I usually drive to Italy with my old style UK paper drivers licence with no photo. Back in early 2020 this was also good to show for car hire. Have the rules changed since Brexit? is an old style UK paper licence still valid for car hire? The
Just in case it might help anyone not already aware. My comune is discounting the costs of IMU by 37.5% for second home owners resident abroad who are in receipt of a recognized pension as proof of retired status.
Any recommendations on an Italian bank? I have used MPS for years and they are fine and I can manage stuff online but they seem expensive, I assume to pay for an extensive branch network.
Massive respect to you driving to Calabria. For over a decade, I used to have a place near Benevento east of Naples. Southern Italy has a timeless beauty of times past before mass tourism, plus spectacular scenery and generally better value but I got fed up with the mainly motorway drive taking a extra day from Tuscany and the place wasn't well connected with bus and train for quick breaks so we changed to near Pisa where I also have links. Passed through Calabria on the sleeper train to Palermo and the region is still under-rated.
I used to take ferries years ago when myself and family were young and I could easily cope with a longer driving day. Once I started using the tunnel I found I could mitigate part of the cost by booking early and you could triple the value of Tesco coupons so £10 became £30, it has since reduced to double value. I now avoid school holidays so that helps. I just find that too much time is lost with ferries and there is less flexibility. I think there is value in being able to use time saved to drive deeper into France or arrive somewhere early enough and fresh enough to enjoy it. My man maths tells me to spend on a quicker crossing and save on French tolls and enjoy those lovely N roads e en though some still have the silly 80kph limits and not returned to 90 kph. Just back yesterday from a flying visit to Italy and I did miss the drive but driving a a few weeks. Its the most expensive way to travel and the return trip always feels uphill but you see so much.
There are still a fair few of us driving to Italy. I have two main routes depending on the time of the year so that I see different things. I drive from the Midlands to Tuscany and allow 2 nights, though that always feels a bit of struggle for the return trip, perhaps age, end of holiday blues but also because I tend to stop near Sangatte to make the last UK leg easier. Always use the tunnel to save time which is better spent enjoying France. My summer route is Reims/Laon/Troyes, Gray/Langres/Besancon then Gran San Bernard pass, Pisa. Apart from dash to Reims, I avoid French motorways. The Winter route is one that others use so Reims, Colmar, then via Gottard, Pisa. I am curious to try the Simplon pass route. In the past I have done Reims, Annecy, via Petit San Bernard or Mont Cenis for a change. I rarely see a UK car on my Summer route yet it is the original Roman route that follows the via Frangicena. France is such a nice country to enjoy by car and nice to then have a car in Italy.
Sant'Agata is typical of many ancient settlements. There is the bit on raised or defensive position where richer people lived within city walls. There there were cheaper houses outside the walls for poorest folk. Across the ravine at Sant'Agata, but not just there, you have the modern expansion as Italy became safer and prosperous. Ironically the old central part of town isn't so desirable, it's pretty but modern Italians want easy to maintain houses with somewhere to park the car. I visited the old centre a couple of times, atmospheric but a bit faded. Not as manicured as a typical Tuscan town. For family information then often the local church was the best source before Italy became organised. No idea what is a pipemiere. Regards
Alan, the town name Sant'Angelo Lombardi is kinda misleading. There is a link to Lombardia but it is in Campania in the province of Avellino. I am pretty sure the name reflects the Lombard presence in times past. Everyone had a go in Campania, the Greeks, the Romans, the Spanish, the Lombards, Goths, etc. The region is littered with lots of medieval mini castles to keep local control. Used to have a place down there but gave it up as too far to regularly drive down, most of on dull motorway. Great food, good value and dramatic scenery.
Do you mean Sant'Agata dei Goti? Nice place. Last time I was there it was festooned in USA flags to welcome New York mayor Bill de Blasio whose family came from the place.
Alan, the town name Sant'Angelo Lombardi is kinda misleading. It is in Campania in the province of Avellino. I am pretty sure the name reflects the Lombard presence in times past. Everyone had a go in Campania, the Greeks, the Romans, the Spanish, the Lombards, etc. The region is littered with lots of medieval mini castles to keep local control. Used to have a place down there but gave it up as too far regularly to drive. Great food and dramatic scenery.
A circondaria is an old term for a district. So Italy is divided into 'Regioni' (eg Campagna), within each region are the 'province' (Avellino), within each province are a number of 'comune' (Sant'Angelo Lombardi) which has a central admin centre and perhaps a number of circondarie or districts but also villages or hamlets called 'frazione'. Avellino and Benevento are beautiful 'province' for Roman and Greek history and spectacular scenery rather than manicured pretty villages (blame poor economics and earthquakes) much under rated. Too often people think that only Naples and Amalfi coast exist in Campagna.
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Massive respect to you driving to Calabria. For over a decade, I used to have a place near Benevento east of Naples. Southern Italy has a timeless beauty of times past before mass tourism, plus spectacular scenery and generally better value but I got fed up with the mainly motorway drive taking a extra day from Tuscany and the place wasn't well connected with bus and train for quick breaks so we changed to near Pisa where I also have links. Passed through Calabria on the sleeper train to Palermo and the region is still under-rated.
I used to take ferries years ago when myself and family were young and I could easily cope with a longer driving day. Once I started using the tunnel I found I could mitigate part of the cost by booking early and you could triple the value of Tesco coupons so £10 became £30, it has since reduced to double value. I now avoid school holidays so that helps. I just find that too much time is lost with ferries and there is less flexibility. I think there is value in being able to use time saved to drive deeper into France or arrive somewhere early enough and fresh enough to enjoy it. My man maths tells me to spend on a quicker crossing and save on French tolls and enjoy those lovely N roads e en though some still have the silly 80kph limits and not returned to 90 kph. Just back yesterday from a flying visit to Italy and I did miss the drive but driving a a few weeks. Its the most expensive way to travel and the return trip always feels uphill but you see so much.
There are still a fair few of us driving to Italy. I have two main routes depending on the time of the year so that I see different things. I drive from the Midlands to Tuscany and allow 2 nights, though that always feels a bit of struggle for the return trip, perhaps age, end of holiday blues but also because I tend to stop near Sangatte to make the last UK leg easier. Always use the tunnel to save time which is better spent enjoying France. My summer route is Reims/Laon/Troyes, Gray/Langres/Besancon then Gran San Bernard pass, Pisa. Apart from dash to Reims, I avoid French motorways. The Winter route is one that others use so Reims, Colmar, then via Gottard, Pisa. I am curious to try the Simplon pass route. In the past I have done Reims, Annecy, via Petit San Bernard or Mont Cenis for a change. I rarely see a UK car on my Summer route yet it is the original Roman route that follows the via Frangicena. France is such a nice country to enjoy by car and nice to then have a car in Italy.
Now that makes sense! What a star. I couldn't find it even in my big Garzanti dictionary. Ogni giorno e un giorno a scuola. Complimenti.
Sant'Agata is typical of many ancient settlements. There is the bit on raised or defensive position where richer people lived within city walls. There there were cheaper houses outside the walls for poorest folk. Across the ravine at Sant'Agata, but not just there, you have the modern expansion as Italy became safer and prosperous. Ironically the old central part of town isn't so desirable, it's pretty but modern Italians want easy to maintain houses with somewhere to park the car. I visited the old centre a couple of times, atmospheric but a bit faded. Not as manicured as a typical Tuscan town. For family information then often the local church was the best source before Italy became organised. No idea what is a pipemiere. Regards
Alan, the town name Sant'Angelo Lombardi is kinda misleading. There is a link to Lombardia but it is in Campania in the province of Avellino. I am pretty sure the name reflects the Lombard presence in times past. Everyone had a go in Campania, the Greeks, the Romans, the Spanish, the Lombards, Goths, etc. The region is littered with lots of medieval mini castles to keep local control. Used to have a place down there but gave it up as too far to regularly drive down, most of on dull motorway. Great food, good value and dramatic scenery.
Do you mean Sant'Agata dei Goti? Nice place. Last time I was there it was festooned in USA flags to welcome New York mayor Bill de Blasio whose family came from the place.
No idea what is a pipemiere.
Alan, the town name Sant'Angelo Lombardi is kinda misleading. It is in Campania in the province of Avellino. I am pretty sure the name reflects the Lombard presence in times past. Everyone had a go in Campania, the Greeks, the Romans, the Spanish, the Lombards, etc. The region is littered with lots of medieval mini castles to keep local control. Used to have a place down there but gave it up as too far regularly to drive. Great food and dramatic scenery.
A circondaria is an old term for a district. So Italy is divided into 'Regioni' (eg Campagna), within each region are the 'province' (Avellino), within each province are a number of 'comune' (Sant'Angelo Lombardi) which has a central admin centre and perhaps a number of circondarie or districts but also villages or hamlets called 'frazione'. Avellino and Benevento are beautiful 'province' for Roman and Greek history and spectacular scenery rather than manicured pretty villages (blame poor economics and earthquakes) much under rated. Too often people think that only Naples and Amalfi coast exist in Campagna.
Thanks Alan, my paper licence has never been an issue in the past but Brexit might have changed things. I will have to bite the bullet.