Is Pisa Worth the Trip?

Every trip through Italy seems to include a classic "Holding up the Leaning Tower of Pisa" picture (Guilty). But is it really worth it?

The long and short of it is - It's an iconic landmark, but a pain to get to! If you have a spare day to take the train out and back from Florence, I say go for it! I had a great time, but there's honestly not much to it. You get off the train, look at the worn map and follow the faded line to the tower. It is pretty incredible and definitely leaning! I just waited until I heard someone speaking english and asked if they would mind taking my picture. They were sweet, and I got a great picture out of it!

That said, there wasn't much to do beyond take a cool picture. You could pay to go up the tower, but I opted not to. I just didn't want to spend the money and wait in line - I was trying to still get back to Florence in time to do a few more things. While I waited for my return train, I sat in a cafe with a beautiful view of the tower, enjoyed an EPIC cup of hot chocolate and used their free wifi. It was a really nice way to kill time!

For me, it was worth it. I got to slow down for a little bit and relax, both on the train and at the restaurant. It was on my bucket list, so I'm glad I got to tick that off too. Honestly, take a look at your schedule. If you have a spare half a day, go for it! If you are more pressed for time and the picture isn't too important to you, you may want to skip it.

City Highlights - Rome

Continuing on in my city highlights series, today, I'm going to talk about my favorite places in Rome! Rome was my last stop on my solo backpacking adventure through Italy, and boy, was it fun!

The Spanish Steps

This may not seem like the biggest and fanciest attraction, but it was probably my favorite place! I found myself returning time and time again to rest, people watch and enjoy the sunset. I would post up along the steps (along the side, out of the way) and read my book at the end of each day. It was so fun to just be a part of the hustle and bustle of the city and unwind after a long day of exploring.

Enjoy this sub-par selfie in front of the Spanish Steps

The Coliseum

The Coliseum is obviously a must see! I highly recommend taking the time to go inside and not just settle for looking at the outside. The history is amazing, and I really enjoyed it! It is, of course, packed with tourists, so I recommend you go early and beat the rush!

Also, pro tip - your ticket for the coliseum will also get you into the Roman Forum right next door! Don't buy the additional ticket without asking if your coliseum ticket is still good! This may change year - to year, but it worked for me!

The Trevi Fountain

Anyone who has seen the Lizzie McGuire movie knows you HAVE to visit the Trevi fountain! Unfortunately for me, the Trevi fountain was hardcore under construction while I was there. Womp womp. It was a bit underwhelming, but I can still say I've been there!

The Villa Borghese

Finally, I highly recommend checking out the Roman gardens, the Villa Borghese! It was a very relaxing way to get away from the crowds and just enjoy myself. I spent the day walking around, exploring and enjoying the locals.

I found this mini Globe Theater for local theater productions! How cool!

These guys were amazing! It was a crew of guys rollerblading doing all kinds of fun stunts

Oh and did I mention the views?!?! 

Rome is an amazingly beautiful city with so much to see! These are just a few highlights from my time there. If you want help planning your Roman adventure, visit MilesIntoMemoriesTravel.com!

My Dream Destinations

As a perpetual traveler, my list of places I'd love to go is ridiculously long. Instead of listing them all out, I decided to pick my top 3 trips Let's start with the upcoming trip - Portugal!

Portugal
At this point, my husband and I are just a few weeks away from our road trip around Portugal. We wanted a mix of adventure and relaxation and I think it will be perfect! We are spending a few days exploring some cultural sites and laying out on some gorgeous beaches. We're starting in Porto, going down to Luso and Coimbra then it's on to Lisbon. We are spending a few days in Lisbon before closing out the trip in Lagos. Neither of us have been to Portugal before, so we are ready for a brand new adventure!


Australia/ New Zealand

This has been on my bucket list for ages! I've been to this part of the world as a small child, but I hardly remember it. Both countries just look absolutely breathtaking and I hope to take a few weeks and do it upright sometime soon! I want to do the bridge climbing, I want to hike the hobbit town and maybe even go to the Sydney opera house! So many adventures await!

Iceland

And finally, Iceland. Oh, Iceland. I've almost gone on two or three trips to Iceland, but ultimately I've ended up going somewhere else. Iceland is relatively cheap to fly to, and who doesn't want to climb a glacier?! I have every confidence that I'll get there one day - probably sooner rather than later.

So many, so little time. If you want help planning your next adventure, check out MilesIntoMemoriesTravel.com!

Best Trip Planning Tools

Big trips are incredibly exciting and rewarding, but they require a lot of work. Once you've selected your dream destination, organizing an itinerary can be daunting. There is so much information out there, and it can be hard to figure out where to start. As someone who has planned trips professionally, here are my best tips!

Don't Be Afraid to Use Guide Books
I know it can seem a bit archaic, but guide books can be a wonderful tool! While there are often new editions out each year, you can probably get away with using last year's edition to save some money - things don't change that much in just one year. However, I would maybe stay away from those guidebooks from the 1970's that always seem to be laying around.

Guide books are a reliable starting place and can have great insider tips. I personally love the Lonely Planet books - it's what I've been using to plan my upcoming trip to Portugal.  You can even check some out from the library as a starting place!

Trip Advisor
Next take advantage of some reputable online resources - I enjoy trip advisor! They rank the attractions (by category) and it's easy to get a feel of the city. There are even first hand reviews available that I've always found tremendously helpful.

Blogs
It's also a great idea to poke around  the internet for well-written travel blogs that discuss your destination. I love reading first-hand accounts of other people's adventures! It gives me an idea of what I  may want to sere and do while abroad AND tips me off to attractions that I may want to skip.

Social Media
Finally, I recommend posting on your social media account and asking for recommendations! You never know who will pop up with a great suggestion. These recommendations can be tremendously valuable because they come from people who know you and have no reason to lead you astray. It's also a great way to reconnect with friends from your past - bonus!

If you need help planning your itinerary, I'd be happy to help! MilesIntoMemoriesTravel.com.