I'M OBSESSED WITH...ITALY !
If you follow me on socials, you already know two things about me: I’m obsessed with Italy and, of course, cats.
My love affair with Italy started way back in elementary school when I spent a month visiting my family there. That’s where it all began. Staying with family, meeting the locals, speaking Italian—ahhh, it was pure magic!
Fast forward to now, and lucky me—my husband fell head over heels for Italy too when we first visited together. Since then, it’s been our mission to go back every year if we can. We’re total foodies and beach lovers, and honestly, Italy is chef’s kiss perfection for us. The food? Incredible. The beaches? Gorgeous. And eating amazing food by the beach? LIFE-CHANGING.
Oh, and don’t miss the little “tips and tricks” section I added at the end to help you fully embrace that Italian vibe.
I haven’t explored all of Italy yet (it’s on the list!), but I’ve been to some truly stunning (and delicious) spots. So, of course, I had to share them with you!
Let’s dive in!
ROME
The Eternal City
I feel like even if you already went to Italy, Rome will always be on your list to go back. The architecture, the history, the food, the drinks, aaaaaah, everything is to love.
What to do :
- The Trastevere neighborhood has the best food!
- Classic dishes : Carbonara, Amatriciana, Alla Gricia and Caccio e pepe
- I love the pizza from : Seu Pizza Illuminati
- The carbonara from Negresco Pizza e Cucina was to die for!
- Avoid restaurants near all the popular attractions
- Una Hotels had a nice rooftop bar & restaurant
- All the popular attractions : You must see them at least once
- Walking around is the best way to see everything or if you want to go faster, take a LIME.
- Book your tours earlier in the day
- September - October are the best months to visit Rome.
Tuscany
La Dolce Vita
Wine & Dine, the best way to experience the Tuscan life. Book a wine tour, a food tasting tour, go hunt truffles and try the Bistecca alla Fiorentina!
What to do :
- Of course you will need to go to Florence. Keep in mind that in the Tuscan region, food is more heavy than in the south. Lots of pasta and meat. So when it's 40 degrees outside, you might want to go for something lighter.
- Watching the sunset at Piazzale Michelangelo
- Go see THE David, the real one at Galleria Dell'Accademia
- Places we went in Florence that we loved : Angel Rooftop bar, Osteria Pastella, Osteria Vecchio Vicolo, Trattoria Zaza, Trattoria Dall'Oste, Osteria Cinghiale Bianco
- My personal favorite : Paoli 1827 !!!
- The "Mercato Centrale" is also a really good option if you don't want to spend too much money.
- This year we went to do a Wine and Food tasting at Verrazzano Castello in the region of Greve in Chianti and it was incredible with very generous portions. And the best thing was that we were welcomed by the cat's owner and it made my day!
- All the popular attractions you must see them. Florence is much smaller than Rome so walking everywhere is very manageable OR the bus is another good idea and very easy to understand.
- Book your tours earlier in the day!
- The Chianti region is very nice if you are a wine lover like us.
- Siena, San Gimignano and all the smaller villages are worth visiting if you have the time. You can take the train or the bus or even the car. Parkings are usually easy to find outside of the cities.
- September - October are the best months to travel to Tuscany.
PUGLIA
Living in the moment
Big cities are beautiful but sometimes can be stressful due to the amount of tourists everywhere! The Puglia Region is still in its discovery phase (I find). Food, beaches and people are the perfect combo to make your stay memorable. Summers in Puglia are amazing. If you want fresh food, amazing drinks and slow living, it's the place for you.
What to do :
- All the small villages : Ostuni, Locorotondo, Polignano a mare, Monopoli and Alberobello.
- You can do two villages in one day, they are very close to each other.
- Beaches are amazing : turquoise blue water and during the months July - August even beginning of September, the water is hot and comfortable !
- Lots of beaches have what we call "beach clubs". Chairs and umbrellas already at your disposal to rent for the day.
- Torre Sant'Andrea is very remote and wild, bring your water shoes!
- Aperitivo at Borgo Antico Bistrot in Ostuni
- Olive Oil tasting
- Food tasting at Masseria Moroseta
- Eat orechiette made from scratch by the Nonna's in Bari Streets.
- Go to the beach in Polignano a mare and eat at Mint Cucina Fresca.
- And just eat Burrata, Straccitella & Mozzarella all day everyday! OH and Taralli !
- AND lastly, we love the Bed and Breakfast : Si Fa Trullo. The host, Simona & Fabrizio are the most kind people ever.
AMALFI COAST
Fancy an Aperol Spritz by the beach?
Yes the Amalfi coast is more expensive than other places but I do feel like it's a place where you need to see at least once in your life!
What to do :
- Go to Positano beach, visit Amalfi, Atrani, Maiori, Minori and Ravello.
- It's better to go during the end of August and beginning of September, less people.
- July and August are the most popular months and boats with tons of tourists are arriving every day !
- Eat all the seafood you can! It's delicious!
- Go to Da Ferdinando by the water and eat pasta with seafood.
- Da Vincenzo is one of the best restaurants in Positano, make sure to have a reservation.
- If you are on a budget, try to go stay in a place in Maiori or Minori. Sometimes it's less expensive.
- You can rent a boat or even take excursions to see the seaside by the water, it's beautiful.
- Having a car on the Amalfi Coast is not the best way to go around. You can rent a Scooter or Vespa if ever you want to go visit another city or also boat hoping.
- If you drive to go to the coast, check your license plates and the dates. Make sure to have your hotel reservations in case the police wants to see a proof.
SICILY
Cannoli all day every day!
Cannolo, fritto misto, aperol, beach, what do you want more?!
What to do :
- I didn't go everywhere, but Palermo, Cefalu, Taormina & San Vito Le Capo were BE-YOU-TI-FUL!
- Palermo is alive, party outside, amazing pizza's and drinks every corner you go !
- Lots of Monuments are UNESCO heritage in Palermo
- Cefalu has an amazing boardwalk and the best fried calamari are by the beach.
- San Vito Le Capo is another nice place if it gets too hot, go there. The beach clubs are pretty nice and the view is pretty wild!
- Does The White Lotus ring a bell? Taormina is the city in the serie! A bit like Positano, it's more expensive than other places, it's a coast city with beautiful beaches.
- Make sure to visit Isola Bella while you are there.
- Sicily is also known for their pastries, especially, Pistacchio (PI-STA-KIO) pastries. Unfortunately I can't tell you if it's good because I'm allergic to pistacchios but apparently everything with this flavor is mind blowing!
Small tips & tricks
Coffee
- When you order only coffee, it shouldn't cost you more than 1€-1.50€ & make sure to drink it "al banco" and not sitting at a table because the coffee at the table will cost you more.
Gelato
- Find the ones that are covered in stainless bins and not the ones that fluffed! Trust me, there is a difference!
Restaurants
- Ratings on Google Maps are pretty accurate. Try to avoid the restaurants that have big publicity images outside and written in English. They are usually tourist traps.
- Usually between 1pm & 4pm, it's la "siesta". Lots of local shops will be closed and will re-open around 7pm.
Tipping & "Coperto"
- "Tipping" does not exist in Italy but is always much appreciated if you find that the service was very good.
- "Coperto" is a fee that will be charged for service when you go to a restaurant. It's usually between 2€ to 4€ per person.
Speaking Italian
- I know not everybody speaks Italian but Duo Lingo or other translation app can be very useful. Trust me, your experience will be even better!
E-SIM or SIM card
- One or the other works. It's not that expensive and you have unlimited roaming. TIM or Vodafone are your go to but don't go at the airport, it's going to be more expensive!!
Breakfast
- Italian don't do big american breakfast. They usually have "cornetto" which are "croissants" or other small pastry with their coffee.
- In Hotels and pretty much all serves american breakfasts if you want to.
Buses & Trains
- Traveling between regions or cities can be easily done by buses and trains. Make sure to validate your tickets before your departure.
- Be careful with third party websites that sells tickets.
Cars
- Be careful when you go drive into a city. Sometimes they have ZTL Zones "Zona a traffico limito". When they are activated you can't go inside, you will need to park outside of the ZTL zone.
- Ask your hotel to put you on the ZTL list for the length of your stay.
International driving license
- You need an international driving license to rent a car in Italy. You can do it at the nearest CAA Travel agency.
Avoid driving in big cities
- You don't really need a car in the big cities. People are driving very fast, there is a lot of traffic and vespa's cutting you from everywhere!
Traveling in July-August
- It will be HOT ! Like crazy HOT, especially in the cities.
- If it's the only months you can go, try to go some places where you can have access to a pool or the beach.
Bruschetta
is pronounced : BRU-SKET-TA and NOT BRU-SHE-TA
Prosciutto
is pronounced : PRO-SHU-TO and NOT PRO-SKIU-TO
