Rest on the shores of the Tyrrhenian Sea. Grand Hotel Pinetamare
Because I myself often find out information from reviews, I decided to write a review about a trip to Italy.
I was with my husband from July 28 to August 11 in the district of Naples, the Campania region, the province of Caserta. Hotel Grand Hotel Pinetamare 4 *, located in the village of Villagio Coppola, right on the shores of the Tyrrhenian Sea, next to a huge pine grove.
Let's start with the flight. We flew by Italian charter Eurofly from Moscow to Naples. Airbus 320, small but new. Check-in and boarding were not delayed, unlike our charters, but the big minus is food. There was almost no food on board, i. e. gave a bun and a glass of drink for 3.5 hours of flight. So it is better to take something with you or buy at the airport.
If you are going to southern Italy, it is better to stock up on an Italian phrase book, because Few people there speak English. Even at the hotel, not all staff could understand simple English phrases.
HOTEL: cozy and clean, in the whole village - the only one. But still, it looks more like an Egyptian four than a European one. The hotel has friendly staff. The room is small - a room, 2 beds, a TV on the bedside table, a refrigerator, a wardrobe, and a bathroom with a shower. Italians do not like baths, so it is not enough in which hotel you will meet her. Cleaning every day, with the change of the entire set of towels and linen. TV - only Italian channels.
From the window overlooking the main street, Vesuvius and the island of Ischia were visible. The beauty! In addition, it was possible to sunbathe right on the balcony, because. from our side there was sun all the time (unlike the rooms with a balcony overlooking the pool).
We had half board. The food was very pleased, there was traditional Italian cuisine: risotto, pasta, seafood, vegetable salads, less often meat, the menu changed every day. For breakfast - a continental buffet (bun, sausage, cheese, jam, cereal, fruit, yogurt, coffee). For dinner - three dishes from the menu (moreover, a liter of water and a glass of wine per person are included in the price of the boarding house). Each room is assigned a specific table. If desired, dinner can be changed to lunch.
The hotel has a swimming pool with free sun beds. Beach towels can be bought at the hotel. The swimming pool requires a cap, which can be bought at the hotel bar. The pool is warm, there are also 2 children's paddling pools, there are always places on sunbeds at any time of the day. The pool bar is chargeable. In the evening there is live music by the pool.
BEACH: paid (per day for 2 sun loungers and an umbrella - 15 euros). The beach is clean, unlike the free public one, there is a toilet, a pizzeria, sellers of various things are constantly walking. Places can also be found, but on weekends there is a large influx of people, so on weekends we sunbathed calmly by the pool.
COPPOLA VILLAGE: very small. There are a lot of residential buildings and apartments around the hotel, there is a Shpar supermarket on the main street, there is also a pizzeria (open from 12 to 15, from 18 to 24). At the entrance to the hotel there is a snack bar where you can eat pizza, ice cream or cake). But I will say right away that there is nothing to do in the village as such, there are abandoned houses and garbage dumps around. Life in the village comes to life after 8 pm, when young people gather on the main street. But don't think it's for a disco or bars. They just hang out on the benches and chat.
SURROUNDINGS: if you want to travel, take the bus to Naples. Stop on the highway for a gas station (on the main street 5-10 minutes on foot), a ticket can be bought at a tobacconist or newspaper shop, the price for one way is about 2 euros. There is a bus to Naples for an hour. But a problem arises: a lot of blacks are traveling from the province of Caserta in the morning in this bus, so you should not leave before 9 in the morning. And back from Naples to go no later than 4 pm, because. they are going back. It's not about racism, it's just that they fill the bus completely and don't let anyone in. At other times, on the contrary, the bus is quite free, there are many Ukrainians. There is also a railway station in the village of Villa Literna, half an hour away by bus (this bus stops in front of the Shpar supermarket). But there is no need to rely on trains, because they rarely run on schedule. You can also take a private taxi to Naples (the hotel does not have one), but it is very expensive (on average 50 euros one way, besides, the driver can charge you money for the return trip).
ROADS: you can rent a car on reservation at the airport, but I don’t advise it, because. traffic on the roads of Italy is just crazy. The rules are not respected absolutely, everyone gives way to each other at will, many pedestrians climb right under the wheels, an abundance of motorcyclists. In addition, the signs on the highway and in the cities are very chaotic. Lots of toll roads. Even on the map it can be difficult to understand, you need a navigator. For rental, be sure to take international rights (although this is rarely warned), because. the carabinieri or other authorities may impose a fine of up to 500 euros. Moreover, even the local tax police can stop the driver.
EXCURSIONS: to Rome, to Vesuvius and Pompeii, to the islands of Ischia and Capri with a Russian guide. Each excursion cost about 100 euros per person, but very comfortable. Take comfortable shoes with you, as you have to walk a lot. For example, it takes about 40 minutes to go to Vesuvius on foot. We went to Naples on our own, got to the seaport, where we took city tours for 22 euros per person in Russian.
SMOKING: allowed on the street and in designated rooms, in other places the fine is up to 300 euros.
SHOPPING: shops in Naples are open from 14 to 16 (Chiaia and Toledo streets), in Rome shopping is better on the main streets. But best of all are the outlets. The closest one to us was in Giuliano, a huge Auchan store (don't be surprised), this is a collection of boutiques selling shoes, bags and clothes. You can get there by taxi.
In general, I liked it very much, because. according to the reviews of foreigners, we did not expect golden mountains. We went with the goal of relaxing, swimming and seeing the cities of southern Italy. Most likely, it is difficult to count on a full-fledged European four in the south of Italy, because. the region itself is quite poor. The only negative, of course, is the transfer to Naples, but you can adapt. We recommend the hotel to families with children.
