Travel Tips

If you go on a vacation in Italy it is almost necessary that you visit Venice. Everyone who has ever been to Italy has an almost classic picture of them in a “vaporetti” or a “gondola” with a canal for a backdrop. This famous Italian city found in the north is also sometimes known as the city of water, the city of bridges and the city of lights. Vaporetti are motorized buses used by Venetians for transportation around the city’s canals while the gondola is a Venetian boat that is now used mostly by tourists and sometimes for weddings or funerals. The city is made up of several small islands, 118 to be exact hence the need for water transportation and the many bridges.

There are 150 canals and 400 bridges. There are also several art galleries and all together these make for an exciting experience when you are on an Italy vacation.

You can get a Venice card which allows you free access for seven days into the museums and casinos. You will also get free waterbus or vaporetti services plus a free boat trip from the airport with this card. The airport in Venice is on the main land and is newly renovated. You can go to the train station from here to get to other parts of Venice. If you are driving on your Italy vacation you can also get to Venice by car but you will need to take a Ferry boat. The least expensive garage in Venice is the Tronchetta garage so you can park there and take a public boat or hire a private water taxi which can be expensive. You will be able to get one way vaporetti tickets, all day passes or if you are spending more time here for your Italy vacation you could also get a 72 hour pass.

If you are in Venice you must tour the city by a gondola. There are several tours available. For something really different during your Italy vacation in Venice and if you are really in the mood for it, perhaps you can even take what is called a serenade tour. The tour is accompanied by a singer (usually a baritone) and a guitarist or someone playing the accordion. Several of these tours leave from piers near hotels in Venice. Your trip will probably be a little under an hour and you may see landmarks such as the Church of Santa Maria Formosa and the Bridge of Sighs.

This bridge received it name because it is said that prisoners would get their last view of the City of Venice from here when on their way to confinement. If you are in Venice for your Italy vacation with a significant other make sure you take a gondola trip that will be going under this bridge under sunset. Legend says that lovers will be assured eternal love if they kiss under this bridge at sunset.

Venice is usually crowded with tourists in the summer months so if you can, visit during the off season. Or you can simply opt for a private gondola tour which may be more expensive but will be away from all the crowds.

During your Italy vacation you will find that wine is very important to the country. It has some of the oldest vineyards in the world and some of the best wines are produced here. About 20% of wine in the world is produced in Italy. While you are on your Italy vacation you will find that wine is drunk with every meal and sometimes in-between meals. It will be offered to you almost everywhere you go because grapes are grown all over Italy and wine is made by everyone from the villagers to the large commercial wineries. It is said that there are one million vineyards in Italy!

So what are some of the wineries you should visit on your Italian vacation? The Enthusiastic Traveler offers winery tours in May, September and October. This tour is in the Tuscan region which is the home of the Super Tuscan. Super Tuscan wines do not follow the rules of wine making. Blends are made using non-traditional methods of combining certain grapes which are not normally combined. The tour will take you to a farm called Castel Pietraio in a beautiful hillside town near Siena for a simple wine tasting of wines made by squeezing grapes in barrels. Other vineyards are visited and many people on an Italy vacation that come here say they smell the wine in the air. There is also a visit to an ancient castle complete with a wine making baron who has discovered some very rare grapes to use in his wines. For your vacation in Italy “The Enthusiastic Traveler” may be contacted through its website at www.theenthusiastictraveler.com

Ca’Bruzzo Italian Winery is found in Northern Italy close to Venice. They grow 5 varieties of grapes here and produce about 20,000 bottles a year. This is a small family owned winery and they believe their close physical contact with the vines make for their especially tasty wines. During your Italy vacation you may want to take this tour because not only do you get to taste wine at its different stages of development and see the wine cellar but the family will also teach you how to make wine and care for a vineyard. There is a lot of focus here on the benefits of organically grown grapes for wine. If you enjoy this vineyard during your vacation in Italy, the Bruzzos can even ship their wine to you so you can continue to experience the amazing taste. This winery can be contacted through its website at www.cabruzzo.com

One of the most memorable wines that you may come across during your Italy vacation is called “Est! Est! Est!” It is a semi-sweet white wine from Montefiascone. It has some effervescence and a mildly fruity flavor. It is said that this wine got its name from the story of a German bishop who needed to go to Rome and sent someone ahead of him to mark on the doors of inns serving the best wines along the way. He marked the doors with the word “Est!” in chalk and when he got to Montefiascone he liked the wine so much that he marked the inn door with “Est! Est! Est!”

Italy is said to be one of the most romantic places to visit for your honeymoon. If you are planning a vacation to Italy and never had a honeymoon or recently got married, this is the perfect place to go. Venice is the most popular destination for lovers and there are several companies that will help you plan your honeymoon as a vacation in Italy.

Venice-Honeymoons.com is one such company that provides a one stop shopping experience. If you want to be in Venice for a winter honeymoon they have a package that includes skiing in the Dolomite Mountains. They will fly you into the Venice airport and you will spend 2 nights in Venice and then 5 nights in the mountains in a beautiful chalet. A courtesy bottle of champagne is given to all visitors and all breakfasts are included. A half day guided tour will be given privately and you can decide where you want to go on this walking tour. When you are in the mountains, you will get 3 day ski passes and a 3 course meal will be provided along with wine for dinner each evening. You will also be given a 1 hour sleigh ride. If you are planning your honeymoon vacation in Italy a ski trip to Venice may be one of the most romantic getaways you could try. If you visit Venice in the warmer months one of the most romantic things you can do is to go on a private gondola ride. Be sure to kiss under the Bridge of Sighs because it is said that lovers who do so at sunset are assured of their eternal love to one another.

For a romantic honeymoon Italy vacation in Florence, try Perillo Tours. They offer a great 4 night stay in this beautiful city surrounded by some of the most amazing scenery and landscapes in the world. You will spend the 4 nights at the Santa Maria Novella hotel and breakfast will be included in your stay. This specific tour is also provided in the off season and makes for a great getaway and a chance to truly experience Italy without the crowds.

Venice and Florence are not the only places to consider going to for a romantic honeymoon vacation in Italy. Rome may also be the perfect venue for this. This city is also known as the Eternal City and there are several castles that you could stay at to experience the feeling of eternity. Most of these castles are over 300 years old and many honeymooners like the thought of staying at these ancient places. You can walk on the same small streets that Caesar did and explore this beautiful city together as you begin your new life during this Italy vacation. You can view the sunset from your hotel room looking over buildings that could be a thousand years old or museums that hold works of art by some of the greatest artists in history and take in all the culture and history you are surrounded with.

So if you are planning a honeymoon vacation don’t forget to explore options in Italy. This country has coasts, rolling hills, beautiful mountains, historic architecture and amazingly beautiful landscapes and may be the perfect backdrop to represent a new beginning.