Italy - where to mini-moon?

RomeWeddingGal

Hi folks,

Looking for advice on some travel in Italy, please.

Getting married in Rome next year. We're planning on spending 5 nights after the wedding mini-mooning somewhere in Italy. Had initially thought about flying to Sicily but that's now ruled out as flights have gone up too much.

The criteria - needs to be within a train/bus journey of Rome and within easy reach of an airport to fly home to Dublin from. Somewhere relaxing, ideally with a beach, rather than a city.

We'd thought about the Amalfi Coast (Ravello or Sorrento), but I can't decide on which resort - also, flying home from Naples might involve a taxi journey that'll cost €100+, as buses apparently aren't reliable.... might be an option, though.

Also considered Lake Garda, but it looks like it'd involve several train changes and we want to keep travel to a minimum, if possible.

Can anyone offer specific advice or suggestions on which resorts might work? Somewhere I'm not thinking of?

We want a bit of luxury, but as it's only the mini-moon we're not going full-on splash the cash mode...

Thanks!

BailMeOut

Where in Sicily are you looking as Taormina is a perfect little city for a 'mini moon' and you'd fly into Catania to get there.

For Almalfi I would recommend Positano instead of Ravello or Sorrento. Positano would again be an excellent option for a mini moon and there a lots of cheap airport coach options from Naples and takes about 2 hours. You can even break up the trip by stopping at Pompeii on way.

RomeWeddingGal

Hi BailMeOut and thanks for the reply!

We were looking at Taormina and Ortigia but the flights have just gone up too much, so we ruled Sicily out (unless they go back down again!). We ruled out flying anywhere as we'll have a bit of baggage with us and that will push the fares up, hence the train/bus option.

Hadn't thought about Positano, it would involve train to Naples and then change, right?

BailMeOut

There is a very fast train from Rome to Naples and then lots of bus and driver options from there to Positano. We rented a car last time but driving around Amalfi is a challenge as is parking so I would avoid that. Positano is fantastic with lots to do and seems to attract a lot of honeymooners. If you go I would recommend renting a self drive boat for a least a half a day as the coast is incredible.

If you want to book a self catering place check out http://www.summerinitaly.com/ as it is hands down the best place to book accomodation in Italy. Top tip is do not try book from the site, use the 'contact us' option and tell the reps what you want, where you are going and your budget and they will sort you out.

guestus

We were in Sorrento for about a week last June and had a great time. If you want to visit places like Pompeii, Vesuvius, Capri ( stunning island!) as other places on the Amalfi Coast (positano, amalfi, ravello etc) then you're better off staying in Sorrento as it has direct links with all these places. If you want a smaller place for a relaxing time on the beach then Positano it's a good option. It is more expensive than Sorrento though.
From Sorrento there is a regular airport coach,we used it from Naples airport to Sorrento and back with no problems. I think they update the schedule every so often so keep an eye on that but we found it very reliable. The local buses that go along the Amalfi Coast might be unreliable during the busy times but the airport coaches seem fine.

guestus

We visited Lake Garda as well and it was very steaight forward. We flew to Verona and then took a taxi for €20 to Peschiera del Garda where we were staying. You could also take a train or a bus from Verona to Peschiera but for the 3 of us there were no big savings to make compared to the taxi fare. From Peschiera (which is very pretty itself) you could take buses or ferries to all the villages around the lake or you could take a train to visit Venice,Verona or Milan.

RomeWeddingGal

Thanks a lot for that info, guestus! That was initially one of the draws of Lake Garda for me - somewhere to both relax and then maybe go to Venice for a day, which my OH has not seen.

I do also like the idea of Sorrento and being able to travel around the other towns, as well as the convenience of travel to the airport... you've given me food for thought, so thanks!

naughtysmurf

You can get the Hydrofoil from Naples across the bay to Sorrento, takes about 40mins, costs €11, the train from Naples to Sorrento, the Circumvesuvien, takes about an hour, for less than a fiver
If arriving in Naples by train from Rome , probably easier to take the train from the same station, no frills, Hydrofoil then back to Naples for the flight home

Stephen15

Naples is actually a beautiful city. Just a little rough around the edges. I'd recommend staying around Villa Floridana area as it's not as crazy as the rest of city. The food is also excellent. Its much cheaper than the rest of Italy too.

RomeWeddingGal

Thanks everyone. We settled on Sorrento in the end and maybe planning to do some day trips to other towns. Thanks for your help!