Morphing into a Freeloader (1 Viewer)

[Robert Clark]

If you're going to Florence you should really visit Sienna too - they were both massive players in local history.
Sienna can easily be done in a day and there is an Aire close to the town centre.

 

[2657]

If you're going to Florence you should really visit Sienna too - they were both massive players in local history.
Sienna can easily be done in a day and there is an Aire close to the town centre.

That's on the list after Florence but I haven't really looked for somewhere to stop yet, probably do a bit of research on Sunday.......a chill out day

 

[Robin McHood]

If you havent been to Rome before then two days will only brush the surface. The forum and gardens alone is worth a day. I'd not bother queueing for the Collisseum, yes its interesting but you can actually get most of it from outside and the Palatine gardens on the hill opposite with the villa remains etc are free and actually more indicative of what Roman life was like. Don't miss Ostia Antica, the old port and the Etruscan tombs at Cervetterri, while you are in the area.
If you havent done Pompei yet its worth a day but dont miss Herculaneum, again so much better preseved as it was buried by mud flow instead of having everything above the first story incinerated as at Pompeii

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[2657]

If you havent been to Rome before then two days will only brush the surface. The forum and gardens alone is worth a day. I'd not bother queueing for the Collisseum, yes its interesting but you can actually get most of it from outside and the Palatine gardens on the hill opposite with the villa remains etc are free and actually more indicative of what Roman life was like. Don't miss Ostia Antica, the old port and the Etruscan tombs at Cervetterri, while you are in the area.
If you havent done Pompei yet its worth a day but dont miss Herculaneum, again so much better preseved as it was buried by mud flow instead of having everything above the first story incinerated as at Pompeii

We don't really do queues, so if there is a queue for the Coliseum then we may well give it a miss, we have been inside roman Amphitheatres before and whilst the Coliseum may be the daddy of them all, like you say probably equally as impressive from the outside.

I will investigate your other tips, we have 4 or 5 days after we visit Rome before we catch the ferry so may well pay those places a visit.

Rome is the end of the line in Italy for this trip but hope to venture further south next time

 

[peterc10]

We spent 3 nights in Rome on our trip this spring. Talked to a "tout" outside of the collesium and got tickets for that and the palatine Hill and the forum for 20 euros more than box office. For that we avoided the long queue to buy a ticket and got a guided tour of the collesium and Pallantine Hill. Well worth it for the extra cost as we were able to understand much better what we were looking at. Second day we wandered around and then had a guided tour of the Vatican. Again well worth it.

The Cinque Terre villages are a must, but you should try to walk at least between two of them. Well worth the effort. And the ice cream tastes so much better after the effort.

Florence overwhelmed us - so much grandeur and cost that it was difficult to take it all in. So we only stayed a night.

I agree with Robert that Sienna is a must. Park in the car park near the station and take the escalators up from the shopping centre in front of the station. You can stay there overnight for 20 euros. The easiest way up to a hill town! We spent 3 hours in the sun in the main square just drinking eating and people watching.

Wnjoy Italy; we did!

 

[Robin McHood]

We don't really do queues, so if there is a queue for the Coliseum then we may well give it a miss, we have been inside roman Amphitheatres before and whilst the Coliseum may be the daddy of them all, like you say probably equally as impressive from the outside.

I will investigate your other tips, we have 4 or 5 days after we visit Rome before we catch the ferry so may well pay those places a visit.

Rome is the end of the line in Italy for this trip but hope to venture further south next time

We go to Rome regularly, love the place, dont do queues either and unless you go very early morning or well out if season eg Nov or Jan Feb there is always a queue.
I will say it is worth saving up for a professional guide, not cheap but, especially for places not on the mass tourist routes, will bring Ancient Rome alive. We spent a glorious day with our guide, a graduate in Archaeology, saw things we'd never have noticed or understood without him and ended up back at his flat in Ostia for some of the best Italian coffee ever... Worth every single euro! Still get Christmas cards from him and his girlfriend!

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[2657]

We spent 3 nights in Rome on our trip this spring. Talked to a "tout" outside of the collesium and got tickets for that and the palatine Hill and the forum for 20 euros more than box office. For that we avoided the long queue to buy a ticket and got a guided tour of the collesium and Pallantine Hill. Well worth it for the extra cost as we were able to understand much better what we were looking at. Second day we wandered around and then had a guided tour of the Vatican. Again well worth it.

The Cinque Terre villages are a must, but you should try to walk at least between two of them. Well worth the effort. And the ice cream tastes so much better after the effort.

Florence overwhelmed us - so much grandeur and cost that it was difficult to take it all in. So we only stayed a night.

I agree with Robert that Sienna is a must. Park in the car park near the station and take the escalators up from the shopping centre in front of the station. You can stay there overnight for 20 euros. The easiest way up to a hill town! We spent 3 hours in the sun in the main square just drinking eating and people watching.

Wnjoy Italy; we did!

Can't do the walking anymore unfortunately as i think that would have been the best way to see the villages.

As it was we had to do it on the train along with half of Europe and to be honest we found it far too crowded........full of bloody tourists.

We would have loved to do some of the walks, I think that, or a boat trip would be the best way.....and definitely not on a weekend.

Late edit:.....I should also have mentioned half of the USA and half of China

 

[peterc10]

Can't do the walking anymore unfortunately as i think that would have been the best way to see the villages.

As it was we had to do it on the train along with half of Europe and to be honest we found it far too crowded........full of bloody tourists.

We would have loved to do some of the walks, I think that, or a boat trip would be the best way.....and definitely not on a weekend.

Late edit:.....I should also have mentioned half of the USA and half of China

Levanto is worth a stop all to itself, even though it is not one of the 5 villages. Lovely little unspoilt Italian resort. Stay at camping Aqua Dolce which is only 200m from the centre of town. That is where we based ourselves.

BTW the Cinque Terres have become so popular that there is a plan to limit access by limiting the number of train tickets sold!

 

[2657]

Levanto is worth a stop all to itself, even though it is not one of the 5 villages. Lovely little unspoilt Italian resort. Stay at camping Aqua Dolce which is only 200m from the centre of town. That is where we based ourselves.

BTW the Cinque Terres have become so popular that there is a plan to limit access by limiting the number of train tickets sold!

We have had a look round Levanto as well today and I would agree with you but the Aqua Dolce site is, in my opinion ridiculously expensive, still high season, it is cheaper for us to stay at any of the 3 ACSI sites in Deiva Marina and get the train in.

We started off in Riomaggiore which was very busy and we had an enjoyable takeaway lunch of Boquerones Fritos (sorry about the Spanish, don't know the Italian) and chips but the worst was yet to come and things seemed to get more expensive at the next few stops on the way back.....and certainly more crammed, that is the only word for it, not an experience that I would wish to repeat.

We missed Monterosso altogether because of this and stopped again in Levanto, walked to the sea front and had a relaxing gelato and then the train and the free bus back to the site.

Very interesting villages but far too touristy and crowded, not surprised they are planning to restrict the numbers if this is what it is like towards the end of September, positively dangerous on some of the narrow station approaches.

Was a very interesting day though and we still enjoyed it

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[lorger]

We have been freeloading in Berlin for 3 nights now, unfortunately not as nice a place as your at as we're in a tennis club car park. Ideal for visiting the city though only 20 minutes on the S Bahn at a cost of €2:70

 

[Anthea M]

We have been freeloading in Berlin for 3 nights now, unfortunately not as nice a place as your at as we're in a tennis club car park. Ideal for visiting the city though only 20 minutes on the S Bahn at a cost of €2:70

Good luck tomorrow Gerry !
How is the weather? Not to hot I hope!

 

[peterc10]

Aqua Dolce cost is 29 euros in the early spring which seemed about average for Italian seaside sites. At that time of year few if any of the ACSI sites were open so we used Sostas more than sites.

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[lorger]

Good luck tomorrow Gerry !
How is the weather? Not to hot I hope!

Been in the low 20's and forecast to be 23 tomorrow so will just have to run faster to get it over with. Lorraine says it's ideal weather for spectating

 

[Robert Clark]

Been in the low 20's and forecast to be 23 tomorrow so will just have to run faster to get it over with. Lorraine says it's ideal weather for spectating

Best of luck with your run
Have a good one

 

[2657]

Quick update with a few piccies for anyone that's interested.

No freeloading for a few days while we visited Lucca and Florence

Campercontact 3955 in Lucca, €10 walkable to the centre and the walls.Relaxing after the mayhem of the Cinque Terre. Had a nice chat to Janie of @bobandjanie, meant to talk again but no sign of life when we left fairly early.

Church in Lucca

Then Florence, mayhem again but managed to find a few quiet spots,no museums, no galleries, no pics, plenty in the books.

Next day to Greve in Chianti, looked round but didn't stop decided to get back to the freeloading at Panzano, Campercontact 46205, amazing views and nice old village.

View looking back to the old village from park

They do still pick grapes by hand round here

Misty start to the day

Drove to Volpaia, Campercontact4458, thanks to @DBK for that, in the clouds so drove to Radda in Chianti for a look round then drove back to Volpaia for an excellent lunch at Bar Ucci that did reasonably priced traditional food, Kath had Roballita ( bread,veg & bean stew) and I had broad flat pasta(forgotten the name) with wild boar ragu.

Bar Ucci

Found another free stop at San Gusme 22452 with more superb views and a nice looking old village behind which we are about to explore properly.

Back to a site in Siena tomorrow.

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[Anthea M]

Stunning photos and scenery.

 

[Robert Clark]

La dolce vita !

 

[2657]

La dolce vita !

It certainly is

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