Travelling Simply

Travel recommendations, ideas and observations from two simple travellers

Author: Smita (Page 14 of 17)

Why we love to drive. Are you ready to join us on the journey?

19/06/2018 / / 4 Comments

Preparations for our next travel and driving adventure are almost complete.

Setting our plan some months ago, we researched our destinations and thought we had come up with a pretty good driving route. We made sure our driving days would be leisurely and not too long. Most importantly, we must arrive at our destination before nightfall.

Over the months we have dedicated a great deal of time to read about our destinations, thought a little more about where we would like to dedicate more time (a hard decision to make as we would like to stay a little longer everywhere) and have made tweaks to our driving route. Our plan is now firm.

All this time and effort and we haven’t taken off yet! We could just sit back and enjoy the journey gazing through a coach or train window or let a tour operator determine our itinerary.

  • Pretty Calabrian village
    Lunch stop: a pretty Calabrian village

Here are 10 reasons why we choose to self-drive:

  1. We enjoy learning about where we are travelling to and when tailoring our own itinerary, we learn much more about everywhere we are going to.
  2. We decide when to leave. Unless it’s going to be a long driving day, we can still enjoy a morning walk to have a last look around the city or town before we hit the road. There is no 7am bags outside the hotel room, breakfast and on the coach at 8am for us.
  3. The backroads are more interesting to drive along than aiming to get from point A to B on a busy motorway. Just driving through little villages which lie off the beaten track can be enlightening.
  4. We get to pick where to stop for a coffee or lunch break. There are so many beautiful towns to pass through when we take the “toll-free” route. No stopping at a busy service area on the side of a motorway to line up at the restrooms, grab a quick bite to eat and gulp down a drink for us.
  5. There is always the opportunity for unplanned and spontaneous diversions. Sometimes someone we’ve met in the previous town has recommended an attraction devoid of tourists. How often we see something from the road then turn off the road to have a look.
  6. We love to turn on the radio and listen to local music. It’s an opportunity to move out of our comfort zone and listen to something new even if we can’t understand a word.
  7. We can randomly stop at the side of the road to enjoy a stunning view or taste grapes straight off the grapevine – the vineyards are often not fenced off!
  8. There’s no drifting off to sleep by the gentle roll of a coach or the clacking of a train on the tracks. We’re wide awake, there is so much to see.
  9. We have the pleasure of interacting with local people; even if it’s just to see the fear in their eyes when they realise you are unused to driving on the wrong side of the road. A smile, nod and a wave are sometimes all it takes.
  10. We get to drive a brand new car – a make which we have no intention to buy at home.

And so, for us, the first day on the road will be a little daunting. We’ll have to familiarise ourselves with driving on the “wrong” side of the road again. There is no doubt, we will be the slowest car in the “slow” lane. And, as much as we would like to, we won’t always be able to reach our destinations by the back roads.

We’ll get used to drivers honking their car horns at us! But we know that, unlike our drivers at home who honk and gesticulate loudly to show their displeasure when a driver makes an unintentional driving error, their European counterparts are just letting us know that they are coming up behind us ready to overtake. It’s not road rage, it’s part of the driving culture in Europe. Honk honk. “Hi, it’s Tony. I’m just about to overtake you on this blind corner. Wish me luck!”

And, even though we will have instructed our trusty GPS to avoid “no vehicle” and inner-city congestion charge zones, we’ll still somehow end up driving straight down The Mall towards Buckingham Palace!

  • arcdetriumph
    Driving yourself means you can drive around the Arc de Triumph as many times as you want!

Driving yourself means you can drive around the Arc de Triumph as many times as you want!

Travel is an adventure. We could just sit back and let someone else do the driving but there is no adventure in that!

We’ll be sharing our journey on Facebook and Instagram if you’d like to join us on our driving adventure. Follow us via the links above to make sure you don’t miss our “snap of the day” as we explore parts of eastern Europe.

  • A brand new car!
    A brand new car!

One more thing …

If you’re travelling in Europe, look out for cars with the distinctive pink numberplate. They are travellers like us who lease their vehicle. More info on why and our preferred supplier here. We hope to see you on one of the many spectacular backroads in Europe.

Lease a car to self-drive

17/06/2018 / / 1 Comment
  • A brand new car!
    A brand new car!

You may have gathered by now that we love our driving holidays.

On our shorter holidays in Europe, we hire our car the conventional way, from a reputable car hire company.

However, when it comes to taking a longer trip, we choose to lease our vehicle. This is a popular choice for many seasoned travellers from the southern hemisphere who lease their car from one of several short-term holiday leasing car companies.

Generally, the proviso is leasing the car for 20 days or more. You can lease the car for up to 175 days. If you are intending to take a self-driving holiday in Europe, we highly recommend exploring this option.

Some of the benefits:

  • You get to drive a brand new car French motor vehicle
  • The car is registered in your name
  • There are a number of pick-up and drop-off depots scattered throughout Europe
  • Hassle-free pick-up and return. All arrangements and paperwork are completed before you start your travel, all you have to do is pick up the keys to the car and head away
  • You can drive the car throughout Europe including England and Ireland
  • Full insurance cover with no excess
  • 24/7 roadside assistance
  • Unlimited kilometres.

Our company of choice for leasing is globalCARS. Their friendly and professional staff have always provided an efficient service ensuring we have all the information we need before we travel including detailed directions to the pick-up and drop-off locations and local contacts. Make sure you sign-up for their email notifications to ensure you get their best deals.

The day our car disappeared!

16/05/2018 / / 0 Comments

We wake to a sunny morning in Sienna and the decision is made, this is a perfect day to take a leisurely drive through Chianti and the Tuscan countryside.

It is still early, so we have plenty of time for our morning walk and a quiet breakfast before we hit the road. Our walking route takes us to the Fort which sits a little above the city. A walk along the ramparts gives another dimension to views over the city and we meander through the gardens along with other early morning exercisers.

  • sienna

We wander back down a pathway ending up in the main public car park which has now turned into the local market. There are stalls selling all manner of goods from, fresh vegetables and foods to clothing and household goods. We enjoy watching the locals make their purchases and tempted by the large rosy peaches and apricots, pick up some summer fruit for ourselves. The market is large and takes up the majority of the car park.

We stroll toward the city end of the car park to get back to our apartment. The walk will take us past our car. We parked our car here for the past few days. It has been convenient, the car park is free and close to our apartment.

That sinking feeling, when you reach the spot where you think you parked your car and it’s not there! What a way to end a pleasant morning walk.

We look at each other. Two heads are better than one. Yes, this was the spot, we are certain. There is a car parked next to where we thought we had parked our car and more cars are parked further along! We have parked in many public car parks during our travels through Europe and often for days at a time because once we arrive at our destination we usually take out our walking shoes to have a good look around.

Puzzled, we take a closer look at the signpost. We had moved our car to what we thought was a safer spot a day or two earlier and had neglected to observe that it was just inside the clear away for the markets which are held every Wednesday. Had we parked one spot over, all would have been fine!

We are disappointed. It looks like our day in Chianti is not going to happen. But more importantly, where is our car? We have a lot more of this country to see.

Ennio, our host is our saviour. One phone call to him and he tells us how we should go about finding our car. So after breakfast, we set out to the Polizia Municipale station which is luckily in walking distance from where we are staying.

With a mix of our limited Italian and English, we tell the officer at the desk of our predicament. He kindly berates us for not taking notice of the signage, collects the €41 fine and tells us where our car has been towed. The tow yard is on the outskirts of the city so we taxi out to collect our car. The tow yard manager is ready to make a buck too so we pay up the €110 towage fee so we can get on our way.

  • Tuscan vineyards

We are already on the outskirts of the city, so set our trusty GPS and off we go. We have plenty of time to hit the road for a slow drive through Chianti. A magnificent day is spent in the Tuscan countryside among the olive groves and vineyards, stopping at intervals wineries for a little wine-tasting and to marvel at the views, take a leisurely lunch and still be back in Sienna in time for pre-dinner cocktails and join the excitement in the city. There’s a concert at the Duomo tonight – X Factor star Marco Mengone is performing.

  • Tuscan countryside

Read more about taking a drive in the Chianti region here.

Sienna, Tuscany, Italy

07/05/2018 / / 3 Comments

We left the hustle and bustle of Florence for the quieter Tuscan city of Sienna. What a pleasant surprise.

Sienna is not a large city in comparison to Florence. It has its own uniqueness, the Old Town is a warren of alleyways with the beautiful Duomo with Donatelli and Michaelangelo sculptures and amazing frescoes, the Fort and the sloping main square, Piazza del Campo (suggested to be one of the loveliest in Italy) the main drawcards.

sienna piazza

We appreciated making the decision to stay a few days in Sienna as it provided an opportunity to relax, slow our travelling pace and immerse ourselves in the Tuscan countryside.

We had pre-booked our apartment in the Old Town and were rewarded with a beautiful modern apartment. Set on the top floor of a historic 15th-century building, it is in the pedestrian-only zone providing easy walking access to all the sights and when the day tourists disappeared the alleyways were ours to explore and we had an excellent opportunity to enjoy the local restaurants at our leisure.

sienna views
Views from the top of the tower

Buying a ticket and climbing the 474 or so steps up the Terre del Mangia tower in Piazza del Campo for sweeping views over the city and surrounding countryside was well worth the effort. Although not quite as high up, our apartment, however, provided equally captivating views across the city and further into the Tuscan countryside from its balcony. The only thing was that being a historic building, the apartment could only be accessed by walking up the 90-odd steps.

sienna balcony
The view of the Duomo from our apartment balcony.

Enchanted by the views and solitude we took the opportunity on our first night to enjoy an evening on the balcony with a bottle Tuscan wine accompanied by a variety of cheese followed a light dinner purchased from a restaurant down the street. The apartment has a fully equipped kitchen for cooking meals, as we sometimes tire of eating out every night when travelling.

Ennio, our host was very helpful, settling us into the apartment, explaining the area, directing us to the closest shops and advising of things to do in Sienna. For those travelling by car, there is a free public car park about 200 metres from the apartment. Just remember that Wednesday is “Market Day” and cars must vacate the certain areas of the car park the night before to accommodate the stalls.

Our recommendations for dinner and dessert:

  1. We enjoyed a beautiful Tuscan meal at Antica Tratorria Papei. A young pharmacist we met while staying in Genoa recommended we dine at this little restaurant located in a smaller piazza (Piazza Mercato) nestled behind Piazza del Campo.
  2. Our Sienna host, Ennio recommended a humble establishment a little way up the street from our apartment called Osteria Il Vinaio. There is no menu, just dishes of the day. Good, wholesome food.
  3. Make sure you save a little space for dessert. For some traditional Siennese delicacies, step into Bar Paticcerie Nannini and indulge yourself.

See the villages of Tuscany’s Chianti region in a day

25/04/2018 / / 0 Comments

The ultimate dream for many who visit Italy is to spend time in Tuscany, to wander through medieval hilltop towns and meander along the backroads among the rolling hills stopping at intervals at wineries along the way to sample the local wine and delicacies.

Chianti1

Easily accessed from both Florence and Sienna, a driving tour of Chianti is a great way to experience Tuscany and can easily be done on a day trip. Or, if you don’t have time to dedicate a day to this pleasure then take this route as you travel between the two cities.

We were staying for a few days in each city, and even though we had previously visited Florence we decided to take advantage of the many things Florence has to offer and visit Chianti from Sienna. Sienna is smaller than Florence. It is more relaxed and without the hustle and bustle of the larger city so it set the tone for taking a leisurely drive through the wine country.

Chianti3

The lady at the Visitor Centre in Sienna promised a “stooning drive”. Chianti is 40 minutes from Sienna following Chiantigiana Road which took us along quiet roads, through little townships set among rolling hills filled with vineyards and olive groves. There are eight counties named after the main town in each country. We visited three – Castellina in Chianti, Radda in Chianti and Gaiole in Chianti. Each town was small and unique, filled with its own atmosphere, castles, squares, and natural surroundings. We were amazed at how the towns could be so close together and still be different, and best of all – no crowds.

Chianti2

The roads were quiet and easy to drive along and wineries offering tastings were well signed and inviting. We stopped at the Livernano winery in Radda in Chianti to taste the local Chianti Classic, Rose and L’Anima wines.

Chianti4

A beautiful, relaxed day. We have read so much about the beauty of Tuscany. It’s true!

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