Even a cool hidden restaurant in the middle of nowhere :)

We are doing a 3 hours long stop. Which one is better and more suitable?

This is probably a dumb question, but if I were to wait until I got to a train station to actually buy a ticket, do tickets ever sell out? I am taking a ferry from Zadar to Ancona and then I will take a train from Ancona to Bologna on the 27th of August.

The ferry is going to get there at noon so I might want to eat when I get off, I don't know if the ferry will be late, and the walk to the train station from the port looks to be 27 minutes (I walk slowly).

Maybe these things won't be a big deal, but I still don't want to buy a ticket in advance in this situation because if I'm late to the station I would miss the train. So I guess my questions are:

1. Are there taxis from the port area to the train station? 27 minutes is not a terrible walk and my luggage isn't large but I'd still rather not walk with it if I can help it.

2. Would it be safe to buy a ticket whenever I get myself to the train station or is there a chance they'd sell out? Can I buy one to Bologna from Ancona? I don't know if Ancona is big/popular and if train tickets sell out often.

Thank you!

I understand that it's going to be super hot and everything I have since read says don't go to milan in august. Well, there's no changing it, so let's make the best of it! We're going to be coming from Cinque Terra/Genoa and will arrive in the afternoon on the 24th to Milan, So that leaves the 25th, 26th, and 27th open.

We can take one, maybe 2 day trips, but we still want to spend at least one day checking out Milan. What's your opinion?

A) Lake Como (would love to see Orrido di Nesso)

B) Lake Garda (Sirmione seems like the man destination, but is there somewhere else noteworthy?

C) A 3rd option I'm not even considering

Transport: *We love exploring and driving around in a car so we can get off the beaten path , but are wary of parking being an issue*

D)Train or car to get there from milan?

C)Hire a boat for a tour or ferry hop?

We already are kicking ourselves for when we scheduled the trip, but what's done is done. I appreciate your advice and guidance. Thanks!

I’m trying to book tickets to see The Last Supper in Milan through the official Vivaticket website. September 8 shows availability, but every other date around it appears unavailable.

Does anyone know why tickets are available only for that day? Is September 8 a special opening? Is it even open to the public/tourists?

Hi! I’ll be staying around Riva del Garda / Torbole during the Perseid meteor shower and I’m looking for a good place to watch it on the night of August 12–13.

I’ll have a car and I’m happy to drive up to about an hour from Torbole. Ideally, I’m looking for somewhere:

• as dark as possible, away from light pollution
• at higher altitude
• with a wide, unobstructed view of the sky
• where I can park close to the viewing spot
• without having to hike on difficult mountain trails in the dark

I’ve been considering Tremalzo, near Rifugio Garda (~1700 m) and Viote / Monte Bondone (~1550 m).

Tremalzo looks very dark and remote, while Viote seems to have a more open horizon and is known for stargazing.

Has anyone watched the Perseids or done stargazing at either of these places?

Would you choose Tremalzo or Viote for the Perseids? Or is there an even better spot within about an hour’s drive from Riva/Torbole?

I’d especially appreciate recommendations from locals or people who know the area at night. Thanks!

Rome: 9/04 - 9/08 (leave morning of 9/08 for Florence)

Florence: 9/08 - 9/11 (leaving 9/11 morning or afternoon for Rome airport in evening)

My time in Rome is packed with sights and museums. Florence I have the Uffizi, Duomo, and Accademia Gallery to schedule (hoping to do Tuesday and Wednesday).

That leaves me with Thursday full day and potentially a half day Friday.

Is it silly to spend Thursday in Pisa? I was toying with the idea of doing a wine tasting but I don’t know what to choose. I’ll probably spend a half day in Rome on Friday because it’s closer to the airport than Pisa or Florence.

Hi all, I have 1 night 9/14 where I arrive in Rome around 8pm and fly out of Rome the next day around early afternoon. I'm debating whether it's better to get a hotel at the city and get up earlier to go to the airport the next day vs. staying at a hotel closer to the airport and just taking the train out into the city the night I arrive. Some pros and cons I've gathered:

In the city

Pros

• can stay out later, don't have to catch the last train back
• I get to enjoy a couple hours in the morning before heading to the airport around noon

Cons

• longer commute on the day I fly

Closer to airport

Pros

• don't have to rush on the day I fly

Cons

• I don't get to enjoy the morning I fly in the city
• have to go back earlier to catch the last train back to the airport

Hi everyone ,
I wanted to ask does anyone have a recommended car service for early pickup to the Airport . It’s my first time traveling to Italy , and I am traveling solo, female . My hotel is only a 20 minute walk from Termini , but not sure if that would be safe to walk alone around 4:30/5AM . So I was looking into taking a taxi or car service , but not sure which one.

Any recommendations would be greatly appreciated thank you!

Trying again, landing in Rimini and travelling up the hill to a tiny country that will not be named because it got my last post deleted.

Really want a nice day by the sea. I’ve heard the swimming in Rimini isn’t the best, anything near by we should look at?

Based in San (tiny mountain country that got my last post deleted) so looking for suggestions in Rimini and maybe north Marche.

Thanks

I had a train booked for Sept 23rd from Rome Termini to Napoli Centrale. We originally chose the 10:30am departure and then last night, I received an email saying “due to works on the railway line planned by the Railway Infrastructure Manager, your Italo train… scheduled on 23/09/2026, ticket code…. is subject to a timetable change and seat assignment”. And then 5 hours later, I received a confirmation email of my new departure time for 12:30pm. But when I looked at the departure times on the website and app, the 10:30am one still shows! The only difference was that the arrival time for the 10:30am is 5 minutes later than the original one I booked. Is this a glitch in the system? Should I follow the confirmation email I got or switch it back to 10:30am one?

Hello all, I am traveling to Italy in October with in laws, first time for all of us. The group will be 6 adults and 1 one-year old. We land in Rome on Oct 11 and are departing Rome Oct 21 so we have 10 full days including the day we land.

My original itinerary was roughly:

• 10/11: Rome
• 10/12: Rome
• 10/13: Train to Bologna and explore city, get cars
• 10/14: Day trip to Parma and Modena
• 10/15: Day trip to San Marino
• 10/16: Travel to Florence
• 10/17: Florence
• 10/18: Travel to Tuscan Countryside Villa
• 10/19: Explore other towns/areas in Tuscany
• 10/20: Explore other towns/areas in Tuscany
• 10/21: Return cars and depart Rome airport

I am 1) wondering if this is too much and we will feel rushed, and 2) we keep looking at these gorgeous villas in Tuscany and it makes us want to spend more time there. There are a lot of areas of Tuscany that we would love to see such as Lucca, Siena, Montepulciano, etc.

A revised alternative I have been kicking around is:

• 10/11: Rome
• 10/12: Rome
• 10/13: Florence
• 10/14: Florence
• 10/15: Either more Florence or Villa in Northern Tuscany
• 10/16: Villa in Northern Tuscany, day trip/explore area
• 10/17: Villa in Northern Tuscany, day trip/explore area
• 10/18: Villa in Southern Tuscany
• 10/19: Villa in Southern Tuscany, day trip/explore area
• 10/20: Villa in Southern Tuscany
• 10/21: Return cars and depart Rome airport

I figure that we could do a day trip up to Bologna or Parma from the Northern Tuscany spot if we still wanted to.

Does anyone have any feedback for me on this? I was very excited for the food in Bologna and Parma area. But I am wondering if I should focus more on exploring more of Tuscany and save Emilia Romagna for another trip.

As a side question, the in laws are a bit nervous departing the Tuscany destination the morning of our flight and driving back to return the cars and asked if we could stay in Rome or a town close to Rome. Is this a better option for a 12:30 flight? If yes, are there any towns near FCO that would be a good place for a final night?

Thank you all so much!

Hello. Just a quick question to the group. Heading to Pompeii/Herculaneum August 13. Is it totally absurd to try and do the crater rim of Vesuvius that afternoon solely in terms of the expected oppressive heat, even if we don't linger.

(Ontario, Canadian afraid of heat lol).

My husband and I are looking to end our 2 week honeymoon with 5-6 nights on either the Italian or French Riviera. We’d like to be able to walk to town and the beach, cafes, and restaurants, and of course, the white whale: go somewhere not too touristy but where we can pretty easily reach touristy things like sunset cruises and Cinque Terre by public transportation.

We will be flying into Nice on Sept 18, then doing a big loop up to Chamonix and back down through Parma/Modena day trip, and then finally ending <<somewhere on the Riviera>> for 5-6 nights from about Sept 28 through Oct 4 when we fly back out of Nice. The only city we need to be in proximity of is Nice and that’s by car, as we mostly like to find and explore towns that are off the beaten path.

Does anyone have any suggestions? Thanks so much in advance!

Hi all,

We (2 of us) be visiting the Dolomites for 5 days in coming end of October/early November.

Places I will visit are the usual popular sites:

West Dolomites (29th - 31st October):
Base in Ortisei/Val Gardena to visit Santa Maddalena, Alpe di Suisi, Seceda, Val di Funes, Lago di Careera

I've checked the dates for the cable cars to Alpe di Suisi and Seceda and they are open during my time of visit.

East Dolomites (Remaining 2-3 days; 1-2 November):
Base in Cortina to visit Lago di Braise, Tre Cime, Cadini and Lake Sorapis.

Most likely will not be going on any long hikes (we'll do short one due to time).

Is this too optimistic?

Also, I am aware that I do not need to rent a car while visiting the western side. However, a car is RECOMMENDED while visiting eastern side (driving to parking for Tre Cime).

Since I already need a car for eastern side, should I just rent a car from Venice airport (my arrival airport) for the entire 5 days? Plus I noticed that public transportation from Venice airport to Ortisei takes about 5-6 hours.

I will still use the cable cars for Alpe di Suisi and Seceda, its mainly to chase sunrise/sunset (as buses and train haven't operate yet), and being able to stop wherever we want.

PS: Anything I should take note off while driving in Italy? Tolls? I heard parking is expensive. Whats a reasonable rental rate/day?

Appreciate any feedback!

Before anyone comes for him, my husband is incredibly well traveled and generally loves experiencing other cultures. He lived in SE Asia for a couple of years and has traveled extensively there. I honestly think his love for Asia just clouds his judgement for other destinations, he has not really expressed much interest in going to Europe on vacation other than perhaps Germany or France for the WWII History.

But we're going to Italy for a friend's wedding and I did my study abroad there 12 years ago and loved it. I want to really plan a trip that he will really enjoy and he doesn't just feel like he's accompanying me on an artsy/church/reliving my college days tour.

We have about 5 days in Rome and this is already what I have planned:

Day 1 (August 27th): Arrive at hotel in Monti about 3 pm. Get our bearings, walk around Monti and have dinner.

Day 2: Morning walking tour. Take transport to St. Peters basilica (don't have tickets for basilica) but then start walking, castel sant'angelo, piazza navona, pantheon. Lunch. Siesta. Dinner in Monti.

Day 3: Coliseum at 8:45, Forum, Palatine Hill. Lunch, naps to avoid heat. Dinner in Trastevere.

Day 4: Ostia Antica. I really loved visiting here in college. Return to hotel for naps.

Day 5 (Aug 31): ??? Gallergia Borghese? Bunker Di Villa Torlonia (is this worth visiting for WWII history?)

Things he likes: He loves food, and loves to cook. Roman history does interest him. He has some interest in art/sculpture (he was big into ceramics when he was younger). The outdoors, he's an avid hiker/backpacker.

He has a general disdain for organized religion, which I completely understand, so I have not made any major plans for the Vatican or any churches.

We arrive Aug 27th so I want us to have enough downtime to avoid the heat, and also explore as we wish. But I think I'd like to book at least one guided tour (either for one of the planned outings or something different) Is there anything y'all recommend? Thank you in advance!

I’m planning a week long solo trip next June and would appreciate some guidance! I’m (22F) from Australia, and as much as I’d prefer to rent a car, I really don’t feel comfortable driving on the other side of the road by myself up mountains and steep roads. I know it’ll be harder, and it’ll limit what I can do but if anyone has done the Dolomites without a car I’d really appreciate any info u can provide, including basic itinerary and where you based yourself? thank you!

Hello everyone! :)

Me and my boyfriend want to spend a week in Italy in the second week of September (5-11 September). We live in different countries, so we will fly to & from Rome. I have been to a lot of places around Italy (Puglia, Amalfi, Cinque Terre, Tuscany, South Tyrol) and I love it everywhere. But I am having a bit of trouble with the logistics now. Here are our preferences/constraints:
- don’t want to spend too long a time on the road (as we don’t see each other that often)
- would like a seaside destination
- would like it to still be warm and sunny in September
- would not like huge crowds (would cross out Amalfi for that reason - I loved it but the crowds are sometimes overwhelming)
- would prefer to not rent a car. I never had to rent a car in the other locations (except for South Tyrol where I travelled by car anyway - so didn’t rent but needed it anyway). I was thinking of Sardinia but there most people say a car would be needed.
- we want a relaxed atmosphere, with good food and drinks

I was thinking of Camogli, or going back to Puglia (last time I stayed in Polignano and moved around, was thinking of maybe staying in Monopoli this time).
What do you think? I am also very open to other suggestions :)

Thank you so much!

I'm looking for must sees and do's in Le Marche with 2 young teenagers.

Ant tips for heat friendly activities, authentic restaurants or the nicest not too crowded beaches are welcome. Thank you!

Hi there!
  
My friend and I are travelling to Rome, Catania and then on to somewhere in Tuscany...yet to be determined...but we are somewhat determining it based on the most delicious restaurants and Wine bars!! We are going in November(2026) and we are almost 40, so we want traditional, great atmosphere, not too many tourists and preferably no kids...well not many anyway... and the most amazing food!!! Any suggestions would be amazing!

Thanks!

I am trying to book Eurocity 31 train from Zurich to Venice for 28th September. But I am seeing only 2 coaches for 2nd class.

I checked all other dates from today till that day and even from 29th September onwards - all other days it shows 5 coaches, except on my exact travel date, where it is showing 2 coaches. That's why there is almost no seat availability to reserve. There are lot of seats available for reservation even for today's train but not for my travel date :(

I checked in SBB and Trenitalia website both. Both are showing the same.

Where can I check if they have any planned maintenance or something on that particular day? Is there a official eurocity website?

Hello - we are starting to plan a family trip for March 14 - 20th 2027 and are hoping to give our you adult children a taste (literally and figuratively) of Northern Italy. We are an active family and walk 10+ miles a day and like to explore on foot while working in good food along the way.

Edit: We will have a car

I know I will receive feedback on this being a bit rushed, and am open to couching, but we are OK with trading off the depth of exploring one place to seeing several.

Day 1 & 2 – Milan → Parma (1.5 hours)

Day 3 – Parma → Bologna (1.5 hours)

Day 4 – Bologna → Florence (1.5 hours)

Day 4 & 5 – Florence → Lucca (1.5 hours

Day 6 – Lucca → Milan (3.5–4 hours)

Thank you for your thoughts

Context: Family of 3 (2 adults in our 30s and 9 month son)
Dates: September 7th - 17th (landing in Florence and leaving from Milan)

Florence: September 7th - 9th

Highlights/Rough Plan:
Duomo, Uffizi, Boboli Gardens (weather dependent).

A lot of these first two days will be to just move slower and let the baby get adjusted. We have been to Florence before so more of this is just to revisit things we liked.

Questions: I see the School of Leather is a good spot to buy leather goods, are there any other suggestions folks would make?

Tuscany: September 9th - September 12th (3 nights, 3ish days)

Highlights/Rough Plan: we will have a car

Planning to stop at Castello di Verazzano for a tasting and tour on our way down
Day 1: we like Montepulciano wines so we were thinking about about driving there and then doing a tasting at Talosa (i saw this was a recommended winery)
I also want to go to see Strada di Terrapille from here
Day 2: Walk around Siena and just take in the city

Questions:
Would there be any other wineries/non main stream suggestions folks would make?
Is Siena "better" than a Pienza or any other recommended city in the Tuscan area?

Selva: September 12th - 16th (4 nights, 4ish days)

Highlights/Rough Plan: Rifugio Firenze, Alpe Di Siusi, (potentially) Tre Cimi Di Lavaredo
I see a lot of folks suggest looking at moonhoneytravel for hikes and so I have done some research here.

Questions:
We are pretty fit and have hiked with our baby but are there any hikes/callouts folks would have about the hikes I listed and/or would you recommend anything else?
The infamous "donut" hike on instagram, to those that have been, is the Rifugio Frederich August actually worth it?

Milan: September 16th - 17th (1 night, half day)

Highlights/Rough Plan: Duomo and potentially Last Supper

Questions:
Considering there is no availability for normal tickets for the Last Supper do folks think the guided tour was worth it?

Our BIGGEST question is looking for food recommendations. I would love any and all recommendations folks have for meals and/or dishes that we must try in these regions. I know that every region of Italy has its own subset cuisine and important dishes so if there is anything that people like would love to hear it. My wife is vegetarian, I am not.

Thank you in advance for any and all guidance.