Italy

[curtaintrail]

Can anyone recommend an area to holiday for myself and partner (no kids) this summer in Italy (getting late to book I know). Key things are:

Walking distance to sea, restaurants and shops
Villa - ideally with pool or high quality AI
Near a town centre with historical architecture/old buildings

Italy I don’t think is great for AI ( not that I look if I’m honest! Too many good Italian restaurants to explore). We go to Italy a lot -it’s our favourite country & it’s quite hard to go wrong! In terms of your brief, I’d look at Amalfi on the Amalfi coast (although there are a number of towns along the coastline that have spectacular views, pretty towns & good beaches) & see what is available on AirBnB/HomeAway/booking.com. An apartment would be cheaper & you might find something with a pool. Pompeii is a must do & Naples has some interesting museums (although isn’t the cleanest city). Taormina in Sicily also fits your brief (fly into Catania & it’s 30 minutes by train or you can get a driver). Apartments would be cheaper than villa’s. The town is lovely (a bit busy in summer but still gorgeous), it’s got a fabulous Greek amphitheatre, fantastic views & the Isola Bella (island attached to the coast) is very pretty

Thanks SJane

• will explore those options

Sicily! Fly to Catania, Taormina is amazing but for villas look down the coast a little. Or Syracuse is a good option but longer drive

No beach either - just packed swimming platforms. Ortigia is stunning though!