LATEST ARTICLES

View of three boys and their sneakers. You can see them from the waist down. One child has ice cream cone in hand.

7 Tips for Choosing Kids Shoes for Italy + My Recommendations

Helpful tips for choosing the right kids shoes for Italy – for your baby, toddler,…

Mother and son hold hands and stand on stone steps in front of old door. Photo only shows them from waist (her) and neck (him) down. They are wearing pants and sneakers.

The Best Shoes for Italy in 2023 – Advice From 20+ Years of Guiding & Traveling in Italy

Intro – been walking Italian streets since 2003 as a solo traveler, guide, and now…

Inside a cave room at Caveoso Hotel in Matera, Italy. You can see the bed, a large mirror, and more furniture in the background.

Matera, Italy Cave Hotels – 9 Things to Know Before You Book!

Are you heading to the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Matera’s Sassi and the Rupestrian…

Boy wearing backpack and walking down steps in Matera, Italy.

Matera with Kids – How to Best See the City of the Sassi with Your Family

Are you planning on visiting Matera with your kids but are overwhelmed with all of…

Summer Camps in Italy (Updated for 2023)

Are you traveling to Italy this summer and wondering if there are any summer camps…

Large olive tree on left, blue car in pullout on side of road in Puglia, Italy. Sunny day.

Driving in Puglia – Helpful Info & Tips for Your Trip

Did you just book your rental car and now want to do a little prep…

Group walking down path in the Grotte di Castellana in Puglia. You can see stalactites and stalagmites surrounding the path.

Grotte di Castellana (Castellana Caves) – How to Visit Them (+ Tips)

Are you thinking of visiting the Grotte di Castellana but aren’t sure if you should…

Two boys standing on a terracotta terrace with bunches of handpicked roses. Their faces are covered with graphic hearts.

Mother’s Day in Italy + 12 Special Italian Experiences for Your Mom

Are you wondering when and how we celebrate Mother’s Day here in Italy? Maybe you’re…

Boy running down small cobblestone street in whitewashed city of Locorotondo in Puglia. Tables and chairs of restaurant on right and you can see people in the background at the end of the street.

Locorotondo with Kids – 7 Tips for Your Visit

Locorotondo is my favorite small town in Puglia, so it always makes it onto my…

View of Locorotondo, Italy from below. You can see the white buildings of the town and below it are vineyards and olive groves. It's a sunny day with blue sky and no clouds.

A Quick Guide to Locorotondo, Italy – My Favorite Small Town in Puglia!

I’ve been visiting Puglia since the early 2000’s, first as a cycling guide, and now…

Boy in red shirt walking toward famous blue door of Ostuni, Italy. Cacti in pots on either side of door and bicycle on right.

Ostuni with Kids – Our Family’s Advice for Visiting the ‘White City’

Puglia is an excellent destination to visit with kids and one of the main reasons…

Tiny piazza in Ostuni, Italy. White walls, laundry hanging in right foreground, plans in post on steps on left. Steps leading up street in center of foto.

Ostuni, Italy – One-Day Itinerary for Puglia’s ‘White City’ (+ Map & Tips)

Ostuni, Italy is definitely more popular than when I first visited in the early 2000’s…

Photo collage of dinosaur skeleton, iris, cookies, and funicular, all from Bergamo, Italy.

Bergamo with Kids – What to Do (+ Map & Tips)

Bergamo isn’t the first place you think of for a visit with kids, but that’s…

View of Piazza Duomo in Bergamo, Italy from above at the top of the bell tower. It's a sunny day and there are whispy clouds in the sky.

How to Spend One Day in Bergamo, Italy (2023 Capital of Culture)

Have you spent time in Milan elbowing your way through the crowds and now you…

Car sitting in the Bergamo airport car rental lot.

Bergamo Airport Car Rental – Guide & Tips for Orio al Serio Airport

Are you planning on renting a car at the Bergamo Orio al Serio Airport (BGY)? …

Busy car rental desks inside Milan Malpensa airport. You can see signs for Avis and Budget. People waiting and you can see suitcases.

Milan Car Rental – Guide & Advice for Malpensa Airport & the Central Train Station

Are you getting ready to book your rental car in Milan but aren’t sure if…

View of Völs am Schlern (Fiè allo Sciliar) from above in the Dolomites, Italy. There is a paved path with green grass on both sides. You can see mountains behind the village.

Völs am Schlern, Italy (Fiè allo Sciliar) – A Perfect Dolomites Base

Völs am Schlern is our family’s favorite base for visiting the Dolomites in Italy. I…

Gondola with gondolier in Venice, Italy.

How to Take a Florence to Venice Day Trip in 2023

First off, you may be going back and forth on whether you should attempt a…

Boys walking down pedestrian street in Scicli, Sicily on a sunny day.

Scicli, Sicily – How to Spend One Day in the City of Caves

Scicli, Sicily – say that 10 times fast! Scicli, pronounced SHEE-klee, is one of the…

Boy standing in the Roman Forum and pointing up to something. He's standing on a large cobblestone road and you can see ruins in the background and Roman buildings.

Best Places to Visit in Italy with Kids

Italy is one of the most incredible places in the world to travel with children!…

people walking in the center of Castelrotto in Italy. There are buildings on either side and a cobblestones street. You can see low green mountains in the background.

Visiting Castelrotto (Kastelruth) Italy – On a Day Trip or as Your Dolomites Base

Castelrotto (aka Kastelruth), loved by Italians and visitors, is one of the Borghi più belli…

Printable Italy Train Map + Tips for Planning Your Train Travel in Italy

Are you looking for a printable Italy train map so you can highlight train routes…

Castelrotto (Kastelruth) with Kids – Your Family-Friendly Guide

Castelrotto (aka Kastelruth in German, Ciastel in Ladin) is one of the prettiest and most…

View of the road to Passo Giau in the Dolomites, with Averau mountain in the background. The ground is covered in green grass.

Driving in the Dolomites – 11 Tips for Navigating Italy’s Mountain Roads

Are you planning a Dolomites road trip? Or maybe you’re basing yourself in a couple…

Boy in stroller with grassy hillside on right and village of Fie allo Sciliar in the background. The stroller is on a gravel trail.

Fiè allo Sciliar (Völs am Schlern) with Kids – Our Family’s Home Base in the Dolomites

If you’re planning a visit to the Dolomites with kids, I highly recommend using the…

Children walking on a wide gravel path lined with tall bushes and trees in the Boboli Gardens in Florence, Italy.

Boboli Gardens – A Local’s Guide + Helpful Tips

Are you trying to decide if you should add the Boboli Gardens to your Florence…

View of a couple of the thermal pools at the free public Petriolo hot springs in Southern Tuscany, Italy. River and big trees in the background. There are a few people in the hot springs and the river.

Petriolo Hot Springs in Tuscany – Are They Worth a Visit?

Are you trying to decide if you should visit the Petriolo hot springs (aka Bagni…

Colorful buildings on the canal island of Murano in Venice, Italy.

Islands of Venice – Which One Should You Visit?

Venice’s mainland is fascinating enough but its islands, each with its own distinct character, open…

View of Saturnia's public hot springs, the Cascate del Mulino, in Tuscany, Italy.

Saturnia Hot Springs – Your Complete Guide to Tuscany’s Most Spectacular Hot Springs

You’ve likely seen or heard about Tuscany’s most famous hot springs – the Saturnia hot…

Vineyard and blue sky with puffy white clouds in Tuscany, Italy.

Italy in September – Your Complete Guide from Someone Who Lives Here

September is a popular month to explore Italy for many people – Italians, Europeans, and…