Stay Fabulous

If you’re planning to visit Italy in September or October because you’ve heard they’re the “perfect” months for fewer crowds, lower prices, and easier reservations, there’s something you need to know: that version of the Italian shoulder season is quickly becoming a thing of the past. In this episode, I’m breaking down what Italy in September and October actually looks like today, from the crowds...

If you’re planning a trip to Greece, don’t make the mistake of thinking the Greek islands are simply about beautiful beaches, sunsets, and great restaurants. The experiences you choose can completely change the way you remember your trip. After years of traveling throughout the Greek islands, I’ve discovered that some of my most unforgettable memories have come from being out on the water, sitting...

Planning a trip to Greece and wondering whether Paros is still the authentic Greek island everyone talks about? Or is it slowly becoming the next Mykonos? After spending years returning to Paros for one to two months every summer, this was the first season that truly made me stop and ask whether the island I fell in love with is beginning to change. In this episode, I take you beyond the Instagram...

Planning your first trip to Greece? Chances are you've already started asking the question almost every traveler asks: Which Greek islands should I visit? Santorini? Mykonos? Paros? After years of exploring Greece and spending several months here every year, I can tell you that this is actually the wrong place to start. In this episode, I'm taking you behind the scenes of the exact thoug...

Planning a trip to Puglia? Before you finalize your itinerary, it's worth challenging a few common assumptions about this extraordinary region. In this second episode of my two-part Puglia series, I explore the misconceptions that often prevent travelers from discovering the true character of one of Southern Italy’s most captivating destinations. I share the biggest misconceptions I see time...

Planning a trip to Puglia may seem straightforward at first, but once you begin building your itinerary, the decisions quickly become far more complex. Where should you stay? Do you need one base or several? Is Alberobello worth staying in? Can you explore Puglia without a car? And how much time do you really need to experience the region properly? In this episode, I share the biggest mistakes I r...

If you’re planning a trip to Puglia, chances are you’ve come across the word “masseria” countless times. From luxury travel magazines to social media, masserias have become one of the most sought-after accommodation experiences in Southern Italy. But before booking one for your Puglia itinerary, there’s an important question to ask: Is staying in a masseria actually the right choice for your trip?...

Alberobello is one of the most famous destinations in Puglia, but it’s also one of the most debated. As more travelers add Alberobello to their Italy itineraries, I’m increasingly hearing the same question: Is Alberobello still worth visiting, or has tourism changed the experience too much? In this episode, I share my honest perspective after returning to Alberobello and explain why opinions about...

If you’re planning a trip to the Amalfi Coast and expecting it to feel exactly like the photos you’ve seen online, this episode may completely change the way you approach one of Italy’s most iconic destinations. After living in Italy for over a decade, traveling to the Amalfi Coast for nearly twenty years, and running a travel agency that organizes bespoke trips to Italy, I’ve observed that two pe...

Most travelers arrive in Rome believing they have planned everything perfectly, only to quickly realize that the city feels far more overwhelming in reality than it ever did online. In this episode, I talk about why Rome so often exhausts travelers, not because the city itself is difficult, but because most itineraries are built without understanding how Rome actually functions once you are here....

Most travelers spend months planning a trip to Rome, only to get overwhelmed, exhausted, and realizing too late that the itinerary they built made very little sense once they were actually here. In this episode, I will explore one of the biggest misconceptions about Rome: the idea that it can be approached like any other major European city. After more than a decade of living in Rome and running a...

Most U.S. travelers planning a trip to France naturally focus on Paris and the South of France, while quietly overlooking one of the most rewarding destinations in the country: Bordeaux. Often perceived simply as a wine destination, Bordeaux is far more layered than most travelers expect. Beyond its world-renowned vineyards lies one of the most distinctive culinary regions in France, access to ext...

Renting a car in France can elevate your trip or complicate it in ways most travelers don’t anticipate. In this episode, I explain what U.S. travelers need to understand before booking a rental car in France, and why the real question is not whether to rent one, but where, when, and for how long it actually makes sense. While driving is unnecessary and often impractical in cities like Paris, the e...

Booking a hotel in Paris may seem straightforward, but for many U.S. travelers, it’s where expectations and reality begin to diverge. In this episode, we explore one of the most overlooked aspects of planning a trip to: how choosing the wrong hotel can quietly affect every single day of your experience. Unlike in the United States, where hotels often follow a consistent and predictable standard, P...

Most travelers approach France the same way they plan a trip to Italy, and that’s often where things begin to fall apart. In this episode, I will unpack one of the most common mistakes in European travel planning: assuming that France can be navigated as seamlessly by train as Italy. While Italy’s high-speed network connects cities like Rome, Florence, and Milan with ease, France operates on a fun...

Planning a trip to Italy often starts with the assumption that trains will take you everywhere. But as your itinerary begins to take shape, the reality becomes far more nuanced. In this episode, I explore one of the most common and most misunderstood questions for Italy travel: do you actually need a car, or not? The answer depends entirely on how you experience the country. In cities like Rome, F...

If you’re planning a trip to Italy and torn between Florence and Tuscany, this episode offers a clear perspective on a decision that will shape the entire flow of your journey. Choosing where to stay is not simply about location; it defines how you experience the region, how smoothly your days unfold, and how much you can realistically see without feeling rushed. I will tell you about the essentia...

Something is quietly shifting in how Americans are planning trips to Italy in 2026. While iconic destinations like Rome and Florence remain central, the classic route of Tuscany and the Amalfi Coast is no longer the default structure for every itinerary. In this episode, I explain you how Italy travel trends are evolving, and why more travelers are moving away from fast-paced, country-wide itinera...

Florence has changed, not in beauty, but in how the city operates for visitors. In this episode, I will explain why planning a trip to Florence in 2026 requires a more structured approach than it did just a few years ago. Iconic landmarks such as the Uffizi Gallery, Galleria dell'Accademia, and the climb of the Florence Cathedral now operate largely on timed, nominative ticket systems, with r...

Planning your first trip to Italy often feels like a dream years in the making - until, halfway through, that dream turns unexpectedly overwhelming. In this episode of Mediterranean Diaries, you'll get to explore why so many first-time travelers arrive in Italy excited and prepared, yet quickly find themselves exhausted by constant movement, overpacked itineraries, and underestimated logistic...

Why do so many travelers leave Florence saying, “It was beautiful… but I wish we had more time”? In this episode of Mediterranean Diaries, I'll help you understand why Florence can feel unexpectedly overwhelming, and how a simple shift in mindset transforms the experience entirely. With an extraordinary concentration of art and architecture inside the Uffizi Gallery, the Galleria dell'Ac...

Wondering whether spring or summer is the best time to visit Italy? In this episode, I'm breaking down the real differences between traveling to Italy in spring vs summer, including weather, crowds, prices, hotel availability, transportation, and itinerary planning.  You’ll learn how Italy’s peak travel seasons affect destinations like Rome, Florence, Venice, the Amalfi Coast, Puglia, Sicily,...

Traveling to Italy now comes with an important change that many visitors, especially Americans - are only discovering upon arrival. In this episode, I share my firsthand experience navigating Europe’s new Entry/Exit System (EES) at Rome Fiumicino Airport, where traditional passport stamping is being replaced by biometric border control technology, including passport scanning, facial recognition, a...

Planning a spring trip to Italy in April or May? This episode is a must-listen if Italy spring travel is on your mind. Each year, searches for Italy in spring skyrocket in January, yet many travelers are caught off guard by how quickly availability disappears. By the time planning begins, the most desirable boutique hotels, private tours, local guides, and key train routes across Italy are often a...

Today I'm sharing some exciting news for the year 2026. For the first time, I’m going to talk about my most personal and ambitious travel project yet. In this episode, I’m announcing a year-long journey living and traveling through Italy, Greece, and France - not as a tourist, but as someone fully stepping into the rhythm of these places. I’ll be living in each destination, experiencing daily...