes discounts for concerts at several venues in Florence.

Firenze Card

You can buy your card in advance and then validate it at the first museum you visit. Card holders don’t have to wait in line, and once the card is validated, it’s good for 72 hours.

The Firenze Card is really only a good deal if you plan to visit lots of attractions. Otherwise, it may be less expensive to make reservations for the museums you want to visit in advance. The other caveat is that the card allows only one entrance per attraction. So if you visit the Uffizi, you won’t be able to return the next time to see something you missed.

Find more Italy travel advice.

Orvieto shop

Built on a huge promontory of volcanic tufa stone, Orvieto’s history goes all the way back to the Bronze Age. Romans destroyed the Etruscan city here in the 3rd century BC, and five Popes maintained residences in Orvieto during the 13th century.

Orvieto’s greatest export is its wine. Orvieto Classico is a crisp, white wine that’s appreciated the world over. You can take a tour and taste the wine at Tenuta Le Velette if you make reservations in advance.

Although not as noted for its cooking as Tuscany or Piemonte, Umbria has delicious food, created with a light touch. Top-quality olive oil, fresh herbs, and seasonal ingredients predominate. Black truffles from Norcia, and pork sausages, are enjoyed all over the region. And spit-roasted meats and home-made pastas are found on most menus.

Umbricelli, the local pasta, is like spaghetti, but thicker. It’s often served with a hearty tomato sauce.

Most of the best Orvieto restaurants offer beautiful surroundings, as well as hearty cooking.

One of the oldest places in Orvieto, Le Grotte del Funaro occupies a cave that was carved from the tufa in the 12th century. To sample a little of the best regional dishes, order the mixed (misti) plates. An assortment of bruschette or crostini makes a great starter. And the grilled meats, especially the suckling pig, are moist and delicious. The wine list is exceptional. And if you come for lunch, you’ll enjoy a nice view of the surrounding hills through the windows or from the piazza. Pizza from a wood-fired oven is also available.

Located in the old town on a side street off the Piazza del Popolo, Asino d’Oro offers traditional Umbrian cooking and less conventional dishes like fried guanciale with sage and vinegar, gnudi with chard and goat cheese, or baccala with raisins. Chianina beef and rabbit are available for main courses, and desserts are worth saving room for.

Tipica Trattoria is beneath a 15th-century palazzo, and dining under the 500-year-old arches is part of the appeal here. The chef’s appetizer assortment is a nice way to ease into your meal. Their umbrichelli is sauced with a spicy tomato sauce or during the season, a sauce made with white truffles. Gnocchi is another satisfying first course. Rabbit, lamb, and wild boar are the best main courses. After dinner, don’t be surprised if you’re offered a vin santo or grappa on the house.

Orvieto

In business in one place or another since 1945, La Grotta is still going strong. The owner is a charmer, and serious about his food. He’s been known to take diners into the kitchen for a better look at the provisions. He’s popular with the locals, who come for home-made pasta with duck or chicken giblet sauce, potted guinea hen, or cured boar. Also on the menu are local chick peas, pigeon, lamb, and grilled meats. Zuppa Inglese is a good dessert choice.

Next to the 13th-century Palazzo Comunale, La Palomba is a family-owned trattoria that serves simple, but delicious meals made with local ingredients. Your best bet is to order whatever the house recommends. Start with crostini or bruschetta — when truffles are in season, they’ll grate some over the top. The pastas are excellent, and hearty dishes like pigeon or lamb are perfect on a chilly night. The owner, his wife, and their daughter make their guests feel really welcome. There’s a nice selection of local wine, with several available by the half bottle.

One of the oldest restaurants in Orvieto, Trattoria dell’Orso has long been a favorite in the area. The chef here hails from Abruzzo and his partner is Neapolitan, so you’ll find more tomatoes on the menu. Pasta with scamorza cheese, broccoli, and tomatoes, chicken with olives, and splet soup start things off nicely. Rabbit, lamb, guinea fowl, and chicken alla cacciatore round out the meal. Gabriele and Ciro are delightful hosts.

Read about things to do in Orvieto. Or find Orvieto hotels.

Legend:
1) La Grotte del Funaro
2) Asino d’Oro
3) Tipica Trattoria
4) La Grotta
5) La Palomba
6) Trattoria dell’Orso

View Orvieto Restaurants Map in a larger map

Orvieto restaurant Image Flickr: UmbriaLovers
Orvieto Image Flickr: UmbriaLovers

Tuscany

With stunning scenery, incredible art and architecture, and some of Italy’s best wine, Tuscany draws travelers back year after year. The rolling hillsides, ancient vineyards, and olive groves create a beautiful backdrop for the well-preserved medieval cities where you can truly enjoy the good life, Italian style.

The two largest cities in Tuscany, Florence and Pisa, attract tourists by the score. But it’s Tuscany’s smaller villages and towns that most captivate visitors. If you have the time, plan to visit several. Despite their proximity, each is unique – and special – in its own way. Use our map of Tuscany to plan your trip.

1) Lucca
No visit to Lucca is complete without a stroll or bike ride through the park that rests atop the 15th-century walls encircling the city. Walk along Lucca’s narrow streets, and you’ll run into a church almost immediately – there are 99 of them in Lucca. The gorgeous, crescent-shaped Piazza dell’Anfiteatro traces the lines of the old Roman amphitheater.

2) Volterra
Surrounded by quarries where the local alabaster was mined, Volterra sits perched on a rocky promontory. Its 3,000 year history is easy to explore with Etruscan, Roman, and Medieval sites and museums.

3) San Gimignano
With its medieval skyscrapers, San Gimignano has one of the most distinctive skylines in the region. Fourteen of the original 70 towers remain, but San Gimignano also boasts beautiful churches, museums, and convents from the Middle Ages.

4) Monteriggione
The only town in the region with intact walls, Monteriggione has a 14th-century parish church, a Romanesque abbey, and beautiful ceramics and leather goods.

5) Siena
Siena’s Campo is arguably the most beautiful public square in Tuscany. Little changed since the 14th-century, Siena seems almost lost in time. Thankfully, most of the city is closed to cars. Exceptional early Renaissance art and a vibrant local culture – best seen in the no-holds-barred Palio horse race run here twice a year – make Siena a must-visit destination.

6) Montalcino
Wine lovers must make a pilgrimage here to sample Brunello di Montalcino, one of Tuscany’s best red wines. Wine cellars are available in town for tastings or you can arrange to visit one of the wineries nearby.

7) Pienza
From the outside, Pienza looks like another Tuscan hill town. But thanks to its association with Pope Pio II, Pienza has a superb Renaissance complex designed by Alberti. While you’re here, be sure to sample the world-renowned Pecorino cheese.

Montepulciano

8) Montepulciano
A top destination for oenophiles, who come to taste the Vino Nobile wines made here, Montepulciano also has a beautiful Renaissance church just outside the town walls. The location, nearly 2,000 feet above sea level, provides sweeping views of the surrounding countryside.

9) Cortona
Best known from Frances Mayle’s book, Under the Tuscan Sun, Cortona is surrounded by vineyards and olive groves. In the town – which escaped damage in World War II – you can see exquisite paintings by Fra Angelico and Luca Signorelli. And there are beautiful views of Lake Trasimeno

10) Arezzo
For a town its size, Arezzo has a lot to see, including a Roman Amphitheater, the House of the poet Petrarch, an archaeology museum, and several fine churches. There’s a huge antiques fair here the first weekend of the month.

Are you traveling to Italy? Get Italy Maps to help you get around!

Find more places to visit in Italy.

View Map of Tuscany Region of Italy in a larger map

Tuscany Image Flickr: echiner1
Montepulciano Image Flickr: lo.tangelini

Rome

Rome attractions are clustered into a few areas. Piazza Navona provides easy access to the Pantheon, Trevi Fountain, and Spanish Steps. If you’re on the other side of the Tiber River, St. Peters, the Vatican Museums, and Castel Sant’Angleo are near each other. And the Coliseum, the Roman Forum, and the Capitoline Museum are close enough to make a manageable day.

Are you traveling to Italy? Get Italy Maps to help you get around!

Use our map of Rome to plan your time wisely.

1) Vatican Museums
2) St. Peter’s Basilica
3) Castel Sant’Angelo
4) Piazza Navona
5) Campo de Fiori
6) Pantheon
7) Trevi Fountain
8) Capitoline Museums
9) Roman Forum
10) Coliseum
11) Spanish Steps
12) Borghese Gallery

View Map of Rome Italy Attractions in a larger map

Find more Rome attractions.

Rome image Flickr: Ed Yourdon

Trastevere restaurant

To us, no trip to Rome is complete without having dinner in Trastevere. The name – which means across the Tevere, as the Tiber river is known in Italian – refers to the location. But it’s more a state of mind.

Not that long ago, few tourists ventured here. But today, Trastevere is a popular destination for many visitors to Rome.

If you’re looking for unpretentious Roman food, Trastevere restaurants are a great choice. The neighborhood is charming, and prices in most restaurants are reasonable. Don’t come looking for haute cuisine. But you can expect a fun night out with good food, good wine, and typically Roman surroundings.

Piazza Santa Maria in Trastevere is the heart of the neighborhood, and you should stroll down there after dinner for the atmosphere. But you’ll likely have a better meal if you stray a little further afield.

Specializing in Roman food and the cuisine of Naples, Alle Fratte di Trastevere is the place to come for baby octopus, prawns with ginger and thyme, or tagliolini with lobster. But you can also get a good tagliatelle carbonara. The restaurant is decorated with trompe l’oeils frescoes of Roman life. And service is friendly and warm.

When you’re craving pizza, do as the Romans and head for Dar Poeta. Unlike a lot of Roman pizzerias, they make both thick and thin-crust pizzas, and they use a secret flour mix that makes their crust especially good. The owners aren’t content with the usual fare. They cook up pizzas with salmon, zucchini flowers, and swordfish carpaccio in the wood-burning oven. And dessert calzones – filled with Nutella and mascarpone or ricotta – are must haves.

One of the best wine bars in Rome, Ferrara also serves meals as well as tapas-style appetizers in the upstairs bar. The selection of 350 wines is terrific, and dishes like squid with tea-smoked tomatoes and spaghettini with sea urchins keep diners coming back. Housed in a 17th-century convent on Piazza Trilussa, the atmosphere is romantic but hip. For wine lovers, this is one of the most enjoyable restaurants in Rome. There’s some seating on an outdoor patio.

Run by an American chef, Glass Hostaria is located in a building that’s won awards for its modern design, something of a novelty in this neighborhood. Chef Cristina Bowerman has created a menu that features traditional dishes like pigeon and scallops and updated interpretations like white truffle crème brulee. The ingredients she uses are impeccably fresh, and she makes the most of what’s in the market. More than 600 selections of wine are available.

For Tuscan cooking, Il Ciak is the best restaurant in Trastevere. Serving game, dishes rich with mushrooms or truffles, and the superb chianina beef, Il Ciak makes a terrific bistecca alla fiorentina. Pasta takes a backseat here to polenta and roasted vegetables. If you love wine from Tuscany, you’ll be spoiled for choice here. This is one of the best Rome restaurants for Tuscan food.

Rivadestra, which means “right bank,” is similar in feeling to bistros in the Saint-Germain-des-Pres neighborhood in Paris. Pasta with shrimp and beans, tuna fillet with peppers, and beef with escarole are typical dishes.

As the name implies, Spirito di Vino has a great selection of wine, and hearty, traditional cooking in a warm atmosphere. You might start your meal with Roman-style artichokes or soup with salt cod and then move on to farfalle with pumpkin, gorgonzola and pistachio or fettuccine with black truffles. Veal goulash, pork fillet, and tripe are excellent second courses.

Aristocampo

More expensive than most of the restaurants in Trastevere, Alberto Ciarla is in a building that dates from 1890. Come here for fresh seafood and shellfish, which you’ll see on ice when you enter. Spaghettti vongole, sea bass, and pasta with beans and seafood are the stars here. And the fritto misto is wonderful.

At Asinocotto, chef Giuliano Brenna has developed an ambitious menu where you might find quail, smoked sturgeon, or guinea fowl on the menu. With its dark, wooden beams and low lighting, it’s a cozy spot with good service. Start your meal with wild boar terrine or shrimp and bacon on creamed peas.

Several years ago, we were walking down Via della Lungaretta and saw a cute place with a blackboard out front that said “We are against the war and the tourist menu.” Since we’re not fans of either, we figured we’d give Aristocampo a shot, and it was great. Just what you expect of a Roman trattoria – checkered tablecloths and all. There were plenty of Romans enjoying pasta amatriciana, veal loin, and spaghetti with clams. You can dine inside or at one of the tables on the sidewalk. Their Campo di Fiore location has great Panini to go.

Find more restaurants in Rome.

Legend:
1) Alle Fratte di Trastevere
2) Dar Poeta
3) Enoteca Ferrara
4) Glass Hosteria
5) Il Ciak
6) Rivadestra
7) Spirito di Vino
8) Alberto Ciarla
9) Asinocotto
10) Aristocampo

View Trastevere Restaurants Map in a larger map

Trastevere restaurant Image Flickr: Perrimoon
Aristocampo Image Flickr: Donna_Rutherford

Cruises from Rome

Rome is one of the most popular ports in the Mediterranean. And why not? With ancient sights, vibrant culture, and incredible food, the Eternal City is always magical.

If you’re planning a European cruise, it makes sense to leave from Rome. Because then, you’ll be able to spend a few nights in the city before or after your cruise.

Cruises from Rome actually leave from the port of Civitavecchia, which is about 30 minutes from the city. If you arrange your air through your cruise line, your transfers will be provided. If not, it’s easy to arrange independent transfers to Civitavecchia.

Hundreds of Mediterranean cruises leave from Rome — especially during the summer. But you can also board a ship bound for the Black Sea, Scandinavia, the Greek Islands, the Adriatic, or the Middle East.

If you’re pressed for time, seven-night cruises are available on Princess, Costa, Windstar, MSC, Silversea, Star Clippers, and Seabourn. You can either go roundtrip from Rome, or begin in Rome and end in Barcelona, Lisbon, or Athens.

The 7-night roundtrip voyage on Costa visits Barcelona, and ports in Mallorca, Malta, and Sicily. MSC calls at Salerno, Mallorca, Marseilles, Genoa, and Corsica.

Windstar’s seven-night cruise from Rome on Wind Surf calls at Elba, Corsica, Sardinia, Mallorca, and Valencia before disembarking passengers in Barcelona. Wind Spirit visits Ischia, Amalfi, Sicily, and Monemvasia and Mylos in Greece. Passengers leave the ship a week later in Athens.

Silversea’s Silver Spirit sails from Rome and visits Monte Carlo, Barcelona, and Malaga. The cruise ends in Lisbon. The beautiful clipper ship Royal Clipper manages to fit seven ports into a one-week voyage. Passengers on these cruises go ashore in Ponza, Sorrento, Capri, Amalfi, Sicily, Lipari, and Stromboli.

Those who have a little more time can opt for a 12-night cruise on Princess or Royal Caribbean. These Greek Island cruises also include stops in Turkey, and Naples.

Lovers of luxury have a couple of choices. Sea Dream II operates ten-night roundtrip cruises from Rome that call at Corsica, Sardinia, Sicily, Malta, Lipari, Stromboli, Amalfi, and Capri. Seabourn Legend includes many of these ports in their two-week voyage and also adds Le Lavandou. Marseilles, Sanary-sur-Mer, Saint Raphael, and Cannes in France. The cruise ends in Monte Carlo. These are some of the most appealing European cruises.

Those who wish to visit the Middle East can opt for several cruises from Rome. Pacific Princess offers a 12-night cruise that visits Nazareth, Jerusalem, and Ephesus in addition to Naples and the Greek Islands. Celebrity does a similar cruise on their Silhouette. Holland America adds Cairo and three ports in Turkey to their 14-night cruise on Prinsendam.

Read more cruising tips.

Cruises from Rome Image Flickr: RobRyb

Cinque Terre views

Twenty tears ago, the Cinque Terre was a largely undiscovered region known to only a few savvy travelers. But today, hundreds of thousands come each year to hike the trails, drink the wine, and enjoy the spectacular scenery.

So much so that there’s a considerable amount of wear on the trails. Cinque Terre National Park, which was created in 1999, is responsible for maintaining the trails. To fund their upkeep, they created the Cinque Terre Card.

There are three types of cards available: Basic, Train, and Ferry. And they include transportation, admission to attractions, and access to the hiking paths. They can be purchased at the National Park Information Centers near the stain stations, and at the train stations in Levanto and La Spezia. The cost ranges from 5.40 to 50 euros, depending on inclusions and duration.

The Basic card covers use of the shuttle buses that run from the parking lots to town and elevators at Riomaggiore and Manarola train stations; hiking on the Number 2 Blue Trail; entrance to the anchovy factory in Monterosso al Mare, the Virtual Aquarium in Monterosso, museums in Levanto, Manarola, and Riomaggiore; and discounts in the Park shop.

The Train card includes all the features of the Basic card plus unlimited train rides on the La Spezia – Levanto line. This is really convenient because you can hike one way and the return by train. The train runs up and down the Cinque Terre pretty frequently.

The Basic and Train cards are valid for one, two, three, or seven days.

Another great option is to hike and then take a ferry back, or vice versa. The Ferry card includes the ferries in the protected marine area and train transportation so you have either option. The ferries stop in all the Cinque Terre towns except Corniglia. The ferry card is available for one day only.

Since the seas are sometimes rough, it’s nice to have the train as a fall-back in case the ferries aren’t running. Manarola, especially, is sometimes inaccessible.

The card comes with a map of the park that describes the hikes and the time it takes to complete them, plus train and ferry schedules.

When you get your card, you’ll need to fill in your name and nationality. And you’ll need to validate it in the yellow machine at the train station or check point.

If you don’t plan to do a lot of hiking, there are some walks you can do for free. And there’s no change for the upper (Number 1) hiking trail.

Find Cinque Terre hotels.

Cinque Terre views Image Flickr: raffaelesergi1977

Viareggio jetty

Most visitors to Tuscany don’t think of it as a beach destination. But many Italians head to Viareggio for sun, sand, and surf. South of the Cinque Terre, it’s an easy day trip from Lucca, Pisa, and even Florence. And there’s plenty of wine tasting nearby.

A fire destroyed much of Viareggio in 1917, and the hotels, villas, and cafes were rebuilt in the Liberty Style, as Art Nouveau is known in Italy. Most of the Viareggio hotels date from this period, although there are a couple of new, purpose-build bed and breakfasts.

The beach here is six miles long and there are more than 100 beach clubs where you can enjoy the sand and sea. The town is divided by the Burlamacca Canal. And there’s a pretty promenade, called the Passeggiata Margherita. Two wooded parks provide a cool break from the beach.

Viareggio was the birthplace of Giacomo Puccini, and its Carnival is one of the most popular in Italy. The most impressive building in town is the Gran Caffe Margherita which was designed by Galileo Chini.

There are several good Viareggio hotels, but a B&B in Viareggio may offer more personal service and better value for money.

Il Sole Antico, which has four guest rooms — three with private bath — in the first floor of a 1930s villa. Each of the squeaky-clean rooms is individually decorated and some have Liberty tiles and other original touches. They were recently updated with LCD TVs and WiFi Internet access. The name means “ancient sun,” and the location is convenient to the beach, the promenade, and the town. The couple who run Il Sole Antico provide attentive service and their big, friendly dog is a bonus for those who miss their pets.

When the weather is fair, the yummy Italian breakfast is served outside on the terrace.

Close to all the Viareggio attractions, B&B Burlamacco Gold is located in the pedestrian corridor. It was recently constructed and the rooms have flat-panel TVs with satellite service, WiFi, and air conditioning. All are non-smoking and have modern bathrooms with bidets, showers, and complimentary toilets.

Liberty Style in Viareggio

The staff here speaks several languages, and are happy to make restaurant and sightseeing recommendations. Bicycles are available for guests to use. Burlamacco Gold is one the most expensive B&Bs in Viareggio.

For something unique, consider Torre del Arte, which is set in a restored Liberty villa south of Viareggio in Torre del Lago Puccini. The six guest rooms are decorated with paintings inspired by Dante’s Inferno and outfitted with LCD TVs, in-room safes, and. Breakfast is served in the vaulted dining room or in the garden. Parking is available for eight cars.

Hotel Belvedere is the closest Viareggio hotel to the beach. Virtually everything in Viareggio is a short stroll away, and one of its wooded parks is behind it. The Belvedere has ten rooms, WiFi, and an on-site restaurant that specializes in local seafood. There’s a pretty terrace with views of the Mediterranean, and parking is available.

Find Lerici hotels near Viareggio.

Legend:
1) Gran Caffe Margherita
2) Il Sole Antico
3) B&B Burlamacco Gold
4)Torre del Arte
5) Hotel Belvedere

View B&B in Viareggio map in a larger map

Viareggio jetty Image Flickr: urbaninvestigations
Liberty Style in Viareggio Image Flickr: _gee_

Langhe Piedmont

During the 1970s, many Italian farmers couldn’t make ends meet and left their farms to earn a living in the city. The Italian government was concerned about the loss of small farms and the impact on traditional life. So to encourage farmers to hang in there, they created Italy Agriturismo in 1985.

The program provided incentives to restore abandoned rural buildings and make them suitable for overnight guests. Two rules distinguish agriturismi from rural bed and breakfasts. First of all, the property must have fewer than 30 beds, and the majority of income has to come from agriculture.

If you’re unfamiliar with the concept, Italy agritourism gives travelers the opportunity to experience the Italian countryside in peaceful, and often beautiful surrounding. One or more meals is usually included in the rate and they’re prepared with home-grown or local products.

Many agriturismi are anything but rustic, with pools, riding stables, and golf. The hosts are proud of their region and often eager to act as tour guides, concierges, travel advisors, or language teachers.

The Piedmont region of Italy is one of the best for food and wine lovers. With vineyards growing the grapes that are used to make Barolo and Barbaresco wines, white truffles, the world’s best snails, Piemontese cattle, and artisanal cheeses and salumi, Piemonte has some of the best cuisine in Italy. And the scenery is gorgeous.

Wine tasting here is a little different that in the United States, and drop-ins aren’t usually welcome. But most towns have an enoteca that pours all the local wines.

The best Agriturismo Piemonte.

Turin – Torino – is the largest city in the province and the most convenient airport. To make the most of your time here, you’ll need to rent a car. But distances are relatively small and the roads are good.

There are several regions in Piemonte where you can base yourself. The Langhe was so named because the hills rolling through the area look like tongues. It’s lovely, uncrowded, and the restaurants here are very affordable.

Lago di Devero

Monferrato is best known for its main town, Asti, and its main product, Asti Spumante. It’s a great place to shop, especially at the market which takes place on Wednesday and Sunday mornings. The other well-known town in Monferrato is Acqui Terme, where there’s a natural spring.

The most popular area is the Piemonte Lakes. Lake Orta, located to the west of the better-known Lake Maggiore, is a delightful sub-Alpine lake where you can enjoy the beauty with fewer crowds. The town of Santo Giulio is located on a small island and there are lots of cafes overlooking the lake, with the spectacular Alps in the background.

There’s a wide selection of agriturismi in Piedmont to choose from. Some of the best are Cascine del Castello di Bagnolo, Tenuta la Marchesa, Cascina Barac, Villa la Favorita, Cascina Bozzetti, and La Due Cascine.

You can stay in a restored farmhouse, on a dairy farm, at a winery, on the grounds of an old castle, or in a 17th-century villa.

Find more places to visit in Italy.

Langhe Piedmont Image Flickr: stefano@torino
Lago di Devero Image Flickr: rosa-amato

Dubrovnik

In many ways, Adriatic cruises are the most enjoyable European cruises. First of all, the Dalmatian coast of Croatia and Montenegro offers spectacular scenery. The ports are some of the most interesting in Europe. And because some of them have limited docking facilities, you’ll likely arrive on a smaller ship and with fewer other cruises – and cruisers – in port.

In places like Kotor, you’ll be able to dock close to town, so you’ll enjoy more time ashore. And many of these ancient cities are a walker’s dream.

Well-known cruise lines including Princess, Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL), Holland America, MSC and Costa Cruise offer cruises in the Adriatic. And ultra-luxury lines like Sea Cloud and Ponant are other options.

Most Adriatic cruises begin or end in Venice, and Norwegian (NCL), MSC, and Costa Cruises all offer seven-day roundtrip cruises from there. If you have two weeks, you can stay aboard for a second week on NCL and see different ports on the latter half of the voyage.

The one-week cruises usually include a couple of the beautiful Greek Islands – Santorini, Mykonos, or Corfu, depending on which itinerary you choose. Two-week voyages usually call in Athens too. A 200-passenger French ship does a seven-night cruise round trip from Dubrovnik.

Sailing roundtrip from Venice makes your air arrangements a little less complicated, and Venice is a magical place to spend a couple of nights before or after your cruise.

There are also 12 and 14-night cruises that begin or end in Rome. These will often call in Malta, Sicily, and Sorrento or Naples for the Isle of Capri. If you haven’t been to Southern Italy, it’s well worth exploring.

Hvar

Bear in mind that Rome is some distance from Civitavecchia, where the port is located. If you haven’t been before, give yourself a few days to see Rome before heading home.

The highlight of any Adriatic cruise is Dubrovnik. Known as the “jewel of the Adriatic,” the medieval walled city was extensively restored following the war in the early 1990s. With its orange tile roofs, smashing ocean views, and marble squares, it’s indescribably beautiful.

A hike on top of the walls that encircle the city is rewarded with incredible views of the Adriatic. When you’re done, you’ll find plenty of cafes in the piazzas for a beer or a glass of wine.

Split, also in Croatia, is similar to Dubrovnik, but on a smaller scale. It’s best known as the site of Diocletian’s palace, built in the fourth century AD. Parts of the palace are remarkably well preserved, and the old town is delightful.

Some of the smaller ships call at the Crotian island resorts of Hvar and Korcula.

Kotor, in Montenegro, is also a stop on many cruises in the Adriatic. Sailing through the Gulf of Kotor to reach the city provides some of the best scenery in the region, and you’ll pass the gorgeous island of Sveti Stefan, which is now home to a luxurious resort.

The old, Byzantine city of Ravenna boasts some of the most brilliant mosaics in the world in its superb churches. If your cruise calls here, it will be one of the highlights of your trip.

Dubronivk Image Flickr: Mike McHolm
Hvar Image Flickr: Lena_Ni

Venice

Which European destinations you’ll find most enjoyable depends on your interests and likes, but there are some places that are just so special that virtually no one is immune to their charms.

London has some of the most impressive museums and historic sights in the world, but given the choice between London and Paris, we’d choose Paris every time. Seeing the lights on the Eiffel Tower go into overdrive is an all-out thrill whether it’s your first time or your fifteenth.

The are dozens of world-class attractions in Paris — the Louvre, the Musee d’Orsay, the Eiffel Tower, and Notre Dame among them — but the real beauty of Paris is that strolling along the Seine, enjoying a glass of wine at a sidewalk café, or doing a little shopping in the Marais is just as enjoyable. Paris is intoxicating, magical, and seductive without even trying.

With its ubiquitous Vespas, insane traffic, and vendors selling Fendi knock-offs, Rome can be overwhelming. But like Paris, Rome always captivates and enthralls. Looking up at the oculus in the Pantheon — especially if it’s raining — watching the sunset from the Spanish Steps, or eating pasta in a Trastevere trattoria become memories you’ll always treasure.

Known as La Serenissima — the Serene One — Venice is absolutely one of a kind. The Doge’s Palace and Basilica San Marco are stellar attractions, but the amazing ambience is the real reason to come here. Even shopping in Venice is unique, whether you’re buying a Fortuny scarf at Venetia Studium, a chandelier made of Murano glass, or a carnevale mask.

Although it’s a tourist must-do, gliding down the canals on a gondola is just as romantic as it sounds.

Less well-known places to visit in Europe.

Few cities in Europe combine big-city amenities with spectacular natural beauty like Stockholm. Set on 14 islands, Stockholm has a vibrant old town, cutting-edge culture, and sparkling water everywhere. It’s museums and galleries showcase the best in Scandinavian design, and Viking history is proudly on display.

Seville is another one of those dreamy places that everyone wants to return to. Its Moorish architecture, white-washed buildings draped in bougainvillea, and pretty plazas make it one of the most appealing places in Andalusia. Wander the narrow streets and you’ll hear canaries and smell orange blossoms. The tapas here are the best in Spain, and the exquisite Alcazar is Mudejar design at its best.

Alcazar, Seville

Right in the middle of the French Riviera, Antibes is a delightful town that offers the best of all worlds. It’s within easily striking distance of Nice, Cannes, and the playgrounds of the rich and famous, but it’s a relatively low-key and affordable resort with great beaches, a fabulous food market, and a charming old town.

The beaches here are some of the best on the Riviera, the Picasso Museum in the old Chateau Grimaldi is a must-see for modern art fans, and the restaurants — which specialize in fresh seafood and Mediterranean cuisine — are terrific. Those with deep pockets can stay down on the peninsula at the Hotel du Cap-Eden Roc. Make reservations well in advance if you’re coming during the Cannes Film Festival.

Sardinia has some of the most luxurious resorts in the Mediterranean. Developed in the 1950s by the Aga Khan, Costa Smerelda is a jet-setters playground, but there are affordable resorts in Alghero which has beautiful beaches, an old town that dates from the 16th century, and cool caves and grottoes. It’s known as little Barcelona because of its Catalan roots. The interior of the island is forested and about a quarter of Sardinia is national park.

Those who love the outdoors will likely enjoy Corsica. With gorgeous turquoise bays, forested mountains, and the remains of medieval churches, citadels, and towers, Corsica is as wild as anyplace in Europe. But its location means there’s lots of history here too. Napoleon was born and baptized here — there’s a museum dedicated to him in the capital of Ajaccio. There are ancient monoliths, beautiful beaches, and the culture — and cuisine — are an interesting blend of French and Italian. The regional park here is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

If you’re planning some European travel, consider adding some of these lesser known destinations to your itinerary.

Venice Image Flickr: Eoghan OLionnain
Alcazar, Seville Image Flickr:guymoll

Tagliatelle Carbonara

There are two dishes we always order when we’re in Rome. The first is bucatini al’amatriciana, a robust combination of tomatoes, onions, and bacon. The second is tagliatelle carbonara or tagliatelle alla carbonara – a dish so delicious that to us, it’s perfection on a plate.

The dish is utter simplicity – butter, cheese, eggs, black pepper, and bacon. But almost everything about carbonara is disputed, including the name, its origins, the correct ingredients, and its preparation. The only thing that everyone agrees on is the addictive nature of the dish.

The name is derived from the Latin for charcoal but no one can agree on the exact etymology. Some think that coal workers created the dish with ingredients they could transport and obtain easily. Others believe the dish was so named because it was prepared over a charcoal fire.

Because a recipe for carbonara wasn’t included in Ada Boni’s seminal 1927 book, La Cucina Romana, it’s assumed that the dish must be more recent than that. And many food historians think that carbonara was invented when Americans shared their rations of bacon and powdered eggs with their Roman friends. Whatever it’s origins, when properly made it’s a masterpiece of subtlety and balance in which each ingredient shines simultaneously.

As far as the ingredients go, there’s really no consensus, even in Italy. Any pasta will do, although tagliatelle and spaghetti are the most popular. In some ways, penne is preferable because it’s easier to toss with the sauce.

Many Italian cooks use guanciale, which is made with pig’s jowls, instead of the more common pancetta. But slab bacon is also acceptable. Sometimes, the bacon is rendered in olive oil, and sometimes it’s sautéed in butter.

Pancetta

Onions and garlic may or may not be used. And the liquid used to thin the sauce can either be pasta water, white wine, or chicken stock, which is preferred by Lydia Bastian — no slouch when it comes to Roman food.

It’s important to use the best quality eggs you can find. If you have a local farmer’s market selling free range eggs, you’ll be able to tell the difference. Some cooks separate them, some cooks beat them, and some just break them into the dish.

Taking the sauté pan off the heat when you add the eggs is key in keeping them from scrambling.

Cheese can either be Pecorino Romano, Parmigiano Reggiano, or a mixture of both. Americans often add whipping cream, which Italians eschew.

Since there are so many ways to make carbonara, there’s not much agreement on where to sample the best carbonara in Rome. But Perilli, Roscioli, Nerone, and Danilo are all good bets.

If you‘re not going to Rome, here’s how to make tagliatelle or spaghetti carbonara at home:

· Boil 6 quarts of salted water and cook 1 pound of pasta until al dente

· In the meantime, sauté 4 ounces of diced guanciale and two cloves of crushed garlic in 2 tablespoons of olive oil

· Drain the pasta, reserving ½ cup of pasta water

· Remove the garlic from the pan and add the pasta with about ¼ cup of water

· Remove the pan from the heat and stir in 1-1/4 cups of grated cheese and four eggs

· Toss well to make sure every strand of pasta is coated with the sauce

· Top with copious amount of freshly ground black pepper

· Serve with extra grated cheese

Find more Roman food and wine tips.

Tagliatelle Carbonara Image Flickr: FotoosVanRobin
Pancetta Image Flickr: ChefMattRock

La Spezia marina

If you’re traveling to the Cinque Terre from the south, you’ll likely spend some time in La Spezia. Trains from Rome and Florence connect here to the line that serves the Cinque Terre — which makes it a convenient base for travelers who want to explore the region, but don’t have much time.

The home of one of Italy’s largest naval bases, La Spezia is less than an hour by train from Pisa. Once you reach La Spezia, you can take a ferry to Portovenere, Portofino, or the Cinque Terre villages Riomaggiore, Manarola, Corniglia, Vernazza, and Monterosso al Mare.

The town of Lerici, a few miles to the south, has a medieval castle, an ocean-front promenade, and a lovely piazza. It can also be reached by ferry.

You can spend the day exploring the coast, return to one of the convenient La Spezia hotels for the night, and then head out early the next morning on the train.

Finding the right La Spezia hotel.

There aren’t a lot of La Spezia attractions, so as far as location goes, if you’re using public transportation, proximity to the train station and ferry dock is probably your top priority.

Locanda del Golfo e delle 5 Terre is just 100 yards from the train station. It’s near the pedestrian center of town and each of the six rooms has WiFi Internet access. Breakfast is served at a café down the street, and it’s about a ten minute walk to the waterfront. The owners here are friendly and helpful.

Located in the pedestrian part of town, Hotel Crismar provides it’s guests with bicycles for getting around town. With just nine rooms, you’ll get personalized attention. And those who are driving will appreciate the private parking lot nearby.

The 37-room Hotel Genova is about a 15-minute walk from the train station. But it’s close to shopping, restaurants, and attractions. There’s a bar, a restaurant, and computer work area, and the rooms have satellite TVs and small refrigerators.

Cinque Terre ferry

Hotel Firenze & Continentale has 68 rooms with easy access to everything. Housed in a couple of circa-1900 buildings that have been recently renovated, it has Carrara marble floors, hand-pained murals, and other old-world details. A buffet breakfast is served in a room with views of the surrounding hills. This is one of the most traditional hotels in La Spezia.

If you have a car, Le Ville Relais offers wonderful views out over the Gulf of La Spezia. The hotel has eight rooms in two old Ligurian buildings. The best have balconies. There’s a swimming pool, sun terrace, sauna, and gym. And the property is surrounded by olive groves and lemon trees. The restaurant here is very good, but expensive. It’s a little off the beaten path, but lovely in its isolation.

La Spezia marina and Cinque Terre ferry Images Flickr: Anjadora

Manarola

One of the five Cinque Terre villages, Manarola has some of the best hotels in the area. Few views are more breathtaking than the first glimpse of the town on the path from Corniglia. From here, the village is almost vertical with pastel houses piled on top of one another. Surrounded by black rock, the emerald bay beckons you to take a dip.

Winemaking, fishing, and producing olive oil are the order of the day here. And you’ll have plenty of opportunities to sample all three.

The harbor is the center of activity in Manarola, so it’s a fun place for people watching. And there are a couple of good swimming spots. One of the beaches — though there’s no sand — has a shower and a ladder from the rocks to the water. A second beach is accessible from the path to Corniglia. It’s more private, but there are no facilities.

In the town, the main square, Piazza Capellini, is a nice new addition. The local “museum” has a display about wine making in the region. The upper part of town has a church with a bell tower and two paintings from the 15th century. There’s also a youth hostel — the only one in the Cinque Terre.

The most rewarding activity in Manarola is a walk through the vineyards. If you follow the wood railing, you’ll go through lemon groves, rosemary, and valerian, and you’ll pass old stone walls and thatches. The cemetery at Punta Bonfiglio is an interesting side trip and the views from there are fantastic.

Nowadays, you can reach Manarola by train, boat, and car. If you drive, a shuttle will take you from the parking lot to the center of town.

Manarola hotels.

The top-rated and most stylish hotel in Manarola, La Torretta has 13 attractive rooms in an old building with a 17th-century tower. The family-run property has been extensively restored and all the rooms have views or terraces. Guests can catch some rays in the solarium. Unlike most Cinque Terra hotels, La Torretta is decorated in a clean, contemporary style with tile floors, leather chairs, and plasma TVs. This is the most expensive hotel in town, but it you’re looking for something special, this is it.

Manarola

Hotel Marina Piccola is a great choice for those who want to be right on the water. Rooms in the building with the restaurant have windows that open right onto the fishing boats and rocks, and the beach is practically right there. If this building is full, most of the rooms in the second building have views. With tile floors, and pastel colored walls, the accommodations here are better than most. And the seafood in the waterfront restaurant is as fresh as it gets.

Ca’ d’Andrean has 10 squeaky-clean rooms with tile floors and simple furnishings up the hill from the train station. There’s no air conditioning, but many of the rooms have balconies with nice views. Breakfast is served in the pretty lemon grove out front.

Carugiu Bed and Breakfast is located on a narrow street in the center of Manarola. It occupies two stories of an old, four-story buildings. Rooms have refrigerators, flat screen TVs, high-speed Internet access, and private baths.

Find Riomaggiore hotels here. And Vernazza hotels here.

Manarola Images Flickr: Victor Chapa

Galleria Alberto Sordi

Unlike Paris, where department stores were part of Baron Haussamans’s grand plan, Rome’s grandi maggazzi aren’t all that grandi.

They’re actually pretty small – the big stores are in the new shopping malls on the ring road that runs around Rome’s perimeter. But you can certainly find whatever you’re looking for in Rome’s department stores, and many are located near Via Condotti where luxury labels like Versace and Dolce & Gabbano are located.

Most stores are open seven days a week until 8 or 9 at night.

La Rinascente is Italy’s premier department store. It’s roots go back to 1865 when two brothers opened a men’s clothing store in Milan. The Rome store first opened in a turn-of-the-century palazzo on Via del Corso. But recently, it was purchased by the popular clothing store Zara and relocated to the neighboring Galleria Alberto Sordi.

If you’re looking for top International and Italian brands like 7 for all Mankind, Armani Collezione, Guess, Marc Jacobs, and Burberry, La Rinascente is the place. Their own label, Ellerre, is stylish and more affordable. The different departments here are arranged like individual boutiques, and the staff are well trained and informed. You’ll find a vast assortment of up-market cosmetics and perfume, men’s, women’s, and children’s fashions. The suburban Piazza Fiume branch has a beautiful housewares section.

Coin carries a little less status, but it’s less expensive, and you can still find all the latest fashions for everyone in the family. Brands like Calvin Klein, Guess, DKNY, Lacoste, and Esprit are best sellers. And they carry top-quality Italian housewares, and kid’s clothes. There’s a Milan-based hair salon, and a restaurant and bar on the fourth floor. The Piazzale Appio location is not far from the Vatican.

UPIM, which stands for Unico Prezzo Italiano Milano, first opened a store in Cremona in 1928. Today, UPIM is similar to H&M – they offer the latest styles for men, women, and children at affordable prices. You won’t find designer labels, but their private label is good, and the BLUKIDS line for children is especially popular with Italian families. They also sell attractive housewares at attractive prices. In January of 2010, La Rinascente sold them to Coin.

Oviesse is a popular chain with inexpensive clothes, cosmetics, and accessories. They’re similar to Target or Kohl‘s. Lately, they’ve rebranded themselves as OVS or OVS Industry and done more to target the youth market. Their Baby Angel boutique features clothes designed by Fiorucci. They also have a plus-size department.

Find more Rome shopping here.

1) La Rinascente
2) Coin
3) UPIM
4) Oviesse

View Rome department stores. in a larger map

Galleria Alberto Sordi Image Flickr: dawvon

Castello di Miramare, Trieste

Trieste is a beautiful city that’s as much Austrian as it is Italian. It practically straddles the border between Italy and Slovenia, and much of its history is tied to the Hapsburg Empire. You’re just as likely to find paprika in the dishes here as garlic.

It’s been an important port since Roman times, and a rival of nearby Venice for centuries. Today, you’ll find everything from medieval to modern buildings in Trieste. But most of the city’s signature architecture dates from the late 18th century when the Hapsburgs made Trieste a key seaport.

Over the years, Trieste has been home to many intellectuals, including Rainer Maria Rilke, Sigmund Freud, and James Joyce, who wrote A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man and part of Ulysses when he lived here.

Backed by cliffs leading up to the Karst Plateau, and with a beautiful Adriatic coastline, Trieste is as scenic as it is historic. You’ll find a vibrant culture in the turn-of-the-century coffee houses and bars.

Trieste attractions.

A few miles north of the city, Castello di Miramare is well worth a visit. Built by the Archduke Maximilian in the 1850s, the palace itself is all golf-leaf and crystal. But the surrounding gardens are the real reason to come. The seaside setting is really lovely and a pleasant place for a stroll. The palace is said to be unlucky – many of its most esteemed guests have met an untimely end. In July and August, there are sound and light shows here.

For terrific views of the city and Adriatic, walk the walls of Castello di San Giusto. It was begun in 1470 and took a century and a half to complete. Inside, there’s a museum with antiques, old weapons, and period rooms. But they pale compared to the vistas you’ll enjoy outside.

The church nearby is Cattedrale di San Guisto. Both the castle and the church are in the Parco della Rimembranza on the Capitoline Hill. There are several Roman ruins in the area, and the 14th-century campanile of the cathedral was built on the remains of a 1st-century temple. Two Romanesque basilicas were joined by a central nave and there are mosaics from the 13th century. But they don’t compare to those in Ravenna.

Trieste hotels.

Piazza dell’Unita d’Italia clock tower in Trieste

The best hotel in Trieste is the four-star Grand Hotel Duchi d’Aosta, which is located on the sea-front Piazza dell’Unita d’Italia. The hotel’s restaurant, Harry’s Grill, has tables right on the square. Housed in an old neoclassical building, it has lots of old-world ambience and charm. There’s a modern spa, an indoor heated pool, and a Turkish bath. The 55 rooms have big LCD TVs, WiFi Internet access, safes, and big marble bathrooms with Jacuzzi tubs. If you don’t stay here, come to Harry’s for a Duchi cocktail.

With views of the Gulf from the public areas and many of the rooms, the Savoia Excelsior Palace is another good choice. It recently underwent an extensive renovation. Crowned by a beautiful skylight, the Belle Epoque-style lounge is a lovely spot for a drink. The 142 classically furnished rooms have wenge wood accents, fine fabrics, and feather beds – the nicest have balconies overlooking the sea. The location is close to shops and restaurants.

In a pretty neighborhood close to Castello di Miramare, the four-star Hotel Miramare is a contemporary property close to the beach and national park. It’s a good base for those who want to enjoy the outdoors. You can dine in the popular Le Vele restaurant or on the plant-filled terrace of La Nave Café. Both have wonderful ocean views, as do the 32 rooms. Some have terraces.

Housed in an old ropemaker’s workshop, Hotel Le Corderie is a 15-room boutique hotel built in 2008. The clean, modern design is a pleasant change. And guests can help themselves to a drink in the honesty lounge and then enjoy it in the garden. Rooms have WiFi access, mini bars, and writing desks. A breakfast buffet is served in the dining room each morning.

The Hotel James Joyce was built in 1770 in the old part of Trieste, and it’s a real charmer. If you’d like to stay in one of the nine double rooms, you’ll need to make reservations well in advance. There’s WiFi in the public areas, and the rooms, which were renovated in 2003, have satellite TV, safes, and mini bars. Breakfast is included in the rate, and there are lots of restaurants within walking distance.

One of the most affordable hotels in Trieste, L’Albero Nascasto Hotel Residence has a lot going for it. Bordered on one side by the city’s 15th-century walls, it’s in an 18th-century building that was recently restored. The ten rooms are furnished with antiques and have kitchenettes and satellite TV, but no phones. The location is convenient to everything.

In the same neighborhood as Miramare, Riviera & Maximilian’s first opened in 1910. It has a private beach — although it’s not sandy – two outdoor swimming pools, and a restaurant with a pretty terrace. In summer, there’s a buffet at the beach and you can rent water sports equipment for fun in the sun. Rooms are divided between two buildings, an older one with parquet floors and carved furniture, and a newer wing with balconies and terraces. There are also 12 apartments available on a weekly basis.

1) Castello di Miramare
2) Castello di San Giusto
3) Cattedrale di San Giusto
4) Grand Hotel Duchi d’Aosta
5) Starhotels Savoia Excelsior Palace
6) Hotel Miramare
7) Hotel Le Corderie
8) Hotel James Joyce
9) Hotel Albero Nascosta
10) Riviera & Maximilian

View Trieste hotels in a larger map

Castello di Miramare, Trieste Image Flickr: TravelEden
Piazza dell’Unita d’Italia clock tower in Trieste Image Flickr: Chiara Marra

Porta Portese market

Known as mercato delle pulci, Rome’s flea markets have their roots in ancient times. They’re a great way to experience an authentic slice of Roman life. And you’ll often find a one-of-a-kind item that becomes a treasured souvenir or a thoughtful gift.

Most visitors to Rome who enjoy flea markets and antique shops know about the Porta Portese market. With 4,000 vendors, it’s one of the biggest flea markets in Europe. And it offers an astonishing array of goods – everything from plastic shoes to 16th-century religious icons.

On our last visit, it was absolutely packed — and sweltering. The junk-to-quality ratio was at least 20-to-one. And we got tired of watching out for pickpockets. To us, Porta Portese is more hassle than it’s worth.

The good news is that there are dozens of Rome flea markets that are less crowded, more accessible, and more fun. Many flea markets only operate between October and June, closing for the hot summer months. Others are open year ‘round.

There’s a nice selection of specialty markets for collectors of old books, prints, antiques, jewelry, and art objects. If you’re in town on a Sunday, there’s probably a flea market somewhere in Rome with your name on it.

Here are some of the best flea markets in Rome:

Mercatino dei Partigiani is held in a parking lot the first Sunday of every month except August. If you’re a bargain hunter, you’ll appreciate the prices here. There’s usually some furniture, WWII collectibles, vintage items, dishes, silver, and an assortment of knick knacks.

Located in Parking Ludovisi not far from the Piazza del Popolo and Via Veneto, Underground is a relative newcomer. On the first Sunday of the month, it has something for everyone – jewelry, old prints and books, cameras, binocular, religious items, and old suitcases.

Ponte Milvio takes place on the first weekend of the month on the banks of the Tiber. It runs all the way to the Ponte Duc d’Aosta. Look for small antiques and collectibles, jewelry, linens, books, old lace, and art.

Porta Portese trinkets

Borghetto Flaminio is open on the second Saturday and Sunday of each month. It’s located in a couple of warehouses near the Piazza del Popolo gates. For a modest entrance fee, you can explore nearly 250 vendors selling vintage clothing, costume and antique jewelry, handbags, linens, antique objects, and silver.

Also on the second Sunday of the month, nearly one hundred vendors gather in front of Villa Gloria to see a little bit of everything from slightly used designer fashions and sportwear, antiques, old typewriters, bicycles, and books.

Located in a tree-lined piazza not far from the Tiber in the Prati district, Piazza Mazzini offers more pleasant surroundings than some of Rome’s markets. They usually have around 80 vendors, and they’re open the second Friday, Saturday, and Sunday of the month except in August.

Via Sannio is your best bet if you’re only in town during the week. It’s open Monday through Saturday and located under the Aurelian walls. There’s no telling what you’ll find here. But clothes for almost any occasion, Army surplus items, camping gear, and shoes are always on hand.

Collectors interested in books, etchings, engravings, comics, and magazines should visit Mercato delle Stampe which is not far from Piazza Navona. It’s open Monday through Saturday mornings.

On the first and third Sundays, Soffito Sotto i Portici takes place in Piazza Augusto Imperatore, not far from the Spanish Steps. Lots of cool, old objects here, including pocket watches, cameras, jewelry, candlesticks, picture frames, and toys.

Held the fourth Sunday of the month on a square in stylish Parioli, Piazza Verdi has all kinds of vintage items and antiques. Look for fine china and glassware, jewelry, silver, crafts, rare books, musical instruments, and linens.

If you want to visit Porta Portese, go early – it opens every Sunday at dawn – enter from Piazza Ippolito Nievo, and keep a close watch on your purse or wallet. Bargain hard, but don’t expect great deals even if you do.

Read about flea markets in Southern California here.

1) Mercatino dei Partigiani
2) Underground
3) Ponte Milvio
4) Borghetto Flaminio
5) Villa Gloria
6) Piazza Mazzini
7) Via Sannio
8) Mercatio della Stampe
9) Soffito Sotto I Portici
10) Piazza Verdi
11) Porta Portese

View Rome’s best flea markets in a larger map

Porta Portese market and Porta Portese trinkets Image Flickr: krynn1978

Riomaggiore

If you’re coming from La Spezia or Portovenere, Riomaggiore is the first town you’ll reach in the Cinque Terra. Part of the Cinque Terra National Park – which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site – Riomaggiore is picture-postcard pretty with pastel-colored houses clinging to terraced clifftops and an aquamarine harbor.

It’s best known for the Via dell’Amore or Lover’s Path, a coastal walk with unforgettable views of the sea.

Since Riomaggiore is easily reached by train, ferry, and car, it’s not really off the beaten path anymore. And unlike some of the other Cinque Terre villages, there are a couple of real hotels here with amenities like Internet access, satellite TV, and mini bars.

A few of the Riomaggiore hotels are new construction. Others occupy old buildings that have been modernized and updated. The best have balconies or terraces overlooking the sea.

If you drive, there’s a parking lot above the town. You can catch the shuttle down, or take the elevator.

Other than hiking the beautiful trails, there’s not a lot to do in Riomaggiore. There’s a rocky little beach a few minutes from the harbor. The slabs of marble and alabaster there are good spots for sunbathers. A path from the beach takes you to the Torre Guardiola, the local castle, which is worth visiting for the views.

You can see the Cinque Terre from the other side by renting a kayak from Mar Mar or taking a tour aboard one of the charter boats in the harbor.

Via Columbo is the main drag and you’ll find a market, a pharmacy, a bakery, a bar, and an art gallery there. There are also several cafes with outdoor terraces near the harbor. La Laterna, in the marina, is one of the best for fresh seafood.

Riomaggiore hotels.

Locanda Ca dei Duxi has 16 rooms in a building that dates from the 18th century and in an annex across the street that opened in 2001. Rooms in the older part have more character with exposed beams, tile floors, and views of the castle. All have Internet access, mini bars, satellite TV, and direct-dial telephones. There are also three apartments with kitchenettes and terraces. Because these sleep up to seven, they’re a good choice for families. Dei Duxi is a five-minute walk from the train station or the beach.

Several of the 15 rooms at Villa Argentina have some of the best views in town from their balconies. It’s about a five-minute uphill hike from town. And if your room doesn’t have a balcony, you can enjoy the vistas from the pretty terrace. The bar off the lobby is a pleasant spot for a drink, and rooms have TVs and small safes. If you don’t feel like walking to dinner, room service is available. And you can also rent watersports equipment for a day at the beach.

La Baia di Rio has five rooms in the old family home of the Benacis, and staying here helps support the Val di Serra dei Benaci Vineyard. The property overlooks the village and the sea, and the terraces here have absolutely breathtaking views. The Marco Polo Suite has a fully furnished terrace, a refrigerator, and the use of a kitchen. James Cook has the same features, with kitchen facilities on request. Christopher Columbus is a triple with two large windows with ocean views. Amerigo Vespucci is a double. And Abel Tasman is a double with a furnished terrace. Parking is available on request. La Baia di Rio is very popular, so make reservations here well in advance.

Riomaggiore at dusk

Hotel La Zorza has nine rooms in a 17th-century building that combines modern amenities like satellite TV and mini fridges with beamed ceilings and stone walls. Breakfast is served in a pretty area that has Internet access, and there’s a bar where you can enjoy a glass of wine before dinner.

Cinque Terra Residence Locanda offers accommodations in several little, adjoining houses with separate entrances. All have private bathrooms and many have kitchenettes. The terrace is surrounded by vineyards and lemon trees.

Housed in a building that was once the meeting place of the Holy Virgins Brotherhood and then the local cinema, La Locanda della Compagnia has five modern rooms with air conditioning and satellite TV. It’s beneath Riomaggiore’s parking lot, about a five-minute walk from the beach.

Locanda del Sole is a new complex with ten double rooms that have private baths, mini bars, and satellite TV. It’s built on several levels in the terraced style that’s typical in Riomaggiore. The furnished terrace is a great place to enjoy breakfast or just relax. And there’s a spacious parking lot, making it extremely convenient for drivers.

Find more Cinque Terra and Vernazza hotels here.

Riomaggiore Image Flickr: IanPhilipMiller
Riomaggiore at dusk Image Flickr: PjotrP

Seaside Promenade, Livorno

If you’ve been to Livorno, chances are you were on a Mediterranean cruise bound for Florence. If you saw Livorno at all, it was from the window of a tour bus. Which is a shame, because Livorno is worth your time.

Known as the Etruscan Coast, this part of Tuscany borders the sea. After spending time inland, being on the Mediterranean offers a complete change of scene. The restaurants here serve the best seafood in Tuscany. You can cruise the 17th-century canals from one old fortress to another. And there’s a beautiful water-front promenade with views of the Tuscan archipelago.

Medici architect Bernardo Buonatlenti designed the city in 1567 around a central piazza and encircled it with the Fossio Reale canal.

Several of the Livorno hotels are right on the beach, others are near Livorno’s lively piazzas, shops, and restaurants.

The NH Grand Palazzo is in an elegant 19th-century palace that’s fronted by the gorgeous Terrazza Mascagni promenade. From the roof garden with swimming pool and solarium to the Presidential Suite with Turkish bath, everything here is five-star deluxe. The palace has been exquisitely restored, and the ocean views go on forever. The 123 rooms and suites have minibars, Internet access, flat-screen TVs, and modern, marble bathrooms. There’s a spa, sauna, fitness center, and a dreamy grotto pool in the basement. The restaurant is lovely, and service is professional. This is a beautiful hotel in an unbeatable location.

If you want access to a beach, Hotel Rex is located about four miles south of Livorno in the village of Antignano. There are three restaurants here, most with great views of the sea — the panorama from the terrace is terrific. There are 61 rooms with mini bars, safes, and Internet access. The best have balconies. The beach club has umbrellas, lounge chairs, and a café for snacks.

In the heart of town near Goldoni’s Theater, Al Teatro has eight lovely rooms in a building that dates from the 19th century. Each of the rooms is dedicated to a composer or musician, and decorated with vintage prints and paintings, and period furnishings. The property has won an award from Touring Club. There’s a pretty garden where you can have breakfast or a glass of wine. Service is cordial and helpful. This is one of the most romantic hotels in Livorno.

Livorno Canals

Overlooking the harbor and the Piazza dei Quattro Mori, Hotel Gran Duca is conveniently located close to all the Livorno attractions. It was renovated recently, and now it’s modern and elegant. The hotel‘s restaurant fronts the piazza and serves fresh seafood. With a fitness center, indoor swimming pool, Turkish bath, and massage room, it’s a good choice for those who want to stay fit. The 63 rooms have mini bars, wireless Internet access and interactive LCD TVs. Some have small terraces facing the harbor.

The contemporary Max Hotel Livorno is the best choice for business travelers. It’s close to the train station and sports complex. The Max Lounge has WiFi Internet access, computers, and printers, and there’s a big-screen plasma TV for sporting events. A fitness center and Turkish bath are available. And there’s a good seafood restaurant. Rooms have mini bars, satellite TV, and modem ports. If you like a stylish, modern hotel, you’ll enjoy Hotel Max.

Housed in an 18th-century villa a few miles from Livorno in Montenero, the Hotel La Vedetta di Montenero has 31 charming rooms with features like tile floors and exposed beams. Byron and Shelley both lived in Montenero for a time. Although the hotel is inland, there are beautiful views of the sea from the upstairs rooms and from the terrace. Other rooms overlook the woods surrounding the hotel. The restaurant is open from May through September.

Find more things to see and do in Livorno here.

1) NH Grand Hotel Palazzo
2) Hotel Rex
3) Al Teatro
4) Hotel Gran Duca
5) Max Hotel Livorno
6) Hotel La Vedetta di Montenero

View Livorno Hotels in a larger map

Seaside Promenade, Livorno Image Flickr: Eric Perrone
Livorno Canals Image Flickr: alexbarrow

Giardino Giusti, Verona

Verona, Italy is best known as the setting of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet and Two Gentlemen of Verona. But it also has some of the best preserved Roman architecture outside of Rome and some beautiful medieval palaces. In fact, many of the best Verona hotels are located in renovated palazzos.

All in all, Verona is a delightful place to visit.

The center of town is Piazza Bra, which is dominated by the biggest attraction in town, literally and figuratively. It’s the Roman Arena, which was built in 30 AD. Seating more than 25,000 spectators, it was the third largest stadium in the Roman Empire. During the summers, operas and concerts are performed here.

Climb all 44 tiers to the top for great views and photographs.

There are several squares in Verona worth exploring. Piazza delle Erbe is lined with stately civic buildings and opulent palaces. This piazza, which hosts a daily market, was built on the site of the old Roman forum. Piazza dei Signori has several impressive buildings, including the Palazzo del Capitano and the Palazzo della Ragione. There are also several cafes here where you can take a break from sightseeing.

For more great views, climb the 275-ft Torre di Lamberti, which dates from the 12th century. On clear days, you can see all the way to Lake Garda and the Alps.

San Zeno Maggiore on Piazza San Zeno is one on the best examples of Romanesque architecture in northern Italy. The 12th-century rose window and wooden doors with bronze reliefs are worth stopping by to see. Inside, there’s an altarpiece by Mantegna.

The 14th-century castle on the Adige river has a fine arts museum with medieval and Renaissance paintings by Bellini, Veronese, and Tiepolo. And the ruins of the old Roman Theater are not far away.

Giardino Giusto is a must for garden lovers. It’s one of Italy’s best Renaissance gardens. With fountains, grottoes, and topiary, it’s a delightful spot.

Ponte di Pietra, Verona

Just a block from Piazza Bra, Torcolo offers quiet, nicely decorated lodging and good value for money. Each of the 19 rooms is unique, but all have small refrigerators, safes, double-paned windows, and WiFi Internet access. Many have parquet floors and exposed beams. The two women who run the hotel are very cordial, and breakfast is very good – when the weather’s nice, you can take it on the pretty patio.

Also near the Arena, Colomba d’Oro was once a medieval convent. The owners have kept a lot of Old World charm, including trompe l’oeil frescoes in the reception hall. The breakfast room and bar are very atmospheric with stone walls and arches dating from the 16th century. The 51 rooms are comfortable and nicely furnished with beautiful fabrics. There are several restaurants nearby.

Located in an 18th-century palazzo off Piazza delle Erbe, Gabbia d’Oro has oodles of charm. With stone walls, Persian rugs, fine paintings, rustic timbers, and original frescoes, it has a timeless and elegant ambience. The roof terrace and Orangerie garden are delightful. And the rooms have antiques, and modern bathrooms. This is one of the most appealing hotels in Verona. You can rent a bike to explore the area.

Part of the Baglioni chain, the Due Torri Hotel is Verona’s most expensive hotel. The 14th-century palazzo opened as a hotel in the 1950s, and over the years, it’s been the choice of artists performing at the summer festivals here. The 90 rooms and public areas are quite grand with columns, period furniture, and Murano glass chandeliers. Free WiFi access and satellite television are included. Some rooms on the upper floors have nice views, as does the roof terrace. There’s an attractive Art Nouveau restaurant and bar.

A mere stone’s throw from the Roman Arena, Hotel Giulietta e Romeo, offers comfortable, attractive lodging in a charming old palazzo. The 30 rooms have thoughtful amenities like mini bars and safes, plus big, marble bathrooms. Service here is warm and professional, and the location is convenient to everything.

In business since 1880. Hotel Accademia has 94 rooms near San Maria della Scala church. The location is close to the main shopping street, and there’s a good restaurant on site. Rooms in the 16th-century palazzo have been updated with wireless Internet access, LCD TVs, and electronic safes.

Find hotels in nearby Lake Garda here.

1) Piazza Bra
2) Arena di Verona
3) Guardino Giusti
4) Torcolo Hotel
5) Hotel Columba d’Oro
6) Hotel Gabbia d’Oro
7) Due Torre Hotel Baglioni
8) Hotel Giuliette E Romeo
9) Hotel Accademia

View Hotels in Verona in a larger map

Giardino Giusti, Verona Image Flickr: Thomas Frejek

Ponte di Pietra, Verona Image Flickr: *Debs*

Vernazza at dusk

With castle ruins high above the sea, a pretty natural harbor, and a seaside piazza lined with cafes and bars, Vernazza is the most picturesque of the Cinque Terre villages. Unlike some of the others, you can get here by car — there’s a parking lot above the town. From there, you can take a shuttle bus down to the main street.

The narrow alleys, charming arcades, and colorful, slate-roofed houses make Vernazza a place to linger, even though there’s not much to do. The Ligurian pastel hues here are regulated by the local zoning board.

The Tourist Office is in the train station. And there’s Internet access at the Blue Marlin Bar and at the Internet Point. The small stone church with the iron grillwork is the Chapel of Santa Marta. Take the trail from the church for some spectacular views. Or take Trail No. 2 five minutes in either direction — toward Corniglia in the morning or toward Monterossa al Mare at dusk.

On Tuesday mornings, there’s a morning market. You can rent kayaks at the harbor for a tour of the coast. Or hike up to see the castle ruins. Other than that, most visitors relax on the rocky beach or in the cafes and watch the boats bob in the harbor.

There aren’t many Vernazza hotels. Most of the places to stay here are pensions or private rooms called affitta camere. Virtually all Vernazza accommodations have lots of stairs, so if you have difficulty with them, you’ll be happier somewhere else.

Don’t expect lots of services or facilities. Clean, simply furnished rooms are the order of the day here. The one thing you do want is a view. So request a room with an ocean-view terrace or balcony. Barring that, make sure that wherever you stay has a terrace or garden for guests’ use. Most Vernazza hotels don’t have restaurants, but the nearest trattoria is never far away.

Although Vernazza hotels are less expensive than most Italian coastal resorts, the days of the $25 pension are long gone.

La Mala is the most stylish hotel in Vernazza, and its four rooms book well in advance. This is the only place in town with flat-screen TVs with satellite service and mini bars. The décor is striking and tasteful with exposed beams and stone walls. The four rooms share a magnificent stone terrace overlooking the sea. Rooms 31 and 19 have views of the sea. Rates here are from 150 – 200 euros.

Located right on Piazza Marconi, Albergo Barbara occupies the top two floors of an old house. The views of the harbor from the two doubles on the main floor are some of the best in town. There are nine rooms, some with shared and some with private baths. Rooms are simple with tile floors, and those without private baths have a sink. Doubles start at 60 euros a night.

Vernazza

One of the better restaurants in town, Trattoria Gianni Franzi also has 23 rooms in two buildings. Not all the rooms in the older building have private bathrooms. But they compensate with tiny balconies with sensational views. Rooms in the newer building don’t have views but there’s a nice terrace garden for guests. The rate here includes a full breakfast.

Affitta Camere Elizabetta, also known as Elisabette Carro has two wonderful terraces with 360-degree views, tables, and deck chairs. There are a total of four rooms. All have private baths, and all but one have balconies. There are two suites with queen bedrooms on the ground and first floor. The ground-floor unit has a kitchen without a stove.

Giuliano Basso built his Camere himself from the local stone. The four rooms here are above a ravine of orange trees. There’s a splendid stone terrace, and a common area with refrigerator, dishes, and towels. The family room sleeps four.

Find more Italy hotels here.

1) La Mala
2) Albergo Barbara
3) Gianni Franzi
4) Affitta Camere Elisabetta
5) Giuliano Basso Camere

View Vernazza Hotels in a larger map

Vernazza at Dusk Image Flickr: rayced
Vernazza Image Flickr: Allie_Caulfield

Florence

Tuscany is rightly noted for its delicious food and wine. Unlike some Italian foods, Tuscan cuisine showcases local ingredients like asparagus, white truffles, herbs, wild boar, rabbit, and Italian’s best beef without a lot of fuss. Tuscan food is simple, satisfying, and easy to prepare.

You’ll likely eat well in the region without much effort. But you can enhance your appreciation of Tuscan food by taking a couple of cooking classes. There are several to choose from in and around Florence. And you can sign up for a half-day, full-day, or week-long program.

Taste Florence offers a walking tour that isn’t a cooking classes per se, but it is a pleasant way for someone interested in the region’s food to learn more about it. Participants visit local food producers where they taste cheese, vinegars, cured meats, olive oils, wine, and more.

The Culinary Institute of Florence, which is part of the Apicius International School of Hospitality, offers everything from a Masters Degree in Italian Cooking to one-day cooking classes. If you’re going to be in Tuscany for a while, consider a three-week course that meets once a week. Or sign up for a one-week program that includes a group and individual wine-tasting class, two group cooking class, two individual classes, and a walking tour.

Food expert and cookbook author Silvia Maccari takes small groups to the San Lorenzo market for a tour and tasting and then brings them back to her apartment to prepare a four-course meal. After the cooking is done, guests sit down to enjoy the meal with wines chosen by Silvia to complement the dishes.

World-renowned Italian cook Guiliano Bugialli founded Cooking in Florence in 1973. It was the first Italian cooking school to offer classes in English. Classes are taught in Bugialli’s 15th-century farmhouse outside Florence. The week-long course includes five cooking classes, dinners in area restaurants, accommodations in Florence, and regional side trips. Students learn to prepare about 35 different dishes.

Bistecca alla Fiorentina

Located in the heart of Florence, the Scuola di Arte Caulinaria Cordon Bleu was founded in 1985. They offer everything from 3-month professional programs to one-day classes on chocolate, fritters, and pasta.

Judy Francini moved from California to Italy in the 1980s and started Divina Cucina, which offer one-day and one-week cooking classes in Florence. The classes start selecting ingredients at the San Lorenzo market. Her Mondays at the Market includes a market tour, tastings, and lunch in a trattoria. She also offers a Wednesday class at her friend’s villa in the Tuscan countryside.

Chef Claudio Piantini teaches Tuscan cooking classes at Relais Torres Guelfa in the town of Figline Valdarno, outside Florence. Students will tour the chef’s extensive gardens and select fruits and vegetable for the day’s meal. Dinner is served in the dining room or on the terrace by the pool.

Find cooking classes in Rome here.

Florence Image Flickr: echiner1
Bistecca alla Fiorentina Image Flickr: thepinkpeppercorn

Roman Sunset

To us, the best view of Rome is from a rooftop terrace at sunset. Like so many aspects of good living, Romans have perfected the concept. And there are more than a dozen fabulous roof bars in Rome where you can sip wine and enjoy the breathtaking scenery as the city slips into darkness.

If you’re visiting Rome during spring or summer, stay at a hotel with a top-side patio, or at the very least, have a drink at one of the roof bars listed below. It won’t be cheap, but it will likely become a very special memory of your visit.

Here’s our list of the best roof bars in Rome. Since they’re scattered all over town, each has a unique view. So why not visit a different one every night?

Not far from Piazza Navona, the bar and restaurant at the Hotel Raphael looks across at the dome of Santa Maria della Pace. If you lean over, you can see the cloister designed by Bramante, which dates from 1500. The angel on top of Castel Sant’Angelo and the twin horsemen from Piazza Venezia are visible in the distance. Although this is one of the best views in town, few tourists make their way here. To reach the roof, take the elevator to the top floor and then climb a couple flights of steps. With all the hedges and shrubs, this multi-level terrace truly is a roof garden. An absolutely magical place.

Located on Pizza della Repubblica, Hotel Exedra overlooks the piazza’s fountains, Diocletian’s Baths and Michelangelo’s Basilica Santa Maria degli Angeli. What’s really special here is the roof-top swimming pool. Non-guests can take a dip for a fee, and then enjoy a cocktail at Sensus, the rooftop bar. The reflections on the pool at night make the ambience even more romantic. If you choose not to eat here, there are several excellent restaurants in the neighborhood.

Terrace at the Hotel Eden

Across from the Villa Borghese and Borghese Gardens, the Sofitel Rome Villa Borghese is in the old Ludovisi-Boncompagni family palazzo. There really are no better views in Rome than from the La Bellvista restaurant on the 7th floor of the hotel. And it’s open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. So if you can’t make it for sunset, come for a meal. Groups of tables and chairs are separated by small topiaries and the views extend all the way from St. Peter’s to the hills beyond the villa. Happy hour on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays from 6PM to 9PM includes antipasto. If you can afford it, three of the suites here have private terraces.

With St. Peter’s in the distance, Piazza Venezia to the left, and the towers of Trinita del Monti right below you, La Terraza at the Hotel Eden serves up a view that’s been enjoyed by countless celebrities and international movers and shakers. The restaurant here has one Michelin star, but you can come for a drink, it you prefer. For a sneak peak, check out their web cam at http://www.hoteledenview.com.

The Pantheon is our favorite building in Rome, and you haven’t seen the dome until you’ve seen it from eye level. You can do just that from the roof bar at the historic Grand Hotel de la Minerve. It’s located on Piazza della Minerva, which is where you’ll find the Bernini sculpture of the elephant and the obelisk. You can dine in the La Cesta restaurant or have drinks at Le Cupole. Located in a 17th-century palace, the Minerva is a short stroll from Piazza Navona or the Trevi Fountain.

View from the Eden terrace

For the best views of St. Peter’s and the Vatican, head to Hotel Atlante Star. The 360-degree, uninterrupted view includes the Basilica, Castel Sant’Angelo, the Tiber River, and the rooftops of Rome. It’s especially dramatic after dark when St. Peter’s dome is illuminated. Le Etoile restaurant serves lunch and dinner. And La Terraza Paradiso serves drinks and appetizers at pretty wrought-iron tables surrounded by flower boxes.

Offering a sweeping panorama that takes in most of Imperial Rome — including the Colisseum, the Imperial Forum, and the Domus Aurea — Hotel Gladiatori Palazzo Manfredi is a good choice after dark when the monuments are all lit. You can dine in the restaurant by candlelight, or have drinks and appetizers in the American Bar. Sipping cocktails with the Colisseum as a backdrop is a real pinch-me moment. If the terrace looks familiar, it’s a popular location for TV and movie shoots.

The newcomer to the party is Zest Bar in the Radisson Blu Es Hotel. The location near Termini station isn’t our favorite, and the view isn’t the best. But it has a modern, South Beach vibe that’s missing from the others. The rooftop pool ups the cool ante, and there are always model types enjoying – and making – the scene.

Read about the best restaurants in Rome here.

1) Hotel Raphael
2) Hotel Exedra
3) Sofitel Rome Villa Borghese
4) Hotel Eden
5) Grand Hotel de la Minerve
6) Hotel Atlante Star
7) Hotel Gladiatori Palazzo Manfredi
8) Zest
View Rome’s best roof bars in a larger map

Roman Sunset Image Flickr: Daveness_98
Terrace at the Hotel Eden Image and View from the Eden terrace Image Flickr: Wolfiewolf

Zucchini blossoms

The best way to experience Roman cooking, aside from eating in all those fabulous Italian restaurants, is to do it yourself at one of Rome’s lively cooking classes. Not only will you learn to make Italian foods like fried zucchini blossoms, risotto, and panna cotta, you’ll also make new friends and have a terrific meal.

From a half-day cooking class to a week-long culinary program, there are plenty of options to choose from. And many include field trips to local food purveyors.

Diane Seed has written several best-selling Italian cookbooks, including The Top 100 Pasta Sauces and Roman Kitchen. Although British, she has lived in Rome for 30 years on the top floor of a Renaissance Palazzo overlooking the Forum.

She knows Rome and Italian cooking inside out, and her students rave about her delightful insights into Roman culture.

Tomatoes at Campo dei Fiori market

Her morning classes include a visit to the Campo de Fiori market and lunch prepared by the students. Her five-day courses run from 10:30AM to 2PM on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday, and from 6:30PM to 9:30PM on Wednesday. Two- and three-day classes can sometimes be arranged. Details are available at http://www.italiangourmet.com/index2.php?cPath=21

Torre di Babelle is a language school that also offers cooking classes in Rome. Students in their three-hour course prepare an aperitif, appetizer, first course (usually a pasta), second course, vegetable, and dessert. Get more information at http://www.torredibabele.com/cooking.htm.

Chef Andrea Consoli teaches 3-4 hour classes at La Fate restaurant in the Trastevere neighborhood. Students prepare a four-course meal in the kitchen of the restaurant and then enjoy it together. Andrea is a real charmer, and at just 50 Euros per person, his classes are a real bargain.

Tagliatelle Carbonara

The day begins with a trip to the market in the Testaccio quarter and a visit to the Volpetti shop. There’s no menu planned for the class — students just pick up whatever looks best at the market and then take the bus back to Maureen’s place, where they prepare lunch together. Contact her at info@maureenbfant.com.

Those who don’t want to cook but want to learn more about dining in Rome can take one of her Eat Like the Romans Eat offered by Context. Find out more at http://www.contexttravel.com/rome/tours/cuisine/

Find more things to do in Rome here.

Zucchini blossoms Image Flickr: ljcybergal
Tomatoes at Campo dei Fiori market Image Flickr: hslo
Tagliatelle Carbonara Image Flickr: FotoosVanRobin

Treviso Italy

Just 20 miles north of Venice, Treviso is a delightful town which has retained much of its medieval charm. Like its famous neighbor to the south, Treviso is laced together with a series of pretty canals and medieval arcades. But unlike in Venice, Treviso hotels are off the tourist trail.

Although Treviso was damaged during World War II, what was left was preserved, what could be rebuilt was sensitively restored, and new construction was designed not to overwhelm the existing buildings. Many of the original frescoes have been preserved, and today, there are stylish boutiques on every corner.

Piazza dei Signori is the heart of Treviso’s old town is still the place to see and be seen. On the square, there’s a 13th-century council hall and an old Palazzo with a clock tower. There are two medieval churches worth visiting on the next square, Piazza San Vito. Santa Lucia has frescoes by Tomaso da Modena and San Vito has Byzantine frescoes dating from the 12th or 13th century.

Treviso’s 12th-century Duomo has the distinction of having seven domes. The chapel has an Annunication by Titian and frescoes by lesser known artists. The crypt is filled with old columns, and 14th-century mosaic and fresco fragments.

More impressive is San Nicolo, a 13th to 14th-century Dominican church with columns painted by Tomaso da Modena, a fresco by Lorenzo Lotto, and other frescoes from the Sienese School.

The local museum – the Museo Bailo – has a good collection of ancient bronze relics and minor paintings by major artists.

Treviso hotels and inns.

There aren’t many good hotels in Treviso, so it’s a good idea to make reservations well in advance if you’re coming during high season.

With just 14 rooms, Albergo il Focolare is one of the coziest Treviso hotels. Located on a side street in the center of Treviso’s old town, it’s convenient to everything. Several of the rooms overlook the nearby canals, and though they vary in size, they’re all pleasantly furnished.

Hotel Carlton offers more services to its guests that most of the other hotels in Treviso. The 93 rooms have plasma TVs and WiFi Internet access, and guests of the hotel have reduced admission at a local fitness club, spa, and golf course.

Close to the train and bus stations, the Hotel Continental is about a 10-minute walk from the main square. Its 80 rooms have been updated and many have parquet floors, Murano glass chandeliers, and carved wood moldings. There’s a bar in the hotel and there are several restaurants nearby.

Hotel Ca’ del Galletto is probably the quietest Treviso hotel. It’s located in a residential neighborhood about 15 minutes from the old town. If you don’t want to walk into town, they’ll loan you a bike. When you’re through exploring the sights of Treviso, you can relax by the outdoor swimming pool. There’s a restaurant in the hotel serving Veneto specialties and seafood. And a breakfast buffet is included in the room rate.

1) Piazza dei Signori
2) Piazza San Vito
3) Duomo
4) San Nicolo
5) Museo Bailo
6) Albergo Il Focolare
7) Carlton Hotel
8) Continental Hotel
9) Ca’ Del Galletto

View Treviso hotels and attractions. in a larger map

Find hotels and attractions in Ravenna here.

Treviso Italy image Flickr: cocoate.com

Short Rib Pasta

The North Beach neighborhood was once the home of most of the city’s Italian restaurants. But these days, you’ll find them in every part of town, from the Mission District to Nob Hill.

Here, listed alphabetically is our list of the best Italian restaurants in San Francisco:

1) The Italian region of Campania is noted for a flavorful cuisine that centers around tomatoes, onions, cheeses, pasta, and cured meats. A16 – named for the autoroute that runs through the region – features Campania-inspired dishes like braised pork shoulder, pasta with cauliflower and crab, or rustic duck meatballs. The starters here are especially good. Try roasted asparagus with walnut cream; house-made prosciutto with persimmons, hazelnuts, and pomegranate seeds; or creamy, rich burrata cheese with crostini. There are 40 wines – mostly Italian varietals – available by the glass, and carafes of wine are also an option. A16 is also one of the best pizza restaurants in town.

2) Located in a building that was once a chapel, Acquarello is one of the most sophisticated Italian restaurants in the Bay Area. The menu, which changes frequently, might feature contemporary Italian foods like gnocchi and Swiss chard in brown butter and sage, a grilled sea bass on warm artichoke and potato salad, or lobster panzerotti. The 500-bottle wine list has lots of great choices from Italy and California. The chocolate cake dusted with gold is worth saving room for. If you’re on a budget, the four-course tasting menu is a good value.

3) Another excellent pizza restaurant, Delfina’s is a Mission District favorite. Making the most of what’s fresh from the farm as well as locally made cheeses and naturally raised beef and lamb, Delfina’s features starters like grilled calamari and white bean salad, incredible pastas like pappardelle with braised lamb, and bistro classics like steak frites. The eclectic menu changes nightly. The heated, covered terrace is a nice spot on balmy evenings. Prices for both food and wine are very reasonable.

Salumi

5) A family-owned North Beach trattoria, l’Osertia del Forno has a limited menu, but everything on it is delicious. First of all, there’s the delicious focaccia to tide you over until the food arrives. Then there are a few pasta dishes, a couple of daily specials – hope for the milk-braised pork – a daily roast, some polenta, and good, thin-crust pizza. It’s inexpensive, informal, and good.

6) The chef and co-owner at La Ciccia is Sardinian, and the menu here recalls the dishes he grew up with on the island. Start with the seafood salad, dressed with lemon and fresh herbs or calamari with mint and white wine. Then sink into pasta with clams, tomatoes, and saffron. or spaghetti with mullet row. The food pairs perfectly with Sardinian wines like Vermentino.

7) Dishes from the Northern Italian regions of Liguria and Piemonte dominate the menu at Perbacco. The antipasto of house-made salumi is a clear winner. Try pappardella in a ragu made with braised short ribs, veal-stuffed agnolotti in cabbage and meat sauce, or milk-braised pork shoulder. The two-story, exposed brick space is sophisticated and lively. And the wine list is excellent, but not cheap.

8) Located in a brick building in Jackson Square, Quince is one of the most elegant Italian restaurants in San Francisco. Chef Michael Tusk did stints at Chez Panisse and Oliveto, and the invention of those trend setters shines through. The best way to experience all of Quince’s delights is to invest in their five- or eight-course tasting menu. That way, you’ll get to try small portions of sensational dishes like pasta with foie gras; pork loin, belly, and sausage with chestnut puree; and veal rib chop with chanterelles and fontina cheese. This is one of the top tables in town for a celebration dinner.

1) A16
2) Acquarello
3) Delfina’s
4) Incanto
5) L’Osteria del Forno
6) La Ciccia
7) Perbacco
8) Quince

View Italian Restaurants in San Francisco in a larger map

Find more great Italian restaurants here.

Short Rib Pasta Image Flickr: stu_spivack
Salumi Image Flickr: WordRidden

St. Peter's Square

It was harder than I thought it would be, because she only has ten days. And there are so many great places to see in Italy that narrowing it down is a real challenge.

My first tip was not to bite off more than she could chew. On your first trip, you want to see as much as possible. It’s only natural. But the less time you spend traveling, the more you’ll enjoy your trip. So we decided that with ten days, she should only stay in three places. That way, she’d only have two travel days.

Traveling in Italy is pretty easy. But the trains don’t always run on time, and repacking your bags and moving from one hotel to another is always more time-consuming than you think it will be. So when planning a trip to Italy, bear that in mind.

The most convenient and affordable air service is into Rome, so I suggested that she spend the first four nights there. She’ll be pretty jet laggy, and staying put for a few days will help her keep from getting exhausted. Besides, no one ever has enough time in Rome.

Gondola Ride

Here’s the itinerary we roughed out:

Day 1. Arrive Rome. Check into Teatropace 33, near Piazza Navona. Afternoon stroll to Piazza Navona, Pantheon, Trevi Fountain, and Spanish Steps. Dinner near Piazza Navona.

Day 2. Rome. AM visit to Campo de Fiori, then explore ancient Rome — Imperial Forum, Colosseum, and Roman Forum. Afternoon shopping. Dinner near Campo de Fiori.

Day 3. Rome. AM visit to Vatican Museums, St. Peter’s, and Castel Sant’Angelo. Afternoon at Acqua Madre Spa or shopping for antiques on Via dei Coronari. Dinner in Trastevere.

Day 4: Rome. Gallerie Borghese, or cooking class, or side trip to Tivoli, or side trip to Ostia Antica.

Bridge of Sighs

Day 6: Florence. Early AM visit to Accademia. Visit to Duomo and Baptistery. Afternoon shopping.

Day 7: Florence. Day trip to Siena or Lucca.

Day 8: Two-hour train from Florence to Venice. Check into Locanda Orseolo. Afternoon tours of St. Mark’s Basilica and Doge’s Palace.

Day 9: Venice. AM visit to Lido or Murano. Then art museums, churches, or shopping. Evening gondola ride.

Day 10: Home

By keeping the number of cities to a minimum, she’ll spend the least amount of time hauling bags and waiting for trains. And she’ll have plenty of time to sample the gelato, go into all the irresistible shops, and linger over a glass of wine in the piazza.

Read more about travel to Italy here.

Basilica of Sant' Apollinare Ravenna

Ravenna has a fascinating history. At one time or other, it’s been under Roman, Papal, and Venetian rule. But what really put Ravenna on the map was the Byzantine conquest in 540AD. The most beautiful mosaics in the world were produced here during that era. And they’re remarkably well preserved today. Many of them are UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

Much of Ravenna is a pedestrian zone, so you can walk to most of the sights, except for Sant’Apollinaire in Classe, which is about four miles from town. In ancient times, this was the port. Now, it’s inland. You can get there by city bus — they run often and drop you a 2-minute walk from the church. Buy your tickets at the tobacco store. And buy a combination ticket that includes admission to many of the churches.

Ravenna attractions.

Consecrated in 549, the church isn’t much to look at from the outside. But inside’s another story. Walk down the wide nave through the marble columns to the semi-circular apse. The 58 windows on the outer aisles flood the church with light. The arch and half dome over the high altar are covered with exquisite mosaics that glitter with gold. In the center, Sant’Apollinaire, the first bishop of Ravenna, is flanked by 12 lambs, symbolizing the Apostles. Birds, plants, and animals populate the paradise in the background. Christ is represented by the gold cross on a blue background covered with stars. Sant’Apollinaire is dazzling, incredible, amazing. Don’t miss it.

Back in town, the Basilica of San Vitale was consecrated in 548. The octagonal church is crowned with a dome, but the best mosaics are in the choir and the apse. Translucent panels bring in natural light which makes the mosaics sparkle. Christ is depicted surrounded by saints and angels. Plants and animals are at his feet. The emperor Justinian appears on the left of the apse. His wife, Theodora, is on the right. Look for the dolphins with crossed tails.

The third must-see in Ravenna is the Mausoleum of Galla Placidia. It’s on the grounds of San Vitale. The daughter of Emperor Theodosius I, Galla Placidia was the de facto ruler of the Roman Empire for 12 years, and though she‘s not buried here, it‘s a fitting tribute. The mausoleum is at least 100 years older than San Vitale. The mosaics here are some of the most brilliantly colored in the world. Once inside, you’re surrounded by shimmering blue, green, and gold. The Good Shepherd appears at the entrance, and then eight of the Apostles appear in pairs on each of the walls beneath the dome. The other four appear on their own in the transepts.

Ravenna hotels.

San Vitale Ravenna

In a palace that was originally built in the 14th century, Albergo Cappello has just seven lovely rooms. It’s a short stroll from San Vitale and the mausoleum, and the Piazza del Popolo. With 15th century frescoes, Murano glass chandeliers, beamed ceilings, and tile floors, this is the most atmospheric hotel in Ravenna. It was completely renovated in 1998, and today they have LCD TVs, mini fridges, WiFi access, and in-room safes. There’s a restaurant and wine bar.

A member of the Best Western chain, Hotel Bisanzio is also very near San Vitale. In fact, you can see it from some of the upper-floor rooms. Like Ravenna’s churches, it doesn’t look like much from the outside. The lobby is all marble and leather club chairs, and there’s a private garden where you can relax with a glass of wine. The 38 modern rooms have mini bars and safes. And non-smoking rooms are available.

Just off Ravenna’s pedestrian concourse, the NH Ravenna Hotel is near Ravenna’s other significant churches — Sant’Apollinaire Nuovo and San Giovanni Evangelista. With 84 rooms, it’s one of the biggest hotels in town, and it’s the first choice of business travelers. Rooms are attractive with wood paneling and modern bathrooms. There’s a restaurant and bar, and you can rent a bike for exploring the city.

In a villa built in 1407 and refurbished in 2004, Villa Santa Maria in Foris has the most spacious rooms in town. They’re available in a variety of configurations from simple single rooms to elaborate suites. And they have wood floors and marble baths, some with whirlpools. The public areas, which include a library, breakfast room, and courtyard, are a big part of the appeal here. Although there’s no restaurant, a lavish breakfast buffet is served. When the weather’s nice, you can have it in the garden.

1) Basilica San Vitale
2) Mausoleum of Galla Placidia
3) Albergo Cappello
4) Hotel Basanzio
5) NH Hotel Ravenna
6) Villa Santa Maria in Foris

View Ravenna hotels and attractions. in a larger map

Read more Italy trip planning ideas here.

Basilica of Sant’ Apollinare image Flickr: rdesai
San Vitale image Flickr: seier+seier+seier

Roman Coliseum

Some of the best Italian restaurants in the world are in Rome. The cuisine of Rome is rich and rustic, with hearty meat dishes and terrific pastas. Two of the best known are Spaghetti alla Carbonara with pancetta, eggs, and Parmesan cheese, and Bucatini all’Amatriciana with tomatoes, pancetta, and onions.

Other Roman specialties you should try include stuffed fried zucchini blossoms, Saltimbocca, which is veal stuffed with prosciutto, cheese, and sage, and porchetta, or roast suckling pig. You’ll also find traditional Italian foods like gnocchi and pizza on most menus.

The best expensive Italian restaurants in Rome.

The proud recipient of three Michelin stars, La Pergola is generally acknowledged to be the best Italian restaurant in Rome. Located in the roof garden atop the Cavalieri Hilton, La Pergola has sweeping views of Rome and a beautiful frescoed ceiling in the elegant interior. Chef Heinz Beck is actually German, but he has wholeheartedly embraced Italian culinary tradition and used it as a launching pad for his creations. You’ll find everything here from the simplest tortellini or tomato salad to an ambitious duck-liver scallop with crisp pigeon. The 48,000-bottle wine cellar and the service are both superb. Make reservations well in advance and take a credit card with a high ceiling.

Pantheon

Conveniently located near the Pantheon, Il Convivio is one of the best Italian restaurants in Rome. It’s a traditional, formal place with old-world elegance and service. The clientele leans heavily toward affluent Italian executives. The kitchen’s attention to detail is apparent even in standards like risotto and fava beans. Roasted pigeon and duck dishes are top notch. And organ meats, which are popular in Rome, are as good as you’ll get.

Although fish is not as popular in Rome as it is in Naples or Sicily, Rome does have a very good seafood restaurant called Quinzi & Gabrieli. It’s in a 16th-century building not far from the Pantheon, and the terrace opens onto a small square. The fish couldn’t get any fresher – chances are, it was swimming in one of the tanks before it made its way to the kitchen. Clams (vongole) in a garlicky wine broth or calamari are a great way to start your meal, which could be perfectly cooked swordfish or sea bass. The three rooms are painted with frescoes of Portofino, Capri, and Elba. If you love seafood, this is your best bet in Rome.

The best affordable Italian restaurants.

Piazza Navona

Located on Piazza della Coppelle, not far from Piazza Navona, Maccheroni serves traditional Roman dishes and specialties from other regions of Italy as well. The most popular dish here is the Spaghetti Carbonara. But triofie al pesto, which originates in Santa Margherita Ligure, is another standout. The rustic interior is cozy in winter, and if you’re seated inside, you can watch the chefs at work. On a nice day, take one of the tables outside and enjoy the action on the piazza.

Owned by married couple Agata Parisella (who cooks) and Romeo Caraccio (who manages the dining room), Agata e Romeo has all the charm of a family-run place. The cooking here is modern, but steeply routed in tradition. Expect dishes like oxtail stew, rabbit croquettes, and inventive pastas. The modern décor is a nice change, and the restaurant is centrally located near the Vittorio Emanuele Monument (the dentures). Try to save room for the especially good desserts.

For the price, Antico Arco serves some of the best food in Rome. Above Trastevere on the Gianicolo Hill, Antico Arco serves imaginatively prepared rabbit, duck, and pheasant, in addition to the expected meats and pasta dishes. Chef Patricia Mattei uses lots of fresh vegetables and herbs, and her flavors are clean and bright — the duck breast starter is a must have. Antico Arco has a good wine list, and service is friendly and professional. There’s no terrace, but the attractive interior was redone in 2007. Reservations are required.

Located in the old courtyard of a 16th-century palazzo, Casa Bleve is the most elegant wine bar in Rome. It has one of the best selections of wine – both by the bottle and the glass – in town. But the lunchtime antipasto bar here is equally appealing. Platters filled with rolled veal tonnato, braciole, turkey rolls, marinated vegetables, cheeses, cured meats, and Sicilian desserts beckon. Indicate what you want to one of the servers, and he’ll compose a plate for you. It’s a great way to sample lots of Italian foods without breaking the bank.

Read more about food in Italy here.

Find the best Italian restaurants in Florence here.

Castle Nuovo

If you use common sense, keep a close eye on your valuables, and don’t go where you don’t belong – especially after dark – you should be just fine. And you’ll get to enjoy all that Naples has to offer. Not the least of which is great food.

The National Museum of Archaeology is the best in Italy, and a must-do for anyone planning to visit Pompeii. The Bay of Naples, dominated by towering Vesuvius, is one of the most beautiful in the world. And Neapolitan pizza alone is worth the visit.

There are many fine hotels in Naples, and several offer sweeping views of the Bay.

Located in a 19th-cenury, Liberty-style palazzo, Constantinopoli 104 is a short stroll from Piazza Plebscito and the archaeology museum. Many of its 19 rooms, have huge stained-glass windows overlooking the pretty gardens. Some have balconies, others open onto the terrace. The common areas retain the feel of a private villa. And the pool is especially welcome on hot, summer days. Though its convenient to most of Naples’s attractions, once you’re behind its gates, Constantinopoli 104 seems far removed from the hustle and bustle of Naples.

Plebiscito Square Naples

Although it doesn’t look like it from the outside, Grande Hotel Vesuvio is the most historic hotel in Naples. Enrico Caruso died here, and luminaries from Oscar Wilde to Bill Clinton have enjoyed the stellar service. Like Parker’s, Vesuvio is noted for its views. And its large, nicely outfitted rooms with marble baths and Jacuzzi tubs are the most comfortable in town. If you can afford it, reserve a bay view room with a balcony. The food at the roof-top Caruso restaurant is worthy of the view.

Galleria Umberto Naples

Built between 1887 and 1891, Galleria Umberto’s soaring, glass-domed ceilings and intricate iron work make it one of the most beautiful structures in Naples. It was originally intended to house shops, cafes, and businesses. And today, it’s also home to a charming small hotel, Art Resort Galleria Umberto. With only ten rooms, it tends to fill up quickly, often with musicians performing at the San Carlo Opera House, across the street. Rooms have free WiFi, LCD TVs, and balconies, most of which look out over the galleria. Breakfast and late afternoon appetizers are included in the rate.

Read more about Neapolitan food here. And find more Italian hotels here.

Trevi Fountain Rome

But Rome is very much a city of the present. So your trip planning should include some insider experiences that let you enjoy la dolce vita away from the crowds.

Here are some of our tips for having the best possible time in Rome:

* Not that long ago, a visit to Rome involved spending your time waiting in line, often for hours. But Rome’s attractions have entered the 21st century, and now it’s possible to make reservations and purchase tickets for many of them in advance. A service called 060608 lets you reserve museums, exhibitions, concerts, and more with a single telephone call. From the U.S., dial 011-39-060608 between 9AM and 10:30PM Roman time. English-speaking operators can help you make reservations for the Coliseum, the Capitoline Museum, or the Borghese Gallery with just a credit card. Or visit their web site at www.060608.it/en

Borghese Gardens

* Traveling in Rome can be tiring. The incessant buzzing of Vespas — the word means wasp in Italian — the crowds, and the heat can really take it out of you. So why not reenergize yourself the way the ancient Romans did — with a nice hot soak. Rome’s first Turkish bath, or hamman, opened a couple of years ago near Piazza Mattei. At Acqua Madre, you’ll move progressively from cooler to warmer pools, being massaged, steamed, and kneaded along the way. By the time you’re through, you’ll be completely mellow and ready for anything.

* Fans of Art Nouveau, known in Italy as the Liberty style, should allow time to visit the Quartiere Coppede. It’s not far from the Villa Borghese, near the Piazza Buenos Aires. Built between 1919 and 1926 by Florentine architect Gino Coppede, it’s a little architectural wonderland. The entrance, off Via Dora, is through a giant, medieval-looking arch that is covered with reliefs of bees, lions, and mythological creatures. The dozen buildings here feature elaborate ironwork, turrets, mosaic tiles, winding staircase, and elaborate brickwork. Look for the Fountain of the Frogs, the Palazzo of the Spider, and the charming Fairy Cottages.

* Traffic in Rome can be brutal, and the distances between sights can really take a toll on your feet. But there’s another way to see the glory that was Rome — on two wheels. On Sundays, the Via Appia Antica and the Via Fori dei Imperiali are closed to cars and bikes rule the day. There are several bike rental places in town — ask your hotel concierge which is most convenient for you. You can take a guided-tour with a group or just head out on your own. Pedaling past the Coliseum and the olive groves and cypress trees of the old military road is a travel memory you won’t soon forget.

* Antique lovers should head for Via dei Coronari, where more than 40 antique dealers sell everything from furniture to jewelry. The narrow, pedestrian-only street leads all the way to Piazza Navona, and it’s lined with buildings dating from the 15th and 16th centuries. The best time to shop is during the Fiera dell’Antiquariato, which takes place in mid-May and mid-October.

Coliseum Rome

* Mozzarella is on virtually every menu in Rome. But no place has as many varieties as Obika, which features “flights” of hand-made mozzarella, including Paestum, Pontina, Smoked, Stracciatella di Burrata and Ricotta di Bufala. In addition to the mozzarella bar, Obika also has traditional antipasti items, salads, crostini from the wood oven, pastas, and desserts. The location in Piazza di Firenze proved so popular that there’s now a second Obika at Piazza Campo dei Fiori.

Read our trip planning tips for Paris here. And find more Italy travel info here.

Castello Scaligero, Sirmione Italy

Sirmione hotels are available in all price ranges. And it’s a great place to unwind.

It was first appreciated by the Romans who discovered hot springs and built baths here. Sirmione was later ruled by the Veronese and Venetians, whose architectural legacy adds to the resort’s appeal. Much of the old town is closed to automobile traffic, making it ideal to explore on foot.

With its moat and turrets, 13th-century Castello Scaligero is pretty impressive. It was the home of the ruling family of Verona, and it’s worth climbing the towers for views of the lake. The castle serves as the only land-based entrance to the old town.

You can also visit the ruins of the Grotte di Catullo — there’s a tram that runs from the north end of the old town. It’s unclear whether the ruins were actually the baths of Catullus, the Roman poet, but they’re well worth a visit anyway. The site is well preserved, the views of the lake from the top of the hill are breathtaking, and it’s a lovely spot for enjoying the timeless beauty of the area.

Lake Garda is one of the cleanest lakes in the region, and temperatures are inviting from May through September. So be sure to get in the water. The best place for swimming is the Lido delle Bionde beach, where you can rent beach chairs, umbrellas, and water sports equipment.

The best hotels in Sirmione.

The most luxurious hotel in Sirmione, Villa Cortine is a 19th-century Palladian villa set in a beautifully landscaped 12-acre park. The property slopes gently down to the lake where there’s a private beach and boat launch. Service here is the best you’ll find on Lake Garda and guests want for nothing. A wing was added in the 1950s and while the rooms here lack the charm of those in the original villa, they have better views of the lake. The flagstone terrace with its colonnade is a lovely place for a meal or a cocktail. In addition to two restaurants, Villa Cortine also has beach barbecues in summer. And the staff is happy to arrange virtually any activity you can think of.

Hotel Sirmione, Lake Garda

Another choice for those who want to stay in the heart of the old town is Hotel Speranza, Occupying the upper floors of an arcade on the main piazza, it’s steps from the castle and the lake. The 13 rooms here are simple, with modern furniture and parquet floors. And there’s a small lobby and breakfast rooms. Speranza is an affordable property, conveniently located for enjoying all Sirmione has to offer.

Located on a hilltop on the Sirmione Peninsula not far from the Roman ruins, Olivi offers beautiful views of the lake from the pretty terrace and from most of the 58 rooms. Set in a grove of century-old pine and olive trees and decorated in the earth tones that are traditional in the area, Olivi has a lot of character. The swimming pool is surrounded by gardens, and spa services and massages are available.

Grotte di Catullo, Lake Garda

The 16 rooms at Grifone are some of the best values in Sirmione. Located right next to the castle on the lake, the hotel occupies an old stone building that’s covered with vines. Rooms on the upper floors have small balconies overlooking the lake, and there’s a restaurant and a bar. The décor is simple, but service is cordial – it’s a family-run business – and Grifone is a very pleasant spot.

Similar to Grifone, but without the lake-front location, Corte Regnia is also located in an old stone building on a side street in the old town. The 14 attractive rooms have been updated and equipped with new bathrooms. Service is friendly. There’s a sunny terrace for enjoying the nice weather. And the restaurant is good too.

Find other Lake Garda hotels and attractions.

Castello Scaligero image Flickr: cjnzja
Grotte di Catullo image Flickr: edo-finelight
Hotel Sirmione image Flickr: Taver

Villa il Vittoriale, Lake Garda

Lake Garda is one of the cleanest lakes in Italy, and Riva del Garda is a popular windsurfing destination. There are several Lake Garda resorts to choose from, each with a distinct ambience.

Most of the better Lake Garda hotels have access to the lake, a swimming pool, water sports equipment rentals, tennis, and other activities. And most close between October and May.

Gardone Riviera hotels and attractions.

Best known for Villa il Vittoriale, the home of poet Gabriele d’Annunzio, Gardone Riviera is on the western shore of the lake. The ornately decorated Villa is one of the few must-see attractions in the area. D’Annunzio lived here from 1921 until his death in 1938. He spent years working with architect Giancarlo Maroni to transform the estate into a very singular place. You’ll see Liszt’s piano, Beethoven’s death mask, a boat protruding from a hillside, and countless works of art.

Gardone has a lower town on the banks of the lake and an upper town on a rolling hillside above the lake. The two are joined by the Giardino Botanico Hruska, the beautiful gardens owned by artist Andre Heller. The gardens were first laid out in 1910 and there are more than 2,000 species of plants.

If you’re in the area on the weekend, there’s a lively market at the Piazza dei Martiri della Liberta in the town of Salo, on Saturday mornings.

There are several good hotels in Gardone Riviera.

Dating from 1903, Villa Fiordaliso is the most architecturally interesting Lake Garda hotel. The pink-and-white Liberty style villa – as Art Nouveau is known in Italy – has hosted many notables over the years, and was once the home of Mussolini’s mistress. It’s a member of the Relais & Chateaux chain. With just seven rooms, it’s one of the most exclusive Lake Garda resorts, and the most expensive. The restaurant has received a Michelin star and when the weather’s fine, you can enjoy your meal right at the water’s edge. Each of the rooms is elaborately decorated with marble, antiques, parquet floors, and frescoes ceilings. It’s hard to imagine a more beautiful place to stay.

One of the most photographed spots in Gardone, the Grand Hotel Fasano began life in the 19th century as an Austrian hunting lodge. Not only does it enjoy a wonderful lake-front setting, it also adjoins a 12,000-square-mile private park. There’s a small pier for swimming, and a series of nicely landscaped terraces and gardens. There are several restaurants and even a sushi bar. The breakfast buffet served on the terrace is a great way to start the day, and the public areas are undeniably grand. Many of the 75 rooms have terraces, and all have modern bathrooms. For a more exclusive experience, you can upgrade to one of the 12 units in Villa Principe, which are slightly larger and set away from the main complex in small grove.

Winston Churchill was a frequent guest of the Grand Hotel Gardone, which was built in 1884. The lovely Liberty style bar here is named for him, and it’s still a smashing place for a cocktail. One of the larger Lake Garda hotels, the Grand has 143 well-furnished rooms and 23 large suites. Most of them have views of the lake. And they’ve been updated with minibars, satellite LCD TVs, Internet access, and safes. The Wellness Zone offers every imaginable health and beauty treatment. And the lovely terrace is practically at lake level. The Grand is an excellent choice in Gardone.

One of the few Lake Garda hotels that’s not on the lake, five-star Villa del Sogno has gorgeous views of the lake nonetheless. Set in a beautiful private park punctuated with neo-Classical temples and surrounded by woods, Villa del Sogno is one of the most romantic places on Lake Garda. The public areas and rooms are furnished with turn-of-the-century antiques. Guests can swim in the beautiful pool, sunbathe on the roof-top terrace, or play tennis. During the summer, concerts are often held on the terrace and full moons are a special occasion here.

Located in a park on Lake Garda, Villa Maria Elisabetta is a monastery that offers simple accommodations, many of which have lake views. Most of the 47 rooms have private baths. And there’s a TV room, a dining room, bar, and sun deck. You’ll be hard-pressed to find a better value in Gardone.

Riva del Garda hotels and attractions.

Riva del Garda, Italy

At the north end of Lake Garda, Riva del Garda is backed by steep, wooded cliffs that rise dramatically from the water. When it’s breezy, you’ll see lots of windsurfers on the lake. The town has several lake-front parks and pebbly beaches, and the waterfront is lined with boutiques, cafes, and gelati shops.

The striking medieval tower rising from Riva del Garda’s main piazza is the 13th-century Torre d’Apponale. If it’s open, climb it for spectacular views of the lake and surrounding hills. La Rocca Castle and its exhibition of local art is also worth a visit. The tourist office has walking tours on weekends. But a leisurely stroll along the waterfront promenade is equally rewarding.

Although the name implies a historic property, the Hotel du Lac et du Parc is a modern hotel with 159 rooms. The private-park setting is the big draw here. And there’s a beach with water sports rentals. The large pool is especially appealing, and the wellness center offer a variety of treatments. The 45 new Murialdo Suites include kitchenettes. And there are also 33 bungalows in the park. Hotel du Lac certainly isn’t the most romantic place around, but it’s a good choice for families.

Hotel Sole enjoys the best location in Riva del Garda. The main piazza is on one side, and the lake is on the other. Located in a 15th-century palazzo with a grand staircase, ornate antiques, and Persian rugs, it’s a slightly formal place. But the rooms are warm and comfortable. The ones with balconies are worth the extra cost. And there’s no better spot in town for a drink than the rooftop terrace. Sole offers good value for money in Riva.

Budget accommodations are few and far between here, but Montanara – a popular local trattoria – has nine rooms above the restaurant. The old town location is convenient, and the rooms, though basic, are clean. Both private and shared baths are available, so if you care, make sure you know what you’re getting.

Limone sul Garda hotels and attractions.

Limone Lake Garda, Italy

If you’re serious about windsurfing, Capo Reamol has it’s own school where you can learn the basics. Other water sports equipment is available to rent, as well as mountain bikes. Most of the 58 spacious rooms here have lake views. B rooms have balconies, and A rooms have large terraces with deck chairs for relaxing. The pool is on a terrace that looks out over the lake. The bar and restaurant offer panoramic views.

Surrounded by palms and featuring a lovely terrace restaurant right on Lake Garda, Le Palme is one of the nicest hotels in Lake Garda. Because there are only 28 rooms here, Le Palme often fills up quickly. But others can be accommodated at the Splendid Palace, a sister hotel. Guests of Le Palme can use the large pool there. Many rooms have lake views, and a few have small balconies. There’s a small swimming pool on site and a beach that’s within walking distance.

Find our recommended Sirmione hotels.

Villa il Vittoriale image Flickr: °Simo°
Riva del Garda image Flickr: mawel
Limone Lake Garda image Flickr: cooldudeandy01

Alghero

But Alghero on the northwestern side of the island is a charming destination.  And Alghero hotels are much less expensive than those on the Costa Smeralda.

Alghero was first settled in the tenth century by the Genoese, who defended it from the Moors.  But the biggest influence came from the Spanish who conquered the area in the 14th century.  In fact, Alghero is sometimes called “Little Barcelona” because of the Spanish architecture and presence of Catalan language, which is still spoken here.

The town’s narrow lanes, cobbled streets, and tiny piazzas are lined with quaint bars, restaurants, and shops.  The old town is surrounded by fortress walls and several towers, many of which date from the 16th century.  And two churches — the Duomo and San Michele — are worth visiting.

Find the Best Deals at hotels.com!

There’s an excellent beach north of town.  And Neptune’s Grotto, a dreamy cave filled with spectacular stalactites and stalagmites, is reached by a short boat trip from Alghero.

The best hotels in Alghero for exploring the area.  

Many Alghero hotels are oceanfront and landscaped with terraced, Mediterranean gardens.  Several enjoy spectacular settings.  The 13,000-acre Porto Conte Regional Park is not far from town, and several of the hotels back up to the park.   

Cap Caccia, Alghero

Walking distance from the center or town, Carlos V is just up the road from Villa la Tronas.  Each of the rooms here has a balcony, with a view of the ocean or the property’s lovely gardens.  One of two five-star hotels in Alghero, it was renovated in 2006.   The rooms are spacious and modern, and the salt-water pool is huge. The location here is hard to beat, and the views from the pool, dining room, and bar are sensational.

El Faro Hotel

Dating from the 18th century, the Alghero Resort Country Hotel has retained some of the original charm.  The 22 rooms have wooden beams and tile floors, but they’ve been thoroughly updated with LCD TVs and WiFi Internet access.  The resort is painted in traditional Sardinian colors, and because of the rural surroundings, it really does have a country feel.  With a spa, fitness center, horseback riding, bike rentals, and tennis courts, you won’t run out of things to do.  The patio restaurant looks out over a valley and features a seasonal menu.

Once the convent of the Church of San Francisco, the 20 rooms at San Francesco surround a cloister that dates from the 14th century.  Several original Roman columns are in the cloister.  The location in the historic old town is convenient for restaurants and shopping.  The rooms are simply furnished, but they’re clean and functional.  And prices are reasonable.  San Francesco has more character than any other Alghero hotel.  

Find more trip planning tips for travel to Italy. 

Alghero Image Flickr: xagra
Cap Caccia Image Flickr: ComùnicaTI
El Faro Hotel Image Flickr: gio_greco

Grand Hotel Villa Serbelloni

It’s arguably the most beautiful town in the lakes.  And if you keep your eyes peeled, you might spot local resident George Clooney water skiing.

Bellagio hotels run the gamut from luxurious to simple, so even travelers of modest means should be able to afford a couple of unforgettable nights here.  If ever a place was worth splurging, Bellagio is.

Most of the hotels in Bellagio close for the winter, usually from November or December through March or April.  And the smaller ones fill up several months in advance during peak season.  So if you have your heart set on a place, book early. 

Consistently rated as one of the top Bellagio hotels, Hotel Florence occupies a charming 19th-century villa with beautiful woodwork, a delightful terrace overlooking the lake, and an impressive old fireplace from Florence.  Over the years, Hotel Florence has played host to Mark Twain, Puccini, and others.  The location across from the ferry dock is handy for exploring Lake Como and its towns.  And the lovely bar attracts plenty of non-guests.  Many of the rooms are large by Bellagio standards, most have beautiful views, and they‘re beautifully decorated with lovely antiques like four-poster beds.  The modern spa offers any treatment you could want. 

Right across from the main dock, the Hotel du Lac overlooks Bellagio’s pretty main square.  The hotel has been in business for 150 years, and owned by the same family for more than 50.  It takes advantage of smashing lake views at every turn – from the restaurant under the arcade to the roof-top terrace garden, a great spot for an afternoon cocktail.  Rooms have minibars and satellite TV.   With terraces or balconies overlooking the lake, the superior rooms here are worth the added expense.  There’s WiFi Internet access in the common areas.   And guests can use the pool and health club facilities at the Bellagio Sporting Club.

Bellagio, Lake Como

In addition to indoor and outdoor swimming pools, a private dock, full-service spa, tennis courts, and an exercise room, Villa Serbelloni also has a private beach on Lake Como where you can rent watersports equipment.

Above Villa Serbelloni on a hill overlooking the lake, Residence Ulivo is a less expensive alternative for those who plan to spend a week or more.  Each of the 12 units here has a private sitting area and kitchenette, and some have lake views.  There are apartments designed for 2, 4, or 6 people.  Guests have access to all the facilities at the hotel, many of which, including a covered pool, the spa, and a restaurant, stay open for Residence Ulivo guests even when the hotel is closed.  This is a nice alternative for those who want more space than a traditional hotel room offers.

Family-owned Hotel Belvedere also opened in the 1880s.  Pride of ownership is evident throughout the hotel and the service is professional and attentive.   The 59 modern rooms and suites are located in three buildings in a private park.  They have nice touches like safe deposit boxes and marble bathrooms.  Suites have Jacuzzi tubs.  And deluxe rooms have lake-view balconies or patios.  The terraced gardens leading down to the lake are lovely, and there’s a swimming pool and off-street parking.  The Belvedere also has three apartments with separate entrances.  This is one of the largest Bellagio hotels, and one of the nicest.  Chances are, you won’t be disappointed here. 

Bellagio, Italy

Two of Bellagio’s popular lake-side trattorias have rooms on the floors above the restaurant – La Pergola and Silvio.  If you’re looking for affordable Bellagio accommodations, both have tidy rooms, most with private bath and lake views.

Find more tips on things to do and see in the Italian lakes here.  Or check out more Italian trip planning information here. 

Serbelloni Image Flickr: Frankensteinnn
Bellagio and Bellagio Port Image Flickr: MACSURAK