Ariel view of Il Campo and Torre del Mangia in Siena, Italy with the Tuscan countryside in the background.

9 Outstanding Day Trips from Florence

Florence is breathtaking and exploring Tuscany’s capital alone can easily fill several days. Yet, with so many fascinating day trips from Florence available, I highly recommend adding more time to your itinerary to explore them.

These are some of the most popular day trips, from exploring charming medieval towns to driving through Tuscan landscapes and visiting historical sites.

How to Plan a Day Trip to Hadrian’s Villa in Tivoli

How to Plan a Day Trip to Hadrian’s Villa in Tivoli

In ancient Rome, it was expected that an emperor would get weary of life in the capital city, and it was customary to build another sprawling estate (or a few estates) in places outside the city. Emperor Hadrian did just this between 121 and 137 AD, near a hillside town about 18 miles east of Rome.

Today, you can visit the ruins of Hadrian’s Villa in Tivoli, and it makes for an easy and fascinating day trip.

Strategic Tips for Buying Eiffel Tower Tickets

Strategic Tips for Buying Eiffel Tower Tickets

Visiting the Eiffel Tower is a once-in-a-lifetime experience, but when you started planning your trip to Paris, you probably didn’t expect to encounter such difficulty and frustration when buying tickets.

But it is difficult and you do need to have a plan.

I’m sharing the my best strategic tips for buying Eiffel Tower tickets so you can avoid disappointment.

View of St. Peter's Square from the Dome.

Make the Most of Your Visit to the Vatican 

As a certified Rome travel expert who specializes in designing custom itineraries for independent travelers, what I have found is that any visit to the Vatican requires a certain kind of preparation to really get the most out of it. Not complicated, but intentional. This is not a destination that is well suited for “winging it.” When travelers do that, they often wind up stressed, exhausted, and lost in lines and crowds.

View of the Roman Forum and Roman Colosseum from the Vittorio Emanuele monument

Rome Off The Beaten Path: Exploring Beyond The Obvious

Exploring Rome off the beaten path is a great way to elevate your travel journey, allowing you to escape the crowds and experience awe-inspiring sights, unique attractions, and history-rich places that tourists often miss. While most travel enthusiasts will recognize top attractions such as the Colosseum, Roman Forum, Trevi Fountain, or the Sistine Chapel, the…

Long view interior shot of the central hallway in the Orsay Museum in Paris, France

11 Noteworthy European Virtual Museum Tours

While I typically spend my days crafting custom travel itineraries for travelers, this time I’ve planned a virtual museum tour itinerary for all of you. As usual, my recommendations are based on personal experience and plenty of research. These are what I consider to be 11 of the most well-done virtual tours for European museums available online today.