Europe
Should You Visit Florence, Italy?
I spent two weeks in Florence, Italy (Firenze!) while studying abroad. I stayed with a host family where the father was a chef! Neither of the parents had great English so communication was rather difficult. We kept to key words that we knew in the other language! They had a cute little apartment that was on the outskirts of the city. They still had their 30 year old son with them who was unwed so I guess that’s totally normal! Not quite the same as America! Wanderings Florence was my first experience in Italy and it was a great way to start my trip. I absolutely loved exploring this city!…
Venice Italy: Bucket List Gondola Ride
Oh Venice. Venice is on everyone’s bucket list for the romantic gondola rides and the city built by canals. I did a day trip to Venice and found the town to be quaint and cute but over crowded. Of course any day in Italy is a dream come true, but I would like to provide my honest opinion on my travels so you can prioritize and plan an itinerary of your own! Maybe it was just the peak of summer season and because I didn’t spend the night, but I wasn’t impressed by Venice. It was very beautiful but it didn’t live up to the hype I had built up…
Sun, Sea, and Italy: Cinque Terre, Italy, the Hidden Gem
Cinque Terre, the hidden gem of Italy. Well maybe not so hidden anymore! Cinque Terre is a huge tourist destination in Italy. Easily accessible by train from Florence, it is made up of five (cinque) towns that were painted bright colors so fisherman could return home safe and sound. I took a tour group to Cinque Terre but it easily reachable on your own as well. Take the train to the towns and get off and explore! Take a hike in between towns to see some gorgeous views. See the brightly colored houses cliffside next to sparkling blue water. One word of note, bring tennis shoes! I saw a lot…
Greek Island Hoping
Greece was my favorite trip in Europe because of the beaches and party island vibes. Greece has iconic towns and beaches with a beautiful blue ocean backdrop. I love beach vacations, so Greece especially stole my heart. I think it helped I went with a large tour group because I was surrounded by a huge group of friends my entire trip. During the day I was always by a body of water or had views of a body of water, whether that be hiking, on a boat, or beach-side. At night I enjoyed multi colored sunsets and a fun ambiance of tourists out to have a good time. Don’t forget to…
6 Reasons to Join a Tour Group if you are Travelling Solo
Whether you are studying abroad and don’t know your classmates or you are taking a solo trip, I have one recommendation for you. Go with a tour group targeted at your age group!! Seriously, I did this and it is the way to go! I am a planner. I knew I wanted to go to Greece at the end of my study abroad trip and I was worried I would not meet people in my study abroad group that would want to do a trip. Instead of playing it by ear or not taking my dream trip, I signed up for a tour group. I also took a solo weekend…
