Europe Trip (UPDATE)

"Wrong Wheel Drive (41%)" (rduncan5678)
01/16/2016 at 20:13 • Filed to: None

Earlier today, my girlfriend and I booked some flights to Europe and came up with a tentative plan. Flying to Rome, Italy via Bergen, Norway (from NY). Spending a day in Norway with a rental car. Then spending the week in Italy and somehow getting home.

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Well now we have booked a return flight and figured out the rest of the details! We are now returning with a direct flight from Naples to NY on Monday 6/5 (heading out there Friday 5/27). That flight was just shy of $300 which is great! Round trip flying cost of ~$550.

Anyways, the fun part of the adventure is now we are going to use the extra time in Italy to plan out a fun road trip! So overall, the time spent in Italy will be split between Rome (not driving), Tuscany (lots of driving), and the Amalfi Coast (more driving). Right now the plan is to spend the first few days in Rome, then rent a car and head up to Tuscany (not sure where, but fun roads should be plentiful!), and then head down to the Amalfi coast for a few days, and fly out of Naples on Monday.

Now, what I need to figure out are some super fun driving roads to hit up! Thanks to the suggestion, we will try to have a route pass by the Ferarri Factory/Muesum and do a tour there. We also need to make sure we sample some of the best food in the region and put the rental car to it’s limits (shouldnt be too hard with a cheapo European car). Not sure what car I will get but at least no matter what it will be manual!!

DISCUSSION (21)

bob and john > Wrong Wheel Drive (41%)
01/16/2016 at 20:22

for food, look for the autogare pit stops. tits just pitstops along the highway, but the food is AMAZING. i was shocked.

when i went we didnt really spend too much time in the south, so cant recommend roads there. we were mainly in the northern part of italy within the alps

also, you CAN get a auto rental in europe. they might give it to you assuming u is american and dont know how to drive stick (happened to my dad once)

duurtlang > bob and john
01/16/2016 at 20:26

Usually you have to specifically indicate you want an automatic,
and you’ll have to pay extra. Many vehicle classes won’t have an auto option. However, if it’s a rental place that frequently deals with Americans all bets are off.

Laird Andrew Neby Bradleigh > Wrong Wheel Drive (41%)
01/16/2016 at 20:27

Sounds awesome, if you like food that’s not a cheeseburger I’d recommend Valeri Pizza og Kebab in Bergen (Nygårdsgaten 41), order the rullekebab lam.

Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) > Laird Andrew Neby Bradleigh
01/16/2016 at 20:31

Excellent. Hopefully my not even knowing what language they speak in Norway doesnt hinder my ability to order that! That sounds delicious though, definitely will be avoiding anything I could just get in the US. That is right what I am looking for.

Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) > duurtlang
01/16/2016 at 20:32

Yeah I definitely dont want an automatic. Would totally ruin the experience.

Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) > bob and john
01/16/2016 at 20:34

I will definitely check out the pit stops. Plan on taking non-highway routes mostly just to enjoy more scenery but I know we will eventually want the faster routes, so I will try out these for sure. Hopefully tolls are not too crazy though.

Laird Andrew Neby Bradleigh > Wrong Wheel Drive (41%)
01/16/2016 at 20:35

In Norway we speak Norwegian ;P But most people speak English rather well, and most people speak either French, German or Spanish as well.. The guys at the kebabshops usually speak English to some degree and tend to be fluent in arabic ;)

Porsche was my first word > Wrong Wheel Drive (41%)
01/16/2016 at 20:45

Maybe you can get a Alfa Romeo MiTo. Then you can check “owning an Alfa” off your list as well.

For food go to the places were you don’t find too much tourists. Eat were the Italians eat. Don’t stick to pizza and lasagne, italien food has so much more to offer like Ossobuco, Saltimboca Romana, Strangolapreti.

Don’t wonder about Pasta-dishes sizes, there are the first of two main dishes usually. For startes have Bruschetta or Antipasti mista (mixed starters, a little bit of everything).

Make sure you finish your meals with a caffè (it’s espresso). Cappuccino and Latte Macchiato are only enjoyed before around 12 a.m.

You can find nice sandwiches and perfect coffee all along the autostrada.

BKosher84 > Wrong Wheel Drive (41%)
01/16/2016 at 21:17

Me Scusi?

Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) > Laird Andrew Neby Bradleigh
01/16/2016 at 21:24

I feel like quite the uncultured American. Knowing only English and a small amount of Spanish. And some random phrases in German. I figured getting by with English would work for the most part. But I definitely want to learn some Norwegian just out of respect by visiting the country. There was an app I used when visiting Austria, it was pretty helpful in getting basic stuff.

Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) > Porsche was my first word
01/16/2016 at 21:28

Idk what those foods are but they sound very Italian and must be good! I am not a big coffee fan but I think I will have to try the espresso just because it is a thing in Italy. For the first time ever, saying “When in Rome” will actually be relevant.

Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) > BKosher84
01/16/2016 at 21:28

This is what I expect on the trains in Rome.

Laird Andrew Neby Bradleigh > Wrong Wheel Drive (41%)
01/16/2016 at 21:34

No need to feel uncultured mate :) English is pretty much spoken by 80% of the people here in Norway.

TownaceNoah > Laird Andrew Neby Bradleigh
01/16/2016 at 22:07

Maybe better to not try to speak German though?

Laird Andrew Neby Bradleigh > TownaceNoah
01/16/2016 at 22:09

Lot’s of us speak/understand German. Not a problem at all.

TownaceNoah > Laird Andrew Neby Bradleigh
01/16/2016 at 22:16

I don’t doubt it. It’s just that when we visited the western fjords (twenty years ago, granted) there seemed to be some lingering resentment about, um, certain events , which had occurred a half century earlier.

Laird Andrew Neby Bradleigh > TownaceNoah
01/16/2016 at 22:18

Ahh.. yeah.. well.. Uhm. Speaking German = just fine. Talking about what happened back then = not that fine.

valsidalv, reminding you that infiniti is an option > Wrong Wheel Drive (41%)
01/16/2016 at 23:11

If you’re gonna do the Ferrari museum then check of Lambo as well, which is not too far away. The museum is small but there are very positive reviews of the factory tour, so consider that. Ducati museum is also in Bologna, I think.

Cé hé sin > Laird Andrew Neby Bradleigh
01/17/2016 at 10:34

Yes, right wing politicians in Denmark talk disparagingly of immigrants speaking “pizza Danish” and I suppose the equivalent elsewhere. I was in Sweden a couple of years ago and the first time I had any language difficulty was when I tried to buy a tuna salad from someone who spoke only Immigrant plus pidgin Swedish so I had to look through the menu and see if I could pronounce “tonfisksaladd” comprehensibly..

Laird Andrew Neby Bradleigh > Cé hé sin
01/18/2016 at 11:31

Yeah.. I’ve got zero problems with immigrants really.. And I understand that having a job will make it easier to learn the local language, but for gods sake don’t let someone who don’t speak neither English nor the local language work alone :P

Liam Farrell > Wrong Wheel Drive (41%)
01/22/2016 at 08:23

You are perfectly fine in Italy, most people know basic English and if they don’t they will go find someone who does. Last winter we stayed in Rome for a few nights and it was great, we did some walking tours and the Vatican and coliseum.

We just totally drove right through Naples without stopping, the mob is very big there. We stopped at Pompeii and did a private tour there. The group tours looked awful, little kids running around and climbing everything, old people holding the group up. It was only a little more for a much more enjoyable experience. Amalfi, Sorrento, and Positano were amazing. The roads around there are pretty sketchy with huge tour buses lumbering around corners. There are pull offs where you can take pictures and such. Every few miles there is a small town/village with very local restaurants.

We did a cruise so we didn't get as much time to explore but it was still great.