re: Italy airfare booked *new question*

quote:

---

Has anyone ever been to Lake Como or Lugano?

---

. Yes, I have been to that area twice and it is gorgeous. On Lake Como we spent the day in Mennagio which is a quaint and friendly little town. From there you can see Bellagio right across the narrow lake. You can take the ferry there but our time schedule did not allow us to do so.

Our hotel was in Lugano, Switzerland which was a short drive away. Another beautiful place with well landscaped parks and beautiful scenery of the lake and the mountains.

The next lake to the west from Lake Lugano is Lake Maggiore which is actually the closest one to Milan. We visited the beautiful lakeside town of Stressa and took the ferry to the palace of St Charles Borromeo which is on an island just offshore.

My experiences with the ferry are limited to the ones from Positano. You can usually just walk up and buy a ticket but sometimes there may be just one or two departures a day and if you miss your return trip you are screwed so you have to be very cognizant of the time schedule. We did not take the ferry from Mennagio to Bellagio but it was not crowded at all and we were there on a Sunday when all of the school children were having their first communion.

And the one from Stressa was very short. You could almost swim there. We were on a tour so I don’t know how long you would have to book in advance. If you know what day you will be there it would probably be a good idea to inquire.

Cinque Terre is amazing. You can stay in any of the five villages and get a rail pass for the other 4. The hike from Vernazza to Corniglia alone is worth the stay. So is catching the sunset from Riomaggiore. If you guys tour Rome I STRONGLY recommend paying for a guide. Sienna is beautiful and worth a at LEAST a day. Grieve in Chianti is a great little Tuscany village. Get pizza at Canteria de Michele in Naples. It's a little rough around the edges but has been named the best pizza in Italy.

Take the hike from Vernazzo to Corniglia.

Stealing this thread again... Any recommendations on getting from Rome airport to our hotel, Hilton Garden Inn. I guess I could call the hotel...

Here’s another option. Take the train from Rome airport to downtown train station. Taxi or subway from there to hotel. The airport train system in Rome is excellent.

I reached out to the hotel about transfer. its $60 euro I'll look into the train as well.

Edit: Looking at the train, Do I need to prebook passage, or can i walk up and purchase. surely I can walk up and purchase...

Been a long time since I was in Italy, but a few thoughts if things haven’t changed.

1) Pompeii is very interesting.

2) If a cafe has tables and bar service, you’ll pay an additional charge to sit at a table.

3) Unless it’s changed, you can’t go in the Vatican wearing shorts.

4) You can subway around Rome to see the Vatican and Colosseum. The subway exit at the Colosseum takes you through a narrow passageway, then opens up to a great view. Lots of gypsy kids there picking pockets. They’re very good at it.

5) If you’re in a crowd, keep your wallet in your front pocket holding it in your hand. Some friends of mine were in a crowded subway, thought they were safe because their pocket buttoned shut. The thief slit their pants with a razor, stole their stuff and they never knew.

6) If your daughter is really jonesing for McDonalds, there used to be one by the Spanish Steps.

We pre-booked with Rome Cabs prior to leaving the states. Driver was waiting with a sign for us at the airport. Really took the stress level down a notch. Pre-booked most of our transfers for the three weeks we were there.