Italy and Europe

[lharkey209]

I will be in Italy the entire month of May with my two children. We will be visiting my sister and want to see as much as possible during that time, including any neighboring countries. Any suggestions on what to see, which countries to "not miss", and how to get around?

[world trecker]

Wow, that sounds like one hell of a trip! Your kids will be speaking fluent Italian by the end! I heartily endorse Florence as far as Italian cities go. Rome seems most popular, but therein lies the problem as it is also just absolutely nuts during the high tourism season (~April-September/October). All the big cities will be packed with tourists but I can't in good conscience not recommend Florence. What has your sister said?

As far as neighboring countries go, if I were you I'd probably stick to the more Mediterranean countries since you'll be there during such a nice part of the year. Greece, or Croatia to the east, and of course Spain and France on the other side.

[goldrake75]

Hi
I would reccommend you to focus only on Italy: with an entire month, you can see so many different places in my country.
So different that you will feel like changing age and people and traditions every day.....

but it's quite difficult to give you some advices without knowing where you will be based.

few examples
from Rome:
Frascati, Castelgandolfo (enchanting town on the lake)
2 Fashion Outlets surrounding Rome (if you love shopping)
Sabaudia, Circeo and Sperlonga (good beaches),
Tarquinia (Etruscan Ruins),
Pisa, Florence, Siena, San Gimignano
Spoleto, Perugia, Assisi, (wonderful medioeval towns in Umbria)
Pompeii (!!!!!), Naples
Amalfi, Sorrento, Positano
..........

Yeah, it could be reasoned that one month isn't enough to see all there is in Italy, but it's possible you can be Italy'd out and maybe want to see something a little different. However you're definitely not going to run out of things to do if you decide to stay in the country.

And good point on the base. Being based in Florence is a lot different than being based in Sicily or something and would yeild different ideas/recommendations.

A friend of mine is currently spending a week in Rome wrestling, and he's loving the city so far. He's already planning a return trip. I'll try to find out what specifically he recommends and what he likes about it.

[goldrake75]

Originally Posted by joe

A friend of mine is currently spending a week in Rome wrestling, and he's loving the city so far. He's already planning a return trip.

Glad to hear that!

[lharkey209]

Thanks for all the postings! We will be staying with my sister in Naples, therefore based out of Naples. We will be trying to plan some overnight stays at the locations that are distanced from Naples. She has only been there 1 year so she's still learning her way also. I want my children to enjoy and learn as much as possible of the culture and the history. Of course, with that comes the dilema of them becomin too bored with "history" so I will have to keep it fresh for them. They are aged 13 (female) and 10 (male). We are also trying to figure out the best way to travel to the areas that are too far for a quick drive. Is there any type of rail passes good for unlimited use for the 30 days? If so, are they just for Italy or Europe? Thanks for any help and suggestions!!