“In Europe in August it´s like they´ve dropped some kind of bomb.”
So said the Italian choreographer Luca Veggetti.
A bomb that populates the major cities with tourists, I´d add.
I stopped in Rome for a day, but I felt like I was queing for rides in Disneyworld. I spent a day in Naples, but the summer heat only added to the hecticness. I choose to go further south, to a smaller city, Salerno.
Salerno is a great home base for exploring the beautiful Cilento region with day-trips, all the while savoring the same Italian delicacies of the larger cities. From Salerno, I recommend 3 places: Paestum, Palinuro and Capri, all easy day trips, though you may be enchanted to stay longer.
Train Tip: Public transport from Salerno operates on a timed system. Yes, you can stand in the ticket line at the Salerno train station and buy a ticket to Palinuro or Paestum. But you can also go to the Tabac shop in the same station and buy a timed-card. For a few Euros, you can buy a card a variety of minutes (such as 60, 90 or 180) that you can stamp on the train or bus and travel with. It saves time to buy several of these for day trips around Salerno. I used a 60 minute card to get to Paestum, and a 180 minute card to get to Palinuro.
And note that trains in Italy are often late. So often, that the announcement board features a column to note how late the train will be, as though it is expected. Some many find this frustrating, but I, a natural procrastinator, came to find it charming knowing that usually I could arrive at the station 5 or 10 minutes late and be fine.
Show On MapBenjamin Thomas
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