Traveling Lately: Italy & Switzerland
Traveling Lately: Italy & Switzerland
three weeks worth of travel tips for the European vacation of your dreams
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Welcome to another edition of Traveling Lately! As you almost certainly know by now, I spent July traveling around Italy and Switzerland during what was one of the best months of my life.
I’ve had many people request our travel itinerary so here it is! Share it with a friend if you feel so inclined.
I can take almost no credit for any of the following recommendations or itinerary highlights, as my boyfriend planned our entire trip. But I know he won’t mind me passing the research along to you. It’s a lot, so if you just want to scroll and look at the photos, that’s okay, too. And at the bottom, I’ve also linked my travel essentials and books I read on the trip.
So without further ado, here is an itinerary of our trip, where we stayed, what we did, and a promise that if you copy us, you will have the trip of a lifetime.
Rome (3 Nights)
WHERE WE STAYED: Domus Alberti Bed & Breakfast
Our accommodations got nicer over the course of three weeks of traveling (the right way to do it, IMO) but if you are looking for a well located, affordable, solid place to rest your head while spending the day out and about sightseeing, then Domus Alberti B&B will do.
HOW WE GOT THERE: We flew from LAX to CDG (Paris) to FCO (Rome)
Then once we arrived in Rome, we took the train from the airport into the city, and Domus Alberti B&B is about a 15 minute walk from the train station.
WHERE WE ATE:
Firstly, breakfast was included in where we stayed (hence the breakfast part of Bed & Breakfast.) It was nothing fancy, but was plentiful and tasty.
I’m going to be honest; the food in Rome was not great, though Rome does have four pastas it is known for: carbonara, cacio e pepe, amatriciana and gricia.
We did have a few good meals, but we also had the worst pizza we’ve ever eaten in our lives. So just know going in that google reviews here cannot be trusted. Everywhere else you go in Italy will taste better. Places in Rome I would recommend eating though…
THINGS TO SEE AND DO:
Rome has no shortage of historical sights that will take your breath away.
The Vatican: St Peter’s & Sistine Chapel & museum
We purchased tickets in advance for timed entry (9am) to avoid the crowds
We also avoided waiting in longer lines by walking up the steps to St. Peter’s Dome, rather than taking the elevator
Trevi Fountain
It is always going to be crowded, but we found that around 8am it wasn’t terrible. We were able to get a few good photos then.
Colosseum, Roman Forum, & Palatine
We booked a tour with Carpe Diem Tours and highly recommend!
Pantheon
Free entry on Sundays, otherwise 5€ if bought direct
Spanish Steps
Campidoglio
Circus Maximus
Basilica Papale di Santa Maria Maggiore
Trastevere Neighborhood
Pompeii (a day trip)
HOW WE GOT THERE: Train
We took the train from Rome Termini to Naples Centrale, then from Naples Garibaldi (which is attached to Naples Centrale) to Pompeii Scavi (Villa dei Misteri) station.
THINGS TO SEE AND DO:
Take a guided tour. It’s worth it. We signed up for a Viator’s Small Group Tour with an Archaeologist.
After the tour finishes, you can check out and walk through active dig sights
You can also store your luggage at Pompeii, which makes it an easy stop going from Rome to the Amalfi Coast with carry-on bags
Sorrento (2 Nights)
We used Sorrento as a jumping off point for visiting Capri (see below for details) and dipping our toes in Amalfi, before heading down to Positano for a few nights. So we didn’t do TOO much actually in Sorrento. But the town is small and you don’t need much time to fully explore and enjoy.
HOW WE GOT THERE: We took the train from Pompeii to Sorrento
WHERE WE STAYED: B&B Maison D’Art
This B&B was located in the dead center of town, a short walk from the train station or ferries, so perfect for once again just needing a place to rest our heads while we explored the surrounding areas.
WHERE WE ATE:
THINGS TO SEE AND DO:
As I mentioned, Sorrento is small, so you can easily just wander and see it all.
Piazza Tasso (central square)
Corso Italia (main shopping street)
Piazza della Vittoria
Marina Grande (harbor area)
mentioned above, this lemon grove in the middle of Sorrento has delicious drinks and ice cream
Capri (a day trip)
HOW WE GOT THERE: We took the ferry from Sorrento
THINGS TO SEE AND DO:
Book a private boat tour of the island. It was easily my favorite part of our entire trip, worth every penny
We skipped the Blue Grotto because the line to get in was two hours long and our private captain took us into plenty of other beautiful caves.
Take the funicular up from dock to explore the town
We were fortunate enough to spend the rest of our day at Grand Hotel Quisisana so we didn’t get to see the things listed below, but if we’d had more time we would have
Giardini di Augusto
Punta Tragara
Visit the town of Anacapri
Take chairlift up to Mount Solaro
WHERE WE ATE:
As I mentioned above, we were super lucky and had the opportunity to enjoy lunch at Grand Hotel Quisisana, followed by an afternoon at their pool
Chiosco Tizzano di Natalia e Antonio Tizzano S.N.C.
We got the iconic sorbet in a lemon from this spot thinking it might be touristy and mediocre, but it was absolutely delicious!
Positano/Nocelle (3 Nights)
HOW WE GOT THERE: We took the ferry from Sorrento to Positano and then a cab to Nocelle.
Note that you can take the bus to Nocelle, but I wouldn’t recommend it with your luggage. The bus and cabs depart from from Piazza dei Mulini in Positano.
WHERE WE STAYED: Casa Cuccaro B&B
As we drove out of Positano and up into the hills of Nocelle, I was nervous. Until I saw the breathtaking sea views of this stunning coastal town. Everyone should stay at this magnificent B&B. We spent one day exploring Positano, and the rest of our time in Nocelle unwinding on our magnificent balcony and dining at local restaurants steps away from Casa Cuccaro.
WHERE WE ATE:
Some of my favorite meals I’ve ever eaten. You can’t go wrong.
Rifugio Dei Mele: breathtaking views and incredible food, even if you aren’t staying in Nocelle, it’s worth the drive up
Il Chiosco del sentiero degli dei: Fantastic sandwiches, juices, and the best bruschetta we have ever had
Posides: only 15 seats in the restaurant, you can’t request the balcony but we were lucky enough to be seated on it. The food and the views were unreal (I realize I’m a broken record, but it’s true.) The menu changes often — its written daily on a chalkboard — but if they are offering the creme brûlée in a lemon, definitely order it! Click below to see what we ate.
THINGS TO SEE AND DO:
Explore the town of Positano
I highly recommend shopping at CB Positano and Luisa Positano for the most beautiful sundresses
Path of the Gods Hike
We didn’t do it and if you stay up in Nocelle like we did, you really don’t need to in order to experience the incredible views
Beaches: Fornillo is the less crowded beach, Spiaggia Grande the more famous one
You can also take the ferry to Ravello or Amalfi for day trips — we opted not to since we were enjoying our time in Nocelle so much
Florence (3 Nights)
HOW WE GOT THERE: We took the fast ferry from Positano to Salerno and then a high speed train to Florence
From the train station, we walked easily to our hotel.
WHERE WE STAYED: Hotel La Gemma
WHERE WE ATE:
We LOVED the food in Florence. It really felt like no matter where you wandered into, you couldn’t go wrong. But here are a few jumping off points…
Vivoli Il Gelato — worth the hype for the affogato & the line moves quickly
Perche No — incredible gelato, and there are dairy free options available
THINGS TO SEE AND DO:
Cinema Odeon Firenze — bookstore in a movie theater…heaven
Galleria dell'Accademia di Firenze — we got tickets in advance for early entry to see Michelangelo's sculpture David, among other things, before it got too crowded
Piazza della Signoria
Duomo, Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore
Ponte Vecchio
Buy leather — after much research, my boyfriend purchased a beautiful wallet at Pelletteria Fratellini - Leather Shop
Watch the sunset at Piazzale Michelangelo
Pisa/Lucca (a day trip)
A very easy day trip from Florence by train and where we spent my birthday! First, we took a train to Pisa to see the leaning tower. Then we took a train to Lucca to explore the town. Lucca was a surprise gem for us, and it is absolutely worth making time to visit. The below food recs are located there.
WHERE WE ATE:
Ciacco — we ate one of the best sandwiches we’ve ever had here. It had spicy fig jam, and it was fabulous.
THINGS TO SEE AND DO:
In Pisa (all of which can be seen as you walk from the train to the leaning tower)
Leaning Tower of Pisa & the rest of the Duomo Complex
Piazza dei Cavalieri
Borgo Stretto
Lugarno
In Lucca
Piazza dell’Anfiteatro
Guinigi Tower
Piazza Napoleone
Mura di Lucca
Torre delle Ore
Chiesa di San Michele in Foro
Duomo di San Martino
Sienna (2 Nights)
HOW WE GOT THERE: We rented a car in Florence and drove.
We rented a car with Knowleggi and definitely recommend using them. Renting a car allowed us the opportunity to explore smaller cities and towns in Tuscany without being beholden to a tour bus schedule.
WHERE WE STAYED: Villa del Sole
This was our home base for exploring Tuscany. Beautiful views from their patio.
THINGS TO SEE AND DO:
Piazzo del Campo (including Torre del Mangia and Palazzo Pubblico/Museo Civico)
Duomo di Siena
Fortezza Medicea
Basilica Cateriniana San Domenico
With our rental car we drove to:
San Gimigano
a small town you can easily wander through to take in the historic sights
Chianti
Val D’Orcia
Pienza
Chapel Vitaleta
Lake Como (3 Nights)
HOW WE GOT THERE: Cars, Trains, & Ferries!
We drove the rental car back to Florence and took the train to Milan. Then took another train to Varenna-Esino, where we hopped on a ferry to Bellagio.
WHERE WE STAYED: Borgo Le Terrazze
The views from our room and the pool were absolutely breathtaking. As seen below. If you’re anything like us, sure, you traveled all this way, you’ll want to see Lake Como’s other towns. But also, no you won’t. You’ll just want to spend all your time at the hotel.
WHERE WE ATE:
Okay, here’s the thing we learned about Lake Como…the ferries are unreliable and there are next to no cabs. So if you don’t have a private car or private boat, it is sort of difficult to get around, especially at dinner times since the ferry stops around 7pm.
So we ate a lot of our meals at the hotel (this is easily the worst thing about this hotel, the food is mediocre & even though they have a bistro, they say that they “do not claim to be a restaurant.” Not sure how that works.)
THINGS TO SEE AND DO:
There are a few towns around the lake. We didn’t get to everything because we decided to prioritize enjoying our hotel. If you stay in Bellagio like we did, I Giardini di Villa Melzi is a highlight. We went twice.
If taking the ferry to Menaggio & Tremezzo…
Villa Carlotta
Villa del Balbianello
Mürren, Switzerland (4 Nights)
The surprise highlight of the trip. I’m not convinced Switzerland is a real place and not just a magical fever dream, to be totally honest.
HOW WE GOT THERE: Cars and trains and cable cars, oh my!
We rented a private car to take us from Bellagio to Lugano. From there, we took a train from Lugano to Lucerne, Lucerne to Interlaken, Interlaken to Lauterbrunen, a cable car up to Grütschalp, and then a train to Mürren.
WHERE WE STAYED: Hotel Eiger Mürren
I cannot tell you how much we LOVED this hotel. The amenities, the views, the food, the service. 10/10 no notes.
WHERE WE ATE:
We ate all our breakfasts and dinners at the hotel. They were phenomenal. We should have done lunches here, too, that’s all I’ll say.
THINGS TO SEE AND DO:
Once again, we didn’t do as much as we thought we would 1) because the weather wasn’t great, but 2) because we didn’t want to leave the hotel. Mostly we just enjoyed the pool and saunas and walked around the town a bit. If you do want to leave the hotel, there are lots of hikes to go on or you can…
Explore Mürren
Explore Lauterbrunnen
Explore Grindelwald
Take the train up to Jungfraujoch
On our way to flying out of Zurich, we also stopped in Lucerne for the afternoon.
Things to see…
Kapellbrücke
Spreuerbrücke
The old town (see clock tower, town hall, Weinmarkt)
Musegg wall & towers
The lion monument
Promenade Luzern
And thus concludes the trip! If you made it through all of that, you deserve Swiss chocolate.
My Travel Essentials
I have many of my favorite travel items — like my Kindle, suitcase, and sneakers, saved to my Amazon Store Front.
My amazon storefront also has a section for everything I’ve read so far this year (including my many vacation reads.)
Plus, as always, sharing my Tavi Active discount— code SAMANTHA for 20% off site-wide from Vooray, TAVI, and ToeSox, and code SAMANTHA30 for an additional 30% off sale items.
The light - what lovely photos and thank you for sharing some of the places you visited and where you stayed and ate!
I have not been to any of these places but who says I can’t live vicariously through you? Great pics and descriptions of your great adventures! Thanks Sam! ❤️