Travel Living in Prato, Italy

[gagabag]

Hello everyone! I have been offered a job in Prato for 2 years. I have never been there before - only Rome and Venice so far. If anyone has been there - visited, lived or currently living there, can you please give me an idea of the place? ease of finding a long term accomodation? safety? ease of travel? how expensive things are? and of course markets and shopping destinations ? Thanks in advance!

 

[Myrkur]

I've been there once. It's a nice town, it's not big though so don't expect big shopping streets. But it has a lot of nice architectural buildings, very historical town. But for shopping you are very close to Florence and you have a lot of nice places in your area. I've been to the following and loved them all, but I've been going to Italy every year since I was a baby so I fell in love with the country Sienna, Lucca, Arezzo, Perugia are very nice and we've stayed in a lot of small places in the area over the years such as Empoli, Vinci, Pistoia, Stia, Poppi, Bibbiena .. and of course Pisa you have to go, although I find it too touristy .. I've you would like to go to the beach, I really like Viareggio. Been there several times. I've you have a lot of free time, I should just drive around if I were you.. don't use a navigation, just drive and see wherever you end up.

Also just found out that after Milan it's probably the biggest 'Chinese community of Italy' .

 

[gagabag]

I've been there once. It's a nice town, it's not big though so don't expect big shopping streets. But it has a lot of nice architectural buildings, very historical town. But for shopping you are very close to Florence and you have a lot of nice places in your area. I've been to the following and loved them all, but I've been going to Italy every year since I was a baby so I fell in love with the country Sienna, Lucca, Arezzo, Perugia are very nice and we've stayed in a lot of small places in the area over the years such as Empoli, Vinci, Pistoia, Stia, Poppi, Bibbiena .. and of course Pisa you have to go, although I find it too touristy .. I've you would like to go to the beach, I really like Viareggio. Been there several times. I've you have a lot of free time, I should just drive around if I were you.. don't use a navigation, just drive and see wherever you end up.

Also just found out that after Milan it's probably the biggest 'Chinese community of Italy' .

Thanks Myrkur! That was very helpful! I have weekends off most of the time so I'll probably go to those places you mentioned one by one. How far is the beach? I'm Australian and such a beach troll I'd like to be close to it if possible.

 

[maryg1]

remember that you won't be able to sunbathe all year long there! It's about 1 h drive to the seaside.
Never been there but yes, it has a very big Chinese community living there as Prato is an important manufacturing center for clothes.