Amy's Italian Soujourn Trip
As they rightly say, ‘Italy is a dream that keeps on returning for the rest of your life’!
When Amy Baber and her partner grabbed an excellent deal on a return flight to Milan, they were more than happy. Apart from it being Amy’s first visit to Italy, its blast of culture and interesting experiences made them instant fans of the country. And now, they can’t wait to return to the country and its ornate cities.
Here’s the first-hand account of Amy’s Italian sojourn.
You can check her detailed step-wise itinerary for Italy here
Trip Duration: 9 days
Placed covered: Florence, Rome and Milan
Trip Cost: USD 4500 for two
Destination 1: Magical, Romantic and Graceful Florence
After a 15-hour long flight from Atlanta to Milan and an hour long train journey to Florence, we checked into our Hotel. We couldn’t resist the magical city of Florence and started our Day 1 in Italy with Piazza San Giovanni. Flaunting some of the best structures of many, that dot the city, the Square was a nice place to be at, especially during a quiet afternoon. Heading towards our next stop, which is the Vasari Corridor, right on the Ponte Vecchio, we decided to spend the evening enjoying the alluring panorama that looked even more adorable with the sun going down.
We relished the dinner at the Golden View restaurant, clinking glasses to a beautiful sunset in Florence.
There’s so much to do in Florence, especially if you love art. We made sure we followed our itinerary pretty much to the T, except we gave a miss to the Palazzo Pitti and Boboli gardens, there just wasn’t time. Thanks to the Firenze card that helped us skip the lines (why wait on a vacation), we could cover a lot in the city.
The second day in Florence was all about visiting the best attractions of the city like Basilica Di Santa Maria Del Fiore, Piazza Della Republica and Piazza Della Signoria. We also had a quick visit to the Accademia Gallery.
In Florence, every cobbled street and lane presents a dramatic experience and the ambience of the entire city is perfect for wanderers like us. Apart from the sightseeing at top spots, we explored the city slowly.
On day 4 of the trip, we took this tour called Taste of Chianti: Tuscan Cheese, Wine and Lunch from Florence. We had booked the tour on TripHobo and our guide Gloria walked us through some of the best spots in the countryside Tuscany.
Don’t miss a single thing on your dream vacation! Plan a trip with TripHobo, add attractions, book hotels and tours and get going!
Destination 2: The ethereal, eternal city of Rome
To begin with, we switched our hotel in Rome, from Holiday Inn Express to Hotel Indigo Rome St. George. The latter was just a better fit for the kind of vibe we were looking for, set in a quiet side-street. As we began our Roman expedition, we were amazed how the city has a ruin on every nook. The beautiful streets of the city, although flooded with people from all over the world resonate an ineffable energy.
On the first day in Rome, we visited the legendary Spanish steps and also the Trevi fountain. After spending some time in the central market, we also had a nice evening in Pincio Gardens.
On our second day in Rome, we had an excellent time exploring the ruins of Roman Forum and the Colosseum to name a few.
Rome has uncountable spots that can keep you hooked, Trastevere neighbourhood was our favourite. Escaping the touristy crowd of the rest of this city, we thoroughly enjoyed a couple of meals with fabulous drinks in this stunning, hippie part of the city.
At the end of 3 days in Rome, we chose to spend the whole day at Vatican. Saint Peter’s Basilica, the Sistine Chapel and Vatican Gardens occupied most of our day, and also, most of our mind on this day.
Destination 3: Milan - a hit and miss
To be honest, we didn’t expect much from the city. Since we were flying out from Milan, we decided to explore it for a day. The city is fantastic, but mostly an out-an-out business hub.
We loved spending time at the Duomo. We recommend going to the top, the panoramic view is amazing!
Food and Drinks:
In Italy, food is a very serious as well as a very delightful affair. We tried some of the best dishes on the trip. The drinks, especially the wine was another highlight of our gastronomic journey.
Florence will spoil you with choices of food and drinks. Our top recommendations are Ristorante Tijuana for mexican food, Gelateria Dei Neri for gelato and Westin Excelsior Rooftop bar for drinks.
Our recommendations for food in Rome are sandwiches at Donkey Punch, Ombre Rosse for a great dining experience, Tommi's Burger Joint and Bir & Fud.
Travel Tips for Italy:
Based on our experience in Italy, here are the few tips that we would love to share:
- Make reservations for dinner, always!
- Get up high! There are so many opportunities to see the cities from up high. So even if it costs a few extra euros, do it. It is worth it!
- Take home as much wine as possible. You will thank yourself later.
- Take the high-speed trains, they are super quick, convenient to hop between cities and exciting as well!
Our experience using TripHobo:
The website is great for managing the day-wise plan, especially since you can actually visualize your trip, including how much time you will spend at each place.
If this exciting experience of Amy doesn’t make you pack your bag and head to Italy, we don’t know what will!
Also Read More on Italy:
Enthralling Small Towns In Italy
