I was there in 2010, but in December, so everyone had pants and jackets on. ISTR that they did get pissy about men wearing hats inside the church though.
Still doing the clothing requirements as of last year. Italians obey the clothing requirements, but don’t expect much compliance from then in regards to forming lines.
Also, FYI, as far as I can tell, they invented steps in Italy. They like their steps. A lot. They have steps to get to their steps. To overlook other steps.
Perhaps I am a little tainted because we stayed in a 7th floor walkup built before codes.
Napoli was fine for us as far as crime, Bear_Nenno never felt threatened or at risk. I have pretty good antennae. Been in way sketchier situations. We didn’t stay out too late, though, maybe that makes a difference. We stayed maybe 4-5 blocks up the hill from Toledo metro station.
Maybe you look like a victim?
Updates as we’re getting closer.
We have our place in Rome, an apartment near the Colosseum that we found on AirBnB. My wife is planning our time in Rome (4 nights) and we already have tickets to the Vatican Museum for the first night. We’re going to be walking and taking transit while there.
We have reservations at a lovely looking cliffside hotel near Praiano on the Amalfi coast for the next 3 days. We plan to hire a car in Rome and drive there via Pompeii on the first day. The next two days are for hiking in Amalfi, Pasteum, a daytrip to Capri, and at least one night in Sorrento.
The last three days are still open, but we’d like to wander south with less concrete plans and see what we like. Any suggestions? I’ve read some interesting things about Matera and Vieste? Anyone been to either?
How was the trip?
And while I’m at it, my wife and I are going 8/31 to 9/12. Actually Rome and north…Assisi, Florence, Padua, Venice.
My main concern is dress code at the religious places. I’m generally in shorts and sandals eight months out of the year. Any tips would be appreciated. Specificaly, would army fatigues be out of place?
Fantastic, amazing trip. We spent 4 days in Rome and it was exactly the right amount of time. We hit everything we had planned to see (Vatican Museum, St Peters, Colosseum, Forum, Pantheon, Appian Way, catacombs, Spanish Steps, markets, amazing restaurants, lots of gelato) but it was super hot. Then off to Pompeii, then the Amalfi Coast staying at the most amazing cliffside hotel, hiking, swimming in the Med, hiking the Path of the Gods, beach day. On the way out we stopped at the Greek ruins in Paestum and two nights in Naples.
At the Vatican and some churches they did enforce the dress code. No bare shoulders, no shorts above the knees, take hats off, no one seemed to care about footwear. They seemed pretty serious about it, and had some disposable shawls for women who had bare shoulders. No one seemed to care about the fabric or patterns, so I suspect fatigues would be fine.
Glad to hear it went well!
Thanks for the tips. Did they actualy distinguish between shorts that were close to knee level?
Some did, some didn’t; it depended on the person doing the checking. For men entering the churches it appeared to me that the scrutiny was significantly less stringent.
Crud… I should have suggested the San Crispino gelateria about a couple blocks north of the Piazza della Rotondo in the general direction of the Piazza del Popolo.