Italy - NOT Venice, Florence or Rome.

Amalfi coast. Only was there for 2 days but wish i stayed for a month. Positano especially is beautiful. Have money for clothes since they are extremely well made and unique yet not as expensive as you would think.

>>1259627
Amalfi coast has nice views but I wouldn´t recommend a long stay. If you are there you should go to Pompei too since it is not far away. Once there definitly see the ruins and the Vesuv.

>>1259666
You can also visit Perugia with Assisi not far from it.

>>1259669
Seconding Assissi, perfect little town in southern Tuscany

>>1259570
Tuscany

Trentino-Sudtirol

Umbria & Perugia


Don't go more south than rome

>>1259570
If you like hiking, swimming and all that nature business try to drop by Cinque Terre (be sure to check the state of routes before though, cf. Wikitravel)

>>1259683
Why ? I heard the main interest of Italy is actually Sicily because the people are so much more welcoming there than anywhere else in Italy. Also it's supposed to be prettier and sunnier ?
Do you think one should avoid the area even though they aren't interested in the touristic side of Italy ?

S A L E N T O
A
L
E
N
T
O

Bump.

Anyone here seen The Talented Mr. Ripley? What's the small Italian beach town it was filmed in?

Also, I remember seeing a Rick Steves episode about an Italian town on top of a large hill and you have to walk on a huge bridge to get to it. The town is really old and slowly sinking and eroding away. It had a crazy name, anyone know what I'm talking about and if it's worth to check out or is it boring?

OP here, thanks for the recommendations, guys! I'll check them out.

>>1259570
Trieste in the north-easternmost part of the country (on the Sea) is beautiful and has a really interesting history. It used to be part of Slovenia but then the Habsburgs came and shit on that. There's an old royal palace from that era and lots of nice beaches.

Siena!

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>>1260294
Seconded!

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>>1260294
Also San Gimignano

>European feel
>hidden gems
Parma
Siena
Urbino
Padova
Trento / Bozen
Mantova
Verona
>old towns
Nuoro
Fermo
San Marino
look for "borghi"

t. Italian

>>1259683
Stay away from Tuscany, fat murrican soccer moms and divorcees everywhere.

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Triest, no xe da pensar

>>1259570
Italy has got to be in the top 5 of countries to visit.

From top to bottom it is so dense with tourist shit to suit every taste. I'd spend an entire summer there if I wasn't a poorfag.

Only Thailand can compete desu.

Cinque Terre
Matera
San Gimignano
Volterra
Some small town by Gardena Pass

>>1259570
>All I ever hear about is Venice, Florence, and Rome. What else is there?

in the same region, Perguia, citta di castello, gubbio, assisi, spoleto, rieti. l'Aquila

perugia has been a regional power for centuries, often in conflict with Gubbio and Assisi. Gubbio is just gorgous, has a ruined roman theatre. Assisi is the home of St Francis, patron saint of italy. Spoleto is known for its covered escalators, a 2nd century Roman amphitheater, a 13th century aqueduct over 200 feet high, rococo style churches, and the 13th century fortress above the town. Rieti is the origins of the Sabines (theres a painting about raping them), was at a time the seat of the pope, and has always been acknowledged as one of the main northern approaches to rome. l'Aquila in Abruzzo if you want to see what an earthquake does, then head from there up to the Gran Sasso national park.

i havent been further south than Latina, but some friends went to Materna which apparently was amazing, half the city population used to live in cliffside caves until there was a nationalgeographic type expose, then the government moved them into social housing apartments and their lives got worse. people are slowly moving back into the cave homes nowadays.

sardinia is awesome, i've only been to Cagliari but the whole island looks gorgeous, i'd like to go back on a cycling holiday. i'd also like to to the GR20 across corscia. Sicily is very poor but has gorgeous scenery and totally different food to the north.

>>1260445
Matera.

Also Lecce is a hidden gem.

I'm in Italy 3-4 times/year, both business and holidays. The country is packed with sights, only visiting Rome, Florence and Venice would be stupid! Sicily alone is worth at elast 4 weeks. You can spend 2 weeks in any Italian region.

Of course it seems to be appealing to do the 10 must-sees in the front of your guidebook and hurry through the country. Then you'll see a Disneyland packed with tourists and completely overpriced.
But keep in mind that you will return at some point anyways, so no need to waste your time in queues at the Vatican museum/Oficini/etc. and follow the herdes of American and Asian "Europe in 10 days"-tourist groups. You will not be able to visit all "must-sees" in one trip anyways, so why even attempting to do so?

Here's three alternative ways to decide on your trip, I guarantee you'll end up having a better experience
(1) Pick a region and focus on it. Again, it doesn't matter which one, you could even decide blindfolded by letting a pen drop on a map. Do your research on it and decide what's worth visiting.
(2) Pick a theme and let this decide your itinerary. Be creative and follow your interests. Do research before leaving. Ideas? Follow Via Appia to Rome, do a few legs of Goethe's Italian journey, follow Michelangelo's biography, focus on ancient Greek ruins/preromanian churches/rennaisance villas, visit the places your favourite Italian dishes/wines originate from,... heeps of possibilities await you!
(3) Be active! Do something you like (e.g. hiking, alpinism, horseback riding, biking, etc.), research where you can do that, do it for a week. Visit a city nearby before and relax a few days on the sea or at one of the lakes afterwards. Two fantastic weeks of holidays.

>>1259570
Toscana, abruzzo, sardegna and sicilia. Them all have great little corners.

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OP here, thank you so much to everyone! I've screen-captured this page in my documents.

>>1260740
This is how I travel, a touch of literary or historical theme to my overall plan. This guy knows what is what. Just focus on a region. I have to say, it's a catholic lovers country, so if you're not into art history and churches, you have to be a bit more creative than just good architecture and food. Reread some classics, or study what a region is known for...

I highly recommend Assisi and its spas and numerous amazing hotels built into historical properties. There are walks you can do all around, and it's surrounded by other hill towns that you can explore one by one. There are a bunch of medieval festivities on the annual calendars for all.

If you ask Rick Steves, he says the Cinque Terre is his favorite Italy. I dare say he has a reason that probably appeals to his frequent travels, but since it's not as accessible, it must be akin to going back in time somewhat, so that might appeal to you.

Just got back from a 6 days trip to the Puglia region. Mainly stayed in Bari, but also visited Matera, Polignano a Mare and Giovinazzo for day-trips. All were amazing, especially Matera and Polignano.

>>1259570
>Where in Italy can I get that real European feel?

I dont want to offend any italians here but I think you are looking in the wrong house. Try austria, slovenia or greece, especially Crete.

>>1259570
Sardegna is fucking awesome.

Cinque Terre is like Venice or Florence - a really stunning place, but hopelessly overcrowded 3/4ths of the year. I can recommend all places in winter though.

MILAN

The Umbria region is top comfy

>>1260445
me

>>1261042
>highly recommend Assisi and its spas and numerous amazing hotels built into historical properties. There are walks you can do all around

i walked through this region to visit the places in my first post. fucking loved it. but then i love walking anywhere

>>1259570
Bologna is an Amazing city to visit, very vibrant and alive, packed with stuff to do on night.
All the small mediaeval cities, the Garda lake, le cinque terre and amalfi coast as another previously said even better in mid season: there are less tourist and less hot.
If you like to trek you have to go on the Alps, I don't even try to pick a particular place, you can go almost randomly and find incredible places.
Napoli is a fantastic place to visit and where to eat, but be aware of the scummers.

Italianfag here, feel free to ask.
Also you should tell us what you like to do, it can really change the suggestion we may give to you.

>>1259833
40°44'00.7"N 13°57'28.8"E

>>1262219
Thanks for responding but that's not the place I'm searching for. Google has been no help either. The town I'm thinking of has a very long name and is not an island. It's more of a mountain or large hill in a valley. It's a very old town, small, and with a long concrete bridge to get to it. That's all I can remember. If anyone knows the name of it let me know.

And BTW, I notice no one has recommended Naples. Any reason why not?

>>1262472
Nobody recommended Naples because of randomness of answer. I personally never went to Naples, i live in Tuscany btw, but I'd like to! Even going just for eating and meeting people is going to be amazing

>>1262472
>I notice no one has recommended Naples. Any reason why not?

Naples is considered a low class ghetto by many Italians

Does anyone know of a good car rental in Bologna that won't fuck me over?

>>1260411
> Trento/Bozen

why the dash & not mention them separately?

I'm from that region. Pretty nice. There's also Merano which was a holiday spot of Empress Sisi

>>1262890
What's your native language?

>>1259681
thirding assissi, but it's not Tuscany, it's Umbria.
In Tuscany you have Luca, Sienna, maybe somewhere on the coast like Livorno.

Orvieto is also fuckning nice, Cinque Terre. Anywhere in Sicily.

Padova and Verona are great as well.

>>1262946
Italian

>>1259683
>Sudtirol
this fucking anon gets it

Help me out guys. I want to go to a nice place in northern italy (Bologna and upwards), these are the places I've been to already:
>Bologna
>Venice, Verona, Padova
>Trieste
>Trento, Bolzano, Riva del Garda
>Bergamo (absolutely gorgeous, definitely recommended btw)

So what are your suggestions? Some anon a while ago recommended Basano del Grappa, so that's on my list. What about Brescia, Mantua, Cremona, Parma? Are those nice to visit for a few days? Varese? Anything near Turin? Anything on the coast other than Genova?

CALABRIA!

>>1259683
tuscany is for fat people now

thinking about flying to verona for a bike tour in the dolomites, anyone knows if there's much gravel roads around those parts?

>>1262472
naples was pretty hectic. went to see pompei and vesuvio. hectic lol. back in naples went to the pompei museo and paid a bit more for a local guide side tour...was so sick got to go in back room for a bunch of sweeeeet fresos, and all the big dicked x rated frescos they hide from the children lmao.

>>1264636

Dolomites have good infrastructure, so not many gravel roads which are effectively used for traffic/travelling in between towns. There are some small parts though.

There's a lot of gravel roads going up in the mountains (used for hiking/mountainbiking). Not sure if this is what you're looking for.
If yes: I can suggest Andalo & Molveno, pretty nice scenery there. The Paganella is a mountain on which they ski during winter, but hike & mountanbike during summer.

Siracusa
Lucca

>>1262472
>>1262714
>>1264638
Naples is a fucking wreck
>I like fucking wrecks

I also had business there, and a friend working there not related to the business I had there. So, maybe I was just forcing myself to like it

Going to Rome in Summer,
any Italians know of any good places to buy cheap bikes?

>>1264764
i'm mainly looking for it as a means of going forward, i'm planning to go east to Slovenia, and I'm hoping to go on gravel roads for the most part I realise it wont be possible all the way of course, but yeah I wanna get out in nature as much as possible so as long as the mtb/hiking trails aren't too technical it sounds great. If you can get to the other side of the mountain and not just to the top that is

I've been to Puglia, Bari is not a tourisic city but there are a few small towns there, Polignano a mare, Ostuni, Alberobello, Trani

>>1264993
Try on internet, subito.it often has used bike for sale. It's like Craigslist.

>>1265006
I've a Belgian friend who specifically likes going to Bari proper, but she also prefers Sudtirol over more "traditionally touristic" parts of the Alps

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I'll drive to Lake Como in one week by car from Germany. Can anyone recommend some must-see places around the lake?

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Not op but I am in Naples for the next 4 days and I would appreciate suggestions. Already set on Vesuvius, Pompeii and Herculaneum, but I could use some stuff to do in the city. Also any food recs?

Much appreciated

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Hello OP, I don't have much time to answer your questions properly (there's so much to see you'd need more than one life), so I'm just gonna dump some pictures from my Italy folder. Take them as tips and get inspired

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Bardi

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Comacchio

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Grazzano Visconti

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Apricale

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Dolceacqua

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Toceno

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Chianale

this is one of the most incredible places I've ever visited, literally out of the civilized world

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Urbino

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Civita di Bagnoregio

"the dying town"

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Borghetto sul Mincio

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Orta San Giulio

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Portofino

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Tempio del Valadier, Frasassi

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La Scarzuola

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Spello

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Arezzo

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Labro

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Scanno

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Sovana

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Mantova

this is the perfect city

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Pentedattilo

ghost town

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Matera

the third oldest city in the world after Aleppo and Jericho

/dump

tell me which ones you prefer, bye!

>>1265381
Wow, this looks amazing.

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I'm going to be in Salerno for the summer. I heard it's sort of a rough and tough poorer city. I'm just a young girl and I'm a slightly nervous for my safety.

>>1265419
Your safety is ok, only some parts of Naples are dangerous. Small towns are always fine

>>1259833
>Italian town on top of a large hill slowly sinking and eroding away
Civita di Bagnoregio
>crazy name
Kek

How I wish humans could find a way to save such a wonderful town from its dark fate.

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>>1261652
>If you like to trek you have to go on the Alps
The Appenines are great as well and have more history and culture (actually, they're a goldmine of history, just think of all the ancient roads built by the Romans up in the mountains)

>>1263657
Milano is super modern and cool if you like art, fashion, experimentalism, etc

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>>1265156
Como's cathedral
Basilica of Sant'Abbondio for the frescoes
Tempio voltiano and Faro voltiano
Villa del Balbianello
Villa Carlotta
Villa Monastero
Castle of Vezio
Nesso
Varenna (very romantic)
Abbazia cistercense of Santa Maria di Piona

>>1260411
this guy knows

I'm Italian, maybe i can help you
-Milan, i live here, it's the most modern city in Italy, i suggest you just a couple of days
-Mantova, small city but litterally one of the best
-Trieste, meeting point of Italian, Austrian and Slav's culture
-Verona, the city of love and alcohol
-Padova, a gem
-Siena
-Como, the lake is great but i suggest you to take the train ang go north in order to take a bath
-Bologna, had great fun there
-Isola d'Elba, you can just engoy the sea there, the city is small and quiet
-Perugia, wonderful place
-Palermo, many arab's style buildings
-Siracusa
-La Maddalena, my favourite place in italy, rent a car and just search for the beach you like most, the water is just beautiful

>>1265362
>this is one of the most incredible places I've ever visited, literally out of the civilized world

why this place in particular?

>>1265456
Thank you very much!

>>1265835
Well, I went there just because I had seen some pictures and it looked amazingly lovely, so I was interested. I expected it to be a vibrant mountain town, with little shops and people walking around. When I was on the road to it I started feeling weird and lonely, but in a positive way -- more like free, very free. Once I got there, everything struck me. The village is built in a sort of large lock between the mountains, on the border with France, and the whole valley is barren and frost, so that you could keep running for miles. The village itself was empty, vacant, not exactly abandoned but almost. I swear you could feel the few people who live there staring at you through the windows from behind the curtains. But it was not a bad feeling, more like of a silent "welcome". The only souls I met were those of a wild dog and many many cats. Some houses were falling apart because everything is made of wood over there. The restaurant was closed, the inn was closed, everything was closed except the church -- which literally moved me for how well cared it was -- and a tiny shop of local products. When I entered this shop no one was inside, and only after a while I was snooping around a girl -- the girl who ran the shop -- came in. I had a little chat with her and I bought I honey pot. Then I visited the cemetry and I left. Honestly, I can't remember a deeper silence than the one I experienced there.

Ravenna and Ferrara are also beautiful

I've never been to italy but I'm compiling a list of all the places I want to visit. My favorite things to see are old towns, grand cathedrals, and castles. Basically I like cool and unique old architecture. This thread has helped immensely but if there's any more places I should add just let me know.

Rome
Milan
Florence
lucca
venice
siena
Pisa
cinque terre
Almifo coast
Alberobello
Matera
Capri
Naples
Palermo
Dolomite Drive
Perugia
Verona
Siracusa
Lake como
Padova
Bologna
Trieste

>>1265917
it's a shame that globalism has emptied these charming old villages into ghost towns instead of the vibrant communities they once were

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>>1266367
Matera is always a great choice, good job.
If you like old towns and castles, you could consider visiting the surroundings of Piacenza. I've read there are almost 400 castles over there, one of the most high-density spots for that. All the following towns are god-tier and very close together:
>Bobbio
>Vigoleno
>Bardi
>Grazzano Visconti
>Castell'Arquato
>Gropparello
>Fontanellato
This is just my suggestion though, because I'm actually in love with that region, but you could find similar gems everywhere, especially in central Italy.

>>1266367
Ascoli Piceno is very underrated, check it out

>>1266368
>globalism
go away

What is the minimum amount of time I will need to see all the major spots in Italy? Also, would you recommend I rent a car for faster, better transportation?

>>1267113
>the minimum amount of time
That's hard to say, but if you take, for example, the list made by >>1266367, I'd say at least some months, 3 or 4 maybe

>rent a car for faster, better transportation
Yeah, definitely. Only if it's a small car, though. There is little space to park.

>>1267113

Italian here, it really depends from what you mean with "major spots". If you want to do a big fast tour of the main touristic cities, something like Milan-Venice-Florence-Rome-Naples, I think 15-20 days would be enough.

Italy is bigger than it seems, and there are sooooo many things to see, if you have the time and the will do discover new things, literally every village has something completely unique and fantastic, be it some roman ruins, a medieval church, typical food, a holiday or a festival.. my advice is to choose a region/macroregion (like north/centre/south) and then make an itinerary of that specific part you choose.

and yes renting a car is a good idea. Trains are fine especially in the north, and you can check Ryanair flights that often are super cheap from North to South

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>>1267145
>or a festival
Indeed, for example the day after tomorrow begins Spoleto Festival. It's being held in the United States as well, afaik. And it lasts two weeks! Any anon who wants to go there with me? I'm a nice white guy!

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>>1266367

A S S I S I
S
S
I
S
I

If anyone is planning to visit spoleto hit me up, i live like two minutes away

In the Navy I only got to see the towns of Catania, Bari, and I guess Naples even though all I did there was tour Pompeii.

I wouldn't recommend any of those towns. It's cool that you want that real European feel and see the "real" Italy and not just touristy spots. I say go for it, but personally looking back on my past experience with the non-tradition tourist towns I saw, if I ever go back I am 100% going to either Venice, Florence, or Rome.

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>>1267824
You just visited some mediocre towns. When you're in Bari you're supposed to take a bus or whatever and go see Alberobello, Altamura, Locorotondo, Polignano a Mare, Ostuni, Castellana Grotte, even Matera, although it's not in Puglia. You were with the Navy and you didn't have the the chance to see them. Very often, when Italians talk about a certain city, they refer to the surrounding areas and villages too. Bari alone is not great, but if you move you get to discover a world.

The concept of touring only the main cities may work around the world, but not in Italy. When you're in Russia, you go visit Moscow and Saint Petersburg and you're done. When you're in Japan, you go visit Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka and a few others. In Italy it's different. There's a more dislocated reality for which, if you really want to discover things, you have to claw your way and struggle a bit. Florence is not just Florence: Florence is also the Maremma, the Medici villas, the other Renaissance towns, the medieval villages (what we call "borghi") and the Appennines' vineyards. The same logic applies for every other Italian city. Some of them may not be that interesting, but when you get a move and explore the surroundings you usually change your mind.

>>1268116
People always need these damn touristic solutions, otherwise they don't feel confident. Cinque Terre... what is "Cinque Terre"? A fucking bundle made for people who don't have the time to do their own search. Five villages on the sea, in a row, one after the other. A solution made for mongoloids, really. Except there are more than five villages to see over there and not all of them are by the sea. You see, such settlements are eventually harmful for the places themselves. Cinque Terre become a fucking tourist spot crowded by normies and insufferable couples who come just because they've read the advertisement "Cinque Terre" somewhere on the internet. They need the brand, the capitalist product: if not, they don't leave. But the villages that form the Cinque Terre's region are not better than the other villages of Liguria, which is a wonderful land from the West to the East. Why don't you people take on your bags and make a real journey by bicycle or car? Why don't you grow a pair and go to actually explore the world? Why don't you put away your bias and your pathetic need of assurance for once?