Riding the Bus in Italy: 7 Tips For A Successful Journey

While Italy has an extensive network of trains to get tourists and locals alike from place to place, one of the best ways to get around is by bus. Within a city, bus tickets are cheap (they often cost less than 2 Euro), and many times longer rides (for example Florence-Siena) are cheaper than taking…

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Capri For A Day: Top 10 Things To Do

A trip to Italy’s Amalfi Coast is not complete without at least one day spent on the beautiful Mediterranean island known as the Isola di Capri. Once a favorite spot to Roman emperors Augustus and Tiberius, Capri has continued its tradition of attracting the rich and famous, with celebrity visitors ranging from Liz Taylor and Jackie…

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Castles & Chianti: Miss Adventures on A Vespa

I have a confession: since my move to Italy, I have become completely obsessed with Vespas. Perhaps this stems from childhood Lizzie McGuire fantasies (after all, this is “what dreams are made of”) or simply comes from a desire to live “la vita bella”. Either way, from the very first ride I took on a…

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Florence Finds: Colossal Statue Just A Bus Ride Away

After almost a year of living and working in Florence, Italy, I thought I had pretty much seen it all. The popular tourist sites such as the Ponte Vecchio, Piazzale Michaelangelo, and the Duomo have somehow morphed from foreign sights to daily fixtures, the once unfamiliar streets of Florence as known to me as my…

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A Perfect Weekend Getaway Discovering Tuscany’s Val d’Orcia

Don’t get me wrong, I absolutely love living in Florence, however every once in a while I desperately crave some time outside of the tourist filled, busy city (with a serious lack of trees and nature I might add). This past week I finally had enough of the crowds and seemingly incessant winter rain, and realized…

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7 Signs It’s Tourist Season in Florence, Italy

Brace yourselves: the tourists are coming! In case you haven’t noticed, the weather is absolutely beautiful (finally!) and with the better weather comes something Florence is famous for…tourists. Each year, this bustling and historic city receives over 13 million visitors, particularly during the spring and summer months. For those who live in the city, come spring…

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Living “La Vita Bella”: What We Should All Learn From Italians

Sometimes living in Italy has it’s challenges-any ex pat or study abroad student has plenty of stories which elaborate this point. “Creepy” men, a serious lack of dryers, or waiting in line for hours attempting to fill out paperwork are among several ways of Italian life that often drive foreigners mad. However, despite these obstacles,…

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The Top 10 Must Visit Gelaterias In Florence

You don’t go to Italy without eating gelato and you definitely don’t go to Florence without eating at least a few (once a day is a good starting average). However, with a different gelateria on every street corner, it can be hard knowing which ones to go to and which ones to avoid. After some…

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