ITALY TRAVEL GUIDE: FLORENCE, ROME, & POSITANO

Oh Italy, where do I even begin? This was by far my favorite trip I have ever taken (besides our honeymoon of course)! From the food to the culture and scenic views, Italy is just magical. I have been dreaming of going to Italy since high school and as soon as we got married we said this was going to be a trip we do before we have kids. So after a year of planning we finally went in September and it was the most perfect time to travel there. The weather was amazing and the Amalfi coast wasn’t as crowded as it normally is in the summer! When we first started planning I had a list a mile long of places I wanted to go but we could only go for a total of 10 days so I had to narrow it down. So we decided that we would start in Florence and see Tuscany while we were staying there, then do Rome to see all of the historical spots, and end on the Amalfi Coast to relax, which was amazing!

We did use Bowden at Brownell as our travel agent. She was so helpful and we used this agency for our honeymoon as well. It was helpful to have someone plan our tours and our transportation from city to city, highly recommend! We also went mid September which was perfect! The weather was amazing.

FLORENCE

One of my most favorite cities I have ever been to and Judson loved it just as much! You can see the entire city by foot which was so fun! Some of my favorite meals of the trip were here. We stayed 3 nights but I could have stayed longer!

WHERE TO STAY:

Hotel Balestri: where we stayed! A small hotel right on the Fiume Arno (the river that goes through the city). This hotel was great to come back to at night but to be honest we were never in the hotel but to sleep! Affordable, clean, and nice. Florence was such a fun, exciting city and this hotel was perfect because it was close to everything. We walked everywhere! We told our agent we wanted to stay close to everything but would rather spend our budget on our hotel on the Amalfi Coast since we would be at the resort a lot more!
Hotel Lungarno
Hotel Brunelleschi
The St. Regis Florence
Belmond Villa San Michele - a little out of the city but looked beautiful! Want to definitely stay here one day!

WHERE TO EAT:

Soooo many great places! I had a list a mile long so will name all the ones we ate at and others that were on my list.

Ristorante Paoli - we went here right when we landed for lunch and it was recommended by our hotel. It did not disappoint! the Tagotiolini “Paoli style” was amazing!
Buca Lapi - went for dinner. Got there before it opened because we didn’t have reservations and thankfully got a seat, it was delicious! I got the Cannenolli and Judson got the Ribbon pasta with wild boar. Both delicious.
Ristorante del Fagioli - recommended by our cooking class chef, was a local favorite and so good!
Aqua al 2 - recommended by multiple people and it did not disappoint, would make a reservation! The Blueberry Steak is a must!
Ora D’Aria - recommended to us but we never got to go
Shake Cafe Firenze - a healthier place that was recommended to us as well that we didn’t have time for!
Simbiosi - also didn’t get to go to but heard they have great pizza
4 Leoni - wished we could have tried - was told to try the pear pasta
Pino’s - also a recommendation we didn’t get to try but heard they had the best paninis
Il Latini - also wish we got to try for dinner

GELATO:

We ate gelato daily!

La Strega Nocciola - amazing!
Amorino Italia
Perche No
Sbrino
Vivaldi

WHAT TO DO:

Cooking class - one of our favorite things we did on the trip! Our travel agent booked it at Apicius(International School of Hospitality). Our chef was amazing and taught us so much. She also took us to the local market before we cooked and we got to buy all the fresh olive oil and balsamic we could want. That was one of our favorite parts then we went back to cook! We got to pick from options of what to cook and we chose the bruschetta, tagliatelle with fresh tomato sauce, chicken breast Florentine style with spinach and grandma cake. Everything was delish and we got to bring home the recipes!
Walking Tour with Guide - this was amazing because we had our own private English speaking tour guide that took us to see David (the famous statue) and we got to skip lines and go through the Accademia museum as fast or slow as we wanted which was nice because 30 minutes or so was plenty! Then she took us around the city by foot and told us about all of the history and showed us all the must see spots. So glad we did this!
Tour of Chianti Region and Lunch at Casa Emma - this was an all day tour of the Chianti Region and we had a driver that took us through Tuscany and the country side. Our driver also stopped and showed us around little villages which was so cool. Then we had lunch and a wine tasting at Casa Emma the cutest small vineyard! This was one of the best meals I have ever had and the wine was amazing! We got some to bring home and will definitely be ordering more!
Shop! - so much great shopping in Florence! We got to see the original Gucci and Gucci Garden was also really great to see!
Walk to the Duomo - the most beautiful cathedral!
Watch a sunset at Piazzale Michelangelo - the best view of all of Florence! a must!
Have an afternoon drink at the cafes and people watch - one of our favorite things to do after a long day of walking

ROME

We took a train from Florence to Rome and stayed there for 2 nights. Insane to walk around and see ancient ruins all over the place! So much history which we enjoyed way more than we thought we would! Have to take taxis or Ubers most of the time and they can be hard to get but we did do a ton of walking when we couldn’t find one so wear comfy shoes!

WHERE TO STAY:

Hotel Barocco - our travel agent booked this and it was the cutest boutique hotel ever! We got upgraded to the cutest suite and the staff was so helpful. Would definitely stay here again and it was very reasonably priced! Also had breakfast included which was nice because Italy doesn’t have a very big breakfast scene, so we would just eat light at the hotel and have our cappuccino and wait to have a big lunch! Highly recommend this hotel!

WHERE TO EAT:

Emma - great spot for pizza, we had lunch here!
Trattoria Al Moro - was one of my favorite stops in Rome! They had great pasta! The Spaghetti alla Morro was the best.
Dar Poeta - great pizza in Trastevere (a really cute area)
Dal Bolognese - had on our list but never got to try
Roma Sparita - in Trastevere, we tried to go here both nights and couldn’t get in so make a reservation in advance! Heard they had the best Cacio e Pepe ever!
Le Mani in Pasta - also wish we got to try!
Gli Agglienti - didn’t go but need a reservation
La ZanZan - heard was great place for lunch near Vatican
La Scala - in Trastevere
Ditirambo - heard they had amazing carbonara
Antico Forno Roscioli - pizza
Pizzeria Ai Marmi - our tour guide said was amazing! In Trastevere and only open for dinner
Da Fortunata - tour guide said was amazing and had the best fresh hand made pasta
La Bolognese - on Piazza del Popolo - highly recommended
Antica Pesa - Trastevere area also highly recommended

GELATO:

Giolitti - soooo many people recommended this to us and it was by far our favorite gelato of the whole trip! a must!
Neve Di Latte

WHAT TO DO:

We had never been to Rome so we did all the historical and touristy things which I highly recommend if you have never been!

The Vatican - we had a private English speaking tour guide who was so sweet and we learned so much from her! Was such a cool experience. You do have to have tickets for the Vatican and your shoulders and knees need to be covered.
Trevi Fountain - very touristy but a must! had to throw in a coin and make a wish.
Spanish Steps - near great shopping so we just walked and saw it briefly and shopped!
Vespa tour of the city - our travel agent recommended this and it was so much fun. Great way to see the city especially if you are only there for two days like us. We had English speaking drivers that told us all the history and took us to cool must see spots and stops all throughout Rome.
The Colosseum - need tickets for this. Very touristy but so amazing to see!
Walk through the Trastevere area - such a cool place to eat and shop and just walk around
Pantheon - awesome to walk through and see - do not need tickets and it didn’t take us long at all

POSITANO/PRAIANO

I have been dreaming of the Amalfi coast for years and it was everything and more! We took a train from Rome to Naples and then had a car that picked us up and drove us to Casa Angelina. We spent four nights here and could have stayed longer. So many towns to explore and so much to do. We went in September which was perfect because it wasn’t too crazy packed but still warm enough to swim and all of the seasonal restaurants and beach clubs were still open! Be prepared to walk up and down a lot of steps, so wear sandals or sneakers!

WHERE TO STAY:

Casa Angelina - this was recommended by a friend and it was by far the most amazing experience! It is located in Praiano which is not far from Positano at all. They had a shuttle every hour that would take you to Positano or you had an amazing pool at the resort! Also they had a collaboration with One Fire Beach Club which was right below the resort where you could get seats reserved! This was one of our favorite parts! We had the best time at Fire Beach and wish we had more days to go again!
Le Sirenuse - right in the middle of Positano
Villa Treville Positano
Il San Pietro

WHERE TO HAVE A COCKTAIL:

Casa Angelina - if you stay here the views are amazing and they had the most amazing limoncello mojito! Be sure to get ready for dinner early and have a cocktail before your shuttle to Positano!
Le Sirenuse Champagne and Oyster bar - we went here for apps and drinks to watch the sunset before a late dinner! We got the best drinks and of course had to try some fresh oysters. Go early if you want a table!
Franco’s - also owned by Le Sirenuse and it’s located not far from it. This bar was always packed when we tried to go with a line down the street so we never got to try it! We tried multiple nights to get there early enough to secure a seat but never made it in time so go super early!
There are also a few bars on the beach in Positano and we tried a few of these for a drink before dinner as well!

WHERE TO EAT:

Positano

Ristorante Max - we ate here our first night and it was amazing! A few people had recommended this and it was great. We ate outside in the garden which was beautiful! I got the lobster pasta and it was incredible! Need reservation.
Di Vincenzo - this place was delicious!! We got the mussels to start which we heard were a must and of course pasta! Everything was amazing. Get a reservation!
Chez Black - very touristy but still was fun and I say a must! Our food was delicious! Our hotel got us a reservation here easily because they collaborate with them as well which was nice because it is usually packed! It is located on the beach which was fun.
Da Adolfo for lunch - didn’t go but wanted to!
Casa e Bottega - we went for a light breakfast! The only healthy place I saw at all! It was nice to get a green juice for breakfast before eating more carbs for lunch!
Il Ritrovo - located high above Positano and you need a reservation so they can come pick you up! Never got to try but heard great things

Praiano

La Strada - we decided to go here last minute for dinner and it was delicious! Had great pizza and pasta! Was just up the steps from Casa Angelina and not as crazy packed as all of our dinners in Positano which was nice!
Casa Angelina - we had breakfast included here every morning and it was the most amazing breakfast ever! Fresh fruit galore and every pastry or breakfast dish you could imagine with amazing views to match! We also ate lunch here by the pool twice - their pasta was amazing!
One Fire Beach - we also ate lunch here while laying out! They had great pizza, wine, and drinks.
Kasai - owned by same people as One Fire Beach and we heard it was amazing but we never got to try it
Ristorante Franchino - was also recommended to us but we never got to try!
Little Pizza - also a recommendation we never got to try

WHAT TO DO:

Shop in Positano - they have the cutest shops! Especially all of the ceramics. And they had great local clothing stores and shoe stores!
Hike the Path of the Gods - we did this one morning and it took until after lunch to finish! This was definitely a lot more challenging than you think. We took the path from Casa Angelina all the way up over 1,000 steps and ended in Positano. Make sure to take a lot of water! And if you are afraid of heights I would not recommend it because there are a few spots that are right on the edge and were a little freaky. But the views were stunning and can’t be beat! It was also nice to get some exercise in between all the carb loading we were doing!
Relax at Casa Angelina - we did this after our hike. It is hard to beat the pool at Casa Angelina with the views of Positano and the coast right in front of you! Not to mention the beautiful lemon trees they have right over the pool!
Private boat tour to Capri - this was by far our favorite part of the trip! Our boat picked us up from below our resort and took us to Capri and to tour all of the grottos! One thing on our bucket list was to swim in the Blue Grotto and we were thrilled when we got to! Our boat driver pulled us up as close as he could and we got in one of the Blue Grotto workers boat but we had to tip him big time and pay to get in! The Blue Grotto was so packed and the tide was coming up so we didn’t have long before they closed it down but it was worth every penny! They don’t let you jump in and swim but since we tipped the guy really well he let us! That is something that was on our bucket list for forever and was so cool! After the Blue Grotto our boat driver took us to all the other grottos and all around Capri. We also stopped and ate lunch at La Fontelina which is a popular, picturesque beach club. The one with all of the blue and white umbrellas. It was amazing!
One Fire Beach Club - even if you don’t stay at Casa Angelina this place is a must in my book! If you do stay at Casa Angelina then you get your beach chairs for free and they will reserve them for you if you ask! We spent our last day here and it was beautiful! We made a few friends and got to see the watermelon boy which is an experience to say the least! We had lunch here and also got to swim in the ocean which some days you can’t if it is too rough. This place is our favorite and we would have gone everyday if it had been open!

THINGS TO NOTE:

Tipping in Italy is very different than in the U.S. Our travel agent informed us that it is welcomed and appreciated but not expected. If you are happy with your service then she said to tip as follows:
- Tour Guide Half Day - 20 euros
- Tour Guide Full Day - 40 euros
- Transfer Driver - 15 euros
- Driver Half Day - 20 euros
- Driver Full Day - 40 euros
- Housekeeping staff - 2 euros/day
- Hotel Porters - 50 cents per bag
Order Euros from your bank before hand! Wish we would have ordered more because most of the ATMs we went to over in Italy had a ridiculous service charge!
Arrange transportation before you go! We had all of our train tickets and drivers set up beforehand which was super helpful. Or a lot of places you can get a taxi or uber like in Rome or Florence but the Amalfi coast it is harder to.

Overall this trip was one of the most special trips we’ve been on! There is so much amazing culture and history in Italy. And not to mention the food is delicious! Italy is a dream and I only hope I can go back many more times to explore so many other parts of it or just do this trip all over again because it was magical!

Hope this guide helps you and if you have any questions please feel free to ask! Happy travels!

xo, Kylie