Italy - A place that will take a while to get off my head. Located in southern part of European continent. Italy is a country which is boot shaped. When Colosseum in Rome was considered as one of the seven wonders of the world that's when the image of Italy was built in my head. To enhance that feeling of wanting to see Colosseum became multiple folds with gladiator movie. And without exaggeration I have dreamt of being in Colosseum at least 3-4 times.
"If you are travelling to Italy , my sincere advise to you, be prepared for the safety of your luggage and your valuables because not in one city or two but every single place that I went to in Italy, it was buzzing with tales of theft. Even the ticket vending machines kept reiterating to beware of pick pockets."
Trip itinerary
Vienna - Prague - Vienna - Venice - Milan - Cinque Terre - Pisa - Rome - Naples - Rome.
Visa and tickets
Based on the country for which you are applying the visa, you will need to go through its details on vfs site. The site clearly mentions all the documents and procedures. http://www.vfsglobal.com/
As I was travelling to Czech Republic to meet my friend so I applied for Czech visa. You can apply for visa on vfs site. If your bio metrics are not done then you have to travel to Mumbai or Delhi for Czech visa. This bio metric is valid for 5 years.
Lately, air India has started its cheap flights to Vienna hence you might want to set up sky scanner alerts for least price to book your tickets.
Note
Reach visa centre only 15 minutes before, else you will have to wait outside the building in the sun
Internet browsing with printout will cost you 150 INR for 1/2 hour. As carrying laptop is not allowed hence you will have to deposit for 200 INR so might as well not take it along. Do not assume anything when it comes on to your documents. Take every single short trip, even from bus or car along with you. Every bank statement should be stamped by the bank else it will not be accepted.
Vienna
It's a city full of museum and history. My main reason to go to Vienna was
1) flight tickets to Vienna were cheaper
2) I could grab tickets to pink Floyd David Gilmour show - rattle that rocks show ticket in Vienna.
#stay
For any stay across Europe my suggestion would be to book from www.hostelworld.com as they have hostels with varied prices that can suit the pockets of people varying across ranges. You could book airbnb which will give you a lot of options but some/most of them are a further from the city centre and are definitely a lot more expensive. More expensive also means cleaner, nicer and bigger :)
In Vienna I stayed in wombats hostel and I totally recommend you guys to stay. The hostel was extremely helpful with a very friendly culture with welcome drink, free lockers and kitchen with lot of options to cook. The rooms were clean though little dingy.
#Food
You have many options to eat in Vienna starting from Chinese, continental to Italian. Based on what your palette is striving for you, you will find restaurants to acknowledge your taste buds.
#Places to visit
Schonburnn palace : to enter inside the ticket is for 13 euros. As my David gilmour show was here in the grounds I didn't go inside and instead enjoyed the amazing tunes of pink floyd on the ground.
Hofburg palace: The ticket to enter inside was 12.90 euros.
Vienna state opera
Natural history museum
Parliment
Vienna city hall
St. Stephen's cathedral
Karlskirche
Volksgarten
Maria Theresa Monument
Note the hop on hop off bus in Vienna is for 25 euros and somehow it didn't feel worth it. There is another option of yellow hop on hop off buses and that is for 17 euros. Even if it takes you to few places lesser, I certainly feel it's a much better option
#Travel around
There are metros, trams available all around the city. Take a 24 hours pass or a full day pass. A full day pass is valid only for that day till 12 am in the night but a 24 hours pass is valid from the time you buy till 24 hours. There are also options of 2 days, 3 days passes but as we were going to be in Vienna for only one day, we took a full day pass.
Prague
From Vienna my next destination from the travel point of view was Prague though I spent a day with my friends at Czech Republic Brno.
#Travel Around
To reach Prague from Brno, I booked a bus at http://regiojet.cz/ . with wifi and a welcome drink ( My recommendation is hot chocolate. It was yum) for 16 Euros to and fro.
There are buses and metros available from every place in the city. To go to St. Charles bridge from the bus stand I took a bus no.207. Just a little walk from there, took me to Charles bridge.
#Stay
There are lots of hostels available in Prague. I didn't stay in Prague and instead came back to Brno to spend another night over long chats of college time with friends. And if you don't know, Prague is known for its parties so you definitely dont want to miss them.
#Food
The place is very traveller friendly. You will get different cuisines within 5-7 Euros range.
Not to be missed are
Trdelnik ; Its a pastry baked with cinnamon and sugar. You can add ice cream in it and/Or Nutella. This was one of my to do list in Prague and well I definitely did it and loved it. Trdelink is so heavy that you might wanna consider it for a meal
#Places to Visit
Charles Bridge: The Charles Bridge is a famous historic bridge that crosses the Vltava river in Prague, Czech Republic.The bridge is 621 metres (2,037 ft) long and nearly 10 metres (33 ft) wide, resting on 16 arches shielded by ice guards. You can find lot of interesting paintings, jewellery and people painting caricatures. The bridge has a life of its own. People say that if you cross the Charle's bridge and rub one of the standing statue there and come back , then you are destined to come back to Prague again in your life.
Prague Castle : The castle is huge. To go into some placecs you dont have to buy the ticket but if you want to see Royal house etc. then you have to buy the ticket for 350 CZK. More details can be found
at https://www.hrad.cz/en/prague-castle-for-visitors/tickets
St. Vitus Cathedral : This is located within the castle and can be explored if you buy the ticket.
Old town square: The Astronomical clock is located on the south wall of Old town square. You can find Trdelnik, restaurants and other activities happening all around the Old town square.
Venice
What can one say about the beauty of Venice. It has come in my dreams. I have sat in the Gondola with my man and had the best wine in the world. And here I was in reality with my best woman ;)
#Stay
Camping Rialto: We stayed in camping Rialto which is the cheapest option in Venice. You get to stay in the tents which are clean and comfortable. The bathrooms are located a little further.
We had to pay 2 euros for the wifi and only one device can use it
There are no charging points in tents so you have to sit by the restaurant and charge which means all the guests will do that so you hardly get any free charging point
As its located away from the city so the only option for food is in their restaurant which is not the super best and super cheap option as they have no kitchen
We also heard of a lady loosing her mobile phone in the toilet so you might want to be very careful as management easily puts posters that we are not responsible for your loss or theft and has not bothered to get cctv's installed.
#Places to visit
From Grand Canal, you can get tickets to the following Islands and according to me they are a must visit places in Venice and your trip to Venice is not complete until you have been to these places. The ticket for these 3 islands is 25 Euros.
Burrano: an island of fishermen, lace makers, and colourfully painted houses.
Murano: known for its glass making, Glass Museum, and several historic churches.
Torcello: once a city larger than Venice; today, a bucolic island with a 1,000-year-old cathedral and a handful of outdoor restaurants.
Grand canal: The ticket for 25 Euros also includes a trip around the Grand canal
Gondola tour: If you want to make your dream of sitting in Gondola and sipping your favorite wine with your loved one, then be ready to shell out as much much 250 Euros.
Walk around the Grand Canal: Walk is something that comes for free in life ;). You can walk around the city of Venice in few hours and that will definitely be one of the most satisfying experience
#Eat
There are many restaurants available around the Grand Canyon. In some of the restaurants you also have discounts and options of Lasgna/Pasta with salad, bread and a drink for as much as 7 Euros and this would be the best deal as it gives you enough to fill your stomach and also to make you taste most of what is available in Venice
Milan
From Venice to Milan, we took a flix bus which was very comfortable and luxurious. It had wifi and toilets. It took us 2.5 hours to reach Milan. https://www.flixbus.com/
Milan is the most populous metropolitan in Lombardy area. This is a beautiful city with the feel of fashion in the air. The city is well connected through Metros. Wherever you stay you have metros to Duomo which is the main attraction in the city
#Stay
We stayed in the hostel named Hostel California but for any one in Milan my suggestion would be to find hostel which are more closer. The problems with this hostel
Staff was out rightly rude: They swiped our card but it denied but the bank debited money so we asked for their help and they were in fight mode until we chilled them out and tried to talk it out. When we couldn't find the hostel and called them. They said we cant help, we have mentioned the direction, follow them as we cant understand where are you currently located.
The breakfast was mere croissant
The bathrooms were clean and the room were ventilated but with 12 beds in a room any room would seem claustrophobic.
It was very very far. Even if you take bus number 81. The place where it drops you, from there we had to walk almost 2 km.
#Places to visit
Milan Cathedral :The beautiful Duomo/Cathedral is a must go in Milan. It is always full of people so to avoid rush you might want to go there as early as possible. Get a ticket for 2 Euros which also allows you to go inside the cathedral and the museum right opposite to the cathedral.
Museum : Museum full of information related to people, labors , administration involved to build the cathedral. It was interesting and quite informative
Golden Triangle: As Milan is the fashion hub so if you want to see the best fashion brands and their awesome collections, then go nowhere else except Golden square.
The Last supper: Leonardo da Vinci’s masterpiece, “The Last Supper”, is one of the most famous paintings in the world. It covers a wall in the former dining hall of the monastery attached to the Church of Santa Maria delle Grazie. In order to reduce deterioration, admission is strictly limited to 25 people every fifteen minutes. Tickets are often sold out months in advance, so buy them as soon as you know you are visiting Milan. The ticket is for 5 Euros.
La Scala
It’s an easy walk from the Duomo, through the Galleria and on to La Scala, Milan’s famous opera house which opened in 1778. Here some of the world’s best singers and orchestras can be heard and famous ballets seen. If you cannot book tickets to one of the performances, a visit to the Museo Teatrale alla Scala ( Museum) also includes a visit to one of the boxes where you can look down on the stage. If the theatre is being used, you may not be able to go into the box, so check on the board outside or ask when you buy your tickets. The tickets can be bought at http://www.teatroallascala.org/en/index.html
You can get a 4 Euros full day pass and that can turn out to be very cheap as you can use it in Metros, buses and trams. If you dont have enough time or money to go around places then you can at least randomly sit in any tram or bus and go around the city and get the feel of the city
#Food
The food in Milan could be an expensive affair. You can get meals from 10 Euro to 15 Euro. In case you want some cheap food , you will have to search a bit though MC Donalds and Pizzas are available everywhere!
#Cinque Terre
Cinque terre is not a specific place but a province where there are 5 villages located. In case you are travelling to Italy and want to get the feel of country side which has mountains and oceans at same site then this is the place to be.
We took a taxi from Milan main station to La Spezia. From La Spezia we took a train to Rio maggiore. There are multiple trains available for 4 euros per person. This was one place where we got a bit confused as Riomaggiore is the first destination for trains going further so you will not find the information on information tvs but you will have to manually search on the board where there are charts about which train goes via Riomaggiore.
Also, due to some construction, some trains were cancelled but were still mentioned in the information tv. And in case you believe that trains only get delayed in India, you can taste the delay even there.
The train which was supposed to reach at 7:30 finally came at 11 in the night :)
#Stay
Hostel world site can give you many options but we chose to stay in Affittacamere Stella Cinque Terre. This was a really nice place with Kitchen. We got a room which had a little separation and a balcony to ourselves and that made it more fun.
The owner was really nice and place was clean
#Place to visit
Below are the five villages which are the main attraction. You can trek from one village to other
RioMaggiore: Riomaggiore, which is the most eastern and the nearest village to La Spezia (connected by a scenic road), is named after the stream crossing it.
Monterosso al Mare: Monterosso has the best beaches of the Cinque Terre villages and the most wine shops, artisan shops, hotels and restaurants. The village is divided into two parts from San Cristoforo hill and the old part of the village, protected by a rock spur, still presents the maritime village.
Vernazza: Vernazza has a natural pier with a amphitheatre shape making it perhaps the most picturesque village of the Cinque Terre.
Corniglia : Placed on a steep promontory, with two exclusive small beaches at its sides, Corniglia can be reached from the railway
Manarola: The village of Manarola is surrounded by vines and is situated along a stream. The wine of Manarola is very famous and the "Via dell’ Amore" starts here: an easy to walk, paved path a distance of two kilometres, connecting Manarola to Riomaggiore.
The details of the trekking can be found at http://www.cinqueterre.eu.com/en/footpaths-cinqueterre
#Food
In Riomaggiore, on the main road , you will find many restaurants with pizza, pasta and amazing wines. In the hostel where we stayed, we had kitchen so we cooked our meals most of the time
The day we reached in Rio Maggiore, it was a world cup football semi final match so people were sitting on roads having beer and wine and shouting for Italy. The restaurants had put big screens and it was an amazing experience to just sit any where and see the amazing football match and the patriotism of people
Even though these are small villages, a lot of tourist come here so you will find the city buzzing early morning and till 11 p.m. -12 a.m. late in the night.
Pisa
We took a train from Riomaggiore to La Spezia and then our train to Pisa. You can get trains to Pisa very often for as less as 10 Euros in train italia which will make you reach in 3 hours. You also have more expensive options which makes you reach in an hour or so.
The best part of this journey was that our hostel was at a walking distance from the railway station
#Stay
Hostel Central, via Alberone. A clean place and very close to the station but the wifi was not at all working. You have to mandatorily take bed sheets if you don't have one of your own. There is no kitchen so you have to eat out.
#Food
Walking distance from the hostel, once you cross the railway station, you are into the city and everything is at a walk able distance.
#Places to visit
Leaning tower of Pisa : The ticket to go up in leaning tower of Pisa is 12 Euros. It definitely is worth it.
Walk around the square: This is a very small city and very beautiful too.You can just walk around , sit in the square , have a cup of coffee or a nice meal sitting in the open cafeterias.
The Cathedral, though it has a free entrance still requires a ticket to enter. You can use your Leaning Tower of Pisa ticket for entry.
The Baptistery and Camposanto require separate tickets for entry. These two monuments are exceptional to view from the outside but the inside is even more exciting. Experience the amazing acoustics of the Baptistry and the quiet beauty of the monumental cemetery.
The Sinopie Museum is a quiet reprieve from the busy Square of Miracles which highlights original drawings and artwork from Camposanto found after the near destruction during WWII
Rome
Well if you are going to Italy then how can you not go to Rome , Right? I also believed so until I got down at the railway station. This city is full of people. Outside the railway station its very dirty though the connectivity across the city is very good.
You can find mix breed of people though most of the people we talked to here or asked directions or help from were racist and annoying.
#Stay
We stayed in the hostel named sunshine which is a km or so from the station but walking that far can be a bit uncomfortable but good thing is its connected by the tram as well.
They give you coffee and croissant as breakfast. There is a small kitchen where you can only make tea. The wifi was slow here as well.
The lady who own's the place was very kind and helpful.
#Food
We ate at different places in Rome starting from Bangladeshi restaurants, to Indian to Italian obviously. You can get any kind of meal in any range in this place.
#Places to Visit
Colosseum: Obviously, if you are in Rome, then you must see the Colosseum. I have been dreaming of being in Colosseum since my childhood so for me it was a dream come true. There will be a major rush so be prepared to stand in line or you can book online. The ticket on the spot is for 12 Euro per person.
Vetican city: I know if I say that I didn't go inside the Vetican city, it will be considered like OMG how could you but honestly, first the heat,2nd the amount one has to walk and 3rd the exorbitant ticket price and 4th my satire for museums was over made me skip the Vetican city. I went all the way to the main entrance to realise that the ticket is for 29 Euros.
Roman Forum: In front of Colosseum you can find Roman forum which has the full roman excavations. You can go there to have a nicer view of Colosseum
There are many churches and museums but we gave them all a pass and instead just walked around the city.
All these places are very well connected by metro and trams. You can take a day pass and use it through out the city in metros buses and trams.
Naples
The city where Pizza was born and that was the only reason I wanted to go there and once I reached there I was so glad about my decision. The city had this feeling of being old and laid back. The moment I stepped there I felt really relaxed. May be because it was my last stretch of the travel and I was really tired of handling my luggage and the fear of theft ;). Sarcasm apart, it is really a beautiful city and must go if you want to have a feel of small lanes, nice people and everything a tourist could ask for.
#Food
If you are in the city where pizza was originated then you obviously must have the authentic pizza. As every shop claims of being original pizza makers and descendants of the family who made pizza first time. We went by what locals asked us to and tried pizza at Sorbillo! And it was definitely yummy. Surprisingly, they have no concept of veg pizza so if you are a vegetarian the only pizza you will get is Margarita but it will have loads and loads of cheeeeeeeeese!
#Stay
Hostel Pizza in Naples. The hostel is a bit inside but the crew is very friendly. They had some issues with over booking so you might want to reconfirm. They also have kitchen where you can cook. The breakfast is part of the stay and it is quite sumptuous. Some of the rooms were dingy but the one I stayed in was pretty nice.
#Places to visit
Mount Vesuvius: Its a must visit. Its around 6 miles from Naples city. The trail to the top climbs just under another 200m. For most people in reasonable condition its no problem but if you are not 100% fit or have a medical problem you may want to take advice.
Pompeii: was an ancient Roman town-city near modern Naples, in the Campania region of Italy. The ticket is around 16 Euros and yet again having traveled to so many museums and monuments, we let it pass.
Sorrento: If you are travelling to Naples, this is a must visit place as it will leave memory behind which you will treasure all your life.
Capri: If you want to have the experience of a lifetime then you must go to the Blue Grotto. It is a sea cave on the coast of the island of Capri, southern Italy. Sunlight, passes through an underwater cavity and shines through the seawater which creates a blue reflection that illuminates the cavern. This is a must visit if you have time and money :).More details at http://www.capri.com/en/s/la-grotta-azzurra
And from here I went back to Rome by train Italia and took my flight further to USA where I went for work :)!
Note:
For hostels before booking
"If you are travelling to Italy , my sincere advise to you, be prepared for the safety of your luggage and your valuables because not in one city or two but every single place that I went to in Italy, it was buzzing with tales of theft. Even the ticket vending machines kept reiterating to beware of pick pockets."
Trip itinerary
Vienna - Prague - Vienna - Venice - Milan - Cinque Terre - Pisa - Rome - Naples - Rome.
Visa and tickets
Based on the country for which you are applying the visa, you will need to go through its details on vfs site. The site clearly mentions all the documents and procedures. http://www.vfsglobal.com/
As I was travelling to Czech Republic to meet my friend so I applied for Czech visa. You can apply for visa on vfs site. If your bio metrics are not done then you have to travel to Mumbai or Delhi for Czech visa. This bio metric is valid for 5 years.
Lately, air India has started its cheap flights to Vienna hence you might want to set up sky scanner alerts for least price to book your tickets.
Note
Reach visa centre only 15 minutes before, else you will have to wait outside the building in the sun
Internet browsing with printout will cost you 150 INR for 1/2 hour. As carrying laptop is not allowed hence you will have to deposit for 200 INR so might as well not take it along. Do not assume anything when it comes on to your documents. Take every single short trip, even from bus or car along with you. Every bank statement should be stamped by the bank else it will not be accepted.
Vienna
It's a city full of museum and history. My main reason to go to Vienna was
1) flight tickets to Vienna were cheaper
2) I could grab tickets to pink Floyd David Gilmour show - rattle that rocks show ticket in Vienna.
#stay
For any stay across Europe my suggestion would be to book from www.hostelworld.com as they have hostels with varied prices that can suit the pockets of people varying across ranges. You could book airbnb which will give you a lot of options but some/most of them are a further from the city centre and are definitely a lot more expensive. More expensive also means cleaner, nicer and bigger :)
In Vienna I stayed in wombats hostel and I totally recommend you guys to stay. The hostel was extremely helpful with a very friendly culture with welcome drink, free lockers and kitchen with lot of options to cook. The rooms were clean though little dingy.
#Food
You have many options to eat in Vienna starting from Chinese, continental to Italian. Based on what your palette is striving for you, you will find restaurants to acknowledge your taste buds.
#Places to visit
Schonburnn palace : to enter inside the ticket is for 13 euros. As my David gilmour show was here in the grounds I didn't go inside and instead enjoyed the amazing tunes of pink floyd on the ground.
Hofburg palace: The ticket to enter inside was 12.90 euros.
Vienna state opera
Natural history museum
Parliment
Vienna city hall
St. Stephen's cathedral
Karlskirche
Volksgarten
Maria Theresa Monument
Note the hop on hop off bus in Vienna is for 25 euros and somehow it didn't feel worth it. There is another option of yellow hop on hop off buses and that is for 17 euros. Even if it takes you to few places lesser, I certainly feel it's a much better option
#Travel around
There are metros, trams available all around the city. Take a 24 hours pass or a full day pass. A full day pass is valid only for that day till 12 am in the night but a 24 hours pass is valid from the time you buy till 24 hours. There are also options of 2 days, 3 days passes but as we were going to be in Vienna for only one day, we took a full day pass.
Prague
From Vienna my next destination from the travel point of view was Prague though I spent a day with my friends at Czech Republic Brno.
#Travel Around
To reach Prague from Brno, I booked a bus at http://regiojet.cz/ . with wifi and a welcome drink ( My recommendation is hot chocolate. It was yum) for 16 Euros to and fro.
#Stay
There are lots of hostels available in Prague. I didn't stay in Prague and instead came back to Brno to spend another night over long chats of college time with friends. And if you don't know, Prague is known for its parties so you definitely dont want to miss them.
#Food
The place is very traveller friendly. You will get different cuisines within 5-7 Euros range.
Not to be missed are
Trdelnik ; Its a pastry baked with cinnamon and sugar. You can add ice cream in it and/Or Nutella. This was one of my to do list in Prague and well I definitely did it and loved it. Trdelink is so heavy that you might wanna consider it for a meal
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| Nutella Ice cream |
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| Trdelnik |
#Places to Visit
Charles Bridge: The Charles Bridge is a famous historic bridge that crosses the Vltava river in Prague, Czech Republic.The bridge is 621 metres (2,037 ft) long and nearly 10 metres (33 ft) wide, resting on 16 arches shielded by ice guards. You can find lot of interesting paintings, jewellery and people painting caricatures. The bridge has a life of its own. People say that if you cross the Charle's bridge and rub one of the standing statue there and come back , then you are destined to come back to Prague again in your life.
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| Statues all around Charles bridge |
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| All the people singing and having fun at the bridge |
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| The statue has really been rubbed |
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| Charle's bridge |
Prague Castle : The castle is huge. To go into some placecs you dont have to buy the ticket but if you want to see Royal house etc. then you have to buy the ticket for 350 CZK. More details can be found
at https://www.hrad.cz/en/prague-castle-for-visitors/tickets
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| Castle entrance |
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| The square |
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| They are real men!! Who dont move no matter what! |
St. Vitus Cathedral : This is located within the castle and can be explored if you buy the ticket.
Astronomical clock: The Prague astronomical clock, or Prague orloj is a medieval astronomical clock located in Prague, the capital of the Czech Republic. The clock was first installed in 1410, making it the third-oldest astronomical clock in the world and the oldest one still operating. To go on the top of the clock tower you have to buy a ticket of 100 Czk.
From the clock you can see many of the other places of Prague like the church and an Eiffel tower like structure , road leading to a cemetery. And obviously the view is amazing.
Old town square: The Astronomical clock is located on the south wall of Old town square. You can find Trdelnik, restaurants and other activities happening all around the Old town square.
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| The Astronomical clock |
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| The Square from clock tower |
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| Old cathedral from the tower |
Venice
What can one say about the beauty of Venice. It has come in my dreams. I have sat in the Gondola with my man and had the best wine in the world. And here I was in reality with my best woman ;)
#Stay
Camping Rialto: We stayed in camping Rialto which is the cheapest option in Venice. You get to stay in the tents which are clean and comfortable. The bathrooms are located a little further.
We had to pay 2 euros for the wifi and only one device can use it
There are no charging points in tents so you have to sit by the restaurant and charge which means all the guests will do that so you hardly get any free charging point
As its located away from the city so the only option for food is in their restaurant which is not the super best and super cheap option as they have no kitchen
We also heard of a lady loosing her mobile phone in the toilet so you might want to be very careful as management easily puts posters that we are not responsible for your loss or theft and has not bothered to get cctv's installed.
#Places to visit
From Grand Canal, you can get tickets to the following Islands and according to me they are a must visit places in Venice and your trip to Venice is not complete until you have been to these places. The ticket for these 3 islands is 25 Euros.
Burrano: an island of fishermen, lace makers, and colourfully painted houses.
Murano: known for its glass making, Glass Museum, and several historic churches.
Torcello: once a city larger than Venice; today, a bucolic island with a 1,000-year-old cathedral and a handful of outdoor restaurants.
Grand canal: The ticket for 25 Euros also includes a trip around the Grand canal
Gondola tour: If you want to make your dream of sitting in Gondola and sipping your favorite wine with your loved one, then be ready to shell out as much much 250 Euros.
Walk around the Grand Canal: Walk is something that comes for free in life ;). You can walk around the city of Venice in few hours and that will definitely be one of the most satisfying experience
#Eat
There are many restaurants available around the Grand Canyon. In some of the restaurants you also have discounts and options of Lasgna/Pasta with salad, bread and a drink for as much as 7 Euros and this would be the best deal as it gives you enough to fill your stomach and also to make you taste most of what is available in Venice
Milan
From Venice to Milan, we took a flix bus which was very comfortable and luxurious. It had wifi and toilets. It took us 2.5 hours to reach Milan. https://www.flixbus.com/
Milan is the most populous metropolitan in Lombardy area. This is a beautiful city with the feel of fashion in the air. The city is well connected through Metros. Wherever you stay you have metros to Duomo which is the main attraction in the city
#Stay
We stayed in the hostel named Hostel California but for any one in Milan my suggestion would be to find hostel which are more closer. The problems with this hostel
Staff was out rightly rude: They swiped our card but it denied but the bank debited money so we asked for their help and they were in fight mode until we chilled them out and tried to talk it out. When we couldn't find the hostel and called them. They said we cant help, we have mentioned the direction, follow them as we cant understand where are you currently located.
The breakfast was mere croissant
The bathrooms were clean and the room were ventilated but with 12 beds in a room any room would seem claustrophobic.
It was very very far. Even if you take bus number 81. The place where it drops you, from there we had to walk almost 2 km.
#Places to visit
Milan Cathedral :The beautiful Duomo/Cathedral is a must go in Milan. It is always full of people so to avoid rush you might want to go there as early as possible. Get a ticket for 2 Euros which also allows you to go inside the cathedral and the museum right opposite to the cathedral.
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| Milan cathedral |
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| Side view |
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| The Duomo |
Museum : Museum full of information related to people, labors , administration involved to build the cathedral. It was interesting and quite informative
Golden Triangle: As Milan is the fashion hub so if you want to see the best fashion brands and their awesome collections, then go nowhere else except Golden square.
The Last supper: Leonardo da Vinci’s masterpiece, “The Last Supper”, is one of the most famous paintings in the world. It covers a wall in the former dining hall of the monastery attached to the Church of Santa Maria delle Grazie. In order to reduce deterioration, admission is strictly limited to 25 people every fifteen minutes. Tickets are often sold out months in advance, so buy them as soon as you know you are visiting Milan. The ticket is for 5 Euros.
La Scala
It’s an easy walk from the Duomo, through the Galleria and on to La Scala, Milan’s famous opera house which opened in 1778. Here some of the world’s best singers and orchestras can be heard and famous ballets seen. If you cannot book tickets to one of the performances, a visit to the Museo Teatrale alla Scala ( Museum) also includes a visit to one of the boxes where you can look down on the stage. If the theatre is being used, you may not be able to go into the box, so check on the board outside or ask when you buy your tickets. The tickets can be bought at http://www.teatroallascala.org/en/index.html
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| Fountain at the sqaure |
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| On the way to Last supper painting |
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| Opposite the Duomo |
You can get a 4 Euros full day pass and that can turn out to be very cheap as you can use it in Metros, buses and trams. If you dont have enough time or money to go around places then you can at least randomly sit in any tram or bus and go around the city and get the feel of the city
#Food
The food in Milan could be an expensive affair. You can get meals from 10 Euro to 15 Euro. In case you want some cheap food , you will have to search a bit though MC Donalds and Pizzas are available everywhere!
#Cinque Terre
Cinque terre is not a specific place but a province where there are 5 villages located. In case you are travelling to Italy and want to get the feel of country side which has mountains and oceans at same site then this is the place to be.
We took a taxi from Milan main station to La Spezia. From La Spezia we took a train to Rio maggiore. There are multiple trains available for 4 euros per person. This was one place where we got a bit confused as Riomaggiore is the first destination for trains going further so you will not find the information on information tvs but you will have to manually search on the board where there are charts about which train goes via Riomaggiore.
Also, due to some construction, some trains were cancelled but were still mentioned in the information tv. And in case you believe that trains only get delayed in India, you can taste the delay even there.
The train which was supposed to reach at 7:30 finally came at 11 in the night :)
#Stay
Hostel world site can give you many options but we chose to stay in Affittacamere Stella Cinque Terre. This was a really nice place with Kitchen. We got a room which had a little separation and a balcony to ourselves and that made it more fun.
The owner was really nice and place was clean
#Place to visit
Below are the five villages which are the main attraction. You can trek from one village to other
RioMaggiore: Riomaggiore, which is the most eastern and the nearest village to La Spezia (connected by a scenic road), is named after the stream crossing it.
Monterosso al Mare: Monterosso has the best beaches of the Cinque Terre villages and the most wine shops, artisan shops, hotels and restaurants. The village is divided into two parts from San Cristoforo hill and the old part of the village, protected by a rock spur, still presents the maritime village.
Vernazza: Vernazza has a natural pier with a amphitheatre shape making it perhaps the most picturesque village of the Cinque Terre.
Corniglia : Placed on a steep promontory, with two exclusive small beaches at its sides, Corniglia can be reached from the railway
Manarola: The village of Manarola is surrounded by vines and is situated along a stream. The wine of Manarola is very famous and the "Via dell’ Amore" starts here: an easy to walk, paved path a distance of two kilometres, connecting Manarola to Riomaggiore.
The details of the trekking can be found at http://www.cinqueterre.eu.com/en/footpaths-cinqueterre
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| Rio Maggiore |
#Food
In Riomaggiore, on the main road , you will find many restaurants with pizza, pasta and amazing wines. In the hostel where we stayed, we had kitchen so we cooked our meals most of the time
The day we reached in Rio Maggiore, it was a world cup football semi final match so people were sitting on roads having beer and wine and shouting for Italy. The restaurants had put big screens and it was an amazing experience to just sit any where and see the amazing football match and the patriotism of people
Even though these are small villages, a lot of tourist come here so you will find the city buzzing early morning and till 11 p.m. -12 a.m. late in the night.
Pisa
We took a train from Riomaggiore to La Spezia and then our train to Pisa. You can get trains to Pisa very often for as less as 10 Euros in train italia which will make you reach in 3 hours. You also have more expensive options which makes you reach in an hour or so.
The best part of this journey was that our hostel was at a walking distance from the railway station
#Stay
Hostel Central, via Alberone. A clean place and very close to the station but the wifi was not at all working. You have to mandatorily take bed sheets if you don't have one of your own. There is no kitchen so you have to eat out.
Walking distance from the hostel, once you cross the railway station, you are into the city and everything is at a walk able distance.
#Places to visit
Leaning tower of Pisa : The ticket to go up in leaning tower of Pisa is 12 Euros. It definitely is worth it.
Walk around the square: This is a very small city and very beautiful too.You can just walk around , sit in the square , have a cup of coffee or a nice meal sitting in the open cafeterias.
The Cathedral, though it has a free entrance still requires a ticket to enter. You can use your Leaning Tower of Pisa ticket for entry.
The Baptistery and Camposanto require separate tickets for entry. These two monuments are exceptional to view from the outside but the inside is even more exciting. Experience the amazing acoustics of the Baptistry and the quiet beauty of the monumental cemetery.
The Sinopie Museum is a quiet reprieve from the busy Square of Miracles which highlights original drawings and artwork from Camposanto found after the near destruction during WWII
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| The cafe |
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| Pisa view |
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| Selfie at Pisa |
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| The Pisa |
Rome
Well if you are going to Italy then how can you not go to Rome , Right? I also believed so until I got down at the railway station. This city is full of people. Outside the railway station its very dirty though the connectivity across the city is very good.
You can find mix breed of people though most of the people we talked to here or asked directions or help from were racist and annoying.
#Stay
We stayed in the hostel named sunshine which is a km or so from the station but walking that far can be a bit uncomfortable but good thing is its connected by the tram as well.
They give you coffee and croissant as breakfast. There is a small kitchen where you can only make tea. The wifi was slow here as well.
The lady who own's the place was very kind and helpful.
#Food
We ate at different places in Rome starting from Bangladeshi restaurants, to Indian to Italian obviously. You can get any kind of meal in any range in this place.
#Places to Visit
Colosseum: Obviously, if you are in Rome, then you must see the Colosseum. I have been dreaming of being in Colosseum since my childhood so for me it was a dream come true. There will be a major rush so be prepared to stand in line or you can book online. The ticket on the spot is for 12 Euro per person.
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| My dream come true |
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| Inside the colosseum |
Vetican city: I know if I say that I didn't go inside the Vetican city, it will be considered like OMG how could you but honestly, first the heat,2nd the amount one has to walk and 3rd the exorbitant ticket price and 4th my satire for museums was over made me skip the Vetican city. I went all the way to the main entrance to realise that the ticket is for 29 Euros.
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| Vetican city gate |
Roman Forum: In front of Colosseum you can find Roman forum which has the full roman excavations. You can go there to have a nicer view of Colosseum
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| Roman empire |
There are many churches and museums but we gave them all a pass and instead just walked around the city.
All these places are very well connected by metro and trams. You can take a day pass and use it through out the city in metros buses and trams.
Naples
The city where Pizza was born and that was the only reason I wanted to go there and once I reached there I was so glad about my decision. The city had this feeling of being old and laid back. The moment I stepped there I felt really relaxed. May be because it was my last stretch of the travel and I was really tired of handling my luggage and the fear of theft ;). Sarcasm apart, it is really a beautiful city and must go if you want to have a feel of small lanes, nice people and everything a tourist could ask for.
#Food
If you are in the city where pizza was originated then you obviously must have the authentic pizza. As every shop claims of being original pizza makers and descendants of the family who made pizza first time. We went by what locals asked us to and tried pizza at Sorbillo! And it was definitely yummy. Surprisingly, they have no concept of veg pizza so if you are a vegetarian the only pizza you will get is Margarita but it will have loads and loads of cheeeeeeeeese!
#Stay
Hostel Pizza in Naples. The hostel is a bit inside but the crew is very friendly. They had some issues with over booking so you might want to reconfirm. They also have kitchen where you can cook. The breakfast is part of the stay and it is quite sumptuous. Some of the rooms were dingy but the one I stayed in was pretty nice.
#Places to visit
Mount Vesuvius: Its a must visit. Its around 6 miles from Naples city. The trail to the top climbs just under another 200m. For most people in reasonable condition its no problem but if you are not 100% fit or have a medical problem you may want to take advice.
The most common mistake by tourists is simply not to come prepared. Many turn up in T shirts not realising its a lot colder at this altitude than on the coast. You may need rain gear, you may need a hat, sun screen and lots of water - just be prepared.
Get more details at https://www.rometoolkit.com/whattodo/pompeii_vesuvius_bus.html
Pompeii: was an ancient Roman town-city near modern Naples, in the Campania region of Italy. The ticket is around 16 Euros and yet again having traveled to so many museums and monuments, we let it pass.
Sorrento: If you are travelling to Naples, this is a must visit place as it will leave memory behind which you will treasure all your life.
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| Leaving for Sorrento |
Capri: If you want to have the experience of a lifetime then you must go to the Blue Grotto. It is a sea cave on the coast of the island of Capri, southern Italy. Sunlight, passes through an underwater cavity and shines through the seawater which creates a blue reflection that illuminates the cavern. This is a must visit if you have time and money :).More details at http://www.capri.com/en/s/la-grotta-azzurra
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| Blue Grotto |
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| The Pizza |
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| City of Naples |
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| On the way to my hostel |
And from here I went back to Rome by train Italia and took my flight further to USA where I went for work :)!
Note:
- Be careful of your passport. Keep photocopies of passport, visa
- Definitely buy a sim and keep money in sim
- Buy a portable charger because if you are going to keep using phone for google maps then your battery is gonna get consumed easily.
- Do not leave your luggage unattended even for a second.Take chains, locks and always keep your luggage locked
For hostels before booking
- Confirm on check in time and check out time
- Make sure it's not too far from the city
- If you are on a budget trip you might want to check if they have an operating kitchen.
- W\ifi is free : on a travel you definitely need wifi and if you have to pay for it, you will absolutely hate it for sure!
