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Rome, Coast to Sperlonga & Amalfi Coast Trip



 
 
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  #1  
Old March 31st, 2007, 12:32 PM posted to rec.travel.europe
Lynda
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Posts: 3
Default Rome, Coast to Sperlonga & Amalfi Coast Trip

Hi

I am taking a 5 night trip to Italy in a few weeks with my husband and
plan the following:

Day 1 - arrive/get to hotel on the outskirts of Rome
Day 2 - Rome
Day 3 - head to the coast and travel down the coast to hotel at
Sperlonga
Day 4 - drive as far down the Amalfi coast and back as we can
Day 5 - leisure in or around Sperlonga

In Rome I want to see the Colleseum and the Trevi fountain - they are
my must sees. Although we only have a day, it will be a long day and
I'd like to think we'll see more than those two things. I wondered if
people had any "hidden gems" - quaint streets, pretty sights, not
necesarily tourist sights, in fact, quite the opposite. I love
photography - of people, places etc if that helps, i.e. I'm not
particularly interested in museums and art galleries.

And the same question for days 3, 4 and 5 really - what are the "must
sees" or your favourite things to see that are not even tourist
attractions.

Thanks very much in anticipation!

Lynda
  #2  
Old March 31st, 2007, 06:54 PM posted to rec.travel.europe
Deeply Filled Mortician
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Posts: 2,247
Default Rome, Coast to Sperlonga & Amalfi Coast Trip

Make credence recognised that on Sat, 31 Mar 2007 12:32:28 +0100,
Lynda has scripted:

Hi

I am taking a 5 night trip to Italy in a few weeks with my husband and
plan the following:

Day 1 - arrive/get to hotel on the outskirts of Rome


Why on earth get a hotel on the outskirts? Stay near the centre, and
do yourself a favour!

Day 2 - Rome
Day 3 - head to the coast and travel down the coast to hotel at
Sperlonga
Day 4 - drive as far down the Amalfi coast and back as we can


That sounds hellish to me. Are you aware of what traffic is like in
Italy?

Day 5 - leisure in or around Sperlonga

In Rome I want to see the Colleseum and the Trevi fountain - they are
my must sees. Although we only have a day, it will be a long day and
I'd like to think we'll see more than those two things. I wondered if
people had any "hidden gems" - quaint streets, pretty sights, not
necesarily tourist sights, in fact, quite the opposite. I love
photography - of people, places etc if that helps, i.e. I'm not
particularly interested in museums and art galleries.


Neither am I, but I suggest putting on a pair of really good shoes and
just walking. Rome is a big city, with gems around near every corner.

5 nights in Rome is about enough to see the best bits, without even
considering the Amalfi coast, which is a long way away!
--
---
DFM - http://www.deepfriedmars.com
---
--
  #3  
Old March 31st, 2007, 08:53 PM posted to rec.travel.europe
FredBear
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Posts: 86
Default Rome, Coast to Sperlonga & Amalfi Coast Trip


"Lynda" wrote in message
...

Day 3 - head to the coast and travel down the coast to hotel at
Sperlonga
Day 4 - drive as far down the Amalfi coast and back as we can
Day 5 - leisure in or around Sperlonga

I don't know if you have been to this part of Italy before but if you
haven't, you might consider looking at taking a boat from Positano to Amalfi
rather than driving. Here is one link of many:
http://www.costadiamalfi.it/english/...le_ferries.htm
I don't know how accurate it is but you could find out your selves on the
web.

If you drive, the A3 Autostrada past Naples and around Vesuvius is strictly
for the connoisseurs of Italian driving. Unless you are deeply into
masochism, you might want to give it a miss.

Amalfi is nice enough but you might enjoy spending some time in Sorrento as
well. It is a nice town with lots of reasonable restaurants although it is a
bit touristy. You can combine the two by juggling the ferries.

The coast road from Rome to Naples is pretty boring with a succession of
seaside towns such as Anzio and Nettuno which are fine if you want a day
beside the seaside but otherwise not worth the detour. You might be better
driving directly down the via Appia, SS.7, to Terracina thence to Sperlonga
or the via Pontina, SS.146, via Latina (but you don't want to stop off
there) thence to Sperlonga.

Having said that, one part of the coast road which is interesting is the bit
from near Latina to San Felice Circeo thence to Terracina. It is pleasantly
scenic without much traffic. On the way you pass through a New Town,
Sabaudia, built during the Fascist period which I found interesting.

San Felice is nice. it is a weekend retreat for the well healed Romani and,
although quite small, is worth a lunch stop.

If you had the time and felt inclined, you could take the boat to Ponza on
the Pontine Islands. They are much less touristy than Capri and, IMHO, much
nicer. It's about a two hour ride.

It is a pity that you don't like museums because on the road to Sperlonga
you pass the site of one of Tiberius's Villas with a fish farm. It is really
quite interesting.

If your hotel in Sperlonga doesn't inspire you, you might like to look at
this reataurant if you want a good meal: http://www.gliarchi.com/home.htm

Hope this helps.
(\__/)
(='.'=)
(")_(")




  #4  
Old April 7th, 2007, 12:48 PM posted to rec.travel.europe
Lynda
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 3
Default Rome, Coast to Sperlonga & Amalfi Coast Trip


Thanks for this, I found it very helpful.

Is driving in Italy as "bad" as everyone keeps telling me? We''ve
driven in Paris before and lived to tell the tale. Most people we
speak to think we are mad for contemplating any driving - but my
husband is a confident driver, I just wondered what we should expect,
especially on those hairpin bends on the Amalfi coast!

I will probably look out the Tiberius Villa - it's not that I don't
like museums which I probably indicated, more that with only one day
in Rome looking 'round museums would not be my first choice if I could
be outdoors taking photos.

Anyway, thanks again

Lynda

On Sat, 31 Mar 2007 20:53:30 +0100, "FredBear"
wrote:


"Lynda" wrote in message
.. .

Day 3 - head to the coast and travel down the coast to hotel at
Sperlonga
Day 4 - drive as far down the Amalfi coast and back as we can
Day 5 - leisure in or around Sperlonga

I don't know if you have been to this part of Italy before but if you
haven't, you might consider looking at taking a boat from Positano to Amalfi
rather than driving. Here is one link of many:
http://www.costadiamalfi.it/english/...le_ferries.htm
I don't know how accurate it is but you could find out your selves on the
web.

If you drive, the A3 Autostrada past Naples and around Vesuvius is strictly
for the connoisseurs of Italian driving. Unless you are deeply into
masochism, you might want to give it a miss.

Amalfi is nice enough but you might enjoy spending some time in Sorrento as
well. It is a nice town with lots of reasonable restaurants although it is a
bit touristy. You can combine the two by juggling the ferries.

The coast road from Rome to Naples is pretty boring with a succession of
seaside towns such as Anzio and Nettuno which are fine if you want a day
beside the seaside but otherwise not worth the detour. You might be better
driving directly down the via Appia, SS.7, to Terracina thence to Sperlonga
or the via Pontina, SS.146, via Latina (but you don't want to stop off
there) thence to Sperlonga.

Having said that, one part of the coast road which is interesting is the bit
from near Latina to San Felice Circeo thence to Terracina. It is pleasantly
scenic without much traffic. On the way you pass through a New Town,
Sabaudia, built during the Fascist period which I found interesting.

San Felice is nice. it is a weekend retreat for the well healed Romani and,
although quite small, is worth a lunch stop.

If you had the time and felt inclined, you could take the boat to Ponza on
the Pontine Islands. They are much less touristy than Capri and, IMHO, much
nicer. It's about a two hour ride.

It is a pity that you don't like museums because on the road to Sperlonga
you pass the site of one of Tiberius's Villas with a fish farm. It is really
quite interesting.

If your hotel in Sperlonga doesn't inspire you, you might like to look at
this reataurant if you want a good meal: http://www.gliarchi.com/home.htm

Hope this helps.
(\__/)
(='.'=)
(")_(")



  #5  
Old April 7th, 2007, 01:09 PM posted to rec.travel.europe
Rog'
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 892
Default Rome, Coast to Sperlonga & Amalfi Coast Trip

"Lynda" wrote:
Is driving in Italy as "bad" as everyone keeps telling me? We''ve
driven in Paris before and lived to tell the tale. Most people we
speak to think we are mad for contemplating any driving - but my
husband is a confident driver, I just wondered what we should
expect, especially on those hairpin bends on the Amalfi coast!...


I've driven in both Rome and Paris. Paris was a breeze compared
to Rome. When I drove in Rome ('81), it seemed like that there was
only one traffic light in all of Rome. Street signs were above the 1st
floor on the sides of buildings, but of course, I did not know this. I
have been back to Rome 2x since then and left the driving to insane
taxi drivers.

The Amafi coast was a great drive. We did it from South to North
in the off-season month of April, which meant (1) driving on the
cliff-side of the road, and (b) much less traffic than during Summer
months.




  #6  
Old April 7th, 2007, 04:14 PM posted to rec.travel.europe
Frank F. Matthews
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 1,362
Default Rome, Coast to Sperlonga & Amalfi Coast Trip

Driving in Italy can be challenging but isn't all that bad. The major
problem will be the quality of the roads in the rural areas which will
really slow your progress and crowding in the cities. Both can occur in
areas of the US and in other parts of Europe.

The Amalfi coast is a problem -- like coastal California -- in that a
competent driver will see almost nothing. It is much more enjoyable to
have a professional so that you can look at the views. For your
passengers there is no advantage.

The bends on the coast are much easier than in the mountains of anywhere.



Lynda wrote:

Thanks for this, I found it very helpful.

Is driving in Italy as "bad" as everyone keeps telling me? We''ve
driven in Paris before and lived to tell the tale. Most people we
speak to think we are mad for contemplating any driving - but my
husband is a confident driver, I just wondered what we should expect,
especially on those hairpin bends on the Amalfi coast!

I will probably look out the Tiberius Villa - it's not that I don't
like museums which I probably indicated, more that with only one day
in Rome looking 'round museums would not be my first choice if I could
be outdoors taking photos.

Anyway, thanks again

Lynda

On Sat, 31 Mar 2007 20:53:30 +0100, "FredBear"
wrote:


"Lynda" wrote in message
. ..

Day 3 - head to the coast and travel down the coast to hotel at
Sperlonga
Day 4 - drive as far down the Amalfi coast and back as we can
Day 5 - leisure in or around Sperlonga

I don't know if you have been to this part of Italy before but if you
haven't, you might consider looking at taking a boat from Positano to Amalfi
rather than driving. Here is one link of many:
http://www.costadiamalfi.it/english/...le_ferries.htm
I don't know how accurate it is but you could find out your selves on the
web.

If you drive, the A3 Autostrada past Naples and around Vesuvius is strictly
for the connoisseurs of Italian driving. Unless you are deeply into
masochism, you might want to give it a miss.

Amalfi is nice enough but you might enjoy spending some time in Sorrento as
well. It is a nice town with lots of reasonable restaurants although it is a
bit touristy. You can combine the two by juggling the ferries.

The coast road from Rome to Naples is pretty boring with a succession of
seaside towns such as Anzio and Nettuno which are fine if you want a day
beside the seaside but otherwise not worth the detour. You might be better
driving directly down the via Appia, SS.7, to Terracina thence to Sperlonga
or the via Pontina, SS.146, via Latina (but you don't want to stop off
there) thence to Sperlonga.

Having said that, one part of the coast road which is interesting is the bit


from near Latina to San Felice Circeo thence to Terracina. It is pleasantly


scenic without much traffic. On the way you pass through a New Town,
Sabaudia, built during the Fascist period which I found interesting.

San Felice is nice. it is a weekend retreat for the well healed Romani and,
although quite small, is worth a lunch stop.

If you had the time and felt inclined, you could take the boat to Ponza on
the Pontine Islands. They are much less touristy than Capri and, IMHO, much
nicer. It's about a two hour ride.

It is a pity that you don't like museums because on the road to Sperlonga
you pass the site of one of Tiberius's Villas with a fish farm. It is really
quite interesting.

If your hotel in Sperlonga doesn't inspire you, you might like to look at
this reataurant if you want a good meal: http://www.gliarchi.com/home.htm

Hope this helps.



  #7  
Old April 7th, 2007, 05:14 PM posted to rec.travel.europe
Rog'
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 892
Default Rome, Coast to Sperlonga & Amalfi Coast Trip

"Rog'" wrote:
The Amafi coast was a great drive. We did it from South to
North in the off-season month of April, which meant driving
on the cliff-side of the road...


Clarification: ...as opposed to the sea-side. Hugging the inside
of the cliff was less scenic perhaps, but also less hair-raising.

The autostrata: The first time we came to a toll ticket dispenser,
there was no other traffic for me to follow by example, and for
the life of me, I could not figure out how to get a transit ticket.
I looked all over, then finally pushed this round button. DOH!



  #8  
Old April 7th, 2007, 11:17 PM posted to rec.travel.europe
Alan S[_1_]
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 2,163
Default Rome, Coast to Sperlonga & Amalfi Coast Trip

On Sat, 31 Mar 2007 12:32:28 +0100, Lynda
wrote:

Hi

I am taking a 5 night trip to Italy in a few weeks with my husband and
plan the following:

Day 1 - arrive/get to hotel on the outskirts of Rome
Day 2 - Rome
Day 3 - head to the coast and travel down the coast to hotel at
Sperlonga
Day 4 - drive as far down the Amalfi coast and back as we can
Day 5 - leisure in or around Sperlonga

In Rome I want to see the Colleseum and the Trevi fountain - they are
my must sees. Although we only have a day, it will be a long day and
I'd like to think we'll see more than those two things. I wondered if
people had any "hidden gems" - quaint streets, pretty sights, not
necesarily tourist sights, in fact, quite the opposite. I love
photography - of people, places etc if that helps, i.e. I'm not
particularly interested in museums and art galleries.

And the same question for days 3, 4 and 5 really - what are the "must
sees" or your favourite things to see that are not even tourist
attractions.

Thanks very much in anticipation!

Lynda


Include the Forum - it's right next to the Colosseum anyway.
And, if there's time, the Vatican Museum (it's more than
that) will provide some great photos.

If you're driving to the Amalfi coast, consider including
Pompeii in your travels.
On driving, I say a little more about that he
http://loraltravel.blogspot.com/2006/11/italy.html

Take it easy and don't be in a hurry:-)
Cheers, Alan, Australia
--
http://loraltravel.blogspot.com/
latest: Epidaurus
http://loraldiabetes.blogspot.com/
  #9  
Old April 8th, 2007, 10:45 PM posted to rec.travel.europe
Ken Blake
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 373
Default Rome, Coast to Sperlonga & Amalfi Coast Trip

Lynda wrote:

Is driving in Italy as "bad" as everyone keeps telling me?



Probably not. Driving on the highways is easy. But driving in the big cities
(Rome, Naples, etc.) can be very difficult. There are several reasons for
that:

1. Lots of one-way streets. You can't usually tell from a map which way a
street goes. I once tried to return a rented car in downtown Rome. I got
within four blocks of where I was going, but it took me a further hour of
experimenting to find the right combination of streets to actually get
there.

2. Few traffic lights.

3. Unfamiliarity with local driving customs

4. When you get where you're going, there's usually no place to park.


We''ve
driven in Paris before and lived to tell the tale. Most people we
speak to think we are mad for contemplating any driving - but my
husband is a confident driver, I just wondered what we should expect,
especially on those hairpin bends on the Amalfi coast!



I don't think the Amalfi coast is particularly difficult to drive, but I
recommend against doing so. The problem is that the driver needs to devote
his attention to the road and will miss seeing most of the scenery. Instead,
I recommend that you take the local bus, so both of you can see the
surrounding terrain, which is very beatiful.

--
Ken Blake
Please reply to the newsgroup


 




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