Customer Blog: Italian Adventure by Train October 2024

Tourism in 3 Italian cities; Florence, Pisa Bologna. ================================ Lucy arranged our 3 city holiday to Pisa, Bologna and Florence, travelling through Italy by train. As we have used Lucy’s travel services several times before, we knew that she’d find us great places to stay that were convenient and comfy. What we noticed most was how tourism is shaping these three places. We rated the least touristy on our trip – Bologna. Our second location, Bologna is a lovely place to stroll and eat. It is packed with restaurants and bars all encouraging you to try the local specialities, including mortadella, pasta dishes, Parma ham and Parmesan cheese. If you love Italian food, this is the place for a long weekend destination. The old city is compact with plenty to see and do. Bologna feels a genuine mix of tourism and real life. There are enough tourists to ensure everyone speaks English and information is supplied in Italian and English. Our hotel, close to the main square was excellent, it is the venue for a cartoon convention and our room was full of frescos and pictures left by cartoonists. We rated ‘MEDIUM’ touristy location on our trip -Pisa It was early October and the town had the end of season feel, with some restaurants opening just for lunch or dinner. The area round the tower and cathedral is packed with tourists, souvenirs stalls and cafes, but walk 5-10 minutes away into the town, towards the river and Pisa seems a genuine Tuscan town, with people going about their everyday business. There are unique shops, cafes and restaurants to explore. Lucy found us a comfy, quiet hotel mid-way between the train station and the leaning tower. Great for our stopover. We rated ‘Very Busy’ with lots of tourists on our trip - Florence Florence, jewel of the renaissance, world renowned, with iconic treasures art, architecture and ambiance is a unique treasure. So many ‘must see’ places and things. October is meant to be quieter, and it probably is compared to other times of year, but we found it packed compared to Bologna and Pisa. Even with the crowds, and masses of guided tour parties, it is an incredible place and if you are prepared to queue, and to pre-book well in advance you can see and do all the things the travel programmes show you. With a little research you can also find other places and things, that haven’t made the TV travelogues yet; amazing treasures, that would be 'must see' anywhere else, without the crowds. There are also areas to explore, walk a couple of streets off the main tourist trails to find family run trattoria, artisan ice cream, interesting individual shops and street markets that give a more genuine vibe. Lucy booked us a B&B slightly away from the key sights, and the tourist throng, close enough to be at the centre within minutes, far enough away to feel relaxed. All in all a brilliant holiday of varied locations and experiences. Thanks for arranging it, Lucy.