Traveling around Europe

[gabrielj]

Hallo everybody
I am going to go to Italy, but i have no idea which part of of Italy to start with
Could you give me some advice?
Has anybody been to that country? what are your impression?
Thanks you in advance

[Bob Phillips]

It depends upon what your requirements are. It is a lovely country, but it is very large, and very diverse. The north is generally the more industrial, but that is where most of the cultural centres are, Florence, Pisa, Verona etc., and there is some fantastic countryside in Tuscany, Umbria etc. North of Milan you have the lakes, Garda, Maggiore etc. which are lovely. You also have the Italian Riviera, butting up against France which has a spectacular coastline.

Down south, south of Rome, it is far more rustic. Sicily is very different to the rest of the country, but well worth a visit, great walking country.

Just south of Naples (worth a visit, but be prepared for a culture shock, it is dirty) is my particular favourite, the Amalfi coast. Sorrento, Positano, Amalfi, Salerno, are all lovely and again the coastline is spectacular. A visit to Ravello, on the cliff-tops above Amalfi is a must-see. And Pompeii is a bus-ride away.

So what are your travel criteria?