Giving you all the Airbnb tips & tricks you never knew you needed

I consider myself a fairly savvy traveler, so I’m pretty surprised it took me this long to try out Airbnb; but I finally did it. Last summer I tried out 5 different Airbnb apartments – 4 in Spain and one in Greece and I’ve decided to share my experience with anyone who’s considering trying out Airbnb for the first time.

The good

Saving Money

Considering me and my boyfriend were travelling for two months, we were trying to be smart with our money, so most of the apartments we rented were shared (private room/ bathroom) in someone else’s home. These apartments cost a fraction of what a hotel room in a similar area would cost.

Even the private apartment we rented in Athens later in our trip cost us less for a week than a hotel room would have cost for two nights.

Interesting Hosts:

In the first apartment we stayed at in Madrid we were blessed with amazing hosts. They were friendly and we enjoyed conversing with them, often having a glass of wine together in the evening. They gave us a ton of advice of where to go in Madrid and various ways we could save money – this is what made Madrid one of my favorite cities on earth.

In Barcelona we had the pleasure of staying with another great host. Although Read More

Whether you’re spending two days in Florence or four months, there are some sights you cannot miss out on in this historic city. There is no shortage of breathtaking landmarks, and historic basilicas here so realistically this post could go on forever. So, what I’ll focus on here are the MUST SEE spots that you should try and visit, even if you’re only in Florence for  a couple of days.

The historic Ponte Vecchio

The historic Ponte Vecchio

Ponte Vecchio

A visit to Florence is not complete without one of its most famous landmarks – the Ponte Vecchio. This famous bridge runs over the Arno river and is home to dozens of gold and jewelry stores.

A fun fact for any history lovers: this was the only bridge left intact in Florence by the German soldiers during World War II.

Piazzale Michelangelo

If you want a panoramic view of the magical Firenze Read More

With Valentine’s Day approaching, I’ve been thinking about all the romantic places I’ve seen in Italy (and there is A LOT) and write you down a little list. I chose to forgo mentioning the well-known Trevi Fountain, the Blue Grotto in Capri, or Venice’s Piazza San Marco. Honestly, most of those are worth seeing, but in terms of romance are vastly overrated. They’re packed with tourists and people trying to sell you things.

So I decided to make a list of the top more or less unique spots in Italy that are perfect to go to with your someone special.

P.S. You don’t actually have to spend any money at most of these places (you can, but that’s totally optional)! It’s true what they say – the best things in life are free! Read More

Chances are if you’re in Florence you’re going to be eating your fair share of pizza. I’m here to tell you about my personal favorite:

Gusta Pizza

Best type of pizza to get: Margarita

Cost: €5

This little restaurant is located right by the Santo Spirito Basilica (a beautiful church you should visit if you have the time!). You can watch the friendly men who work there make the pizza dough by hand, slather it with tasty tomato sauce, put the mouth watering cheese on it and slide it into a fired up oven right in front of your eyes.

Often times, if you’re in the area around lunch time you’ll see a line forming – join it. Trust me, it’s worth it.

Another fun little fact, there is one man that works at this restaurant that puts a heart on your order sheet if he thinks you’re cute and you get a personal heart shaped pizza: Read More

The road to the Amalfi Coast can be a tricky one, especially if it’s your first time visiting the region and you’re coming from the more northern cities – but I promise you, it is well worth it.

When my boyfriend and I travelled to Positano from Rome we didn’t really expect the journey to be quite as long  and complicated as it was. The whole process took us about 4.5 hours (this included time waiting for trains and figuring out what to do next, you might be able to get there faster if you’re better informed and prepared).

Now this is important: DO NOT lug a suitcase with you if you are going to Positano, or the Amalfi Coast in general, by public transit. You WILL go crazy and cause yourself an unnecessary amount of stress. If you don’t know what to do with your suitcases read this advice.

Positano-2

This is the view awaiting you – get excited!

Getting to Positano from Rome by public transit, step by step instructions: Read More

“Positano bites deep. It is a dream place that isn’t quite real when you are there and becomes beckoning my real after you leave… Nearly always when you find a place as beautiful as Positano, your impulse is to conceal it.”

– John Steinbeck

Oh, Positano. I don’t even know where to start. I guess I should start by just introducing it.

Simply put, this was one of the most breathtaking places I’ve ever been to in every way, shape, and form. Positano, truly is, a dream. I was enchanted by it when I was there but what I didn’t except how impacted I would be by this town after I left. Read More