A big thanks to Charlotte and Steve for sharing their amazing Italian honeymoon! They ate and drank their way through Florence, Tuscany & the Amalfi Coast (my kind of trip). Their pictures are nothing short of spectacular and if you’re like me, you’ll be indulging in a big old plate of pasta after reading this.

Florence

Stay:

• Grand Hotel Villa Cora:  it’s perched up on the hill right behind the Boboli gardens. We really liked it. Beautiful property (it is an old villa that has been converted into a hotel) with a nice pool area and great rooms with a lot of character.  A lot of the rooms have nice balconies with excellent views of the city. It is about a 5 minute cab ride to downtown or a 15-20 minute walk so the location is pretty convenient. 

Eat:

• Cantinetta Antinori
• La Giostra
• Lunch at Harry’s- where the Bellini was created.
• Il Parione- This was our favorite restaurant. A local spot with amazing food. Try the truffle pasta. They are also known for their steak.

Do:

• Galleria Accademia and Uffizi
• Roofdeck bar in the Continentale hotel near the Ponte Vecchio – This is the best rooftop bar in Florence I’ve been too but it’s not well marked.  LUCKILY, it’s about 15 feet from the Ponte Vechhio bridge so it is totally findable. When you arrive, you’re going to think ‘this is an all-white apartment building, not a hotel/bar’ as there are no bar signs and no one downstairs. Just trust me… get on the elevator and hit the top floor bottom. The perfect place for pre-dinner drinks with gorgeous views to watch the sunset over the river. 

Tuscany

Stay:

• Castiglion del Bosco: this was one of our favorite hotels and we’ll definitely go back! It was perched in the hills of Montalcino – remote but only a 20 minute drive from the little town of Montalcino. They have a few great restaurants on the property itself. We spent 4 nights at this hotel and just explored the little Tuscan towns by day – we went to Montalcino, Montepulciano, Pienza and Siena. These are all beautiful quaint towns with lovely streets and cute local shops. 

Do:

• Wine tasting. Tuscany produces some great ones (all from the Sangiovese grape) that are actually pretty affordable when you get them over there. I would suggest trying Brunello di Montalcinos, Chiantis (Classico or Rufina), and Montepulcianos. We also found their version of Pinot Noir, which they call Pinot Nero, to be pretty good. The younger and less pricey version of Brunellos are called Rossi di Montalcino, very good as well and a bit lighter/brighter than the Brunellos.

The Amalfi Coast

Positano

Stay:

• Palazzo Murat or if you really want to splurge, Le Sirenuse

Eat:

• Le Sirenuse: A standout restaurant- very expensive, but worth it. Go early for a drink to enjoy the views. 
• La Tagliata: This one, unlike the Sirenuse, is really casual but a really fun experience. It’s a great family run place way up on the mountain.  They have live music one night a week so check with your hotel (they have a shuttle that picks guests up at their hotels) and try and book that night.
• Note: The restaurants down by the beach are all fun but not outstanding food-wise. You are paying more for the ambiance and the view. Probably best of the bunch is Chez Black * fun fact – owned by an Italian movie star.

Do:

• Cruise the coast by sea: Steve and I rented a private power boat for about 300 euros and cruised down the coast. You can stop and go swimming in some of the coves that are inaccessible except by boat, eat lunch and enjoy the views. You can also just hop on the ferry which is approx. 15 euro per person and see the coast that way – a much better option than a bus or a car service which is super expensive and also takes much longer on the small roads.

Ravello

Do: 

• Visit the town: Beautiful town perched up on the mountain above the town of Amalfi. You can take a bus or taxi up from Amalfi. It’s a pretty scary drive but really cool. The town is just stunning, and quieter than the other Amalfi towns.

Capri

Stay: 

• Hotel Punta Tragara: Is just heaven. If we had to do it all over again we would spend more time here and probably one less night in Positano. The hotel had a great pool and views. We  really enjoyed strolling around the town, window shopping, eating gelato and drinking lots of wine.

Do:

• Head over to AnaCapri and take the chair lift up, the views from the top are great.