marialynn1234

We are booked for three weeks in September. Two nights in Romeat the beginning (and the end.) Then heading South - we were thinking areas around Salerno, Cosenza, and Sicily. We would like some nice hotels, but also want to do a convent/monestary, we are in to good food...... so are open to suggestions of all kinds.

Thanks

kja

What are your interests? Have you committed to flights and if so, which airports define the start and end of you time in Italy?

zeppole

There are two posters on the Frommer's message board for Italy who travels to Calabria very regularly to visit family, so you might want to check in over there.

Are you traveling by car or train? I'd recommend a car, but you should check out if there are any extra costs for picking up a car on the mainland and dropping it off in Sicily. I would fly out of Sicily.

There is a poster on the Tripadvisor message board who lives in Sicily and is very energetic in helping people develop an itinerary that really matches their interests. She could surely save you a lot of trouble digging around on the internet to find convent/monastery stays there.

For food, I highly recommend that once you are in Italy you pick up a copy of the Slow Food guide to Osterie. It is in Italian, but you won't have any trouble deciphering the recommendations. Many of its recommendations are off-the-beaten track, so a GPS is really an asset.

Food markets and street food play a huge role in the tastiness of southern Italian life, especially in Sicily. There are also unusual breakfast treats in Sicily, so don't only eat in restaurants and don't overlook the historic olive groves of Sicily. Eat pistachios while you are there, and eat FIGS in the southern part of the boot in September. Have a great adventure.

marialynn1234

Flying in and out of Rome is set - I have relatives there so we have planned two days with them on either side.

Thanks for the info on Sicility and the food guide. I will look into both.

We are now looking into accommodation on the Amalfi Coast. So many places are already booked. A few B & Bs look interesting.

A_Brit_In_Ischia

In Salerno I would have usually recommended this place - where friends enjoyed their stay when on the way to Ischia, especially as it ticks more than one of your boxes....

http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Hotel_R..._Campania.html

Last autumn though they closed for renovation - and the guy who answered the phone when I rang just after Christmas still wasn't able to say when they'll be finished!

Hard to believe they wouldn't be open again by September, but who knows?

Peter

PS... If you don't mind me asking (out of local nosiness mostly!), but did those places actually tell you directly that they're full - or merely show "N/A" or similar on their websites?
Whilst it's getting a bit late now, people do often go away for this time of year, sometimes freezing their sites for a while - or they simply don't have an English-speaker to answer emails! TIA...

marialynn1234

On line they were showing as full although some just said no dates available. When emailing the places directly rather than trying online booking, we had more success and did find a place which looks fantastic.

I will look at the place you sent the link - it would be great if it were open. I did find one monestary on sicily which looks okay. Trip is more or less finalized now and we have 7 days on Sicily which is great.

A_Brit_In_Ischia

Good news that you've found somewhere - it can be a bit difficult at this time of year! Come March though owners are usually back in gear, and busy getting painting and decorating done...

Peter