Kristen & Jared
Italy Travel
Treviso
Treviso is a cute small town in Northeast Italy. Fondly referred to as "little Venice" due to its canal lined streets. It is also the birthplace of Tiramisu. Sit outside drinking prosecco on the cobblestone streets and enjoy a true local Italian city. In heart of city is piazza dei Signori and the main shopping street via Calmaggiore which links the piazza die Signori with piazza del Duomo. See map link below for attractions, restaurants, bars, & things to do.
Florence
Hands down, Florence is our favorite city in Italy! There are no proper words to describe the love we have for this city, so we will try to keep it short. You feel every ounce of the history, art, and culture. Florence is the birthplace of the Rennaissance, Italian language, banking, and the city where DaVinci and Michaelangelo called home. The Medici family ruled and built-up Florence, so it is integral to take a tour to learn about their influence on the city. Our top museum recommendation is the Uffizi Gallery, it is home to some of the most famous paintings in the world: DaVinci, Michaelangelo, & Botticelli. Florence is also the leather goods capital of Italy, we recommend Roberta Firenze for any leather goods. Finally, if we could only recommend one experience it is the sunset river boat jazz cruise on the Arno River. It is one of the best memories of our entire life. See map link below for attractions, restaurants, bars, & things to do.
Tuscany
Ready for wine under the Tuscan sun? Tuscany is known for bold wines and delicious meat dishes. This is a vast region, so we have broken it out into sections to provide more detail. Greve in Chianti is a beautiful small town in the hills of Tuscany, located closest to Florence. There are a ton of incredible wineries everywhere in the area, can't go wrong with any! Keep in mind you will need to rent a car to properly explore Tuscany. If you do not feel comfortable driving or do not have time, there are many day trip tour options from Florence. Although in our opinion, Tuscany deserves to be taken slow. We have always stayed in Airbnb/VRBO in the Greve in Chianti, our two favorites listed below & can be found on Airbnb: Agriturismo "Il Colle" del Chianti Poggio al Sole
Siena
Siena is a beautiful medieval town in central Tuscany. As you drive through Tuscany from Florence, you will notice that the landscape opens up, and you can see vineyards for miles. A truly unforgettable view. Siena is a perfect home base to explore the entire province of Siena.
Val d'Orcia
The Val d'Orcia area is a must see in your life! The views are absolutely mesmerizing and feel like a painting. While in Val d'Orcia you must visit the cities of Montepulciano & Montalcino. Both sit high up on a hill, providing some of the most incredible views. Montalcino was our favorite! The first thing to do is sip brunello di Montalcino the wine that is the pride of all of Tuscany.
Venice
The amazing city where we got engaged! It will captivate you with its romance and beauty! It is a must see in your lifetime. Keep in mind that it gets very crowded, especially on the weekends. Our recommendation is to try and go during the week. Venice can be fairly confusing to navigate. Although as they say, the best thing you can do is to get lost in Venice! While booking accommodations, we recommend the San Marco & San Polo districts, if you want to be closest to the attractions. There is a water ferry that you can purchase a multi-day pass that stops all around Venice. Our #1 tip: get the private water taxi while entering & exiting Venice!!! It is WORTH IT. There is nothing more stressful than trying to find your hotel, dodging crowds, & going over bridges with your luggage... We know from experience!! See map link below for attractions, restaurants, bars, & things to do.
Rome
Rome is the New York of Italy! So much to do, see, and eat in Rome. If you have never been to Rome, you must at least once in your life to see all the historical sites. We had an incredible time, although keep in mind it is like NY and you need to be aware of your surroundings while there. In order to properly see and understand Romes's history we highly suggest getting a tour guide. We had a private tour guide who we spent multiple days with, and we can't speak highly enough about. Her contact information is listed below. We suggest booking tickets to the sites as early as you can, as tickets sell out quickly. While in Rome or really anywhere in Italy, stay away from restaurants with pictures on the menu, or people waiving you in from out front. These will generally be tourist traps. Tour guide: Arianna Fusco ariannafusco@gmail.com See map link below for attractions, restaurants, bars, & things to do.
Positano
Positano is one of the cities that make up the Amalfi Coast. The Amalfi Coast is absolutely breathtaking, and bolsters some of the most incredible views in all of Italy. Make sure you do lots of research prior to visiting! Positano is not accessible via train, only by boat or private car from Naples. It sits on a winding hill, where you have to climb steps to go anywhere. Keep this in mind, you will seriously earn every meal you have! If arriving by boat, we recommend utilizing a luggage porter to transport your baggage. Otherwise, you will be climbing endless steps with your bags. Now that we've given you the cautionary information, it is truly an incredible place to visit. Laying on the beach, swimming in the blue water, and drinking champagne on a boat while the sun sets, are core memories that will follow us for a lifetime.
Capri
The island of Capri, just wow! Capri is an island in the Bay of Naples & off the Amalfi Coast with incredible views of the perfect blue water. Sip limoncello in the sun while overlooking the coastline. While in Capri you must take a boat tour around the islands, and go to the Blue Grotto, a dark cavern where the sea glows electric blue. Capri is only accessible via boat from Naples or as a day trip from the Amalfi Coast. We stayed in Capri, and absolutely loved it. While it is small and can be a day trip. It offers a relaxing sanctuary compared to its bustling neighbors. As we mentioned, you will need to go through Naples to get to Capri & Amalfi Coast. We personally did not have a great experience in Naples, so we would suggest to just grab a pizza and keep trucking to your next destination.
Bologna
Bologna is known as the food capital of Italy, which is why is it also referred to as "the fat city". Bologna is famous for its Bolognese sauce (al ragu), parmigiano reggiano, balsamico, & of course mortadella. Bologna also has the oldest University in the world and is full of university students. The city provides a different, young energy we have not felt it any other major city in Italy. While in Bologna you must do a food tour. Walking through the markets, going to the pasta labs to see fresh pasta being made and tasting all the incredible food of the city. It is charcuterie board central! You can book food tours through any major site like get your guide or viator. A must-see historic attraction is the, Basilica Satuario di Santo Stefano. A series of 7 churches from different ages interconnected. See map link below for attractions, restaurants, bars, & things to do.
Lake Como
Lake Como will take your breath away! Located in North Italy, just minutes away from Switzerland. The small towns of Bellagio, Menaggio, and Varenna are situated at the intersection of three branches of the lake. Bellagio is probably the town you see all over social media! We recommend taking a boat tour around the lake, seeing all the beautiful villas. There is a ferry that will take you across the lake, or to other cities. Lake Como is just a short train ride from Milian, making this gorgeous area easily accessible & 100% worth a visit.
Milan
Milan the fashion capital of Italy! We have only spent a few days overall in Milan, so cannot provide a ton of recommendations, although was a perfect place to fly in and navigate from there. If you want to visit Lake Como, you will likely go through Milan. There are various things to do and see in Milan, one of the most famous attractions is the Last Supper painting.