I think that Venice is the most expensive Italian city. If you are fine with that…

The ship is a fairly old fumy one and off season isn’t very full so doubt would improve carbon emissions versus a flight (especially on an efficient modern airliner when full). I’ve done the night trip in that direction, it’s okay although the chairs are not ideal. It’ll probably be calm but you can always look at the wind forecast nearer the time, nothing compared to the Irish sea. It’s certainly not a quick option versus flying (but is versus taking busses/trains around and through Slovenia). Somewhat amusing if you don’t mind a bit of inconvenience and like to mix things up I’d give attempting to use the shower a miss though.

For anyone going the other way from Bari, be warned the ticket office is miles from the port and you have to visit it for your boarding pass which you can’t print (but there’s a shuttle bus I gather). From Dubrovnik the office is on the road right next to the port’s customs and immigration check (some distance from the old town).

There’s a (slightly) faster ferry from Split.

From Bari, and as already mentioned, do take the train or bus inland to Matera, where there’s also a coliving (casa netural).

Unless you’re travelling slowly, for some routes in Italy, coaches (e.g. Flixbus) are easier and faster especially coast to coast.

Hello, I’m originally from Terlizzi (30km nord of Bari) but I’ve been studying in Bari since I was 11. I think traveling by boat can be nice, depending on the type of boat you take. I didn’t travel to Croatia by boat, but I did go to Albania by boat overnight and it definitely wasn’t a luxury experience but it was ok.

Bari is nice but is pretty big, make sure to stay in the center and you’ll be fine. Of course, food will be great. Make sure to taste some focaccia, pasta and more. You can visit the cathedral, N’ dèrr’a la lanze among other things. You can work at HubBari, which is a coworking space. Bari is the main city for the region (Puglia) and it probably has everything you can think of.

You can move in Apulia by train pretty easily. If you go south you will encounter the best sea. Lecce is one of Italy’s most Baroque beautiful towns. Make sure to visit Polignano as it has some of the beautiful sea views you will see.

If you move north, come visit me No, but aside from jokes, there are plenty of cities you can visit north, too. If you are into castles there’s Castel del Monte which is beautiful. Cities are beautiful, they go all the way up to Gravina, which is near Matera. Matera is on another region but has been named European Capital Of Culture for 2019 and it’s beautiful, too.

Look, I’m biased but everything is beautiful in Italy. Sorry

Must see the Olympic Theater in Vicenza, it’s beautiful! The Teatro Olimpico is the first indoor theater in masonry in the world, with interiors made of wood, stucco and plaster.It was constructed by architect Andrea Palladio, between 1580 and 1585, when it was inaugurated. It is included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.

A couple day trip ideas in addition to mpic’s excellent suggestions:

• Do a balsamic vinegar factory making tour in Modena
• Parmesan cheese factory in Parma
  There are a couple ones in particular I’d highly recommend, but not sure if I can put links here or not… DM me if you’re interested.

Never been in Vicenza, but while there you should absolutely go to Verona (of course), Padova, Cittadella (amazing city walls) and Marostica. In December also Castelfranco Veneto is nice if you like Christmas markets. Enjoy!

Maybe it’s late but considering that nobody answered I add my 2 cents.
In Sicilia I would say Cefalù and Taormina, but Taormina is a strange town and if you stay “up” it’s a long thing to go to the sea. Close to Palermo there is Mondello. Close to Agrigento there is Scala dei turchi.

In Sardegna there are probably the best beaches but it’s not exactly south of Italy and it’s not well connected to the rest of the world… I’ve never been there but for some of my friends is one of the most beautiful land in the world.

In Puglia and Calabria there are plenty of beaches, but a bit more north I suggest Portonovo, Sirolo, Numana and Senigallia. In particular close to Sirolo there are two of the most beautiful beaches in Italia. I know them well because I don’t live far from there and these are “my beaches”. Prices are similar to South of Italy, much lower than in Liguria or Toscana.

In the northern region of Italy I really love the Asiago Hills (yes that is where asiago cheese is from) I have found it to be very peaceful and quaint, but you would need a car. I also really enjoyed my time in Tuscany, there are lots of little castles and sights to see and many small towns. If you want a place that is well connected, but with a small city vibe then I would recommend Lucca.

Hmm, I’m jumping in this one late as I’ve only just noticed it. But every summer I go back to Sète for the Worldwide Festival in July. It’s pure magic. It’s a small fishing port on the Med near Montpellier, and it’s a very artistic, cultural place. Amazing seafood, jazz festivals, very authentic town, which sits on a hill like an island (well, it practically is an island) and loads of beaches and walking nearby. Does tend to be difficult to find cheap housing though and I appreciate it’s not in the mountains. But it’s gorgeous!

Try Saint Jean de Luz in France (Basque Coast - gorgeous coastline, cute center, bigger Biarritz is just down the road) or perhaps Azay-le-Rideau if you want to be in the Loire Valley and visit all the castles (if you have a bicycle, the cycling here is amazing). In Italy, Modena isn’t as small as my other suggestions, but it has an amazing food scene if you’re into that. I also adore Assisi, though in summer it will be very crowded. It’s stunning and there are some nice easy countryside hikes around.

i am italian and i lived in france remotely for 3 years.
with my former girlfriend i have been to almost any region, each one may cater for your specific needs.
since you are talking about mountains the Alps of Savoie come to mind.
Here is a "major breakdown’ of all places i stayed.

Its pretty comprehensive and hopefully helpful.

VISITED:
Nantes
Bordeaux
Paris
Lille
Marseile

LIVED
Nice in Cote D’Azur : 14-15 months
Anglet in Pays Basque : 2 months
Crozon in Finistere / Bretagne : 3-4 months
Aigremont Gard - Languedoc Roussillon : 1-2 month
Puymaurin in Auch / Haute Garonne : 3 months
Aigueblanche in Savoie : 1 month
Joncelet in Herault : 6 months
Lattes in Cantal - Auvergne : 1 1/2 month (paid 6)

Short Visits:
Les Vans / Ardeche
Saint Tropes
Sainte Maxime
Montpellier
Marseille
Aix les Thermes
St. Girons

Place we liked most:

Nice

Weather, Sea, Light, Commodities, Food, Position of Apartment, Few Social Connection, Feeling that we are locals, Promenade, Easy to go around, Restaurants, Elegance, Airport, People like to come visit us, Close to Italy, Sunny Balcony

CONS:
City Life, Terrorism, Criminality, Prostitution, Crowded, Noise, Bus, Expensive, Traffic, No garden.

1. Ardeche

Weather , People , Nature , Houses, Climate , Food

CONS: Commodities

2. Pays Basque

PROS: Food, People, Service, Safety, Nature, Tradition.
CONS: Weather, Prices

3. Crozon

PROS: People, Remoteness, Light, Tranquillity, Oysters, Coast
CONS: Travelling, Connection to Flights

4. Aigueblanche

PROS: Mountain Air, People, Villages, Tradition, Savoie, Food, Antique, Local Food.
CONS: Asphalt, Locked Feeling

5. Puymaurin

PROS: Space, Calmness, Campaing, Piscine, Eating Outside, Big Trees, Sky, Walks
CONS: Nothing Around, Low-level, Organic almost impossible, Fast & Dagnerous Drivers, Close to the Road,

6. Aigremont

PROS: Flowers in the Garden, Ecosystem, 3000 m2, Countryside, Driving to Restaurant, Calmnness, Wine, Sun, Making Breakfast in the Sun, BBQ
CONS: House was not the nicest, Kitchen, Arrangments,

7. Joncelet

PROS: Eco House, Design, Calmness, Loneliness, Cumbia the Doggy, Stars, Sky, Food, Wine, Spring Water, Automatic Heating, Shape of Living Room,
CONS: Small, No Natural Heating, Shower to Small, Kitchen Smallish, Small Fridge, Sofa was cold. Too remote, to much driving for shopping, Town nearby not appealing, No Friends, no socialising.

8. Lattes / Aurillac

PROS: House, Calmness, View, Mixture between Wood & Stone, Each one has a room, Light, Spacious, Neighbours friendly, Space outside, Stove where you can cook pizza, Comfy but simple, Trees & Sky,
CONS: Isolated for Int’l Travel, Bit locked, Cows * Agriculture * Farming,

Thanks everyone for the excellent, detailed suggestions, I really appreciate it. Sorry for the late response. Village life is what I am ideally looking for, so more suggestions in that line would be very welcome. Since it will be a relatively short stay this time around we will probably rent a car to explore the countryside.
Any suggestions for a small village/town in the mountains ?

Hi Jacob,
I would recommend the Gers district (around Lectoure for example), the countryside is beautiful, the food exceptional and the “Chemin de Compostelle”, a famous pilgrimage trail, passes right through Lectoure.

During summer, there’s a night-time market in a different small town almost every night. Plus world-class astronomical festival at the beginning of August in Fleurance if you’re interested.

You would definitely need a car though.
For internet access, I would recommend buying a French SIM card with data plan for the duration of your stay.

Good luck!

The biggest limiting criteria would be if you’ll have a car? Narbonne is a pleasant town and well connected, the countryside isn’t on your doorstep and coast is a bit mediocre. However there’s piles of places within easy reach (busses in the neighbouring Pyrenees Orientales department are 1€, and trains throughout the region also). France is blessed with great trails, and in the Pyrenees there’s refuges (most free) so you can stay overnight and do more adventurous hikes.

If you want countryside on the doorstep of a charming town I’d suggest Uzès in the Gard, just above Nîmes (also great), public transport is limited to some daily busses, also to Remoulins (for Avignon). It is however small and popular in summer so probably pricey and difficult to find somewhere… Other places worth checking are Albi, Tarbres, Pau. A bit more remote, Sisteron, Le Puy en Velay… If you’ve a car there’s so many more options as you could go for village life rather than sticking to towns, for example Cotignac/Carces/Correns in the Var.

@mule5 a 3bed for 1k should be perfectly doable around the smaller towns over a half year but you’d really have to be there in person to find them and negotiate. You’re generally not gonna get net unless it’s specifically a better holiday rental for foreigners, though throwing away say €150 on six months unused subscription is a reasonable solution.

I’m not a huge fan of Bedarieux the local town for Caussiniojouls, but the Orb valley is fab, there’s great icy pools, gorges and old villages to explore, and cherry season—OMG. But very popular with the French over the summer hols. Whilst most villages are not covered there are decent bus services to Beziers which is an interesting town (my next base!), and Montpellier, in fact there’s that 1€ train from Bedarieux to Beziers too.

Hi,
I ve stayed in the north of Italy around Lake Como and the Lago Maggiore for 2 summers. I really like the quiet and relaxed life style and plan on staying there again soon. Good weather, food, swimming and hiking all is available. And there are great accomodations with fantastic views.
Also Milan is not too far away, if you want to get into a large city with an airport.

The downside however is that you usually need a car to get around, especially when you stay in smaller quieter places. But thats all over France and Italy… Public transport is not really big in rural areas. Keep in mind, that elevation starts soon after the lake shore. Usually you will have the street and the train tracks in this small strip before it goes up the mountain. Some areas can be quite touristic in high season, but it is still very relaxed. Internet (also 4G mobile) usually is fine. I did not find any coworking spaces - but would be very interested in finding out, if there is a scene in some of the cities around the lakes.

Hey there, I just arrived in Bologna & posted something about it.

Only here since Wednesday but it’s already been surprisingly great. Can’t imagine how it’d be in the spring/summer

Anyhow, in that post I added plenty of links regarding coworking spaces & other generic resources relevant to Italy.

Enjoy Any nomads in Bologna (Italy) right now? And resources for DN in Italy

Adrien

Re WiFi at home, I spent April and May of 2015 about 2 kilometres outside of a hilltop village in Tuscany and never had any problems at all with the WiFi.

no doubt: get a prepaid TIM sim card (avoid vodafone like hell), and put it on a huawei pocket wifi modem.

Seems Italy is a good place as I haven’t heard any issues with regards to Internet, power outages, etc. It’s certainly included in my DN spots bucket list!

I don’t think the internet would be a problem in any of the developed countries, Italy included. 4G is pretty common, and available on prepaid, we got like 20 GB for 30 euros on TIM and Wind and lived on lake Como for a week just with that.

Hi, i were born and grew in Italy (Sicily, to be precise) and actually, the general situation is that in the center and northern italy big cities you will find very good connections (even fibers up to 100/300/500 MB in download); in the little cities/town and in the south (even in cities), connection is much much more worst than that; Of course, i am talking about the general situation, exceptions could be anywhere. My two cents

Hi,

I’ve been in Cagliari/Sardinia for a week. In my apartment I’m getting 10Mbps / 1Mbps. Plenty ok for my work(hurray for rsync). Still I work from the local coworking space where the bandwidth is about the same.