Italy Trip Recap
We are officially home from Italy after having the best trip! As promised, I’m sharing a full breakdown of our trip here. This blog post will be long, but I’m doing my best to answer all the questions you sent in. I’ll start by giving a trip overview, then I’ll break down an itinerary for each city we went to, I’ll answer FAQ regarding VAT refund, driving, money, etc.
Disclaimer:
I first want to start by saying that I am NOT a travel expert and this is only my first time going to Italy. I highly recommend that you look to other sources for information while planning your trip. There are so many incredible people who devote all of their content to Italy recommendations, city guides, how-to’s etc. You can just go on TikTok and search “day trip to Florence” or “Lake Como Guide” and you’ll find TONS of great ideas. These travel influencers/creators are way more experienced than I am and you’ll probably find better recommendations from them!
I am in NO way saying, “This is the ultimate Italy guide!” Or “Here’s everything you must do on your trip to Italy”… Please do not base every restaurant and activity off of what we did… I don’t want that kind of responsibility lol! Last thing I’ll say on this topic is that we all like to travel/vacation differently. Some people value fine dining while others value hole in the wall restaurants. Some value art and history while others value adventure. Some value peaceful beaches while others value bustling cities… Italy has it ALL and I would hate for someone to copy and paste our trip only to find that it wasn’t what they valued in a trip…. OKAY now that my disclaimer is out there, here’s a breakdown of each city!
Quick Trip Overview:
Our total trip was 10 days which felt like the perfect amount of time for the cities we hit and what we did. We flew into Milan and went straight to Lake Como for 2 days, then took a train to Florence for 2 days, then rented a car to go to the Tuscan Countryside for 3 days, then drove to Rome for 2 days. We flew out of Rome.
Logistics:
We used a travel agency, Cadence Travel, who helped us with the following:
Rental Car
Other transfers (train, private drivers from airport, between cities)
Tour guides / activities
Dinner reservations (some)- we made some of our own reservations through apps or restaurant websites or we’d get recommendations from concierges help us book. Some of our favorite meals came from concierge recommendedations.
Hotels (if we wanted them to…we used them for half the hotels, as we used points for the others). They also have travel agency benefits that were passed along to us like a $100 credit at each hotel, automatic upgrade, early check in, and welcome gifts
Booking flights (if we wanted them to, but we used points and booked on our own)
City Breakdown
Quick note: I’m not sharing every single restaurant that we ate at because not every single restaurant was noteworthy (some I honestly don’t even remember). On some of our busy days, we’d just pop into a random place to grab a sandwich for lunch or for breakfast we’d just get a croissant and fruit. I’m mainly sharing dinner spots.
I will mark my favorite restaurants and activities with ***.
LAKE COMO:
LAKE COMO: 2 nights 2 days
How we got there:
We flew into Milan where we met a driver who took us to our hotel.
Stayed at:
Il Sereno - we absolutely loved this hotel and would definitely go back. It was right on the water with an infinity pool and stunning views. The staff was incredible and we felt so comfortable there. It was a newer hotel with a more modern (yet still organic /lake) vibes and everything was just perfect.
We loved starting our trip with a slower pace at Lake Como. The second we arrived, we changed into swimsuits and hung out by the pool which was so relaxing after an insanely long travel day … I forgot to mention our flight got delayed 7 hours so we were exhausted and of course jet lagged! It was the perfect way to start the trip.
Ate at:
Ristorante Momi: Our first night we had the hotel arrange a driver to take us to dinner and we ate ate Ristorante Momi. It’s a waterfront restaurant and it was beautiful, but we didn’t love our food. It could have just been what we ordered, but it was a miss for us. We still had a great time and the location was amazing, but just not the best meal we had.
Al Lago: Our second dinner in Lake Como was the Michelin Star restaurant at our hotel. We went in with high hopes but the food was a little too unique for us… Again, just sharing personal opinions! We still had so much fun and the drinks were great, but the food wasn’t our personal favorite.
Activities:
Boating:*** We rented a boat for the day through Como Yachting (Ricardo) and he picked us up right at our hotel. We boated on Lake Como and he stopped to show us celebrity houses, etc. It was so fun! He dropped us off at Bellagio for a couple hours so we could explore. There are tons of cute shops and restaurants in Bellagio. Then we got back on the boat and boated around a little more before he dropped us off at our hotel. This was definitely a highlight of our trip!
Our hotel had smaller boats that you could rent and drive yourself, so we also rented those… we just loved being on the water and couldn’t get enough!
Lake Como Thoughts:
Overall, loved Lake Como and looking back, we could have done one more day there to really explore. In the moment though, I was excited to keep moving to our next destination so 2 days felt perfect. Lake Como is so much bigger than I expected and I feel like we barely scratched the surface! We definitely want to go again!
FLORENCE:
FLORENCE: 2 Nights 1.5 Days
How we got there:
We had a driver take us from our hotel at Lake Como to the train station in Milan. We took the train from Milan to Florence and had a driver pick us up at the train station to take us to our hotel.
Stayed at:
St. Regis- we absolutely loved this hotel and would definitely recommend it! It is an older hotel with tons of character and detail. Our room was beautiful and the staff was incredible. The concierge was super helpful with restaurant recommendations as well. The location was perfect because we could easily walk to the main sites in Florence (or we could take an Uber if we were going further).
Ate at:
Caffe’ Italiano: We went here for dinner one night and loved their pizza as well as the truffle burrata.
The Antico Ristoro di Cambi: This one was pretty good if you’re in the area!
Osteria del Pavone: *** One of our favorites from the whole trip! The food was incredible and they had a great selection of natural wines. We loved the sommelier (he’s only there on weekends).
Gelato:
La Strega Nocciola*** loved this gelato!
Gelateria Della Passera: *** the best gelato we had the whole trip!
Vivoli- this was really good too but def go to the others
Activities:
Tour: *** We did a tour Sireon Tours with Emanuela Gavili (our travel agent booked it). This was another highlight of our trip. We loved doing this tour in Florence because it really helped us see so much of the city and also appreciate the beauty and history. Our guide was amazing (which could totally make or break it). We walked all around the city and then ended in the Galleria dell'Accademia to see the Statue of David and other exhibits. We loved it more than we ever expected! Also, I should note that this was a private tour, not a group tour.
Shopping: The shopping in Florence is amazing. Lots of designer shops but also tons of boutiques and non-designer brands. We had so much fun just walking around and shopping/ window shopping.
Florence Thoughts:
We really loved Florence but I could see how someone could go and not feel the same. It is a busy city and can be a bit overwhelming at first so I highly recommend going in with a plan and not just having a day wide open. We loved our tour and our meals, drinks, and gelato and also loved just strolling along the river at night. It was an amazing stop for us!
TUSCANY:
TUSCANY: 2 nights, 2.5 days
One thing to note about Tuscany, is that it is massive and sooo spread out. Technically Florence is in Tuscany, so when I say Tuscany, I’m referring to the Tuscan Countryside. When you do research about Tuscany you might find 2 restaurants that you want to check out and they’re 3 hours apart… so although I’m sharing where we ate and what we did, it might be nowhere close to where you’re staying so keep that in mind! You will definitely want to research other recommendations!
How we got there:
Cort picked up a rental car in Florence and we drove to our hotel in Tuscany. I’ll talk more about the rental car/ international driving info in the FAQ below. PS- technically Florence is in Tuscany, so when I say Tuscany, I’m referring to the Tuscan Countryside.
Stayed at:
Belmond Castello di Casole- This hotel was actually a medieval castle converted into a stunning resort with breathtaking views. The grounds were just beautiful and so picturesque. The service was incredible and we loved the on-site restaurants.
Ate at:
Tosca:*** This restaurant was at the hotel and we absolutely loved it. Everything from our food to drinks to dessert were 10/10.
Caffe Casolani: This was a village close to our hotel that we explored one evening. The food was amazing and we loved it although we went to it because it was close to were we stayed and I wouldn’t recommend driving a long way to go to it!
Osteria Di Fonterutoli:*** One of my favorite things I ate on this whole trip was their ravioli! I will dream about it! We went here for a wine tasting and lunch and if you happen to be near here, I think it could be worth checking out!
Activities:
Wine tasting & Olive oil tasting at Felsina: We had so much fun doing our wine tasting and olive oil tasting here and the property was stunning! Again, there are sooo many wineries in the area so definitely go to one close to where you’re staying!
E Bikes through the countryside:*** This was an absolute highlight of our trip! We rented them through our hotel and biked up to a village near our hotel (Mensano). I’ve heard lots of resorts in Tuscany have E-Bikes to rent, or you could probably get them through a rental company. It was such a fun activity to do!
A couple other areas that we explored were: Casole d’Elsa, Siena, and Fonterutoli.
Siena: Siena is a fun and beautiful area to explore if you’re in Tuscany! We loved it however a lot of restaurants and shops were closed when we went for a holiday!
Tuscany Thoughts:
We had so much fun in Tuscany but it was also the hardest adjustment in our trip. Everything was so spread out and you definitely need a rental car to get around, so it wasn’t as easy to just hop around from place to place. This could be different depending on where you stay! We were there for 2 and a half days and one of those days happened to be a holiday so everything was shut down or if we went somewhere that was open, it was kind of a ghost town. This made it hard to accurately assess the area. It just felt a little sleepy for us, but it also could have been different if we went during a different time. It was nice not feeling like we were in a crazy busy touristy area, but a few more people would have made it a little more fun! Overall, some of our favorite memories from the trip were in Tuscany (our e-bike ride and wine tasting) and we also loved the food! It was so beautiful and I’ll never get over some of those breathtaking views!
ROME:
ROME: 3 nights, 2 days
How we got there:
We took our rental car from Tuscany to Rome and then dropped it off when we got there. Ubers/taxis were super easy to get in Rome which was nice, but we also walked a ton!
Stayed at:
Rome Edition- This was a great hotel and it’s brand new (which we love) but they were still working out a few kinks! Technically we went during their soft opening. But we still really liked it. Location was walkable to some areas, but we also did use Uber a lot! Even with Ubers, we did a TON of walking in Rome.
For Rome restaurants, you definitely need reservations or you can go early and put your name on the waitlist. The Trastevere neighborhood is packed with tons of great restaurants!
Ate at:
Rosciolo Caffe Pasticceria:*** A few friends and a ton of you recommended this place and it was amazing. We went for breakfast and you can either stand at the bar or sit down. We stood at the bar and got espressos, breakfast sandwiches, and pastries and the pastries were the best things I’ve ever had in my life.
Roscioli Salumeria con Cucina:*** We ate here for dinner and had the best (and strongest Negronis) and amazing pasta. Another one of our favorites from the trip!
Felice Testaccio:*** Another favorite meal and the tiramisu dessert was insanely good!
Taverna Trilussa: Ate here for dinner and thought it was great!
Enoteca L’antidoto: *** We loved this natural wine bar and also loved their appetizers!
Activities:
Tour of Vatican City: We did a tour of the Vatican through Sireon Tours (our travel agent booked it). I highly recommend having a tour guide if you’re going to do this because we were able to skip lines with her. We toured St. Peter’s Basilica (which was BEAUTIFUL), and we also toured the Vatican Museum and Sistine Chapel. Looking back, I think we could have skipped the Sistine Chapel… it was super crowded and small whereas the Basilica is massive and just so majestic! We did not like our specific guide on this tour as much as our Florence tour, but we still enjoyed it and loved seeing all of the beautiful art. Also, I should note that this was a private tour, not a group tour.
We also did lots of sightseeing and shopping! Walked to the Spanish Steps, Pantheon, Trevi Fountain, and stopped into a few churches! The shopping in Rome is amazing!
Rome Thoughts:
We had a lot of fun in Rome and ate some of the BEST food. Definitely go in with a plan, because it’s a HUGE city and there are just so many restaurants and crowds and is definitely the most touristy of the cities we went to. There are lots of different areas in Rome so it can be a little hard to navigate without an idea of what to do. Also make sure to wear bug spray because the mosquitos are INSANE. On our last day in Rome, we were ready to go home. After 10 days of go go go, it felt like time! Although we loved Rome and I am really glad we went, I don’t know that I’ll go back for a while or if I do, it would be like a quick one day trip as I’m passing through… just to eat some yummy food ;)
ROME RECS:
Rome was the one place that I asked you all for recommendations…. Here’s the main ones that I received!
Rome Recommendations -
Trastevere Neighborhood #1 recommendation for food, drinks, & to wander
Lunch/Dinner: Osteria de Fortunata, Tonarello Restaurant, Taverna Trilussa, Antico Arco, Rosciolo Salumeria, Da Enzo al 29, Osteria Nannarella
Gelato: Giolittl, Old Bridge, Fridgidarium
Drinks: Hotel de Russie for courtyard cocktails, The Court bar, Adele Mixology Lounge
Bakeries: Roscioli Bakery,
Pizza: Dar Poeta, Emma Pizza,
Tour: The colosseum, Vatican, St Peters Basilica, Pantheon, Watch the sunset on the Spanish steps, Vespa Tour
ITALY FAQ:
Travel Agent: Cadence Travel…who helped us with the following:
Rental Car
Other transfers (train, private drivers from airport, between cities)
Tour guides / activities
Dinner reservations (some)- we made some of our own reservations through apps or restaurant websites or we’d get recommendations from concierges help us book. Some of our favorite meals came from concierge recommendedations.
Hotels (if we wanted them to…we used them for half the hotels, as we used points for the others). They also have travel agency benefits that were passed along to us like a $100 credit at each hotel, automatic upgrade, early check in, and welcome gifts
Booking flights (if we wanted them to, but we used points and booked on our own)
I want to note that we weren’t thrilled with this agency and won’t use them again for future travel. Nothing terrible, but the communication and planning leading up to the trip wasn’t great. Logistically, everything on the trip went great, but we would try someone new next time!
International Drivers Permit
Cort went to local AAA with his drivers license, they processed it and gave him international permit in 10 minutes…no tests or anything, just need a valid license, and need to be traveling within the next few months, and pay $20.
Note that not all countries internationally require an international drivers permit, so check online first.
Cort felt completely safe driving! Italy is on the same side of the road and Google Maps helped with everything. Only difference is KM vs. MPH, which is still pretty easy to get used to.
Cash/Credit Card
Didn’t bring any Euro’s with. Used debit card to withdraw money at the nearest ATM when we first landed…as bank exchange rates are usually best when there. Have an ATM card that has very low fees for international withdrawals. Just pulled out money in each city as we needed more.
In general, almost all restaurants / activities / merchants took credit card, and we were able to use our normal AMEX card. There were only 1 or 2 restaurants that didn’t accept AMEX, so we used cash or our non-AMEX cards.
Cell Phones/ Sim Cards
We have AT&T, who has an international feature that charges $10 per day for unlimited international talk and text automatically…so no need to call them or mess with sim cards. It’s $5 per extra line on the plan, so we were charged $15 every day that we used international texting or calls without wifi.
VAT/ Tax Refund
DISCLAIMER: DO YOUR OWN RESEARCH. I AM NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR YOUR TAXES. I AM NOT AN EXPERT. GOOGLE IS PROBABLY BETTER THAN ME
In general, major purchases / designers offer tax free shopping options in Euro-based companies as a refund (VAT). So when you buy a purse or bag from a designer’s retail store in Italy, they ask if you want a VAT refund. If so, you have to bring your passport while shopping (some accept photos), and they will fill out a form at the time of your purchase. You pay the full tax there (~14-22%), but then can get a refund when you go to the airport to leave.
The store will give you a paper form for you to scan at a kiosk at the airport, but you can also use an app called Global Blue, that keeps track of all these purchases. Then there is a kiosk where you scan your Global Blue app into and it automatically processes the refund.
Note that you have to do this BEFORE checking in your bags and going into security, it’s essentially a kiosk right next to the airline check-in counters.
Then when you fly back to the US and go through customs, they will ask you, are claiming any items, or did you buy any leather goods. You have to declare any of these purchases and pay a local sales tax here in the states. You can buy $800 per person ($1600 for a couple) without paying any taxes, but then pay a 3-9% tax on everything above that…which is still cheaper than paying true sales tax sometimes here domestically. This is all done at customs right when you land back in the US. They will walk you through the process. DON’T TRY AND CHEAT THE SYSTEM. IF YOU DO, YOU CAN GET INTO TROUBLE AND IT’S NOT WORTH IT. We kept all of our purchases in a carry-on bag in case they needed to physically see them but they did not ask to look (sometimes they will look). We were able to pay our tax fee with a credit card.. (they did not charge us much), and then we were on our way. It was an easy process and they were super nice and helpful! They ended up not charging us the full tax amount.. which I hear happens a lot, but don’t expect that because you never know. Even if they charge you the full tax amount, it’s still worth it! They thanked us for being honest and organized and told us they were just charging us a smaller %. This has happened to multiple friends. It’s better to just be honest in my opinion!
In general, designer purchases are cheaper in Europe already being that they are closer to the manufacturers home (ex. buying Italian designer products in Italy is cheapest). So you are saving two ways (1) cheaper goods in Europe sometimes and (2) lower taxes via the duty free exemption compared to sales tax depending on what state you live in here in the US.
Links
The luggage I used on this trip! I took the small as my carry on and checked the size medium!
The camera I used on the trip!
You can shop all my looks from the trip here!