Exploring Italy

March 17, 2024

Is it still worth getting a Rome tourist pass in 2024?

by Elisabeth Bertrand

Rome wants to eliminate ticket scalpers and has made several changes to the way you buy tickets for major attractions and museums. It may seem complicated at first, but we promise to enlighten you as to what makes the best city pass for Rome. We'll have a look at the different types of pass available and the differences between them. We'll also have a look at whether you're in need of a Rome city pass, such as the Roma Pass, or any other type of pass. In short, we've done our research with the help of Sandrina Bokhorst, an expert on Rome.
March 17, 2024

Welcome Cards for Italian cities, which ones should you buy?

In Italy, there is no shortage of discount or welcome cards to visit cities and museums, as well as free public transport. But you need to know which ones are worth it and which are not. The way they work is not always easy to understand either. And how can you tell the difference between the official cards issued by the city and the ones from commercial companies?
March 08, 2024

Naples, Italy: the best authentic restaurants

by Elisabeth Bertrand

Naples boasts an abundance of fine restaurants where visitors can savour the exquisite traditional dishes of the local cuisine. However, there are also a few places that have become true institutions, deeply intertwined with the city's cultural landscape, celebrating the stars of Italian gastronomy, the pizzas, the caffès, the delicacies and the fried street food. Naples is obsessed with food, and with the Neapolitans, it's all about the sweet stuff. Pastry shops stay open until late.
March 04, 2024

Unique wine resorts in Italy to stay and taste

September marks the start of Italy's heavenly food season, when the vineyards are in full party mode and most of the tourists have gone home. The best of Italian cuisine comes to the table! From north to south, these are Italy's finest wine resorts, where vineyards and tastings make you feel in paradise. Treat yourself to the most sublime red and white wines and haute cuisine.
February 26, 2024

Pegli and the Villa Durazzo Pallavicini - Slow Food & Italian gardens

by Elisabeth Bertrand

So, what could Pegli actually be famous for? It's not the train station, but perhaps it should be, as the Victorian overpass and the railway lines bordered with small palm trees are a sight of romantic splendor that seems like it could come straight out of a scene from a Harry Potter novel. In terms of historical significance, the Villa Durrazzo Pallavicini (see below) is probably the most famous landmark, with its Italian landscape and botanical gardens truly a masterpiece.
February 26, 2024

Appian Way - The best free sightseeing tour in Rome

by Elisabeth Bertrand

In my opinion this is the best free sightseeing in the world. Several years ago, I was fortunate enough to reside merely a whisper away from the ancient cobblestones of the Via Appia Antica (The Appian Way). It became a cherished ritual to meander along this historic pathway with my dog, beneath the towering cypress sentinels, occasionally traversing lands under the Pope's watchful eye, and now and then, finding ourselves gently ushered off the lawns by a robed guardian. Open the map to see the itinerary.
February 21, 2024

What does a travel agent actually do that you cannot do yourself?

by Nelleke Pruijs

Does your travel agent, advisor or consultant (different names for the same job) wave at you from her Tik Tok, Instagram, or Reddit account as if she were holidaying on an island in the South Pacific or a romantic terrace in an even more romantic village in Italy? If you think that's the life of a travel agent, nothing could be further from the truth! Trust me, I have been an "industry expert" for over 40 years, I know what I am talking about. 
February 18, 2024

Italian truffles 1.01 - everything you need to know

by Wijnand Luttikholt

There are at least 8 different types of truffle in Italy, including the coveted white truffle. Piedmont, Tuscany, Emilia-Romagna, Umbria and the Marche are among the most popular regions for truffle hunting. You can't just go truffle hunting on your own, you have to have official permission. Traditionally, pigs were used to find the truffles. Nowadays, dogs are used, mainly for practical reasons: they don't damage the roots and are easy to train. A lot easier to control then a rabid truffle pig on a rope.

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