Per I Viaggiatori Futuri

Tips for future Ischia travelers:

1. Naples is a dirty, dirty place. Know where you are going before you are overcome by its filth. Move quickly and efficiently with two hands clutching your bags. Zippers facing forward.

2. To get to the ferry: The #1 tram goes along the shoreline to the port. When you exit the train station, bear right and walk to the end of the piazza until you see trams ahead. You can buy tickets at the tabacchi store by Centrali. Get on the tram going left, there is a stop slightly to the left, it looks like a island. Stay on until you see a castle and a lot of ships.

3. You can buy tickets to Capri, Ischia, etc. on the side of the blue building facing the street.

4. If you know you get sea sick, opt for the hydrofoil. It is 17 euro as opposed to its 9 euro rocking counterpart, but a lot shorter and smoother.

5. At Ischia Porto, the buses are along the shore, up the steps, and to the right. They all line up in the parking lot. At Forio, they stop around the fruit stand and biglietteria right in front of the port. Buy tickets at the huts, magazine stands, booths around (1,20 euro for 90 mins).

6. Be sure to validate all tickets on the bus, they check a lot more frequently in Ischia than in Rome or elsewhere. We saw a few people get caught and fined. They don't care that you didn't know. Also, they have plain clothes enforcers, they are just so sneaky. You won't see them coming until they are upon you.

7. If you are looking for a cheap, friendly hostel, it doesn't get much better than Ring Hostel. (They are also on Facebook.) See previous post for all features.

8. Negombo and Poseidon's Garden are both good for thermal parks. While Poseidon's Garden is more picturesque and has more visible volcanic features, Negombo has a more diverse selection of pools in terms of presentation. Treat yourself to a nice massage at either one. It is well worth the money, but don't be surprised when they whisk the towel off of you to massage your legs; they don't take no for an answer.

9. If you are staying at Ring, they will take you to La Casereccia for dinner. If you are not staying there, go anyway. It is the best food we have had in Italy.

10. Castello Aragonese is a sight to see. Try to include a stop there for its history, volcanism, and tourist value (they filmed The Talented Mr.Ripley there).

11. Maronti Beach is a great example of how the natives use the island's heat for something other than tourism. On any given day you can see people cooking dinner over the heat coming from the sand. Some areas are even roped off as they are too hot to walk on.

12. There is cliff jumping on the island, ask your hostel, resort, etc for locations. You can snorkel at some of the locations.

13. You will see pictures of "Il Fungo" (mushroom shaped rock, formed by erosion) everywhere. It is cool to see, but don't worry about devoting a ton of time to it. Taking the bus to Laco Ameno will give you a good view from the mountains and up close.

14. Forio is a cute area of town with small shops and a harbor, but there are better things to see. The area around Maronti is a bit more colorful with more diverse shops and a good community to poke around, especially if you are interested in the way the houses were built into the side of the island.

15. People on the island are, as a rule, friendly. Don't be afraid to ask questions. Even if you don't know Italian, say "Di mi" or "tell me" followed by the name of the place you wish to go, and they will do their best to help you. We had an entire bus of strangers telling us when to get off.

16. Capri is a short boat ride away. Check out the shopping, perfumerias, the Blue Grotto (which you can swim in before and after the boat tours of the day. See time schedule for exact details), and check out the way many of the buildings on the side of the island will be taking a dip into the ocean one of these days because of erosion.