Italy Trip- General Overview, Logistics and Tips

I’ll use this first post to give an overview of our 10 night trip to Italy and some general tips. I will then follow up with a series of posts breaking down what we did in each region that we visited.

The main regions/cities we visited were:

• Rome
• Positano & the Amalfi Coast
• Florence & Tuscany
• Lake Como and Milan

Getting to Italy from Jamaica

We took the route Kingston-NYC-Rome-Milan-NYC- Kingston. We booked KIN-NYC and one return ticket (with JetBlue), and then NYC to Italy and back (American Airlines) as a separate ticket.

Where we stayed in Italy

This trip being a group trip, we decided to go the route of strictly hotels rather than the hotel/apartment hybrid option that we’ve taken on other trips. It really worked out for the best. Having hotel amenities such as 24 hour reception and concierge services proved to be really useful.

We booked some of these options directly with the hotels and some with  Booking.com which I find to be a very handy platform. I’ve used them often enough now that I receive a 10-15% discount on many properties. Another plus for Booking.com is that there are always options with free cancellation for reservations. So this gives you the option to secure a reservation, while having the flexibility to cancel your reservation and switch if a better option comes up without incurring a penalty. Huge plus! This worked out to our advantage during this trip, since we changed our Milan hotel in this way, as well as on our previous trip to Santorini . Also, during this time of the Covid-19 pandemic, several hotels offered free cancellation policies even through booking with them directly. Fortunately we didn’t have to utilize this option, however it definitely gave us peace of mind.

Rome

For the night we first arrived in Rome, we stayed at Otivm Hotel. It was a neat boutique hotel with a great location. We were walking distance from all the main sights (including Colosseum, The altar of the Fatherland, The Forum, Pantheon, Trevi Fountain etc), some of which you can actually see from the hotel’s rooftop terrace (see the Altar of the Fatherland in the pic below). Considering that we were only in Rome for one night, it was worth the premium to be right in the middle of the action.

Positano

In Positano we stayed at Hotel L’ Ancora. First of all, the location was excellent! Positano is set out hugging the hillside in terraces, and so your hotel choice can make the difference between Positano being pleasantly walkable vs taking hundreds of steps to get anywhere. We were smack dab in the middle of Positano with easy access all over. I’m also glad we didn’t stay on the beach; you don’t get the fabulous Positano view down there, plus it’s a trek uphill everytime to get back up to the main street. Our shuttle bus was able to drop us right at the doorstep of our hotel, as opposed to us having to struggle with all the luggage (as we saw others doing), or paying for a porter service to move our things around. Not to mention the view was truly superb-the classic Positano view of Pinterest dreams.

Florence

In Florence, we stayed at the Frame Hotel. It’s walking distance from the main train station, and also easy walking distance from Florence’s Duomo. We took the short cab ride from the station to our hotel since our group had quite a few bags. To be honest, this was my least favourite of the hotels we stayed at. It’s quaint, has a cool backstory (related to the Mona Lisa), however I didn’t love the layout of the rooms, especially the bathrooms. I can deal with a small room space in a boutique hotel, but the bathroom was really too cramped for my liking.

Bellagio

In Bellagio we stayed at the Hotel du Lac. This was another hotel where the location honestly could not have been better. We literally hopped off the ferry at the waterfront, crossed the street, and were in the lobby. Of all the hotels we stayed at, I would probably rank here as the best value. In fact, I think this may actually have been my favourite room overall.

Milan

In Milan we were based at the Corner Duomo Hotel. About 5 mins walk from the Duomo di Milano, arguably Milan’s major attraction. Maybe it was because it was towards the end of the trip and I was getting tired, but I feel like I got the best sleep in the bed here.

What we did in Italy

Our major activities/tours included, among other things:

• Main sights of Rome- Colosseum, Forum, Pantheon, Trevi Fountain etc
• Explore Positano
• Day trip to Amalfi and Ravello from Positano
• Boat excursion to Capri from Positano
• Road trip to villa Il Borgo di Vescine in Tuscany for cooking class/ lunch, as well as a visit to San Gimignano- from Florence.
• Explore Florence
• Boat cruise on Lake Como from Bellagio
• Explore Bellagio
• Explore Milan
• Day trip to Venice from Milan

Getting around in Italy

• We booked transfers to and from the airports in advance.
  • Fiumicino Airport Shuttle from the airport to our hotel in the city centre
  • Sorrento Limo for Rome-Positano and Positano-Naples. This one was a little pricey, but since it was a group was economical for us. You should be able to find other options for smaller parties if need be.
  • Milan airport transfers from our hotel to the airport in Milan.
• Our locations in each city being central, we were able to walk to and from most major sights with the occasional short cab ride to the train stations.
• We booked a direct transfer form Rome to Positano instead of taking multiple trains and a bus. We also did a transfer from Positano to Naples to catch our train to Florence.
• We took no internal flights, but instead utilised Italy’s rail sytstem, for which we booked the tickets in advance.
  • Train from Naples to Florence on our way up from Positano.
  • Train from Florence to Milan and on to Varenna to get to Lake Como.
  • Train to and from Venice from Milan.
• The most complicated transfer was Bellagio. We took a high speed train from Florence to Milan, and then a local train to Varenna. From there we had to take the ferry over to Bellagio.
• We chartered our own boat tour for Capri. It was more expensive than the ferry, but worked out to be about the same per person as other group boat tours that we saw on offer. This option offered the added the benefit of exclusivity.
• We rented two vehicles and drove ourselves for our Tuscany day trip.

Food in Italy

We had several memorable food experiences on this. trip. We found that asking our hotel concierge for restaurant reccommendations was a good idea. For us, the suggestions were really on point for the most part. We had experiences ranging from Michelin star, to delicious street food from simple shops. We probably ate our weight in pastas, pizzas, gelato and more!

Overview of notable restaurants we dined at:

Rome

• Taverna Trilussa– an amazing note on which to start the trip. 10/10 would recommend! Definitely make a reservation if you want to dine here. We barely got in, and that was by sheer luck.

Positano

• Aldo’s at Le Sirenuse– To be honest. I was not impressed. The weather was bad that evening, so we actually ended up seated in the main restaurant area (La Sponda), but with the Aldo’s menu. The setting is really quite fabulous, however the meals fell below expectations. I’d recommend going for cocktails with a fab view rather than a dining experience.
• Restaurant Al Palazzo – My first Michelin star restaurant. Well worth a visit with lovely ambience and service.

Florence/Tuscany

• il Borgo di Vescine – So picturesque. We booked an experience here which included cooking classes for some of our party and lunch! We also had wine and olive oil produced on the property alongside lunch.

Bellagio

• La Punta– Well worth the short trek to the location. Lovely setting with great views of the lake. I would recommend the Penne chef style specifically (and I never usually order penne while out).
• Ristorante Bilacus– Great location in the heart of Bellagio. This was where we had Stef’s birthday dinner. Couldn’t have asked for more really. Excellent food and service from start to finish.
• Ristorante Suisse– a hop, skip and a jump from our hotel. I enjoyed the meal here.

Milan

This was the one place where the hotel recommendation failed us. I won’t even name the restaurant here, it was just that bad. Ironically when we checked the reviews after the poor experience we had, they were for the most part quite glowing. Maybe the chef was having a bad night or something, but it was not good (for any of us) at all.

What to pack /packing tips

• Always remember your sunscreen!
• Remember to have some back up outfit options/layers in case the expected weather switches up on you. At the very least, a light jacket and some sort of throw/scarf are a must. I packed mainly springtime/summer clothes so I would have been miserable without the extra layers at some points of the trip.
• Be sure to have at least one universal adapter.
• Packing cubes are your friend! I don’t even do a weekend trip without these now.
• I’ve just discovered hat clips. This makes travelling with (and not crushing up or deforming) a hat so convenient.
• In the lead up to this trip I also discovered perfume atomisers. So I was able to travel with multiple scents without the inconvenience of multiple perfume bottles. Also I could easily pack them in my carry-on since I didn’t have to worry about the 3oz limit.
• You will need a power bank for those long days away from your charger.
• If you’re like me who loves/needs her shades, and must have several while on a trip, then you have to get one of these sunglasses organisers.

General Tips

• Shoulder season is usually such a good time to travel. However I must say that people were out and about in their numbers; the city centres were FULL. I honestly can’t imagine what peak season in the summer will look like.
• Staying in a central location in each city/town will definitely help cut down on transportation costs.

Stay tuned for the next post describing our time in Rome, Positano and the Amalfi Coast!