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| ITALY LINKS
We share a few of the sites we use to plan trips. We hope you find them
useful in our dialogue while we help you plan your trip: you can obtain a map,
check
out the train schedules, order online travel maps, calculate distance and determine
the travel time, or even rent a mobile phone.
You will also
see there are some
great books for suggested reads to enrich your travel experience.
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Ciao, Italia!
A First Step of Knowledge about Italy |
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Train Schedules:
Some Idea of train timing and duration -
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Travel Insurance option
Consider travel insurance - note- obtain coverage within 10 days of first dollar on your trip |
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Mobile Phone Options
Highly recommended particularly if you are a heavy user in the States |
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Air Option -
The option we use most often - Dick and Lori |
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Experience Italy Reading List
Books to enhance your trip and trip planning:
1) Watermark by Joseph Brodsky
2) The Last Promise by Richard Paul Evans
3) A Thousand Days in Venice by Marlena De Blasi
4) Vanilla Beans & Brodo – Real Life in the Hills of Tuscany by Isabella Dusi
5) Ciao America! by Beppe Severgini
6) Death at La Fenice: one of many Commissario Guido Brunetti Mysteries by Donna Leon of Venice and Veneto - first in a large series
7) John Grisham - The Broker [Treviso, Bologna]
8) A Thousand Days in Tuscany : A Bittersweet Adventure by Marlena De Blasi
9) The City of Falling Angels by John Berendt
10) Books by Iris Origo: "War in Val d'Orcia" and "Merchant of Prato"
11) Biography: "Marchesa of Val D'Orcia" by Caroline Moorehead
12) Brunelleschi's Dome: How a Renaissance Genius Reinvented Architecture
13) John Grisham -"Playing for Pizza" (Parma)
14) Any of the EyeWitness Top Ten Travel Guides
15) The World Before Her by Deborah Weisgall
16) No Vulgar Hotel: The Desire and Pursuit of Venice by Judith Martin and Eric Denker
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Trip Preparation sites:
Research and preparation for an international trip - mission Italy |
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Packing and travel accessories - People in and near Sacramento can make a visit on Fulton Ave. The rest can browse the web for Holloway Travel Outfitter's i.e. Packing Light |
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Car Rentals - One of our favorites - |
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Driving in Italy - Some driving tips |
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Road Conditions - Wait for a few days before to check or access through your PDA mobile phone |
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Italian (International) road signs - Just before you leave for Europe, you must study these, particularly if you are driving |
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Passport info - You will need one of these. Start early. You can always use it. |
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Birth Certificate - - You will need this to get a passport for the first time. |
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Additional Packing points - Never too much information on packing these days. The world has changed big time since 9/11. Always check your airline web site for the lastest info. |
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Avoid Jet Lag - We always have extra of this to reduce the effects of Jet Lag |
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Ferry Schedules
In some locations, the ferry is the best option |
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Airport Sites
Get familiar with the airport before your arrival. One of the bigger stress points of the total trip. |
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Map options
Still promote the use of serious maps like the Tour Club Italiano's Atlante stradale dÍtalia or these days a GPS device |
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Misc.
Some interesting options to consider |
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International Drivers License Information
Although many countries do not recognize U.S. driver's licenses, most countries accept an international driving permit (IDP). IDPs are honored in more than 150 countries outside the U.S. (See AAA’s application form for the list of countries. They function as an official translation of a U.S. driver's license into 10 foreign languages. These licenses are not intended to replace valid U.S. state licenses and should only be used as a supplement to a valid license. IDPs are not valid in an individual’s country of residence.
DRIVING TIPS---RULES OF THE ROAD
Getting by on Italy's roads—probably the most dangerous in Western Europe—is less a matter of etiquette than of patience and contained aggression. It helps to know a few things when navigating them, either as a driver or as a pedestrian
1. Don't drive too slowly on highways or leave too much space between your car and the one in front, or you'll get honked at or passed. There are speed limits here, but they aren't taken seriously.
2. You'll see cars parked in no-parking zones that don't get ticketed, but don't assume it's a free-for-all. In most cities, it takes a local to know where to park illegally without consequences. If you're having trouble deciphering the parking regulations, ask someone who lives there.
3. Try to avoid driving on Friday and Saturday nights—by far the worst time for traffic and pedestrians.
4. Crosswalks are not like those in the Midwest—or even in New York (indeed, a number of crosswalks have been phased out in Rome and Milan because they're so often ignored). Even if a car stops to let you go, watch the other lanes, since cars will often speed around a stopped vehicle.
5. The farther south you go, the worse it gets. Naples is bad, and Sicily is notorious. One famous newspaper story told of an old man in Naples being beaten by other motorists because he had blocked their lane by stopping his car—for a red light.
http://travel.state.gov/travel/tips/safety/safety_1179.html |
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Cookbooks di Italia
List of cookbooks to consider before or after your Italy trip |
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