Italy
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Travel Guide: Naples Top Things to See and Do
Naples is a port city in the Campania region of southern Italy. With 4.4 million inhabitants it’s the third largest city in the country. Most visitors flying into Naples airport don’t stop off to explore the city but instead pick up hire cars and head south to explore the Amalfi coast. Despite the city previously…
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A day in Ventimiglia, Italy
From our base in Nice we planned a day trip to Ventimiglia, 8 km across the border in western Liguria, Italy. We took the 10:36 train from Nice Ville station (single tickets €8 for the 55 minute journey). As with our visit the previous day to Antibes we opted to buy single tickets as these…
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Pisa’s Hidden Gems: Discover the City Beyond the Leaning Tower
Our final day in Pisa and an opportunity to explore some of the city’s less well known sights. Our first stop of the day was the University of Pisa Botanical Gardens (Orto botanico di Pisa) nestled on the street behind its more famous neighbour, the Leaning Tower. Admission to the gardens and botanical museum is…
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Day Trip from Pisa to Livorno: Explore Tuscany’s Charming Port City
We were up bright and early and after enjoying our second socially distanced breakfast in the hotel’s restaurant we were ready to go. Our original plan for the day was to take the train to Lucca but on discovering that replacement buses were operating on the route with a reduced timetable, we decided to change…
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A Day in Florence from Pisa: Must-See Sights and Itinerary
After a good night’s sleep we took the lift downstairs to discover what a post COVID-19 breakfast would be like. At check-in we’d been informed that breakfast would take place in the restaurant as usual so we headed in there to find out what was on offer. To our relief, the buffet breakfast that we…
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Discover Pisa: A Guide to the City’s Best Sights and Hidden Gems
If I had a spring in my step a few weeks ago as I boarded my first long distance train for over four months, I was even more excited at the prospect of taking to the skies again. As soon as travel restrictions had been lifted, we searched for flights and decided that a weekend…
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Palermo City Centre Walk – Explore the Heart of Sicily
Our final day in Sicily began slowly with a leisurely breakfast on our shady balcony. As our British Airways return flight to London wasn’t due to depart until 20.30 we had arranged a late check out, enabling us to have access to our apartment until late afternoon. We started the day with a stroll along…
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A Day in Sferracavallo, Sicily from Palermo – Coastal Escape
Wondering where to visit on our final full day in Sicily, I came across some photos of Sferracavallo which appeared to be an idyllic fishing village nestled below some rugged cliffs, so we decided to head there. It’s located 13km north west of Palermo in the Capo Gallo Nature Reserve. It’s quite close, but very…
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Spend a Day in Trapani, Sicily from Palermo – How to Get There and What to Do
We woke to yet another hot, sunny morning and decided to spend the day in the port city of Trapani. Getting to Trapani from Palermo is by Segesta Express bus and this service departs from the left hand side of the railway station. Return tickets cost €14.10 each and do not need to be purchased…
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Mondello, Sicily from Palermo by Bus – What to See and Do
A lazy start to our Sunday morning with a relaxing breakfast out on our terrace. Feeling ready to set off, we wandered through Palermo’s historic quarter, passing the vast Teatro Massimo and continuing along to the newer part of town with its designer shops. Soon, we arrived at the Teatro Politeama in the Piazza Ruggero…
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How to Visit Monreale, Sicily from Palermo – what to see and do
Our plan for the morning was to visit the small town of Monreale which sits perched on a cliff top above the city of Palermo. Getting to Monreale is quite easy as AMAT Bus 389 departs from Piazza Independenza taking just 20 minutes to the hilltop town. When travelling on Italian buses it’s necessary to…
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Day Trip by Train from Palermo to Cefalù, Sicily – What to See and Do
Our plan for the day was a trip to Cefalu, an easy 59 minute train journey from Palermo. Tickets cost €11.20 each return by regional train and we opted for the 9.38 a.m. service as the next departure was not for a further two hours. Our train departed on time and for the final 30…
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The Perfect Day in Palermo, Sicily – What to See and Do
A leisurely start to the day with breakfast on our terrace. It was almost 10.00 a.m. when we stepped out of our apartment strolling the short distance to the nearby Ballaro outdoor market which seemed much larger than when we briefly visited the previous day just as it was about to close. I was tempted…
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How to Get from Catania to Palermo, Sicily by train
We were up bright and early for our 9.35 a.m. train to Sicily’s capital, Palermo. After checking out of our apartment we trundled our luggage along to Catania Centrale station and purchased two single tickets at a cost of €13.50 each. There is no need to buy the tickets in advance as the tickets remain…
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Visiting Acireale from Catania, Sicily – Day Trip Ideas and Things to Do
It was our last full day in Catania and we decided to spend the morning in Acireale, six miles north east of the city. We travelled there by train taking just 10 minutes with return fares €5 each. On arrival in Acireale station we discovered that it was located 3km out of town. I don’t…
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Everything You Need to Know About Taking the Circumetnea Railway Around Mt. Etna, Sicily
It was a short walk from the apartment to the small Catania Borgo station located near the main Via Etnea thoroughfare. A rack railway operates from this station taking passengers around the perimeter of Mt. Etna and we decided to travel as far as Randazzo, a small town nearest to the summit of the volcano.…
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Day Trip from Catania to Syracuse and Ortigia, Sicily – What to See and Do
It was back to the railway station again after breakfast for a train from Catania to Syracuse. Return tickets cost €14.50 return and are valid on any regional train services. We’d decided to take the 10.30 a.m. train and discovered that this was to be replaced by a bus due to weekend track maintenance. After…
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By Train to Taormina, Sicily from Catania – top sights to visit
After a leisurely breakfast of Parma ham and buffalo mozzarella on freshly baked bread we set off for Catania Centrale station, a lengthy walk from our apartment. On arrival we purchased return tickets from Catania to Taormina (€9 each standard return). Tickets are valid on any regional trains but need to be validated in the…
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Catania – Top Things to See and Do in a Day
After enjoying a leisurely breakfast on our apartment balcony we prepared to go out and made our way towards the main square (Piazza Duomo). The Giro Sicilia car rally was about to get underway so we admired some of the vehicles and spotted a Morris Minor Traveller which one of my elderly relatives used to…
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Visiting The Vatican, Rome
We woke at 8.00 a.m. and enjoyed a leisurely breakfast in the hotel’s restaurant before catching the metro to Ottaviano S. Pietro station so that we could visit the Vatican. Since 1929 the Vatican has been an independent state and is located across the Tiber river from central Rome. It was a beautiful sunny morning…
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Rome’s Spanish Steps and an afternoon in Bracciano
It was another bright, sunny morning as we made our way to Piazza di Spagna to climb the Spanish Steps. The square was already crowded with tourists around the fountain at the foot of the steps known as the ‘fountain of the old boat’. The fountain resembles a sinking ship and is thought to be…
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Gianicolo and Trastevere, Rome
On our final morning in Rome we started the day with a visit to the Gianicolo Hill viewpoint, one of the highest hills in Rome. It’s located above the Vatican and Trastevere districts to the west of the Tiber. Our phone map suggested taking the train to S. Pietro station and following a path from…
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