Tips for a trip to italy

hampshirebabe

We have for the last few years been to france, where we rent a cottage in the middle of nowhere and eat drink and relax, (you can easily find a cottage for a week for about £200 in france, and book directly). I'd like something similar in italy, but there doesn't seem to be anywhere near the choice of france. I'd like to go to tuscany, but it all seems a lot more upmarket and much busier and a lot more expensive! It mostly seems to be hotels or blocks of apartments. Am i missing something, or asking to much, I dont know Italy at all. Has anyone got any suggestions.
We'll probably fly drive, but possably might take a couple of days to drive through france and then back as hubby's not too keen on flying. And we're hoping to go in middle of Sept when most kids have gone back to school. Its just the 2 of us.

kgpuk

We sometimes stay in a friends remote house in Italy in the Le Marche region(Jamie Oliver went there in his Italy TV series; not the house, Le Marche) which is more or less in the centre of Italy. We fly Ryanair into Pescara or Ancona and it's about a 1.5 hour drive from there. It's a lovely unspoilt and not yet really discovered part of Italy. The food is authentic and beautiful, and the ice cream and coffee, wow. It's in Sibillini National Park, local towns are Amandola, Sarnano and you can drive up to Sassasetto in the mountains, we did in the springtime during the week and were the only ones there. I've never been to Tuscany which I'm sure is as beautiful but reckon this is gonna be cheaper. Check it out here

nelly_2

My tip for going to Italy...

TAKE LOADS OF SPENDING MONEY.

them lot really know how to charge

teddie2003

Nelly

Depends where you go. We spent more on a meal in the New Forest, than a meal in Rome.

worky

hampshirebabe

why not try going Agriturismo - staying on farm - we've done it for the last two years and it's really great. going again this year to Tuscany. If you need any further advice just get in touch

teddie2003

Agriturismo looks like its fun and there are a few around Lake Garda mainly at the lowere end of the lake.

Have a think about Lake Garda for your Italy trip.

Last Sept we stayed at an apartment the Villa Stellina, Malcesine, Lake Garda, https://www.villastellina.it , for 8 nights picking up a hire car at Marco Polo, Venice. Three different sized appartments in the same house with great views over the lake. Dealt direct with the owner, sent deposit & paid balance when we arrived.

Lake Garda is easy to get to via the motorway and great place to visit (our second trip), went to most of the towns around the lake, Bardolino, Lazise, Arco, Torbole, Salo are all great and we had a day out to Verona which was an easy hour and a half drive across country.

We used the hire car and the local boats to get around on the Lake as well as walking into Malcesine and then catching the cable car to the top of the mountain.

On the last day on the way back to Venice we went to Vicenza which is another brilliant place that we will go back to one day.

Lake Garda is what you make of it, but I would go back there any time.

Steve