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  1. #21
    Join Date
    Feb 2007
    Location
    Los Angeles
    Quote Originally Posted by A-Tex Devil View Post
    I can always count on a search through DBR to find what I am looking for. I am getting married labor day weekend, and the current plan (for now) is to do pretty much the same thing Jason said up thread (just 21 years later ).

    I've been to the big cities (Rome, Florence, Venice) and Cinque Terra before. Rome was by far my favorite, so the plan is to start there for a few days. My fiancee wants some "life experiences" as part of the honeymoon, and I thought Rome might be that for her. I know I've been dying to go back.

    The rest of the trip (5-6 days), relaxation is key. Isle of Capri and Sardinia are a little out of our budget, so we are thinking Amalfi Coast since the beaches are supposed to be great and neither of us has been there. Can you sit on the beaches of the Amalfi coast, go to the spas and have dinner, and not get bored? Or is it pretty necessary to make day trips each day to make the trip fulfilling.

    Generally what she wants is 2-3 days at a bucket list city, then 5-6 days relaxing with little to no travel. If I could combine Rome with 2 days at a higher end all-inclusive Caribbean resort, I would. Unfortunately, Greece and Hawaii are out for various reasons. So as alternatives to the Amalfi coast, if we are looking for more of a sun & snorkel "inclusive" type locale for the second 2/3rds of the trip, are there any recommendations within a 2 hour flight from Rome? Can Amalfi fit that description?

    Thanks!!
    \
    A-Tex - first of all, congratulations!

    We honeymooned in Italy too, although I can't believe it was 9 years ago already. We had both been to Italy a couple of times prior, mainly to the big cities, so we decided to not do Rome or Venice, and just went into Florence for one day. Instead, we started on the island of Ischia for about 4 days, which was beautiful, had one day on Capri, and then spent time on the Amalfi Coast, several days in Tuscany, and then finished up on the Italian Rivera. All were fabulous in their own ways. Happy to describe further if you like.

    As for the Amalfi Coast in particular, while there are a couple of quasi-"sights" to see, it's not really about that at all. There are a number of charming and beautiful towns that make up the Coast area, and you can day trip easily to all of them. You should know, though, that we didn't get a terrific beach vibe from this area. It's not Hawaii. The weather is not consistently hot, a lot of the beaches are rocky and small -- it's just not that kind of culture. We actually found the beaches up on the Riviera to be more enjoyable -- bigger, sandier, and really more a part of life there. There are a number of gorgeous towns that constitute the Italian Riviera too -- don't miss them! Big picture is that all of these areas are extremely relaxing and beautiful. Not in a "sit on your beach chair and drink fruity drinks" kind of way, if that's what you and your wife-to-be are looking for, but in a more, well, European way.

    Hope this helps and again, congrats!

  2. #22
    Join Date
    Feb 2007
    Location
    New Jersey
    Quote Originally Posted by A-Tex Devil View Post
    Can you sit on the beaches of the Amalfi coast, go to the spas and have dinner, and not get bored? Or is it pretty necessary to make day trips each day to make the trip fulfilling.

    Generally what she wants is 2-3 days at a bucket list city, then 5-6 days relaxing with little to no travel. If I could combine Rome with 2 days at a higher end all-inclusive Caribbean resort, I would. Unfortunately, Greece and Hawaii are out for various reasons. So as alternatives to the Amalfi coast, if we are looking for more of a sun & snorkel "inclusive" type locale for the second 2/3rds of the trip, are there any recommendations within a 2 hour flight from Rome? Can Amalfi fit that description?
    I went to Italy on my honeymoon 15 years ago and we spent time in Venice, Florence, and Rome, but also wanted to add a "chill out" portion to the trip so we went to Positano on the Amalfi Coast as our last stop for 3-4 days. We stayed in a hotel called Le Sirenuse (http://www.sirenuse.it/) which was absolutely gorgeous, but admittedly very expensive. We justified it with "once in a lifetime" and did not regret spending the money. Now that I have two kids, I would have no problem going anywhere, having spa treatments, dinner, wine etc. and not get bored. But if sitting on the beach or the pool and doing those things isn't enough, I'm not sure what to tell you. I don't think they have snorkeling and stuff like that there but, again, I was there 15 years ago so maybe things have changed. Positano does have little boutiques and artisans so you can walk around and shop. We did make a day trip to Capri, which was fine, but after 10 days of sightseeing in 3 beautiful, historic cities, I would have been just as happy sitting on my butt and enjoying the views, culture, food and people.
    Rich
    "Failure is Not a Destination"
    Coach K on the Dan Patrick Show, December 22, 2016

  3. #23
    Join Date
    Feb 2007
    Location
    Los Angeles
    He's right. Le Sirenuse is incredible, but very expensive, as is their restaurant. There are lots of other lovely hotels and absolutely delicious restaurants in Positano as well, but the decision on whether to splurge on the #1 place is of course yours. In fact, I'd be cognizant of pricing with regards to this whole trip. We just got back from Barcelona and London, and I was really surprised at how weak the dollar was, and how expensive everything was. Put it this way: my wife did a lot more window shopping than she did actual purchasing.

  4. #24
    Join Date
    Feb 2007
    Location
    Austin, TX
    Thanks, all. This is very helpful.

  5. #25
    Join Date
    Feb 2008
    Location
    Charlotte, North Carolina

    Honeymoon in Venice

    My wife and I honeymooned in Venice. We stayed 9 days. Everyone told us it would be too long for just Venice, but, um, it's a HONEYMOON. If you're travelling to tour, Venice is a 3-5 day stay, tops. For a honeymoon, it was absolutely perfect to stay there for the entire trip. We did one day at Murano which was very interesting. My wife is Catholic, so we really enjoyed exploring the gorgeous churches all around the city.

    We stayed at Palazzo SantAngelo http://www.palazzosantangelo.com/

    It wasn't cheap, but it was doable for a special occassion. Our suite had a huge bathroom, king-size bed, and a balcony overlooking the Grand Canal with the Rialto Bridge in view. There is a vaporetto stop literally at the hotel. It's very central and an easy walk to San Marco, Rialto, etc. The food in the hotel was only so-so, which wasn't a big deal since it was Venice. The bar in the hotel had some nice drinks, although the bartender was out sick and his girlfriend/hotel maid was filling in reading the recipes off a menu. She was amenable to my wife and I telling her how to make the drinks, so win-win.

    It was a really perfect honeymoon. Like I mentioned, if you're planning on doing touring, Venice isn't a 9 day stay. If you're planning on just relaxing, honeymooning, and would like to explore one remarkable, history-filled city in depth, Venice is great and truly unforgettable.

  6. #26
    It has been a number of years and it might have been the fact that it was the first meal in Italy, but 2 of the 3 of us wanted to go back while we were in Venice: http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Restaur...ce_Veneto.html

    One of my favorite activities was getting up early and attending a Gregorian Chant mass. We got there early and the priests were back in the choir practicing. The sound just kind of washed over us. It was incredible.

    Congratulations on you upcoming wedding. Have a great time in Italy.

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