ABOUT US

ABOUT US

Our Story

It was a Sunday evening of october 2019 and we were queuing to board our plane back to London from Pescara. We were already reminiscing about our week off in Abruzzo, the quality time we had shared with our family and friends and all the nice places we had visited. Nearby to our boarding gate there was a shop selling typical Abruzzese food (made from local producers) called Iannone, so we started to mention how nice it would be to set up a shop like that in London (the idea is still hanging!).

This prompted us (Idania, Enzo and Armando) to start brainstorming about ways we could promote Abruzzo as a tourist destination. We believe this region is a hidden gem getting missed in the world of tourism . . . and this is how everything started! We created this blog to share with the world all the wonders Abruzzo has and why after reading our content you might decide to include Abruzzo within your annual travel schedule!

Our reminiscence of Abruzzo goes well back into our childhoods, our dads are from Abruzzo so we used to visit during summer to enjoy the region and of course, visit our grandparents. Abruzzo is part of our roots and it has played an important part in who we are, so we hope you enjoy reading this blog in the same way we enjoy writing it for you!

Villalago - Abruzzo

So . . . Why The City Next Door?

At this point you may be wondering how “Abruzzo” relates to “The City Next Door” so, here it comes! It didn’t take us too long to find a name for the blog. It was a cold but sunny Saturday of February 2020, the three of us sitting in a pretty coffee shop around central London called The Timberyard when the click moment happened. After a few ideas and weird words, something resonated with us at the same time. We look at each other and confirm: this sounds actually good!

The name The City Next Door turned our ideas into something tangible. Sounds cool, right? Abruzzo is this beautiful, pure and heartwarming place that makes you feel all types of feelings. There’s no pretending, its natural wonders in every corner will make you fall in love and feel like you don’t ever wanna leave. A place to explore, get lost and find yourself again.

Some of the wonders you will find in Abruzzo . . .

Trabocco Punta Cavalluccio

Costa dei Trabocchi

Gran Sasso d'Italia

Campo Imperatore

Nice story but. . . . where is Abruzzo?

 Abruzzo is one of the 20 regions that form Italy. Officially belongs to the south of the country but geographically is in the centre, right next to Rome! (Literally next door), approximately 150 km from it. That would be 1h and 30min driving, (it varies based on where you want to go in Abruzzo, the nearest location is Aquila).

Just so you know a bit more about Abruzzo: it borders to the north with the region of Le Marche, to the south with the region of Molise, to the west with the region of Lazio (where Rome is based) and to the east with the Adriatic Sea.

Abruzzo is also formed by four cities: Aquila which is the capital (also known as capoluogo), Chieti, Pescara and Teramo. Each of these 4 cities has under its jurisdiction smaller cities and several towns. For instance, Sulmona is a small city that belongs to the jurisdiction of Aquila, Lanciano, another small city, belongs to the jurisdiction of Chieti and so on.

Now that Covid 19 restrictions are fully lifted, Abruzzo should definitely be on your list. Please get in touch via the contact section and we will be more than happy to help you plan your trip!

Villalago - Abruzzo

How to get to Abruzzo?

If you are coming from a different country, it’s important for you to know that there is only one international airport in Abruzzo, the Aeroporto Internazionale d’Abruzzo, located in Pescara. There are a total of 10 routes available operated by Ryanair, and these are: Warsow (Poland), Krakow (Poland), Dusseldorf (Germany), Frankfurt (Germany), Bucarest (Romania), London (United Kingdom), Barcelona (Spain), Brussels (Belgium), Praghe (Czec Republic) and Tirana (Albania).

On the other hand, if you are coming from Italy, there are some routes available between Abruzzo’s airport and other cities. These routes are: Alghero, Bergamo, Cagliari, Catania, Milano, Olbia, Trapani, Treviso andTorino.

Once in Abruzzo’s airport, the best option to move around is renting a car; Europcar and Avis are good options.

If you arrive at one of the Airports in Rome (Aeorporto di Fiumicino Leonardo Da Vinci or Aeroporto di Ciampino Giovan Battista Pastine), renting a car is always the best way to get to Abruzzo. There are two highways that connect Rome with Abruzzo. The Autostrada A24 (A24 highway) and the autostrada A25 (A25 highway). Both of them are also known as Autostrada dei Parchi (Motorway Parks).

However, there are other options like bus and train. Clikbus offers good bus service at competitive prices.

By train, you can visit Trenitalia’s website and check the routes available.

Tip: if you intend to go from Rome to Chieti or Pescara by train, tickets might be more expensive and it takes a bit longer to get there compared to the bus option.

Our Story

It was a Sunday evening of october 2019 and we were queuing to board our plane back to London from Pescara. We were already reminiscing about our week off in Abruzzo, the quality time we had shared with our family and friends and all the nice places we had visited. Nearby to our boarding gate there was a shop selling typical Abruzzese food (made from local producers) called Iannone, so we started to mention how nice it would be to set up a shop like that in London (the idea is still hanging!).

This prompted us (Idania, Enzo and Armando) to start brainstorming about ways we could promote Abruzzo as a tourist destination. We believe this region is a hidden gem getting missed in the world of tourism . . . and this is how everything started! We created this blog to share with the world all the wonders Abruzzo has and why after reading our content you might decide to include Abruzzo within your annual travel schedule!

Our reminiscence of Abruzzo goes well back into our childhoods, our dads are from Abruzzo so we used to visit during summer to enjoy the region and of course, visit our grandparents. Abruzzo is part of our roots and it has played an important part in who we are, so we hope you enjoy reading this blog in the same way we enjoy writing it for you!

Villalago - Abruzzo

So . . . Why The City Next Door?

At this point you may be wondering how “Abruzzo” relates to “The City Next Door” so, here it comes! It didn’t take us too long to find a name for the blog. It was a cold but sunny Saturday of February 2020, the three of us sitting in a pretty coffee shop around central London called The Timberyard when the click moment happened. After a few ideas and weird words, something resonated with us at the same time. We look at each other and confirm: this sounds actually good!

The name The City Next Door turned our ideas into something tangible. Sounds cool, right? Abruzzo is this beautiful, pure and heartwarming place that makes you feel all types of feelings. There’s no pretending, its natural wonders in every corner will make you fall in love and feel like you don’t ever wanna leave. A place to explore, get lost and find yourself again.

Some of the wonders you will find in Abruzzo . . .

Trabocco Punta Cavalluccio

Costa dei Trabocchi

Nice story but . . . where is Abruzzo?

Abruzzo is one of the 20 regions that form Italy. Officially belongs to the south of the country but geographically is in the centre, right next to Rome! (Literally next door), approximately 150 km from it. That would be 1h and 30min driving, (it varies based on where you want to go in Abruzzo, the nearest location is Aquila).

Just so you know a bit more about Abruzzo: it borders to the north with the region of Le Marche, to the south with the region of Molise, to the west with the region of Lazio (where Rome is based) and to the east with the Adriatic Sea.

Abruzzo is also formed by four cities: Aquila which is the capital (also known as capoluogo), Chieti, Pescara and Teramo. Each of these 4 cities has under its jurisdiction smaller cities and several towns. For instance, Sulmona is a small city that belongs to the jurisdiction of Aquila, Lanciano, another small city, belongs to the jurisdiction of Chieti and so on.

Once the Covid 19 restrictions are fully lifted, Abruzzo should definitely be on your list. Please get in touch via the contact section and we will be more than happy to help you plan your trip!

Villalago - Abruzzo

How to get to Abruzzo?

If you are coming from a different country, it’s important for you to know that there is only one international airport in Abruzzo, the Aeroporto Internazionale d’Abruzzo, located in Pescara. There are a total of 10 routes available operated by Ryanair, and these are: Warsow (Poland), Krakow (Poland), Dusseldorf (Germany), Frankfurt (Germany), Bucarest (Romania), London (United Kingdom), Barcelona (Spain), Brussels (Belgium), Praghe (Czec Republic) and Tirana (Albania).

On the other hand, if you are coming from Italy, there are some routes available between Abruzzo’s airport and other cities. These routes are: Alghero, Bergamo, Cagliari, Catania, Milano, Olbia, Trapani, Treviso andTorino.

Once in Abruzzo’s airport, the best option to move around is renting a car; Europcar and Avis are good options.

If you arrive at one of the Airports in Rome (Aeorporto di Fiumicino Leonardo Da Vinci or Aeroporto di Ciampino Giovan Battista Pastine), renting a car is always the best way to get to Abruzzo. There are two highways that connect Rome with Abruzzo. The Autostrada A24 (A24 highway) and the autostrada A25 (A25 highway). Both of them are also known as Autostrada dei Parchi (Motorway Parks).

However, there are other options like bus and train. Clikbus offers good bus service at competitive prices.

By train, you can visit Trenitalia’s website and check the routes available.

Tip: if you intend to go from Rome to Chieti or Pescara by train, tickets might be more expensive and it takes a bit longer to get there compared to the bus option.