This Week in Travel Vol.4 (Italy Edition!)

There are so many travel blogs & publications I read on a daily basis! Wanted to share some of my favorite links, articles, info graphics and tips from around the web this week.

• 10 hilarious travel gear fails. #5 & #7 are my favorites.
• Lonely Planet guide to Italy.
• How not to look like a tourist in Rome! 
• Yours truly is quoted on #4 of the 10 Perfect Vacations Awards. Capella is my favorite!
• The Anti-Tourist travel laws. These are actually really good points!
• Florence: do this, not that.
• 11 tips Italians want you to know. These are really great!
• 23 beautiful photos of Florence - swoon. It was also voted the best city in the world this year!
• Tips for dining out in Italy. Taking notes on this one!
• We watched this video of Cinque Terre... while cheesy, it's so BEAUTIFUL and I can't wait to go!
• Italian wine map by region. Più vino per favore!
• These are the best 50 hotels in Italy. We're staying in Airbnb apartments, but these are gorgeous.
• Ghost tours in Italy. We're going on this one in Venice!
• 7 of the best wineries in Tuscany. Yes, please!
• These photos will make you want to visit Venice.
• 10 dishes to try in Italy that aren't pizza!
• Beginner's guide to Italian wine. :)
• A little day trip from Venice, just an Island away.

We leave FRIDAY! I can't wait! First stop is Cinque Terre. Just to give you an idea....

The perfect little coastal set up.... with the most perfect view....

Just add a bottle of wine & I'll probably move in forever. We did our preliminary packing this weekend and everything fits like a glove in my little 45L backpack. I decided to swap out My 2nd pair of jeans & button up for another sweater dress & tights. The weather is looking pretty nice (high's in the 60's!) and I like dresses more than jeans anyway :)

Here are a few Italy posts you might have missed around here:

• How to survive long haul flights in coach
• Packing for Italy in the Fall PLUS Packing Math
• Choosing the Perfect Airbnb in Cinque Terre (results above!!!)
• International Travel Checklist & Timeline
• How to travel for free (aka, how we're flying to Italy!)

Cheers to another great week!
xo

This Week in Travel Vol.3

There are so many travel blogs & publications I read on a daily basis! Wanted to share some of my favorite links, articles, info graphics and tips from around the web this week.

• 6 things frequent flyers are terrified of (like the middle seat!!!). This made me laugh :)
• Good souvenirs & where to get them in Mexico. (Here are some souvenirs to avoid)
• Great jumping off point for a carry on packing list!
• All about contact-less credit card payment when you travel (here's my favorite credit card!)
• 28 great books for long flights 
• If this is true, I'll be THRILLED. Flying with regular liquids (over 3.4oz) might be legal again in 2016.
• Florence is #1 - I can't wait! Here are the top 10 cities to visit in Europe.
• If you pay for these 5 upgrades, is it really worth it?
• The 12 travel mistakes you think you're too smart to make! (I'm secretly terrified of #9)
• The world's only airport brewery!
• These famous landmarks have selfie bans. THANK GOODNESS.
• These are great tips to save money on accommodation! (They're very similar to my tips for Luxury on a Budget!)
• The 10 best cocktail bars in Brooklyn. Cheers.
• What happens when someone sneezes on a plane.... EWWW!

Today is actually our 2 year anniversary.... yay! (More about our wedding, here) I have to say, marriage is the best adventure I've ever been on. And being married to someone who loves to travel as much as I do... priceless :)

All wedding photos by Eden Frangipane 

Yes, we're making out in almost every picture. I can't say much has changed (which I think is a good thing ;) I love an excuse to look through our photos & remember that beautiful, perfect fall day.

Although I wish we could re-live our Honeymoon, I'm  excited to celebrate in Italy in less than 2 weeks! 
I love you, Matt! 
xoxox

How to Choose an Airbnb in Cinque Terre, Italy

We are getting SO excited for our anniversary trip to Italy! 

When we decided to do this trip, we planned on finding a mix of hotels & Airbnb apartments. We didn't find any hotels we thought were worth it, so it's four Airbnb flats around Italy for us! We absolutely LOVE Airbnb, so I'm definitely not complaining.

Our first stop is Cinque Terre. 

via

We're flying into Genoa and taking a train to Cinque Terre for our first two days. Cinque Terre is made up of five little villages on the coast. Our plan while we're there is to hike along the trails and to enjoy the charming coastline. 

map via

Unlike Rome & Florence, full of relics, statues and cathedrals to see, Cinque Terre IS the sight (at least in my opinion!) I'm really looking forward to starting our trip off with some old fashioned exploring.

Now, let's talk accommodation. With the quaint vibes of Cinque Terre, I wasn't expecting the Four Seasons experience. I'm very much looking forward to the cozy experience Cinque Terre has to offer! Here's what we considered in finding our Airbnb apartment in Cinque Terre.

Private Room or Entire Home

Previously when using Airbnb, we choose the "Entire Home" route. However, in Italy, guesthouses are very common. You have en suite bathrooms and mini kitchens (coffee & tea with a small fridge), so you really don't need much more. Think about what you want and need from an apartment and if you want to pay a premium for the entire home.

little mini kitchen in a CT apartment (it was booked for our dates!) via 

Location

Cinque Terre itself is very small. No matter where you are, there are busses back and forth between the towns often and takes 10-15 minutes max. Location really is relative here, and I think the next point is more important than ACTUAL location :)

Room With A View

With gorgeous coastline abounding, how could you not pick a place with a view & a patio to enjoy it?

This is the view from our apartment! I imagine myself polishing off a bottle of wine after hiking the coast all day. 

We searched through a wide range of budget because often times you can find some gems for less! 

Here are a few other views we were interested in:

sadly this one wasn't available for our dates! via

This one unfortunately was only available for a single person. via

This one was twice the price of ours - so I think we made the right decision! via

Amenities

Everyone is different & wants different things in their accommodation. For me, I'm reeeeeeeally trying to pack light for this trip (this is my backpack for 10 days!), so I'm thinking of what I can leave behind. I really don't want to carry a blow dryer, but know I'll need it once or twice - so we chose a location with a hair dryer and other essentials. 

Another essential we wanted was wifi so we were able to look up local shops, restaurants, and information on public transportation. Although almost all Airbnb locations seem to have wifi, it's still good to make sure!

If you have a question about what amenities your location has, always feel free to message the host. The Airbnb community is extremely nice & they can fill you in!

Reviews

Always read the reviews. You'll be able to tell quickly if one person was disgruntled, or if the host is quick to put out fires. The nicest of places might some with a bad apple of a host, so you'll want that information to help you decide where to book.

I'm so excited to get there and settle into our little apartment for a few days!

Have you ever used Airbnb before? If not, check it out! It's one of my favorite ways to travel! If you're a first time Airbnb'er, use this link to sign up - you'll get $25 off your first booking (and we'll get $25, too!)

xo

Other posts you might enjoy:

International Travel Checklist

Using Passbook to Stay Organized on Trips

How To Pack Light & Always Carry On

Non Traditional Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving.... over two weeks late. I hope it was wonderful :) We've been gone since the end of November, but I'm so happy to be home!

We celebrated Friendsgiving the Tuesday before with our Village. I cooked my first turkey and managed not to screw it up! (Thanks, Williams-Sonoma Brine!)

Only 'group photo' we took... whoops. That could have gone better.

Getting ready for dessert!

We had a great time. If you notice all the funny hats, they are from our Christmas Crackers we each had. Have you ever done them? When I lived in London, everyone had them around the holidays and I thought they were so much fun. You always get a paper crown, and some type of toy, riddle or gadget. They're kind of silly, but it's a fun tradition that I stole from the Brits, because it's just fun :) I bought them at TJ Maxx, but have also seen them at Target.

The morning of Thanksgiving, we boarded a plane! We spent 90% of our Turkey Day on three different planes and in four different airports.... whew! Luckily, our second flight had free satellite tv, so I was able to watch the Macy's Parade! Gotta love technology.

I mentioned our Honeymoon in Mexico at a resort called Capella Ixtapa in the Zihuatanejo region. It's beautiful and remote, and we just love it.

there.

We were blessed enough to find that gorgeous resort on a Flash Sale via Jet Setter (seriously, sign up NOW) for about 60% off regular cost, and decided to take a mini-cation to celebrate our first anniversary and have ourselves a non-traditional Thanksgiving. 

We tacked it onto another trip, which I'll explain more about in the next few posts.

But as assumed, it did not disappoint.

We ate and drank to our hearts content, enjoyed every sunset on the balcony, swam in the pool, visited the shops in town, finished a few books and just generally enjoyed each others company while being unplugged. We even saw three whales playing out by the islands in the bay, schools of fish jumping around, and tons of beautiful birds. So pretty!

view from the balcony

inside

outside. Paradise, right?

First sunset.

Reading by the pool!

Enjoying the chips, salsa, guac and cervezas they delivered to our room each night!

Dip in our personal pool.

Down by the hotel pool

Tapas menu and my Diet Coke.... i only drink it in Mexico!

We were really stressed, as you can see.

Matt asked for "Chips and Salsa, Mas Grande" for lunch.... and this is what happened. DELICIOUS.

Sunset.

Never gets old.

bathing suits are on, i promise!

After breakfast one perfect morning.

I mean seriously. What a forecast for November/December!

These are all iPhone pics, I have a few on my camera as well. But I think it's so beautiful, it almost doesn't matter the quality of the pictures!

Can it be our anniversary every day?

I want to go back.... NOW. I asked if the hotel was hiring, and I was only half kidding.... because if I could live there, I think I would! Also, we were leaving Mexico and heading straight to Bozeman, Montana.... aka, the Arctic Tundra. More on that later... but let me give you a hint: 100 degree difference in temperature. YIKES! 

Have you been to Mexico? If you are married, have you ever revisited where you honeymooned?

xo