I just came back from a family trip to Italy a little over a month ago, and I still can’t get it out of my mind (in the best way possible, I’m definitely coming back when I have the time). We went to seven cities in the northern half of the country over the course of two weeks, and I gained some very important knowledge about this country and different tips that I will use the next time I try to travel to that area. As such, I can’t wait to share some of these tips with you, as well as a few of my favorite restaurants because Italian food is absolutely wonderful!
Flights
While I was in Italy, I noticed a pattern of people (including us) flying in and out of Milan, even if we weren’t staying there. I learned from someone sitting next to me on the flight that it’s a lot cheaper to fly into Milan and go on the Freccia Rossa trains from city to city rather than flying straight into Florence or Milan. In comparison to other airports in Italy, Milan-Malpensa is also smaller, making for a less stressful experience getting to your flights and out of the airport.
Summers
Italy, as well as most places in the world, is cheapest to go to during the summer months. However, that also means that it’s the busiest times with the hottest temperatures. It’s still most definitely worth going during that time - and you get the most scenic views without so many clouds in the sky - but I recommend that you keep yourself as hydrated as possible and try to acclimate to hot areas before you go.
Something that helped a lot when I was there is something that the Italians call a riposo (or a siesta if you’re in Spain). This is an afternoon break where you can spend the hottest and most crowded parts of the day relaxing inside, and you can go outside during the mornings and evenings where it’s less crowded and less hot. That way you can still see all of the sites without getting heat exhaustion or overwhelming yourself by being around tons of people.
These are my Vessi’s with my Birkenstocks that I wore in Italy
Walking Shoes
This is also something that you should remember when visiting most countries, but traveling comes with a LOT of walking. As such, it’s crucial that you choose your footwear wisely. The type of shoe will vary depending on where you’re going (I chose sandals for Italy due to the extreme heat), but you should make sure that they are good for walking several miles each day and that they have been broken into at least two months before your trip.
I made the mistake of bringing brand-new Birkenstocks as my only pair of shoes, and while I adapted after the first week, my feet became very painful after over 25,000 steps a day. A good walking shoe that I recommend is Vessi’s, which are waterproof tenne shoes with excellent soles, which are usually the shoes that I bring with me when I’m traveling.
Battling the Heat
Italy is a very hot country, and to someone from the northern US like myself, the August heat was almost unbearable at times. I already mentioned taking a riposo, but another thing that helped me a lot was fans. Fans became a lifesaver for me, especially since some buildings are legally required to keep their temperatures above 25 degrees Celsius (77 degrees Fahrenheit!).
Handheld fans like the one pictured above can be found in almost any kind of shop, and most of them are really cheap too. For instance, I found this one in Florence for only 10 Euros!
This is the Residenza d’Epoca la Basilica, which was the hotel I stayed in in Florence.
Hotel Locations
Something that confusing when my family and I were trying to get into our hotel rooms is that many of the places that you book online are actually partnered with the hotel rather than being part of the hotel itself. This meant that the location of these places were located in apartment buildings some distance away from where the address is. In Bologna and Venice, this just meant that the people in the hotels showed us where to go when we checked in. In Florence and Verona, meanwhile, you had to check in via email and the email would tell you the address, which was confusing because the streets are winding and it’s very easy to get lost.
While this was a strange experience (and we got lost many times), it gave us a chance to explore some of these beautiful cities more, and the quality of the rooms were just as nice as any hotel room would be. I would recommend that you get comfortable with the feeling of being lost; it will happen to you all the time if you’re traveling in Europe, and some of the coolest places I’ve found have been found by trying to find these rooms.
Food
One thing that I haven’t stopped thinking about since my trip is the food; in almost every restaurant in every city I was in, the food was absolutely phenomenal. I would easily go back just to have more traditional pasta or gelato. However, it can be a bit overwhelming when faced with all of the good restaurants when you’re traveling, so I gathered a list of five places that have earned a special place in my heart *and a couple honorable mentions at the bottom*!
Trattoria Antico Fattore - Florence -
This restaurant is one of the oldest in Old Town Florence, and it raised our expectations to the absolute maximum after a rather disappointing first meal in Milan. It was my father’s first time having a traditional ragu pasta, and he was blown away. I had a rabbit dish myself, and it was positively the best rabbit I have ever had!
This was my father’s steak that he got in Florence; it was amazing!
Trattoria Dall-Oste - Florence -
While getting lost after seeing the Ponte Vecchio at sunset, we ran into this restaurant. Seeing that there was great-looking steak, we all got curious and excited, and we decided to give it a go. Were we aware that it was a 5-star restaurant with awards for the top 101 steakhouses in the world? Not at all, but I have been daydreaming about ribeye and truffle carbonara pasta ever since, and it’s decently priced as well! I would gleefully say that this place is still deserving of its 5-star status and all of its awards.
Osteria La Pace - Volterra -
While we were trying to find the entrance to the old prison at the top of Volterra (turns out it’s still a functional prison, which I thought was so cool), we found this place and thought it was the perfect time to get a break from the midday sun. There was a really cool atmosphere inside, and they had the best boar ragu pasta I had the entire trip, and Nonna’s lasagna was absolutely amazing. That’s saying a lot since I typically don’t like lasagna, and I loved it so much that I convinced my family to go back there for dinner.
La Piazza - Venice -
As one can imagine, Venice has a lot of good seafood, so I decided that the first meal in this beautiful city would have to be some type of seafood that I’ve never had before. As such, when we stopped by here for dinner, I just knew that I had to have the cuttlefish pasta. While everyone (including the waiter) was shocked, I thought it was absolutely amazing, and even though the waiter was even more shocked to discover that I ate it all, this black-sauced pasta has inked its way into my everyday thoughts.
Osteria al Duca - Verona -
One thing that’s felt strange while I’m traveling in Europe is the smaller portion sizes, and so when we saw a place that offered two course meals for only 26 Euros, I couldn’t resist it, and I think it’s definitely worth it. Between my parents and I, we got foods with horse, donkey, and duck, and they were all so unique and satisfying. The duck ragu pasta was my personal favorite, although their roasted horse meat was absolutely to die for!
Gelateria Dondoli - San Gimignano
The world’s best gelato has resided within this shop for years, and honestly I’m surprised that it wasn’t more busy when I was there; it was just that good! There were so many flavors to choose from that I ended up going there 3 times in one day just so that I could try as much as possible. My personal favorites were the peach and the tiramisu, although the lemon and stracciatella were beyond compare to places elsewhere as well!
Nino Chocolate Shops - Florence and Venice -
These small stores have so many things, from chocolates to sauces to chips and even liquor! There were stands everywhere that allowed you to sample some of the chocolates and sauces, and it was very tempting for me and my family to buy the entire storage of chocolates. I liked a specific peperoncino pesto sauce so much that I bought a jar to bring back home, and it’s a very big hit with my family back home as well!
