As much as I'd like to go back to the USA again, it's just too much of a stretch at the moment. As is Canada which I also want to see.

Italy is the only place in Europe that interests me. In particular Venice and Rome but I guess there's more to see and do in Rome. Any recommendations? LL.B (Hons) - University of Derby
LOT (Lord of Time) - University of Gallifrey

Last edited by The Doctor on 2nd Oct 2016 2:18 pm. Edited 1 time in total

I've done both - Rome twice for New Year and Venice in October

Venice is compact but very busy - Rome is bigger and more to do but everything is spread out

Difficult to choose between them for me but how long do you have and what sort of things would you like to do

Rome was cheaper  Wanted a Series 2 LR since childhood but previously owned MY16 Disco Sport HSE TD4 Auto, MY13 RR Sport Black Edition TDV6 Auto, MY10 RR Sport HSE TDV6 Auto, 2007 Freelander 1 Freestyle TD4 Soft Top, 2009 Freelander 2 GS TD4 Auto, 2007 Freelander 2 GS TD4, 2004 Disco 2 Metropolis Auto, 2002 Disco 2 GS, 2000 Freelander 1 SE TD4 SW

Still hoping for a S2 one day!

I like sightseeing and the colosseum is of interest. I reckon 1 week will be our aim. LL.B (Hons) - University of Derby
LOT (Lord of Time) - University of Gallifrey

We did loads of sightseeing - walked a lot and felt safe

In Venice the water bus was a good way to get around - in Rome the open top tour was good and you could get on and off to see everything big

In Venice and Rome we found if you left the tourist areas and looked there were some fantastic cheaper places to eat full of locals - definitely recommend this

I would say Rome was more relaxed than Venice due to less crowds but I loved both  Wanted a Series 2 LR since childhood but previously owned MY16 Disco Sport HSE TD4 Auto, MY13 RR Sport Black Edition TDV6 Auto, MY10 RR Sport HSE TDV6 Auto, 2007 Freelander 1 Freestyle TD4 Soft Top, 2009 Freelander 2 GS TD4 Auto, 2007 Freelander 2 GS TD4, 2004 Disco 2 Metropolis Auto, 2002 Disco 2 GS, 2000 Freelander 1 SE TD4 SW

Still hoping for a S2 one day!

We stopped on the Italian Adriatic coast this year whilst touring with the caravan, only 15 miles from Venice. Had a day trip and was disappointed, a lot of hype and expectations left me a little deflated so would choose Rome as it has more to offer than the waterways of Venice.

I would of been disappointed on a day trip too - it wouldn't do it justice

We stayed in the old centre in a hotel for 4/5 days and it was better than we expected - no smell for a start

It helped finding some quiet areas to eat and chill

I see there have been protests about tourism in Venice lately http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/news/tem...ise-ships/ so might not be as nice now

I think Rome probably has the edge as EY says  Wanted a Series 2 LR since childhood but previously owned MY16 Disco Sport HSE TD4 Auto, MY13 RR Sport Black Edition TDV6 Auto, MY10 RR Sport HSE TDV6 Auto, 2007 Freelander 1 Freestyle TD4 Soft Top, 2009 Freelander 2 GS TD4 Auto, 2007 Freelander 2 GS TD4, 2004 Disco 2 Metropolis Auto, 2002 Disco 2 GS, 2000 Freelander 1 SE TD4 SW

Still hoping for a S2 one day!

muddywheels wrote:

I've done both - Rome twice for New Year and Venice in October

Venice is compact but very busy - Rome is bigger and more to do but everything is spread out

Only bad meal we had was Milan - not rushing back there

Agree on Pisa and Florence we enjoyed them too  Wanted a Series 2 LR since childhood but previously owned MY16 Disco Sport HSE TD4 Auto, MY13 RR Sport Black Edition TDV6 Auto, MY10 RR Sport HSE TDV6 Auto, 2007 Freelander 1 Freestyle TD4 Soft Top, 2009 Freelander 2 GS TD4 Auto, 2007 Freelander 2 GS TD4, 2004 Disco 2 Metropolis Auto, 2002 Disco 2 GS, 2000 Freelander 1 SE TD4 SW

Still hoping for a S2 one day!

Thanks I didn't realise how close Sorento is to Pompeii. That destination is now in contention. LL.B (Hons) - University of Derby
LOT (Lord of Time) - University of Gallifrey

We have taken a villa in Tuscany twice now. Visited Florence, Siena, Pisa. Really enjoyable & good hospitality, great meals. Tight parking everywhere!

Bob 10MY (Sept 09) TD4 HSE Auto in Stornoway Grey (Now Gone)

08 FL2 TD4 SE Manual in Rimini Red (Now Gone)

muddywheels wrote:

I would of been disappointed on a day trip too - it wouldn't do it justice

Well I was on the way to Slovenia, after Lakes Magiorre and Garda, job to pack it all into 9 weeks.

The Doctor wrote:

Thanks I didn't realise how close Sorento is to Pompeii. That destination is now in contention.

Herculaneum is better.

Oh, and we drove to Sorrento from Naples airport in a hire car. Never again! Past: FL2 TD4 HSE Auto
Evoque SD4 Dynamic Lux Auto
Present: Audi A3 S Line.

We can go here for £997 between us including flights for 7 nights.

http://www.towershotelsorrento.com/en/ LL.B (Hons) - University of Derby
LOT (Lord of Time) - University of Gallifrey

I went to Pisa maybe 13 years ago, what a dump, the busking band was actually taking cash to shut up resuming playing if nobody paid which they did very quickly, pigeons on the tables eatimg left overs (lots non just the odd cheeky one) waiters couldnt be bothered to chase them away. couldnt find a descent restaurant anywere, but had a great takeaway pizza on a park bench.
to be fair the tower had been closed for a 11 years and re-opening it was starting to bring the tourist pennies back, when I went it had been reopened maybe a year must have been bad before that.
I assume its re-vitalised now??
Florence worth a look too.

Why not fly to Bergamo great food in the high town there then train it to Verona then Venice.

Dont go to Bergamo unless you enjoy food, there is little else to do, but once you visit you will go back repeatedly.
Once here it is near impossible to take a poor photogragh stunning place. At work
At home

"I can't always believe facts I read on the web" - Charles Dickens

winner by default of the tractor vs caravan race

When we went to Pisa about 8-10 years ago, the wife and I and another couple took a ten quid odd Ryanair flight early on a Saturday morning, checked in the hotel and dumped our bags off then went for a walk around. Plenty of Ferrari themed shops I seem to remember and our hotel was full of Ferraribilia as the club always start some annual event from there. Had a nice mid-day meal which consisted of a starter that was a scallop shell full of hundreds of cooked tiny baby octopus's (octopi?), and my first calzone pizza together with copious bottles of house wine then we went shopping where my mate tried to get my wife, Debbie, to buy some handbag or other from a designer shop that she liked (plenty of them out there) but she refused to pay the price and she got the nickname Debenezer Scrooge which has sort of become a standing joke nickname for her. We then had a little snooze and that evening we asked the hotel concierge where to eat that night and he phoned up a friend who had a restaurant nearby. We were greeted like old friends, made welcome and had an absolutely fantastic fish meal that night. I remember the desserts were out of this world - we all had something different, took a taste, moved the dishes round one, took a taste, moved them on again until we were finished....On the Sunday morning we got up and after breakfast had another walk around the tower and took the usual tourist photos of trying to hold it up, kick it over etc and then went for a walk around the local Sunday market where I bought myself a touristy tacky Michealangelo pinny complete with cock and balls which I still wear to this day when the same friends come round ours for a meal. Had another meal, this time spaghetti with clams and jumped on a bus to the airport and got home that evening.

I know it seems strange in this age of cheap air travel but I remember being taught about the leaning tower of Pisa as a child in school over 50 years ago when foreign travel for working class people like us was just a dream and I was like a small excited kid again when I first set eyes on it. Silly, I know.....but, as said, not much else in Pisa to see. Past: FL2 TD4 HSE Auto
Evoque SD4 Dynamic Lux Auto
Present: Audi A3 S Line.