Bellissimo Italy!

I had the pleasure of visiting Italy this summer and it was in a word, Bellissimo!  Our family spent two whirlwind nights in Rome and managed to fit in a tour of the Colosseum, a pasta making class, the Trevi Fountain, lots of delicious food and of course, gelato.  We also did an early morning tour of the Vatican which I would recommend.  We stayed within walking distance of the Colosseum.  We put on many miles walking the city and enjoying all of the beautiful architecture.  We could have stayed longer in Rome, but the Amalfi coast was calling!

We took high speed rail to Napoli and had a private driver pick us up for the remainder of the drive to Sorrento.  He was a wonderful driver and he entertained us with stories of his youth growing up in Naples.  Our home base in Sorrento was the Hilton Palace and it was a beautiful hotel!  It sits above the city and is a short walk into town to enjoy all of the restaurants and shops.  We loved the Italian aperitivo and the aperol spritz is my new favorite!

We did a day trip to beautiful Capri and a morning tour of Pompei.  We had a private guide for our tour of Pompei and she was a walking history teacher.  We learned so much more having her guide us through the ruins than we ever would have on our own.  We loved Sorrento and the laid-back atmosphere of the town.  Strolling through the streets at night, enjoying the people, delicious food and views of the sea was delightful!

For our final night we stayed in Napoli and enjoyed a food tour with a local.  We enjoyed Napoli pizza, the most delicious buffalo Mozzarella, homemade pasta and had a real Italian coffee experience.

Italy is for families!  If you are thinking about a first time Europe trip with your family, I would highly recommend it.  We still talk about it and all of the wonderful experiences we had there.  I would recommend private tours or small group guided tours if possible.  We had some excellent tour guides and learned so much about the country and its history from all of them.  We did go in August, and it was very warm.  We had a very small window of time that we were all able to travel together and the weather was manageable.  Going in August is manageable as long as you’re prepared for the crowds and the weather.  The private and small guided tours were also very helpful and, in many instances, we were able to skip some very long lines. 

If you’re thinking of a family trip to Italy or anywhere in Europe next summer, please consider me as your Travel Advisor.  I would be happy to plan a family vacation as wonderful as ours and help you make those amazing family memories along the way!