Visit to Assisi

[Tidewater]

Okay, this is explicitly not political (and I do not expect it to evolve into anything political), but here it goes...

Last weekend I drove to Assisi.

The setting is beautiful (on the side of one of the foothills of the Apennine Mountains), maybe an hour or two north of Rome. Lots of basilicas and churches to see. The problem my travelling companion and I ran into is that is very limited parking in town. The city has some paid parking lots but they fill up and when they do, you are out of luck. We ended uop driving down to the train station (plenty of parking there) and visiting the Basillica of Santa Maria degli Angeli which is near the train station. The basilica is breathtaking and well worth a visit.
We found out later that there is a free shuttle bus from the train station parking to the city center. Had we gone directly to the train station, we would have made it into the city center. Word to the wise. If you are visiting Rome and want to take a side trip by train, the Italian train station is cheap and clean. You can take the shuttle bus to the town center. Easy peasy.

So, sort of a missed opportunity. I never got to Saint Francis' basilica or Saint Clare's church, but the town is pretty and worth visiting. My biggest piece of advice is to park at the train station down in the valley.

 

[Tidewater]

Last October, I went to Florence and hated it.
Florence is a beautiful place, with lots to see. Unfortunately, it was wall to wall tourists. For example, an hour-long wait to get into the Uffizi Museum. Everything costs money. Two gelatos at a gelateria near the Ponte Vecchio cost €35 (about $40).
A grossly overcrowded rip-off was my impression.
If you are part of a paid tour (like Viking Cruisers or something similar), the tour company pays for you and there are even "skip the line for an extra fee" lines.

Florence might be wonderful off-season (I though October was off-season, but apparently not), but during tourist season, it is a huge disappointment.

 

[Jack Bourbon]

Some places are better to visit in offseason even though it is colder. Florence may be one.

 

[crimsonaudio]

Last October, I went to Florence and hated it.
Florence is a beautiful place, with lots to see. Unfortunately, it was wall to wall tourists. For example, an hour-long wait to get into the Uffizi Museum. Everything costs money. Two gelatos at a gelateria near the Ponte Vecchio cost €35 (about $40).
A grossly overcrowded rip-off was my impression.
If you are part of a paid tour (like Viking Cruisers or something similar), the tour company pays for you and there are even "skip the line for an extra fee" lines.

Florence might be wonderful off-season (I though October was off-season, but apparently not), but during tourist season, it is a huge disappointment.

We visited Florence in late June about a decade ago and outside of the line to enter the Cathedral we didn't find it overly crowded.

Might've just been there on a lucky day.

 

[Tidewater]

Some places are better to visit in offseason even though it is colder. Florence may be one.

I thought October was off-season. Apparently not.
As Crimsonaudio noted, maybe I was just unlucky.

 

[4Q Basket Case]

The parking situation is a problem in all the smaller towns throughout Tuscany and Central Italy.

Mrs. Basket Case and I learned to (1) park outside the town walls and walk in, or (2) take a train.

We used Lucca as a base for day trips, and it sounded like a great plan. Didn't work out that way. Had a bad rental car, the stereotype of the Italian driver is accurate, roads are marked with typical Italian precision, you meet a lot of buses heading the opposite direction on a road meant for a small Fiat, and parking is a major pain.

Even on the open road, aside from the Autostrada (the Italian version of the Interstate), the driver has to be 1000% focused on the road and the other drivers, and the navigator has to be focused on the map or GPS. Either way, you might be driving through idyllic countryside, but both of you are so preoccupied that neither can appreciate it.

If at all possible, take public transportation in Italy. It might be a little iffy on the schedule, but build in some extra time into your plans. Or if you can't avoid driving, pack some patience.

 

[JDCrimson]

Last October, I went to Florence and hated it.
Florence is a beautiful place, with lots to see. Unfortunately, it was wall to wall tourists. For example, an hour-long wait to get into the Uffizi Museum. Everything costs money. Two gelatos at a gelateria near the Ponte Vecchio cost €35 (about $40).
A grossly overcrowded rip-off was my impression.
If you are part of a paid tour (like Viking Cruisers or something similar), the tour company pays for you and there are even "skip the line for an extra fee" lines.

Florence might be wonderful off-season (I though October was off-season, but apparently not), but during tourist season, it is a huge disappointment.

Is Florence ran by Disney?

 

[Bazza]

Travel can be amazing but if you go somewhere that is flooded with tourists AND the place has morphed into way too many tourist-oriented venues....for me it ruins the whole experience.

When I vacationed in Tahiti over Christmas 2004, I found a tropical paradise that had been "infected" and basically lost most of the charm it should have had. Very sad.....

 

[4Q Basket Case]

Travel can be amazing but if you go somewhere that is flooded with tourists AND the place has morphed into way too many tourist-oriented venues....for me it ruins the whole experience.

When I vacationed in Tahiti over Christmas 2004, I found a tropical paradise that had been "infected" and basically lost most of the charm it should have had. Very sad.....

We travel across the pond in off -season. April 15 - Memorial Day have been good. Warming up over there, but not many American schools out yet.

If you time your return for the Saturday before Memorial Day, the American airports are as un-crowded as they get.

Doesn’t hold for Friday, Sunday or Monday of that weekend. But not as many people travel on that Saturday, and it’s a great time to go through American customs.

We also minimize time in cities that get lots of cruise ships. Gazillions of overweight, loud Americans in shorts, fanny packs, Metallica t-shirts, backward facing baseball caps, and socks with sandals, yelling at each other in voices that coined the moniker “honky.”

Sounds like several flocks of geese landed and left all their “leavings” in their wake.

It’s honestly embarrassing. See that once, and you understand what they mean by “ugly American.”

 

[TIDE-HSV]

I've told this story before, but I once was on the tour bus to go up to Berchtesgaden. I was among first on and went to the back. Then, a large group of American tourists got on, filling up the bus. The overweight guy who sat next to me looked over at my lap, said "nice camera," and picked it up to examine it. I reached over and took it back and said "no English," and moved over to the German-language bus...

 

[Tidewater]

Italy does have beautiful and interesting places to visit that are not always overrun with tourists.
The Abbey at Monte Cassino (home of Saint Thomas Aquinas and site of a battle during World War II).
Salerno (Italian beach and site of a battle during World War II).
Monte Terminillo (Apennine skiing in winter and hiking in summer)
Corleone in Sicily (yes, that Corleone)
Avellino (in the mountains east of Naples)
Capri
Amalfi (very touristy, but the coast road is spectacular).


Places I have not visited but would like to:
Alessandria/Marengo
Lodi
Castiglione
Rivoli

All of these are in the north which I have not spent any time in.

 

[DzynKingRTR]

Italy does have beautiful and interesting places to visit that are not always overrun with tourists.
The Abbey at Monte Cassino (home of Saint Thomas Aquinas and site of a battle during World War II).
Salerno (Italian beach and site of a battle during World War II).
Monte Terminillo (Apennine skiing in winter and hiking in summer)
Corleone in Sicily (yes, that Corleone)
Avellino (in the mountains east of Naples)
Capri
Amalfi (very touristy, but the coast road is spectacular).


Places I have not visited but would like to:
Alessandria/Marengo
Lodi
Castiglione
Rivoli

All of these are in the north which I have not spent any time in.

The Amalfi Coast was my favorite place in Italy. I still have the photo I took as my phone screen and it was almost 8 years ago.

 

[Bazza]

My father enjoyed history. Sent postcards to me from various locations while serving in the Navy. I still have one from the Acropolis sent to me when I was about 4 years old!

Here's Dad in Italy......50's maybe?


.

 

[Tidewater]

We visited Florence in late June about a decade ago and outside of the line to enter the Cathedral we didn't find it overly crowded.

Might've just been there on a lucky day.

Another consideration is that as I get older, I hate crowds more and more to the point that an normally enjoyable activity becomes something to be endured. If a really nice place is crowded and noisy, I cannot enjoy it.

Now, excuse me, I'm going outside to yell at the clouds...

 

[crimsonaudio]

Another consideration is that as I get older, I hate crowds more and more to the point that an normally enjoyable activity becomes something to be endured. If a really nice place is crowded and noisy, I cannot enjoy it.

Now, excuse me, I'm going outside to yell at the clouds...

TBH, I've been the same way since I was bout 20...