Say Ciao to Italy!
It’s impossible not to be intrigued by Italy. Food and wine lovers will have a hard time tearing themselves away from everything Italy has to offer, and even those who don’t live and die by their next meal are likely to be drawn in by the flavors and freshness of food on offer. And for history and cultural travelers, it’s hard to think of another country that offers as much as Italy.
We’ve visited on a few different occasions, focusing a ton of time on Rome and the lovely north. Spending two weeks in Rome, we felt we got to dig a bit deeper into what makes the city tick, and realized understanding this city is the key to understanding so many things about modern life in the west.
We hope to start visiting the south of Italy on future trips…there truly is so much to explore.
Articles About Italy
- Where to Stay in Rome — From the postcard-perfect Centro Storico to the upscale Monti, the hip and lively Trastevere to the Vatican-adjacent Prati, Rome has loads of areas to choose from. We found a local expat to help outline the best neighborhoods and places to stay in Rome, no matter what your travel style.
- Things to do in Rome — Rome has such an imposing presence, it’s almost overwhelming to figure out where to start. We asked a Canadian expat in Rome for help deciding some of the best things to do in Rome. For another perspective, Marta Nightingale-Styczen (also an expat in Rome), gives her Local’s Tips for Rome.
- We also wrote down our own Best Travel Tips for Visiting Rome, with the hope that others can learn from our experiences (and have a better vacation as a result!)
- Tours of Rome — We spent 2 weeks in Rome, exploring the city with the help of their ‘docent’ tour guides.
- The Caesar and Empire tour took us through central Rome with a restoration architect as our guide.
- The Fall and Rise of Rome tour helped us see Rome as a millienia-long recycling project, visiting some of the most interesting churches in the city.
- Our day trip to the ancient port city of Ostia Antica (with an actual archaeologist as our guide) helped us imagine the everyday lives of ordinary people under the Roman empire.
- Where to Stay in Florence — If you’re heading to the birthplace of the Renaissance, start with this guide to this Tuscan beauty. We reached out to a former Florentine to give us the lay of the land, and explain the best areas to stay in Florence, as well as some insiders tips on what to do while you’re there!
- Where to Stay in Milan — If you’re heading to Italy’s fashion capital, start with this guide to the city’s coolest neighborhoods and best places to stay. As with our other guides, we hired a local to outline the best areas to stay in Milan, including tourist favorites and some cool, local areas we wouldn’t have known about.
- Things to do in Milan — While we’ve been to Milan ourselves, it was only for a quick visit. To get a better feel for the city, we asked Margherita Ragg, a born-and-bred Milanese, for help figuring out the best things to do in Milan.
- Finally, we have a few old posts, including posts about visiting the Milan Duomo and visiting Milan at Christmas and one about the Italian Cafe tradition.
The Best Places to Visit in Italy: Top Spots for Your Italian Holiday
Planning an Italy Holiday? Get ready for food, wine, history, and gorgeous coastline! If you’re wondering where to go in Bel Paese, start with this
Day Trips From Florence: The Top 10 Day Trips From Florence Italy
What are the best day trips from Florence Italy? Florence is the perfect city to Base yourself on your Italy Holiday. Enjoy the Tuscan lifestyle!
Puglia Holiday Guide: What to See and Things to Do in Puglia
Explore the real Italy in the boot! Here is a little teaser of some of the many things to do in Puglia Italy. A less
Where to Stay in Milan: Milan Coolest Neighborhoods and Best Areas to Stay
Where to Stay in Milan: Advice from a writer and former Milanese about the best neighborhoods to stay in Milan, Italy! (Plus 31 hotel listings)
Travel Tips from A Local: The Best Things to Do in Rome, Italy
Things to do in Rome: Rome Travel Tips from An Expat and Journalist. A Quick List of What to Do in Rome from a Local! This post
Locals Tips Rome: Travel Tips from a Local for Rome, Italy
Locals Tips Rome: Rome Travel Tips from An Expat and Blogger. A Quick List of the Best Things to Do in in Rome from a
Travel Tips from A Local: The Best Things to Do in Milan, Italy
Things to do in Milan: Milan Travel Tips from A Local. A Quick List of What to Do in Milan from a Local! This post
Where to Stay in Florence: Florence’s Coolest Neighborhoods
Where to Stay in Florence: Advice from a local expat and travel blogger about the best neighborhoods to stay in Florence, Italy! (Plus 27 hotel recommendations).
Travel Tips from A Local: The Best Things to Do in Rome, Italy
Things to do in Rome Italy: Rome Travel Tips from A Canadian Expat in Rome. A Quick List of What to Do in Rome from a Local! This
Where to Stay in Rome, Italy: Rome’s Coolest Neighborhoods
Where to Stay in Rome: Advice from a local expat and travel writer about the best neighborhoods to stay in Rome, Italy! We created this guide
Coloring Rome Adult Coloring Book: The Photos That Inspired the Book
Introducing Our Rome Adult Coloring Book: Photos and Illustrations from Travel Between the Lines Coloring Rome Adult Coloring Book (Disclosure: Context Travel sponsored this book and this
It’s Almost Here!
Be the first to know when Coloring Rome goes on sale. Sign up to our mailing list and we’ll entertain you with our travels, free
Exploring Rome’s Architecture With Context Travel: The Caesar & Empire Tour
We met Liz at Café Antica near Teatro Marcello. Red-faced, dripping with sweat, and snipping at each other after a stressful hour combined with crashing
Hidden Rome: The Fall and Rise of Rome With Context Travel
The Catholic Church is the ghost of the Roman Empire. That’s Philip, our guide/docent, on our Fall and Rise of Rome tour with Context Travel. The
16 Rome Tips: Our Best Rome Travel Tips For A Great Vacation
16 Rome tips for visiting the eternal city. What to pack, how to get around, the best spots, and more…these are our best Rome tips
Ostia Antica: The Best Ancient Roman City You’ve Never Heard Of
Patrizia’s voice breaks with excitement, and the four of us instinctively move closer, tightening the semi-circle around her to hear what she’s going to
The Milan Duomo
Today we’re going to take an educational journey through the centuries, and chat about the history of the impressive Milan Duomo, which took an astounding
Milan at Christmas is All About Food
Now that all the Liebster-ing is over and done with, it’s back to business — I mean, travel — this week, and we’ll be talking
The Italian Cafe: Around the World in 80 Drinks
Welcome to the Italian Cafe edition of Around the World in 80 Drinks, a series that takes us on a drunken, whirlwind of adventure around our planet. Sometimes (like today)
