Italy

[Mad Moose]

Planning on a holiday to Italy in September. I'm hoping to get around a few grounds too. Most likely I'll go to Northern Italy first and try and see as much of the country as I can. Neither of us have any Italian but I have a few phrasebooks.

I'm going to try and get to a few football grounds too.

Suggestions and advice?

[The Good Son]

It's generally easy enough to get tickets, you'll need to have your passport with you when buying them though. Very rare to have sell outs in Italy. You've plenty choices in the North. I've been to games in Bologna, Sienna, Parma, Cesena and Rome and no problem getting tickets for any, even though the games in Sienna and Cesena were local derbys against Livorno and Bologna respectively.Get tickets for the Curva if you can, generally cheaper and where the best atmosphere is. Fixtures are out on 31st July.
Not having Italian shouldn't be a problem, in the tourist spots most will have some bit of English. and even outside of the Cities universal sign language works fine. Learn the usual pleasantries and even that will be appreciated.There's an excellent train network for getting around, one thing Il Duce got right.

[Mad Moose]

It's generally easy enough to get tickets, you'll need to have your passport with you when buying them though. Very rare to have sell outs in Italy. You've plenty choices in the North. I've been to games in Bologna, Sienna, Parma, Cesena and Rome and no problem getting tickets for any, even though the games in Sienna and Cesena were local derbys against Livorno and Bologna respectively.Get tickets for the Curva if you can, generally cheaper and where the best atmosphere is. Fixtures are out on 31st July.
Not having Italian shouldn't be a problem, in the tourist spots most will have some bit of English. and even outside of the Cities universal sign language works fine. Learn the usual pleasantries and even that will be appreciated.There's an excellent train network for getting around, one thing Il Duce got right.

Good advice there. Thanks for that. Plenty of choice football wise throughout the country. I'll probably concentrate on seeing some of the lesser spotted grounds though a bit of San Siro or Olympic Stadium atmosphere has to be sampled while I'm there.

Have a little bit of Italian in terms of pleasantries so I may brush up on that stuff. I've always wanted to visit Italy so this is one trip I'm definetely looking forward to.

Thanks though.

[Bluebeard]

Lucca is a gorgeous little town in Tuscany on the way between Florence and Pisa - good and comparatively cheap base for the two, and beautiful in it's own right. Lucchesse play there, I think it is now Serie C, but formerly Serie A. Well worth a visit.

[Mad Moose]

Lucca is a gorgeous little town in Tuscany on the way between Florence and Pisa - good and comparatively cheap base for the two, and beautiful in it's own right. Lucchesse play there, I think it is now Serie C, but formerly Serie A. Well worth a visit.

I've heard of Lucchesse alright. Might be wort taking a look. I'm sure there are loads of these little places. I want to find the places less frequented of which I'm sure there are many.

[beautifulrock]

A good book is " A Season with Verona" by Tim Parks. Basically his trips around the grounds of Italy. If you have time to read you may pick up some tips there. Could also be a decent guide for you on your trip.

[The Good Son]

A good book is " A Season with Verona" by Tim Parks. Basically his trips around the grounds of Italy. If you have time to read you may pick up some tips there. Could also be a decent guide for you on your trip.

Also, Calcio:A History Of Italian Football by John Foot is a good read before going.

[Mad Moose]

A good book is " A Season with Verona" by Tim Parks. Basically his trips around the grounds of Italy. If you have time to read you may pick up some tips there. Could also be a decent guide for you on your trip.

Cheers. Its a book I've had for some time and havn't gotten round to it as I'm determined to finish the one I'm on currently and really struggling with. All I've heard of the book is good. Calcio is another I have and the Miracle of Castel di Sangro. I'd actually love to visit the place.

Those books are a good guide actually. They may come along with me.

[d rovers]

It's generally easy enough to get tickets, you'll need to have your passport with you when buying them though. Very rare to have sell outs in Italy. You've plenty choices in the North. I've been to games in Bologna, Sienna, Parma, Cesena and Rome and no problem getting tickets for any, even though the games in Sienna and Cesena were local derbys against Livorno and Bologna respectively.Get tickets for the Curva if you can, generally cheaper and where the best atmosphere is. Fixtures are out on 31st July.
Not having Italian shouldn't be a problem, in the tourist spots most will have some bit of English. and even outside of the Cities universal sign language works fine. Learn the usual pleasantries and even that will be appreciated.There's an excellent train network for getting around, one thing Il Duce got right.

can't really add too much to that good advice, but i would recommend trying to catch a game in genoa if possible. great atmosphere when i was there, even for a seria b game. tickets can be picked up outside the ground before the game as long as you have photo id. enjoy your trip.
i have attended approx 15 games in italy & have never had a problem picking up tickets, even for the big games.

[Sandro]

Pity I haven't seen this thread before, I have written a book on the subject and I might have been good help

[Mad Moose]

Pity I haven't seen this thread before, I have written a book on the subject and I might have been good help

Its a pity I didn't look at this thread before I went. I forgot all about it. Italy deserves a thread to itself. I originally panned to go in September and went to the Netherlands and Belgium instead. So put Italy out until march and have just returned from a pretty memorable trip.

After a flight bungling on my part i missed the game at the San Siro between Inter and Roma which I believe was very interesting (3-3). Stayed in Milan an while I never thought Milan would hold much appeal for me I liked it. I would have stayed longer.

Went to Verona which is a great city. Laid back and relaxed which I like. The amphitheatre (the 3rd largest in Italy) is impressive and found some wonderful sights outside the usual attractions such as the Castel San Pietro and the Lourdes Basilica both of which provide breathtaking views over the city. As I tend to spend a hell of a lot of time looking upward Italy is perfect if you have an interest in history and architecture. I went out to the Bentegodi or Stadio Communale and the highlight was seeing the Italia '90 mascot denoting the Bentegodi as one of the World Cup stadia. Otherwise its a massive concrete eyesore and not particularly appealing.

Venice is Venice. Its beautiful and well worth seeing with some absolutely beautiful churches and buildings but not the kind of place I would want to spend too long in. Delighted I've seen it. There's not a sales pitch you wouldn't learn from Venice.

Travelled north into the Alps and to Livigno for a couple of days which was breathtakingly beautiful. Came down through Lake Como which is absolutely gorgeous.

Return journey definetely on the cards and hopefully I'll get a few games in. Next plan is West to East through Tuscany and must take a look at Lucca.

I did actually finish 'A season with Verona' a few months back and I think it really adds to a place when you start to recognise places referred to.

Cheers for all the advice. Is that book available Sandro?

Brendan

[Sandro]

Is that book available Sandro?

Brendan

Hi Brendan, the book is available again, it has just been re-printed and I have started working on the new edition (April 2010 probably). Price for friends is 30€ instead of 38€ but I can't help about the high shipping cost. I don't know how much would be to ship a copy to Ireland, I will check and I will let you know. Any chance to come and collect it in Vicenza? Next saturday I will attend Treviso-Pisa (Teviso airport is well conencted to Ireland through Ryanair) I guess that would be cheaper!

Football Grounds of Italy
A long journey through the football grounds of Italy to discover the fascination of their history and their sporting memories. News, photos, trivia and anecdotes about the world of new arenas that, like circuses and amphitheatres in the classic age, are still the urban places to hold sport events and mass exhibitions. Over 150 stadia, some famous, some little known, some new, some gone, to re-discover the history of Italian football through its temples