The Jewel Of Northern Italy: Lake Como

Today's guest post comes to us from Shane Mcc from NationalRVParks. Doesn't this make you want to visit Italy?

Any trip to Northern Italy should include a visit to Lake Como. It is a popular tourist destination because of its fresh air, water, mountains and great weather. This lake is so beautiful that many celebrities like George Clooney, Madonna, Sylvester Stallone and Gianni Versace have purchased property there. It has also served as the setting for movies including the Stars Wars. Its appeal is truly legendary.

This photo of Como is courtesy of TripAdvisor

My family, which includes my mother, father, brother and I, traveled to this pristine area of Northern Italy in October 2011 as a side trip while we were visitng Milan.  Lake Como is in close proximity to Milan, Italy. It is easily accessed by train from Stazione Centrale in downtown Milan.  It takes about 45 minutes to arrive. We left on a quiet Sunday afternoon in mid October.






St. Marks

After a short walk from the main train station called San Giovanni, we gazed open-mouthed at a vast expanse of clear, glass-like, calm water and almost in unison, a smile appeared on our faces. We all knew immediately why this area of Northern ltaly is so popular.



Santa Maria Dellfiore



The town of Como was our starting point to tour the lake.  It has various docks where boats are available for transportation to other towns on the lake.  The lake itself, is shaped like an inverted "Y", and is rimmed by small village-like towns that each have a dock for easy boarding and unboarding. 




Statue of David

These towns are rustic and quaint.  A visit to any of them is the quintessential Lake Como experience.  Towns like Tremezzo, where the gorgeous Villa Carlotta is a must see attraction, Mennaggio, with its small wine bars, gelatarias, and cafes, and, Bellagio, the "pearl of the lake" are all worthy of a  visit. 

 

      

Bellagio, in particular, was the most appealing for us.  We had lunch at a small trattoria situated along the lakeside.  I particularly remember a gentle breeze, soft sunshine and a breathtaking view of the surrounding mountains accompanying our bottle of Pinot Grigio and bruschetta. A pleasant lago di Como memory that i will always treasure. An interesting note is that the little town of Bellagio was Steve Wynn's, the well known Las Vegas impresario,  inspiration for the  Bellagio Hotel, the centerpiece of the  famous Las Vegas Strip. The essence of an old Italian villagio comes to life in its buccolic surroundings.  Bellagio is known as the "Pearl" of the Lake. Our visit to Bellagio will be incentive enough for us to come back.

This photo of Villa del Balbienella is courtesy of TripAdvisor

Bellagio also is the home of another must see attraction;  the Villa Balbienello (the location of the famous Star Wars wedding scene).  Its meticulously maintained grounds and its old world Italian architecture are of particular note.  

There are many other sleepy little towns and villages worthy of a visit on the Lake.  If you are fortunate enough to spend a few days there, you can really get a chance to explore and enjoy  Lago di Como . The only mistake that you can make about visiting Lake Como is not making plans to return. Please, take some time to view some photos taken of our perfect lake Como sojourn.

Make sure to visit Shane at NationalRVParks, follow him on Twitter or join him on Facebook. [All photos above are courtesy of Shane Mcc, unless otherwise noted.]

 

5 Ways to Pack Light and Save Money

We all want to take half our closet with us when we go on vacation in case we might need something. Guess what? You probably won’t need it. Just remember: the less you bring, the less you have to carry. With this in mind, start with a packing list and only add essentials to it. A packing list can help save you from over-packing and having to pay overweight baggage fees. In fact, traveling with only a carry-on can save you checked-bag fees as well. Think of the things you can spend that money on during your vacation when you’re putting back that sparkly party dress that you might wear.

Find stylish pieces that work together to extend your travel wardrobe and pack less. Bring neutral bottoms, so all your tops will match your bottoms and you can mix and match outfits. This allows you to take half as many articles with you. If you can find great looking travel clothing, this is even better, because they are lighter weight for more efficient packing and are made with quick-drying, moisture-wicking fabrics.

Take only two pair of shoes. Wear one on the plane and pack the second pair. There are so many fashionable walking shoes now that can double as dress shoes for a night on the town. Stick to the first rule and find travel shoes that match everything in your luggage. That way you won't feel like you need to take up your limited space with more options. It’s always good to give your shoes a test run before you go, too. Wear them to a variety of activities to see if they can stand up to vacation stress.

Use accessories to dress up an outfit. Sometimes you want to go out for a nice dinner, bar-hopping or a night of theater. Add a funky belt, cute jewelry pieces or a scarf to add pizzazz to something even as basic as a pair of jeans and a black tank. You'll be surprised what a few strategic pieces can do to make an outfit look completely different.

 

Bring products that do double (and triple) duty. Travel gadgets are one of my biggest weaknesses. If I can find an item that has multiple uses and saves space in my travel bag, it goes on my wish list. Something like an iPod Touch can eliminate the need to bring a DVD player and a handheld gaming device. 

Pack only travel-sized toiletries. There's no way you need a full-size shampoo, conditioner and hair spray for a five-day vacation, or even a two-week one. Look for these items in travel sizes or purchase small bottles that you can refill with your own product and put labels on them. This won't require you to check your bag and more than you think will fit in the 3-1-1 bag you're allowed to take through airport security. You can even buy travel hairdryers, flat irons, electric razors and curling irons. They can take up only half the space as your full-sized items, work just as well and are easy on your wallet.

New Things to Do in New Forest

Shakespeare’s play As You Like It takes place primarily in the Forest of Arden. When I think of New Forest, I feel like it must have the same atmosphere. Where those that want to get away from it all go to camp under the stars among the social outcasts, the trees and wildlife. I am aware that it’s probably not at all like the play, but in many ways, it actually is. Obviously, New Forest is a place to relax and get away from it all. You aren’t forced to camp or defend yourself from wild animals though.

Things to do for every budget and plenty to do for those who wish to save:

• Cycling
• Hiking
• Canoeing

• Gardens
• Beaulieu Gardens – Explore the lush gardens, palace house, abbey, motor museum and more for £19/11.25 or £49.75 for a family. The palace was home to the Montagu family and also includes an on-site vineyard.
• Lepe Country Park – Bring your swimsuit and towel to take advantage of over one mile of beach with amazing views. There is also a play area for the kids, D-Day remains and picnic facilities. Admission to the park is free.
• Braxton Gardens – Free to enter, the gardens feature over 450 roses in 100 varieties, a gift shop and tea rooms.

• Animals
• Liberty’s Owl Raptor and Reptile Centre – Marvel at a huge assortment of birds of prey and amazing reptiles. This is a great outing for little ones, because it is educational and fun. Admission is £7.95/£4.95.
• Longdown Activity Farm – Another fab activity for kids and adults alike. Get up close and personal with friendly farm animals, where you might get to bottle feed goats or calves. There are also indoor play areas and the farm shop where you can load up on fresh local foods, including meat and dairy products to take back and prepare in your holiday rental. Get in for just £7.95/£6.95.
• Marwell Wildlife – This zoo is over 140 acres and houses more than 250 exotic and endangered species, like giraffe-nosed catfishes and bat-eared foxes. Admission costs depend on the time of year: £14-18/£10-14.
• New Forest Tour Bus  – Want to see all of New Forest without having to hike there? The hop-on, hop-off bus runs two separate routes that can take you all over to experience all New Forest has to offer. Choose from 1, 2 or 5 day passes starting at £10/£4.

• Museums
• Ringwood Town and Country Experience – Vintage cars, a replica railway platform, olde shops and a smuggler’s display. This is sure to be a fun museum for everyone in the family. £12.50 for your whole family, or £4.75/£3.95 for adults and children.
• Sammy Miller Motorcycle Museum – Love to jump on a bike and feel the wind in your hair? With over 350 motorcycles on display, you’re bound to be in “hog” heaven. There are also tea rooms and shops on-site. Get in for just £6.90/£3.
• St. Barbe Museum and Gallery – Learn about the people and culture of the New Forest coast through hands-on displays, talks, workshops and more, then head to the gift shop and the art galleries. Affordable entry fees at £4/£2 or £10 for a family of six.

Have you ever gone to New Forest?

Live and Learn in London

Live and Learn is a series from Shereen Travels Cheap where I share my travel snafus with you in order that you may learn from them and not repeat them.

I feel like there will always be a learning opportunity whenever I travel, but this was my first time abroad, so maybe it was  just easier to find things I didn't know about. London is a beautiful city and it's easy to just assume it's the same as any other big city. With a giant park, an underground I really didn't know much about and packing mistakes, it may have been amazing that our trip went so well. Luckily, they speak English there. For the most part. That helped a lot, unlike when we went to Paris…But that’s another post altogether.

Carry a compass – Even when you’re in the middle of a city, you never know when this might come in handy. We had a map, but trying to cross Hyde Park to get from our hotel to Harrod’s wasn’t as easy as it looked, especially when you take the sidewalks and then end up in the middle of the park and can’t figure out which way you were headed in the first place. Amazingly, I remembered the compass and we were on our way – in the right direction, at that – in no time. We even made it to Harrod’s on time to meet my uncles.

Dress in layers – So, going on the knowledge that London and the Pacific Northwest have similar weather, we packed for cold weather, since we were traveling late October to early November. Well, we didn’t plan on it being unseasonably warm for the first four days we were there. How I wish I had packed a few t-shirts and cardigans instead of full-on sweaters and long sleeved tops. I could take off my coat, but couldn’t do much else about my too-warm clothes. Now, I always pack in layers: tank tops and tees that can go under something with long sleeves, like a ¾ zip fleece or similar. Columbia and ExOfficio have become my go-to online stores for great looking travelwear.

Never wear boots on a long plane ride – While this seems to be logical, I didn’t really think about it. I had some fantastically comfortable boots and left them on the entire flight from Portland to Dallas to London Gatwick. My feet swelled on the plane and by the time we got to our hotel room I had to peel them off my legs. They went back in the suitcase and never came back out until we came home. I simply could not get them back on. Luckily, I also brought along some great walking shoes, which I proceeded to wear everyday for the rest of the trip. Ideally, having two pair of walking shoes would get you by: One for casual outings and one for dressing up a little.

Cold weather travel clothes are a must – Do you know how long jeans take to dry after you wash them? Forever, might be an appropriate response. Had I known then what I know now, I would have bought and packed an array of travel clothing, instead of normal every-day clothes. This would have eliminated the need to spend almost $20 at the Laundromat down the street and we could have easily washed our clothes in the bathroom sink and hung them to dry. Even if we didn’t hand wash, we wouldn’t have needed to use the dryer three or four times in order to get everything dry enough to take back to the room, because it would have easily dried overnight.

Figure out how to get to your lodging from the airport before you leave – I’ve since learned this is smart. We didn’t do any research before we left on how to get from Point A to Point B and Day 1 turned into the day that we both hated each other and needed a break. Great way to start a honeymoon. I threatened to heave my bags into the street and get a cab, while my husband insisted the hotel was “right down the street”. It was NOT right down the street. The problem started when we got on the Underground and only had one plan on where to get off. That stop ended up being under construction, so instead of figuring out we could go one stop further, we stopped at the one before our intended station and walked a few miles before we finally did make it to our hotel. I was cranky and starving and I think the folks at the front desk could tell, because they kindly offered to hold our bags and gave us directions toward food. Halfway around the block, we saw an underground station that was fully-functional and would have been perfect to get off at. We used it for the rest of the trip to get to and from our hotel. A little bit of research would have been helpful in this situation.

When you see something being filmed, stop and see what it is – You’ve heard me complain about this before. Leaving Waterloo Station with our newly purchased London Passes to go to the aquarium, we saw an entire film crew and some very familiar looking people. We assumed it was for some commercial that we would never see and then months later found out they were filming the Bourne Supremacy and Matt Damon himself was on set and we walked right past him. Crazy!

Look at Eric savoring the experience

If you want a drink with ice in it, head to The Hard Rock – Seriously, Europe has some aversion to ice cubes. You order an ice tea and you get 3 cubes that have all but melted by the time it makes it to your table. You order a soda and you get a bottle (no refills!) from the cooler and a warm glass. If you want a refill, you order another bottle and pay another $4 for it. It’s better just order bottled water everywhere you go. Ask for still water if you don’t want it carbonated. On one of our last nights in the city, we made the pilgrimage to the very first Hard Rock Café. We took a chance and ordered sodas, since they claimed to be bottomless. When the waiter came back, we couldn’t believe our eyes. Giant glasses filled to the brim with ice and super cold diet beverage! I think this visit gave us a soft spot for HRC and we seek them out wherever we travel.

Don’t bring your whole closet – This is something that I’ve learned since traveling abroad. You’ll likely be traveling to your accommodation via public transportation. Be advised that these usually come with massive amounts of stairs. If you can’t lift your own luggage with ease, you have too much stuff in your bag. This was the first time I had ever even ridden the subway, so at the very least I had wheels on my bags, but that doesn’t help if you have to run up and down three or four flights of steps. My husband can’t be expected to carry 2 large bags like a mule. Pack light, carry-on and everyone will be so much happier. If you forgot to pack it, either you don’t need it or you can get it at your destination. Also, unless you use the space under your hotel bed, there’s no place to put full-size suitcases in your room. They’ll just take up valuable floor space that you need for standing and walking.

There are so many things to see and do in London and I can't wait to go back with all my new travel techniques and enjoy it even more. This time I hope to hit up the zoo, Wimbledon, Windsor and Stratford-Upon-Avon. 

What are some of your biggest travel mistakes?