Each person has made their own travel arrangements to arrive in Italy in September. Marcus Travel Planning has arranged for train and transfers between Rome and Amalfi. Hotels reservations have been made. Eeveryone is on their own up to and including Friday night September 9, 2005. Some may travel throughout Italy or Europe prior to meeting in Rome, others may plan their own trips after the Amalfi segment.
One Friday, September 9, 2005 at 7:00 pm, will meet at the Piazza Navona in Rome. From there we walk to a restaurant and enjoy an evening of great food, wine and talk. See Maps for location.
There is even a great pen store nearby in case someone gets the urge!
In the morning individuals will travel to the Amalfi Coast to meet at the hotel. Grants & Marcus are travelling by car, and arrangements have been made for others to take a train and then be picked up by a private driver for the trip from Napoli to Amafli/Ravello.
The Ground Rules
- Be independent. You are on your own. Within the group there are some pre-planned meeting points and times (like dinner in Rome, the train to the Amalfi Coast).
- Be on time or make your own arrangments. There is no waiting.
- In Amalfi the hotel rooms will be assigned on random with the exception of two rooms for the trip planners! They have already been assigned.
- The hotels are located 20 minutes from Amalfi along the road. They litteraly hangs off the cliffs. All the rooms are great facing the sea. The key they hand you is the room you get.
- Hotel Villa San Michele - be prepared for steps. This hotel is built on a cliff. There are over 102 steps down to the water, numerous steps up to the road. No pool but access to the water. The views provide lots of opportunities to stop and enjoy as you catch your breath. But there are steps
- Walk or take a bus from the hotels to the town of Amalfi. The local bus that runs down to Amalfi is not that frequent but is cheap. On the otherhand, it is a 20 to 30 minute walk to Amalfi where buses and boats to other locations depart. There will be no planned shuttle driving arranged between the hotel and Amalfi.
- Your trip expenses are your own. If your plans change, any monies paid to the hotel etc are a matter between you and the hotel.
- Dinner is included. The food is great and there are always at least two choices. Wine is not included. From our experience the wine really adds up. Be prepared to throw a lot of money into the pot as it is impossible to keep track of who drank what at dinner. Drinks other than at dinner are solely your own choice!
- Each day what you do is up to you. No doubt small groups will travel to different locations on the same bus or boat. There is, however, no planned "On Monday we are all going to Capri!". Information on the main sights around are included on this site. You will have lots to do but it is up to you to plan your time.
- Plan your own vacation time for the weeks before or after the rendezvous in Rome.
- When its over it is over. Folks will leave on the Saturday either to travel on their own to other areas of Italy or back to locations such as Rome for flights back. A private driver has been arranged for those who are travelling to Salerno to take the train from Salerno to Rome.