italy
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Verona and Lake Garda – a train to Trento
While Verona has plenty of its own charms, it gets busy in the Summer. And on this trip it’s also been hot, with temperatures around 35 Celsius. Thankfully, there are lots of smaller and quieter destinations to be reached by public transport, and Italy’s rail system is usually efficient and easy to use. Juts don’t…
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Verona and Lake Garda – 48 hours in Verona
It’s not yet 10am but already the temperature is almost 30c. On the whole, Verona is a walkable city, but I decide to firstly take a bus from the southern end to the northern part. And it doesn’t disappoint. The oldest bridge and the oldest church The Santo Stefano church sits just next to the…
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Verona and Lake Garda – Arrival
Some may disagree, but I would argue that no matter where you go in Italy, you will find beauty. It may be in the architecture, the landscape, the cuisine; but for me, it ultimately comes down to the people. And having discovered the beauty of places like Tuscany, the Cinque Terre and Trieste, I’m ready…
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Part 5 – Lucca to Trieste
Distance : 383km Travel time : 6 hours Lucca is so well connected with railway lines, you can travel in and out one of three ways. The most popular is from Pisa, but to the west the line stretches out to the pretty coastal town of Viareggio, and to the east it follows the sceni…
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Part 4 – Bastia to Lucca
Distance : 205 Kilometres Travel time : 7 hours 6am is no joke of a time to start a day while you’re on holiday, not least when it’s 1st April. Numerous emails from Corsica Ferries had urged me to check in in good time at the ferry terminal in Bastia – and given the process…
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Italian Adventure Part 6 – Livorno
On the final day of his Italian trip, we explore Livorno, a quiet alternative to the bustling tourist spots of Tuscany. We see its historical sites, like the Fortezza Nuovo and New Venice, and highlights the city’s mix of faded beauty and modern luxury. Livorno offers an authentic taste of La Dolce Vita.
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Italian Adventure Part 5 – La Cinque Terre
In the heat of the summer, a trip to the coast is often a good option. And this morning, at Pisa Centrale station, around a hundred other people have had the same idea. The beauty of Italy’s railway system is that you can get just about anywhere in a short space of time, and at…
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Italian Adveture Part 4 – Run For The Hills
For many years in the UK, the very mention of Tuscany conjured up a very specific image. Not of rolling hills with the baking sun feeding rich vineyards below, but of middle class , middle aged families spending the entire summer in a villa, annoying the hell out of the locals. But public transport, and…
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Italian Adventure Part 3 – My name is Lucca
Pisa is a great base from which to explore the rest of Tuscany and neighbouring Liguria. Over the coming days, I aim to make the most of the excellent local and regional transport links to visit at many places as I can. Lucca is just 30 minutes from Pisa by train, and there are services…
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Italian Adventure Part 2 – Pisa by night
In the middle of the afternoon, many Italian bars and restaurants close up. In the heat of July it’s easy to understand why; nobody can really enjoy themselves in temperatures of 32 Celsius. For the weary tourist, it’s also a good time to get some rest. I’m woken from my snooze in the early evening…
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