Country Fun Facts:
- Continent: Europe
- Primary Language: Italian
- Currency: Euro (EUR)
- Blank Passport Pages: Two pages required for entry stamp (consult country’s embassy page)
- Tourist Visa Required: Not required for stays under 90 days (consult country’s embassy page)
- Driving: On the right-hand side of the road
- Famous For: So many amazing things!! Art, architecture, fashion, opera, literature, food, wine, coffee (not growing, but making a fine cup of Joe), and gelato.
Basic Phrase:
Yes: Si (See)
No: No (Noh)
Please: Per favore (Pehr fah-voh-reh)
Thank you: Grazie (Grah-tsee-eh)
You’re welcome: Prego (Preh-goh)
Good morning: Buon giorno (Bwohn-johr-noh)
Good afternoon: Buona sera (Bwoh-nah-seh-rah)
Good night: Buona note (Bwoh–nah–noh–the)
Hi / Bye (informal): Ciao! (Chow)
Portofino, Italy
Type of Trip: Escorted Package 11-Day Tour with Globus Journeys
Month Visited and Temperature: April. Mid to upper 50s F (13-15 C)
Cities Visited: Rome, Montecatini, Florence, Venice, Pisa, Assisi, Pompeii, Naples, Capri, and Sorrento
Highlights:
This was one of the first trips Kathy and I took. We opted for an escorted tour as neither one of us had spent much time in Italy and wanted to see as much as we could. We also wanted to leave the logistics to someone else.
Globus Trip Map
I had done quite a bit of research on tour agencies and Globus kept popping up to the top. The trip was a lot, I will not lie, but worth it. The tour was a great blend of history, art, awe, quiet serenity, wine (lots of wine), and food.
The tour started in Rome where a Globus representative met us at the airport and dropped us at our hotel. The city was a buzz with people as Pope Benedict XVI began his papacy. City sightseeing visits included the Vatican Museums (stunning), Sistine Chapel (actually saw the exquisite Sophia Loren), St. Peter’s Square, and Basilica to admire Michelangelo’s Pietà. Next up was the Colosseum and Roman Forum. It is a must to just stop and soak in the history.
Travel Tip: Be aware of your surroundings, especially in touristy place of Rome (specifically Colosseum and Roman Forum), as pickpockets are plentiful. Also, if you are confronted by people in gladiator costumes wanting to take a picture, be careful, last I checked it was banned.
Moving on from Rome to Montecatini with a quick excursion to a traditional Tuscan Farmhouse for dinner with local delicacies. Yum. Yum. Yum.
From Montecatini we moved on for another quick stop in Pisa to look at the famous Leaning Tower. Whilst the Leaning Tower was interesting to see in real life, there was not much to the tour and the time there was short. The day came to an end in Venice. Ahhh Venice!
Pisa
Florence
Venice
Venice and Florence are my two favorite cities in Italy!! Love them! In Venice, our sightseeing visits included St. Mark’s Square, Basilica, Doges’ Palace, and the Bridge of Sighs followed by a glassblowing demonstration. Glassblowing is truly a lost art. We hopped on a gondola for a row down several canals and finishing off the night with some AMAZING pasta (and wine).
Foodie Tip: Take every opportunity to experience the food differences in Northern/Southern yumminess.
Travel Tip: Whilst the tour did not allow a lot of time to explore on your own, I highly recommend if you have the time to just get lost and wonder. Also suggest to NOT buy souvenirs in St Mark’s Square, they are costly. If you wander in a few streets from the Square you most likely buy the same item for less.
From Florence we stopped in Assisi, which is a lovely town stepped in history. Grab some wine and a sandwich and sit in the main Piazza. Forewarning, it can be crowded on a nice day.
Making our way back to Rome, we stopped in Pompeii, Naples, and Capri. Pompeii was a city that was buried (and preserved) under meters of ash after a catastrophic eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 A.D.. This is another moment to stop and soak in the history. I could have easily spent hours wondering about. Naples was a quick, stay on the bus, city tour and to be honest, nothing stood out. However, given that Naples is the home place of pizza it deserves a revisit. Capri is exquisite. Famous for its historical sites (villas of Augustus and Tiberius), breath taking visuals, and the Blue Grotto. If the Blue Grotto is still accessible (rising water levels), I highly recommend it. Sunlight passes through the underwater cave and shines through the water creating a blue reflection that illuminates the cavern. The grotto was supposedly used as the personal swimming hole of Emperor Tiberius. Also recommend a bus trip to Anacapri, which sits higher on the island. The bus trip is short and a bit of a white knuckle experience (narrow, winding road with big bus). Anacapri is a colorful town with fun shops for shopping and the famous Villa San Michele with its impressive gardens and stunning views.
Overall Assessment of Trip:
My overall assessment of our Globus trip to Italy is that it was amazing! It was a great way to see a big chunk of Italy, enabling us a way to select places we wanted to spend more time in on our next visit. The trip was a lot to see/do in 11 days and a bit costly, but worth it! There were many very early mornings and late evenings. The Globus staff (from booking to flight home) was top notch. I would highly recommend it and the company.
Rome
Scary bus ride to Anacapri
Stunning Island of Capri
Travel Tips:
Showers in Europe are not as standard as in the U.S. and can lead to some interesting travel experiences. Most have a partial or half glass wall, shower curtains are not common, and a hand wand. Counter space is often limited, showers can be surprisingly tight (small), bath towels are not replaced every day (so hang them up to dry and reuse), and no washcloths. All this is manageable but worth noting.
So…the shower. First and foremost ensure your clothes, electronics, and toilet paper are safely outside the bathroom or water zone. I flooded the bathroom in Capri. No matter how careful I tried to be, the water ricochet off the wall and lightly flooded the floor. The towels that the hotel provided were not very absorbing…blah blah blah. Another thing to note is the faucet. Recommend figuring it out BEFORE you are standing under it. “C” can stand for caldo/caliente NOT cold.
Packing Tips:
Luggage: For this trip we each took one (1) 24” soft-side wheeled suitcase as our checked bag and one (1) smaller personal size bag that we carried on to the plane and motor coach. One of the benefits of a guided tour is that they manage the logistics of your luggage. You still are restricted by Globus and your airline(s) policy limits, but it was nice to not have to worry about it.
Personal carry-on bag contained: sweatpants, one (1) pair of undies, travel slippers/socks, blowup travel pillow, cashmere travel wrap, earplugs, earphones, reading material (pre-Kindle), snacks, glasses/contact, and toothbrush/paste. Highly recommend a change of clothes in your carry-on if you check a bag.
Toiletries: Even though we checked a bag, we streamlined our toiletry bags to essentials. There was no need to bring a hairdryer as the hotels had them, either in the room or via the front desk.
Note: Most of European hotels do not supply washcloths, so if you need them for your trip you will need to pack them. I have packed old washcloths and tossed them. You can also buy a pack of 6-8 inexpensive ($3-5) ones at Target or compressed towels (just add water) from Amazon.
Note: Do not forget to pack a European plug adapter(s) and a converter .
Clothing/Shoes:
Below is a list of the items we packed for this trip.
3-4 Short sleeve t-shirts
1-2 Long sleeve t-shirts
2-3 Long sleeve lightweight sweaters
4 Pairs of pants (1 dressy pair, 2 jeans, 1 linen/khaki)
12 Undies
2-3 Bras
10 Pairs of socks
2 Pairs of PJs
1 Pair of sweatpants
2 Pairs of shoes (one (1) pair of ankle boots and one (1) dresser heeled shoe)
1 Lightweight trench coat
2 Lightweight scarves
1 Crossbody anti-thief handbag (Pacsafe in black)
This trip was before packing cubes became a thing. Also, we did not choose to do laundry during this trip.