A Girls’ Trip Through Italy

Italy is possibly one of the most beautiful places I have ever visited. During my time studying abroad, a friend and I decided to take a girls’ trip to Italy and explore Rome, Florence, and Pisa. Our adventures took us through the city and countryside, experiencing food, music, and sights like no others I have seen before. To write about it will not capture the pure beauty Italy holds, but I hope to share the places we stayed, visited, and ate at in the hopes that someone will be able to experience the same magic we did.

Rome

Our trip started out in Rome, where we arrived at the airport after flying in from London. The journey to our Airbnb was relatively easy, though we were very tired from our travels and could not wait to see what our accommodations looked like. As we lugged our suitcases over the cobblestone streets, we approached an old building with a little courtyard where we met our host, who showed us to the Airbnb space. Our building had the coolest antique elevator car that brought us up to our floor, where we found our private room in the shared Airbnb. The room was cozy, but the best part was the view of St. Peter’s Basilica from our bathroom window. That view is something that will forever be hard to beat, especially after seeing it at night illuminated by the spotlights on the dome, highlighting all of the unbelievably intricate architectural details.

We spent the rest of the day exploring the outskirts of Vatican City, which was only a short walk from our Airbnb, and eating excessive amounts of gelato as we wandered the city streets. Over our three-day stay in Rome, we explored so much of the city and visited some of the most famous historical sites, including the Colosseum (which as a history lover was an absolute dream come true). One tip I have for getting around the city is to take advantage of the hop-on hop-off tour bus by Big Bus Tours. I know it looks kind of silly and in most cities is a true tourist trap, but for €30 we were able to ride around Rome and easily get on and off at any of the designated stops to see whatever site we wanted. This made it super simple to navigate the city and brought us directly to our must-see locations including the Colosseum, Spanish Steps, Trevi Fountain, and the Pantheon. As a bonus, the bus played an informational audio tape while you were riding that provided you with information about what you were passing and the history of the most significant historical sites.

Santa Marinella

During our time in Rome, we took a train to the small city of Santa Marinella on the coast about an hour from Rome by train. When we planned this trip, neither of us had been to Italy, so we were going off of pictures and googled information to plan our activities. We knew we wanted to take a day trip to see the coast of Italy, and Santa Marinella ended up being an easy option that was accessible by train. Although we did not know much about the city, we had the most wonderful time exploring the streets, sitting on the beach, and enjoying some food by the water. If you are looking for a day trip from Rome and want something relaxing, I would definitely recommend visiting Santa Marinella.

Florence

After our three days in Rome, we packed up and headed off on the train to Florence. The train ride was only an hour and a half long and it was very simple to buy tickets at one of the ticket kiosks at the train station in Rome. Upon arriving in Florence, I could already tell that this would be my favorite place we visited on this trip. The architecture is beautiful, and the list of things to do, places to see, and food to eat was neverending. Our hotel was tucked away on a quiet side street across from a market in a small open square. Once we settled in, we got right to exploring the area around our hotel and were quick to find some coffee and a sandwich to satisfy our hunger after our travels. We walked through the open market, taking in the sights of clothing and home goods. Our dinner on the first night included some phenomenal wine and linguine with clams. In my opinion, it was the perfect introduction to this magnificent city.

Our next day was spent on the most beautiful trip to wine tasting throughout the Tuscan countryside. When I tell you I have never seen such stunning views and tasted such pure, delicious wine, I am not exaggerating. This tour is what cemented my love for a good Chianti Classico - after I returned to the States after my study abroad program ended, I passed that love of Chianti on to my boyfriend (now husband - fun fact, my bridal shower guest book was two bottles of our favorite Chianti, covered with messages from loved ones, and left to be opened on our anniversaries). Each vineyard we visited welcomed us with a tour, followed by wine and cheese tastings, along with some bread, meats, and olive oil fresh from their shops. I hope to someday return to these vineyards with my husband and explore more of the Tuscan countryside. I truly believe it is one of the most beautiful, peaceful places in the world.

Now we get to quite possibly my favorite part of the entire trip to Italy - a pasta-making class! I was bursting with excitement when we booked this class, and it did not disappoint, even in the slightest. We were part of a group of 8 travelers and were instructed by the sweetest Italian man who taught us how to make pappardelle, tortellini, and ravioli, the last two of which were filled with homemade pesto ricotta and truffle ricotta. We all made our own pasta, then joined them together to be sent to the kitchen to be cooked for our dinner. We all sat together, shared stories, and enjoyed our delicious pasta dinner. It was an experience I will never forget, and one that I have continued to use the skills I learned from it to make my own pasta at home (the second night I was home after studying abroad I made homemade pasta with my family!) It was a wonderful memory, and now I know how to share the art of pasta with my friends and family.

Our final bit of time in Florence was spent wandering the city and taking in the beautiful architecture, eating more delicious food, and buying souvenirs and trinkets to give to our friends and families once we returned home. I hope to return to Florence to see even more of the city and share the wonder of this place with my family and my husband.

Pisa

Our final leg of the trip was Pisa, which was a short train ride from Florence. I love traveling by train - I think it is a relaxing way to see a country as you pass by small towns, farms, rivers, and other features of the city or countryside. In all honesty, Pisa was slightly underwhelming, especially having just come from Florence, which is a stunning city. Pisa was touristy, as were the other places at times, but even more so than the other places we visited. We were truly coming to Pisa because our flight departed from the Pisa airport, but we had the day to spend in the city and knew we at least had to see the Leaning Tower of Pisa since that is such an iconic landmark. The tower was an awesome sight to see, but it did not take very long to see that it is, in fact, leaning. It is an architectural wonder, and for that, it gets points in my book. We ended up having a quick lunch, then headed off to catch our plane back to London and make the long journey back home to Cardiff.

This trip felt like a dream - I have always wanted to visit Italy, and I can say with confidence that the beautiful photos you see online are exactly how it looks in person (actually, it is even better in person). I was fortunate to have been able to return to Italy again during my time abroad, that time to Venice with my husband, and hope to share more about that trip soon. I hope this inspired you to visit Italy and take in all of the architectural and natural beauty the country has to offer. Make sure to eat all of the food and try all of the wine you possibly can while you were there, because it doesn’t get much better than that.