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If you are a young foreign woman eager to make the most of a trip to Italy, here is my point of view: Of course it depends of which kind of traveller you are, whether you want to meet the local people in the neighbourhood bar or prefer to wander the various sites, guide book in hand which is interesting but can be a little lonely.
Summer in Italy is great, don't misunderstand me. Even the "deadly hot" time of August, especially in Rome has lot to offer because all the Italians tend to escape to the beach Spring is a fantastic period to visit Italy in general, the Italian spirit wakes up from its winter drowsiness, breathes the air fragrant from spring flowers and puts the smile back on its face. Women start to dress in pretty outfits, shorter skirts and heels much to the delight of all the men!
The Mediterranean habit of sitting outside a cafe, watching the world parade past is reawakened, everyone gently enjoying the scene.
So I think it is a great time to perhaps encounter a romantic time, especially if you can find someone really interesting to accompany you to the museums, churches etc or even just a walk in the lovely countryside. Hills topped with castled villages are magnificent, there are fewer tourists and the locals are happy to make you welcome. Staying only in town will lose you so much of the beauty, charm and culture of any area.
After Easter the lidos reopen and it is possible to find great fish and seafood in the many excellent restaurants. Further inland the menus change to more local regional produce - all of it excellent.
Prices can be very attractive in this season and what you buy on your shopping adventures, especially the many discount outlets for Prada, Armani etc can be still worn for the summer at home to the envy of all your friends who haven't had your luck in coming here.
April, May, June? They are so different. What a great responsibility it is to suggest the best time for an epic journey... May!!! Definitely May, it has all the joys of spring with less risk of capricious weather of the cooler months and is not yet the debilitating temperatures of high summer.
Come to La Bella Italia in May!!
When we travelled to Italy, one of the things that I was set on doing was renting a villa in Tuscany for a week. The villa that I ended up choosing was located near the medieval town of Figline Valdarno, located about 30kms south of Florence. Although there is public transportation to the town, there was none that went near our villa, which is the main reason that I decided to hire a car.
It turned out that economy car hire in Italy is very affordable, so it didn’t eat into my budget too much, and this turned out to be the best decision that I made.
After picking up our car in Florence, it was a lovely drive out to our villa which is surrounded by vineyards and olive groves. The narrow winding roads in the area passed centuries old farm houses and little villages, with the rolling hills covered in vineyards, olives and forest on the way to the famous Chianti wine region.
Our first adventure in Chianti was a picnic looking out at the beautiful Tuscan countryside, followed by a visit to the interesting town of Greve in Chianti.
Each day, we passed through the beautiful Chianti region, sticking to the more minor roads and visiting little villages on our way to the more popular medieval towns of Siena and San Gimignano. There is a train line from Florence to Siena, however there is no easy way to get to San Gimignano without a car, and it would have been a real shame to miss this perfectly preserved medieval town, which, by the way, also has the world’s best gelato!
Away from the towns and villages that we could only visit by having a car, I think the greatest thing of all about renting a car in Tuscany was the pure freedom that we had to go and do what ever we wanted. There was no need to worry about leaving a place in time to catch a bus or train, and if we saw something on the way to somewhere we could simply pull over and have a look. There were no restrictions at all, and this was a great feeling.
Our week in Tuscany was definitely one of the highlights of our trip to Italy, and renting a villa and a car was by far the best way to do it.
Wondering what the Cinque Terre is like in the off season? Here’s the lowdown on what the coastline’s famed hiking trails, weather and more are like in the winter!
Savor Susan Van Allen's entertaining anecdotes and practical details as she takes you up and down the beautiful boot to immerse yourself in Italy's pleasures.
Discover such delights as masterpieces that glorify womanly curves, the palace where Audrey Hepburn lived in Roman Holiday, gardens where courtesans once frolicked, spas for pampering, beaches for relaxing, wine bars and jazz clubs, adventures where you'll be making tortellini with grandmas, shopping for Italy's prized ceramics, skiing in the Dolomites, or setting up an easel to paint a Tuscan landscape. No matter your mood, even if you're simply armchair traveling, Italy awaits.
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Fifty sovereign states. 10,180,000 sq km. 738,200,000 people. The word ‘Europe’ does little to convey the diversity found within, which can make it a bewildering place to travel. So here’s a handy guide to your transport options:
Car - Budget: medium-high
- Ideal time frame: 2-4 weeks.
- So? Expensive flexibility.
Plane - Budget: low-high, depending on your booking nous
- Ideal time frame: 1-2 weeks.
- So? Quick, but missing the point.
Train - Budget: medium-high
- Ideal time frame: 2-4 weeks.
- So? The scenic classic.
Bus - Budget: medium
- Ideal time frame: 3-4 weeks.
- So? Slow and steady.
Bike - Budget: low.
- Ideal time frame: 1-3 months.
- So? The best immersion.
Foot - Budget: low.
- Ideal time frame: 3-12 months.
- So? Epic – if you have the time.
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If you’ve been reading along with me for a while, you know that I am not quite a budget traveler, but I’m not a luxury traveler either. I am willing to spend a little more on a truly great local meal, a comfortable living space, or a stunning view. But I’m also willing to spend some time bargain hunting and getting creative with my travel. You probably also know that I often try and track expenses and share them here on the blog so that you can get a sense of what it costs to spend a few weeks in Germany or a month in the Italian countryside. Without further ado, then, here’s my cost breakdown for a month in Umbria (Tuscany’s lesser-visited-but-still-gorgeous neighbor). Please note that this is a solidly mid-range budget and I’ve made lots of notes and given more detail below the breakdown. Amounts are in American dollars. - Cozy one-bedroom apartment with a view $1047
- Trains – Milano airport to Perugia $96.49
- Wine $45.22
- Breakfast/warm drinks $31.32
- Groceries $217.30
- Eating out $60.71
- Bus and train fares (day-to-day) $73.15
- Gifts $71.28
- Books and supplies $74.34
- Luna food and supplies $34.58
- New winter coat $106.27
- ATM & exchange fees $25.00
Total: $1882.– At the time of this trip, $1 US dollar was equal to 0.74 euro. Notes on my spending in Perugia: I splurged a bit on my sweet apartment overlooking the hills (totally worth it, by the way), but otherwise kept costs quite low. One of the things I love most about Italy is that the food here is seasonal, simple, and incredibly packed with taste. And I don’t just mean the restaurant food. I can be perfectly happy with some locally made olive oil, fresh bread from the bakery, and a little pasta with tomatos that I whipped up myself, which is why I ate in quite a lot and my eating out budget came in super low. My wine and buying-a-cute-new-winter-coat budgets were a little higher. So, with all that in mind, please note that if you are a budget traveler, you could easily do Umbria for half of what I spent (by couchsurfing, camping, hosteling, or just finding one of the local university students with a room to rent, and by not splurging on the “special” – read: expensive – wine or buying things like new winter coats). And if you have a little more to spend, you could easily spend it eating out every night or taking frequent day trips around the countryside. As for me, I was content to peruse Perugia, take a couple day trips to Rome and Assisi, and sit at the window, enjoying my view with a glass of rich local wine and a plate of pasta a la arrabata (pasta with angry sauce).
You are in one of the most romantic cities in the world but your other half isn’t!Is this a problem? “Not at all!” would be my answer. While of course I would have loved Neill to have been there to share with me all the wonderful things I did in Rome, being on my own did have some advantages. For starters, travelling on your own gives you the flexibility to do exactly what you want, when you want and at the pace you want. The result is you get a lot more done and I was there to work after all although, I’ll admit, researching Rome’s food and wine didn’t really feel like work! Secondly, I was far too busy to be lonely and I met lots of really interesting people so I had plenty of opportunities to chatter away to my heart’s content. Did I feel safe in Rome? Yes.... Full article
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