Destination: Italy
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To get the best out of Italy you have to give it your best. What does that mean? It means that you have to seek things out, you need to immerse yourself in the culture. This is more about what is important to the Italian way of life rather than what is important to your Instagram account. Sure you can go to all the touristy places, but does that mean you have to do the touristy things at those places? No!
To explore you need to be curious and flexible. Hopefully you can learn from our experience to make your own trip the way you want it.
We used a mix of rental cars and trains as we visited the following locations you can read about …
Milan âž” Como âž” Sirminoe âž” Verona âž” Venice âž” Murano âž” Burano âž” Modena âž” Vernazza âž” Pisa âž” Florence âž” San Gimignano âž” Volterra âž” Siena âž” Assisi âž” Civita di Bagnoregio âž” Orvieto âž” Mostri Park âž” Sorrento âž” Pompeii âž” Herculaneum âž” Amalfi âž” Rome
Getting the most out of Italy
Transportation
- If getting there by plane, look into flights in and out of Milan as Malpensa airport remains one of the most affordable airports to enter the country. Even if it farther away from your ultimate destination, the rail network in Italy is extensive and very efficient and a ticket on a Freccia Rossa high speed train is an adventure in itself to get you where you want to go. If you really want to see and explore, having a rental car will give you flexibility to explore, but also flexibility of schedule. This means that if on an adventure you need more time at a place of great interest, you can spend that time there rather than being held hostage to a tour bus schedule etc. Getting into the country and the Tuscan hillsides is almost impossible without a rental car.
Getting around within cities, think about getting an electric bike for a few days, or take local taxis!
Accomodation
- Think first where you want to visit and then what budget you have to spend on accommodation. The best places to stay are usually closest to the places of interest, this means that you save on time, but usually not on the wallet. Great places to stay can be found but you need to book early. Hotels can be expensive and the rooms small, so make sure you check out places to stay on Airbnb and Agoda. Book EARLY as prices will go up the closer you get to peak summer months!
Another great reason to use Airbnb etc is that the host is usually someone local that can advise you on what to do and where to go to eat. In fact, a few hosts made restaurant reservations for us at busy time on hard to get in days, because they personally knew the restaurant owners!
Food
- The best advice for getting the best, freshest, most local cuisine can be summed up in two words ... 'Research' & 'Reserve'! - What cuisine is each city known for? What beverage is unique to an area. Eg. You cant go to Florence without having a Steak Florentine. Know what it will look like on the local menu ('Bistecca alla Fiorentina'). Find a good restaurant on TripAdvisor and then contact the restaurant for the day and time you want to dine. Get it in WRITING via WhatsApp or email so you can prove you have a reservation when you turn up!
If you 'Research & Reserve' you are then allowed to do the second part on the day 'Skip the line to Dine!'. There isnt a better feeling when you are hungry to walking up to a restaurant with 30 people waiting outside, being told by the greeter that they are full and come back in 90mins, and then tell him that 'Antonio' (or whoever was on the email confirming the reservation), made a reservation for you for 10 mins from now. You walk by everyone else who is wondering why you dont have to wait and then sit on the best outdoor table that you asked for in your reservation. Priceless! ..
Remember, if you want to 'Skip the line to Dine' then you first must 'Research & Reserve'!
Planning – Pick a time to go when the weather and crowds are the most favorable to you. This can also be a time where prices are lower. Be realistic with what you can do and what you can afford. You are spending a lot of time and hard earned money on the trip so if you are not sure you have enough coin in the piggy bank, postpone it for a few months while you can save more. The worst thing is getting to a dream place and realizing the prices were higher and you get cash-crunched or, you discovered something cool but the ticket price was never planned for.
Tips for the first visit
1. Getting Around – What do you want to see or do? Is it going to be a cultural, culinary, or adrenaline junkie trip? How much time do you have? Organized tour for optimizing time, or do-it-yourself to optimize flexibility, or something in between?
2. Get tour and entrance passes – Doing your research in advance, gives you MANY benefits: Allows you to prioritize activities, allows you to know costs in advance for budgeting, and gives you some idea of time needed at each activity. When you know what you want to do, reserve a ticket in advance so that when you turn up you will not be turned away!
3. Check where the locals eat – PRO TIP: If you forgot to make a reservation then this holds true … walk a MINIMUM of THREE blocks away from a tourist attraction. If you still see restaurants with photos of food plastered along their fronts, keep on walking until you dont see them. When you dont see any ‘photo menus’, you have just entered the ‘local’ zone! The food here will be cheaper, better, fresher and you are more likely to meet locals than other tourists. Good food will sell by itself and doesnt need a photo to sell it. These restaurants without the ‘photo menus’ stay in business because the food is good and they want your repeat business, NOT because they have an endless supply of tourists coming through that they dont need to impress.
Do’s and don’ts
Be respectful and be kind. Learn some local lingo. Always remember that you are a GUEST in their country. You are in Italy, so .. relax and watch this part of the world open up in front of you. Go for an early walk, have a coffee or sandwich at a corner cafe and people watch. Some of the best times are before and after the work day when you can see food being delivered to restaurants, linens being washed, people all dressed up going off to work on their Vespas. Sit, watch, and listen, its free and fun!
What you shouldn't do? Trust me on this .. dont disobey local traffic laws, and especially do not enter restricted traffic zones. I was surprised to find out how efficient they are at coming after you for various fines. Not your car, so not to worry? Think again! Your rental car company WILL be requested to give details of the renter of the car, and that means the police have your credit card, home address, international drivers license details etc etc. Most traffic fines you will need to WIRE money to pay which means additional wire fees on top of the fine. So respect the signs (as I learned the hard way).
Be smart with your bags and gear. Cars get broken into in each country in the world and not just Italy so do advertise to would be car thieves. Carry just enough cash for a couple of days, and use your credit card for as many purchases as possible. Use the local ATM machines to get out more euros when you need them.
Hopefully the tips above will give you enough information to start your own planning. If you want to check out some of the locations we visited in Italy and what we though of them, then click the [EXPLORE LOCATIONS] button below, or select a specific Italy location from the list on the right.
