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2 weeks in Italy: A guide to seeing Northern & Central Italy

February 18, 2020April 24, 20202 Weeks in Italy, Adventure, Bologna, Carry on luggage, Carry on only, Cinque Terre, Europe, Florence, Food, Historical sites, History, Hotels & Eateries, Italy, Leisure, Rome, Sightseeing, Solo Adventures, Solo female travel, Solo travel, Travel, Venice admin Leave a Comment

Have 2 weeks in Italy and not sure where to travel aside from Rome and Florence?

Here is my itinerary in full from my recent trip to Northern & Central Italy. It includes some handy information, advice on how many days to spend in each place, how to get to and from places, where to stay in cities and also links to reviews of accommodation and tours.

The Aussie/Italian connection – The history nerd in me had to go there!

Read on if history is not your thing.

Italy has always held a great interest to me as a traveller. I mean come on, all that food, that wine, all that history and culture! What’s not to love about Italy? For Australians, the Italian connection is huge and it is never more apparent than in Melbourne (where I live).

Here’s why:

After World War 2 ended the suffering caused by war and the widening economic gulf between the classes provided a need for many Italians to seek a better life elsewhere. The Italian government of the 1950s and 1960s, struggling to feed, house and find employment for its citizens, actively promoted migration to Australia (and other countries). At the same time, Australia was embarking on an industrialisation and population program which would open the door to mass migration.

In the 1950s Italian migration to Australia was at its peak. Between July 1947 and 1950 over 33,000 Italians migrated to Australia. The following decade saw the arrival of over 170,000 Italians with the majority of migrants settling in the inner suburbs of Melbourne and Sydney.

From Italian migration, Melbourne grew its reputation of being one of the most respected foodie towns in the world. With Carlton’s Lygon Street being one of the most famous Italian streets outside of Italy. People come from all over to have a taste of our mixed heritage twist on Nona’s famous recipes. But It wasn’t just food that the Italian’s brought with them. There was the coffee, wine, culture, art and history. Something that Melbourne and Australia is undoubtedly indebted to.

It also gave us all new friends. New families. New ways of living.

So, it was inevitable that someday, I was getting on a plane to visit the original home of so many Australians.

My Itinerary at a glance

Venice	2 days
Bologna	2 days
Cinque Terre	2 days
Florence	6 days
Rome	4 days

This included travel to and from places (all up about a day of travelling via train)

My Itinerary in depth

I started my 2 weeks in Italy in Venice after catching the train from Salzburg, Austria. Weirdly, you really do get a sense of being in another country as soon as you cross the border into Italy. Gone is the order and beauty of Austria, in its place is what feels like a sense of franticness, things are just a little more chaotic and messier. It’s not a bad thing, in fact therein lies a beauty in what appears chaotic. Its charming, it is quaint, often loud and proud yet it is a reflection upon the people of Italy. Kind of reminded me of a few of my Italian/Australian friends back home

VENICE

Instantly upon arrival in Venice I was in love. And lost. You step out of the train station to a crowd of people, mostly tourists, some local. That is Venice in the warmer months, busy! And then there is working out where the hell you are. I used Google Maps all the time and it worked ok but still I managed to get lost. I stayed in the Cannaregio area of Venice for two nights.

At the time, while I absolutely loved the first day and really did appreciate Venice’s charm, by day two I was ready to move on. Unfortunately, I was there on Italy’s Liberation Day which coincidently had also fallen on the same day as Venice’s saint day, St Marks Day. In Hindsight now that I am home, I wish I had of stayed longer. But more on that later.

You can read more about my Venice experience here:

BOLOGNA

From Venice I ventured on to Bologna via train. My apartment was 10 minutes by foot in the university district; a 5-minute walk to Centro Storico. You don’t hear much about Bologna in Australia. That is until you start researching. As soon as you google ‘food’ and ‘Italy’ Bologna is the common denominator. Bologna for me would be all about food. Well pasta. In particular ‘Ragu Tagliatelle’ or as Aussies like to call it ‘Spag Bol’. I ate it, a lot.

I really liked Bologna. Tourists were outweighed by locals by a long mile, and that was a much-needed change after being in Venice. The food was outstanding, the locals were super friendly and the Centro Storico was truly beautiful.

You can find out more of my foodie experience in Bologna here:

CINQUE TERRE

From Bologna I was off to the Cinque Terre. Getting there took 3 train trips over the space of quite a few hours (including train delays). The train takes you from Bologna to Florence to Pisa to La Spezia to the Cinque Terre. The Cinque Terre is 5 (Cinque) towns (Terre = lands in Italian) on the west coast of Italy. Not too far from Florence, if you have a car. Close to Pisa if you want to see the leaning tower. The 5 towns are cut into the cliff face and are just exquisite. They’re small, quaint and colourful.

The first night I stayed in Monterosso, which is the flattest of the 5 towns. Located at the northern end of the Cinque Terre, it is the only one of the 5 towns to have a beach. The second night I stayed in Riomaggiore, which is the southern end of the Cinque Terre, or the closest to Pisa. Both towns were equally as beautiful as the other. While I was in the Cinque Terre, I also travelled through the other towns Vernazza, Corniglia and Manarola, albeit briefly as I only had 2 days there.

I loved the Cinque Terre. For a place that is touristy, it is also very lovely. Once the day tourists leave, the 5 town’s charm really comes to life. I did a fair bit of shopping, eating and drinking. The locals are next level lovely and welcoming making for an all-round great experience.

You can learn more about my Cinque Terre experience here:

FLORENCE

I have ALWAYS wanted to visit Florence. It for me was like Paris, a city of immense history, brilliant art and amazing culture. SO MUCH MEDICI!!! Rather than stay for a couple of days, I chose to stay for a week. Taking up home in an apartment for 4 nights on one side of the River Arno and 2 nights in the more touristy area. I wanted a base to call home for a while, to wash clothes, cook food and immerse myself in day to day life.

Again, I ate & drank to excess but shopped as much as I ate. Florence is after all known worldwide for its fashion and notably its leather, of which I was a few hundred euro less for! Florence’s beauty lies in Florence itself. The majesty of it all, the buildings, the art that lines the streets, the river Arno, the hills and mountains surrounding the city, and the famed Tuscan wineries only a short distance away. Literally everywhere I turned, I was in travel love all over again! Florence really had everything to offer and let me tell you, it sure did on so many levels.

You can read more about my Florence experience here:

ROME

It was hard to leave Florence, but Rome was looming like this beating heart that would not quieten down. Part of me was scared of Rome and the other part was probably too excited. So yes, I was anxious. I arrived in Rome only to find that my apartment was literally a 10-minute walk from the Colosseum. Winning!

Rome = history. And that is what I got a huge dose of in the 4 days that I was there. 4 days was not nearly enough but knowing I had the southern parts of Italy to explore I knew that I’d eventually be back to explore more.

For a huge city, I loved Rome! It literally blew my mind. The Colosseum, the Forum, Palatine Hill, Pantheon, and the Vatican. And getting lost. So amazingly lost, but what an experience it was to be able to ‘roam’ around Rome (yes ok!! Total Dad joke). There is so much more that I didn’t get to see and at times Rome was so overwhelming just because there is so much, but I will definitely go back. After all, I do want to see the Colosseum again.

Read more about my amazing Rome experiences by following these two stories: ‘An overview of getting lost amongst ancient history’ and ‘4 days in Rome: challenge accepted’

My advice – what I’d do differently

Stay longer!

Honestly, unless you are going to stay in just 2-3 cities with a few day trips 2 weeks in Italy does not give you a lot of time to explore and I only did Northern & Central Italy. And that was not enough

But if you are short on time, here is my advice:

Venice – Instead of 2 days, make it at least 3 and travel out to the islands of Burano and Murano. Something I wish I had the time to do but didn’t. And maybe don’t go when there is a public holiday and saint day all in one. Venice is busy enough.

Bologna – I was happy with my 2 days in Bologna; however, I could have allocated more time to Venice and Cinque Terre. So, with that in mind a good idea would be to base yourself in Florence and do day trips if you are short on time, but don’t not go. It is a fabulous city.

Cinque Terre – I could have stayed here a week. It was that relaxing, beautiful and just downright lovely. It is expensive though so if you are on a budget, I would recommend 3 – 4 days in the Cinque Terre. Pick one of the towns to stay in and move around the 5 towns by train. They run quite frequently.

Florence – This is personal choice. While I did 6 days in Florence you can afford to do 3 – 5 days and still see a lot. There really is so much to see and do in Florence. Remember if you are into wine, the Tuscany tours generally take up a day.

Rome – How long is a piece of string? I mean you could spend 4 days like I did and still enjoy yourself and see a lot of historical sites. But it is nowhere near enough time to immerse yourself into all that is Rome. It is a hectic city and that may not float your boat. I would recommend 4 – 6 days. And, whatever you missed out on or want to see again, simply go back some other time.

My conclusion on 2 weeks in Italy

Just go!

While Italy is a path well-worn Italy certainly is never boring!

And the food and wine is BEYOND exceptional.

There is just so much to experience so chances are your experience will be different to the next persons. It is not just all that fabulous food and wine, history, art and architecture that set’s Italy apart, I think their way of life is something that the rest of us could (and should) get accustomed to. Also, Italian’s have this unique way of making your stay special thanks to their sense of hospitality. Adopt an Italian friend on your stay and you’ll be so well looked after. And fed.

Accommodation reviews:

Florence Apartment The Bright Eyed Explorer

Tour reviews:

Colosseum Tour: Arena Floor

I cannot stress to you that while in Rome and doing tours, especially the Colosseum Tour: Arena Floor that you really should be paying the little bit more to do a ‘Skip the Line’ tour. Who wants to be spending a good portion of their holiday waiting for entry into a famous historical site or a museum? At the end of the day, you are there to see this famous site and bask in its history and glory. The Colosseum in Rome is no exception.

So it is because of that I chose ‘The Roman Guy’ skip the line Colosseum Tour: Arena Floor. And boy am I glad I did.

You meet your guide across form the Colosseum where you are given an introduction of what you’ll be seeing on tour and given an earpiece to hear what the guide is saying. Handy when there is 20 of you on this particular tour and there’s roughly 10 other tours starting the same time.

We move over to the side of the Colosseum where the guide gives us a lesson on the history of the Colosseum, how it was made and who fought there. Our guide also told us the stories of what would happen to the Gladiators if they won, or if they lost (poor guys), the animals who fought and what kind of spectators came to watch the fights. Interesting to hear all of this and how Roman class society dictated where you sat in the arena and what privileges you were given while being at the colosseum.

All while she was talking, I was taking in her words but itching to get inside and see with my own eyes what it would have been like in its heyday.

From the outside the colosseum is massive. It is actually so amazing that it is still standing and in reasonably good condition after close to 2000 years.

I chose the gladiators entrance tour because I wanted to go out on that level and potentially feel what it may have been like. Walking out onto the arena floor is a life experience that I will never forget. Just so amazing! On this tour the entrance from outside and onto the arena floor happens really quick.

Once you are on the arena floor, I turned around and looked up into the stands, and imagined it full of people cheering on the animals and Gladiators who fought where I was standing. I imagined the women delegated to the top levels of the Colosseum, the people having Roman BBQs, drinking wine and enjoying their day out amongst the bloodshed on the arena floor. The important society close to the arena floor sitting on their marble seats.

Incredible.

From where our tour group was standing, we got a close-up glimpse of what was underneath the arena floor. While it is partial ruin, you can picture what it would have been like full of animals and Gladiators, awaiting their turn to fight. Would they win, or would they lose and possibly die?

Our tour group took us around the perimeter of the Colosseum on the arena floor level, then up some pretty uneven steps (there is a lift for those who can’t do stairs) to the third level. From here you get a bird’s eye view of the arena floor and also the wings of the Colosseum.

From here the tour of the Colosseum finishes but it is off to Palatine Hill and the Roman Forum next. It was quite a long wait to get into as we were herded in with the general public.

The day I did this tour was a beautifully warm and sunny day in Rome. It would have been not so much fun if it was raining, so keep an eye on the weather forecast. There is a fair bit of walking involved so be sure to wear comfortable shoes, bring water and use sunscreen.

The tour guide had an exceptional knowledge of the Colosseum, The Forum and Palatine Hill. She really knew her stuff. I found her really engaging and really easy to listen to.

In all the things I saw and did in Rome, this was my favourite. Seeing the Colosseum and walking out onto the arena floor is something I will never forget out all of my travel experiences. It is simply incredible. It was a place where I could really let my imagination run wild. Knowing a small part of what had happened there, how important the Colosseum was to the Roman’s almost made me feel like I was there amongst the crowds of people.

Next time I go to Rome I will definitely be off to see the Colosseum again. That is how much I loved it.

Read my review of The Vatican Museum Tour

4 days in Rome: challenge accepted

February 2, 2020February 2, 2020Europe, Food, Historical sites, History, Hotels & Eateries, Italy, Leisure, Rome, Sightseeing, Solo Adventures, Solo female travel admin Leave a Comment

If you’re short on time, 4 days in Rome can be enough to see some of the major sites and also give you some time to relax and people watch.

When planning my stay in Rome while I was mindful that it was the last stop on a busy 3-week European trip, I wasn’t sure when I’d be back so I needed to pack in as much as I could. I only had 4 days in Rome, I know, I know, not nearly enough time! With that in mind I basically hit the ground running after checking in at my Airbnb.

Coming from Florence (Click on the link to find out about my 6 days in Florence experience) via fast train, it was an easy (and safe) 10-minute stroll from Roma Termini to my apartment which was located in the Monti area. I chose this area simply because it was within walking distance to the Colosseum, the Forum & Palatine Hill, the main reason for my stop in Rome.

Also, I’d heard it was filled with great bars, awesome food, cobblestoned streets, vintage stores and a mix of younger and older people. That is what I am always looking for. Immersion into local life is how I like to travel. Monti, is a bit off the tourist path as far as accommodation goes and that is something that really does appeal to me.

My Advice

With planning accommodation in Rome, is that it is really important to get a place that is close enough to the sights you want to see and what you want to do. There are much more touristy places where hotels and apartments tend to be more on the high-price side of accommodation. If you can afford it do it. You’ll save yourself some money from not having to catch taxi’s everywhere.

But if you are like me and conscious of what you’re spending then an area slightly off the tourist path could save you a lot of money AND get you fit at the same time. In saying though, the train system in Rome is really good so base yourself close to a station and you’ll be right.

As a whole, my advice to anyone going to Rome for the first time and if you have a limited amount of time, is:

Plan ahead! Plan your days, plan what you’ll be seeing and how you are getting to and from places.
Book your tours before you go to skip the lines (because they can get quite massive).
Research places to eat and drink too.

Normally I like to not plan as much except for a few tours, I am more of a go with the flow kind of person. But I knew that I would miss out on too much if I didn’t make some serious plans. And there were times where I stuffed up big time and wasted a whole afternoon getting lost. But at least I saw some amazing sites along the way.

For my 4 days in Rome experience, I planned:

Day one

A get myself acquainted with the Monti area kind of day.

Day two

Straight on tour to the magnificent Colosseum, Roman Forum and Palatine Hill. The tour took approximately 4 hours so afterwards I took myself out for a drink and meal.

This tour was absolutely brilliant and you can read my review here ***.

Day three

An early start to tour Vatican City (you can read my review here) and a walk back to Monti seeing the following on my way home:

Piazza Navona
Campo de’Fiori
Pantheon
Basilica di Santa Maria Sopra Minerva
Trevi Fountain
Spanish Steps

It was a LONG day! I think I was up at 5.30am to be at the Vatican at 7am. I am calling it my ‘cram in as much of Rome as possible’ day! I was on my feet all day stopping only in Piazza Navona for lunch for a delicious pizza and for Gelati in a piazza not far from Monti on my way home. I think I clocked up over 20,000 steps on my Fitbit that day and slept like a baby once I finally got back to my apartment.

Day four

I just had a day of relaxing, washing clothes, packing & tidying up my Airbnb, strolling around the back streets of Monti, and eating out.

Ideally, I would have liked to have had a week in Rome, and really that wouldn’t be enough to see everything. But honestly, how much time is enough time in a city like Rome?

Unless you live in a city or can afford to spend a lot of time in one, can you ever really see everything? I know there was a lot that I missed, but with only 4 days in Rome, I think what I did was enough and afforded me time to spend strolling around and taking some time out to people watch.

There is a lot to be said about cramming as much in as possible in a holiday, but I am simply not that kind of traveller. Sitting in a bar talking to locals made me happier than some of what I did on day 4 of this trip. I mean, you can’t get that kind of experience ticking historical sights of a list. Yes, I could have done more, but knowing I’d be back some day, I did the basics and made a list of things to see and do next time. Some of which, the colosseum mainly, I will do again.

Hope my itinerary helps, if you have any questions feel free to ask in the comments section below.

Rome, Italy: An overview of getting lost amongst ancient history

January 28, 2020January 29, 2020Adventure, Europe, Food, Historical sites, History, Italy, Leisure, Rome, Sightseeing, Solo Adventures, Solo female travel, Solo travel, Travel admin Leave a Comment

Ah. Rome Italy.

Well I am not sure how this piece is going to go because I am still a little lost for words! Which for those who personally know me, that is kind of really surprising.

Rome kind of has that effect on you.

So much has been written already about Rome, but here is, my take on the ‘Eternal City’

Rome is such a contrast of old and new. Mostly old and for any Australian traveller who loves historical sites, we are like the fat kid in the candy store. I mean our ’oldest’’ building was constructed in 1793!!! Bless our young hearts.

There is literally so much to see and do in Rome and I really don’t know how long is enough time to say you’ve ’done Rome’. I know I missed a lot. Like I didn’t even get to Trastevere which was on my list of must sees. In all honesty, I simply ran out of time and was pretty determined to get in a ‘live like a local, relaxed day in Rome before my 22 hours of flying home.

I will start by saying, I am no history professor, yes, I know a bit BUT what I know is limited. I simply enjoy seeing the historical relics and learning about the history of the country in which I am visiting. I am a bit of a nerd like that! But I really do think that if you travel to a place its respectful to know what has happened there in the past. However long that past may be. Rome’s is long! Plus, I feel you’re doing yourself a disservice not knowing where a country, city or town has come from and what makes it what it is. But that’s me, who am I to judge…….

So, Rome. Oh Rome! All roads lead to Rome. Rome if you want to.. ok I’ll stop now 😉

A history that is diverse and long. Rome is fucking ’ancient’. There, I said it! If it is something you care for, Rome was around before Jesus. Home to numerous Gods and Goddesses and the mighty Roman Empire that conquered most of Europe. It is a city with so much. So much food, so much of Italy, so much of fashion, wine and culture. And most importantly, so much history! History that we know of, and so much that we don’t.

And it is at that last point that I found myself on so many occasions walking around and coming across a ruin of some kind where my mind would wonder. Who was here? What did they do? Was it a goddess who was desired? A god who was loved or feared? A gladiator? A criminal? What happened here?

Rome is a place of historical fact. But it is also a place where your imagination can really come alive. Mine certainly did.

On this trip, I didn’t want to see modern Rome. I’ll leave that for another time. Being in Rome for 4 days meant a lot of ‘roaming’ around and experiencing the city as I wanted to. With what was important for me.

The views and sights

I got lost a lot in Rome. Very easy to do. But getting lost became a massive highlight for me but one in particular was turning off a small cobblestoned street onto a main road (about 2 minutes from my apartment) and seeing the Colosseum. Right there at the end of the main road standing there in all its ancient glory. All an estimated ten-minute walk from where I was. Unbelievable!

The sights in general across Rome are incredible. Taking in centuries of architecture, art and culture. Rome changes from the ancient to the middle ages to modern times at a quick walking pace. Like one minute you’re walking past a building from the last century and then up pops the ruins of what would have been something impressive 2000 years ago. Unbelievable!

Then there’s something like the Pantheon. Which you turn a corner from a side street with buildings that are only (oh dear) a few centuries old and there it is! Just standing there.

And then there’s the Roman Forum. The Spanish Steps. The Knights of the Malta Keyhole. The Gladiator School. The Baths of CaraCalla. The list goes on. And on.

It would be remiss of me to not mention the Vatican. It’s Saint Peter’s Basilica. It’s museums. SO MUCH HISTORY! SO MANY STORIES!

For all parts, Rome and its sights and history really blew this Aussie mind.

On getting lost in Rome

Boy did I get lost!

Thought I’d nailed this getting lost business on day one with a very easy stroll from the train station to my Airbnb. 1 hour later after unpacking and getting settled I venture out to find the local supermarket and got lost on the way. Actually, pretty much as soon as I walked out of the apartment and turned down the street I was lost. Not a great start! I laughed at myself after discovering on the way home from the supermarket, that it should have been a 5-minute walk to get there, took me an hour.

I got so lost on my Vatican City ‘cram in as much of Rome as possible’ day. Several times. Actually, every time I turned a corner!! If you are someone like me who has subpar navigation skills then it is VERY easy to get lost in Rome. But that is half the fun of exploring isn’t it? In my getting lost experience I was able to see things off the tourist trail and immerse myself more so into Roman life.

Like I said earlier, Rome really blew my mind. It is actually hard to articulate the immense power that this city emanates and the impression that it leaves on you. It is impressive. It is powerful. It actually is a wonderful city, filled with so much that at times it is overwhelming. The food (well all of Italian food really), the wine (again, all of Italian wine), the people, even the tourists make for an experience that is something of wonder and amazement.

I will definitely go back to Rome. There is so much I didn’t get to see in my 4 days, more experiences to have. I really want to go back to the colosseum. I really want to spend a whole day at the Vatican. I really want to go to places I didn’t get to. And I really want to eat the food, drink the wine and chat more to the locals.

This Roman story is not over! I will see you again sometime soon Rome.

Stay tuned for more Rome stories over the next few weeks.

Check out the review of the apartment I stayed in while in Rome HERE