Listen to “234. Savor Italy: Important Tips for Mindful Travel” on Spreaker.
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Traveling to Italy offers a chance to immerse yourself in its rich history, vibrant culture, and stunning landscapes. However, to make your trip more enriching and sustainable, consider small adjustments that enhance your experience while respecting the local environment and communities. By valuing the places you visit, exploring lesser-known attractions, supporting local businesses, and making mindful decisions, you can enjoy a more authentic and positive impact on your travels. Embrace these tips to ensure that your Italian adventure is not only memorable but also sustainable.
Summary
We welcome back Corinna Cooke who runs small group tours in Italy and is the author of best selling book series Glam Italia! How to Travel Italy. In her guides, Corinna approaches travel differently – showing you the places that you probably don’t know inside of the big famous cities. We discuss how to really enjoy your travels to Italy, but not be part of the ever-growing problem of over-tourism. Many of us are keen to be more responsible and sustainable travelers but don’t always know where to start. The good news is that a lot of little choices you make can have a big impact, with the bonus of likely improving your experiences too.
What you’ll learn in this episode
- Making small adjustments can make a big difference – to sustainability as well as to your experiences
- Value your destination – appreciate and respect where you’re visiting, which includes reducing your waste
- Explore beyond the major sights in cities like Rome, Florence, and Venice and also consider visiting less touristy places like Le Marche, Abruzzo, and the Tuscan coasts for affordability and much less international tourism
- Spend wisely – your spending impacts the local economy. Make mindful decisions about where you shop and what you buy and eating where the locals eat will mean supporting local businesses as well as better food at lower prices
- Re-consider large group tours. Explore small group tour options or travel independently to avoid feeding the mass tourism model
Timeline Overview
- 03:38 European cities overwhelmed by tourists, sustainable travel increasing
- 09:25 Seek out personalized experiences beyond the tourist hotspots
- 24:38 Support local artisans for a positive impact
- 27:00 Eat where locals eat and support their economy
- 42:34 Visit hidden, less crowded destinations
About our guest – Corinna Cooke
Author Corinna Cooke is a favorite guest on Untold Italy. Originally from New Zealand, she fell in love with Italy thanks to a high school art history teacher who introduced her to Italian Renaissance art. After moving to London and traveling throughout Europe, she couldn’t stop returning to her beloved Italy.
Now living in Phoenix in the United States, Corinna is a woman of many skills. She leads several Glam Italia small group tours to Italy each year and writes guidebooks of the same name exploring her favorite corners of beautiful Italia. And her “day job” is as a make-up artist. But, her heart is always called to Italy. 101 Fabulous Things to do in Venice is her latest book full of fascinating stories, tips, and tricks on how to have a fabulous time in Venice.
Follow Corinna here
Corinna’s books
Italian places, foods and concepts mentioned
Places
- Palazzo Massimo – former palace now containing a museum of classical art
- Baths of Diocletian – public baths in ancient Rome, built between 298 CE and 306 CE and named after emperor Diocletian
- Baths of Caracalla – Rome’s second largest Roman public baths first built in the early AD 200s and operated until the 530s
- Palazzo Altemps – 15th-century former palace now an art gallery with Renaissance artworks
- Uffizi Gallery – world-renowned gallery home to Botticelli’s “Birth of Venus”, statues by Michelangelo and more
- Modena – city in Emilia Romagna region home to Italian car manufacturers Lamborghini, Ferrari and Pagani
- Le Marche – lesser visited region of Italy bordered by Emilia-Romagna and the republic of San Marino to the north, Tuscany and Umbria to the west, as well as Lazio and Abruzzo to the south, with the Adriatic Sea to the east
- Abruzzo – region east of Rome, with mountains as well as the Trabocchi Coast
- Genoa – port city and the capital of the Liguria region, in northwest Italy
- Puglia – the region in the south, covering the heel of Italy, with amazing coastal destinations
- Cilento – coastal area south of the Amalfi Coast
Words / Concepts
- Lamborghini, Ferrari, Pagani – Italian car manufacturers
- Atomic Habits – book by James Clear on building good habits and breaking bad ones
- Nasoni – the free drinking water fountains that can be found all over Rome
Related content on Untold Italy
Podcasts
- Ep 216 – 10 reasons we love Umbria
- Ep 207 – How to find the perfect stay for your Italy trip
- Ep 188 – How to enjoy the incomparable Italian coast
- Ep 150 – What to wear in Italy
- Ep 132 – Why you need to spend at least 3 days in Venice
- Ep 116 – Extend your Italy trip budget with these travel hacks
- Ep 104 – Experiences to include in your dream trip to Italy
- Ep 081 – Packing for Italy
- Ep 053 – Planning the perfect Italy itinerary
- Ep 049 – Exploring Florence
- Ep 208 – Artisans of Venice
- Ep 201 – Beyond the Colosseum – Hidden secrets of Rome
- Ep 174 – Wheels and wanderlust – Exploring Italy by campervan
- Ep 171 – How to use a home exchange to explore Italy
- Ep 157 – All about gelato
- Ep 126 – What is an agriturismo and why you should stay in one
- Ep 106 – Beyond the Cinque Terre – Exploring Liguria
- Ep 080 – The picturesque towns of Puglia
- Ep 079 – Maremma – Exploring Tuscany’s undiscovered coast
- Ep 063 – Amazing Abruzzo – from coast to mountain peaks
- Ep 038 – The captivating Cilento coast
- Ep 016 – Visit the Le Marche region
Articles
- Hidden gems in Italy – from North to South
- Hidden gems in Rome
- Hidden gems in Venice
- Hidden gems in Florence
- Regions of Italy
- 11 Perfect Puglia towns to discover
- Best places to stay in Puglia
- Best things to do in Puglia
- Best things to do in Modena
- Tipping in Italy
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Founded in 2022, our small group tour company takes curious travelers on multi-day adventures to Italy’s lesser-known regions and to secret spots in places that are better known. Departing in Spring and Fall/Autumn, each trip focuses on food and wine, local traditions and uncovering the Italy you’ve always dreamed of > learn more.