Reviews about holidays in Italy. Across northern Italy by car. Lombardy and Tuscany

Italy is rich historical heritage, world-famous culinary delights, stunning nature, musical and literary wealth, design masterpieces - this series can be continued indefinitely.

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Cost of a holiday in Riccione. September 2018.

tour cost

We took a tour with a departure from Moscow (ourselves from Siberia). As a result, a trip for two cost us 64 thousand rubles for 10 days, plus about 20 thousand were paid for the flight to Moscow and back. And since our visa was expiring, we had to open new ones, and this was an additional payment of about 4,000 rubles, if converted from euros. We landed at Rimini airport, we were met by the guide who was with us on our last visit, he even recognized us and joked all the way to Riccione (a nice bonus).

For a long time we have been buying all excursions only on the street, it turns out much cheaper. It’s better to take excursions as a package, then you will either get a good discount or they will give you some kind of excursion as a gift. We took tours to Venice, Milan, Verona and were given an excursion to San Marino as a gift, which costs 15 euros. We all really liked the excursions, it was our second time in Venice, we paid 60 euros per person for it, plus we rode gondolas for 15 euros. We went to Milan for 75 euros, and also stopped at an outlet village as part of the excursion. A trip to Verona for 60 euros also included a visit to Lake Garda. Here there was an unpleasant moment, our guide said that all the beaches on the lake are paid and you will need to pay 10 euros for entry. As luck would have it, we didn’t have any cash and we decided to just wander around the town, leaving our swimsuits on the bus. And literally 5 minutes after the walk we came to an excellent municipal beach. It was very disappointing to sit on the shore of the lake and not be able to swim.

Food and products

It seemed to me that eating in Riccione is a little more expensive than in Rimini. On average, dinner for two cost us around 30-40 euros with two glasses of wine. Pasta or pizza cost around 10-15 euros, I took lasagna for 9 euros. Some vegetable salad with tuna could be bought for 5-6 euros. A glass of wine cost 1-2.5 euros. Tiramisu - 4.5 euros, panna cotta - 4 euros. We ate mostly fruit for lunch, went to the nearest supermarket and bought a glass of pre-cut assorted fruit for 2 euros. Delicious and refreshing in the heat

Souvenirs and other goods

Riccione has a whole shopping street where you can easily get lost. The stores range from local designers to major global brands. Obviously cheaper than in Russia. We shopped well at the outlet village in Milan, so in Riccione we only bought small things, for example, very beautiful sandals for 20 euros, slip-ons for grandma for 10 euros, a cool swimsuit for 5 euros, a set of underwear from CK for 45 euros and jeans for 10 euros.

Total money spent on vacation

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Impressions from a holiday in May

Spending the warm May holidays in Rome is the dream of many people. Therefore, at this time we found the city crowded with tourists. But what a weather! Rome blooms and smells fragrant at this time, conducive to long walks.

Where is the best place to stay?

We booked an apartment. The whole apartment cost us five hundred euros for five days. The amount seems large, but dividing it between five people, we saved a lot. I think that only by living in an apartment, in a quiet area far from the center, can you feel the spirit of this city. The owner of the apartment lived in the same building and brought us breakfast every morning.

What to do at the resort?

Being a guru independent travel, we planned our route in advance. We spent three days only in Rome. Wandered along the trampled hiking trails, admired the main attractions of the city. Many are surprised that we didn’t take the time to examine the main cultural venues from the inside - we didn’t visit the Vatican, we didn’t look into the Colosseum. To be honest, we did not set such a goal for ourselves. And the lines to enter that stretched for kilometers did not inspire delight. We preferred to see more, but only from the outside.

We devoted the fourth day to a trip to Naples. This colorful port city amazed us no less than Rome. Throwing a coin into the Tyrrhenian Sea, I made a wish to definitely spend my honeymoon there.

On the final day we wanted to hide from large quantities people and taste non-tourist Italy. For just one and a half euros and a half-hour journey, we were back on the coast Tyrrhenian Sea. You can get to the seaside town with the telling name “Lido” by train using the unified Roman route. travel ticket. Since the swimming season was not yet open, the beach was empty. We spent the whole day recharging with the energy of the sea and the warm sun.

Having got off at the Lido Centro station, we immediately got to the free beach. There I saw black sand for the first time. The free beach intersected with the paid one, where, despite the absence of tourists, everything you needed was located - sun loungers, umbrellas, small beach cafes.

Since I myself did not stock up on beautiful dresses for evening outings, I purchased my versatile black dress in Rome. Shopping in the city is fraught with ruin. The city is replete with expensive shops with quality Italian items. Denying yourself the pleasure of walking along them is simply a sin for a woman!

The number of cafes and restaurants in Rome can be compared with the number of shops. The price level is approximately the same everywhere, and the quality of food and service will not leave anyone indifferent. We certainly indulged ourselves with delicious food without a twinge of conscience. However, we organized the most memorable dinner for ourselves. We bought wine at a local store near the apartment, different types cheeses, pesto sauce and fruit. The picture of our colorful feast is still before my eyes, and the memory of the divine taste of Gorgonzola makes my mouth water. When I return to Rome, I will definitely have a cheese day!

Traditional Valdosta lunch;

Walk in the Gran Paradiso park, visit the waterfalls;

On request:

Excursion to the castle of Fenis, Sarre or Forte di Bard;

Tour of Aosta.

Meet your guide at your hotel or in the center of Turin, where you will begin hiking around the city visiting the main attractions of the historical center.

During your guided walk you will see:

Cathedral (Cathedral of John the Baptist), where the main relic of Christianity is located - the Shroud of Turin; Church of San Lorenzo, where a copy of the shroud is located;

Plaza Carl Alberto; Palace of Cariniano, gate to the city of Augusta Taurinorum (29 BC Porta - Palatina), Piazza Vitor Veneto;

The Royal Palace, the Madama Palace, the Mole Antonelliana tower - the symbol of Turin, and many other attractions.

You will hear legends, myths and interesting stories about the city, find out why Turin is considered the capital of Italian...

The city of Bari, the ancient Apulian capital, was founded half a century earlier than Rome. Its founders were the inhabitants of the island of Crete and it was called by the name of the leader - Japigia. Then the city came under the control of the inhabitants of the Balkan Peninsula and they began to call it Barion. From about 300 century BC. e. and until the 300th century AD. e. the city was under the rule of the Roman Empire. After the invasion of the barbarians and the fall of Rome, the rulers in the city were constantly changing - Saracens, Arabs, Byzantines, Venetians. At the time of the arrival of the relics of St. Nicholas (in 1087), power in the city belonged to the Byzantines.

In 1156, the Norman king captured the city and completely destroyed it, the only undestroyed building being the Basilica of St. Nicholas. At the end of the 12th century, power in the city was inherited by the Swabian king Frederick II...

Today, tourists pay more and more attention not to expert assessments, but to the reviews of those who have already visited a particular country. Just like reviews about, allowing you to choose best hotel for relaxation, reviews of holidays in Italy provide the opportunity to optimally plan your route, visit. If you use reviews as a guide to action, yours will be bright and memorable!

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July 15th, 2011

Hot...
The bottomless blue sky and the scorching sun of Central Apennine Italy. And although the air conditioner cannot cope with the stuffiness inside the Renault Clia 1.2, and the engine hums strainedly on the narrow serpentines of Umbria and Tuscany... all the same: Italy is a completely different feeling of life, when it overflows and after spending 2 days on the trip, you begin to remember what day is it, date and how long have we been in this country?
I was very lucky that I took a TIM mini-SIM card immediately upon arriving in Rome. Tariff: unlimited internet for 24 euros (probably per month, but I don’t care - we have 7 days of Italian vacation). Now I can leave pins on my facebook map and add photos from my iPhone to them.
Now, even if my memory fails, I can restore the chronology of events in their whirlpool. Everything is mixed here: people, melodious Italian language, the smells of mown grass and flowers, the taste of wine and food..., as well as absolutely stunning rural landscapes.
Why do we need Rome?
Rome is the point of arrival, especially since everything basic has been rewritten a hundred times already, as well as seen more than once in person.
Rome is a retail outlet where you can buy necessary and beautiful things for the road, on a trip to the Italian countryside, where they don’t know the difference between Valentino and Morello. You need shorts, T-shirts, flip-flops. Perhaps a shirt and trousers, in case I go out to a restaurant in the evening - I'm flying light: should I go to Italy and take clothes and shoes with me? Yes, the old stuff you throw away on the first evening, after walking along one of the narrow streets far from the stupid Via del Corso, where Osklen and Roy Roger's brands suitable for traveling around Europe are located, and now Rome becomes unnecessary.
All!
Off the beaten track!!
To Umbria!!!
True, I confess that the original plan was about the province of Abruzzo, but Victoria (chonkin) politely pressed me in Questions about Italy that I immediately changed the plan and decided to take three central provinces of Italy for a crazy race: Lazio, Umbria and Tuscany.
The day before departure using tickets purchased with AF miles, I went to the forum, clicked the button in the top menu “Hotels” and booked a hotel room near the station through http://www.booking.com/index.html?aid=325219 Termini. There is no need to give the coordinates of this hotel or try to remember the price: there are thousands of these hotels or mini-shelters in the Termini area! And they all cost about the same.
I clicked the second button after instant confirmation from the booking office: http://forum.awd.ru/rent.php. I chose not the smallest, but also not the largest car with a handle with a gasoline engine.
Then he threw a carton of cigarettes into an empty backpack, toiletries, navigator and iPad. All. After 7 hours we had to leave for Sheremetyevo. That's all the preparation.
My companion’s preparations were more significant: she bought an absolutely wonderful DK book “Undiscovered Corners of Italy” with a laminated map and color photographs of attractions.

In the evening, having come back from shopping on weak legs and having collapsed in the pizzeria at the entrance to our mini-hotel, I found, using an iPhone with 3G, the place of our next overnight stay for tomorrow, Agritursmo Nociquerceto.

Clarification: From the very beginning, I suggested staying only on farms, in agriturismos, since I had a positive experience on one of my September trips, living alone on an estate overgrown with figs, pears and tomatoes - which I gobbled up from morning to night, picking them from trees and bushes
Imagine: you leave your apartment in the morning in a negligee and immediately consume fresh strawberries and melons from the doorstep - just fresh!...
That's how I imagined it. Well, actually, I had a similar experience, so I spoke very, very convincingly...

To search for agritourism on the website http://www.booking.com/index.html?aid=325219, use the advanced search by turning on the filter option “hotel type” = “other type of accommodation”, indicating some kind of reference Big City in the desired direction, indicating a “radius” of 10-20 km from it. There you can also set the “free wifi” option and then you will be offered all the agriturismo or b&b with Internet in the area.
This is a gradual digression from my story for those who have not yet used a hotel booking site without prepayment.

In the morning, after renting out the room to the landlady and walking 200 meters to the station, we found a rent car agency in its left wing.
The Europcar clerk looked at my voucher with indifference and handed me the car keys.
We loaded our things into the trunk. I entered the address into the navigator and we got ready to hit the road.
You have no idea how much I like this feeling: you are sitting in your car, a cigarette in your mouth, next to beautiful girl who, having peeled an orange, gives you a bite of it... You are on your territory. You are protected by a metal-glass shell and you are not afraid of Romanian beggars, the heat of the street, Albanian thieves... And ahead of you is the enchanting uncertainty of upcoming discoveries and a pleasant chill runs through your skin: START OF THE JOURNEY

After vomiting on the way out of the city, which of course cannot be compared with the Leningradskoye Shosse on Friday evening, we break out onto the free but ideal highway and drive to the northeast. After 40 km, Garmin, in the voice of Natasha, whom I call only “bitch,” takes us out into the countryside, which, guys, is already pleasing with its space and air, so my companion, who had previously repeated several dozen times yesterday about “the smell of Rome and how She likes him,” admires the smells of field plants and the shady coolness of beech trees. I can imagine what will happen next... I know that there is a rural, measured Italy

There is one problem with almost all agriturismos in Italy. This is a vague address. It is translated into our native language like this: don’t give a damn about the local localize until you stop... Therefore, advice: when you receive a booking confirmation about booking a farm, write it off immediately gps coordinates on this page. Then it will be extremely difficult to find them. I am now preparing my technical specifications for my partners so that the coordinates will be sent by email along with the booking notification.
Another option: having reached the intended place, go to some rural store or restaurant, dial the telephone number of the agritourism and give the phone to the seller/waitress. Having received the necessary information from the owners over the phone, they will explain to you how to get to the right place.

In our case, everything was simpler: the owner, Matteo, came to pick us up in his Smart. After winding along the asphalt road, we arrived at Matteo’s estate.
I’ll say right away: I liked the guy for his responsiveness and desire to make his stay comfortable. Not intrusive, but sensible. Firstly, he brought a map of the area and circled all the places that could be seen and that were interesting. Secondly, he brought a bottle of wine to try. The wine is very good, I can recommend it, although I still prefer white in hot weather:

And thirdly, I didn’t care at all that I was smoking in the living room:
- You live here, not me. Smoke for your health!

Having learned from my passport how old I was, he said that his mother was the same age - 45 years old

And finally, he suggested we have dinner in his evening family restaurant.
“Is it a big restaurant?” I asked in order to maintain a civil conversation.
- Yes for 700 seats
“Well, you’re lying!” I couldn’t resist. Do you have a Prague restaurant here in the village, or what?
- Come and see....

The surrounding landscape consists of olive tree plantings and a small rose garden. I recently built two houses and am now landscaping the area. Matteo says that in a month everything will be much more picturesque. Well, for now, a few words about housing. Apartment Granat, a living room with two exits and a fireplace and a bedroom, also with access to the terrace. It’s very cozy, clean and has everything: gas stove, refrigerator, satellite TV, plasma in the living room and bedroom, huge bathroom. All is yours. There are no outsiders. In our time, several families lived in the estate - their children constantly hung around the pool and did not disturb us

It takes about 5 minutes to get to the restaurant and it’s really at 700 seats. People often come here from Rome and the surrounding people celebrate their celebrations. Matteo did not deceive.
To be honest, I wasn’t very comfortable when our table was filled with snacks in response to my “I’d like to try something local, recommend it.” And then more limoncelli with grappa, and then another burning panna cotta... And all this for 30 euros. At the end, Matteo put a bottle of wine in my hands and said with a wink: for a good sleep...

Thus ended the first day of our journey.
I forgot to say that the Outlet Ponzano Soratte is 5 km away. You can walk around and look and buy something. However, sales have begun in Italy...

Guided by the marked map of Umbria, we decided to go in the morning to the Cascate delle Marmore waterfall, which is located near the city of Terni. After surfing the booking, I found us accommodation in the area of the old Etruscan city of Orvieto
But in order, since we are entering Umbria - the land of Etruscan cities and the land of meat-eating gourmets

Umbria

There are no markings on the roads indicating that you are leaving the province of Lazio and entering Umbria. We just arrived at the waterfall, and this is a different province. The Cascate delle Marmore waterfall is considered one of the highest in Europe. 126 meters of dense stream, which breaks into water dust at the bottom of a stone well. I didn't expect to see this in Italy. You can take a look. I highly recommend stopping at a butcher shop on the way to the waterfall and buying prosciutto and herbs for a picnic. There is a park here, there are tables and you can sit nicely in the shade and have a snack with a bottle of wine

Prices in rural Umbria are encouraging: everything costs 1 euro.
1 liter of wine = 1 euro
1 kg of ripe and sweet peaches = 1 euro
1 kg of ground tomatoes with wrinkled asses = 1 euro

Well, meat products, as you can see in the photo, have not gone far up. The products are fresh. Homemade bread... although I don’t eat bread in my homeland, in Italy I allow myself to do so. And nothing - the belly and ass don’t sag.

The waterfall is normally located according to the signs. Parking is free. Entrance ticket to observation deck at the waterfall is purchased at the ticket office.
On a hot day, water mist cools well. Yes, it is extremely hot in July. I kind of like it when it’s warm, but sometimes I want to fall into the water and lie there like a frog.

Further north, a tour begins for gluttons, lovers of home-made sausages, salami and cured hams: gastronomic Umbria from Spoleto to Norcia. Norcia is called the capital of meat makers and salami sculptors. It is located in the east of Spoleto, but we didn’t get there because the road there is serpentine, and our accommodation turned out to be booked in the opposite direction - to the west of Spoleto. But even in Spoleto you can find authentic butcher shops where, in front of you, they will remove a bunch of salami from the eaves in a noble moldy white shell and cut it into parchment using the modern method of electric cutting. And the smells... You know what the smells are in these shops. There you just want to grab the hanging sausage with your teeth and eat, eat, eat.
Well, we turn west and go towards Lake Bolsena, again in Lazio...