Italy

I think we can all agree that traveling is AMAZING! With that said, I think we can also agree that sometimes the flights can start you off on the wrong foot. We booked through British Airways and they did not disappoint! We booked all of our stays through AirBnb which really helped cut down the cost and allowed us to use the money towards activities as well as the most important….food. Definitely try to pre-book your train rides, ferries and rooms beforehand. This really makes your trip less confusing and eliminates time wasted on mapping out destinations and waiting for the next available slots. 

VENICE

The second you step foot into this square, you feel as if you’ve stepped into a painting. Music fills the space, everywhere you look is dripping with history. Jordan and I sat on the tower with our gelato and just watched people interact. The feeling was pure bliss.

Even though I haven’t really been at any other time, standing on the bridge over the Grand Canal at around 7:00 PM and listening to Frank Sinatra is a definite must.

Another one of our favorite things to do in Venice was get lost. We spent the entire time exploring new places and it’s one of the reasons I found Venice so charming.

POSITANO

First off, Positano is by far one of my favorite places on the planet. Everywhere you look is like a scene out of a movie. We stayed in a cute little hotel called Pensione Maria Luisa. It had the most spectacular view with a cute little porch that was all to ourselves. At night, Jordan and I would bring our wine to the balcony and listen to the city sing.

FAVORITE SPOTS

1. For breakfast you have to eat at Casa E bottega. I’m not kidding we ate there every morning and the food got better and better
2. Favorite place to grab dinner was Sarceno D’Oro. Their mussel soup was INCREDIBLE.

Part of what makes Italy so timeless is everyone…and I do mean everyone….drives these classic Fiats. I so badly wanted to drive one!

CITRUS CITRUS CITRUS! I have never seen so many oranges, limes and lemons in my life. Italy is known for the fabulous Limoncello, which we could not get enough of!

The beach. I could have stayed here for days and never left. We rented a private cabana for the day which was about $20 but well worth it. It’s a lot less crowded than the public beach next door.

ROME

Of course you have to visit the famous Trevi Fountain.  It was insanely crowded so it probably would have been best to visit early in the morning. We ended up getting a spot closer up, you just have to be patient.

I would definitely recommend pre-booking a skip-the-line tour. Regular lines to get in were about 2 hours; however we were able to get right in. I can’t even begin to describe the Vatican City. There was so much history it was hard to take it all in, but I will never forget our time here.

All I could think of the whole time being in the Colosseum was one of my favorite movies of all time, The Gladiator. We bought a skip-the-line tour online and it was so worth it. We were able to explore the inside of the Colosseum and learn history beyond my limited knowledge from Russel Crowe.

Our second day we explored the city for new restaurants. We ended up finding this place located in what use to be a location for chariot races. It was called Bernini Ristorante. It’s a family owned place and the food was the best we had tasted yet. The owners were so kind (probably because we ate there every night in Rome) They will love you forever if you order the lasagna!

TIPS

1. Do not accept anything, from anyone, ever. I can’t even begin to tell you how many roses I was given only to be chased down for money
2. Be in the moment. It is a lot to take in between the history, the beauty, the food, the culture. I wanted to to take a picture and show the world every moment, but the best times I had in Italy  were when I put down my phone and camera and actually drank it all in (literally).
3. Pre-book everything! It will make your travels a lot smoother and allow you to enjoy without the stress of trying to figure it all out while you’re there.