Trip ideas and itineraries
Itineraries, reader questions, trip ideas and site news.
Indie Trips that Include Italy
Lots of travelers plan backpacking trips around Europe, utilizing the Eurail and various low cost airlines to get around.
Italy Roundtable: Tracing Your Italian Roots
As Spring is, well, close to springing in the Northern Hemisphere, we've got the earth on our minds. That's why this month the Italy Roundtable has chosen ROOTS as our blogging topic.
The 5 Best Theme Parks in Italy
I always love hearing about an aspect of traveling in Italy that I'm not aware of - so when I got an email from Nick Sim in which he offered to write about the best theme parks in the country, I…
Italy Roundtable: Italy's Active Volcanoes
This month, the Italy Roundtable bloggers decided to get elemental - we each chose one of the Greek classical elements to apply to Italy in some way.
Should you plan your own Italy trip or book a tour?
The topic of whether to plan and book your own Italy trip vs. going with a package tour has come up a few times recently, both on the WhyGo Italy Facebook page and in the comments of some of the…
Italy Roundtable: The Guide to Crafts in Italy (That You Really Need Before You Go Shopping)
This month, the Italy Blogging Roundtable topic is CRAFT. Naturally, that has me thinking about shopping in Italy .
Top 10 WhyGo Italy Travel Articles in 2011
I'm happy to mark the 5th anniversary of WhyGo Italy this month - I can't believe it's been five years since I started writing about Italy, and yet as I peruse the site every now and then I'm struck…
Yoga in Italy: What You Need to Know
There are a million things that can lead someone to travel to Italy, from a love of history or food to a search for family or a desire to learn a new language.
3-Week Italy Itinerary: Italy's Greatest Hits
If you've got more than two weeks to spend on your vacation in Italy, you might have found lots of great suggestions for a 2-week Italy trip and be wondering what to do with your third week.
Prepping for an Italy Trip with Eye on Italy Episodes
There just aren't enough hours in the day for reading, it seems, so for those of you who prefer your information brought to you in an auditory way, it's a good thing there are so many podcasts out…
DOs and DON'Ts in Italy
Writing an Italy travel guide means being the recipient of lots of Italy travel questions. Most of them can be boiled down to one simple thing, regardless of topic: What should I do ?
My 7 Links: Exploring WhyGo Italy's Attic
Four and a half years is a long time to be writing anything, let alone something like an online Italy travel guide - so it's not surprising that many of the things I wrote way back in 2007-2008…
Skipping the Lines in Italy with Context Travel Walks
I love finding ways for Italy travelers to get around potential hassles - like waiting in long lines for popular museums.
New Updates to WhyGo Italy
I've been busy lately updating some parts of WhyGo Italy that you may not see every day, so I wanted to take a moment and let you know that if you haven't poked around on the site lately you might…
Italy Roundtable: 3 Dream Drives in Italy
I'll confess at the outset that the topic for this month's Italy Blogging Roundtable - driving in Italy - initially had me stumped.
New WhyGo Italy Feature: Easy-to-Print Pages
You may recall that not too long ago we were running a survey on WhyGo Italy to see what you thought of the site - and you may be even more pleased to know that we're taking your feedback seriously,…
Things You Should Know About Italy
Italy is such a popular tourist destination that it's easy to fall into the trap of thinking you know the basics about Italy before you get there.
How to Visit a Balsamic Vinegar Maker in Italy
Italy offers all kinds of food-related adventures to travelers, from the unique dishes available on menus throughout the country to festivals dedicated to particular food products to tours of the…
Italy Travel Tips for the Portland-Bologna Sister City Association Event (and for you, too!)
If you follow me on Twitter, it's likely you know that the affection I feel for Italy is rivalled only by the affection I feel for the city in which I currently live - Portland, Oregon.
When is Italy not in Italy? When it's in Switzerland.
The Italians were never very good at colonization. One practical outcome of this fact is how few places on earth have had Italian among their "official" languages.
4 Places in Italy to Go in 2011
A month's worth of 2011 is already behind us (honestly, where does the time go ?), but most of the people who have plans to visit Italy this year haven't yet boarded their flights - so I thought I'd…
Top 10 WhyGo Italy Travel Articles in 2010
January 2011 marks the 4th anniversary of the start of WhyGo Italy, and with the start of a new year it's also a good time to look back over the previous year to see what articles you all spent the…
Study Abroad in Italy
Participating in a study abroad program can be one of the defining moments of one's life - and if you choose to study abroad in Italy, that could be even more true.
Italy Marks 150th Anniversary in 2011 with 9 Months of Celebrations
Italy may be a country that's full of history, but Italy as a country is quite young - unification of most of the various city-states only happened in 1861, after a series of wars to gain…
I'm Back!
I returned late on Saturday night from my three-week trip to Italy . I'm sad the trip is over, and simultaneously happy to be home (in my own comfy bed!).
WhyGo Italy Goes to Italy: October 2010
In just a few days, I'm getting on a plane bound for Milan. I'll be in Italy for three weeks on this trip, and have plans to visit Palermo (my first trip to Sicily), Naples, and the Amalfi Coast…
Five Favorite Places to Hike in Italy
Those who know me well know that while I appreciate the great outdoors, I'm not exactly a nature girl.
Planning a Low Season Trip to Italy
Whether you're the kind of person who hunts down travel bargains like a bloodhound or you just like to find a good deal, one of the best ways to save money when you travel is to visit a location when…
How to Create the Perfect Italy Itinerary
As you might imagine, there are themes that come up repeatedly with the questions I get via email , on my Twitter account , on the WhyGo Italy Facebook page , and as comments on various posts on the…
Introducing BootsnAll Traveler Connect on Facebook
One of the things many travelers I know enjoy most about traveling is the opportunity to meet people.
Things You Should Know About Italian Cities
I've been slowly working my way through the biggest tourist destinations in Italy for my " things you should know about " series, and I thought it was time to collect them all in one place.
Famous Bridges Article Features 2 Italy Bridges
Whatever noble reasons you think you have for traveling, at some level travel is about checking things off a to-do list.
Top 10 WhyGo Italy Travel Articles in 2009
I'm not one for New Year's resolutions, so usually this time of year sort of passes by without much in the way of self-reflection on my part.
3 Travel Secrets for Italy: How to Avoid the Lines
When I got "tagged" recently ( twice , as it happens ) to participate in the "Best Kept Travel Secrets" series that's going around , my first thoughts were (a) I can't think of anything, and (b) if I…
7 Best Destinations for a Honeymoon in Italy
When I was planning my first trip to Italy, my then-fiance and I toyed briefly with the idea of eloping while we were there.
Italy News: 13 September 2009
Some news from Italy for your Sunday reading pleasure: To give you a peek at one of my adventures during the short trip to Italy I just took, take a look at my friend Sara's blog and her photo from…
Free Things to Do in Italy
Italy can be one of the more expensive European countries in which to travel - but that doesn't mean that you can't have a grand time in Italy on a budget, or that all of the country's top sights…
Italy First Time Visitor Guide
Italy may not be a massive country, but there's enough to see and do that it's a little on the ambitious (if not a bit crazy) side to just say "I'm going to take a trip to Italy" without narrowing it…
The Accidental Italy Travel Consultant
In the just-over-three years I've been working at BootsnAll , I've had three different titles and two sets of business cards, neither of which I've run out of.
Taxi Drivers in Italy Say the Darnedest Things
I'm beginning to think I could write a book - and not a short one, either - solely about taxi drivers in Italy.
Trip of the Italian Boyfriends
You may remember my gushing over being able to attend the final home game of Paolo Maldini , the legendary longtime captain of my beloved A.C. Milan .
Italy's Best Beaches: 2009's Blue Flag Beaches in Italy
Summer's coming to Italy, and with it a new report about which beaches are environmentally sound.
Alternatives to Italy's Top 3 Tourist Cities
Italy is a massively popular tourist destination. There can be no getting around this fact.
A Scavenger Hunt in Italian Cities: whaiwhai
I'll admit I'm not much of a games person. I have an insatiable desire to win , so simply playing isn't enough fun for me. But I do like puzzles, and I like games that are collaborative.
Why You Shouldn't Say "Ciao" in Italy
Even if you don't plan on learning Italian before a trip to Italy, you probably know plenty of Italian words already.
Top 10 Lists for Italy
There are some places that set themselves up well for "top 10" lists. Italy is not one of them. Not by a long shot.
Cooking Schools in Italy
Some people who visit Italy are content to enjoy the country's famous cuisine in restaurants, trattorie, and crowded bars.
Italy Travel Twitterers I Like (and You Probably Will, Too)
In the past year or so, I've become an avid fan of Twitter - and while I do use it quite a bit for work, I also find it really helpful for keeping with friends I've made in Italy (thankfully, most of…
Introducing BootsnAll Today: Daily Travel Inspiration & Information
I like to think that you, my faithful readers, are quite similar to me in many ways - not least because you love Italy.
History of Cappuccino: What's in a name?
When you're thumbing through your Italian-English dictionary as you madly try to internalize as much of the Italian language as you can before your Italy vacation, there are some words that will…
Italy Q&A: Itinerary Help, Please!
Carmen left this question on my Perfect 2 Week Italy Itinerary post, and I thought I'd turn it into a new post in the Italy Q&A series to answer her.
Italy Q&A: What to do with a 5-hour layover at Malpensa?
This question came in via a comment on my post about taking the Malpensa Express into Milan , so I thought I'd answer it in the Italy Q&A series.
BootsnAll Turns 10, Invites You to the Party
Long-time readers of the Italy Travel Guide will remember that last year at about this time I mentioned the BootsnAll Holiday Party and invited you all to come .
Google Street View Comes to Italy
Ever since I first heard that Google's ultra-cool (and, if I'm being totally honest, slightly creepy in its Big Brother-ish-ness) Street View was available for a few cities in France , I was jealous.
Welcome to WhyGo Italy!
So, we've made a few changes around here, as you can see! Let me be the first to welcome you to the brand new WhyGo Italy , the new name for the website.
20 Things Everyone Should Do in Italy
When it comes to travel, I'm not one of those people who says stuff like, "You can't visit Italy without seeing ." I know that everyone's "must-see" lists are going to be a little different depending…
Italy Q&A: A February Honeymoon in Italy
I got an email from John and Ana recently, who are currently planning their European honeymoon, so I'm adding this to my Italy Q&A series.
Italy Itinerary: The Perfect Two Weeks
NOTE TO READERS WHO ARE INDEPENDENT TRAVELERS: If you'd like to simply be pointed in the right direction but craft your own Italy itinerary, then I recommend looking at my article about how to create…
Fall Travel Deals to Italy
Summer's coming to an end, which means there are all kinds of fall travel deals coming out right now.
Nude Beaches in Italy: Yes, They Exist
Because Italy seems to be so dominated by the Catholic church, you might not automatically think that there would be a ton of nude beaches in Italy .
Italy Q&A: 3 Weeks in September
Here's another in my Italy Q&A series of posts. I got a note from Milton which read: i am going to italy in september for about 3 weeks and was thinking about taking an apartment in rome, or maybe…
I'm Going to BlogHer 2008 - Are You?
This is just a quick note to say that I'm going to be at the BlogHer Conference in San Francisco July 17-20, 2008 - so if you're going to be attending the conference, send me a note or leave a…
Why I Love Moleskine City Notebooks
When I was planning my last trip to Italy, I'd already heard about the Moleskine City Notebooks - and in fact I already had the one for Milan, the city where I was going to be based.
Concerts in Italy
During my last trip to Italy I saw posters advertising upcoming concerts in various cities, many of which were already out of date or sold out.
Italy Q&A: Battlefields of the Liri Valley
This addition to the Italy Q&A posts is an interesting one. In it, James wrote: I am a high school teacher in Canada. I have been taking students to Italy every second year since 1997.
Top Italian Beaches for 2008
It makes sense that now, at the beginning of the summer travel season in Italy, that there should be new reports released which list the environmental ratings of beaches in Italy.
Italy Weather Tool - New on Italy Logue
I'm pleased to announce that the Italy Logue is now making it easier for you to find out what the weather's going to be like in Italy during your upcoming trip - we've installed a new weather feature…
Italy Logue on Twitter
Are you an internet junkie who just can't get enough Italy news? Or are you simply an Italophile looking for another way to kill time at work?
"Italy Basix" Tour from BootsnAll World Adventures
The fine folks at BootsnAll (who host this website) are into lots of travel-related things, including an entire division of the company that puts together package tours to destinations all over the…
Italy Q&A: Renting a Van in Italy
It's time for another Italy Q&A reply. Theresa asks: We are planning a trip to Italy for the month of June and will need to rent a vehicle for about 4 weeks.
Maybe I'm just homesick for Italy...
It's now just about a week since I returned to the US from my six-week trip to Italy, and although the first couple of days were fine - little to no jetlag, getting reacquainted with my cats,…
Italy Q&A: Entertaining Teenagers in Italy
Here's another in the Italy Q&A series . It's from Mac, who says: I will be traveling with my husband, 16 year old son and 14 year old daughter in June.
Free Italy Travel Guides
More and more people these days are traveling without ever consulting an actual travel book.
Becoming a Regular
I originally wrote this as a journal entry, and in the end decided to share it with you. I hope you enjoy it.
Italy Q&A: Biking Trip Through Italy
Here's another in the Italy Q&A series. This one comes from Cindy, who is about to go traveling with her friend Tracy. She asks: I am about to leave for Italy on March 23rd.
Welcome to the BootsnAll Newsletter Readers!
This is just a quick note to all of you who are stopping by the Italy Logue for the first time after reading about it in the most recent BootsnAll newsletter - first of all, WELCOME!
Your Hostess, On Video
So, you've been reading this Italy Logue for awhile, wondering who the heck this Jessica character is.
Creepy Wax Bodies at "La Specola"
In Florence's Oltrarno neighborhood, probably the biggest attractions are centered around the Pitti Palace, the former residence of the ruling Medici family.
30 Days (more or less) in Italy
I'm happy to announce that I'll be spending just over a month in Italy, starting at the end of February.
My Favorite Italy City Maps
When I travel, I try as hard as humanly possible to not stand out like a tourist. I'm well aware that I'm usually instantly recognizable as an outsider, but if I can pass for at least…
Moleskine City Notebooks for Italy
More and more travelers are abandoning traditional guidebooks in favor of online research these days, and while I'm a huge fan of the internet I still like to have a good old-fashioned paper tome on…
Weird & Wonderful Italy
Throughout Italy there are fabulous sights which are famous the world over, but not every attraction on your "must-see" list has to be of the caliber of the Sistine Chapel or Michelangelo's David.
Stocking Up on Italian Media
Every time I come to Italy I end up bringing home more Italian CDs and books - and this time is no exception.
New Amsterdam Travel Guide Now Online
Before my upcoming trip to Milan, I looked at my flight schedule and realized I'd have a layover in Amsterdam both going to Italy and returning home.
Registering With Italian Authorities for Trips Over Eight Days
One of the things that can drive expats in Italy to the point of insanity is all the paperwork required to stay in the country legally.
Buying Fakes in Italy: Is a fake Gucci bag worth a €10,000 fine?
Anyone who has walked through the touristy sections of Italy's major cities has seen them - the peddlers of designer knock-offs who carry enormous black duffel bags and set up "shop" on any vacant…
Cycling Through Italy With an MP3 Guide
When you're the kind of traveler who wants to get off the beaten path in Italy and have a certain degree of independence, it helps to have a guardian angel around to make sure you don't get lost.
Spread a Travel Rumor, Win Lufthansa Tickets
Psst - I've heard a rumor about travel in Italy. I've heard that the table wine is always excellent, Italians drive like maniacs, Tuscany is more beautiful than words can describe and Florence has…
Italy Tops Honeymoon Destination List
After a decade of Hawaii being at the top of the honeymoon destination list, Italy has stolen the top spot.
Win a Trip for Two to Italy - With 25 Words or Less
Traveling for free is one of those dreams we never think will come true, but you know - it has to come true for someone.
A Mother-Son Biking Trip in Italy
In the July/August issue of National Geographic Traveler, I read and enjoyed the cover story - of a mother and her grown son taking a two-week cycling trip through Umbria and Tuscany - although I…
A Housekeeping Note
Since the format change here at the Italy Logue, the weekly news snippets (posted every Sunday) no longer come up at the top of the site when they're posted.
Helpful "How To" Articles for Your Italian Vacation
I don't know if it's because we're in the midst of the busy summer tourist season in Italy or what, but a couple blogs I read have recently written "How To" posts about various things in Italy.
Obligations of a Travel Writer
The last time I was in the Cinque Terre , that divine collection of five tiny fishing villages clinging to the Ligurian cliffs, I overheard an American tour leader speaking with the owner of the…
Rick Steves Blogs About Italy
I'll admit to being a Rick Steves fan - that might lose me some "travel cred" with the backpacking crowd, but I find Rick's approach to travel really refreshing.
Wayfaring Walking Tours
If you know the places in a city that you want to visit, but don't know the most efficient route to use to see them all without backtracking on your path or going out of your way, Wayfaring.com might…
Italy Tourism in High Gear
It's summer, which means every country with a tourism budget is pulling out the stops to get people to choose them over the other worthy vacation candidates.
Free Hugs on Offer in Italy
Let this be a lesson to you - if you're in Italy and you see a small group of people holding up giant signs that say "REGALO ABBRACCI" on one side and "FREE HUGS" on the other, take them up on the…
The Temperature is Rising in Italy
The weather in Italy has been pretty crazy lately - springtime weather in Winter, and summertime weather already in Spring.
Fun Treasure Hunt = Cool Travel Prizes
If you're like most travelers, even if you love Italy you probably have dreams of seeing the rest of the world, too.