Italy has always been at the top of my Must See list, for obvious reasons. Under the Tuscan Sun, Eat Pray Love, and the infamous Olsen twins' When In Rome set the bar high for Italian cities. I'll tell you what though... Italy comes through.
We were presented with the opportunity to travel to Italy, when I found out that my close college friend and roomie, Sierra, was getting married outside of Rome. John and I were a little stunned when we received the Save The Date with the location as Trevignano Romano, Italy, but Sierra was never one to go with the flow. A quick google search and I was convinced I had to go. Took a little bit longer to convince John, as October is a busy season for him. Good thing he loves Europe... and me.
Fast-forward a year later, just a couple months before the wedding, we had our flights booked for about $900 round-trip from Chicago to Rome. Though we could have gotten them even cheaper, closer to $600, if we were willing to layover elsewhere in Europe, but we opted out.
So, we finally started to plan the trip. After some back and forth deciding what other Italian cities we wanted to see, we settled on staying in southern Italy, hitting Rome, Naples, and some of the coast before a small road trip north to Trevignano Romano. Due to it being in mid-October, we knew that going to northern Italy may be cooler and too ambitious with the amount of time we had. Also, I have always wanted to go to Naples because I am obsessed with Neapolitan style pizza. No brainer.
Rome
Getting There
It took us 10 hours overnight to fly to Rome from Chicago O'Hare. Surprisingly, the flight was super easy. Most international flights that span over several meal times will offer you food for free (don't forget free beer and wine!), so that was also another plus. I legit binge-watched 4 movies back to back. It's a great time to get all the movies out of the way that John has no interest in watching.
Once we landed we took the Leonardo Express Train into Rome Termini station (Rome's main downtown station). All you have to do is walk from the airport into the train station across the street, buy a ticket, validate your ticket at a little machine near the tracks, and hop on the 40 minute train into the city. Rome Termini is large and busy but has plenty of signs to figure out how to get to where we needed to go. I did all of this on Google Maps and it didn't fail me. We hopped out right across from our Airbnb.
Lodging
Stay in Testaccio.
It's the off-the-beaten-path neighborhood with less-touristy sites and amazing restaurants. Most famously it's where the Aventine Keyhole view of St. Peter's Basilica is, AND the Monte dei Cocci, which is a gigantic, artificial mound of broken pieces of pottery and fragments of oil amphorae, dating back to the Roman Era.
BUT we didn't stay in Testaccio. We stayed by the Trevi Fountain and I really wish we hadn't. It was great for subway access, but inauthentic and touristy. Good for a short trip, but if staying longer, Testaccio allows you to mingle with locals and see what Roman life is really like.
What to Eat
Our favorite restaurant in Testaccio was Masto, with an amazing chef that was preparing food just feet away. Only a couple of tables filled the place, but you could tell they really took care of each guest due to their fantastic service. The food was authentic, but not the average pasta you'll get on literally every street corner. Their wine-covered wall was thoughtful and our waitress was warm, charming, and great at suggesting tastings.
The best pasta we had was at Pasta Imperiale. This tiny, lunch place was run by what appeared to be a young husband and wife team. She manned the register and he was hand-making pasta in the back. It was fast, cheap, and the best pasta I have ever had. Get the pesto gnocchi or pasta carbonara.
Head to the Jewish Quarter for the best fried artichokes and other genuine and historical dishes. We did this on Sierra's reception food crawl, and were thrilled to not eat pasta or pizza for once!
Disappointingly, I only had great gelato once, also on the reception food crawl, and I cannot remember the name. So, be careful, if it's overflowing out of the containers and bright in color, it's probably artificial. The real stuff sits down in the metal bins and has authentic, natural colors. If your banana gelato is neon yellow, run.
What to See
It's super tempting to do all the touristy stuff. And though you definitely need to check out some major places, some can be avoided.
Set aside maybe 15 minutes for Trevi Fountain. It was the busiest place in Rome. It's beautiful, but meh.
We skipped the Spanish Steps per my Italian friend, Allie's suggestion. I think you could spend even less than 15 minutes there as well. I don't regret missing it.
We stopped at the Pantheon and, again, only spent about 20 minutes. It was also incredible, but I am not big into crowds so a quick look inside was enough.
We did a Colosseum Underground By Night Tour and it was great. Without the crowds you get a completely different experience. However, I suggest not going when you're jet-lagged, I almost fell asleep.
Get the tickets to the Vatican Museum & the Sistine Chapel BEFORE you go. There is no reason not to, we just think people had no clue they were supposed to. We passed, no joke, 500 people in line for tickets to get into the museum. With a ticket, you just skip the line completely, but make sure you go at the time that's on your ticket! We booked the first slot at 9am and did a non-guided tour, but we had a headset so we could listen to different exhibits as saw them. We actually skipped a ton at the end just to get to the Sistine Chapel. It was INCREDIBLE. Then we left right after. We were in and out in 2 hours. Some people wait the entire day. TIP: Make sure your shoulders and knees are covered out of respect.
Before the Vatican Museum, we stopped at St. Peter's Basilica right next door. It's free and opens at 7am, so it's perfect before the 9am opening at the Vatican. The line to get in is a little long but moves fast. Go in and see the church, and then take the elevator, followed by hundreds of stairs to the top of the Basilica. It's well worth the view.
If you do anything in Rome, the Vatican and St. Peter's Basilica top the list.
Naples
We hopped on a very comfortable, affordable, easy to find, Frecciarossa train to Naples from Rome Termini. Ugh, Italy, why is your public transportation so on point!?!
Where to Stay
The Domus Deorum Deluxe was the best place we stayed the entire trip. I got it on Booking.com, where I do most of my hotel bookings. It was super cheap, very safe, had an amazing patio, and a full breakfast. The woman who checked us in didn't speak a lick of English and I loved it.
What to Do
Eat Pizza... That's honestly it. Naples is famously known as the birth place of pizza. We had it for lunch and dinner for the 12 hours we were there. And I'd do it again!
L'Antica Pizzeria da Michele became famous from Eat, Pray, Love, they even have a picture of Julia Roberts on the wall, though Elizabeth Gilbert is the real author and center of the novel, who made the place famous. This pizza shop is basic, no frills, and offers two types of pizza, Marinara (that's right, no cheese), and Margherita (just sauce and cheese). I can't even describe how amazing it was, so you have to go.
The other place you have to go is Gino Sorbillo Lievito Madre al Mare. There are a couple locations in Naples, this one just happens to be by the sea like its name states. This menu is much bigger and the pizza is almost as good. You actually will have to have them help you translate it, because it's that authentic.
What Not To Do
DON'T rent a car. Sure, you can rent a car, but do not do it in Naples. Our GPS was programmed to scream at us "RESTRICTED ROADS" when we were in downtown Naples because apparently it's only for locals. There are literally no traffic rules. I had my eyes closed for 20 minutes straight, it was the most terrified I've been in a vehicle 100%.
Don't drag your luggage along the dirty Naples streets. Get a cab instead. I was minding my own business, rolling away on the cobblestone street with John a couple of yards behind me, and he yelled "Anna. Please tell those are not your wheel tracks through this dog poop." Oh yes. Those were my tracks. I tried for 20 minutes to wipe it off with tiny napkins from a nearby coffee shop and makeup remover wipes, but there were SO MANY CREVICES... all while John dealt with a very hard to understand Italian man renting us a car. I literally could not get the smell of dog poop out of my suitcase for the remainder of the long week.
Despite the poop, I loved Naples in all of its grunge and authenticity. If I were to go back for longer, I'd want a bigger group of friends with, because the pedestrian street night life looked like a blast.
Vico Equense, Sorrento & Positano
So there's Italy, and then there's the coast. It's touristy, it's expensive, it's dreamy.
We didn't spend a ton of time there, and honestly the Amalfi Coast deserves it's own trip and post. We stayed at Vico Equense, a small town next to Sorrento. We took the Circumvesuviana Train to Sorrento that lasted 11 minutes and cost us 2 euros each, and then took a ferry to Positano for the evening. Here are some pointers:
Go to the Pompeii Ruins either while in Naples or in the Sorrento region (it's in between and a very quick train or car ride). We did a guided tour with a group of less than 15 people with Wander Italy with Anna (another cool Anna). It was the best thing I saw on the trip. I've been obsessed with it since elementary school so I had to go. If you aren't familiar with it, you're in for a treat.
Take a ferry from Sorrento to Positano. I would probably only recommend staying in Positano if you're on a honeymoon. We met more Americans than Italians. The views are absolutely incredible in both Sorrento and Positano, but I am more of a city gal.
Have dinner in either Sorrento or Positano. We did both and were very pleased. Vico Equense didn't have the best restaurant options, but some of the best seafood can be found on the Amalfi Coast (Positano is sometimes considered apart of the Amalfi).
If you take the ferry to Positano, I recommend taking it early and coming back on the final ferry. We mistakenly took the final ferry to Positano, and didn't want to take the rundown bus back (I've read terrible reviews that it's completely full often) so we got an expensive cab all the way to Vico Equense.
Road Trip to Trevignano Romano
So after getting out of Naples, driving was a lot more pleasant. We had a manual car, but I think you can get automatic if you want, they are more common than they used to be. The highways are easy, but make sure you have euros for tolls otherwise you have to get in a credit card line. It was really nerve-wracking having to really pay attention and try to translate every sign!
There are actually a lot of historic, cities along the way, but we didn't have a ton of time. We just wanted to stop at a winery or two on the 4 hour drive from Vico Equense to Trevignano Romano. I learned that wineries in the Lazio region aren't typical. Basically, even if google maps says they're open, call ahead.
An Unexpected Surprise
We ended up getting off the highway to follow directions to this winery called Cantina Delli Colli. It had great review and was just a short detour off our route. We first stopped at a gas station in this tiny village it was in, just to fill up before we arrived. The owners of the gas station had to help us pump the gas because it looked nothing like American stations.
We went inside to pay and John (mistakenly) asked the woman about the winery nearby and if they knew anything about it. This woman did not speak any English. Her husband came out; he also did not speak any English. The woman kept saying "appuntamento" until I googled it and realized she was asking if we had an appointment. Thus, we started to try a conversation in Google Translate.
Of course, we had no appointment (hey we thought it was just open!) So the husband called the owner (apparently his cousin), and said she was coming to pick us up. We kept trying to tell them we had a car and didn't need picked up! But, the woman and her elderly mother came anyway and we followed them to their winery (even though we knew where it was LOL).
It was beautiful and no one was there. Again through Google Translate, we tried asking questions and telling her what we liked. She let us look at their barrels and where they make and label the wine. John and I tasted the red and white, respectively. We had told her we only had 30 euros left, but were intending to buy bottles with our credit card. She didn't have a machine though, so we let her know we would happily just pay for the glasses we had. She disappeared from where we were and came back with a red and white bottle. She labeled and sealed them and insisted we take the bottles and the tastings for free. She even shoved our euros back in our pockets. SO NICE. Ugh I love little rural Italian villages.
The Wedding!
After a long week, I was so excited to be around old swimming friends and Sierra and Nathan's families. For four years in college, Sierra and I lived together, swam together, and studied together. We shared in happy and tough times in both swimming and our personal lives. I also knew Nathan for several years due to swimming, so watching them both find love in each other made this wedding all the more sweet.
Their first gift to the guests was to rent a villa overlooking Lake Bracciano in Trevignano Romano. The villa was incredible and the view was breathtaking. In reality, THIS was my favorite place I stayed all week. We had food stocked in the fridges, plenty of lounging spots, and private rooms for all of us. It was lovely.
The second gift was to take us all on a guided Rome food tour. After having been in Rome with just John, trying to navigate our way to the best spots, it was SO nice to have someone tell us what to eat and what to drink. Adding great conversation with old and new friends was icing on the cake.
The wedding day was spectacular. I can't even describe it, so you can just look at the photos. It was beyond heartfelt and just plain joyous. I have never seen Sierra so happy in the years I've known her. I think you couldn't ask for more on your wedding day.
Thank you for the invitation Sierra & Nathan. We had the trip of a lifetime. XO
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