Recently my husband and I had the luxury of spending a month in Italy. Although I have dual citizenship, it was my first trip to this beautiful country.

All we knew was that we would take trains to get around, hire a driver to tour the Amalfi Coast and rent a car to explore the hard to get-to areas. Also, we did not want to do anything that would require a purchased ticket. Instead we wanted to spend all our time absorbing the towns, the food, the countryside, the culture.  (We relied on Google Translator A LOT!)

Often people ask for itineraries and hotel recommendations. Our situation was a little different in that pretty much every hotel was booked a day or two before as we weren’t sure exactly where we might end up.  Seems like the “shoulder season” has shifted from September to October so do your best to book well in advance. (Also pack binoculars!)