Pescara
Pescara is an inconspicuous city in the central-eastern part of Italy, the largest city in Abruzzo (a region of Italy), which is located on the Adriatic Sea.
Pescara is not a popular holiday destination among Poles because Polish travel agencies do not offer hotels, in this area. We can fly from Poland to Pescara only in high season via Ryanair.
Where is Pescara?
Before the flight, I searched for some information about this destination and did not find too much. I chose this part of Italy for my vacation because the ticket price was attractive and the plane flight from Warsaw takes only two hours. This was very important for me when traveling with three children. Therefore, I did not expect fireworks, but Pescara positively surprised me.
Beautiful weather, a wonderful wide and sandy beach of about 3 km, and a pleasant town. The beach is Pescara’s advantage. The high season here lasts from the beginning of June to the end of September. Our visit was from the 30th of September to the 7th of October. A visit at this time was positive for us because of the lack of crowds and the general calmness of the area. There was only a small problem finding an open restaurant, as most were already closed. I can recommend the pizza at Johnny Take Ue Pescara (check here).
Exactly on October 1st, umbrellas and beach chairs on the beach were being removed for the winter. The Italian laid-back style, which did not care about the constantly arriving tourists, surprised me more than once. In high season, the price of beach chair rental is €10 per day. We used ones and children’s toys for free, which were available at the one-closed beach bar. People used them while sunbathing and then put them back in place. I especially recommend the part of the beach on the right side of the bridge right next to the Marina, where the water is very shallow for a very long stretch (Sabbia D’Oro area).
Weather
Pescara is located in a subtropical climate zone without a dry season and with hot summers. The hottest months are July and August, where temperatures exceed 30℃. The coldest months are December, January, and February (average temperature is 10℃). My visit to Pescara was in early October and it was great. The air temperature ranged between 25℃ and 27℃. During my whole visit, the sky was cloudless and there was no rainfall. The temperature at night was around 15℃.
Town
The town of Pescara is not very big, you can easily explore it on foot. The river divides the city into two parts, and the Bridge of the Sea (Ponte del Mare) connects these two parts of the city. The bridge was built in 2009 and is for walking and cycling use only. In the evening, it is beautifully illuminated in the colors of the Italian flag.
Our apartment was on the right side of the bridge, 10 minutes from the beach in the Puerta Nuova district. We had three bedrooms, two bathrooms, a living room, a kitchen, and a terrace. It was clean and spacious. We were 7 people and everyone had enough freedom. I highly recommend it, because it was really special. I rented it by Airbnb (check here).
The city is not delightful. There are a few monuments, but the nicest part of the city is the promenade by the beach and, of course, the beach. The left side of town seems more attractive, as there are more bars located there. It can be entertaining here during the holiday season.
If you like to visit buildings you can go to the Gabriele d’Annun Museum. He was a well-known poet, novelist, playwright, and politician. He was born and spent his childhood in Pescara. The museum is located in his family home.
I recommend visiting the Marina in Pescara, where you can find trabocchi (trabocco in the singular). It is a very original structure that can only be found in certain areas of Italy. A trabocco is a wooden fishing platform with a weird design. Some people compare it to a spider, as it has long and strong “legs” that can perfectly deal with the sea, wind, sun, and rain. They are complex fishing machines that were built on poles driven directly into the seabed and anchored to the coast with ropes and wooden poles. They were built in selected places where fishermen could use sea currents to pick up fish. They needed the necessary knowledge and skills to build them, which was handed down from generation to generation.
For centuries the trabocchi were a source of livelihood for many families, but since the 1970s they have been gradually abandoned. They are now used for coastal tourism. Some can be visited, while others have been converted into restaurants.
The Pineta Dannunziana Nature Reserve can be another sightseeing spot in the city. It is a park with a free entrance, where we can meet sea turtles and geese. Nothing impressive, but you can enter if you’re nearby.
Walking around the city, you can find a fountain called the Ship Cascella, which symbolizes the transportation of convicts to the local prison.
On Mondays, there is a market on Viale Pepe Street. We can buy there almost anything.
Transport
We can travel around the city and the area by public transportation, rental car or cab.
If you using public transportation, please check the schedule on the official Trasporto Unico Abruzzese website (check here). The cost from the airport to the center is €1.20.
You can rent a car at the airport, where you find several rental companies. We chose Locauto (check here). It is possible to book online and without a deposit. Pickup and return of the car at the airport. You will find the costs at the end.
Visiting Italy for the first time, we experienced quite a shock at how the local gas stations work. It turned out that most stations are automatic (except on highways). This means that we fuel ourselves, and we pay by card in the machine, but we should remember that before refueling, and entering the card into the machine, the amount of €100 is blocked on it!
Generally, after the refueling is completed, the blocking is released, and we pay as much as we want. We were confused because we did not understand this system. Most of these gas stations are without any staff. We chose a place where it was staff in the hope that someone would help us. It turned out that people there were eating, drinking, and watching a football. We asked the staff for help but we had trouble communicating. The two young guys on the staff did not speak English but a translator helped us.
The best way to make an appointment with a cab driver is via WhatsApp, and we should communicate in Italian. Transportation from the airport to the apartment (9 km) costs €20. Uber or Bolt is not available. Here is the phone number for the cab: Danilo Taxi +393802115337 (5-passenger car), +393473473232 (7-passenger car). If a particular cab driver cannot come, it gives the contact number of another cab driver.
Trip to Rome
We went to Rome for one day without an overnight. The distance of Rome from Pescara is about 200 km. We rented a car and drove to the Eternal City. Parking a car on the street borders on the miraculous. We parked in a private garage, which was also crowded. Cars are left where there is just space, and you have to leave your car keys. The owner of the garage move our car if necessary. We got around the city on foot and by subway.
We experienced huge crowds of people, traffic-jammed streets, hot weather, and pushy peddlers wanting to sell us everything from cold water to hats and fans. Our visit was on the 4th of October (the low season). I don’t want to imagine what happens there in the high season.
In this short time, we were able to visit:
Colosseum
The Colosseum is a must-see and probably everyone remembers this building from a history textbook. It is a symbol of Italy. The place once served as an arena for gladiator fights. We admired the Colosseum only on the outside. To go inside you need to buy tickets online (check here).
Basilica of Saint Mary Major
You can enter the basilica for free and without a queue. Inside, we can admire the rich decorations.
di Trevi Fountain
This is a barge-style fountain that depicts the god of the seas, Neptune. The famous scene from the movie “La Dolce Vita” was filmed here.
Castle of the Holy Angel
This is the tomb of Emperor Hadrian and his family. We can find it on our way to the Vatican. An entrance ticket is required.
Vatican
City Vatican City is the seat of the highest authority of the Catholic Church, where the Pope resides. It is also the smallest country in the world by area and the smallest independent state by population. A visit to St. Peter’s Basilica is free, but the kilometer-long line effectively scared us away. Pope John Paul II is laid to rest in the Basilica.
Costs (per person)
- Ryanair flight Warsaw Modlin – Pescara – Warsaw Modlin 645 PLN/person. Including extra seats for about 60 PLN/person.
- Travel insurance 60 PLN/person.
- Apartment rented by Airbnb for 7 days 830 PLN/person.
- Cab from the airport to the center €20.
- Car rental for one day €152,28. – Fuel €50 (1,969 EUR/L).
- Food was about 570 PLN/person.
- Example prices at restaurants and Mc Donald’s: pizza €8, Pepsi €3, salad €10, McChicken €5.80, large fries €4.10, McNuggets €6.60, McFlurry €6.40. – Example prices at Tiger supermarket: baguette €1.20, bananas €1.82, water €1.04, cheese €2.05, Philadelphia cheese €2.76, milk €1.49.
