Bucket List Destinations – September – Italy
In fact, I would (and have) take the train all the way from the UK. There are several different routes but one of the most scenic would be via Zurich to Chur in Switzerland, so you can take the Bernina Express through the Alps and enjoy the scenery from the panoramic carriages. This drops you into Tirano with regular links to Milan, so let’s start there! Milan is the economic powerhouse of Italy and this is reflected in the number of banks and fashion designers that have based themselves here. In a few days you can see Da Vinci’s ‘The Last Supper’ and, of course, the hard-to-miss Duomo taking centre stage. Little hint, there’s an upmarket department store, Rinascente, and the food hall has a terrace overlooking right the neighbouring cathedral – bellissimo!
From here I would hop on a train to Venice. I’ve already covered Venice in my February blog and you can read more from my visit this year here: https://www.travelcounsellors.co.uk/liz.penn/Profile-Blog/Venicewithoutthecrowds Once you’ve had your fill of museums and galleries then hit the beach – people are often surprised to find that Venice actually has a beach island, appropriately named ‘Lido’. In September you have the added bonus of star-gazing as the International Film Festival takes place here.
From Venice I would head to Bologna for a couple of food-tastic nights – if, like me, you associate Italy with food then Bologna is the cherry on top. Having visited a few years ago I have already written a blog, so you can read more about it here: https://www.travelcounsellors.co.uk/liz.penn/Profile-Blog/OnthehuntfortrufflesinBologna
After Bologna, a couple of nights in Florence allows you time to visit the main attractions although booking is essential. Key points of interest are the Duomo, the Uffizi, the Galleria dell’Accademia (for the original statue of David) and for free you shouldn’t miss the Ponte Vecchio – dating back to 1345 it’s a reminder of how London Bridge would have looked back in the day, lined with shops. If all of the sightseeing makes you hungry I can highly recommend the food hall upstairs in the Mercato Centrale; just grab a table and take a wander around the twenty-plus stores selling top-notch grub. From Florence it’s an easy side-trip to Pisa for the not-leaning-quite-as-much-any-more tower and if time permits, hire a car and venture into Tuscany or Umbria, exploring hilltop towns and discovering local specialities, not to mention fantastic wine.
Next up has to be Rome. You definitely need a few days here – I would start with a day around the Forum, the Palatine and the Colosseum and take the second day to visit the Vatican, booking a ‘before the crowds’ ticket to see the Sistine Chapel in (relative) peace. You need plenty of time for the Vatican as St Peter’s Basilica is huge and full of riches as you would expect for the seat of the Roman Catholic faith and if it’s not in the basilica you’ll find it in the Vatican Museums – actually made up of two palaces you still need to be selective to fit this into a few hours. If all of the museums and galleries get too much, head for Villa Borghese’s huge parks along with joggers, cyclists and picnickers.
Pass through Naples; perhaps visit the museum which houses many of the remains from Pompeii; and take the privately run Circumvesuviana train line to Sorrento. This route takes you past Pompeii itself (exit Pompeii-Scavi for the excavations), again this is an all-day trip, so you might want to get yourself settled in Sorrento and then pop back. Something more manageable is Herculaneum – also on this line and easy to reach from the station. Impacted by the same eruption of Vesuvius that burnt Pompeii to a crisp, it was engulfed by mud rather than volcanic matter, so items such as clothing and furniture have survived. It’s a relatively small area but a worthwhile companion piece to Pompeii.
As we’ve been city-hopping for a couple of weeks by now, I would settle down for at least five nights in Sorrento. As well as being a beautiful town in its own right there are so many day trips within easy reach it makes the perfect base. Pompeii is an obvious one and you might want to visit the cause of its destruction, Vesuvius. The volcano’s not easy to reach by public transport though, so you might need to take a tour. There’s plenty to see around the Amalfi Coast and this can easily be done by just hopping on a boat from Marina Piccolo to see the gorgeous Positano and Amalfi. Over the water you have to visit the island of Capri – don’t be fooled by the rather unglamorous marina, the pretty stuff is at the top of the hill. I’d recommend queuing for the funicular unless you are very fit and fancy the 2.5km climb! While you’re here, the opposite and higher peak of Anacapri has summit access with incredible views over the Bay of Naples on a clear day and there’s also the beautiful Grotta Azzurra to be visited by boat from the main marina.
If you’re still looking for more to see, at this point I would suggest heading back to Naples and extending the trip. In one direction you could visit Sicily – you can get there by train, they put the whole thing on a ferry! Or take the express train across to Bari in Puglia and from there pick up a car to explore this region – another emerging foodie hotspot and especially good for veggies. Great beaches can be found in both locations if you’ve had enough of hitting the historical monuments.
I could go on but I’d better stop – just as well I limited myself to one country. Although there is a ferry (which I’ve taken) from Bari over to Dubrovnik….just saying. If you’d like more inspiration for European trips including itineraries for no-flying options then please just get in touch.