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Post by chech on Feb 2, 2016 20:04:18 GMT
Okay...looks like I can donate an entire day each to Amalfi and Capri. Getting a day tour for Amalfi is no problem but the good Capri ones don't start the first week of April. So, the question is...can I just hop the ferry to Capri and wander the island easily on my own? The island doesn't look that big.
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Pauline
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Post by Pauline on Feb 3, 2016 0:20:21 GMT
Thanks for the links chech. Both look very nice. I visited Sicily back in 2007 and loved the island. Our hotel was in Giardini Naxos but we spent time in Taormina. It would have been lovely to stay there. Pic is the view of My Etna that I had from my hotel room.
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Pauline
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Post by Pauline on Feb 3, 2016 0:32:18 GMT
Okay...looks like I can donate an entire day each to Amalfi and Capri. Getting a day tour for Amalfi is no problem but the good Capri ones don't start the first week of April. So, the question is...can I just hop the ferry to Capri and wander the island easily on my own? The island doesn't look that big. I was in Sorrento back in 2013 with a couple of friends and we spent one of the days there just wandering around both Capri. We didn't get up to Anacapri but I had been there on a previous visit. Notes from my journal : We had decided that we were going to Capri Island today, so after breakfast we walked down to the Port. Eventually found where we had to buy the tickets and we just missed a ferry, so had to wait about an hour for the next one. It was a smooth trip over to the island. Once on Capri we bought tickets to take the funicular up to the next level. The view from up there was very nice. And later: We took the funicular back down to the bottom part of town, checked out where the ferry was leaving from and at what time and then did some more window shopping. The ferry back was pretty full and a couple occupying a table and seating for 6 had to be encouraged to share with we 3.
We took a local bus from the lower port in Sorrento, back up to the top. I think the cost was €2 but no way was Joy going to walk back up.There are convertible cars there that take tourists up to Anacapri for a price and I think there is also a local bus that does too BUT not 100% sure on that. So to answer your question, yes you can.
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Post by chech on Feb 3, 2016 2:36:24 GMT
Yeah, all my research is saying it's easy to do Capri on my own. My hotel is about a half hour walk from the marina in Sorrento, so I might taxi that. And there's buses from the marina and Capri town to Anacapri and if I time it right, I could walk back down on the steps. How hard was it to get to Taormina from the hotel in Giardini Naxos? I have one free day (my last day) and I don't think I want to have a relaxing day instead of a long excursion.
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Pauline
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Post by Pauline on Feb 4, 2016 1:26:12 GMT
I was on an Insight tour, so we were bussed there. Our big coach didn't take us all the way up though. We had to offload and then boarded smaller local buses to take us up to Taormina. Have you checked trip advisor?
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Post by chech on Feb 4, 2016 12:45:55 GMT
I will check. I can always hop a taxi. For my Etna tour, I have to meet the bus at the bus station in the town, so I'll have to get there on my first day there too. There may be a bus I can take too.
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Post by californian on Feb 4, 2016 17:06:33 GMT
Yeah, all my research is saying it's easy to do Capri on my own. My hotel is about a half hour walk from the marina in Sorrento, so I might taxi that. And there's buses from the marina and Capri town to Anacapri and if I time it right, I could walk back down on the steps. How hard was it to get to Taormina from the hotel in Giardini Naxos? I have one free day (my last day) and I don't think I want to have a relaxing day instead of a long excursion. That's exactly we did, took the ferry from the Sorrento Marina, and then in Capri took the boat to the Blue Grotto, nice experience. The hotels in Gardini-Naxos (we stayed at the Ramada Inn) are just steps from the bus line that takes you to Taormina. Very easy, now in Taormina, the bus leaves you below the city and it's quite a climb, if I remember correctly. We rented a car in Naxos, drove around (got lost a lot) and spent a day or two at the Cyclops Coast, wonderful fishing villages (Aci Trezza) near Catania, to me, the "real" Sicily. You are making me want to go back.
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Post by chech on Feb 4, 2016 23:01:47 GMT
Ahhh...cool. Perhaps for my first morning, since I have to meet a day tour, I'll hop a taxi into Taormina and when I go back just to spend the day, I'll hop the bus. I'm at the Hilton in Giardini Naxo. In Sorrento, I'm in the Hotel Central which isn't really central. It's less than 1 km from the train to Naples which I'll take to Pompeii but I'm guessing a taxi will be easiest to the harbour...it looks like a fair walk.
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Pauline
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Post by Pauline on Feb 5, 2016 2:39:45 GMT
If you like walking, it's only about a 30 minute walk from Hotel Central to Marina Piccola, which is where the ferries for Capri Island depart from. When I was last there in 2013, we stayed at the Grand Hotel Cesare Augusto and that was about a 15 - 20 minute walk down, via the stairs.
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Post by chech on Feb 5, 2016 12:38:05 GMT
Yeah, that hotel is about 1/2 the distance from the marina, but it's certainly a consideration. I won't go to Capri until my third day there, so by then I should have my bearings. Your hotel is right around the corner from the Sorrento train station. Did you take it? The train looks tucked into the middle of neighbourhood. I will take it to Pompeii and spend the day there on my own. I toured it 22 years ago but always wanted to go back to wander the streets.
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Post by suz123nj on Feb 6, 2016 0:23:08 GMT
Don't bother with Pisa. Take a tour to San gimignano or volterra. If you read an Dan Brown books there are excellent tours offered . As for Sorrento..Capri is beautiful and great for Photos. A ride to Amalfi is worth it also , great walking through the town but try to include a ride up to Ravello. Ravello is best for photography.
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Post by chech on Feb 6, 2016 1:22:47 GMT
Oh, I read some of his but forgot about Inferno. Never got around to it. I'll have to read that one before I go. I see Viator has an Inferno tour of Florence....Hmmm. The Amalfi tour I'm booking also goes to Ravello.
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Post by solaria on Feb 6, 2016 19:17:30 GMT
That Viator Inferno Tour sounds great! After reading that book I really wanted to go and spdnd at least a week in Firenze just soaking up the atmosphere -and now you have pointed me to THE Viator Tour! I really need to renew my passport now.
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Post by chech on Feb 6, 2016 21:26:16 GMT
Yeah, it's pretty cool. Problem is I don't have time to do it if I want to go to Siena and San Gimignano. Oh well...I have a feeling I'll be back to that region.
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Post by californian on Feb 7, 2016 0:07:17 GMT
Chech, if you have the time, read the book "Saving Italy" by Robert M. Edsel (the same author of the Monuments Men) I wish I had read it before I went to Florence, San Gimigniano, Pisa, etc. Also, the movie "Tea with Mussolini", I know I don't have to tell you how to research Italy, but just in case you are looking for something else..."Tea with Mussolini" (Judy Dench, Maggie Smith) is filmed in Florence and San Gimigniano, just before and during the war, wonderful movie, if you are familiar with Franco Zeffirelli, is based on his life as a youngster.
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Pauline
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Post by Pauline on Feb 7, 2016 5:31:41 GMT
Yeah, that hotel is about 1/2 the distance from the marina, but it's certainly a consideration. I won't go to Capri until my third day there, so by then I should have my bearings. Your hotel is right around the corner from the Sorrento train station. Did you take it? The train looks tucked into the middle of neighbourhood. I will take it to Pompeii and spend the day there on my own. I toured it 22 years ago but always wanted to go back to wander the streets. No, we never used the train but caught a local bus from there, to take us to Amalfi.
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Post by chech on Feb 9, 2016 14:02:22 GMT
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Post by chech on Feb 9, 2016 23:11:13 GMT
Now I'm considering doing the Rome Angels and Demons Walking tour instead of Ostia....hmmmm
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Pauline
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Post by Pauline on Feb 9, 2016 23:36:40 GMT
Now I'm considering doing the Rome Angels and Demons Walking tour instead of Ostia....hmmmm Have to admit, that if it was me, I'd be doing the Angels and Demons walking tour. Have fun with your decision making.
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Post by chech on Feb 10, 2016 0:10:37 GMT
LOL. I think I'll go for it. Now the next question...do I do the Inferno one in Florence instead of Siena/San Gimignano.
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Pauline
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Post by Pauline on Feb 11, 2016 0:29:34 GMT
LOL. I think I'll go for it. Now the next question...do I do the Inferno one in Florence instead of Siena/San Gimignano. I don't know what the 'Inferno' one is. Couldn't see it listed on the optionals. As there is a morning guided sightseeing walk included in the itinerary I'd stick with Siena/San Gimignano. Hopefully others will give their opinions too.
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Post by chech on Feb 11, 2016 12:58:05 GMT
The Inferno tour is like the Angels and Demons one in Rome. It's not offered by Monograms. Like the Siena/SG day tour, I would go through Viator. Think I've only chosen six optionals from Monograms so far. The rest are through Viator. Some of the optionals listed on the Monograms page are not offered, too. The one down side to going to Italy in April is that some excursions don't start until 15 April or 1 May....so Monograms isn't offering some but Viator has similar options and so far, I'm doing everything I think I want to.
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Post by chech on Feb 16, 2016 14:19:24 GMT
Just researching where I can go in Florence and Venice for a high view. There looks to be a tower at St. Mark's Square. Anyone ever go up in that? Any spots in Florence for a view? And in Rome, I have gone up to the top of the Vatican but not sure my knees will take me up there again...any other vantage points of note?
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Post by Owen on Feb 16, 2016 14:27:08 GMT
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Post by chech on Feb 16, 2016 17:01:11 GMT
Thanks Owen...some great ideas there!
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Post by solaria on Feb 16, 2016 21:04:35 GMT
Just researching where I can go in Florence and Venice for a high view. There looks to be a tower at St. Mark's Square. Anyone ever go up in that? Any spots in Florence for a view? And in Rome, I have gone up to the top of the Vatican but not sure my knees will take me up there again...any other vantage points of note? The bell tower is great and there is a lift so good for us who have joint issues! We were told by the TD not to go up at noon because the bells ring so we went around 12:40pm but the bells still rang at 1pm and they are only about 4ft above our heads! It was fantastic though and the views fabulous, and I don't usually like heights.
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Post by chech on Feb 16, 2016 23:23:40 GMT
Awesome. I have the whole day to wander Venice so I can pick and choose my time up there, so I'll check about the ringing bells before I time my arrival there.
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Post by Owen on Feb 17, 2016 16:54:33 GMT
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Post by chech on Feb 17, 2016 18:50:24 GMT
Thanks! Nice part about going to Italy is there is so much information, it's not hard to plan. Just paid for the trip and have all my excursions picked. Lots to free time on this one - half day in Sorrento, two afternoon/evenings in Rome, afternoon/evening in Florence, a full day in Venice and a full day in Taormina. Now to start making lists of things to see!
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Post by fruitloop on Feb 19, 2016 3:44:05 GMT
Chech
If you want a great view of St Mark's Square you can go across the lagoon to the island of San Giorgio Maggiore. The church there has an elevator to the top of the bell tower and you will have wonderful views of St Mark's Square, Doge's Palace etc.
To get there you take a five minute ride on the vaporetto from the 'San Zaccaria MVE' stop near the Bridge of Sighs.
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