Italy🇮🇹
Lake Como, Saturnia, Puglia and the Amalfi Coast | Sep-Oct 2023
Justine and I have both traveled quite a bit. And this may be our favorite trip we’ve been on – at least top 3. Italy is beautiful. We’ve been to Italy at least 3 times and still love it. These cities were places we both had not visited before. And the views in these places were unreal.
We flew into Milan, started our trip in Lake Como, then went to Saturnia, Puglia, the Amalfi Coast, and ended in Rome for our flights back to the US. More info about each of these locations are below. Our trip was a total of 11 nights, which felt like the perfect amount of time.
Since this trip had a lot of stops, it was easier to just annotate the itinerary with comments about the activities we did, instead of compiling a separate list of activities. See our itinerary below, hope it helps you plan your trip!
ADVICE: STRONGLY recommend booking your hotels as far in advance as you can for these cities. There’s a limit to nice, reasonably-priced hotels and they get booked up several months in advance. We booked ours about 2.5 months in advance and truly struggled finding the right hotels for us, because so many we loved had no rooms available, or not available for our whole stay in that city. So, within the same city, for different nights, we unfortunately had to stay at different hotels or in different rooms in the same hotel, which made an already pretty busy trip more exhausting.
Ostuni in the Puglia region
Some notes:
Lake Como
Northern Italy, close to Switzerland. Very beautiful area with mountain views.
There are multiple cities on Lake Como. We found that Bellagio was highly recommended as a home base, and then you can catch a ferry to the other cities (Como, Varenna, Menaggio).
You can actually swim in the lake, but most people do not.
Saturnia
We only visited here for the natural sulfur hot spring, Cascate del Mulino. It is of out of the way from other places and requires you renting a car to drive there. It’s not a MUST visit, but we are glad we did it. Also the drive was absolutely beautiful, passing rolling hills and vineyards and going through small italian cities.
Do recommend timing your driving to take place when the sun is up, because majority of the drive is open fields and winding hillsides with no lights.
There are few, if any, American tourists. And if you’re black, you’ll be the only ones there and summon some stares.
Cascate del Mulino
Puglia
“The heel of Italy”. Usually not named amongst the top Italian areas for tourists to visit, but it should be! Man, it is breathtaking. A true gem. We loved that there weren't many American tourists.
Recommend renting a car to get around the different cities in the Puglia region (Bari, Ostuni, Polignano A Mare, Alberobello).
Alberobello
Ostuni
Polignano A Mare
Amalfi Coast
Sorrento is a common home base for the Amalfi Coast, and we enjoyed staying there.
You can easily catch ferries to other places on the Amalfi Coast (Capri, Positano, Amalfi).
Sorrento
Positano
Capri
MISCELLANEOUS
Here’s the website used for train booking
Dining: we ate breakfast at the hotels every morning, included in our bookings. We found that it made our days easier instead of having to go out and find breakfast every morning.
Ferries
Ferries do not run late, most are done by 5pm or 6 pm. So plan around that.
Also in the Amalfi Coast, ferry times you find online may be completely different from what the actual times are.
Taxis
Not very easy getting taxis in Lake Como and the Amalfi Coast. So book ahead if possible, or expect a long wait time. Also taxis are almost impossible to get after 10 pm.
Cars/driving
Italians drive on the right side of the road, with the steering wheel on the left like the US, which makes driving much easier.
Learn how to drive manual before you go, or make sure you book an automatic car!
Hotels
A lot of European hotel rooms are small, so if you are traveling with someone and if your pockets allow, definitely recommend upgrading room to suite so y’all have some space.
Some things on the itinerary, we didn’t actually do/see, but I kept them on the list anyway.
Here’s a link to my google doc with all this information (minus the pictures), which may be easier to reference .
Our Itinerary
Mon, 9/25: Lake Como
Arrive in Milan (MXP)
Dolly lands at 11:50 AM
Justine lands at 12:00 PM
We took a few hour pit stop in Milan to do some luxury shopping, as most of these cities wouldn’t give us that opportunity, except Capri (small selection), Bari (very small selection) and Rome.
Get to Lake Como
Train from MXP to Como Nord (buy ticket at airport)
Ferry from Como Nord Lago to Bellagio (don’t need to buy ticket in advance)
2 min walk from train station
Be mindful of when the ferries stop running, or you could be like us and almost get stuck in Como for a night. It is also very hard to find/get a taxi after about 8 PM.
Check in at Hotel Silvio Bellagio (7 min away from ferry dock)
Nice hotel, nothing fancy, but has some amazing views of Lake Como
pit stop in Milan for shopping at Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II
view from balcony of Hotel Silvio Bellagio
Tue, 9/26: Lake Como — Bellagio
Check into Borgo La Terrazzo Hotel
Stunning hotel, with even better views of Lake Como. Very nice staff.
Provide a shuttle to Sorrento town center for 5 euros/day/per person — so helpful
Explore Bellagio
Villa Melzi Mansion
Walk around old town Bellagio
Food recs
Ristorante La Punta – we had lunch here, was delicious
La Laterna
Ristorante Billacus
La Grotta (pizza)
Trattoria San Giacomo
Terrazza Barchetta
stunning view from our balcony at Borgo La Terrazzo Hotel.
Borgo La Terrazzo Hotel, beautiful hotel grounds
Bellagio, and its treacherous stairs
Bellagio
Bellagio
Wed, 9/27: Lake Como — Varenna
Ferry from Bellagio to Varenna
Explore Varenna
Passeggiata Degli Innamorati (Walk of Lovers)
Villa Monstero
Orrido di Bellano waterfall – we didn’t make it to here, further inland
Private boat tour on Lake Como
1 hr ride, pretty pricey, but highly recommend.
Great ride with beautiful views in a classic boat.
Food Recs
Alma Bistrot – recommended by our boat driver. No pasta on menu, but risotto was good!
Caffe Varenna (stunning location right next to the lake)
Osteria Quatro Pass (pricey)
La Vista
Al Prato
Como and Menaggio – we didn’t actually get a chance to explore Como or Menaggio
Como Food Recs
Figli Dei Fiori Restaurant
Osteria del Gallo
Caffe & Bollicine
our classic boat for the boat tour
Thur, 9/28: Saturnia
Ferry or Taxi from Bellagio to Como
Train from Como San Giovanni to Florence @ 11:10 AM
Arrive at Firenze Santa Maria Novella at 14:04
Train to Florence airport (runs every 10 mins)
Rental car pick up Florence Airport
We booked our car from Drivalia through Expedia.
We picked an SUV, because we were unsure what the roads on the long drive would be like, but I believe all the roads were paved.
Drive to Saturnia (3 hrs)
Check in to Terme di Saturnia Resort
Hotel is expensive, but it is the definition of a luxury resort – worth the money for the night we stayed. Amazing customer service, and beautiful hotel. Hotel also has amazing food. Their breakfast selection was top tier.
This hotel also has its own hot spring.
Dinner at the hotel’s restaurant: Restaurant 1919
Restaurant 1919
Fri, 9/29: Saturnia + Puglia
Hot Springs Cascate del Mulino
Open 24hrs, free to enter, pay 2 euro/hr to park
Gets packed early. We went 30 mins after sunrise on a weekday and there were a good amount of people there already.
BRING SWIM SHOES
Fake and low karat gold jewelry will turn in the sulfur. So recommend removing it before going!
Drive to Rome (2.5 hrs) — leave Saturnia by 1:30 latest
Return car drop-off at Rome Termini
Train from Roma Termini to Bari Centrale at 5:00 PM. Arrive 9:14 PM.
Check into Hotel Excelsior Bari
Nice hotel. Best feature is that it is the great location – next street over from the train station, and plenty of restaurants nearby within walking distance.
Late dinner at My Dimsum – was craving asian food. Delicious food and open late.
Cascate del Mulino
My Dimsum
Sat, 9/30: Puglia – Bari + Polignano A Mare
Pick up rental car at train station, Autovia
Autovia rental desk is at the train station, but the actual car park is a 10 min walk from the station, so take that into consideration.
Check in hotel Hi Hotel Bari
A little removed from the city center, but beautiful hotel. We also loved that they have a self-serve food station open 24/7.
Explore Bari
We loved Bari, a “cool” city. Spots open late, lively at night.
Bari Old Town
Piazza Mercantile
Explore Polignano a Mare
About 40 min drive from Bari. MUST visit, so very beautiful. Worth just walking around the city for a few hours.
A lot of the streets cars are not allowed down, so you can park in a parking lot and explore easily on foot.
Visit the iconic Lama Monachile beach
Even if you don’t plan on swimming, it’s a breathtaking view. Can watch locals cliff-jump.
We had lunch at Pic Nic – delicious
We didn’t do these, but others have recommended
Iconic restaurant Grotto Palace ($190/pp, and food not that great)
Can do a private boat tour $200 for 2 hrs
Polignano a Mare
Lama Monachile
Polignano a Mare was really a beautiful town
Polignano a Mare
Sun, 10/1: Puglia – Alberobello + Ostuni
Alberobello
About 50 min drive from Bari.
Home of the Truli houses, mid-14th century dwellings. UNESCO Heritage site.
Somewhat hard to figure out where to park, so here’s where we parked.
Will probably spend 2 hrs here, with walking around and lunch.
Ostuni
About 40 min drive from Alberobello, and an hour drive to Bari.
Absolutely gorgeous views with all white buildings. Beautiful town to walk around in, also stays lively late. Recommend going a couple hours before sunset, so you can walk around and staying around for sunset views also.
Dinner @ Dish at 7 PM — recommend making a reservation beforehand
Has amazing views. Food was okay, but could definitely get good food elsewhere in town for cheaper. And you can see the views without eating at the restaurant.
Alberobello, truli houses
Ostuni
Ostuni is perhaps even more beautiful at night
Mon, 10/2: Amalfi Coast – Sorrento
Return car
Train from Bari Centrale to Naples at 12:45
Arrive Napoli Centrale at 4:34
Ferry/train/taxi to Sorrento
Ferries end by 5 pm. After that you can take a taxi ($$$) or the train from Napoli P. Garibaldi (which is connected to Napoli Centrale station)
Check in to Hotel Corallo Sorrento
Hotel is pricey. We stayed in the deluxe room for one night, which was lack luster, but the executive room was great. The real selling factor is the hotel grounds and the AMAZING views. Great, nice staff. Also, was fantastic having the free shuttle to Sorrento town center.
Went into the town center for dinner, there’s countless restaurants to choose from.
view from Hotel Corallo Sorrento
Hotel Corallo Sorrento
Tue, 10/3: Amalfi Coast – Positano
Ferry from Sorrento to Positano
Positano
Arienzo Beach club - popular black sand (more like pebble) beach
Pricey, but nice experience and comes with food and drink. Nice music.
Hike Path of Gods – we didn’t end up doing this
Amalfi
We didn’t end up going to Amalfi city. Hard to arrange multiple cities in one day with the ferry times, but if you have time, would be nice to visit.
Dinner at hotel restaurant
Positano
boat to Arienzo Beach Club
Arienzo Beach Club
Wed, 10/4: Amalfi Coast – Capri
Ferry from Sorrento to Capri
Capri
Blue Grotto Tour
Can book tour once you arrive to Capri. Best to go early, to avoid having a long wait.
For the tour, you will take a boat to the cave, and wait on the boat (can wait for up to 2 hours) until it is your boat’s turn. Then, in small groups of 2-4, you will transfer into a small rowboat to enter the cave. You’re only in the cave for maybe 2-3 minutes, but it is a beautiful experience.
Gardini di Augusto — has amazing view points
Monte Solaro Chairlift
Explore Capri town center – restaurants, shopping (with luxury stores)
Lunch at Molo
Capri
Capri is the only place on the Amalfi Coast that has luxury stores
on rowboat to enter Blue Grotto cave
Blue Grotto
Thur, 10/5: Rome
Spend morning exploring Sorrento
Ferry/train/taxi to Naples
Train from Napoli Centrale to Rome at 3:55 PM (arrive at 5:05 PM)
Check into Adesso Hotel Rome
Nice, recently renovated. Very close to Roma Tirburtina station, across the street.
Shopping in Rome
Dinner at Trattoria La Tavernetta Pizzeria
Fri, 10/6
Train from Roma Tirburtine to Roma airport (FCO)
If you are doing VAT Tax refund, recommend getting to the airport at least 3 hours before your flight!
Depart Rome
Justine departs at 11:00
Dolly departs at 10:00
sunset boat ferry ride back to Sorrento
If you plan to follow our itinerary, it is pretty busy trip, with a lot of bookings and things to organize. It can quickly get overwhelming. I’ll share the checklist I made of bookings to do, as it helped me keep track.
BOOKINGS TO DO LIST:
HOTELS
Rome hotel 10/5-6
Como hotel 9/25-28
Amalfi hotel 10/2-5
Puglia hotel 9/29-10/2
Saturnia hotel 9/28-29
TRAINS
Amalfi to rome 10/5
Como to florence 9/28
Milan to como 9/25
Bari to Amalfi 10/2
Rome to Bari, Puglia 9/29
RENTAL CARS
Rental Car for pickup in Florence drop in Rome 9/28-29
Rental car for Puglia 9/29-10/2
