fbpx
Itineraries, Planning, Podcast episodes

Episode #154: Listener Q&A – Tips for Planning Your 2023 Trip to Italy

Posted on by Untold Italy

This article may contain compensated links. See our full disclosure here

Listen to “Listener Q&A – Tips for Planning Your 2023 Trip to Italy” on Spreaker.

LISTEN ON APPLE LISTEN ON STITCHER LISTEN ON SPOTIFY

In this episode, we look ahead at travel planning to Italy in 2023. We share a live Q&A session from our Italy Travel Planning Facebook community, where Katy is joined by Italy expert Danielle Oteri from Feast Travel to help answer a whole range of questions about Italy travel in 2023.

Show notes
Our expert itinerary advisor, Danielle Oteri, is an art historian and is the founder of Feast Travel running tours and offering expert advice. She has a wealth of knowledge and expertise helping visitors enjoy their time in Southern Italy but also Italy in general. She has a deep knowledge and even deeper passion for Italy and joins Untold Italy founder Katy Clarke to answer questions and give tips and tricks about travel to Italy.

What you’ll learn in this episode

  1. Even if like Katy and Danielle, you have been traveling to Italy for years and years – you will never see everything. They haven’t yet been to every region, they haven’t delved as deep into all the main sites as they could. You could spend an entire lifetime trying to see all of Italy, and it would be impossible. It’s tough – but you have to let go of the fact that you can’t see and do everything on any trip, especially your first
  2. Each region of Italy is so different, has a different history, and has a different cuisine and the beauty of all of this variety is that there’s something for everybody. You should really try to avoid FOMO (fear of missing out). When planning a trip, try not to think ‘I have to see this or that’, but focus on what kind of a traveler are and what is meaningful to you
  3. So many of the best sites and experiences can be found beyond the most famous cities. It can be truly exciting to feel like you are in a place that is undiscovered, meet wonderful, hospitable locals and eat some of the best food that you’ll ever have in your life
  4. Taking the stress out of getting around reduces some of those friction points, especially if you’re traveling with kids or a group of people.  This is partly why we advise people not to be moving around every two or three days. It’s not just the time on the train, it’s a whole list of steps you go through:
    “I’ve got to get to the train station from my accommodation
    Oh, I’m really hungry, I’ve got to eat something at the train station.
    I’ve got to find the platform, work out how to validate my ticket, and get on the train.
    I’ve made it to the other end, now I’ve got to get a taxi.”
    It can all be such a labored experience, and when you build up all of these little friction points, it’s an opportunity to get frustrated and you can start to feel burnt out and tired
  5. The Emilia Romania region in Northern Italy is a prime example of somewhere that is off so many people’s radar but offers some of the most incredible food experiences you can have in Italy or in fact the rest of the world. That aside, if you want to explore a region by car, especially if it’s your first time driving in Italy, it is certainly much easier than many other regions which have steep mountains and difficult roads. It is fairly flat and the highways are straightforward
  6. Don’t worry about what you’re going to see – think about what you want to experience.  That’s how you’re going to plan the best itinerary for you. That’s how you avoid FOMO as well – if you hone in on having a valuable experience
  7. Katy loves going to the Colosseum, finds it fascinating, and goes back often when she’s in Rome, but she doesn’t have the emotional moments that she has with other experiences she’ll have around Italy. It’s always interesting but less emotionally memorable
  8. Part of the reason that so many people head to the same places (and Italy is having an over-tourism crisis in some places) is that there’s not a wonderful abundance of good information about places beyond the most famous sites available in English. The travel industry is built on the infrastructure of commissions and where you have hotels that pay nice commissions to travel agents, tour companies and planners – you have too much tourism
  9. Most people don’t have time to do a ton of research or don’t know where to look. You might think ‘I’m not that into history but I like to eat – Florence, Venice or Rome would do the job. But actually, although of course, you can get good food in those cities, you’re in Italy after all, but if you are a foodie tourist, we’d suggest you go to Emilia Romania, or to parts of Sicily
  10. Dig deep inside yourself and find what it is that you really want to experience. What you see on Instagram or in a photo is not the experience. That’s a snapshot in time and if you think about those photographs, they are often taken with a drone and the physical perspective of the drone is creating an illusion of being far away and distant – whilst the reality is you’d likely be in a crowded space, up close and personal with a lot of people, elbowing you in the eye as they try to get their photo
  11. Places that so many dreams of visiting in Italy are Positano and Cinque Terre, but they are really small places. Both Katy and Danielle are currently advising people not to go to them at all in peak season. Those offering services there are so overburdened that it’s difficult to rely on people that you know could normally deliver because the crowds prevent even the best-intentioned people from delivering on what they’ve promised. They are cutting out any visits/tours unless going in the off-season.
  12. In high season, if you have $2,000 a night in your budget, then go to Positano and stay in a beautiful resort. It is a resort town so if you’ve got that in your budget, the service and the amenities of the top hotels are amazing. But in high season, $2,000 a night is what you would be paying. You don’t need $2,000 a night to stay in Positano, but if you want to have a more relaxed experience there, that is what you’d need to do. You could stay in a smaller hotel or apartment for a night or two, take some photos and rush around in the crowds – so go for it if you must but it won’t be cheap, and that money could be better spent on a much more luxurious experience elsewhere. The $30 you’d likely pay for an Aperol Spritz will buy you a fantastic meal elsewhere – even just a few towns away

Don’t rely on Google or Rome to Rio

You can’t find many things on Google about Italy because the best stuff is simply just not on Google. They are not very good/do not concentrate their efforts on ranking on Google in English or even allowing you to book online. It can be frustrating but actually, that’s part of the charm. It’s hard to explain to people that are used to Googling everything that these businesses don’t know how to or don’t consider trying to rank on Google. It’s actually very difficult and a lot of effort to make a very high-ranking site on Google – there are a lot of technical things that go into it. A lot of the main articles that the Untold Italy articles rank against are written by Bots so it’s difficult for small businesses to compete. If you’re really interested in getting to really special, unique places, then you ideally need to get in contact with people that know Italy well

The Rome to Rio website is very similar to Google Maps – it’s based on an algorithm, and the reason why it doesn’t work so well in Italy is that a lot of the bus and ferry timetables are not published online. They publish them in PDF format (often later than promised) and that info isn’t picked up into the algorithms. No one can work out Italian bureaucracy, let alone a computer.

It can be really hard to work out sometimes how to get around. On our website, we’ve got some new articles on how to get to various places for this reason and will add more. 

Do not undervalue the value of studying the map. A map is an important tool in your trip planning. Look out for road types, freeways will get you there so much quicker whereas country roads, even if they are straight and you don’t get stuck behind a tractor – mean a slower drive.  Look to where there might be mountains you need to cross and keep in mind when booking accommodation that something that looks a short distance might be up an incredibly steep hill or even a cliff. 

When is it considered to be high season and low season?

High and low seasons have changed. Last year’s high season lasted from May to October.  In mid-April, you’re in the shoulder leading up to the high season, though in April you do get Easter, so a lot of people have a break and many schools in Europe are shut. There’s also a lot of religious tourism going to places like Rome. You could go so far as to say mid-April to mid-October is peak time. Danielle had a lot of clients who did trips in late October and early November, and they had the best experiences.

Is it easy in the Amalfi Coast to wing it on the cheap?

Basically, no! It’s possibly the worst place in Italy to try to wing anything – possibly in the world.

Firstly it’s not that easy to get around. The ferries get packed so you have to be at the ferry quite a way in advance to get on. Buses are packed too. Roads are busy and there are now restrictions on people entering the area in peak times. Drivers are a great option but are costly. It’s not an easy place to go around, eat or stay on the cheap. If you’re going to the Amalfi Coast, you have to plan ahead and expect to live large.

Try Ischia instead!

Danielle believes that the island of Ischia, off the Gulf of Naples, is a million times better than anything on the Amalfi Coast. It is a fraction of the price to start with. She spent a week there in September and found tourist-wise, it’s for normal people as opposed to Capri. As gorgeous as Capri is – there’s no denying it’s one of the most geographically beautiful places in the world, but the rich and famous turn up in their yachts and the other tourists are kind of pressing their noses up against the window to wealth, shopping and excess. Ischia is for middle-class Italian, European families, and you can wing it there but easily.

You can go anywhere and find an affordable, delicious dinner. You can go to the different beaches, you can go to thermal parks – the landscape is beautiful. As with lots of great destinations, there’s less info available online about Ischia, but it’s worth putting the extra effort in.  You can also do the Amalfi Coast as a day trip by ferry, so maybe put in your budget to have a day trip and splash out for an amazing lunch at a hotel in Positano – dress up, feel the glamour and enjoy the luxury.

There are lots of other better-value and easier-to-wing alternatives to the Amalfi Coast. 

Where to go in Calabria?

Danielle recommends Pizzo for a lovely beach area town to recommend for family travel. It’s close to Tropea which is gorgeous, but that does get very busy, primarily with Italian tourists – though still much more affordable than the Amalfi Coast, and has beautiful Caribbean-style water. Pizzo is very close by and is even better value and there’s a good amount of apartment rentals available there. It has wonderful people, amazing food, and is definitely off the proverbial beaten pack.

What is a good base on the Ligurian Coast for a few days – to visit Portofino and Cinque Terre?

Camogli or Levanto are both good choices. Camogli is a gem that both Danielle and Katy love. It has a retro kind of charm and it’s on the train line so is super convenient.

Liguria is great for getting around by train. Katy doesn’t recommend driving (Katy still has the grey hairs from her recent experience there). they stayed in Levanto in July this year and it was full of European tourists but generally had a slower pace. They would get on the train in the morning to go to the Cinque Terre before all the cruise ships came in, and then were out of there by 10 am. At that point, you start to see the swarm of people coming, which makes you grateful to be on the way out. They got to enjoy Cinque Terre before the crowds then went back to Levanto, hung around, ate wonderfully, went to the beach, and even did a sunset cruise.

Genoa is a great city too. A port city so similar to Naples – there’s a lot of graffiti, which can put off some tourists, from certain parts of the USA for instance, but it does not signify danger and is common all over many European cities. Genoa has some amazing food and some fantastic B&B’s to stay in. It has an interesting history, some spectacular architecture and incredible food.

Katy really likes Santa Margherita, where they also stayed this year. It’s a really nice port town and you can walk to Portofino from there. It’s got an amazing food shop there called Seghezzo, which Katy adores.

Learn more about Ligurian with local and food writer Enrica Manzoni in Beyond the Cinque Terre – Exploring Liguria and Delicious products to try in Liguria

I hear that can get really hot in Rome and Venice – we’re going from May 28th to June 4th, will it be super hot?

This year it was hot from mid-May to mid-October. Around 30 degrees Celsius plus – in the 90s and low 100s in Fahrenheit. If you ask any of the winemakers, they will tell you that they’re bringing in the wine earlier every season. So the trend in Europe has steadily been to be hot but at the same time, like with the rest of the world, you can never predict the weather exactly – so it’s best to be prepared for all eventualities.  

When you’re sitting at home planning, you might register that it’s going to be hot and think you’ll just deal with it, but it’s difficult to appreciate how much it can affect you and your plans. 

Do keep in mind that several factors from around the world have meant the cost of electricity has gotten incredibly high. Heating/cooling prices have doubled in the last year. A lot of the providers have been restricting air conditioning use, so you may find you cannot run your heating/cooling as you might wish.

Danielle has been getting calls from some of the guides that she works with saying somebody almost passed out or somebody else in the line passed out in front of them and had to get an ambulance and so they missed their entry. It can get dangerously hot, so don’t push yourself. It’s better to be overly cautious. It’s easy to think you’ll be ok and Danielle is guilty of this herself but when it’s 104 degrees and there’s no shade for 3 hours, it can bring a heap of problems.

Katy was happy with the way she planned their trip in June because they split everything up – some time in the cities, but also a lot of time in the countryside with properties that had pools. They would do the activities in the morning and then come back, have pool time in the afternoon, then in the evenings go to a little town close by and have our dinner. 

Try and consider breaking up the day, especially if you’re traveling with children as the level of complaining can get quite high and with anyone with health issues or is. a bit older, energy levels and stamina can differ. In Rome, at the Colosseum, Katy witnessed a teenager pass out so it can get you regardless of age. 

And if it gets too much and you have to sit in a piazza eating gelato for 2 hours that you hadn’t planned – that’s not the worst thing in the world!

What’s the main form of transportation to see the sites in Rome and Venice?

The best way to get around is on foot. We always suggest people stay as central as possible because then you don’t have to rely on anything but your feet.

In Rome, we’re not keen on the subway, it’s hot, can get busy and pickpockets can be an issue. The buses are slow, get crowded, and can be confusing around ticket types and validation. We think just stick with walking where you can and then when you get tired, you can grab a taxi in Rome, and there’s an app called FreeNow, (a bit like Uber) that’s really easy to use. 

In Venice, Katy doesn’t use the Vaporetto (water bus) a lot but generally prefers to walk everywhere which is easy as Venice is quite a small city. The Vaporetto is pretty expensive and can get busy, but you do need it to get to the outer islands. It can be nice to stay on the outer islands and travel in. There are many treasures in the outer islands and lagoon that are often overlooked. There are even flamingos in the outer lagoon. An amazing thing you can do is to tour there in an electric boat – which is super quiet so doesn’t disturb the wildlife and you even have the mountains in the background. Heading out into these quieter areas is a lovely, peaceful break after being in the thrust of the touristic center of Venice. 

Listen to our episode with Corinna Cooke who has written a book on Venice, for tips on avoiding the crowds and some of the off-the-beaten-track things to see Why you need to spend at least 3 days in Venice and read our guide to Hidden gems in Venice.

When will train schedules be dropped from Rome to Venice?

They usually update in December and June, but if you’re traveling between the big cities, Milan, Venice, Florence, Rome, Naples, and Salerno – the Frecciarossa, the fast train, runs pretty roughly every 40 minutes, so you can just count on there being a train at least every hour, if not every half an hour. 

Read our guide to Train travel in Italy.

What can you tell me about the Adriatic seaside, like San Salvo?

Neither Katy nor Danielle knew of San Salvo specifically (which turns out to be in the Abruzzo region of Italy) but Danielle thinks that the Adriatic sea has some of the best least-known places, La Marche, for instance, has a beautiful coast, with Ascoli Piceno having what she thinks might be the most beautiful piazza in all of Italy. Abruzzo also has a stunning coastline with lots of great fishing villages and then Puglia, at the bottom, is full of charm and great if you want to go biking or walking as the terrain is very easy and flat.

Learn more about the Le Marche region in our episode Visit Italy’s Le Marche region and Abruzzo also with an amazing coastline in Amazing Abruzzo – from coast to mountain peaks.

Should you always have Euros on hand to pay for the tax for hotel and Airbnb stays?

Apartments and Airbnb people usually prefer cash, but most hotels should take cards. It’s best to ask ahead of time. 

Apartment rental warning!

For apartment rentals, because of the soaring energy costs, a lot of people, in order to rank in the search algorithms, might be listing the apartment at $100 a night but then when you look at the details, that doesn’t include the energy costs. Many have then added in meters for things like air conditioning. So be careful and read the details – because if you blast the AC, with the high energy costs, it could cost you a lot. Make sure that you really read every bit of information when you’re booking an apartment. Sometimes things seem cheap, but there are hidden costs inside.

Don’t get the wrong impression, they are not trying to scam anyone

This practice is not people trying to rip you off. They’re just trying to work with the algorithms and attract people into their properties, but also pay their bills. Don’t take offense – it’s just the economic reality there right now. It’s a different culture and things sometimes work differently from what you’re used to.

The government can control power usage as well. In many apartment buildings, the government controls when the heating and cooling are able to be turned on, and it varies by region. This year, a lot of the regions were delayed until 1st November to putting their heating on. If you’re not used to that, it can be a bit of a shock. 

Where can I go for Itinerary planning help for Sicily next year?

You can get in touch with Danielle for help and also take a look at Karen La Rosa’s website larosaworks.com because Karen specializes in Sicily and offers itinerary consultation. At Untold Italy, we work with Karen for our Untold Italy Sicily tours. Karen knows Sicily inside out and would definitely encourage you to discover some lesser-known places. Everyone now wants to go to Taormina and Giardini Naxos because of the popular TV show White Lotus, but all of Sicily is amazing and there’s so much to see there.

See our article, written by Karen, about the Best places to visit in Sicily.

Do you know if there will be any direct flights to Italy from San Francisco in 2023?

We don’t know the answer to this right now. Danielle does advise, however, that the best flight options from the US are JFK, New York to Rome. The two major international airports in Italy are Milan and Rome. The best deal and the least chance of losing your luggage is if you fly direct to Milan or Rome, and then plan your trip out from there. Venice and Florence airports are both pretty small and don’t have many long-haul flights coming in and don’t have a lot of flexibility. Naples is an exception as it’s a small airport but is well connected. There is a direct flight from Newark Airport to Naples. In terms of reliability, JFK to Rome is the best flight.

if you’re coming from Katy’s part of the world, down under in Australia/New Zealand, again Milan and Rome are the main options. Katy usually flies Emirates because it’s the fastest – you go straight into Dubai, then on to Rome or Milan, and it’s 22 hours versus 26 on other routes. 

If you do fly into Milan, take the opportunity to stay at least a night there as it is a great place to visit. Check out our guide Milan guide.

Beware of the new tolls if arriving in Milan and picking up a car

A hot tip for everyone who’s flying into Milan and picking up a car is that there’s a new toll road. system there. Katy discovered this by chance when they were driving across to Lake Garda from Milan Berlusconi Airport (formerly Malpensa Airport). It picks up on the care license plate, so you wouldn’t know – they happened to notice the signs in Italian and worked out how to pay online. So ask your car rental company about any tolls that require some registration and do it ahead of time.

Any tips for the 8-hour (or 22-hour) flights that you have learned over time?

It’s a personal choice, but some people use medication. The main thing is to try to relax. Prepare with movies and books to fill your time. It’s possibly the idea of it that seems worse than the reality. Katy who does closer to 24 hours finds 8 hours goes quickly – you just have to not think about it. Make yourself as comfortable as possible – wear breathable materials, and have a shawl or something to keep you warm, because planes can get chilly. Get comfy, find something to distract you, try to relax, and don’t clock-watch. 

Is there somewhere I can go to view hotels you recommend for Rome, Venice, and Florence?

We have a variety of articles on each of those cities:

Rome

Florence

Venice:

These contain many of our choices, but if you want some personal recommendations from Danielle, book a session with her at Feast Travel and she will be able to tell you something to suit you/your family more – something personal to you.

If I’m going to be in Bellagio for a week, is it worth venturing to the Lake Garda area (we will have a car)?

A resounding yes!! It’s one of Katy’s favorite places in Italy. In the summer months, it does get very busy, mostly attracting non-English speaking tourists from the rest of Europe. It gives it a different vibe and the area around Lake Garda is lovely – there are some beautiful wineries, and there’s a beautiful island town called Sirmione, which has a castle and a moat. There are ancient Roman ruins of a villa and you can swim in the lake which is quite warm because it’s has thermal waters. You can get the cable-car up to Monte Baldo from Malcesine. 

Sirmione on Lake Garda is one of our 21 Most romantic places in Italy.

Danielle’s three-minute breakdown of Italy for when you’re starting to plan a trip

Danielle has been sharing this with her private clients who are just overwhelmed with all the options and don’t know how to figure out how and where to focus on for their trip.

She says to think of Italy as three separate trips – there’s the northern part, central Italy, and then southern Italy. 

North

Danielle has a lot of clients who are coming from Florida, Texas, or places where it’s hot all the time and they often find the idea of Northern Italy more appealing as it’s such a difference. A trip there might include hiking in the Dolomites, some time in Emilia Romagna for people who love food and wine, spending some time in Milan (that’s what we call authentic Italy!) Torino/Turin is a beautiful city that has an almos French feel. It’s great for wanderers and photographers and for people who want to eat or drink a lot of chocolate. Venice really is a northern European city in feel and as well as being a great destination in itself, you have that proximity and good transport to those other northern gems. 

Central

For people who are interested in history, for those that have the major sites on their bucket list, for the idyllic countryside – then you’re going to want central Italy to be the focus of your trip. Rome and Florence are always worth a few days, of course, and can be used as bases to take day trips from. Some seem to think of Tuscany as almost just a couple of towns with sunflowers and olive trees in bloom all the time – it’s actually a huge region. If you want to go to Tuscany, you’re going to need to pick where you want to focus on and plan to drive. You then have the more off-the-beaten-path treasures in central Italy of Umbria, Abruzzo, and Le Marche which are not only better value but way less busy. 

South

If the Mediterranean life appeal to you then you have to head south. If you are a traveler who’s looking to connect with people, the south is where you’re going to find the nicest, friendliest people. It’s also where you may find food that is the most familiar – Naples is the birthplace of pizza and so much of the Italian food you’ll find in the Americas and Australia comes from Campania and Sicily. This is also where you’re going to find the best beaches and things will be the most laid back. People are going to speak the least English here, but probably be the most eager to communicate with you. 

When planning a trip it can make sense to focus on one of these 3 – depending on the time you have. See our Best itineraries to copy for some itineraries ideas, and for help with every stage of the planning process our Italy travel planning guide. 

Mix and match your travel to open up possibilities

Italy is one of those countries that people usually go back to. Not many people end up saying they never want to go back to Italy again.

People generally want to go back and explore more and there’s a huge diversity of things you can do. A lot of the people in our Facebook group and our podcast listeners are fiercely independent travelers – like Katy has always been, since starting to travel in her mid-teens, but one thing that she has found, especially over the last few years, is that there are some experiences that you’re going to find difficult to have if you don’t speak Italian, you’re not driving and you’re missing some local knowledge. This is one of the reasons why she launched the Untold Italy small group tours in Italy, and for the same reason Danielle offers her tours in Southern Italy too – the reality is local connections do help make your life so much easier. 

You don’t need to go on a full-blown tour with a person holding a flag but you can go on a small group tour, with Italian-speaking guides taking you straight to the action and really immerse yourself in the local culture. You can really connect with the locals and get to taste the real local food.  Even if you do have your own car, you may struggle to find somewhere or not realize that it’s closing times or even how to get into a property – which can get stressful, and sometimes you can have a fruitless trip. If you do get there you may not know how best to communicate and end up a little confused, tired, and not having that special experience or tasty treat.

Consider mixing and matching the different options of how you can see Italy.  You can do some independent stuff and you can join some tours –  all on your own terms. There are so many different offerings out there in the marketplace. Katy is trying to find a really good company to work with that does cycling and walking tours because a lot of people want to combine their love of walking or cycling with a trip to Italy. Others, however, rather than an active trip, are more into history, culture, food, and wine so will want a different style of trips and tours.

Chase your dreams, chase the experiences you want to have – and then you’ll find the Italy that you’re looking for.

Balance!

Less is more. Sometimes Danielle talks to clients sometimes who are almost hyperventilating – “I have to go here, and then I have to go there, and then if I do go here, I shouldn’t miss out going over the border to here“. If you find yourself in a place where your brain feels like it might explode, you’re trying to do too much. Just stop right there and think back to what you want to experience but also think about the people that you’re traveling with. If you’re traveling with somebody who gets cranky if they don’t eat on time, you got to factor that into our logistics. 

Try to relax and not worry so much. You’re going to Italy – you’re going to have an amazing experience!! You’re not going to miss out on something. Danielle’s been going to Italy since she was 18, she’s Italian, has family there, and has lived there but her list gets longer every time she goes but she doesn’t rush around on her trips to try to see them all. Balancing your time and allowing time to just be will make any trip to Italy.

Get in touch with Danielle for some fabulous itinerary planning help

To get in touch with Danielle and check out the services she has on offer, go to Feast Travel. She’s going to be adding a bunch of new fun day tours with some of her favorite tour guides – the people that we send our private clients out with. On the consultation page, she has three tiers of service and they go deep on the consultations. It works whether you are just at the beginning with not much (or too much) of an idea of what you want or you are a super geek planner who really enjoys collecting the details and ideas – she’s ready to work with you and have some fun with filling out the details.

About our guest – Danielle Oteri from Feast Travel

danielle oteri feast on history

 

Danielle Oteri is a writer, art historian, and founder of Feast Travel (formerly known as Feast on History) a food, wine and art school specializing in Southern Italy. She is passionate about the city of Naples and surrounds and knows it inside out – including where to get the best sfogliatella and life-changing pizza. After visiting her grandmother’s town on the Cilento Coast she was inspired to celebrate her family’s homeland and help others do the same.

Danielle offers services for both itinerary consulting, itinerary design, as well as Feast Travel’s own group tours. She publishes fantastic information on the many treasures of Southern Italy to help people can reach and learn more about them, especially as information available in English is hard to come by for many of these places. 

If you’re visiting New York City you can also join Danielle’s company Arthur Avenue Food Tours on a delicious walk through Little Italy.

You can find Danielle on these channels:

Places mentioned in the show

  • Emilia-Romagna – region in Northern Italy where much of the best produce in Italy comes from. Read more on this food region in our  Emilia Romagna guide
  • Ischia –  volcanic island in the Tyrrhenian Sea
  • Pizzo – a seaport in the province of Vibo Valentia, Calabria
  • Tropea – Calabrian seaside resort with sandy beaches, located on Italy’s west coast, on the Gulf of Saint Euphemia – beautiful old town – a Borghi più belli d’italia 
  • Camogli – fishing village on the west of the peninsula of Portofino, on the Golfo Paradiso in Liguria
  • Levanto – famous seaside resort along the Italian Riviera
  • Genoa (Genova in Italian) – the capital city of Liguria
  • Santa Margherita – port town famous for red prawns
  • Seghezzo  – food heaven store in Santa Margherita
  • Ascoli Piceno – beautiful town in Le Marche with a beautiful piazza
  • Taormina – a town on the east coast that has been a tourist destination since the 19th century
  • Giardini Naxos – resort town situated just south of Taormina
  • Sirmione – island in Lake Garda
  • Selva Capuzza – winery and restaurant in Lake Garda area
  • Monte Baldo – the mountain for amazing hikes up from Lake Garda
  • Malcesine – town on Lake Garda where you can hike, see historic sights and have access to both skiing and beaches

Resources

  • White Lotus – comedy-drama series set in a tropical resort – it follows the exploits of various guests and employees over the span of a week
  • The Odyssey – epic poem written by Homer
  • Salt, Fact, Acid, Heat – Netflix food series exploring the essence of cooking and the vital ingredients at the heart of a great dish
  • FreeNow – a handy taxi app that works like Uber to book, track and pay for taxis when in Rome

Resources from Untold Italy

Planning a trip to Italy?

We love travel in Italy and sharing our knowledge. Read our popular Italy trip planning guide or join our FREE Italy Travel Planning Community. Our 140,000+ members are happy to answer questions about your itinerary, how to get from place to place, the best places to stay and fun things to do.

Sign up for our news and podcast updates where we share mini guides, tips, exclusive deals and more and we'll send you our Italy Trip Planning Checklist to say grazie! >> click here to subscribe

Transcript

Prefer to read along as you listen? You can download a PDF version of the full transcript of this episode.

Disclosure: Untold Italy assists our readers with carefully chosen product and services recommendations that help make travel easier and more fun. If you click through and make a purchase on many of these items we may earn a commission. All opinions are our own – please visit our disclosure page for more information.

Please share if you found this article useful