Archive for 'Travel Tips'

  

Fiat
Driving in Tuscany is kind of impossible to avoid and necessary to avoid – both at the same time. It really depends on where you are spending your holiday.

If you are staying in a small town or the countryside, a car is kind of a must, unless you want to have an incredibly relaxed time and do little other than relax in a vacation rental with a pool in Tuscany or there is a train station in the town. Realistically, however, relying on public transport can be awkward for tourists in rural Tuscany and it also means some places will still be pretty much impossible to get to. One of the best days of my family's recent trip to Tuscany was spent in a winery that was up a mountainside, down some winding back roads that would have been impossible to reach otherwise.     Read More

  

Uffizi
Having recently spent hours in the Uffizi Gallery, I have learned a lot through error from the experience and picked up some great tips for making sure I have a much more relaxed time during my next visit. If you have found a vacation rental in the Florence area, the Uffizi is, no doubt, on your itinerary. Read up on my tips and tricks in the last post and this one and make sure that you have a lovely day at one of the world's most incredible art galleries.

4. Avoid the groups

I suggested booking as a group but I would also try avoiding the big groups as they can really hamper your experience. Every time I spotted them, I changed direction as they get in the way and it is impossible to see anything.     Read More

  

Uffizi
Visiting the Uffizi Gallery was one of the highlights of my recent trip to Tuscany but having read so much about it in the past, I found that it was a very different experience actually going there and I learned quite a few things in the process. Here are my practical tips for visiting the Uffizi once you have found a vacation rental in the Florence area.

1. Book Tickets In Advance

I always say this in guides but it really is true. We had booked our tickets in advance and we still found ourselves approaching a rather depressingly long line. However, it moved quite quickly and we were in in no time.     Read More

  

Florence
In this final post in this series on tips and tricks for having a pleasant trip in Tuscany, I am sharing my last bits of advice for those travelling to the region. Having just returned from Tuscany, I reaffirmed lots of my thoughts on holidaying in Italy and learned a few new things about Tuscany, in particular. If you want to avoid stress caused by cultural differences and confusion that can take away from a vacation, be sure to keep these things in mind!

9. Book in advance. Plan in advance.

Opening hours, as we have discussed, vary in Italy and attractions can also be open or closed on different days during the week. Also, as Tuscany is home to a multitude of the world's most popular and famous attractions, you can meet large queues and booked-out venues.     Read More

  

Steak
This series of posts is all about practical tips and advice that have been reaffirmed in this author's mind after her most recent trip to Tuscany. While Tuscany is beautiful and I had an incredible time, things are done rather differently to home (Ireland) and those cultural differences and confusions can lead to stress that can ruin a vacation. As I had lived in Italy before, I was prepared for much of it but there were some new things I learned, especially about travelling in a large group and with family. If you want a stress-free time in Tuscany, here are some more key tips and tricks to bear in mind!

7. Food, variation, intolerances

As I mentioned in an earlier post in this series, things are often done a little differently in Italy. Opening hours are wildly different in Tuscany compared to in Ireland and many other places I have been.     Read More