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48 hours in Naples. Grand architecture, a wealth of culture and brio to boot, do you need another reason to spend a couple of days in Italy’s forgotten city? Oh, it’s the birthplace of pizza... See Naples and die, the old saying goes, suggesting that life isn't worth living without visiting this vibrant and chaotic city, the third-largest in Italy.

Problem is, many tourists fear for their safety visiting this undisputed wild child, more known for its plethora of pickpockets and links with organised crime than for its many, albeit sadly overlooked, charms. To drop Naples from your Italian tour, however, would be a mistake. Once the capital of the Kingdom of Two Sicilies, Naples boasts a wealth of art, culture and architecture rivalling Italy's biggest tourist cities, and includes the world's most famous archaeological site at Pompeii. Getting to Naples is a cinch. Backtracking to Piazza Carita, look for Gelateria della Scimmia (the latter word meaning monkey), because it's never too early to eat ice-cream. Roma Pass. Known to one and all for its picturesque views and enchanting atmosphere, also widely portrayed in international literature and painting, the Appia Antica Way is witness to the ages with its illustrious monuments.

CUMULATIVE TICKET: Mausoleo di Cecilia Metella e Castrum Caetani + Terme di Caracalla + Villa dei Quintili. www.archeoroma.beniculturali.it/siti-... via Appia Antica, 161 The most impressive funeral monument built along the third mile of the Appia Antica, of which it has become symbolic,was erected on a hill to commemorate the Roman noblewoman who was by birth and marriage connected to two of the most distinguished Roman families of the late Republican age. viale Terme di Caracalla, 52 Among the most imposing and fascinating complexes of ancient Rome, Terme di Caracalla are still impressive today owing to their extensive walls whose ruins are often still considerably high. via Appia Nuova, 1092 This archaeological area is the heart of the ancient city. Piazza del Colosseo via di S. Naples, Italy: My kind of town. WHAT ARE YOUR FAVOURITE PLACES FOR LUNCH? Go to the elegant La Bersagliera, close to the Castel dell'Ovo (Via Borgo Marinari 10/11, Banchina Santa Lucia; 081 764 6016), and for a delicious pizza Margherita, the Neapolitans' choice, slip into Brandi in Salita Sant'Anna (Via Domenico Morelli 9; 081 551 8737).

AND DINNER? Try Osteria Castello (Via Santa Teresa a Chiaia 38; 081 400486), which is a charm-laden family business where you're made to feel as if you're an esteemed guest. WHERE WOULD YOU SEND A FIRST-TIME VISITOR? If you have a day, then to the summit of Vesuvius, a tough trek, but a memorable view over the city, along with a sense of the impending eruption and the "borrowed time" existence of Naples that somehow shapes its character. WHAT WOULD YOU TELL THEM TO AVOID? PUBLIC TRANSPORT OR TAXI? HANDBAG OR MONEYBELT? WHAT SHOULD I TAKE HOME? AND IF I'VE ONLY TIME FOR ONE SHOP?

10 best music venues in Rome | Travel. Teatro dell'Opera di Roma In the country where every person can recite the lyrics to Verdi's "Va Pensiero", opera is a way of life. From its opening in 1880, the Teatro dell'Opera has undergone many architectural alterations always with particular attention to the acoustics. In fact, the legendary acoustics are on par with top auditoriums around the world. The present house seats 1,600 opera fanatics in its red-and-gold-gilded interior. Productions are based here from November to May and then move outdoors amids the ruins of Terme di Caracalla for the summer season. The best-preserved imperial Roman baths in the city make for a mesmerising backdrop to the resonating sopranos and baritones of La Bohème, Aida and Tosca. • Teatro dell'Opera, Piazza Beniamino Gigli, 7, +39 06 481 60255, www.operaroma.it Fanfulla 101 Immortalised in one of Pier Paolo Pasolini's movies, the Pigneto quarter of Rome is home to Fanfulla.

Sinister Noise Club Casa del Jazz Circolo degli Artisti Villa Celimontana Init. The 10 Most Important Artworks At The Uffizi Gallery, Florence. One of the world's finest and oldest art galleries, the Uffizi in Florence, Italy has housed the world's masterpieces since the time of Leonardo. Established in 1581, it was designed by Vasari, architect and author of 'Lives of the Artists.' The same loving detail that went into that masterpiece of art writing went into the curation of the museum, and has continued to do so ever since. Discover some of its finest masterpieces here. Sandro Botticelli, ‘The Birth of Venus’ Perhaps the Uffizi's most famous work, 'the Birth of Venus' is one of those paintings that has achieved a level of fame that serves to obscure the greatness of the original work.

Fra Angelico, ‘Coronation of the Virgin’ One of the most stunning altar-pieces ever created, Fra Angelico's work offers us an entire compendium of saints, each giving their own unique character and spirit by the master painter of the 15th century. Baccio Bandinelli, ‘Laocoön and his Sons’ Parmigianino, ‘Madonna with the Long Neck’ By Samuel Spencer.

Solo Traveler - solo travel tips, safety advice, stories and destinations. Naples at night - Naples Forum. 6. Re: Naples at night Wow- all the hyperbole about safety in Naples is reaching new, sad heights when people think tourists should may need to stay locked in their hotel rooms at night. Good grief - personally, I'd never travel somewhere where I was that concerned. I love Naples and don't feel this type of concern. No, I won't stay around the train station but not because of anyone I know ever getting hurt or attacked but because there's really nothing around there that interests me. A good guidebook is always essential - to me anyway - in learning about a destination and finding out where shops are, what the different neighborhoods are like, what the sites are and where they are and their history.

Using common sense precautions with your personal stuff - that you would use anywhere in the world - is the most effective way of reducing your risk of being a victim of pick pocketing. Sorry - but, this subject just baffles me. Main Events in Florence:Annual Events, Fairs, Exhibitions in Florence. La Festa delle Rificolone (Festival of the Paper Lanterns), September 7On the eve of the feast of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary, Florentines walk through the city carrying paper lanterns illuminated by candles from within.

This tradition dates back to the Renaissance, when pilgrims bearing lanterns would gather in front of the Church of the Most Holy Annunciation (Santissima Annunziata), a Marian sanctuary, on that date. Many would arrive from outside of the city after sunset so needed a lantern to light the way. Today the main events of the Rificolona, including a speech by Florence’s Cardinal, are held in Piazza Santissima Annunziata. The main procession, however, starts in Piazza Santa Croce at around 8 pm, and passes through Piazza della Signoria and Piazza del Duomo then through Via dei Servi to arrive into the Piazza S.S.

Nativity of Virgin Mary, September 8 Florence's Cathedral, or Duomo, Santa Maria del Fiore (St. Events in Florence in August: Art & Culinary festivals in Florence & Surroundings. Florence » Events in Florence » During summer, many cities (and their visitors) suffer from the hot weather and consequently are not as pleasant to walk around, particularly in the daytime. The same applies to Florence, but as there is so much to see in the city of the Renaissance, remember that there is plenty to visit and see indoors during the day to keep you feeling cooler, including many extraordinary museums and the enchanting churches rich in masterpieces of art. You can take refuge from the heat while enjoying the magnificent art that Florence is famous for... enjoying the outdoors in the evenings once the sun starts to set.

Let's say that August is thus the perfect time to explore Florence’s sacred and art locations, a unique chance to delve deeper into its thousand-year culture, while the surroundings around the city offer culinary festivals and traditional events that will certainly suit everybody’s taste. Florence, the International Art Capital About Chiara Ricci Questions?

Moving around Florence by Taxi:Taxi Cabs in Florence. Florence » Tourist Info » Moving around Florence » Getting around any city on taxi is not difficult, but you do have to know ahead of time that in Italy taxis cannot be flagged down as they pass you along the street! Taxis are instead "stationed" at special taxi parking stands in most of the major squares in any city and at the airport and they can be requested by phone. In Florence, the numbers for calling a taxi are: 055.4242 / 055.4390 / 055.4798 / 055.4499 Customers are advised to read the information about prices displayed inside the vehicle to make sure that the fare charged is correct. Example of some basic charges and fares within the city boundaries: In addition to the above charges there is also the fare clocked up on the meter and other possible charges. Here are the offical rates as published by the main taxi companies in Florence: So.Co.Ta. (055.4242) : 055.4390: To other airports: Some Destinations in Tuscany Questions?

Uffizi Gallery: Galleria degli Uffizi in Florence, Italy. Florence » What to See » Museums » Address Piazzale degli Uffizi Ticket Full € 8,00Reduced € 4,00(during temporary exhibitions, full price becomes € 12,50/6,25) If you book online, you have to add booking and online fees Opening hours Open from 8:15 a.m. to 6:50 p.m.

Days of closure Closed on Mondays, January 1, May 1, and December 25 Must see's Botticelli's Primavera and Birth of VenusFilippino Lippi's Madonna and Child with Two AngelsTitian's Venus of Urbino (summer 2013 - currently on loan to museum in Venice for exhibition)Lots of other works, including from the early Masters Cimabue and Giotto, Early Rennaisance pioneers Fra Angelico and Masaccio, Caravaggio, Rembrant, Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo. The Uffizi Gallery museum is among the most visited in Italy, with over 1.5 million visitors each year, so long lines are inevitable.

A brief presentation A walk through the Collections Touring the Uffizi is surely one of the highlights in Florence. The Vasari Corridor About Elena Fulceri. 10 best music venues in Rome | Travel. 10 of the best cafes, pastry shops and ice-cream parlours in Rome | Travel. Mondi Located near Ponte Milvio in northern Rome, Mondi is the pastry shop Romans go to when they want to take sweets to someone's house to make a good impression. You can enjoy them on location – don't miss out on the assorted mini-shortbread crusts filled with cream and topped with fruit. You can either stand up at the bar, drink a coffee and eat the pastry with your fingers, or grab a table and be treated to proper silverware and plates.

Mondi is a favourite with the well-heeled locals in the surrounding residential district and gets quite chaotic at traditional feeding times: around 9am, from 2-3pm, and again at around 6-7pm, when assorted savoury pastries and snacks are served for aperitivo. . • Via Flaminia 468, +39 06 333 6466; mondiroma.it Said Turn into a courtyard just off Via Tiburtina and prepare to be transported into a chocolate lover's paradise. Caffè Sant'Eustachio Cristalli di Zucchero Settembrini Caffè Andreotti Regoli Biscottificio Innocenti Fatamorgana. Direct Ferries. Foot PassengersIf you are travelling as a foot passenger, then please select the 'No vehicle' option. If this route does not carry foot passengers then the 'No vehicle' option will not be available. With VehicleIf you are travelling with a vehicle, please select 'With Vehicle'.

The vehicle type menu will now display the types of vehicle that are accepted on this route. Please note, if you are travelling in a commercial vehicle, or a vehicle designed for commercial use then you may have to travel as a freight vehicle. Please contact 08718 900 900 for confirmation of this. Failure to do so may result in heavily increased charges at the port of departure. CarPlease also select the make of your car, followed by the model. Camper / Motorhome / Minibus / VanPlease input the make and model, followed by the height and length of your vehicle. MotorcyclePlease input the make and model of your motorcycle into the 'Vehicle Make' and 'Vehicle Model' boxes. Capitoline Museums. Dating to 1471, the Capitoline Museums are the world's oldest public museums.

Their collection of classical sculpture is one of Italy's finest, including crowd-pleasers such as the iconic Lupa capitolina (Capitoline Wolf), a sculpture of Romulus and Remus under a wolf, and the Galata morente (Dying Gaul), a moving depiction of a dying Gaul warrior. There's also a formidable picture gallery with masterpieces by the likes of Titian, Tintoretto, Rubens and Caravaggio. Note that ticket prices go up when there's a temporary exhibition on. The museums' entrance is in Palazzo dei Conservatori , where you'll find the original core of the sculptural collection on the 1st floor and the Pinacoteca (picture gallery) on the 2nd floor. Before you head upstairs, take a moment to admire the ancient masonry littered around the ground-floor courtyard , most notably a mammoth head, hand and foot.

Of the sculpture on the 1st floor, the Etruscan Lupa Capitolina is the most famous. Top 10: Student bars in Rome The Local. 10 best bars in Rome | Travel. Bar Necci In a difficult-to-find corner of the supercool Pigneto district, which is to Rome what Hoxton is to London, this friendly, stylish bar with wrap-around garden terrace was once a neighbourhood hangout patronised by old tipplers, young pool players and a slumming Pier Paolo Pasolini, who shot parts of his first film Accattone here in 1961.

The current owners, who include English chef, Ben Hirst (no relation to Damien), have made the place over in a funky retro early-70s idiom. Necci morphs from local breakfast stop to light lunch venue, afternoon cafe, early evening wine and aperitivo bar and serious restaurant as the day progresses. Hirst's cuisine uses local, mostly organic ingredients in updated osteria recipes like pan-grilled scallops with porcini mushrooms, red Viterbo potatoes and crispy guanciale bacon.

Bar del Fico Enoteca Carso They don't come much more "neighbourhood bar" than this. Cul de Sac L'Oasi della Birra Bar San Calisto Cavour 313 Antica Vineria Stravinskij Bar. Circumvesuviano Train Schedule - Naples Message Board. Naples - Sorrento (Ferry) | Tickets, Timetables and Information | Overland Routes | Grounded Travel. Catching a ferry between Naples and Sorrento is often a safer and more enjoyable alternative to the Naples - Sorrento (Circumvesuvian Train).

There are a couple of options with regard to which ferry you catch as well. Alilauro Hydrofoil The Alilauro Hydrofoil offers the quickest route between Sorrento and Naples, travelling to/from Naples' Moro Beverello pier. The trip lasts about 40minutes, and costs €11 one-way (return fares are double the single fare). The boat itself is very fast, and as a result, passengers aren't permitted to stand on-deck.

You can still see plenty of scenery from your seat, but if you would rather have the opportunity to take photographs, I would recommoend the Metro del Mare. Metro del Mare The Metro del Mare network operates along the length of the Amalfi Coast, and as a result, there are plenty of different services that operate between Naples and Sorrento. 10 Tourist Mistakes when Visiting Italy: Tipping, Tickets, and More – Ms. Adventures in Italy. Top Safety Tips to Remember When Touring Florence, Italy. Moving around Florence by Taxi:Taxi Cabs in Florence. Open hours in Italy. CURRERI VIAGGI. AUTOLINEE_CURRERI.pdf.

How to be a hipster in florence - Florence for Free. Amazing collection of Roman and Greek art - National Archaeological Museum of Naples, Naples Traveller Reviews. Florence City Sightseeing Tours With Fast Track Tickets. Pompeii from Sorrento By Tour Or The Local Train - Best For You? Sorrento: Bus to-from Naples Airport. Napoli to Sorrento ferry tickets, compare times and prices. Italy: Tipping & Etiquette. Uffizi Tickets - Online Booking Uffizi Gallery tickets. Eat Like a Local in Florence. 10 of the best cheap eats in Florence | Travel. Florence: Cheap Eats. 2015 calendar - Florence for Free. Every road leads to rome: an ancient roman walk through florence - Florence for Free. Walking tour: florence in a day - Florence for Free.