what to do with 2 spare days in Italy?

mollybird

My husband and I planned out most of our 3 weeks weeks Italy trip last night. We found we have about 2/3 spare days and not sure what to do.

We will have finished in abruzzo and before end of trip will have 2 days in Rome. Don't think we want to rent a car again as will have done that for most of our trip.

Would anyone have any suggestions on where or what we could do ?

Thanks

ardmacha

Perhaps some more information on where you are going to or have been before would help.

CrinkElite

I'd take the train to Napoli. It's a little dirty and slightly rough but the architecture and scenery are unique and beautiful.

mollybird

ya sorry about the lack of info. we are flying to milan and renting a car for 12 days. we are doing lake garda, venice, verona, tuscany (doing a cycle tour and a winery tour) , umbria (cookery course) then off to aburzzo for 2 days. after that we have the 2 days spare before spending the last 2 days in rome as we are flying from there.

we will give the car back after umbria and get a train to aburzzo where we will hite another car for those 2 days. and get the train back to rome.

thanks

rtw

Spend the extra 2 days in Rome! Unless you have been before 2 days is not long enough in my opinion

mrskinner

Fodors..........
"Well, first of all, you'll want to see the mountains; drive across the Campo Imperatore plateau for some really impressive scenery.
Second, L'Aquila is virtually one of Italy's most likeable small provincial towns, with some good sights. Of course, hardly any sight will be open for the public now, and several years will pass until L'Aquila will be as nice as it used to be. (You're aware about last year's terrible earthquake, aren't you?) Anyway, I think it would be appropriate to visit L'Aquila; both to see what few may be visible again this year and to spend some money there (lunch, dinner, coffee, whatever), they desperately need it now.
Third, some of Abruzzo's great medieval churches are in easy reach. (Most of them are now lying in striking, peaceful solitude - originally, they were monastery churches, but all the monasteries are long gone.) Fossa, a short way south of L'Aquila, is boasting S. Maria delle Grotte, the only Gothic example of those rural Abruzzo churches, with important frescoes. I liked the Romanesque churches even better - their sculpture is in a very distinct Abruzzo style that is great and memorable IMO; and in striking contrast with the back-of-beyond locations of most of those churches - the sculptures (on the pulpits, in particular) seems so urbane!! S. Liberatore a Maiella near Serramonacesca is on the edge between the mountains and the soft hills running to the sea; S. Maria in Valle Porclaneta is west of where you stay, a few kilometres from Albe; and my favourite is the nearest to your villa: S. Clemente a Casauria, near Torre de' Passeri. They're all great, and all worth seeing; take your time, though. It's been several years since I've been there, but at the time, I always had to drive to the church first, read a sign on the door telling who was responsible for the key, drive back to the nearest village, find that person, take him or her with me back to the church, visit, bring the custodian back to the village... you get the picture. It was a great holiday in one Italy's most unspoiled regions. Enjoy!"

mollybird

Thanks for that mrsskinner. I put up the same kinda message on foders and everyone so far came back with use the days in Rome but i have been there all ready and my husband would like to see parts of it but has no interest in going to see any of the vatican.

As i said in my 2nd post we are big into our food and cooking. Would anyone know of any markets or great places to eat that are off the beaten track at all around Rome if we were to spend some extra time there.

we are not looking to have a car after abruzzo so we would be using public transport so if anyone has other places that we could check out it would be great. must look that place you mentioned mrs skinner that had the earthquake. i did hear about it i think so must look into it as i would say that is def something i would be interested in if we could get there by public transport.

mrskinner

Castel gandolfo?