A luxurious, coastal Italian town if ever there was one, Sorrento offers a great selection of high-end ‘where to stay’ options; but budget travelers will have a hard time of it. Nevertheless, you’ll find a small selection of budget hotel recommendations below. The following ‘where to stay’ options are organized by hotel star rating, beginning […]
The Good Life at the Grand Hotel President Sorrento
On our last trip to Italy, we enjoyed a two-night complimentary stay at the Grand Hotel President in Sorrento. After several days in Rome and two nights in gritty Naples, we were ready for a respite and the Grand Hotel President Sorrento proved to be just that. Set a few miles high above Sorrento (the gateway to […]
Hiring a Tour Guide: Is it Worth it?
My husband, Bill, and I had never hired a private tour guide before our recent trip to Italy. In the past, we read our guidebooks, consulted the internet, and reviewed EuropeUpClose.com to see what our writers had to say. We then did our own thing. We have also been part of large group tours, but this experience showed us the value […]
Viewing the Lives of Pompeii, Italy’s Elite
Pompeii is one of the leading sights in all of Italy because it takes visitors into the past, one that not only surrounds them on all sides, but which resembles the present. Originally, I’d questioned the necessity of visiting Pompeii after hearing that it is a tourist trap. In the spring, school groups fill the buildings and […]
Pompeii, Italy: Where Time Stands Still
Some 2,000 years ago, Pompeii, Italy was a thriving city of shops, taverns, workshops, theatrical shows, and homes with elaborate courtyards. Then, one disastrous August day, Mount Vesuvius blew. The volcano’s eruption smothered Pompeii and everything in it under 60 feet of ash. There the city lay, untouched, until excavation began in the 18th century. Today […]