Travel in Italy

To begin with let’ s start our trip travellers!  Travel in Italy is probably on the top of the travellers’ bucketlists all over the world! Why is Italy so popular among travellers? What makes Italy stand out? Its history, its architecture, its finesse, its food… or alltogether? Everything in Italy is about classy stylish italian vibes! We love travelling in Italy beacuse its easy, its affordale for all types of travellers, itsboth colourful and authentic at the same time and there are numerous cities one can visit.

Travel in Italy tips

Generally speaking let’ s see some tips and advice:

• Try the famous Italian food whether its for a pizza or a fancy restaurant (pizzas and pasta everywhere)
• Enjoy esspresso shots like an italian
• Drink some fine aperol spritz and other italian aperitivos
• Search for the happy hour in the more hipster areas of each district
• Learn some Italian words, they will definetly appreciate it
• Visit more than one city a time coz they are located closely enough even for day trips
• Use the automated luggage storage lockers while transiting in Italy
• Use trains for a more low budget trip
• Rent a car to travel Italy from north to south

When in Italy… do as an Italian!

How to travel Italy by car – Rent a car or not?

Given these points what about using a car for your travel in Italy. The easiest way to travel in Italy is to explore the whole country from north to south or via versa by renting a car. It is an easy process since it is a very touristic country, really friendly to tourists. The options are many but of course we will recommend that you rent from an internationally recognized car company. Important notice before each car rental, read the fine print and check the car thoroughly before picking it up looking up for any damage.

Finally keep in mind that in some areas it is not advisable to travel by car such as the Cinque Terre area, for example (in our italian riviera blog post we share all info about how to move by train there), but it is certainly the ideal way if you want to visit many italian cities in a few days.

Travel Italy packages

Although Italy is considered and not unfairly an expensive country for the tourists, there is a wide variety of travel packages on the internet. Great competition means fairly low prices. What we want to tell you is that with a good search you will definitely find a cheap package either it is for a group trip or a personalised trip made specially for you. The good thing about travel packages is that you save yourself time and effort especially if you are not yet a very experienced traveler. Prices vary and naturally they depend on the type of traveler you are. Certainly a luxury trip to Porto Fino with central lodge at the coast costs much more than staying outside the Cinque Terre area for example in La Spezia.

For accommodation options do your search here!

Is it safe to travel to Italy?

So, what about safety? Travel to Italy is always a safe choice as we are talking about an extrelmely touristic country. Although travelling there is totally safe in general, always check for any travel advice and guidelines by local and international authorities especially in case like the unlike event of something bad is happening as the whole Covid 19 thing that is all aorund. So besides these kind of precautions and restrictions travel to Italy is totally safe!

Italy Cities you must visit and places to see in Italy

Here you will find many useful information about sightseeing, travel and lodging in Italy in details. As a matter of fact just click below on our posts of the following cities – regions of Italy that are the most frequent choices for a travel to Italy.  Find the perfect stay and read everything you need to know before your trip to:

• Rome the eternal city  for your stay in Rome click here!

• Milan 3 days for your stay in Milan click here!

• Milan 24 hours

• Cinque Terre the italian riviera for your stay in Cinque Terre click here here!

• Venice 48 hours For your stay in Venice click here!

• Pisa and the leaning tower for your stay in Pisa click here!

• Genoa City break  for your stay in Genoa click here here!

Venice

Map of Italy – cities Genoa and Milan

In addition to the search you will do via google maps we have prepared two google earth maps for the following cities before your travel to Italy with all the attractions you need to see and in the order that it is best for you! See here the map of the sights:

• Genoa google earth map all you need to see before you travel to Italy
• Milan google earth map all you need to see before you travel to Italy

To sum up this was our little italian adventure, we trully hope all this travel advice and guide will make your dream trip to Italy come true in the best way! Would love to hear your feedback!

Ciao!

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In Genoa for city break…

We escaped to Genoa for  one of our beloved city breaks. One of our last ones in fact was again in Italy in the romantic Venice! We booked our tickets with Volotea, which is a perfect choice for getaways in Italy, Greece and special destinations such is Dubrovnik and got ourselves to the most colourful port we ve ever seen, so far!

Is a 24-hour trip in Genoa enough?

Actually it is… But we suggest you spend a weekend at least. The city is ideal for walking and endless hours of exploration and enjoyment of Italian flavors!

We recommend staying close to the train station so you can easily escape to nearby areas such as the Cinque Terre and move easily to and from Genoa airport.

A wonderful city will begin to unfold in front of you from the very first moment you exit the train station! Classic architecture – masterpiece buildings will be your partners as you stroll down the streets, first you ll meet those of the Royal Palace and the University of Genoa. Here the area is full of affordable little shops ideal for a quick espresso and an Italian focaccia!
Continuing you will meet a building that reminds a lot of Greece in a perfect contrast to the adjacent Genoese coloured buildings!

Next is Garibaldi Street  where you have to take a look at the alleys on the right left of the pedestrian zone. You will see inspiring lights forming beautiful words like history, joy, love etc (so an evening stroll is definitely required).

Genoa challenges you to the hashtag #morethanthis

Via Roma

Keep strolling and you will find yourself alongside Via Roma a special touch in an urban environment. The street is surrounded by the well-known colourful buildings  while  hanging colourful windmills make the street look even more intense creating a perfect Instagrammable spot!

Alongside Via Roma a flea market is located with antiques and retro object in an open-air bazaar which will steal your heart!
Piazza Ferrari and Genova come next. A huge fountain and three buildings in its background will distract you enough time for photos and to watch the people as they pass by while you ll be enjoying sitting on  one of the many benches you will find throughout the square. A monument to the word Genova is the third must see point of Instagram shots!

Next stop is the Piazza Duomo and the temple of San Lorenzo, a special gem inside out and a quick coffee shot at one of the many  cafés just down the street (in one of the dozens of alleys of the center of Genoa).

Main attractions

• Porto Antico
• Aquario di Genoa
• Via Garibaldi
• Via Roma
• Piazza delle Fontane Marose
• Piazza Ferrari
• Galleria Mazzini
• Piazza Matteotti
• Piazza delle Feste
• Galeone
• Sn Lorenzo
• Palazzo Antonio Doria
• Accademia Ligustica di Belle
• Palazzo Stefano Balbi
• Palazzo Nicolo Grimaldi
• Port dell Arco
• Biosfera
• Stazione Piazza Principe

Our Favorite Spot is Porto Antico

The old port of Genoa is more lively than ever, with docks, a huge aquarium, modern architectural additions inspired by the past, benches, biosphere, wheel ride at €8, panoramic spot with view of the whole city in €5, Gelato, pizzerias and people of all ages are making it even more vivid and the perfect place to hang out!

Genoa in the Evening

• Do Not miss an evening stroll in all the above places! The night has its own beauty and charm as you keep wandering in the alleys and enjoying an aperitivo. Leave the old port as the last part of  your trip and be amazed by the alluring lights of the city at night!
• Try eating at Fuori (menu €6)
• Drink italina coffee at urban Tazze Paazze
• Enjoy panoramic views from the steeple of San Lorenzo for €5

Affordable air tickets, classic italian beauty, Italian Riviera in only one hour away, many options for nearby getaways with  Cinque Terre National Park being the top of the top, budget accommodation and food make Genoa the perfect choice for city break!

The post ESCAPE TO GENOA FOR THE PERFECT CITY BREAK appeared first on Nonstoptravellers.

A few words about Cinque Terre

The Villages of Cinque Terre, the five countries or, the five places belong to the Italian Riviera in the region of Liguria and the province of La Spezia. Since 1997 it is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Airtickets to Genoa

For our trip to Genoa we flew with Volotea, a low cost company, with the most modern aesthetics and many interesting European destinations for you to choose. Tickets with Volotea especially in autumn start from only €9! Can you believe that? Last year we escaped unexpectedly t to Venice a year ago with the airtickets’ price being as low as 9 euro per person!

The itinerary

This trip to Cinque Terre as we said  before was quite short so in a few lines it included:

• Genoa-Pisa
• Pisa-La Spezia
• la Spezia-Cinque Terre
• La Spezia-Portovenere – Cinque Terre
• Cinque Terre – Genoa

All our transport was made by train!

cinque terre manarola nessun dorma

Move by train

As you exit the  Christoforo Airport you can get a bus that will cost you around €1.50 which then takes you to the nearby  train station and from there to Genoa Principe Central train station depending of course on the tickets you already have in your hands or you are planning to book towards Pisa (or La Spezia, Or Cinque Terre etc.).

Always check the timetables  at the train station so you don’t find yourself heading to the opposite direction!

After taking one bus and two trains you will arrive in about 2 to 3 hours in Pisa (for Intercity train you will need around 20-25 € while for a simple train 15-20 € but then the trip will be longer, 4 hours to arrive).

From Pisa to La Spezia we travelled by train and from La Spezia to the villages of Cinque Terre as well. We  chose La Spezia as a base because of the most low budget accommodation, besides Cinque Terre is located only a few minutes away!

We recommend the visitors to the Cinque Terre to buy a Cinque Terre Card including several services such as shuttle buses and usage of the trekking trails.

At every Cinque Terre train station you can buy the Cinque Terre Card Trekking (7,50 euros) or Cinque Terre Card Train (4 euro per ride or 16euros for unlimited rides per day including the pass to the trekking trails), get maps and all other information needed (Tourist information points). From now on you can buy the Cinque Terre Card online too (external service provided from the Cinque Terre National Park) .

Generally the train has routes every 30 minutes so don’t be disappointed if you miss a ride. The villages are only 2-5 minutes away from each other so you are comfortable with seeing everything in only one day. We recommend two days to try all  hiking trails too!

Extra Tip book your daily ticket online because the line for the tickets exceeds 100 meters especially in the morning hours!

Extra Tip we recommend to start your day from Rio Maggiore to Monterosso, unless you start with hikes so you will go the opposite direction (duo to sunny hours and difficulty of hiking the rocky scenery)!

More about Cinque Terre – These are the five villages

Riomaggiore

The first village (direction from the south to the north), is tiny, colourful and highly positioned inside a picturesque creek!
Hint: The panoramic view, from… Bottom Up! Extra Tip: Return to see the sunset from the rocks!

Manarola

The second village with the most colorful houses which are perfectly located on a steep cliff! Lovely palette and perfect spot for some swimming!
Hint: The visit to Nessun Dorma, a touristic shop with unparalleled views of the village and affordable prices (20euros for 2 aperols and a platter).

Corrniglia

The third village in the row is Corniglia with the wonderful peculiarity that it is built onto the mountain. Unique alleys,  little shops and many, many steps that take you from the train station to the main village, make up the beautiful scenery of the it!
Hint: After cooling off with a gelato italiano start hiking to the next village! Be prepared… At least athletic shoes!

Vernazza

This village is more cosmopolitan and has a n incredible blue beach. Colourful landscape and one more hike up to the next village.
Hint: The panoramic view from above.. Those who hike will definitely pass through the spot!

Monterosso Al Mare

Unfortunately (for us) the last but not least, was not our thing there… The last of the five villages of the park left us… nothing actually. Classic touristic resort, (justifiably) crowded but not in harmony with the previous villages.
Hint: You can start from there to the next hiking village and not spend a much time there unless you live there of course.

cinque terre portovenere

The coastal area of Liguria, Portofino and Portovenere

More generally, the coastal area of Liguria has many other colourful villages worth visiting, e.g. the famous Portofino could easily be one of the villages of the Cinque Terre area. An alternative excursion you can have from La Spezia and you can easily go by bus that costs only €5 vice versa per person, is Portovenere (much more beautiful than Portofino). A colourful port with lovely alleys, a castle and an islet within only ten minutes by boat (you will find boats at the port) and ideal for a mini getaway. An excursion to Portovenere is highly recommended.

This was our little adventure in the area of Cinque Terre, read more “italian” posts from Genoa and Pisa, or Milan, Venice and Rome.

The post FROM PORTOVENERE TO CINQUE TERRE – THE ITALIAN RIVIERA BY TRAIN appeared first on Nonstoptravellers.

A few words about Pisa

Pisa is a historic city of Italy that belongs to the Tuscan region, with its university running since 1343 which is evidenced by the many young people you will succeed in the alleys of the town and is world renowned for the sloping Leaning Tower of Pisa with the 6 floors, 56 m high and the infinite steps.

Top Monuments of Pisa

• Piazza dei Miracoli – Duomo Cathedral Square-UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1987. On the square are the three following monuments that are the main attraction of tourists!
• Leaning Tower of Pisa in Piazza dei Miracoli
• Pisa Cathedral
• Monumental Cemetery of Pisa Camposanto
• Palazzo dei Cavalieri
• Palazzo Blu
• Piazza Garibaldi
• Chiesa di S Paolo in Ripa d Arno
• Orto Botanico
• Baptistery of Pisa
• Knights Square
• Santa Maria della Spina

Where to stay in Pisa?

We recommend hostel Safestay Pisa hostel for a very low budget stay (unless you seek for something more elegant). Colorful hostel with people of all ages, low budget breakfast, dinner buffet and a garden to enjoy your unlimited or beer!

Where to eat and drink?

The answer is, everywhere. All along the old town of Pisa you will meet small picteresque shops to taste delicacies or wine for a very reasonable price  even in the most touristic restaurants. Classic italian espresso, Aperol, wine, limoncello on the one hand and focaccia, pizza, pasta on the other.

pisa rome

Pisa is a beautiful youthful city that is definitely worth visiting but not more than two days. Usually travellers choose it as part of a roadtrip or more generally speaking part of a larger journey. For us Pisa was part of a short trip to Genova and Cinque Terre! We landed on Volotea in Genova and took a train to Pisa.

Pisa is ideal for a weekend!

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In Venice we found ourselves by chance and we could even say we avoided it a bit because of the numerous tourists that have been invading it in recent years! Having won an air voucher in a competition we decided to visit it for a weekend and of course the experience was wonderful! Unfortunately we visited Venice after the heavy rainfall that hit the country but luckily for us the timing worked out to our favour. Not many tourists and we enjoyed the city as the locals do!

Food

Italy and food… It is a combination well known all over the world!!! And when we talk about food we mean pizzas and pasta, i.e. spaghetti!

From pizzas, of course, we ate countless margaritas and diabolas! The cost was just 2.50 €/piece! We picked out the pizzeria Quanto Pasta where you will find a kind man from Turkey who will welcome you with the most perfect smile and there is room inside the store to relax from your walk (most shops are only for take away so there is not many places to sit and just have a pizza).

Then we choose the other favorite Italian habit, which is none other than spaghetti and gnocchi (just try them with cheese and basil sause)! Everything you can imagine about pasta you will find it there! In the city you will find many shops to serve delicious dishes, with prices starting from 15 €/person (1 plate plus service fee, without salad or any drinks).

Drink

So… we ve talked about food, now lets talk about drinks! When we say drinks in Venice we mean 3 things… espresso cafe, Aperol and wine! All three wonderful and favorite, each one for a different time of the day!

Well… espresso you will find literally everywhere! With prices starting from €1 ala Italiano… You enter a bar, you order, you drink and leave in 5 minutes the most!! Thats the Italian way!  We really loved a small shop in an alley, ideal for a break from your walk! You can have a cup of coffee in San Marco Square, but prepare for steep prices. The most historic and famous café of the square is the Florian Cafe which is preferred by tourists (a tray with beautiful glasses of coffee and ornaments costs more than €10)! Look for the cheaper solution in the Dorsoduro area!

Aperol Spritz you will also find everywhere… quick stop for aperitivo, don’t sit down for ages! Prices start from €3 per glass! The shops we visited were Corner pub and Bacarando in Corte Dell Orso.

Finally for wine lovers  the choices are also many but here we suggest you choose the Black Jack which will definitely draw your attentions for its special appearance, at the corner of a beautiful little square. Combine your wine with some cheese! Prices for a bottle vary considerably depending on the brand but a glass starts at €6.

Stay – Accommodation

In general Venice is considered an expensive city and indeed the accommodation especially in the center is quite a bit of a crush. However, since it is worth staying in the center of the city, at the beautiful picturesque alleys and next to the gondola we recommend the accommodation to be somewhere centrally located! Generally in Italy there are apartments with many rooms and common areas (kitchen-bathroom) which are located in central locations and cost a little money. We stayed at one of these in a central location and paid 120 €/2 nights just search on the Airbnb platform.

What to see in Venice

• The main attraction of Venice is Venice itself! Enjoy walking for endless hours, get lost in the colorful alleys, admire the canals, photograph the beautiful corners and generally step away from the main center area! You will find yourself in magical places and you will be absolutely by yourself!
• The second largest attraction is the square of San Marco, which has taken its name from the cathedral that dominates the square!
• The bridge of sighs has been turned into a symbol of love and is almost behind the church of San Marco.
• The Palace of the Doge (20 € per person), the residence of the leaders of Venice.

What to do in Venice

The most well-known experience in Venice is of course the vaporetto ride (fairly economical-generally the transport network is huge and waterful!-it has many stops which you can easily locate & spot and contain detailed information for the itineraries of Vaporeti) or the gondola ride to the Grande Canal. In any case, you have the opportunity to wander through the city’s canals and admire it through a different perspective!

Note that the gondola ride (which in our opinion shows neither romantic, nor tourist, nor scenic… Sorry!) It costs from 80 €/30 minutes and more during commercial hours! We had read a lot about gondoliers and romance and songs like Amore mio etc… We were told that nothing like this was ever seen, except thta in real life the Gondoliers just did their job, wore some funny hats and most of them weren’t even Italians. We do not say it to deconstruct the experience (in the end we did not try it by ourselves) we simply write about what what we saw, because after all it is all about expectations. Its You choice guys! We d love to hear your opinion after all! We trully believe that Gondolas in Alsace are more romantic than in Venice!

Finally, it is customary to have a one-day excursion to the Murano Island, known for its handmade laces. To get to the island we suggest that you take a 24-hour ticket with 20 € per person (there is also a simple ticket which is not suitable for you who want to explore Murano for some hours).

48 Hours in Venice

We arrived on Friday afternoon and left at Sunday noon !

On the first day we recommend walking the city, a gondola ride (for those of you who insist on doing so) and taste Italian flavors and wine! On the second day (start early travellers!) Visit Piazza San Marco, the cathedral and the surrounding sights and then travel to Murano Island! Returning indulge in delicious Italian treats! Third day wake up and enjoy fragrant espresso before the first tourists wake up, take a photo walk, grab a margarita pizza and get ready for the ride back home!

To and from the airport

Access to the city of Venice is very easy, no reservation is required unless you are traveling high season, with one of the following ways:

Waterbus with 14 €/person/route for 75 minutes
Bus with 8 €/per person/route for 40 minutes

This was our proposal to enjoy Venice within 48 hours! We recommend sport shoes, a raincoat, bags (for feet), a scarf for the evening and good mood!!! We hope you had fun with us and soon see your own pictures of the beautiful Venice!

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City break to Milan

It is a relatively small city, easily accessible and walkable enough! It’s a great idea to escape to Milan even if it is for just one weekend! So if you decided to take a short trip to Milan do not postpone it any more just get on the plane and here you are at the Duomo piazza!!

Duomo Cathedral-Terraces-Piazza

As you already know our day itinerary while traveling starts early! By early we mean at around 8.00 am (walke up time even earlier than that). So in Milan we got to Duomo Square at around 8.00 in the morning! We strongly recommend it because firstly it is the only way to truly enjoy and admire the majesty of the Square and the Duomo cathedrla peacefully, secondly it is the only way to have some pictures without the dozens of tourists who are flooding the square every day and thirdly if you do not want to miss half a day waiting in lines to enter the Cathedral it is good to be at the entrance as early as possible!

Buy online your tickets from the official site of the Duomo and print your tickets or have the QR code ready on your mobile! There are booths next to the cathedral but we do not recommend it because the queue is really long and certainly not worth the hassle and the waiting! Also be informed from the site about the hours of operations in case there is any strange announcement!There is a discounted ticket at €12.5 for your entrance to both the Duomo cathedral and the terraces on foot!

milan italy nonstoptravellers travel

So after you visit the Duomo which is truly amazing both in size and in beauty terms. It is one of the largest cathedrals in Europe and the 5 largest Christian temple in the world! You will probably need about 1 hour to explore it and spend a few minutes sitting next to the locals who are praying!  Oh, get ready for a thorough check… Bags, pockets, etc. So be careful of what things you carry with you that day!

After you finish with the interior of the cathdral and exit, find the entrance that will lead you to the terrace of the Duomo. The terrace opens later than the the cathedral  so it is advisable to visit it after the Duomo itself! In the question of whether it is worth visiting, the answer is YES! The view from up there is really impressive and you can see the architectural details of the temple as well!

The above will definitely get you about 3-4 hours at least so it’s time for a some good breakfast in one of the many stylish italian bakeries! The prices are not particularly steep considering that you are in the center of Milan but definitely worth tasting those delicious cakes while overlooking the Duomo square!

Galleria Vittorio Emanuele

Our walk continues as we proceed to the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele the oldest commercial center of Milan and a typical meeting point of the city locals! It connects the Duomo square with La Scala Square and is a real piece of art. With a glass roof that allows the sun light to enter it creates wonderful reflections with the colored floor! You can enjoy your coffee while watching people passing through one of its many corridors!

La Scala

The world-famous theatre-opera of Milan La Scala!  La Scala Di Milano is considered to be one of the most important theatres, operas, ballets of the world and attracts important artists! If you are lucky enough you should pay a visit for a unique experience!  We did not have much time and days to watch a performance but we enjoyed the view of the theater from the park across the street with our breakfast cupcakes! Also, for those who want to see something similar you can visit the Apollo Theatre of Syros island, in Greece, which is considered as the miniature of the Scala di Milano!

Parco Sempione-Castello

A huge park spreads through the castle of Milan! Admission is free and there are also several exhibitions that you can visit at a low price, tickets are available there on site! A wonderful green park inside of which there is a cheap café in which we rested for a while and enjoyed an Italian authentic espresso! Walk up to the arch Arco della Pace and head back again!

Basilica of Sant Ambrogio-San Maurizio al Monastero Maggiore-Early Christian churches-The Last Supper…

There are many points of interest such us temples and cathedrals which you can visit according to your time scheduule and mood! There are many tourist maps that you can have for free at the airport!  We had visited a few of them the last time we were in Milan so this time didnt have to rush in order to explore the whole city!

Corso Vittorio Emanuele

The most famous and commercial street of Milan, worth visiting both for those of you who want to live the shopping experience ala Milanese as well as for those of you who just want to feel the Italian air while having some italian style lessons! Get to the San Babila metro station and from there by Metro head to our last travel stop, which is no other than the Navigli area at Porta Genova metro station stop.

Navigli District

A hipster area full of cafes, bars and flea markets! Ideal for happy hour dinner in one of the many shops offering  aperitivo plus buffet dinner at affordable prices starting from €10 per person!

For the closure of the day we recommend to have another one aperitivo at one of the terraces at the Duomo square to enjoy the noght view of the Duomo cathedral! There is a chance you may not find a table so it is advisable to make a reservation prior your arrival.

We hope you got some  Italian air and hope to see your photos from Milan soon!

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