Postcards from Italy
Naples
We used Naples as a base for the first 2 nights to go off and see other things, but whilst there we saw Castel Nuovo which was very cool – We paid the extra 10 Euros for the guided tour as well which was worth it! It gave us access to more of the castle, including the roof which gave some great views over the city and ocean.
We also did day trips to Pompeii and The Royal Palace of Caserta.
Pompeii was huge, and you need a good half a day there to get around everything.
The Royal Palace was absolutely beautiful! We got a direct train to Caserta from Naples Central which stops opposite the palace, so it is really easy to get to. HIGHLY recommend a visit if you have half a day or so spare. The gardens were huge and took us around 40mins to walk from one end to the other, but they do have golf buggies and little shuttles running (for a fee) as well as e-bikes to hire.
Positano
Castellammare di Stabia/Sorrento/Amalfi Coast
After Naples, we headed to Castellammare di Stabia for 3 nights and really loved it. It was a smaller town which wasn’t super touristy, with a very family-friendly feel to it. We chose to stay here as it had easy transport options to get around to most places that we wanted to see. You can get a train to Sorrento, Pompeii and Herculaneum or the ferries go to Sorrento, Positano, Amalfi and Capri.
It was considerably cheaper staying here than in the more touristy spots, and there were plenty of places to eat and drink in the town too.
We did a day trip to Positano and Amalfi using the ferry, which gave us around 3 hours in each town. We felt this was plenty of time for us to get some lunch, wonder around the streets etc.
If going, you must get a lemon sorbet which is served in a fresh lemon – so yummy and refreshing!
We did a separate trip to Sorrento using the train, and whilst there had lunch in the restaurant where the cannelloni were first created - O'Parrucchiano La Favorita. The food was delicious, the service was great and the restaurant itself was just stunning. All of the tables are in a large, secret, covered garden at the back which has lots of greenery and lemon trees growing. From the front, you would have no idea! They then have another little fruit and veg garden hidden behind which you can wonder around after your lunch. The tomatoes they were growing were huge!
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Rome
We really enjoyed our time in Rome, but had to do A LOT of walking to get around. Bring comfy shoes! We did spend a lot of time in queues to get in anywhere, so any bucket list sightseeing I would recommend heading to first thing in the morning to make sure you can get in if not purchasing a skip-the-line guided tour.
One evening, we booked ourselves in to a “Spritz and Spaghetti” cooking class which was great! We learnt how to make fresh pasta and the accompanying traditional sauces, along with Aperol, Campari and Limoncello Spritz cocktails.
For dinner, I highly recommend heading to the Trastevere area. Loads of great eateries and bars lining the little alleys in this area. Getting suppli (a bit like an arancini) from Suppli Roma is a must, as is a visit to Trapizzino for a pizza pocket or Alice Pizza where you can order slices of different pizzas by weight!
Other food highlights were the Magnum Pleasure Store, not far from the Spanish steps, where you can customise your own magnum ice cream. Or for Tiramisu, Two Sizes and Mr 100 were both fab!
Chianti Vineyard Tour
Florence/Pisa
We stayed just outside of Florence which gave us a few days in a more relaxed atmosphere which was very welcomed! We actually stayed on a campsite in a self-contained cabin, and we would definitely stay there again! They had plenty of facilities including a supermarket, café/restaurant, pool bar, pools, laundrette etc. It was super easy to get into town as well, with a shuttle service provided by the campsite, a bus that stopped just a few minutes down the road, and a train station about 10 minutes’ walk away.
We did a day trip to Pisa to meet my sister who flew in to spend a few days with us. There isn’t a whole lot in Pisa, so half a day is plenty to see the sites, walk along part of the old city wall and grab some lunch.
From Florence, we also did a Chianti wine tour which was a lot of fun! We visited two very different vineyards, trying 4 wines at each along with olive oils, balsamics and some meats and cheeses. Would definitely recommend!
In Florence itself, it is mostly full of art galleries, so perfect if you are into that sort of thing. Look out for the wine windows and little local wine bars too! I had a lovely glass of wine for 2.50euros in one place!
Also, a walk up to Piazza Michaelangelo was one of the highlights for us. You can get “Jumbo Spritz” to go from a little bar at the bottom of the hill, and then sit at the top enjoying your drink and the panoramic views over the city.
Como
We only had two days in Como, but it was stunning! A great place to go at a slower pace and take in your surroundings. There are some great little lakeside eateries and bars, as well as some hidden gems around the town. And you can also jump on the ferry and visit other lakeside towns if you wanted to.
We did walk around to Cernobbio one morning which took about an hour. Half of the walk is along a pathway right on the lake, and the second half is just up from the lake. It was a really cute little lake-side town if you fancy the wonder. You can also just get a bus!
Milan
We stayed in Milan on our last night to be able to fly out of Malpensa. The city was very clean and felt quite safe walking around.
The cathedral was stunning, so would recommend a visit here. We also walked over to the Sforzesco Castle which is huge and very well preserved! It was quite impressive really, and the big park next to it is great for a stroll and a picnic.
There are plenty of nice restaurants in Milan, including quite a lot with Michelin Stars so it was fab for foodies like us.
We treated ourselves on our last night to a restaurant called Mu Dimsum which was the best Chinese food I have ever eaten in my life! I will be dreaming about their Peking duck for years to come!