Getting to Europe is easy but can be expensive for most of us. See my tips on cheaper airfares. Once there, you need to move around between countries, between cities in a country and around a city. There are many ways to do this including:
Watch the YouTube video below for ideas on using these modes of transportation:
– Ciao
– George
The Isle of Capri is a true place of beauty. This is why it became the playground of the rich and famous. Many people are confused by the isle’s name of Capri and the city of Capri on the Isle. The Isle has two main cities: Capri and Anacapri. This island is rugged with cliffs and a huge mountain near Anacapri. It has two beaches, the large and small beaches. The ferries drop you off at the large beach. There is a large marina there and porters will take your bags to your hotel. This is a great idea since you will be walking.
Once at the marina at the large beach you can take a bus up a windy road or a funicular up the hill to the center of Capri city.Take the funicular. it is fast and fun. At the top is the main piazza with its clock tower. In this area are many restaurants, bars, gelaterias and stores. Many of the small streets are alley like but take them and you will discover many interesting stores and shops.
So many tourists opt to come on a ferry in the morning and leave in the evening. This is the biggest mistake you can make! Stay at least one night. After the tourists have left, the locals come out. Be a local and enjoy life. This is what being an Italian in Italy is all about. Remember Italy is not a quest to visit as many places as you can in a week. It is about the food, the people, the life, the museums and the cities. You can not fully enjoy or understand Italy without sitting back in each city and being part of the life. Running through a city causes you to miss the life all together reducing Italy to just another tourist destination. Believe me, Italy is not just another tourist attraction!
Come walk with us through the cities of Capri and Anacapri and join us on a boat ride around the Isle. Be romantic in one of the most romantic places on Earth…
– George
English: Facade of Orvieto Cathedral. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
One of our favorite side trips from Rome is Orvieto. It is an easy train ride out of Rome.
Italy is famous for its hill-top towns. They were built high up to protect from invaders and pirates. Some cities have two parts, one at the sea as a port and the other high up on a hill-top. As invaders were coming, the town people went to the hill-top part to protect themselves. Orvieto is a hill-top town between Florence and Rome in the province of Umbria. It is easy to get to by car or train. The train and car parking is at the base of the mountain. There is a funicular that travels up the hill to the town above.
The views are spectacular from any wall around the town. The town is made of small cobblestone streets with great shopping and dinning. If you can only do a day travel to Orvieto, take an early train and stay until after dinner. The Duomo (Cathedral) is amazing and incredibly large. It sits on a small piazza against one of the town walls. There is a small hotel and restaurant on the piazza as well. One has to marvel at how they built such a structure high up on a hill.
The town only allows local residents cars to drive up the windy road to the top. You can see residence walking up and down this road during the day. We took the train from Rome to Orvieto and returned to Rome in same day. The trip through the mountains was enjoyable. This is a city worth seeing and exploring. You do NOT need a guide! Just enjoy the city. Look at the wonderful leather goods and ceramics. Eat lunch and dinner at a restaurant, Trattoria or cafe. In the morning stop at a bar for coffee and a pastry. Don’t forget the wonderful local white wine from Orvieto.
Orvieto has a main road that leads from the fort and funicular to the wall at the back of town. In the middle at the clocktower, turn left on a street that leads to the Duomo piazza. All along the main road are restaurants, bars and shopping. On the side road to Duomo is additional shops and restaurants. Off these main roads are smaller roads with even more shops and restaurants. Orvieto has great ceramics for sale.
Enjoy your trip!
Capri is an Island off the coast of Sorrento and south-west of Naples. It is the playground of the rich and famous. To get to Capri you must take a ferry. There are two types: 1) the fast hydrofoils and 2) the slow boats. The hydrofoils cost more but cut the time almost in half. All boats arrive at Capri at the Marina Grande (Big Marina). If you are spending the night, there are porters here that take your bags to your hotel for a small fee. At first we were concerned about people grabbing our bags but it is normal here and all the hotels use them.
From the ferry you can take a bus up a winding road or a funicular up the mountain. Take the funicular. It is in a store front directly opposite the ferry docks. At the top you are in Capri City (on Capri Island) in the main square (Piazza Umberto). This is a huge Piazza with views, clock tower and restaurants. One of the roads (directly opposite the funicular exit) is Via Roma. Take this a short distance and on your right is a bus station. From here you can go to Capri’s other city, Anacapri. This trip has magnificent views of Marina Grande. You will find great ceramics here.
We also rented a boat to tour around the Island (not just the Blue Grotto). It cost us about $160. There are two restaurants near Fragolini Rock. They are down hundreds of steps but worth the view and the food. They are 1) Fontelina Beach Club and 2) Da Luigi ai Fragolini. You can also take a boat here from the small Marina (piccola Marina).
The boat trip around the Island and through Fragolini Rock is well worth the trip. You see small caves with beautiful blue waters, you can go into the famous Blue Grotto but it is usually very crowded. You go past both marinas and on the east side of the island you can see Vesuvius volcano in the distance and the start of the Amalfi Coast.
Fragolini Rock
Capri is a romantic place with friendly people, great shops (some very expensive), great food and wine and the best views around.
George & Jo Anne
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