Guided tour in Venice

On another note, we can gladly anounce that we will arrange an organized tour in Venice the day after the wedding (Sunday 23:rd). Arianna's sister's boyfriend is a native Venetian and will gladly be your cicerone in the labyrinth of canals and narrow alleys. We might even rent a boat, we'll see..
In any case, if you're interested, please let us know so we can calculate some rough figures on how many will participate.

Hotelism

People,

let’s talk hotels… We’ve contacted a few, and finally selected these two as ”advisable” for our guests. At Millepini there’s a 10 % discount, while Gardenterme generously offers a 20 % discount. Hence, more ice cream and/or beer for you.

All prices below are for a Bed &Breakfast accommodation (prices already discounted).

HOTEL MILLEPINI ***
€ 45 per person in double or triple room
€ 54 per person in single room
€ 25 per kids under 6 year
+ € 23 per person "use of the geo-thermal pools with jacuzzis, rent of the bath-robe and entrance to the newly restyled “grotta termale ninfea” for the whole stay"
www.millepini.it

HOTEL GARDENTERME ****
€ 55 per person in double ore triple room
€ 65 per person in single room
No extra fee for the access to the thermal area
http://www.gardenterme.it

On the map below you will find the Party garden, the Church, the Train station, Hotel Millepini and Hotel Gardenterme


Visa Matrimonio Ari&Johan på en större karta

Millepini is closer to the church and the party. It’s possibly within walking distance, as it’s something like a 15-20 minutes stroll max. Be aware though that at night you will have to walk for a bit in the dark in order to arrive to the main road from the party. Gardenterme on the other hand is closer to the Montegrotto city centre (with shops, bars, restaurants etc).
Both hotels have nice thermal spas, Gardentermes one being arguably a bit more elaborate (they were even talking about wine-bath tubs and stuff). In terms of clientele, the whole area attracts mostly an elderly public, while of the two Millepini probably feels a tiny bit “younger”.

Being a thermal area, end of May is unfortunately the end of their high season, so you are unlikely to find a cheaper hotel close by (but there are indeed a lot of them in the area if you’re up for some research job). In Padua the variety of accommodations is vaster, including youth hostels, but it will be difficult to get back there on the night of the wedding.

Feel free to choose the hotel that suits you all best. In order to obtain the discount, mention “matrimonio Arianna e Johan” while booking your room(s). Please let us know if you need help with booking or finding an alternative solution.

Other places to visit while in Italy

Are you part of that funky bunch of foreign guests who plan to hang around for a few days in Italy before or after the wedding, but you don’t really know what you would like see/where you would like to go?


Well, there are plenty of resources in terms of Italians (and foreigners with vast travel experience in Italy) among the guests, so I hope we can all help out in giving some good advice by adding comments to this post. I can start with giving a few notes on places that I have enjoyed or would like to explore in Italy. To all Italians, sorry if I didn't put your fabulous hometown on the list. Just to much to choose from I guess. I will do my best to not write a book about it like I did in the last post. Thing is, pretty much every region has beautiful/interesting places to see (and some nice treats for the belly).

So here we go:

Exploring the Padua area

We’ll get back with a more detailed post on this later on. There a quite a few nice villages on the hills around Padua, like Arquà Petrarca, Este, Monselice, Montagnana etc.. Could be nice if you rent a car do to a tour on the countryside, have good food and wine, check out the castles and so on..

Venice

If you haven’t been there, you should pay a visit. Yes, it is very packed with tourists, but for a reason. A very unique place indeed. Could be a nice day trip from Montegrotto, and we might even try to organize a guided “tour” for all who are interested.

Liguria

Amazing place. Been there a few times and I can’t wait to go back. Doing some trekking between the Cinque terre (the five lands) offers spectacular views and the old fishing villages are really cute too. Also Genua is a cool city. Of the big cities in Italy it’s my favourite after Rome. Located next to the sea, it got charming small alleys to get lost in as well as magnificent old school palaces.

Tuscany (or Umbria)

Is probably the image many foreigners have of the Italian countryside, as well as renaissance cities such as Florence. Haven’t really been there much, but it’s nice. Also quite touristic, especially Florence, but there sure are some gems here. Been to Siena which is a nice place. If you have watched too much “Solens mat” (Swedish television show about Italian cooking) and have a vision of drinking nice red wine on a square surrounded by Italian old folks, a tuscan village might be the right setting for you. The neighbouring region Umbria is also worth checking out. I used to study there ten years ago and really liked it. A bit similar to Tuscany in some ways, but still different and less tourists.

Mountains

If you like mountains, a quick look on the map will tell you that Italy is the place for you. The Alps, the Dolomites, the Appenines… Stunning trekking aplenty. The Dolomites and the Appenines are both quite close to the wedding location. Went to Monte Baldo on the east side of lake Garda last autumn (which would be pre-alps methinks), and that was really nice too. Remember to bring some rough shoes and your set to go.

Lakes

Lake Garda is pleasant; we go there a few times each summer/spring. Only been exploring the east/south side yet, enjoying especially the part around Torri del Benaco/Malcesine. Haven’t been to Lake Como or Lake Maggiore yet, but they’re supposed to be nice ones as well.

City tour in northern Italy

Northern Italy is packed with old good looking cities. If you enjoy architecture, arts, shopping and so on, or just like the feeling of strolling around between really old houses, a city tour including a couple of cities could be an interesting option. I’ll just name a few good ones within a reasonable distance in random order: Padua, Verona, our very own Mantua, Ravenna, Bologna, Parma, Milano, Bergamo, Vicenza, Ferrara, Treviso… and the list goes on.

Rome

Rome is Rome is Rome, my favorite city. It could be the perfect final destination for your trip. If you hesitate about long distance train traveling, a cheap domestic flight might be the solution for you.

Southern Italy

Unfortunately I’ve hardly seen anything of the south – just Naples and Palermo. I would really really love to explore Puglia and Calabria as well as Sicily and the Amalfi coast. Top notch food, goose bump coast lines and more. Italy is a long country, so the south is far away. On the other hand, if you’re willing to go to Milano by train or car, an 80 minute flight Treviso-Bari with Ryanair for 20 euros is still within reach.

Sardegna

Been there a couple of times, and I’m in love with the place. Has those turquoise beaches that seems like the Maldives. If you’re planning to stay just a few days extra, it might be a bit too distant. However, for anyone interested, Ryanair will take you to Alghero for 20 euros from Treviso in 100 minutes.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

We would love to hang out with you all while you’re here, but... we will surely be very busy with preparations the week before the wedding, and then we’re off on our honeymoon on the 24th. So if you want to visit us in Mantua, it means that you have great reason to come back to Italy soon. In any case, on Friday night before the wedding we will organize a pizza or a drink or something similar so we all can meet up and catch up.

Coming soon...Hotels!

We are just doublechecking the last details and we will soon post informations about where to stay in the Turri and Montegrotto area.
Just wait and see!

Travelers guide to Turri

”Now how on earth do I get to that festive garden in Turri?" you might humbly philosophy in these days, as perhaps a green invitation card has found it’s way into your mailbox.

Distant travelers, do not despair. Northern Italy is quite packed with international airports, leaving you with plenty of options (not least if you're willing to change flights somewhere in Europe). For starters let’s settle where Turri is to be found:


View Larger Map

Situated on the hills next to Padua, the area has risen to fame as a health resort already during the roman days. The plentiful hot thermal springs are providing a neat treat for sore backs and gloomy minds. With the Roman Empire long gone the area still has its fare share of visitors, being particularly fashionable among elderly Germans with ornamental facial hair in the upper lip region.

How to get there

The closest train station is Montegrotto which is just 12 minutes from Padua and a 45 minute train ride from Venice. To rent a car is indeed advisable, not least if you plan to hang around for a few days on the countryside to sip wine and stroll around in the picturesque hill top villages. It’s however possible to get there by public transport. A taxi from the train station to the hotel should be something like one km, and therefore not particularly expensive. An alternative could be to take a buss from Padua, which will let you off very close to the hotel (check your hotel's website for further information). Down below you will find a short description of how the most relevant airports are connected to Montegrotto.

Venezia Marco Polo
Is situated 60 km from Montogrotto, resulting in something like a 70 minute drive.
Alternatively you could take the airport shuttle to the train station in Mestre (20 min) and thereafter a train (30-40 min).

Treviso Canova
Is situated 78 km from Montogrotto, resulting in something like a 70 minute drive.
Alternatively you could take the airport shuttle to the train station in Mestre (55 min) and thereafter a train (30-40 min).

Verona Catullo
Is situated 103 km from Montogrotto, resulting in something like a 70 minute drive.
Alternatively you could take the airport shuttle to the train station in Verona (15 min) and thereafter a train (60-90 min, change trains in Padua).

Bologna Marconi
Is situated 108 km from Montogrotto, resulting in something like a 80 minute drive.
Alternatively you could take the airport shuttle to the train station in Bologna (20 min) and thereafter a train (75 min).

Bergamo Orio al Serio
Is situated 206 km from Montogrotto, resulting in something like a 135 minute drive.
Alternatively you could take the airport shuttle to the train station in Bergamo (20 min) and thereafter a train (180-210 min, changing trains in Brescia/Treviglio and Padua).

GUESTS TRAVELING FROM SWEDEN

First some general notes. There are a few things to consider in order to find the right airport/airline company. If you for some reason need our help to find a suitable flight, please let us know the following:

• which day you want to arrive/depart (as some routes are only operated on certain week days)
• consult your wallet and set a price range
• from which airport do you want to take off (Arlanda, Skavsta, Copenhagen etc)
• is it ok to change planes somewhere in Europe, and if so maybe also wait for a few hours
• is it ok to take a flight really early in the morning or arrive late at night
• will you travel by train or car in Italy
• do you first want to make a pit stop in another city in Italy before coming to the wedding or perhaps travel around afterwards and depart from another city

Of the above mentioned airports unfortunately only Treviso and Bergamo have direct flights to/from Sweden. As Ryanair is the service provider (and Skavsta the departure airport) this is likely the cheapest option. Unfortunately we just realized that there are no flights to Treviso on May 20/21. Even if you don’t plan to arrive already on Wednesday or earlier, Treviso-Skavsta could still be the best option for the return ticket.

There are tons of websites that compare prices between most available airlines. Just do a google search for something like “low cost flights” or “compare flights” and it’s all there to explore.
However, here are a few suggestions of suitable flights to get you started: (pricing of January 13, but it will get more expensive as we move closer to May, so hurry up and get your ticket).

ARRIVAL

If you plan to start the trip in the south of Sweden, Copenhagen is probably the best airport for you.

Wednesday 19:th 17:25-19:50 Stockholm Skavsta – Treviso Canova, Ryanair, 324 sek

Thursday 18:th 06:25 – 10:40, Stockholm Arlanda – Venice Marco Polo, Air Berlin (change flights in Berlin Tegel) 128 euro

Friday 21:th 07:45-13:05 Stockholm Arlanda - Venice Marco Polo, Air Baltic (Change flights in Riga) 76 euro

Friday 21:th 08:00-10:35 Stockholm Skavsta – Bergamo Orio al Serio, Ryanair, 424 sek

Friday 21:th 13:45-19:05 Stockholm Arlanda – Bologna Marconi, SAS (Change flights in Copenhagen) 1671 sek

DEPARTURE

Monday 24:th 11:15-14:45 Treviso Canova - Stockholm Skavsta, Ryanair, 424 sek

Tuesday 25:th 11:30-15:30 Bologna Marconi – Stockholm Arlanda, SAS (Change flights in Copenhagen) 1573 sek

ARRIVAL/DEPARTURE FURTHER AWAY FROM TURRI

Milano is very well connected to Stockholm if you feel like trying out the city’s culture or football or shopping or what not. The cheapest connection is Skavsta-Bergamo with Ryanair. Easyjet flies directly to Malpensa, while also Linate is covered by SAS.

If you want to check out Tuscany before or after the wedding, Ryanair has a direct flight to Pisa. Also Florence has an international airport (but no direct connection).

Rome is something like 3½-4 hours away with train (change in Bologna) and has direct flights through Ryanair, Alitalia/SAS and probably also others.

TRAVELING BY TRAIN

If you don’t want to go by plane for whatever reason, you could actually do the whole trip by train. Vingresor organizes charter tours down to the Garda lake. Call them for more information. Another option could be Interrail if you also plan to prolong the trip.

TRAVELING BY CAR

We haven't tried it yet, so we can't really recommand any particular route. It should be possible to get down in two days if you're up for some really intense driving. Otherwize, if time is your friend, it could of course be nice to stop in Germany/Austria on the way down.

Traveling within Italy

All major (and minor) Italian cities are of course possible to reach by train. The website of Trenitalia is also available in English. A quick note: the regional trains are cheap, but dirty and not particularly punctual. The fast trains (Eurostar etc) are indeed fast, but rather expensive. Intercity is somewhat a compromise between the other two categories.

Intercity buses are very rare in Italy and hardly worth looking for, unless traveling within the same province.

Car is probably the smoothest mean of travel in (northern) Italy. All major cities are connected by fast motorways. Just be aware of that traffic is more hectic than in Sweden and that finding a parking space is not always that easy in the cities (but hotels normally have there own parking).

A few final words

When you have booked your ticket, please let us know the details of your arrival and departure. In this way we can also update the blog if/when someone finds better alternatives then the above listed routes.

That’s it for now. Good luck with the travel arrangements and let us know if you need any help. We really look forward to have you all here!

Un desiderio...il viaggio di nozze in Tanzania!