A Beginner's Guide To Florence

go seek explore ponte vecchio florence italy

One of the more popular European tourist destinations, Italy holds its own due to its romantic, enchanting culture and delicious food and wine. From Florence to Rome, Milan to Venice, Capri to Sicily and everywhere in between, there is something about Italy for any traveler to take delight in.

The capital of Tuscany, Florence (Firenze) is home to 370,000 people. Florence was the birthplace of the Renaissance, as still seen today by the stunning architecture and art throughout the city created by the likes of Michelangelo, Brunelleschi, and others. Florence made the Forbes most beautiful cities in the world list in 2010.

A Beginner's Guide To Florence

Getting there: Fly into the small airport or take a bus or train into the Santa Maria Novella station. To get from the airport to SMN (downtown) take the blue SITA bus (6 euros, 10 round-trip) or a taxi (flat rate 20 euros one-way).

Where to stay: Florence is a bustling city, but it is small. You can walk end to end of the city center in less than 30 minutes. Wherever you stay will more than likely be a great location with short walking distance to all the main attractions. Hotels near the Duomo and along the river will be the most expensive, but you can find cheaper rates a little farther out. (And it will still be a short walking distance to pretty much anywhere).

Intro To Florence Walking Tour

-Start at Santa Maria Novella. Walk down Via Nazionale and go through the San Lorenzo Market.

-Head down the Via Cavour for the best first impression of the famous Duomo. Stop and take photos here and look at the Bapistery with the "Gates of Paradise" doors.

-Head south on Via Roma and you'll come across Piazza della Repubblica. You'll see the carousel and the large arch. Turn left on Via de Corso and follow it along (it turns into Borgo degli Albizi) and turn right on Via Giuseppi Verdi to get to Piazza Santa Croce. This church is also the burial place for famous Italians such as Michelangelo, Machiavelli, and Galileo. There is also a big statue of Dante to the left of the steps.

-From Piazza Santa Croce, head down Via de Benci and walk across the Ponte alle Grazie bridge. As you walk across the bridge, look to your right and you will find yourself looking at the picturesque view of the famous Ponte Vecchio bridge.

-Once you're across the river, turn left on Via de San Niccolo and follow that up the hill and the steps to Piazzale Michelangelo. After this great leg/calf workout you'll be rewarded one of the best views of Florence. It is definitely worth the walk up the hill! Walk even further up to the San Miniato church for an even more elevated view of the city.

-After you've had your fill of fantastic sweeping views, head back down the way you came and walk along the river towards the Ponte Vecchio. Stop at some of the jewelry shops along the Ponte Vecchio or continue along to the Ponte alla Carraria bridge. Before crossing make sure to stop at Gelateria La Carraria for the best gelato in Florence (in my opinion). At 1.50 euro for a small size, it is also among the best priced gelato.

-This concludes the tour! Head back along the Ponte alla Carraria towards where you started at Santa Maria Novella, or take some time for some pizza or pasta at one of the many restaurants nearby.

Things To Do

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Attractions: Duomo, Bapistery, Santa Croce, Boboli Gardens, Gelato Festival (June)

Museums: Accademia (where the authentic David is), Uffizi, Bargello, Pitti Palace, Vasari Corridor

Fashion Museums: Gucci Museo, Museo Salvatore Ferragamo, Galleria del Costume

Shopping: Department stores La Rinascente and Coin are near Piazza della Repubblica, as well as some boutiques, premier designer stores (Louis Vuitton, Gucci, etc.), and an H&M and Zara. Jewelry shops/stands line the Ponte Vecchio. You'll also find many other shops scattered around the city.

Markets: San Lorenzo Market, Mercato Nuovo, Santo Spirito

Great Views: Climbing the Duomo or the Bell Tower, Piazzale Michelangelo, taking a bus up to Fiesole

Nearby: Day Trips, Quick Trips, and Weekend Trips in Italy

Bellagio Lake Como

Day Trips: Venice, Milan, Sienna, Bologna, Cinque Terre

Quick Trips: Rome/Villa Borghese, Lake Como

Weekend Trips: Amalfi Coast, Sicily, Sardinia

The Thermal Bath Experience in Budapest

Budapest thermal baths

One of Hungary's most exciting attractions are the thermal baths - large hot tub-like baths that are open to the public. Budapest became known as the City of Spas in the 1930s with its number of baths around the city that drew in visitors. Last winter I went to the popular Szechenyi baths in Budapest and my expectations were blown away by how cool thermal baths actually are. The Szechenyi baths have large baths outside as well as some smaller pools and saunas inside. I went on a regular night, but there are often spa parties with crazy lights and laser shows.

The Thermal Bath Experience in Budapest

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It cost 4300 ft (about $19 USD) for entry and a locker at the Szechenyi baths. I also rented a towel and a swimsuit. I forgot to bring my swimsuit, and I regretted it - while it's nice they offer ones for rental, you can tell how old and used they are. I'm sure they clean them, but in my opinion it's just more comfortable to be in your own swimwear.

Instead of a traditional key, you get a waterproof bracelet that you tap to lock/unlock your locker. It was so nice to not have to worry about having a key with the possibility of getting it lost or stolen while you were in the bath. I put my clothes, shoes, and handbag in the locker. Outside by the outdoor pools there are mini lockers that your tap bracelets work with as well. I used one of those to put my camera and some extra cash in.

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I used some cash to get a drink at the mini bar outside ;) but just know that you can't take your drink into the water!

There are three pools with people relaxing and mingling. One is a whirpool which is a lot of fun.

Since I went in the winter, it was very cold outside! Luckily the baths were warm. Also, when walking from one bath to the other there was a little "moat" of warm water lining the pools. I'm pretty sure that's to wash your feet before you get into the pool but it was nice to take a few steps in to warm up my feet when switching from one bath to the next.

After a couple hours we left and grabbed our stuff from the lockers before heading back to the hotel to shower and change and go out for the night. All in all it was a fun experience and I highly recommend going to the thermal baths in Budapest during your visit!

3 Things I Learned During My First Solo Trip

My long weekend in Paris this summer was the first time I ever traveled solo, and I learned a lot within that short span of time. I had a lot of questions before I left, which I can assume are the same nervous jitters most people get when they travel by themselves for the first time, especially to a foreign city. Starting in Paris was a good "intro" to solo travel, so if I ever travel by myself again, I have a good impression of it.

3 Things I Learned During My First Solo Trip

1. Do your research

I read travel blogs, looked up places I was going on TripAdvisor and Yelp, and skimmed a couple guide books. Since I didn't do any formal tours of the city, I looked up a quick history of the main attractions I'd be walking past to have a little background knowledge. Most importantly, I found quite a few tips and tricks over TripAdvisor and Yelp about where I was going - like cutting my time in line at The Louvre in half by going in the underground entrance! Research also helped me be aware of the tourist scams so I could avoid them.

2. Walking is the best way to see the city

I lucked out in Paris with beautiful sunny weather every day, which made walking everywhere enjoyable. One morning I got up early to make an hour-long trek from my hotel to Notre Dame. I loved seeing the city slowly wake up and the peacefulness of walking along the Seine. I took a couple wrong turns (but quickly found my way!) and stumbled across cool things I never would've found, had I taken a cab or public transportation.

3. People are friendly

The hotel staff was very friendly, because, well, they're a hotel staff. They were so nice and gave me tips and showed me scenic routes to walk on a map. But even out in the city, people were friendly too. If I had to ask a Parisian something, of course I would try to attempt my best to say it in French first, or at least ask them in French if they spoke English. I never experienced any of the stereotypical "Parisian snottiness," everyone was friendly. I met a number of other people traveling as well who were from all over the world. Smiling is the universal language.

Paris in the summer was a great intro to solo travel for a number of reasons: it's already a pretty safe city, and since it's high season, there are plenty of people/tourists out and about; it happened to be warm and sunny, which was great for walking (and saving money on not using public transport); and there is so much to do in the city that you're bound to avoid boredom and loneliness. I would definitely suggest Paris as an intro to solo travel.

Why It's Worth It To Get Up Early When You Travel

This article was originally published at College Tourist. Click here to read the full article!

When you travel somewhere new, it’s easy to just want to sleep in a few extra hours and lounge in your bed before taking on a new city. Though there are a number of advantages to waking up early when you travel – here are five of them:

1. Banish jet lag faster

If you have a nasty change in time zones, it’s tempting to keep hitting snooze on your alarm, but if you force yourself to get up and outside, your body will start to adjust from being out in the sunlight. The faster you beat jet lag, the more time you spend enjoying your destination overall.

2. Enjoy a longer and more leisurely breakfast

Getting up earlier gives you more time to sit down and enjoy a meal without the stress of being in a rush to get somewhere on time. Why eat the leftover pretzels from the airplane as you head out the door when you can eat what the locals do instead – and have time to enjoy it?

Click here to read the rest of the list!

How To Pack For 2 Weeks With Just a Carry-On

I was recently in Europe for about 2.5 weeks (18 days). While the first few days in Paris were just for fun (and my first solo travel experience), I then went to Vienna, Prague, and Berlin for a work trip. I needed to pack both work and casual clothes, my shoes, toiletries, makeup, laptop, and camera, and leave a little room for souvenirs.

Checking a large bag is a hassle, plus it's heavy to drag through the airport. Also, a multi-country trip means a lot of transportation, and a large bag is just annoying to pack and re-pack. Therefore, I packed for my whole two and a half weeks with just a carry-on, and want to show you that you can too!

First off, my carry-on is the largest size for standard American flights. Since all my flights allowed for one free checked bag up to 50 lbs, my carry-on easily fit the size and weight requirements to check it.

I didn't have to check my carry-on, but going hands-free through the airport is so nice. All I had to hang onto was my Longchamp. Since I was traveling by myself, this made things like going to the bathroom or buying food at a crowded kiosk much easier since I didn't have to lug a roller bag around the airport.

How did I do it?

Space Bags

Once I started using Space Bags, I can't believe I traveled for so many years without them. They come in a number of sizes, and I was able to fit two carry-on sized Space Bags into my suitcase. You can find them at Target or similar stores!

Roll your clothes

Even with the Space Bags, I still rolled all my clothes. Rolling clothes takes up the least amount of space. If your clothes are wrinkled once you get there, use the hotel iron. No iron? Hang your clothes in the bathroom while you're showering to steam out the wrinkles.

Travel sized toiletries

I used to always bring my big toothpaste tube with me on trips. I don't know why I did that, because I had a number of random mini tubes I got for free from the dentist over the years. Two mini tubes of toothpaste lasted my whole 2.5 weeks, and I just threw them away before I left. I did the same with my mini shampoo bottle, body wash, etc.

Be realistic about what you'll actually wear

I brought four pairs of shoes: 2 pairs of flats, 1 pair of boat shoes, and 1 pair of sandals. I love heels, but knew that with the cobblestone streets + jet lag + hours of walking, I wouldn't wear them. So I didn't bring heels. I also exercise every day at home, but was about to be working 15 hour days for the majority of my trip, which left very little time for exercise. So I didn't bring athletic shoes or gym clothes.

There you have it! How I was able to fit everything I needed for 2 weeks into carry-on. Have more tips? Leave 'em in the comments!

8 Essential Steps To Planning a Trip Abroad

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Planning an international trip can seem like a daunting process. There is a lot of preparation and planning involved, but if you break it up and take it step by step it becomes easier to handle (and to not procrastinate).

1. Get a passport.

Because you can't go anywhere outside your country without one. Get one as early as possible too - sometimes getting a passport can take months.

2. Decide exactly where you want to go.

If you think, "I want to go to Asia this winter," it'll probably take you longer to plan your trip because you don't know exactly where in Asia you want to go. And there are a lot of countries in Asia. Do you want to take a big trip to China? Thailand? The Philippines? Central Asia (all the 'stans)? This is a good time to set a "SMART" goal for your trip.

3. Book your flights (or whatever transportation you're using).

Do this early instead of waiting 'till the last minute and paying double the amount (I know this from experience, unfortunately...).

4. Do some research on where you're going.

Read blogs, look at TripAdvisor, Yelp, etc. To be completely honest, I learned a TON of tips and tricks from blogs, TripAdvisor, and Yelp - more than I did from guidebooks. Though I wouldn't completely rule out guidebooks. They can be helpful too, as long as you read updated versions.

5. Book your accommodations.

Or be spontaneous and do it while you're there. Though if you do book it once you arrive, make sure there will be accommodation available (for example, many hotels and hostels are already sold out for Oktoberfest 2014 in Munich, since it's a huge event. Also, consider holidays as well).

Again, TripAdvisor is a great review resource for finding good accommodations.

6. Notify your bank that you'll be abroad.

So they don't freeze your credit cards.

7. Pack your bags.

Make sure you don't forget these items.

8. And go!

Enjoy your trip and have fun!