Starting to plan a 50th anniversary trip to Italy for one month. Would like to stay in one place, a small town with an excellent market, wonderful restaurants and good connections to other sites. Looking for good weather in mid April to mid May. Please share your recommendations.

I'd definitely pick somewhere in Sicily. Pretty much any City/town in Sicily will fit your bill.

Farnaz We’ve been considering Sicily, have not been there so would welcome a couple recommendations.

Wende Sicily is good if you’re renting a car. If not, cross-island travel is inconvenient. It’s easy to go up and down the east coast (from Catania) or around the northwest coast (around Palermo) but anything not on those “lines” has infrequent or no bus/train service. If you’ve got a rental car you can easily go anywhere though.

We accidently ended up in this town. It was amazing! It was close to Palermo, the people were super friendly, amazing little restaurants. https://www.italythisway.com/places/terrasini.php

Tuscany is also very beautiful. We stayed in Poppi which was close to both Rome and Florence.

Sienna, or anywhere in Tuscany

Take a look at Sorrento

April may it can be quite hot but if you are by the sea it should be nice
Lots to choose from almost everywhere

Florence is an awesome city. Easy to walk everywhere, lots to see & do, but also good train connections for day trips. Sorrento is also beautiful, but a bit more difficult and limted to do day trips.

Cinque Terre

Barb
Puglia!

Barb would you recommend a particular place in Puglia? By the water would be nice.

Wende We flew into Bari, our base a gorgeous Trulli between Locorontondo and Alberobello (hilltop towns) and you can drive back to the sea half an hour away. We visited beautiful hilltop towns and the caves all around the area and also the gem of Lecce. All drivable distances and very affordable.

Sounds lovely, could you PM me the Trulli info.

Barb I think I found it on airbnb. Thank you for sharing, it looks like a really interesting area that I had not considered.

Wende Alberobella is a Unesco world heritage site because it has the Trulli’s and many have been converted. No A\C required when your walls are 14” thick. I will try and find the name for you - it had a pool and lovely courtyard

We stayed in one with a kitchen with an additional loft bedroom and our 6 yr old was with us too.

Barb, thank you for suggesting Puglia. After doing a lot of research we have decided to establish our base in Polignano a Mare and do day trips from there. Found a beautiful house on airbnb which is in the historic centre with a large terrace overlooking the sea. Without your input would have never considered this area and it looks like a gem.

Santa maria al bagno! It’s quaint and quiet on the sea and easy driving access to the rest of Puglia. We flew into Brindisi and rented a car there. Highly recommend doing a boat day out of gallipoli. The water is unreal green.

Sorrento for sure. We felt very safe there and there are plenty of great day trips from there. Florence was nice, but very dirty, crowded and there seemed to be far more pan handlers/pick pockets working the crowds.

Debbie Thanks, Sorrento does sound like a good base and also seems to have good logistics.

Wende when you take the train from naples w your luggage, I recommend the express train (Campazi) over the local (circumvanazia) commuter train. We took the commuter train as the timing worked out, but were packed in with a billion people and we spent the whole time stressed we would be pick pocketed it was hot and took a long time with few places to sit. There are less Express trains per day and they cost slightly more I think it was $8euros vs like 3 or 4. But they run on the same track, have air conditioning and are only about 25% full since they dont stop at every station (there are about 45 between naples and Sorrento).

Thanks again for the heads up on that. Would you recommend a particular area in Sorrento for accommodation?

Wende we stayed at a hotel across the street from the ferry terminal. Which was nice, and had an ocean front view, but we did not have a car so getting to it was a trek as it's well below the main town. If you're there a long time, try an air b&b up top.

I so agree.. we ALWAYS take the express trains ....so worth it...

Cinque Terre 100% -small town feel with lots to do, delicious food, great hike and beaches

Eat the pizza drink the wine

6ģ

Lucca, in Tuscany. Spent 2 weeks there...beautiful Arno Valley. Central to Florence, Siena, Pisa. Loved it...