April/May Honeymoon in Italy

[devin]

Hi!

We're thinking we're going to honeymoon in Italy next year, we're thinking April or May. We'd like to see some sights and some touristy stuff, but we also want a lot of lazing around relaxing stuff too, and want to experience some of the "real" italy a bit. Anyone have any suggestions, or travel guides to recommend? Any info on events (good or ones to avoid travel during) around that time? I read that Easter can be crazy, so we're going to go after that.

Thanks!

[skibum515]

Italy is AWESOME. I love traveling there. I went in May 2006 by myself and LOVE LOVED it!

Touristy places to see:
Rome (Colosseum/Palentine Hill, St. Peter's Basillica/Vatican, Pantheon, Spanish Steps, Trevi fountain etc) When you go to the Vatican, get a tour - it adds SO much more than just going on your own. I've been 3 times, unfortunatly I can't remember any of the companies I went with. Ask at your hotel for recommendations though. If you can find a good walking tour of the city, I'd suggest you take it. There is SO much history that you can't get out of a little blurb in a guide book

Florence - Uffizi, Palazzo Pitti, Duomo, Ponte Vecchio, Santa Maria Croche (has Michiavelli, Galileo and Michaelangelo's tombs) - If you can find a walking tour of the city, again take it, but don't waste your money on a tour of just the Uffizi. Most tour guides brush over a few sculptures/paintings and just skip to David (you can get this info from a guide book)

From here you can hop a train to Pisa - make this a day trip, there really isn't a ton to see besides the tower. I didn't go up in it, because they limit the ticket sales and the line was a mile long

Venice - St. Mark's Cathedral, just wander around here, it's pretty sweet. I got lost though because one canal looks like another, so take a map!

Less touristy but awesome places:
The Cinque Terra - Near Florence, a series of 5 towns that you can hike between (or take the train if you prefer). It's a pretty intense hike getting rather narrow in places or steep steps in others. It took me about 4-5 hours from start to finish. Well worth it if you can do it! This place is gaining in popularity though. Absolutely beautiful There's also some awesome beaches here (pics 1/2)

Milan - not really too touristy because people tend to flock to Rome/Florence but it has one of the most awesome cathedrals that I saw while I was there!

Naples really didn't do much for me, I wouldn't suggest it for you. It's kinda the armpit of Italy, but it makes a good jump-off place for Capri, Mt. Vesuvius, Pompeii and Herculano

Capri (island near Naples) - known for it's grottos (caves) that you can swim in. I didn't do that, instead I took the forneculum (sp?) tram thing up the one side and this scary bus down the other to the beach where I spent the day. Awesome. (pics 3/4)

Herculano - ruins that were covered in ash when Mt. Vesuvius erupted. Because of the ash most things were preserved VERY well. There was a lot of original tiling and even some wood which was pretty sweet. I didn't go to Pompeii but the people from my hostel that I went with told me that Herculano was in much better shape and a lot less crowded than Pompeii

Also near Naples is Mt. Vesuvius - You can climb up to the top of it for a nominal fee (i forget how much) but it was sweet sitting on top of a LIVE volcano! (last picture is me on it!)

Amalfi - very beautiful on the coast, but it is a PITA to get to by train. I also might have just screwed that one up when I was getting there though Once I was there it was pretty - but not too much to see besides chilling out on the beaches.


Ok that should give you enough for a start! I went in May, and didn't have any issues with Holidays or events. It's a great time to go as it isn't quite hot yet and is isn't quite "tourist" season so things aren't totally expensive. I'm going to post some pictures because i'm all excited for you!

[Londoner]

Just a note - it may be a little chilly and/or rainy in April/May - just worth thinking about! x

[devin]

Thanks for the advice! Those are great pictures skibum! I'll definitely look into those spots you mentioned, especially Mt. Vesuvius; being a geologist I'm requiring we see at least one of the volcanoes.

[skibum515]

any questions you have, ask! one thing i found really helpful was that I had a guide book and rather than carrying around the whole huge thing, I tore out the pages that were relevant to where I was. It was a huge effort to tear up a book, but it made my day pack a LOT lighter!

also, don't be those dorky people who carry their money in a pouch around your middle. I carried a messenger bag or a small backpack. The messenger bag I carried over my shoulder, but balanced on the front of my hip rather than on the back and put my wallet in a small zip pocket that wouldn't fall through if the bottom of the bag was slashed (i never saw it happened, but supposedly it does). If I was carrying around my backpack, I put a small lock on the zippers to make it slightly less enticing for someone to pilfer through my stuff while I was wearing it. There was also a small zipper pocket that was suspended from the top of the pack (inside) so again, if someone slashed my pack, I'd still have my wallet/passport.