It's a charming hill town with plenty of tourist shops and pleasant walks.... read more

Naples is pretty dirty and third world, but the sloppy pizza is a treat and there are cleaner coastal towns to visit, and of course the ruins at Pompeii which are as fascinating as one would expect.... read more

I took the night ferry from Ancona, Italy. We stopped at Split briefly before continuing down the coast to Dubrovnik. There weren't anywhere near as many tourists in early June as when I revisited in mid-summer a few years later: traveling during the shoulder seasons is the way to go here. Dubrovnik quickly became a favorite city, mostly for its position - azure Mediterranean waters cradling the Old Town, with beaches on the edges and steep arid hills arching above. The marble streets and terra cotta roofs (at this point some still destroyed by the recent war) add to the charm, and its proximity to the islands makes it a perfect base for a week.... read more

I arrived there via a night train from Austria, found a private room, and then enjoyed perhaps the longest sleep of my life - about 15 hours. So all I remember of the city is that it was young, optimistic, and seemed to really love ice cream.... read more

Prague is truly impressive. I'd just do whatever possible to minimize the impact of the tourist hordes - visit in shoulder or off seasons, stay somewhere in the periphery, or visit smaller towns afterward. Otherwise, the experience can be theme park-like during high season - similar to the central tourist areas in Rome, Florence, Paris, Moscow, Barca, etc. However, every one is there for good reason.... read more