March 27, 2025 • 35 mins
A special thanks to Tortuga for sponsoring this episode.
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Planning a trip to Italy? You need to watch this before you go. Travel Lemming’s Managing Editor Lea Rose Allbaugh shares everything you need to know to plan the perfect Italy vacation. Lea Rose shares her favorite things to do & see, places to visit, how to get around, how to stay safe in Italy, & practical tips.
📰 Articles from Travel Lemming.com
-All Italy guides: https://travellemming.com/italy/
-Places to Visit in Italy: https://travellemming.com/places-to-visit-in-italy/
-When to Visit Italy: https://travellemming.com/best-time-to-visit-italy/
-Northern Italy itinerary: https://travellemming.com/northern-italy-itinerary/
-Things to Do in Naples: https://travellemming.com/things-to-do-in-naples/
-Where to Stay in Florence: https://travellemming.com/where-to-stay-in-florence/
💻 Perspectives from TravelLemming.com
-Sicily stands out from the rest of Italy: https://travellemming.com/perspectives/sicily-stands-apart-from-the-rest-of-italy/
-Taormina day trip from Catania: https://travellemming.com/taormina-sicily-itinerary/
-Betty’s vespa crash in Italy: https://travellemming.com/perspective/i-broke-my-collarbone-in-italy-what-it-was-like-getting-injured-abroad/
-Amalfi coast boat tour: https://travellemming.com/perspective/amalfi-coast-guided-boat-tour/
🎙️ Other Links Mentioned:
-Travel Lemming Community Meetups: https://www.meetup.com/pro/travel-lemming/
#Italy #ItalyTravel #ItalyTips
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:00):
If you're planning a trip toItaly, this is the podcast for you.
a 32nd teaser of the episode.
(00:39):
So our Italy expert today plays ahuge role at traveling as our managing
editor originally from the BlueRidge Mountains of North Carolina.
Now local to Chicago.
Welcome to the show, Leah Rose Alba.
Hi.
Hi Betty.
I'm happy to be here.
Like she just said, myname is Leah Rose Alba.
I'm travel lemmings managing editor,and Italy is my favorite place.
(00:59):
I've been tons of times and I'mexcited to just dive into it today.
Talk all things Italy.
Yeah, absolutely.
And for those who don't know me,I'm your host Betty Hurd, and
this is the Travel Living Podcast.
So I wanna give a quick shout out totoday's sponsor, Tortuga Backpacks.
More on them in a bit.
Also, if you're a fan of the show, makesure to like and subscribe to keep up
with the best travel advice on the web.
(01:21):
So I'm thrilled to talk to you, LeahRose, about our favorite country and yeah.
So you're not from Italy, butyou're expert today for a reason.
Can you tell our listeners aboutyour experiences in the country?
Yeah.
So, I would say it all kind ofstarted with the fact that, my
grandma, she was Sicilian, so I'mpart Sicilian, so I am part Italian.
But I think just like growing up,she instilled like a love of Italy.
(01:44):
In me just she was really passionateabout, just the country and Italian
culture and just like kind of keeping italive even though, you know, we obviously
weren't living there or anything.
So I feel like that kind of sparked alittle bit of interest in visiting Italy
and learning more about it at a young age.
then I actually got to go therewith her and my mom, when I was 14.
That was the first time I wentand we traveled all around
(02:07):
the country, to Sicily.
'cause she had like
Some relative's wedding that we attended.
So we did that and then we, myfamily also hosted an Italian
exchange student for a year.
And so we met up with himwhile we were on that trip.
And then a few years laterI did an exchange program.
And it wasn't in Italy, but myhost mom happened to be Italian,
so we ended up going on a wholevacation to Italy during my exchange.
(02:31):
And then . That just, I don't know.
I really loved Italyafter those experiences.
And then I ended up doing my study abroadprogram in college, in Florence, Italy.
So I spent, an entire semesterthere, which was wonderful.
I. And I, I would say I usedto speak pretty decent Italian
Right now it's pretty rusty.
I would, I think like back inthe day, I definitely would have
(02:53):
like good conversational Italian.
And I also just, I visited recentlylast year, so again, going up
and down the country all over.
So I've gotten to see a lot ofdifferent areas across the country and
not just like one particular region.
So, just a lot to see and doand I love the country so much.
So cool.
Yeah, so you know a lot of people there.
You have family there, you're partItalian, you studied there, many, many
(03:17):
different trips there, so that's awesome.
So to our listeners, Leah Rose has tons ofItaly guides, the broader ones being the
35 best places to visit in Italy, whichwe'll cover more in, in a little bit.
She also has guides and itineraries forlesser known destinations in the country.
So she really has written somethingfor every kind of traveler.
If you haven't been to Italy, or if you'replanning a return trip, make sure to check
(03:37):
out Leah Rose's articles for guidanceafter the episode@travellemming.com
and type in Italy in the search bar.
We'll link them in the show notes okay.
So we're gonna address trip planningadvice, the best places to visit,
how to get around safety, justeverything you need to know to plan
the perfect trip to Italy in a bit.
But I wanna start by asking youwhy should someone choose Italy
(03:57):
over other European destinations?
Like what makes it unique?
I would say, you know, obviouslylike going to Europe, there are a
lot of similarities like betweenEuropean countries, but with
Italy specifically, I just think.
Italy and the culture and the peopleare so distinct, like they're just
Italian, you know what I mean?
And I think as far as like, reasonsto go, I would say the big ones
(04:19):
would be like food, art, and history.
like scenery and nature with food.
Who doesn't love Italian food?
It's just obviously like, it's a very,like, well loved cuisine around the world.
I don't know.
For some, for whatever reason, it justlike appeals to everybody's palates.
I, I don't know, it's the
It is my favorite thingin the whole world.
It's so good.
So food's obviously a big thingand the cuisine varies a lot, like
(04:43):
based on what region you're in.
And so I think like, you know, you can goand be like, I want pasta, I want pizza.
And you can definitely have thatand it'll be like, fantastic.
But there's so much more to thecuisine just based on where you are.
So like in Milan, their risotto isreally big and then down in Florence, you
know, you'll get a lot of like steak.
As well as just like wine,because that's wine country.
(05:05):
The wine is so good.
And then, you know, like Naples Pizza,that's what you're gonna get there.
And then like you go into the southof LY and have a lot of seafood.
There's just a bunch of differentthings in different places
and it's all really great.
So I think food's a huge reason to visit.
then as far as like art and historygoes, I think . Italy itself is just
such, like such a hub and such acenter for so much important art and,
(05:30):
Florence specifically is known as likethe birthplace of the Renaissance.
It has the most renaissance artworkthan like any place in the world.
And I just think there's anabundance of really incredible art.
And even if you're not a huge art lover,I still think you can appreciate some
of the beauty and amazing sculpturesand paintings and all of the museums.
And then for nature for instance,there's just a lot of diverse
(05:52):
scenery throughout the country.
So . You know, there's like really talldramatic mountains in the north and then
there's beautiful beaches and coastlines.
There's countryside, volcano.
And there's just like alot of diverse scenery.
So I think those are the big thingsthat people should keep in mind
when they're planning a trip.
Yeah, I really do think that there'ssomething for everyone in Italy 'cause
(06:14):
it's just such a diverse culture.
Definitely.
(07:03):
so what, what are, in your opinion,where are the best cities in Italy and
can you tell us a little bit about them?
Yeah, so the big cities, would beMilan Rome, Florence Naples, . Venice.
Yeah, those are like the big ones.
And then obviously there's a ton more.
But, I think those are the ones thatpeople think of when they think of
traveling to Italy and, they all offerlike a little bit something different.
(07:27):
I think what they all have incommon is just like charming
architecture, a lot of art.
Yeah.
But those are the big ones.
I have my opinions about whichones are my favorite and which
ones, aren't my favorite.
But we can get into that
we'll definitely discuss a little bitmore as we get deeper into the episode.
So with that, where do you suggestsomeone stays who has never been to Italy?
So for someone who's never been to Italybefore, I think I would suggest doing
(07:51):
like two to three cities and then kindof doing day trips from those places.
That way you can still, you know, youcan spend a good amount of time in these
places and really get a feel for them aswell as like, I. You know, going on day
trips and seeing something different.
So if you're, if it's your very firsttime, I think Rome, that's a given just
because, you know, capital of Italy.
I think that's a, what a lot of peoplethink of when they think of Italy.
(08:13):
Just like the Coliseum.
And like tr Fountain,like that type of stuff.
You know, if you haven'tbeen, you have to go.
So definitely Rome.
And then I would say Florence for sure.
I'm biased because I spent a lot of timein Florence, but I really think it's like
one of the best cities, . In Italy, or ifnot the best, just because it's so like
classically Italian, you're gonna get a, agood mix of like art and food and culture.
(08:36):
And then I think Venice, just becauseVenice is another like, super, like it's
a bucket list place for a lot of people.
And even though it's touristy, there'sdefinitely no place quite like Venice.
So I would do Rome, Florence, Venice,and then, you know, you could circle
back to Rome if you're flying outof there and then do day trips.
From those places, like I was saying, sofor instance, you know, from Florence
(08:57):
you could do a day trip to Quire, whichis like the five towns along the coast.
And that way you can have like ataste of the coast while also, you
know, going to these big cities.
So I would say that's the route totake if you're a first time visitor.
Yeah.
And so you mentioned like there's,there's very different cities in the
north and the south and the middle.
How long does it take, do youthink, to get around Italy?
(09:18):
Like if someone's planning a tripand they wanna see different spots,
all across the country, how muchtime do you think that they should
set aside for a trip to just Italy?
Ooh.
Honestly, like to see kindof every, well, everything.
I mean, I still haven't seeneverything and I've been so many times.
But I would honestly say like a month.
I feel like even in like three weeks,you can definitely see a lot, but like,
(09:42):
you're not gonna reach everything.
You're not gonna haveenough time for everything.
So like, if you wanted to go . Hit all themajor cities and go like north to south,
including Sicily and like maybe you wannado something different and also go to
like Sardinia then Yeah, a month for sure.
And I think, you know, you could justlike start in any of the major cities
and kind of make work your way around.
But I think like a, something that alot of people would do is start in Rome,
(10:05):
just 'cause a lot of airlines fly intoRome and then from there you kind of
loop your way north, around the countryand then you kind of go back down.
Maybe go to Sicily and thenhit your way back up to Rome.
So yeah, I think a month would give youenough time to do a lot to see a lot.
It would honestly probablystill be a bit rushed, but
Yeah.
Okay.
That makes sense.
(10:26):
And obviously probably most people don'thave a full month to, to travel, so
I wish,
Yeah, of course.
But that means, you know, cut that inhalf and you can probably cover a really
good portion of one side of the country.
Right.
So maybe like take a. 10 days to twoweeks to cover the whole southern part
of Italy, or maybe go up north to themountains and does that sound like it?
(10:48):
It would be a prettysubstantial amount of time.
I would say that would be likeanother suggestion of mine, honestly.
Like if, you know, let's say you havelike 10 days, two weeks to go to Italy.
It is tempting to see everythingand to wanna see everything.
But I think focusing in on one area, oneregion is probably the smart thing to do.
And then, you know, you can always dorepeat visits, but so for instance, like.
(11:08):
Maybe sticking to the north and, anddoing like Florence and Milan and the
Lakes District and you know, maybe yougo over to Venice or something like that.
Or you focus on the south of Italy andyou do like Naples and multi coast.
And then maybe a little bitfarther south, maybe just do Sicily
I think it kind of depends on what you'relooking for, but . Yeah, focusing in on
(11:30):
one region is like a smart thing to do andthere's so many towns and just little day
trips that you can take from just aboutanywhere that you're going to experience
a lot and see a diverse amount of things.
Anyway,
Okay.
Awesome.
Where do you suggest a, abudget traveler stay in Italy?
The south of Italy is probably thebest place for a budget traveler to
be, just because generally things aregoing to be cheaper, like across the
(11:53):
board as far as flights and trains,like hotels, just all of that food.
And I think it's a little bitmore overlooked compared to like
more popular places in the north.
So you're just gonna get cheaperrates and, but also you won't miss
out on like great food and, you know,good art, good museums, good nature.
There's still tons of that.
So that's what I would focus on.
(12:14):
Awesome.
What are some other notableplaces to visit in Italy?
Ooh, there's so many Icould probably give you.
I would say maybe some that are a tinybit more off, the beaten path would
be , lake Garda is a big one, so like alot of people think to go to Lake Como
'cause you know, it's, it's really famous.
A lot of celebritiesgo there, like villas.
It's just beautiful.
But there are like threemajor lakes over there.
(12:36):
And the biggest one, I believefact track me, but I believe
the biggest one is Lake Garda.
And it's just a little bitmore like family friendly.
And you're still gonna get the samelike .. Incredible scenery, but in
cute little towns and everything.
But it's gonna be a little bitcheaper than going to Lake Como.
So I would say Lake Gardais a, is a great one.
Spending time in Kete and justlike the, like Tuscan countryside,
(12:59):
like outside of Florence.
I think that's a must, especiallyif you're like really into wine.
I have a friend who lives just likesouth of Florence and so when I
was visiting last year, she took myfriends and I like on a little day
road trip, like all around Kete.
And we sampled wine.
We went to a vineyard.
, And I think it's just likereally, really . Beautiful.
But also a little harder to getto sometimes if you don't have a
(13:20):
car, which is, I mean, that's a, agreat, place to like take a tour.
you don't have a car, if you, you'renot comfortable like driving around.
So yeah, definitely like kee for wine.
I. I would say Capri, likeCapri is really touristy and a
lot of people know to go there.
But honestly, like I, I personallythink it's worth the hype.
I've been twice and I'm so luckyto have been twice now, but it's
(13:42):
just like the beauty and thescenery is like unparalleled.
It's really.
Like awe inspiring to be honest with you.
Like I, when I went last year, Iwent to the very top of the island
and that was something I hadn'tdone the very first time I went.
And it's just like soaringviews, as far as you can see.
You know, I. You just like see,you see like mainland Italy.
(14:03):
It's just like incredibly beautiful.
So Caprice definitely worthit just for like the scenery.
And also there's some good shoppingin Capri, like I've got some
cute stuff when I was over there.
But yeah, that's a good one.
Ano am Mare.
That is a really cute little, town.
Well, I guess technicallyit's like a small city.
But it kind of feels like atown in the south of Italy.
I believe it's in Pya, the Pya region.
(14:25):
And it's just very like whitewashedbuildings like that hang,
like on the edge of the cliff,like overlooking, the ocean.
And that's a great one.
I could go on.
Should I go on?
I.
no, I think, I think you've covered somereally awesome spots like both major
cities and then off the beaten path.
And again, for listeners, Leah Rosehas an awesome article on the 35 best
(14:47):
places to visit in Italy, where shereally goes into all of these places.
So if you wanna take a deeper diveafter the episode, I highly recommend
checking out that article, which again,will be linked in the show notes.
So I wanna ask you, when is thebest time of year to visit Italy?
I would say, the late spring, earlysummer and . In early fall, , so the
shoulder seasons is I think what we wouldtypically call them, just because the
(15:09):
summer is so popular and it's so crowdedin Italy and it gets really, really hot.
I remember one summer I was in Milan andno joke, the pavement was so hot that
literally like the, the bottoms of thechairs were making indentations in the
pavement because it was like getting.
Yeah, so hot.
But yeah, again, also just reallycrowded and everybody's there.
And so I, I think a bettertime to visit is late spring.
(15:33):
'cause also, like a lot of timesthings are in bloom, like things
are still gonna be like lush.
It's not gonna be asdreary and depressing.
And then early fall is nice too.
But yeah, I think you're stillgonna have like nice weather,
probably slightly cheaper prices.
And then, . Less crowds.
A lot of places are still honestlygonna be crowded, like even
during the shoulder seasons.
Just 'cause Italy is so popular,but it's not going to be as hectic.
(15:56):
So I think just kind of planningyour visit in one of those
times is the best way to go.
July and August specifically, Ithink are the busiest for sure.
I think there's like a stereotypethat's like, don't go to Italy, or
like, don't go to Rome and August 'causeit's so hot and it's so, so crowded.
But I would say if you can avoid Julyand August, that's what I would do.
So I know it's a loaded question andyou've already covered a couple of
(16:18):
these things in, in different areas, indifferent cities, but what do you think
are the best things to do in Italy?
So I kind of covered thisa little bit earlier.
'cause I said the big things were justkind of like food, art and history,
and then like scenery in nature.
But then I would say within thosebuckets, there's definitely some
things that you shouldn't miss.
So for food.
I mean, I'm a little bit biased,but coffee, like you have to have
(16:39):
coffee, specifically like espresso.
Just because I've never had Likeespresso, quite like what I get
in Italy, like anywhere else.
And I've had amazing coffee in likeso many other places around the world,
but there's just something aboutItalian espresso that I don't know, it
hits different and it's just so good.
But I, I just think coffeeculture is really big there.
It's also like a little bitdifferent than it is in the us.
(17:01):
You know, you're not really gonnaget like your iced latte also,
that's another thing if you askfor a latte, that just means milk.
So you'll get milk.
But.
Yeah.
My favorite thing is like an, anespresso macchiato, which is just
like a little bit of espressowith a tiny bit of foamed milk.
So yeah, coffee in general.
Gelato, you have to have it, for wine.
(17:21):
Like I said, if you can be inlike wine country around ke,
definitely . Take advantage of that.
One of my favorite wines to have wasliterally just like, they call it like
a house wine or a table wine, whichis basically like a complimentary
red wine that's just on the tablewhen you go to a lot of restaurants.
And honestly, that was justlike one of my favorite things.
It was just cheap, butlike really, really great.
(17:43):
And, you know, pasta and pizza everywhere.
Pizza specifically Naples.
But, yeah, food's huge.
And then for art, I think ifyou're really big into art, you
need to go to Florence for sure.
Like that is the center for it.
The Zi Museum is huge.
It has like the most renaissanceartwork in the world.
just huge museum.
(18:04):
It has so many likemasterpieces by like Botticelli.
And yeah, it's just an incredible museum.
And then also Florence is home to theAcademia Gallery, which has the statue of
David, which is, if you haven't seen it,it is really impressive to see in person.
So definitely go.
And then there are obviously so many othermuseums with so many great pieces of art.
(18:24):
For, history and sceneryand that type of thing.
It really just depends on whatyou like, like if you want like
mountains, or if you want the beach.
I think if you . I think going into thenorth, like where the Lakes district is,
as well as, going farther up into likethe Alps and where the Dolomites are.
I think that for sure can be an amazingtrip if you are really into like lakes
(18:47):
and mountains and that type of thing.
also like for beaches and stuff,like the Amalfi Coast is amazing.
Sicily is amazing.
Sardinia has beautiful beaches.
So yeah, it all just kind of dependson what you, what you want, but
there's no shortage of nature.
Yeah.
I went to the Dolomites, it was my,my graduation trip from high school
with my best friend, and I don'tthink I've ever seen such dramatic,
(19:08):
beautiful mountains in my entire life.
It was like the most stunning scenery.
Yeah, it's just like so dramatic.
Like they're not quite likemountains you see in other places,
Yeah, nothing like it.
And then, and then going down to thesouth, it's completely different, but
it's still like the most beautifulcoastal scenery I've ever seen
with those like dramatic cliffs.
And then the, the blue waterand the boats and the houses
(19:29):
stacked up against each other.
Gosh, it's just so beautiful.
So yeah, there's just somuch to do for everyone.
Whether you're wanting like the beachyscene or the more mountainous, like
outdoorsy scene, it's, italy's the best.
For sure.
I think like dramatic is likeone word I would use to describe
a lot of the nature in Italy.
Just like, yeah, dramatic, crazycliff sides, crazy mountains.
(19:51):
So if you had to pick in thewhole country, what are the
top five attractions in Italy?
So that's definitely like hard tonarrow down 'cause there's just so many
different things I could think about.
I would say like at a glance, top five,coliseum's definitely up there just
because again, it's like very iconicto Italy and to Rome and so like . I
(20:12):
think a lot of people are like, I goto Rome, I have to see the coliseum.
And it is really impressive and cool.
So definitely that's up there.
The second one, I would say isthe Uzi Museum in, in Florence.
I kind of touched on this earlier, oractually I touched on this a couple times.
But it's just an incrediblemuseum, so much beautiful artwork.
You need hours to wander the,the galleries and everything.
(20:33):
And it's even like, the buildingitself is really beautiful.
Like you look up to the ceilings,and they're all like frescoed,
like very, very detailed.
So it's just a really beautiful placeto visit when you're in Florence.
And then again with Florence, Iwould say the Duomo specifically
like Florence is duomo.
There are obviously likeduomos around Italy and really
famous churches and everything.
(20:54):
But I do think Florence's isparticularly unique just because
of like the actual dome of it.
because that's it like.
Other major cities, churchesjust aren't quite like that.
And it's just incredible.
And like everywhere you go in Florence,it's kind of like a north star.
Like you can look up, find theduomo and like orient yourself.
And it's just super, superimpressive and beautiful.
(21:16):
So the Duomo is a church, right?
For listeners who might not know.
Yeah, so the duomo in Florence, well,in Italy in general, they generally call
like the main church within a square.
the dmo that's justlike what they call it.
But in Florence specifically,it's like a domed church.
Like there's a dome on it.
Uh, It's not just like.
A cathedral,
(21:37):
but it's just really, really unique.
just like really impressive.
And you can actually climb tothe top of the dome and the top
of the bell tower in the church.
I actually recommend climbing tothe top of the bell tower so you
can see the dome instead of being ontop of it, for a unique perspective.
But that church, if you wannaget technical, is called
Santa Maria del Fre Cathedral.
(21:59):
And then, yeah.
And then I would sayMount Aetna in Sicily.
I personally, I think just have a thingfor hiking volcanoes randomly, but,
Mount Aetna is just really, really cool.
It's the most activevolcano in all of Europe.
And.
It's just like sick.
Like you, you go and you,you climb the volcano and the
(22:19):
entire place feels like alive.
You, it kind of feels like you'reon another planet, to be honest.
'cause the landscape is like, itchanges, it's like different colors.
There's like no trees or like,no, like plants really or anything.
It's just.
Really crazy.
And I, I think Sicily in generaljust gets overlooked, but Mount
Aetna is like super, super cool.
So if you're interested in hikingand anything like that, Mount Aetna
(22:42):
is definitely, a place to visit.
So that leads me into mynext one, which is Pompeii.
And the volcano that overlooksPompei and like the whole
Naples area is Mount Vesuvius.
And so that's the one that like erupteda covered Mount, or Pompeii and Ash.
And so yeah.
Pompeii is gonna be my last one.
Just there's like really likeno place like it, and it's a
(23:03):
lot bigger than people think.
I think like when I had first gonethere, I was thinking like, oh, it's
gonna be this like archeological site.
You walk around like fora few hours, you're done.
My friend and I spent all day thereand we didn't even see everything.
that is a place that I think gettinga, a guided tour of it's like worth it.
So yeah, Pompeii is justvery, . I don't know.
It makes you think a lot and it'sjust kind of crazy to see like
(23:25):
this whole entire ancient city,like absolutely frozen in time.
So that would be my last one.
Okay, so we've talked aboutall these different areas.
So how would you recommendsomeone gets around Italy?
Like what are the best waysto navigate the country?
I would say the best ways to get aroundItaly are probably just trains and flying.
They do have a pretty good train systemand so like you can get to so many
(23:46):
different places, just like . Via rail.
And yeah, that's a, a great way to go.
I would say the one thing, makesure you validate your ticket.
'cause that's a huge thing.
You need to do that.
Or, and then as far as flying goes,like if you're going, you know,
farther distances, obviously fromlike the north to the south or like
you're in Milan and you wanna go downto Sicily, like it obviously makes
(24:07):
more sense to like take a plane.
So I would just say
Like rely on those two and just kind ofcompare prices and like think about your
time, and what is actually like worth it.
But if you're staying in likeone area, you can for sure
just get around with trains.
'cause there are , you know, speed trainsand then like smaller commuter trains
that you can take to lesser known places.
(24:27):
So,
Yeah.
Yeah, and Nate and I kind of talkedabout this in our Europe episode about,
the budget airlines in all of Europe.
But especially like you said, ifyou're going from like the northern
part of the country to the south,it's so it can be as cheap as like
20 or 30 euros just to get there.
Yeah, it's, it's crazy.
so I think definitely,definitely recommend
Flying.
(24:48):
And then also, how do youfeel about renting a car?
Okay, so I have never personallyrented a car when I was in Italy,
but when I went one time with mymom, my mom rented a car and she.
I mean, she's brave, but like shedidn't seem to have a problem with it.
Also, like it was, like a manual.
So if you don't know how to drivea manual, that could be a problem.
(25:09):
There are, I think, a lot moreautomatics now that you can rent.
But like it's probably gonna be alittle bit more expensive to rent that.
I don't know.
I just think you probably needto be a pretty confident driver
if you're gonna go to Italy.
I know Betty, you got injured going,like when you were in the Amalfi coast.
And the roads were kind of crazy,but . Like if you're driving somewhere
(25:30):
chill and relaxed, you just wanna drivearound Tuscany, you're probably fine.
Like you can do it and runa car and you'll be fine.
But I think if you're like I on aroad trip, the entire country, top to
bottom, like I wanna do like the Alpsand then I also wanna do like the Amalfi
Coast, like just be a confident driver.
Also, I think if you're gonnadrive in Sicily, like . You should,
(25:51):
you should be a confident driver.
Just because , I think thingsare a little bit more chaotic,
generally in the south of Italy.
Yeah, I don't think driving in Italyis for the faint of heart at all.
Yeah, I think some of you know, that Ibroke my collarbone, but that was on a,
it was on a Vespa, so I rented a Vespain, we went from Naples to Sorento.
And then took it all over theAmalfi Coast, which as most people
(26:13):
know, has super, super windyroads right on the cliff side.
So.
You know, I was brave, a little toobrave and I was going a little too fast.
And, yeah, that renting a Vespais, you know, just make sure you're
extremely safe if you're gonna do that.
But that was a great way to get around.
It was super cheap.
I. And, you know, you can navigate thesetiny little areas 'cause you're just on
(26:34):
like a, a, an electric scooter basically.
So I recommend that to people.
If you're not an idiot like me,
for sure.
but my God, the drivers there, it's likeI, I can't believe so many of the blind
corners that we were going around, thesemotorcyclists would come and just like,
just no hesitation, go around these gianttour buses and somehow they were all\
(26:55):
Yeah,
definitely my, when my mom was driving,we were like driving through the Alps
and I remember like, I, I kind of lookedout the window and it's like, there's
some guardrails, but it's like dropoff, like as far as like down the cliff.
Yeah.
And I was just like, oh my God.
That's crazy.
Yeah.
If you're someone who has any kindof driving anxiety, let someone
(27:15):
else be behind the wheel probably.
Yeah.
For sure.
So obviously every country has itsdifferent etiquette and culture.
So what is some Italian etiquette thatvisitors should know before they go?
You should definitely like pack something,like if you're going in the summertime,
pack something to cover your shoulders andlike, just be mindful if you're going to
a lot of like churches and religious sitesthat you are going to need your shoulders
(27:38):
and like . Pretty much your knees covered.
So if you're walking around in likeshorts and a tank top, you will probably
be denied entry into like a church.
So that's just something to kind ofkeep in mind if you know you're going
to be doing those types of activities.
It's, yeah, obviously just respectfulto like cover up when you go
to a religious site like thatand there are so many in Italy.
Then the other thing I would say this hasto do with coffee culture, and I kind of
(28:00):
touched a little bit on this, before,but you know, you can do this by all
means, but . They'll know you're American.
So like for instance, a cappuccino,like so many people love them, they're
great, they're delicious, but if youdrink them like after like 11 o'clock
or noon, they'll definitely know you'ream an American because it's seen as
more of like a breakfast type drinkbecause it has so much milk in it.
So if you like, want a coffee in theafternoon and you're like, I'm gonna
(28:22):
go the Italian way, just get likean espresso or something like that.
Yeah, just kind ofsomething to keep in mind.
No one's gonna like, you know,harass you for it, but it's just
They'll be silently judging you
Yeah, , and then also just.
Kind of like being polite, wheneveryou're going into stores and just
kind of greeting people, just sayinglike a, like a bonjourno or like
(28:43):
a bueno, like that type of thing.
And you know, it's gonna vary a littlebit by region as to like what specific
word you should say at what time of day.
But just like a simple greeting is like.
It's courteous.
Whenever you enter a store, it's kindof rude if you don't say anything.
So yeah, I would say thoseare a couple of things.
And also just expect like theculture to generally be slower
than what it is in the us.
(29:03):
So like, you know, wheneveryou go out to dinner, it.
Like, take your time.
And they're expectingyou to take your time.
You will probably have to ask for thecheck whenever you're ready to go,
but things in Italy, just move slower.
And I think this is kind of like astereotype or like a, there's some
quote or phrase about this, but Iwould say the more south you get in
Italy, the slower things are, justlike, you know, more in the north.
(29:27):
There's a lot of cities and so thingsare maybe a tiny bit more fast paced
for like Italian standards, but.
The more south you go, likethings are just a little bit
more relaxed and even slower.
So just kind of something to keep in mind.
So on the note of language,when you said like, you know,
saying Bonjourno or, bueno.
What is the, what's thelanguage barrier like in Italy?
(29:48):
Do quite a few people speak English?
Yeah, I would say if you're inlike the big cities, for sure,
like you, you should be fine.
Most people, especially when you're atlike an attraction or a hotel or something
like that, something for tourists, peopleare gonna speak English and you really
shouldn't have that much trouble with it.
But at the same time.
You should learn a fewkeywords in Italian.
(30:09):
I think it's just like polite to do that.
And also like, you know,you are in their country.
So I just think like speaking alittle bit, like not expecting
people to always cater to you is justlike . Something to keep in mind.
But I think, you know, the more ruralyou go, and I, I'd say like a little
farther south you go, you're going toencounter like less English speakers.
(30:29):
Like a lot of people definitelydo speak English, but it's not
gonna be like as widespread as ifyou're like saying Rome or Milan.
so just picking up some keyphrases, it's important.
And as far as just like a languagebarrier, I, I think like there can be
a bit of a language barrier sometimes,if you don't speak any Italian or
like learning a bit of the language,intimidates you, you can definitely just
(30:50):
like use a translator app or, you know,like just have one on your phone, either
like the photo one on Google where youcan like scan things and it'll show you
the English translations or just like.
App so you can communicate with someonelike when you're ordering at a restaurant.
I think those are obviously just helpfultools to have, and can kind of help,
help you be a little less scared withthe language barrier that comes up.
(31:11):
So we're coming to the end of our episodenow, and I want to talk about safety
because I know that, some, some partsof Italy are definitely a little bit
crowded and, and crazy and, you know,some people might feel a little bit
intimidated about, about their safety.
So how would you characterizethat in the country?
Yeah.
So, I would say overall, like Italyis pretty safe, but kind of like
(31:32):
what I was saying with other thingsearlier, it does just kind of vary
by like region and north or south.
There is a bit of reality to that.
So I think as far as safety goes,the, I. The things that you should
kind of be on the lookout for.
The first being pickpocketing.
That is pretty common with tourists,especially in like really crowded places
where people like know that there aretourists, just . Have a secure bag.
(31:55):
Something that can be like very,like, attached to your person, whether
it's like a cross body bag or likea fanny pack, something like that.
And you know, keep a hand on yourbag and just keep it in front of
you, like where you could see it.
And just be mindful of yoursurroundings when you're in some,
when you are somewhere really crowded.
I personally have like never experiencedpickpocketing when I. Like being in
Italy, and the people that I've traveledwith, they've never been pickpocketed.
(32:17):
But again, I think it kind of boilsdown to like, just be mindful of
your surroundings, and keep aneye on your bag and or hand I. So
I would say that's the first thing.
Something else there is abit of panhandling in Italy.
Again, it depends where you are, but it'sjust kind of something to be mindful of.
And, you know, I don't wanna be, likeI wanna be sensitive to people, but
(32:38):
at the same time, like for your ownsafety, I think it is the smartest
thing to just kind of like not, notengage and just kind of keep it moving.
. And then for like women specifically,it is true that like there is like cat
calling in Italy and you know, like you'regonna get a lot more of that and it,
I don't know, just like more attentionlike from men is going to be a little
(32:59):
bit more like in your face than I think.
It would be in some other places.
So there's probably you know, somelike whistles or chow Bellas and like,
you know, just kind of cat calling.
So the best thing to do is again, notengage, just kind of keep it moving.
But you're, you should be fine aslong as you follow like normal safety
precautions that you would likepretty much anywhere else in Europe.
(33:19):
Good to know.
If you could wrap up every singlething that we've talked about in
the episode today, what is themain reason or reasons that you
think somebody should visit Italy?
I think the ultimate reason that peopleshould travel to Italy or consider
traveling to Italy, is just like, ifyou really want that like dreamy old
world European feel, and a place thathas a lot of character, I think Italy
(33:41):
is definitely the place for that.
And also, you know, thefood is so amazing and.
Yeah, just between like the food, the art,the nature, the people, like you're going
to have a really memorable time for sure.
And you know, when you're drinkinglike good wine and pasta and gelato
every day, it's hard not to be happy.
So yeah, maybe, uh, plan a trip to Italy.
(34:02):
Okay, I think that'sall we have for today.
Listeners, please make sure togo and check out Leah Roses,
Italy guides@travellemming.com.
She's actually created a parentarticle that includes links to
all of her related Italy content.
So we'll link that in the shownotes as well as the other
articles that we mentioned today.
But that one's super helpful.
She also has guides to Chicagoand Asheville and some wonderful
(34:23):
perspective pieces on the website.
So go read 'em after the episode.
Once again, those areon travel lemming.com.
Just type in Italy in the search bar andwhatever your Italy planning entails.
I bet you Leah Rose has writtena super helpful article for you.
If you enjoyed this episode, don't forgetto like and subscribe to our channel.
We have new episodes coming out,covering different travel topics
and destinations around the world.
(34:45):
You can also come and meet a memberof our team and talk travel at our
community meetups, which we host ineight major cities in and around the us.
And Leah Rose actually hosts theChicago Meetup so you can meet her.
And all the information for ourtravel meetups is on the website.
Thank you again to oursponsor to Tiga backpack.
So you guys rock.
Thank you Leah Rose, for sharingyour Italy expertise with the world.
(35:05):
You've been an absolute delight today.
Yeah.
Thank you so much for having me.
I love being able to talk aboutItaly, so I had a great time.
Listeners.
Thanks for tuning in.
We'll see you next time onthe Travel Lemming Podcast.
If you're planning a trip toItaly, this is the podcast for you.
a 32nd teaser of the episode.
(00:39):
So our Italy expert today plays ahuge role at traveling as our managing
editor originally from the BlueRidge Mountains of North Carolina.
Now local to Chicago.
Welcome to the show, Leah Rose Alba.
Hi.
Hi Betty.
I'm happy to be here.
Like she just said, myname is Leah Rose Alba.
I'm travel lemmings managing editor,and Italy is my favorite place.
(00:59):
I've been tons of times and I'mexcited to just dive into it today.
Talk all things Italy.
Yeah, absolutely.
And for those who don't know me,I'm your host Betty Hurd, and
this is the Travel Living Podcast.
So I wanna give a quick shout out totoday's sponsor, Tortuga Backpacks.
More on them in a bit.
Also, if you're a fan of the show, makesure to like and subscribe to keep up
with the best travel advice on the web.
(01:21):
So I'm thrilled to talk to you, LeahRose, about our favorite country and yeah.
So you're not from Italy, butyou're expert today for a reason.
Can you tell our listeners aboutyour experiences in the country?
Yeah.
So, I would say it all kind ofstarted with the fact that, my
grandma, she was Sicilian, so I'mpart Sicilian, so I am part Italian.
But I think just like growing up,she instilled like a love of Italy.
(01:44):
In me just she was really passionateabout, just the country and Italian
culture and just like kind of keeping italive even though, you know, we obviously
weren't living there or anything.
So I feel like that kind of sparked alittle bit of interest in visiting Italy
and learning more about it at a young age.
then I actually got to go therewith her and my mom, when I was 14.
That was the first time I wentand we traveled all around
(02:07):
the country, to Sicily.
'cause she had like
Some relative's wedding that we attended.
So we did that and then we, myfamily also hosted an Italian
exchange student for a year.
And so we met up with himwhile we were on that trip.
And then a few years laterI did an exchange program.
And it wasn't in Italy, but myhost mom happened to be Italian,
so we ended up going on a wholevacation to Italy during my exchange.
(02:31):
And then . That just, I don't know.
I really loved Italyafter those experiences.
And then I ended up doing my study abroadprogram in college, in Florence, Italy.
So I spent, an entire semesterthere, which was wonderful.
I. And I, I would say I usedto speak pretty decent Italian
Right now it's pretty rusty.
I would, I think like back inthe day, I definitely would have
(02:53):
like good conversational Italian.
And I also just, I visited recentlylast year, so again, going up
and down the country all over.
So I've gotten to see a lot ofdifferent areas across the country and
not just like one particular region.
So, just a lot to see and doand I love the country so much.
So cool.
Yeah, so you know a lot of people there.
You have family there, you're partItalian, you studied there, many, many
(03:17):
different trips there, so that's awesome.
So to our listeners, Leah Rose has tons ofItaly guides, the broader ones being the
35 best places to visit in Italy, whichwe'll cover more in, in a little bit.
She also has guides and itineraries forlesser known destinations in the country.
So she really has written somethingfor every kind of traveler.
If you haven't been to Italy, or if you'replanning a return trip, make sure to check
(03:37):
out Leah Rose's articles for guidanceafter the episode@travellemming.com
and type in Italy in the search bar.
We'll link them in the show notes okay.
So we're gonna address trip planningadvice, the best places to visit,
how to get around safety, justeverything you need to know to plan
the perfect trip to Italy in a bit.
But I wanna start by asking youwhy should someone choose Italy
(03:57):
over other European destinations?
Like what makes it unique?
I would say, you know, obviouslylike going to Europe, there are a
lot of similarities like betweenEuropean countries, but with
Italy specifically, I just think.
Italy and the culture and the peopleare so distinct, like they're just
Italian, you know what I mean?
And I think as far as like, reasonsto go, I would say the big ones
(04:19):
would be like food, art, and history.
like scenery and nature with food.
Who doesn't love Italian food?
It's just obviously like, it's a very,like, well loved cuisine around the world.
I don't know.
For some, for whatever reason, it justlike appeals to everybody's palates.
I, I don't know, it's the
It is my favorite thingin the whole world.
It's so good.
So food's obviously a big thingand the cuisine varies a lot, like
(04:43):
based on what region you're in.
And so I think like, you know, you can goand be like, I want pasta, I want pizza.
And you can definitely have thatand it'll be like, fantastic.
But there's so much more to thecuisine just based on where you are.
So like in Milan, their risotto isreally big and then down in Florence, you
know, you'll get a lot of like steak.
As well as just like wine,because that's wine country.
(05:05):
The wine is so good.
And then, you know, like Naples Pizza,that's what you're gonna get there.
And then like you go into the southof LY and have a lot of seafood.
There's just a bunch of differentthings in different places
and it's all really great.
So I think food's a huge reason to visit.
then as far as like art and historygoes, I think . Italy itself is just
such, like such a hub and such acenter for so much important art and,
(05:30):
Florence specifically is known as likethe birthplace of the Renaissance.
It has the most renaissance artworkthan like any place in the world.
And I just think there's anabundance of really incredible art.
And even if you're not a huge art lover,I still think you can appreciate some
of the beauty and amazing sculpturesand paintings and all of the museums.
And then for nature for instance,there's just a lot of diverse
(05:52):
scenery throughout the country.
So . You know, there's like really talldramatic mountains in the north and then
there's beautiful beaches and coastlines.
There's countryside, volcano.
And there's just like alot of diverse scenery.
So I think those are the big thingsthat people should keep in mind
when they're planning a trip.
Yeah, I really do think that there'ssomething for everyone in Italy 'cause
(06:14):
it's just such a diverse culture.
Definitely.
(07:03):
so what, what are, in your opinion,where are the best cities in Italy and
can you tell us a little bit about them?
Yeah, so the big cities, would beMilan Rome, Florence Naples, . Venice.
Yeah, those are like the big ones.
And then obviously there's a ton more.
But, I think those are the ones thatpeople think of when they think of
traveling to Italy and, they all offerlike a little bit something different.
(07:27):
I think what they all have incommon is just like charming
architecture, a lot of art.
Yeah.
But those are the big ones.
I have my opinions about whichones are my favorite and which
ones, aren't my favorite.
But we can get into that
we'll definitely discuss a little bitmore as we get deeper into the episode.
So with that, where do you suggestsomeone stays who has never been to Italy?
So for someone who's never been to Italybefore, I think I would suggest doing
(07:51):
like two to three cities and then kindof doing day trips from those places.
That way you can still, you know, youcan spend a good amount of time in these
places and really get a feel for them aswell as like, I. You know, going on day
trips and seeing something different.
So if you're, if it's your very firsttime, I think Rome, that's a given just
because, you know, capital of Italy.
I think that's a, what a lot of peoplethink of when they think of Italy.
(08:13):
Just like the Coliseum.
And like tr Fountain,like that type of stuff.
You know, if you haven'tbeen, you have to go.
So definitely Rome.
And then I would say Florence for sure.
I'm biased because I spent a lot of timein Florence, but I really think it's like
one of the best cities, . In Italy, or ifnot the best, just because it's so like
classically Italian, you're gonna get a, agood mix of like art and food and culture.
(08:36):
And then I think Venice, just becauseVenice is another like, super, like it's
a bucket list place for a lot of people.
And even though it's touristy, there'sdefinitely no place quite like Venice.
So I would do Rome, Florence, Venice,and then, you know, you could circle
back to Rome if you're flying outof there and then do day trips.
From those places, like I was saying, sofor instance, you know, from Florence
(08:57):
you could do a day trip to Quire, whichis like the five towns along the coast.
And that way you can have like ataste of the coast while also, you
know, going to these big cities.
So I would say that's the route totake if you're a first time visitor.
Yeah.
And so you mentioned like there's,there's very different cities in the
north and the south and the middle.
How long does it take, do youthink, to get around Italy?
(09:18):
Like if someone's planning a tripand they wanna see different spots,
all across the country, how muchtime do you think that they should
set aside for a trip to just Italy?
Ooh.
Honestly, like to see kindof every, well, everything.
I mean, I still haven't seeneverything and I've been so many times.
But I would honestly say like a month.
I feel like even in like three weeks,you can definitely see a lot, but like,
(09:42):
you're not gonna reach everything.
You're not gonna haveenough time for everything.
So like, if you wanted to go . Hit all themajor cities and go like north to south,
including Sicily and like maybe you wannado something different and also go to
like Sardinia then Yeah, a month for sure.
And I think, you know, you could justlike start in any of the major cities
and kind of make work your way around.
But I think like a, something that alot of people would do is start in Rome,
(10:05):
just 'cause a lot of airlines fly intoRome and then from there you kind of
loop your way north, around the countryand then you kind of go back down.
Maybe go to Sicily and thenhit your way back up to Rome.
So yeah, I think a month would give youenough time to do a lot to see a lot.
It would honestly probablystill be a bit rushed, but
Yeah.
Okay.
That makes sense.
(10:26):
And obviously probably most people don'thave a full month to, to travel, so
I wish,
Yeah, of course.
But that means, you know, cut that inhalf and you can probably cover a really
good portion of one side of the country.
Right.
So maybe like take a. 10 days to twoweeks to cover the whole southern part
of Italy, or maybe go up north to themountains and does that sound like it?
(10:48):
It would be a prettysubstantial amount of time.
I would say that would be likeanother suggestion of mine, honestly.
Like if, you know, let's say you havelike 10 days, two weeks to go to Italy.
It is tempting to see everythingand to wanna see everything.
But I think focusing in on one area, oneregion is probably the smart thing to do.
And then, you know, you can always dorepeat visits, but so for instance, like.
(11:08):
Maybe sticking to the north and, anddoing like Florence and Milan and the
Lakes District and you know, maybe yougo over to Venice or something like that.
Or you focus on the south of Italy andyou do like Naples and multi coast.
And then maybe a little bitfarther south, maybe just do Sicily
I think it kind of depends on what you'relooking for, but . Yeah, focusing in on
(11:30):
one region is like a smart thing to do andthere's so many towns and just little day
trips that you can take from just aboutanywhere that you're going to experience
a lot and see a diverse amount of things.
Anyway,
Okay.
Awesome.
Where do you suggest a, abudget traveler stay in Italy?
The south of Italy is probably thebest place for a budget traveler to
be, just because generally things aregoing to be cheaper, like across the
(11:53):
board as far as flights and trains,like hotels, just all of that food.
And I think it's a little bitmore overlooked compared to like
more popular places in the north.
So you're just gonna get cheaperrates and, but also you won't miss
out on like great food and, you know,good art, good museums, good nature.
There's still tons of that.
So that's what I would focus on.
(12:14):
Awesome.
What are some other notableplaces to visit in Italy?
Ooh, there's so many Icould probably give you.
I would say maybe some that are a tinybit more off, the beaten path would
be , lake Garda is a big one, so like alot of people think to go to Lake Como
'cause you know, it's, it's really famous.
A lot of celebritiesgo there, like villas.
It's just beautiful.
But there are like threemajor lakes over there.
(12:36):
And the biggest one, I believefact track me, but I believe
the biggest one is Lake Garda.
And it's just a little bitmore like family friendly.
And you're still gonna get the samelike .. Incredible scenery, but in
cute little towns and everything.
But it's gonna be a little bitcheaper than going to Lake Como.
So I would say Lake Gardais a, is a great one.
Spending time in Kete and justlike the, like Tuscan countryside,
(12:59):
like outside of Florence.
I think that's a must, especiallyif you're like really into wine.
I have a friend who lives just likesouth of Florence and so when I
was visiting last year, she took myfriends and I like on a little day
road trip, like all around Kete.
And we sampled wine.
We went to a vineyard.
, And I think it's just likereally, really . Beautiful.
But also a little harder to getto sometimes if you don't have a
(13:20):
car, which is, I mean, that's a, agreat, place to like take a tour.
you don't have a car, if you, you'renot comfortable like driving around.
So yeah, definitely like kee for wine.
I. I would say Capri, likeCapri is really touristy and a
lot of people know to go there.
But honestly, like I, I personallythink it's worth the hype.
I've been twice and I'm so luckyto have been twice now, but it's
(13:42):
just like the beauty and thescenery is like unparalleled.
It's really.
Like awe inspiring to be honest with you.
Like I, when I went last year, Iwent to the very top of the island
and that was something I hadn'tdone the very first time I went.
And it's just like soaringviews, as far as you can see.
You know, I. You just like see,you see like mainland Italy.
(14:03):
It's just like incredibly beautiful.
So Caprice definitely worthit just for like the scenery.
And also there's some good shoppingin Capri, like I've got some
cute stuff when I was over there.
But yeah, that's a good one.
Ano am Mare.
That is a really cute little, town.
Well, I guess technicallyit's like a small city.
But it kind of feels like atown in the south of Italy.
I believe it's in Pya, the Pya region.
(14:25):
And it's just very like whitewashedbuildings like that hang,
like on the edge of the cliff,like overlooking, the ocean.
And that's a great one.
I could go on.
Should I go on?
I.
no, I think, I think you've covered somereally awesome spots like both major
cities and then off the beaten path.
And again, for listeners, Leah Rosehas an awesome article on the 35 best
(14:47):
places to visit in Italy, where shereally goes into all of these places.
So if you wanna take a deeper diveafter the episode, I highly recommend
checking out that article, which again,will be linked in the show notes.
So I wanna ask you, when is thebest time of year to visit Italy?
I would say, the late spring, earlysummer and . In early fall, , so the
shoulder seasons is I think what we wouldtypically call them, just because the
(15:09):
summer is so popular and it's so crowdedin Italy and it gets really, really hot.
I remember one summer I was in Milan andno joke, the pavement was so hot that
literally like the, the bottoms of thechairs were making indentations in the
pavement because it was like getting.
Yeah, so hot.
But yeah, again, also just reallycrowded and everybody's there.
And so I, I think a bettertime to visit is late spring.
(15:33):
'cause also, like a lot of timesthings are in bloom, like things
are still gonna be like lush.
It's not gonna be asdreary and depressing.
And then early fall is nice too.
But yeah, I think you're stillgonna have like nice weather,
probably slightly cheaper prices.
And then, . Less crowds.
A lot of places are still honestlygonna be crowded, like even
during the shoulder seasons.
Just 'cause Italy is so popular,but it's not going to be as hectic.
(15:56):
So I think just kind of planningyour visit in one of those
times is the best way to go.
July and August specifically, Ithink are the busiest for sure.
I think there's like a stereotypethat's like, don't go to Italy, or
like, don't go to Rome and August 'causeit's so hot and it's so, so crowded.
But I would say if you can avoid Julyand August, that's what I would do.
So I know it's a loaded question andyou've already covered a couple of
(16:18):
these things in, in different areas, indifferent cities, but what do you think
are the best things to do in Italy?
So I kind of covered thisa little bit earlier.
'cause I said the big things were justkind of like food, art and history,
and then like scenery in nature.
But then I would say within thosebuckets, there's definitely some
things that you shouldn't miss.
So for food.
I mean, I'm a little bit biased,but coffee, like you have to have
(16:39):
coffee, specifically like espresso.
Just because I've never had Likeespresso, quite like what I get
in Italy, like anywhere else.
And I've had amazing coffee in likeso many other places around the world,
but there's just something aboutItalian espresso that I don't know, it
hits different and it's just so good.
But I, I just think coffeeculture is really big there.
It's also like a little bitdifferent than it is in the us.
(17:01):
You know, you're not really gonnaget like your iced latte also,
that's another thing if you askfor a latte, that just means milk.
So you'll get milk.
But.
Yeah.
My favorite thing is like an, anespresso macchiato, which is just
like a little bit of espressowith a tiny bit of foamed milk.
So yeah, coffee in general.
Gelato, you have to have it, for wine.
(17:21):
Like I said, if you can be inlike wine country around ke,
definitely . Take advantage of that.
One of my favorite wines to have wasliterally just like, they call it like
a house wine or a table wine, whichis basically like a complimentary
red wine that's just on the tablewhen you go to a lot of restaurants.
And honestly, that was justlike one of my favorite things.
It was just cheap, butlike really, really great.
(17:43):
And, you know, pasta and pizza everywhere.
Pizza specifically Naples.
But, yeah, food's huge.
And then for art, I think ifyou're really big into art, you
need to go to Florence for sure.
Like that is the center for it.
The Zi Museum is huge.
It has like the most renaissanceartwork in the world.
just huge museum.
(18:04):
It has so many likemasterpieces by like Botticelli.
And yeah, it's just an incredible museum.
And then also Florence is home to theAcademia Gallery, which has the statue of
David, which is, if you haven't seen it,it is really impressive to see in person.
So definitely go.
And then there are obviously so many othermuseums with so many great pieces of art.
(18:24):
For, history and sceneryand that type of thing.
It really just depends on whatyou like, like if you want like
mountains, or if you want the beach.
I think if you . I think going into thenorth, like where the Lakes district is,
as well as, going farther up into likethe Alps and where the Dolomites are.
I think that for sure can be an amazingtrip if you are really into like lakes
(18:47):
and mountains and that type of thing.
also like for beaches and stuff,like the Amalfi Coast is amazing.
Sicily is amazing.
Sardinia has beautiful beaches.
So yeah, it all just kind of dependson what you, what you want, but
there's no shortage of nature.
Yeah.
I went to the Dolomites, it was my,my graduation trip from high school
with my best friend, and I don'tthink I've ever seen such dramatic,
(19:08):
beautiful mountains in my entire life.
It was like the most stunning scenery.
Yeah, it's just like so dramatic.
Like they're not quite likemountains you see in other places,
Yeah, nothing like it.
And then, and then going down to thesouth, it's completely different, but
it's still like the most beautifulcoastal scenery I've ever seen
with those like dramatic cliffs.
And then the, the blue waterand the boats and the houses
(19:29):
stacked up against each other.
Gosh, it's just so beautiful.
So yeah, there's just somuch to do for everyone.
Whether you're wanting like the beachyscene or the more mountainous, like
outdoorsy scene, it's, italy's the best.
For sure.
I think like dramatic is likeone word I would use to describe
a lot of the nature in Italy.
Just like, yeah, dramatic, crazycliff sides, crazy mountains.
(19:51):
So if you had to pick in thewhole country, what are the
top five attractions in Italy?
So that's definitely like hard tonarrow down 'cause there's just so many
different things I could think about.
I would say like at a glance, top five,coliseum's definitely up there just
because again, it's like very iconicto Italy and to Rome and so like . I
(20:12):
think a lot of people are like, I goto Rome, I have to see the coliseum.
And it is really impressive and cool.
So definitely that's up there.
The second one, I would say isthe Uzi Museum in, in Florence.
I kind of touched on this earlier, oractually I touched on this a couple times.
But it's just an incrediblemuseum, so much beautiful artwork.
You need hours to wander the,the galleries and everything.
(20:33):
And it's even like, the buildingitself is really beautiful.
Like you look up to the ceilings,and they're all like frescoed,
like very, very detailed.
So it's just a really beautiful placeto visit when you're in Florence.
And then again with Florence, Iwould say the Duomo specifically
like Florence is duomo.
There are obviously likeduomos around Italy and really
famous churches and everything.
(20:54):
But I do think Florence's isparticularly unique just because
of like the actual dome of it.
because that's it like.
Other major cities, churchesjust aren't quite like that.
And it's just incredible.
And like everywhere you go in Florence,it's kind of like a north star.
Like you can look up, find theduomo and like orient yourself.
And it's just super, superimpressive and beautiful.
(21:16):
So the Duomo is a church, right?
For listeners who might not know.
Yeah, so the duomo in Florence, well,in Italy in general, they generally call
like the main church within a square.
the dmo that's justlike what they call it.
But in Florence specifically,it's like a domed church.
Like there's a dome on it.
Uh, It's not just like.
A cathedral,
(21:37):
but it's just really, really unique.
just like really impressive.
And you can actually climb tothe top of the dome and the top
of the bell tower in the church.
I actually recommend climbing tothe top of the bell tower so you
can see the dome instead of being ontop of it, for a unique perspective.
But that church, if you wannaget technical, is called
Santa Maria del Fre Cathedral.
(21:59):
And then, yeah.
And then I would sayMount Aetna in Sicily.
I personally, I think just have a thingfor hiking volcanoes randomly, but,
Mount Aetna is just really, really cool.
It's the most activevolcano in all of Europe.
And.
It's just like sick.
Like you, you go and you,you climb the volcano and the
(22:19):
entire place feels like alive.
You, it kind of feels like you'reon another planet, to be honest.
'cause the landscape is like, itchanges, it's like different colors.
There's like no trees or like,no, like plants really or anything.
It's just.
Really crazy.
And I, I think Sicily in generaljust gets overlooked, but Mount
Aetna is like super, super cool.
So if you're interested in hikingand anything like that, Mount Aetna
(22:42):
is definitely, a place to visit.
So that leads me into mynext one, which is Pompeii.
And the volcano that overlooksPompei and like the whole
Naples area is Mount Vesuvius.
And so that's the one that like erupteda covered Mount, or Pompeii and Ash.
And so yeah.
Pompeii is gonna be my last one.
Just there's like really likeno place like it, and it's a
(23:03):
lot bigger than people think.
I think like when I had first gonethere, I was thinking like, oh, it's
gonna be this like archeological site.
You walk around like fora few hours, you're done.
My friend and I spent all day thereand we didn't even see everything.
that is a place that I think gettinga, a guided tour of it's like worth it.
So yeah, Pompeii is justvery, . I don't know.
It makes you think a lot and it'sjust kind of crazy to see like
(23:25):
this whole entire ancient city,like absolutely frozen in time.
So that would be my last one.
Okay, so we've talked aboutall these different areas.
So how would you recommendsomeone gets around Italy?
Like what are the best waysto navigate the country?
I would say the best ways to get aroundItaly are probably just trains and flying.
They do have a pretty good train systemand so like you can get to so many
(23:46):
different places, just like . Via rail.
And yeah, that's a, a great way to go.
I would say the one thing, makesure you validate your ticket.
'cause that's a huge thing.
You need to do that.
Or, and then as far as flying goes,like if you're going, you know,
farther distances, obviously fromlike the north to the south or like
you're in Milan and you wanna go downto Sicily, like it obviously makes
(24:07):
more sense to like take a plane.
So I would just say
Like rely on those two and just kind ofcompare prices and like think about your
time, and what is actually like worth it.
But if you're staying in likeone area, you can for sure
just get around with trains.
'cause there are , you know, speed trainsand then like smaller commuter trains
that you can take to lesser known places.
(24:27):
So,
Yeah.
Yeah, and Nate and I kind of talkedabout this in our Europe episode about,
the budget airlines in all of Europe.
But especially like you said, ifyou're going from like the northern
part of the country to the south,it's so it can be as cheap as like
20 or 30 euros just to get there.
Yeah, it's, it's crazy.
so I think definitely,definitely recommend
Flying.
(24:48):
And then also, how do youfeel about renting a car?
Okay, so I have never personallyrented a car when I was in Italy,
but when I went one time with mymom, my mom rented a car and she.
I mean, she's brave, but like shedidn't seem to have a problem with it.
Also, like it was, like a manual.
So if you don't know how to drivea manual, that could be a problem.
(25:09):
There are, I think, a lot moreautomatics now that you can rent.
But like it's probably gonna be alittle bit more expensive to rent that.
I don't know.
I just think you probably needto be a pretty confident driver
if you're gonna go to Italy.
I know Betty, you got injured going,like when you were in the Amalfi coast.
And the roads were kind of crazy,but . Like if you're driving somewhere
(25:30):
chill and relaxed, you just wanna drivearound Tuscany, you're probably fine.
Like you can do it and runa car and you'll be fine.
But I think if you're like I on aroad trip, the entire country, top to
bottom, like I wanna do like the Alpsand then I also wanna do like the Amalfi
Coast, like just be a confident driver.
Also, I think if you're gonnadrive in Sicily, like . You should,
(25:51):
you should be a confident driver.
Just because , I think thingsare a little bit more chaotic,
generally in the south of Italy.
Yeah, I don't think driving in Italyis for the faint of heart at all.
Yeah, I think some of you know, that Ibroke my collarbone, but that was on a,
it was on a Vespa, so I rented a Vespain, we went from Naples to Sorento.
And then took it all over theAmalfi Coast, which as most people
(26:13):
know, has super, super windyroads right on the cliff side.
So.
You know, I was brave, a little toobrave and I was going a little too fast.
And, yeah, that renting a Vespais, you know, just make sure you're
extremely safe if you're gonna do that.
But that was a great way to get around.
It was super cheap.
I. And, you know, you can navigate thesetiny little areas 'cause you're just on
(26:34):
like a, a, an electric scooter basically.
So I recommend that to people.
If you're not an idiot like me,
for sure.
but my God, the drivers there, it's likeI, I can't believe so many of the blind
corners that we were going around, thesemotorcyclists would come and just like,
just no hesitation, go around these gianttour buses and somehow they were all\
(26:55):
Yeah,
definitely my, when my mom was driving,we were like driving through the Alps
and I remember like, I, I kind of lookedout the window and it's like, there's
some guardrails, but it's like dropoff, like as far as like down the cliff.
Yeah.
And I was just like, oh my God.
That's crazy.
Yeah.
If you're someone who has any kindof driving anxiety, let someone
(27:15):
else be behind the wheel probably.
Yeah.
For sure.
So obviously every country has itsdifferent etiquette and culture.
So what is some Italian etiquette thatvisitors should know before they go?
You should definitely like pack something,like if you're going in the summertime,
pack something to cover your shoulders andlike, just be mindful if you're going to
a lot of like churches and religious sitesthat you are going to need your shoulders
(27:38):
and like . Pretty much your knees covered.
So if you're walking around in likeshorts and a tank top, you will probably
be denied entry into like a church.
So that's just something to kind ofkeep in mind if you know you're going
to be doing those types of activities.
It's, yeah, obviously just respectfulto like cover up when you go
to a religious site like thatand there are so many in Italy.
Then the other thing I would say this hasto do with coffee culture, and I kind of
(28:00):
touched a little bit on this, before,but you know, you can do this by all
means, but . They'll know you're American.
So like for instance, a cappuccino,like so many people love them, they're
great, they're delicious, but if youdrink them like after like 11 o'clock
or noon, they'll definitely know you'ream an American because it's seen as
more of like a breakfast type drinkbecause it has so much milk in it.
So if you like, want a coffee in theafternoon and you're like, I'm gonna
(28:22):
go the Italian way, just get likean espresso or something like that.
Yeah, just kind ofsomething to keep in mind.
No one's gonna like, you know,harass you for it, but it's just
They'll be silently judging you
Yeah, , and then also just.
Kind of like being polite, wheneveryou're going into stores and just
kind of greeting people, just sayinglike a, like a bonjourno or like
(28:43):
a bueno, like that type of thing.
And you know, it's gonna vary a littlebit by region as to like what specific
word you should say at what time of day.
But just like a simple greeting is like.
It's courteous.
Whenever you enter a store, it's kindof rude if you don't say anything.
So yeah, I would say thoseare a couple of things.
And also just expect like theculture to generally be slower
than what it is in the us.
(29:03):
So like, you know, wheneveryou go out to dinner, it.
Like, take your time.
And they're expectingyou to take your time.
You will probably have to ask for thecheck whenever you're ready to go,
but things in Italy, just move slower.
And I think this is kind of like astereotype or like a, there's some
quote or phrase about this, but Iwould say the more south you get in
Italy, the slower things are, justlike, you know, more in the north.
(29:27):
There's a lot of cities and so thingsare maybe a tiny bit more fast paced
for like Italian standards, but.
The more south you go, likethings are just a little bit
more relaxed and even slower.
So just kind of something to keep in mind.
So on the note of language,when you said like, you know,
saying Bonjourno or, bueno.
What is the, what's thelanguage barrier like in Italy?
(29:48):
Do quite a few people speak English?
Yeah, I would say if you're inlike the big cities, for sure,
like you, you should be fine.
Most people, especially when you're atlike an attraction or a hotel or something
like that, something for tourists, peopleare gonna speak English and you really
shouldn't have that much trouble with it.
But at the same time.
You should learn a fewkeywords in Italian.
(30:09):
I think it's just like polite to do that.
And also like, you know,you are in their country.
So I just think like speaking alittle bit, like not expecting
people to always cater to you is justlike . Something to keep in mind.
But I think, you know, the more ruralyou go, and I, I'd say like a little
farther south you go, you're going toencounter like less English speakers.
(30:29):
Like a lot of people definitelydo speak English, but it's not
gonna be like as widespread as ifyou're like saying Rome or Milan.
so just picking up some keyphrases, it's important.
And as far as just like a languagebarrier, I, I think like there can be
a bit of a language barrier sometimes,if you don't speak any Italian or
like learning a bit of the language,intimidates you, you can definitely just
(30:50):
like use a translator app or, you know,like just have one on your phone, either
like the photo one on Google where youcan like scan things and it'll show you
the English translations or just like.
App so you can communicate with someonelike when you're ordering at a restaurant.
I think those are obviously just helpfultools to have, and can kind of help,
help you be a little less scared withthe language barrier that comes up.
(31:11):
So we're coming to the end of our episodenow, and I want to talk about safety
because I know that, some, some partsof Italy are definitely a little bit
crowded and, and crazy and, you know,some people might feel a little bit
intimidated about, about their safety.
So how would you characterizethat in the country?
Yeah.
So, I would say overall, like Italyis pretty safe, but kind of like
(31:32):
what I was saying with other thingsearlier, it does just kind of vary
by like region and north or south.
There is a bit of reality to that.
So I think as far as safety goes,the, I. The things that you should
kind of be on the lookout for.
The first being pickpocketing.
That is pretty common with tourists,especially in like really crowded places
where people like know that there aretourists, just . Have a secure bag.
(31:55):
Something that can be like very,like, attached to your person, whether
it's like a cross body bag or likea fanny pack, something like that.
And you know, keep a hand on yourbag and just keep it in front of
you, like where you could see it.
And just be mindful of yoursurroundings when you're in some,
when you are somewhere really crowded.
I personally have like never experiencedpickpocketing when I. Like being in
Italy, and the people that I've traveledwith, they've never been pickpocketed.
(32:17):
But again, I think it kind of boilsdown to like, just be mindful of
your surroundings, and keep aneye on your bag and or hand I. So
I would say that's the first thing.
Something else there is abit of panhandling in Italy.
Again, it depends where you are, but it'sjust kind of something to be mindful of.
And, you know, I don't wanna be, likeI wanna be sensitive to people, but
(32:38):
at the same time, like for your ownsafety, I think it is the smartest
thing to just kind of like not, notengage and just kind of keep it moving.
. And then for like women specifically,it is true that like there is like cat
calling in Italy and you know, like you'regonna get a lot more of that and it,
I don't know, just like more attentionlike from men is going to be a little
(32:59):
bit more like in your face than I think.
It would be in some other places.
So there's probably you know, somelike whistles or chow Bellas and like,
you know, just kind of cat calling.
So the best thing to do is again, notengage, just kind of keep it moving.
But you're, you should be fine aslong as you follow like normal safety
precautions that you would likepretty much anywhere else in Europe.
(33:19):
Good to know.
If you could wrap up every singlething that we've talked about in
the episode today, what is themain reason or reasons that you
think somebody should visit Italy?
I think the ultimate reason that peopleshould travel to Italy or consider
traveling to Italy, is just like, ifyou really want that like dreamy old
world European feel, and a place thathas a lot of character, I think Italy
(33:41):
is definitely the place for that.
And also, you know, thefood is so amazing and.
Yeah, just between like the food, the art,the nature, the people, like you're going
to have a really memorable time for sure.
And you know, when you're drinkinglike good wine and pasta and gelato
every day, it's hard not to be happy.
So yeah, maybe, uh, plan a trip to Italy.
(34:02):
Okay, I think that'sall we have for today.
Listeners, please make sure togo and check out Leah Roses,
Italy guides@travellemming.com.
She's actually created a parentarticle that includes links to
all of her related Italy content.
So we'll link that in the shownotes as well as the other
articles that we mentioned today.
But that one's super helpful.
She also has guides to Chicagoand Asheville and some wonderful
(34:23):
perspective pieces on the website.
So go read 'em after the episode.
Once again, those areon travel lemming.com.
Just type in Italy in the search bar andwhatever your Italy planning entails.
I bet you Leah Rose has writtena super helpful article for you.
If you enjoyed this episode, don't forgetto like and subscribe to our channel.
We have new episodes coming out,covering different travel topics
and destinations around the world.
(34:45):
You can also come and meet a memberof our team and talk travel at our
community meetups, which we host ineight major cities in and around the us.
And Leah Rose actually hosts theChicago Meetup so you can meet her.
And all the information for ourtravel meetups is on the website.
Thank you again to oursponsor to Tiga backpack.
So you guys rock.
Thank you Leah Rose, for sharingyour Italy expertise with the world.
(35:05):
You've been an absolute delight today.
Yeah.
Thank you so much for having me.
I love being able to talk aboutItaly, so I had a great time.
Listeners.
Thanks for tuning in.
We'll see you next time onthe Travel Lemming Podcast.
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