A weekend in Turin

Eat in Turin, Vineria Tre Galli
Tre Galli, in the buzzing Quadrilatero Romano district, proves you can eat well in Turin without breaking the bank. Rib-eye steaks and steaming mussels are washed down with wines from Venice and Valle d’Aosta.
25 Via Sant’Agostino, +39 011 521 6027

Eat in Turin, Baratti & Milano
This Torinese institution is worth visiting as much for its sumptuous décor as its assortment of cakes, chocolates and Piedmontese specialities. It’s the perfect place for sweet tooths and gourmands to linger for an hour or two.
27 Piazza Castello, +39 011 440 7138

Stay in Turin, Le Meridien Turin Art+Tech
The light filled rooms at this ultra modern five-star have been furnished by top designers, while the building itself, a former Fiat factory, also houses a concert hall, art gallery, conference centre and shopping mall.
230 Via Nizza

Stay in Turin, Golden Palace Hotel
Opened in 2006 for the Winter Olympics, this five-star hotel combines luxury with high-tech design. Bedrooms feature LCD TVs and electronic curtains, while marble bathrooms are stocked with products by Turinese perfumer Laura Tonatto.
18 Via dell’Arcivescovado

Stay in Turin, Town House 70
Located in the heart of Turin near the lively Via Roma, this boutique hotel offer a touch of urban sophistication. The 20 rooms, 26 junior suites and one suite come equipped with LCD TVs, spacious bathrooms, and stylish, modern furniture.
70 Via XX Settembre

See in Turin, Valentino Park
Home to Turin’s botanical gardens, this green oasis also has beautiful fountains, a French-style, 18th-century castle and a bizarre recreation of a medieval village.
Corso Massimo d’Azeglio

See in Turin, Porta Palatina
Dating back to the first century AD, these two magnificent red towers and archways near the cathedral were the gates to the city in Roman times. Nearby, you’ll find remains of a Roman theatre, part of which lies buried under the Royal Palace.
Piazza Cesare Augusto

See in Turin, Teatro Regio Torino
Rebuilt on the site of the original 18th-century theatre – destroyed by fire in the 1930s – the Teatro Regio combines striking modern architecture with surviving layers of the past. Superb acoustics make this an ideal venue for operas and ballets like La Traviata and The Nutcracker.

See near Turin, Asti
Explore nearby Asti, a town famous for its eponymous sparkling wine. Drop in at one of the many vineyards for a tasting or stop off at the 13th-century cathedral. Bareback horse race, the Palio d’Asti, thunders into town on 20 September.

See in Turin, Torino+Piemonte Card
The Torino+ Piemonte Card is a way to discover the city and the entire region, practically and economically. Available for 2, 3, 5 or 7 days (priced from 20 to 35 euro), it entitles you to free entry to over 170 cultural sites, including museums, exhibitions, monuments, castles, fortresses and Royal Residences in Turin and Piedmont; free use of all public ground transport and tourist transport in Turin (panoramic escalator to the Antonellian Mole and Sassi-Superga rack-railway) plus the GTT shuttle to Venaria Castle, Rivoli Castle and Pralormo, and the Turin-Ceres railway including the Caselle Airport stop, as well as a 10% discount on the City Sightseeing Torino ticket, valid for 48 hrs instead of 24.

See in Turin, City Sightseeing Torino
Turin can be discovered aboard the City Sightseeing Torino, a double-decker tourist bus with a view “from above”. The complete tour lasts approximately 1 hour and features a multi-language digital audio system. Price: 15 euro per person.

Shopping in Turin, Pastificio Defilippis
Feast your eyes on the past being folded and flipped at Defilippis, a foodie emporium established in 1872. Offering all sorts of shapes and squiggles, and varieties such as egg and Tricolore, it’s the perfect place to pick up some gifts for home or a simple dinner for later.
39 Via Lagrange, +39 011 542 137

A weekend in Tuscany, my tips

For your weekend, or a short break, in Tuscany, is perfect to land in Pisa, and rent a car with Avis: they have there a fleet of fantastic Fiat 500, there’s nothing better than that for a weekend in Tuscany. You’ll need with you a GPS with Italian maps, for sure.

If you decide to sleep one night in Pisa, this hotel is modern and great: NH Hotel Cavalieri Pisa. Well placed in the city center, with a very good breakfast buffet. Checked by myself.
To see in Pisa, the Miracles Place with the famous Tower, the river in the city center, and a walk in the Old town, not far from Piazza dei Miracoli.
Eat in Pisa: not near Piazza dei Miracoli, go in Borgo Stretto, Piazza Dante Alighieri, Via San Martino and choose one you like.

Another place to visit is Lucca. The old town is inside the big walls, where you go, is always great, small and very oldy with nice places. Lovely!
Where to sleep in Lucca? I slept in a big hotel near the Train Station, close to the old town outside the wall, there is a useful parking outside. Unfortunately I don’t remember the name, but in the city the choice of accommodation is adeguate: Hotels in Lucca.
Eat in Lucca, go straight here: Cantine Bernardini, Palazzo Bernardini, Via del Suffragio 7.

A place where you should go, definitely, is SAN GIMIGNANO.
Sleep here in the Tuscany countryside: Hotel Vecchio Asilo Via delle Torri, 4 Ulignano, 53030 San Gimignano.
Eat here in San Gimignano: Trattoria Chiribiri Piazza della Madonna 1.

I loved a lot PISTOIA. Slept in Hotel Villa Chiappugi, they have a good restaurant as well.

SIENA as well is unforgettable. I'll soon dedicate a post to this lovely place with all the info I have.

You like the seaside? Drive to VIAREGGIO, and the VERSILIA area.

If you want to have an idea looking pictures, in this page there are some pics about the cities I mentioned: Tuscany pictures.

Buon viaggio in Toscana!!

Visit Budapest

EATING IN BUDAPEST
Gundel Restaurant
Allatkerti ut 2, 1146 Budapest
Tel +36 1363 1917
Founded in 1894 by Janos Gundel, this establishment has been called the best restaurant in Europe. The dining hall recalls the opulence of Budapest at the beginning of the twentieth century and also boasts a champagne bar and wine cellar. There is also a terrace garden, which is a delightful place to sit in the
summer and listen to gypsy musicians.
The head chef, the proud owner of a Europe award and the Toque d’or, and his team reinvest traditional Gundel recipes to create veritable works of art in food, which have pleased the taste of such dignitaries as Her Maesty Queen Elizabeth II and His Holiness Pope John Paul II!

Alabardos Restaurant
Orszaghaz ut 2, 1014
Tel +36 1356 0851
Located in an impressive, old Gothic building from the 15th century, Alabardos is only a few steps from the Gothic Matthias Church and the panoramic ramparts on top of the Castle hill called Fishermen’s Bastion. The restaurant has a terrace and a garden besides the internal rooms, which are all decorated in a style that combines medieval memorabilia, walls, colors with 19th century refurbishment. Wine selection is assisted by a sommelier. World-famous Zsolnay and Herend porcelains are used for dining.

Mokka Restaurant
Sas ut 4, 1051
Tel +36 1328 0081
Mokka Cafe and Restaurant is one of the restaurants in Budapest recommended by the Michelin guide. Its style is trendy-elegant ‘ethno-eclectic’ combining African-Mediterranean colors and elements. But it’s also ethno-eclectic in its cuisine in a sense that the restaurant is striving to create its own Mokka versions of international and Hungarian dishes with a modern flair. Sommelier helps you to pick wines.

Arcade Bistro
Kiss Janos Altabornagy ut 38, 1126
Tel +36 1225 1969
Arcade Bistro is a very popular upscale French style restaurant in Budapest off the beaten tourist track.
As Fodor’s guide puts it, Arcade Bistro is a “modern, sophisticated bistro on a leafy intersection not far from Déli Pályaudvar (Train Station). The floor-to-ceiling waterfall smack in the middle of the dining room soothes as it keeps conversations discreet and complements the unfussy interior.” It is a pleasant retreat at the foot of the Buda hills, which serves a unique palette of seafood and a selection of Hungarian and international cuisine.

HOTEL ACCOMODATION IN BUDAPEST
Sofitel Budapest Chain Bridge Hotel
Roosevelt ter 2, 1051
This luxury five star hotel is ideally located on the bank of the river Danube, in the heart of the city's premier shopping, dining and entertainment area. The Sofitel Budapest Chain Bridge blends comfort and elegance with modern technology and French flair. The newly renovated interior creates a contemporary impression with its dark brown and pink high-end furnishing and fascinating floral decorations. Enjoy 350 luxuriously appointed rooms and suites and the exclusive Sofitel Club.
This luxury high-class hotel offers breathtaking views of the Chain Bridge and Royal Castle.

LOCAL LAWS AND CUSTOMS IN BUDAPEST
It is recommended to carry your passport and/or photo-driving licence at all times. You must be able to show some form of identity if requested, e.g. by the police. A photocopy is not acceptable.
Hungarian laws on the possession and use of drugs are strict.

PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION IN BUDAPEST
Budapest’s network of public transport services includes buses, trolleybuses, trams, underground trains (Metró) and over ground suburban trains (HÉV).
Buses, trams and trolleybuses run daily from 04.30 am until 11.00 pm. All three Underground lines connect at Deák tér Station, and service frequencies range from 15 minutes late in the evening to every two minutes at peak times.
Tickets have to be bought before boarding, they are available at Underground stations, tobacconists and newsagents, and from vending machines at many bus and tram stops in the city centre. They are valid for one single journey of any length (without changing) on all routes (excluding those parts of the HÉV that lie outside the metropolitan boundary of Budapest). Special tickets can be purchased that allow a change of route, and that cover the HÉV outside Budapest. There is also a range of pre-paid books of tickets and value-for-money passes (e.g. 1-day and 3-day).
A new ticket has to be validated at the beginning of each journey, and this is done by inserting it into the slot in the small red box situated at waist height near the doors of buses, trolleybuses, trams and HÉV trains. Please note, on the Underground system these boxes are in the stations at the escalator.
There are lots of ticket inspectors: some are uniformed and others plain-clothed, but they always wear a red armband and carry a photographic identification badge. They can ask to see tickets and passes on any vehicle and anywhere on the Underground system, including after you have got off – so please remember to validate your ticket and keep hold of it!

Taxis in Budapest
Budapest taxis have yellow number plates and a taxi sign in yellow. Any vehicle without these features is operating illegally. The total charge that has to be paid by the passenger is made up of three separate parts: the basic charge which is irrespective of how far the journey is (max HUF 300 during the day, max
HUF 420 at night), a per kilometre charge which depends on how many kilometres are covered during the journey (max HUF 240 per kilometre during the day, max HUF 336 at night), and the waiting charge.
Tariffs are clearly displayed on the rear right door and on the dashboard. The larger taxi companies work with rates far lower than the maximum charges listed above. Ask for assistance from your hotel reception when ordering a taxi, and think twice before taking the “impartial advice” of taxi drivers if you are looking for a bar or nightclub.
When booking taxis from the SYMA Exhibition Hall, we recommend using:
- City Taxi: +36 2-111-111
- Fo Taxi: +36 2-222-222
All cars must have a taximeter installed, and these also print out a receipt. Taxi drivers are required to give an invoice on request. Tipping: in general 10% of the fare.

BUDAPEST FERIHEGY AIRPORT
Transport from the airport
Shuttle bus
There is a shuttle service available at Budapest Airport, called Airport Minibusz. Operating 24 hours a day and 7 days a week, with a boarding capacity of 8 to 10 passengers, these minibuses handle transfers from the airport to the city centre.
Reservations can be made personally at the Airport Shuttle Desk – located at every terminal.
Transfer fees from the Airport to any point of Budapest or from anywhere in Budapest to the Airport:
HUF 2990 / person / one way ticket
HUF 4990 / person / two way ticket
HUF 4490 / two persons
HUF 8490 / two persons / two way ticket
Train
Passengers can easily reach central Budapest (Western Railway Station) from Ferihegy Terminal 1 in less than half an hour for 300 HUF (approximately 1€!). Arriving travelers can buy their tickets at Tourist Information at Terminal 1 from 09.00 to 22.00 or at Platform B at the railway station from the ticket vending machines.
The two platforms of the railway station are connected to the Airport Terminal by a short pedestrian footbridge.
Taxis
A taxi to the centre of Budapest should cost between 22–25€ (4800-5400 HUF). To order a taxi, please contact Zona Taxis, the airport’s recommended taxi company: tel +36 1 365 55 55.