Buongiorno! As most of you all know, I went to Italy in July. I traveled with my husband for 2 weeks before meeting up with our family for my BIL's wedding. I've had lots of requests for all the information on our trip- so let's get started! I'll give you our full itinerary as well as our suggestions for hotels, activities, and restaurants. We were gone for 16 days so hang with me, this will be a long post!
Saturday, July 16th
We flew direct from DFW to Rome on American Airlines. We were able to use miles to upgrade to business class which is always a bonus!
Sunday, July 17th
We landed in Rome and going through customs and getting our bags was super easy. We were at the hotel an hour after landing. We weren't able to check in yet, so we walked around and got food and saw the Trevi Fountain. That afternoon we checked into our hotel, which was located right next to the Spanish Steps. It was so easy to walk to everything! The furthest walk was to The Vatican which was only 30mins. The hotel wasn't anything spectacular, but the location was great. We knew we wouldn't be in the hotel much in Rome and this was still very nice!
That night we went to Il Chianti Vineria for dinner and it was ok. We were super tired from traveling so we went to bed early that night!
Monday, July 18th
We woke up early and did a skip-the-line tour at The Vatican. It was AMAZING! After, we walked around The Colosseum. Basically walked all day seeing the sights since it was our last day. That night we went to Taverna Trillussa, which was recommended by friends, and WOW! This was by far one of our favorite meals the whole trip! The patio is so cute- be sure to make a reservation!
Tuesday, July 19th
We took the train from Rome to Naples early in the morning and had a driver waiting for us to take us to Hotel Santa Caterina. We had the most incredible room built into the side of the coast overlooking the water. This hotel is gorgeous and so unique! I cannot recommend it enough! We spent the rest of the day relaxing down by the swim platform. We ate at the more casual restaurant at the hotel, Al Mare, and it was great! The lemon pasta was to DIE for!!
Wednesday, July 20th
This was one of our favorite days! We booked a private boat through our hotel and spent the whole day on the water! We drove all along the coast from Amalfi, to Positano, to Capri. We swam in the green caves and explored some amazing places recommended by our captain. We stopped for a late lunch at Conca Del Sogno (iykyk)! The coolest beach club that everyone goes to by boat- this is a must! Since we had such a late we just had appertivos and espresso martinis on the patio instead of dinner that night.
Thursday, July 21st
We had another chill day by the pool which was so nice and relaxing! What vacation is all about!!
That night we went to Glicine, which is the Michelin Star restaurant at the hotel. We sat outside and had the most INCREDIBLE eight course meal. I cannot recommend this enough for a special occasion!
Friday, July 22nd
Our driver picked us up super early so that we could get checked into our new hotel in Ravello before heading to our cooking class for the day! We stayed at Hotel Caruso, and it was an absolute DREAM!
This was probably our favorite day on the trip. We spent the day at Mamma Agata's Cooking School and it was the best day! You go to her house at 10am to start the day. Her family has owned the property for 200 years. She grows everything in her gardens (that you can walk through) and bottles everything herself from her incredible tomatoes, to wine, to olive oil. Her home is up on a cliff overlooking the coast and is truly spectacular! You spend all day cooking, eating, and drinking wine. We learned so much and made some great friends. Chiara, is the sweetest woman you will ever meet! She welcomes you into her home and truly makes you feel like family! We ordered all kinds of goodies from her and were so excited to start cooking when we got home! *Be sure to book this WAY in advance* Also, do not eat breakfast or dinner! You will be stuffed, in the best way!! This is my #1 must do activity if you are going to the Amalfi Coast.
Saturday and Sunday, July 23-24rd
Theses two days we spent relaxing by the pool. Our hotel had the most incredible infinity pool I've ever seen, so we did not want to leave!
Saturday night we ate at the hotel and it was fine, nothing special. Then Sunday night we walked into the town of Ravello (a 4min walk from the hotel) and shopped around before dinner. We stopped in the most amazing ceramic store and spent way too much money! They shipped everything to our house for us so we didn't have to travel with it. We had dinner at Cumpa Cosimo which was very good. The town of Ravello is so cute, I wish we had more time here!
Monday, July 25th
We took the train to Florence and checked into our hotel around noon. We stayed at Hotel Brunelleschi, which I definitely recommend! You are so close to everything but a little off the beaten path which was nice. We hiked to the top of the Dome at the Duomo that afternoon and it was BEAUTIFUL. It was a hike though- wear athletic clothes!
We had dinner at La Giostra and it was fantastic! This was highly recommended by lots of friends and our hotel. The pear ravioli and florentine steak are a MUST!
Tuesday, July 26th
We toured the Uffizi Gallery then walked around and shopped that afternoon. Everyone had said to get sandwiches at All'antico Vinaio, but the line was 2 hours and it was so hot. We asked some locals if it was the best and they sent us to another place down the street that was DELICIOUS! It was called Panetteria e Stuzzicheria De Neri. It was so cheap and the sandwich was literally bigger than my face!
That night we ate at the two Michelin Star restaurant, Santa Elisabetta. There are only 5 tables in the restaurant and we had the most incredible 7 course tasting menu with wine pairings. We are huge foodies so this was a treat!
Wednesday, July 27th
We left Florence super early to head to Lake Como and check into my favorite hotel in the world, Villa D'Este. This is my mom and I's favorite place, so I was so excited to be back here with my husband. It's magical. We spent the day enjoying the property and relaxing by the pool/lake. We ate at Veranda that night and it was fantastic, of course! They always have live music at night, so we sat outside and enjoyed cocktails after dinner and listened to music forever. It was the perfect night to end our trip before meeting up with family for the wedding.
Thursday, July 28th
Before going to meet up with the rest of our family, I headed into Cernobbio to my favorite store, Tessabit, to do a little shopping. Last time my mom and I were here we got a Jimmy Choo purse with matching shoes and some Prada pumps all for 50% off. I had to go back to see if they had any more sales and they did! I got myself a little something to remember the trip. They have a few different store locations, but specifically the one in Cernobbio has had an amazing sale every time I've gone!
That afternoon we headed to meet up with everyone else to start the wedding weekend for my BIL and now SIL! The wedding was at Grand Hotel Tremezzo on Saturday. It was absolutely perfect and the most beautiful celebration for two incredible people!
TRAVEL TIPS:
Use a travel agent! Ours arranged everything including train tickets and drivers so we literally didn't have to think or worry about anything when we got there. We use a Virtuoso agent.
On that note, book drivers in advance! It's hard to get taxis sometimes and this way you have someone waiting for you with a sign when you hop of the train- so easy.
Put AirTags in all your bags for peace of mind.
If you are traveling during peak season, make dinner reservations! We wanted to just find cute places walking around, but there are lines for everything unless you have a reservation.
If you are traveling with any designer pieces, pack them in a carry-on.
Bring a travel journal! This is literally the only reason why I can remember everything in this much detail. Best travel advice I ever received!
Take time to relax and enjoy the beauty of wherever you are. It's not possible to see everything and that's okay! See what you want to see and don't worry about fitting everything in.
Opmerkingen