Ciao! We had such an amazing time in Italy and so many of you asked for a complete itinerary, so we bravely put our foggy perimenopausal heads together to remember all the deets. Here they are!
Make sure to follow us at @lisaandliz on Instagram if you missed any of our stories! And stay tuned for upcoming podcast episodes where we dish all the inside scoop from the trip.
We used the TripIt app for this trip and were able to share our itineraries with one another as well as out families. Highly recommend!
Lake Como
Lisa: It’s been on my travel bucket list to see Lake Como. And I’m not going to lie, running into George Clooney while there, wouldn’t suck. (I didn’t, but I did see his house! Read on to see how you can too.)
We started in a town called Bellagio. We stayed at a B&B called Agriturismo II Colle. It had amazing reviews and definitely lived up to them. It’s also very affordable! You get a lot for your money. Within moments of booking, the hotel helped me set up a car service to pick us up at the airport. The owner of the property, Mary, checked us in and was quick to let us know that our room key also worked to access the self-serve wine dispensers! We booked a double room with a lake view and it was worth every penny. The view from our room combined with the hot shower was perfect after a long day of travel.
That night, we walked to a restaurant called Antichi Sapori Bistrot. It was recommended to us by Mary. It was packed—which is always a good sign. Lisa ordered spaghetti pomodoro and Matt ordered lemon risotto. And of course, the house red. It was all heavenly! (Tip: Learn how to order the house red in Italian as you will be doing it a lot! Vorrei la casa rossa)
Like most hotels in Italy, breakfast was included. Luigi oversaw the feast—which included everything from hard boiled eggs to fresh fruit to cheese. And, of course, espresso.
From Bellagio, we took a ferry to Blevio. It was one of my favorite parts of the entire trip. The cost was only 18 euro (for both of us!) and we were able to see several towns along the lake. That’s when we saw George Clooney’s estate which is in Laglio—right on the lake. If you google the image you can spot the house very easily. (Or maybe I’m just a stalker and no one else will do this?!)
We stayed at the Mandarin Oriental. When I planned our trip, If you book a room here (which I highly recommend that you do) don’t make the same mistake we did. When we exited the ferry, we walked a mile to the hotel. It was very treacherous as there aren’t sidewalks. It made for a hilarious insta story, but it’s not worth it! The hotel would have sent a car for us, but we didn’t know that beforehand!
We booked a deluxe double with a lake view. My favorite things about the hotel were the swimming pool on the floating dock and the restaurants! Both restaurants on property are amazing. L’Aria is fine dining. We had the most beautiful dinner as the sun was setting. And Co.Mo is also delicious. We didn’t leave for two days except to kayak on the lake which was incredible and a definite must.
Lisa asked about taking a train to Milan Linate airport but the hotel staff said it would be more trouble than it was worth so we booked a car service instead. From Milan, we flew into Naples airport and then took a ferry to Ischia. I booked our ferry tickets in advance which I highly recommend as it was a huge time saver and the ferry was packed. I had read they sell out—especially during Covid—and it turned out to be true. We also booked the speed ferry on Alilauro which takes 50 minutes instead of 1 hour and twenty minutes.
ISCHIA
We picked Ischia because it’s a lesser known island in the Bay of Naples, known for its mineral rich thermal waters and natural springs. We stayed at the Hotel Miramare e Castello in a luxury suite with a view of the sea and of the Argonese Castle. (Room #103—I remember this because they give you a giant key that you store behind the desk because it’s too large to carry around!) The hotel staff was incredible—very friendly and helpful.
Our first night, we did what I started calling a “hot change” (quickly getting ready from day to night) and we headed to our dinner reservation at Dani Maison. I have @Sami to thank for this. She went there on her honeymoon and I stalked her trip on insta like my life depended on it. From presentation to taste to the staff, It was one of the best meals we’ve ever had. It was expensive, but if you’re looking for a once in a life time foodie experience, I highly recommend!
The next day, we took a car to a super cute fishing village called Sant’Anglo and ate at Ristorante Deus Neptunus. The same driver then took us to a natural hot spring in the ocean called Sorgeto. It was a cool experience, but I’m not big on community water situations so overall hot springs might not be my jam. But if I could do it again, I would try another I’d been told about called the Nitrodi hot springs which has more variation.
When we got back to our hotel, we swam in the Gulf of Naples then walked into town to have dinner.
Note: We opted not to tour the Argonese castle as we had limited time. I would suggest three days in Ischia to be able to take everything in.
SORRENTO
Liz: We stayed at Palazzo Marziale, which is located at the center of town, and has major B&B vibes. We had just arrived to Italy and were exhausted but still enjoyed the charm of this town and hotel. The staff was incredibly helpful setting up transportation to Praiano, which is about 100 Euro. Breakfast is included and was served in their beautiful private courtyard. It was delicious and probably the best of the trip. All in all—a great value!
We walked about a mile to La Cantinaccia del Popolo, a small, cash only restaurant located down an alley. You must get there within an hour of it opening or there are huge waits for a table. We shared a bottle of house wine and had an excellent buffalo tomato appetizer. Liz had eggplant Parmesan for dinner and loved every bite! Mike Fenton noshed on delicious gnocchi and an enormous Florentine steak! Best of all, the bill was less than 75 euro! Highly recommend!
Sorrento, although beautiful, is very touristy and busy without much elevation compared to other Amalfi coast towns. We did make some great purchases here—the famous 8 euro hat! And also a beautiful leather bag for a work colleague. All in all, I’d say 1-2 nights is all you need here. It’s a good starting point before moving on to the rest of the Amalfi Coast.
PRAIANO
Liz’s take: We spent two nights in this charming town before meeting Matt and Lisa, and I think that was the perfect amount. We stayed at Hotel Margherita. Quaint with a five-star staff, I’d recommend upgrading to one of the rooms with a bigger balcony. We got the “Romantic” room and it had a huge veranda that we had breakfast delivered to every morning. Wasn’t much more to upgrade and totally worth it. They have a nice pool with beautiful views. This isn’t a luxury hotel but the staff and location is top notch and I’d highly recommend. There is a highly rated restaurant on the top floor (M’ama) that people rave about but we weren’t fans, but the view was amazing and the staff courteous.
Our best meal here was the pizza at Che Bonta. It was ricotta-filled crust, with pesto as the sauce and cherry tomatoes. After they pull it out of the oven, they add fresh basil and buffalo mozzarella, which the region is known for. Best pizza we’ve had. Ever. We loved it so much we ordered it again one night after too much wine and ate it in bed!
We also had a nice meal at La Moressa. It has great views and an adorable patio. We only consumed wine and apps here, and it was good. It has amazing ratings so I’d recommend giving the dinner menu a try.
There are two beaches. Gavitella Beach is 400 stairs below San Gennaro church—which we toured. There’s a private beach club with umbrellas and a restaurant. The walk down feels as if you are heading somewhere secret—there are clandestine residences and small hotels tucked in every corner. Bring a swimsuit to jump in once you finally find the water!
I’d recommend stopping at Cafe Mirante on the way back up—it’s tucked into the slope and a welcome respite from the stairs! It’s literally an oasis as you round the corner—it has been family run for years and they are very friendly and serve amazing drinks. Plus-smoking hot waiters! Be advised—it is very popular to watch the sunset here so go about an hour before to get a good table.
The beach on the other side of town is easier to access (you don’t have to walk all the stairs!) and has a cute bar named Il Pirata that is built into a cave! The weather was stormy that day so we sat out on the deck and drank cocktails as the waves broke against the rocks. You can rent chairs at this beach as well. After consuming way too many drinks, we ordered several appetizers and while I can’t remember what they were, I do recall it being delicious!
Lisa’s take: We ended our trip in Praiano which was perfecto! We stayed at Casa Angelina, a boutique hotel. When we arrived, they told us they had upgraded us to a room with a full sea view. (We had booked a partial as I had told myself by the end of the trip I would have seen a lot of that sea!) This hotel is our favorite we have ever stayed at for many reasons. The staff is unbelievable. We joked that they would “pop up” whenever you needed something—sometimes even before you realized you did. The most unbelievable thing they did was the day we left, they were up at 3:00 a.m. to see us off. We had to get to the Naples airport to catch a 6:45 a.m. flight to connect through Frankfurt and back to the U.S. They made us a “to go” breakfast and also prepared almond milk lattes for both of us and arranged a car service to drive us there.
The food at this hotel is also exquisite. There is fine dining at Un Piano del Cielo and Seascape is their other restaurant. Pro tip: Get the Gragnano linguine pasta and fries at Seascape! Delicious! The pool is magnificent. You lay in chairs (each with their own umbrella) or in chairs under pergola with lemons hanging from it and take in breathtaking views of Positano and Capri. We never left the property. Praiano is a sleepy and romantic town perfect for relaxing. It’s not like Positano or many of the other towns along the Amalfi Coast that are bustling with activity. If you’re looking for more, this might not be the town for you.
As Liz mentioned there is a beach below, but we had already gone in Positano and were so happy to lay on our asses that we never walked down. The hotel also offers yoga and pilates in the morning and it was amazing to stretch my body after so many days of walking stairs and hiking. This hotel is pricey, but I cannot recommend it enough. I would give it six stars if I could!
Ravello
We all met up for the first time in Ravello, a small mountaintop town. We had popped in three years before while traveling with our families and vowed to return one day. It’s THAT charming! Stunning views from everywhere! Walk up to Villa Cimbrone and take in the incredible views and walk their exquisite grounds. Stop at Villa Eva along the way. There is a small square with some great shopping. Make sure to go see Pascal’s ceramic shop. There are several ceramic stores there but his is the highest quality and he designs most himself.
We did a wine tasting at a small store called Wine & Drugs. It was a fun way to spend an afternoon and Matt and Lisa had several bottles shipped home!
Lisa had booked a dinner reservation at a Michelin star restaurant called Rossellinis in the Palazzo Avino. It’s supposed to be amazing, so definitely go there if you are looking for fine dining. None of us were feeling like getting fancy that night, so we cancelled. We ended up eating a late dinner after stumbling upon a place called Villa Maria-it was fantastic and boasted great views! There was also a restaurant we walked by that was super cute with amazing reviews called Mimi’s but it was closed for a private event.
You cannot leave without grabbing an Americano or a cappuccino and a rice ball from the bakery in the center of the square. The best in Italy! (Side note: we came to Ravello with our family three years ago and ate these rice balls—the kids still talk about them!)
We stayed at Villa Piedimonte. Huge villas with gorgeous views and middle of the road in terms of price! The pool was average, so if you’re looking for that scene, we’d suggest you stay choose something else. But other than that, we would recommend!
Positano
Liz & Lisa: Positano is breathtakingly beautiful and even after spending five nights there, we didn’t see all of it! To get anywhere, you have to walk—either up or down a tremendous amount of stairs (there are taxis, but they are quite pricey and walking can often be faster as the streets get congested with people and cars) so bring good shoes. Ladies—heels have no business here unless the restaurant is inside your hotel! As cute as they are, our suggestion is to wear cute flats or tennies instead. Your calves will thank you!
Liz: We stayed at Villa Rosa, which we loved. It’s a small, historic hotel located in the center the town (right above the swanky Le Sirenuse hotel). Great views and easy walk to the beach and shopping. We upgraded to a superior room and it was worth it to be on a higher floor. The staff is friendly and helpful! One note: the bathrooms only have bathtubs, not showers, so you’ve been warned! But our room was spacious and our balcony huge with insane views and they delivered a scrumptious breakfast every morning-we especially loved the fried eggs and frothy cappuccinos. The staff was so kind and helpful—arranging everything from dinner reservations to transport to the Covid tests that were needed to fly home. For the price, it is an amazing value and we’d stay there again.
Lisa: We stayed at Villa Magia in a deluxe room with a sea view and absolutely loved it. It’s another boutique hotel which tend to be our favorite. Upon arrival, they give you a cell phone with WhatsApp to communicate with them during your stay and this proved to be priceless. They set up lunch and dinner reservations and after we hiked the Path of the Gods in one direction and realized we were too tired to hike back, they sent a car to pick us up. They also arranged a boat for us to charter. (Read on for more on that.)
The breakfast, which you order the night before, is included and everything we tried was delicious. We chose to eat it on our balcony each morning.
During our stay, our room had an ant infestation (In the summer, because of the intense heat, ants can be an issue on the Amalfi Coast). The hotel handled it with grace and efficiency. They upgraded us to a two bedroom, two bath suite which was unbelievable. (Our first room was too—if you don’t count the ants!) While we were out for the day, the staff moved all of our things from one room to the next and made sure no ants went along on the journey! Lol! We don’t blame the hotel for the ants—the property is immaculate and they do all they can to prevent something like this from happening. We would definitely stay at this hotel again!
Positano restaurants:
Da Vincenzo: A charming restaurant located 118 steps below Lisa and Matt’s hotel (Matt counted!) It was founded over fifty years ago! We ate here twice—once for lunch and once for dinner. We tried practically everything on the menu from the caprese (Buffalo mozzarella is a local delicacy and the tomatoes have the most intense flavor) to the lemon linguine —it was all delicious. Make a reservation if you go during peak season.
Da Bruno: Located just a few steps form Villa Rosa, Da Bruno was awesome. We noshed on house wine, gnocchi all Sorrento, seafood pasta and the most amazing calamari we’ve ever tasted! We ate inside because a storm was passing through but they have tables outside that have amazing views.
Chez Black: It’s a very long story that you’ll need to listen to our podcast to hear but Liz and Mike ended up here by themselves one night. Many people talk about and praise this place but I found it very average and touristy. It does sit right on the beach but the tables are inches apart. Liz and Mike shared the buffalo mozzarella appetizer and the tomatoes were unripe (a crime for this region!) and the pesto linguine was forgettable. There are pictured of celebrities donning the walls so obviously this is a popular place but not for us.
Bar Franco: Located in the Le Siruense Hotel, this bar has breathtaking views and delicious (albeit overpriced!) cocktails that you won’t find anywhere else. It’s a scene, but one worth being a part of, for at least one night. Get there early—it opens at 5pm— to secure a table with a view.
Don Giovanni: Don’t go there. Just trust us on this one.
ACTIVITIES
Arienzo Beach Club: If you want to be sure to get a chair and drink service, we were told to go to a private beach club. Spiaggia Grande, the main beach below Positano is also another way to go as you don’t have to take a boat to get there and has some free chairs. You might need a Mike Fenton with you to secure one, however!
As you know, we like our pool chairs and placement so the same applies at the beach. We were recommended this beach club by our hotel so we gave it a try. You grab a water taxi down at the main port and head over. We chose the Diamond package which included chairs on the front row, a certain amount of drinks and lunch. We met some really fun people, swam in the sea and enjoyed our drinks, but the food at lunch was touristy and underwhelming. Overall, we’re happy we went, but if you don’t want to spend the money, we say opt for the public beach instead! (Also, the beaches are rocky so make sure to bring the right shoes. Lisa and Liz wore Birkenstocks which worked fine.)
Boat charter: Lisa’s hotel arranged a boat with an amazing captain named Vincenzo. We all agree this six-hour private boat ride was the best part of both of our trips! It’s a splurge, but seeing the Amalfi Coast in this way is unbelievable. We highly recommend it! Vincenzo made us a reservation at a restaurant called Bagni Tiberio on the back side of Capri . It was delicious! Lisa is still salivating over the spaghetti with zucchini. Vincenzo was also an amazing tour guide pointing out interesting landmarks as he drove the boat. We also stopped a few times to swim. The boys even cliff jumped—-probably after too much wine. (See our stories for Mike Fenton’s ass-first-jump that left some pretty gnarly bruises!)
Capri
In all fairness, we only spent an hour in town. And from talking to people, it seems there is a great divide on whether Capri is worth more than an afternoon. It sounds like if you do decide to spend time on Capri, you’ll need to get out of the main port area, which reminded us of Catalina Island, and head up to the more remote/exclusive parts of the island. Lisa and Matt met two different couples—one on their honeymoon and one on a getaway after their first baby. The honeymooners stayed for three days and LOVED it—saw Beyonce and Jay Z, among many other celebrities, while there. The baby get-awayers stayed for three days and were bored/not impressed. We find ourselves in the “not impressed” camp as well.
SHOPPING
The shopping in Positano is everything you’ve heard and more! Lisa waited until she arrived here to buy any clothes. Of course Positano is chock full of are touristy shops where you will spot the same dress in a dozen windows, but if you take the time to walk the streets you can find a lot of gems. We sure did!
Liz: Liz bought the cutest skirt and top at Rachele, located in the pathway to the beach. Ganesh, a men’s clothing store across the street from Le Sirenuse, is a great men’s store where Mike and Matt both found comfortable Italian fashion that they can’t wait to wear backhome and smugly tell people “it’s from Italy” when asked.
Lisa bought a lovely long linen dress with a black halter top at Blitz and went on to buy several pieces at a store called Teresa’s Boutique. She even scored a Missoni dress on sale!
PATH OF THE GODS
We started in Nochelle and went to Bomerano, but now we know the ideal way to hike this trail is to start in Bomerano (you can take the bus or get there by car) and then you can walk either back to Nochelle and take the (1400!) stairs down to Positano or there’s a path that will take you to Praiano.
The Nochelle-Bomerano has much more uphill than the other. Bring lots of water and start as early as you can. The hike can be treacherous in places and will take a few hours. But hey—we saw two people wearing their babies in a Bjorn, so what do we know? Our advice: Don’t skip this once in a lifetime opportunity: wear good tennis shoes or, ideally, hiking boots. It’s hard, but the views are worth it!
AIRPORTS & CAR SERVICES
Liz:
We flew into Rome (it’s often less expensive than Naples) and made our way to Sorrento. You can hire a car for the three hour drive, but it will run you between 350-450 euros. Another option is to take the high-speed train from Rome to Naples. It’s just over an hour ride. Business class seats run around 75 euros each (seats are tight in coach so if you are tall you should upgrade) and then you can hire a driver once you reach Naples, which will cost between 100-150 euros, depending on which city along the coast is your final destination.
We flew Lufthansa out of Miami through Frankfurt and it was amazing. Highly recommend! We took American through Dallas and then into San Diego on the way home and there was a huge difference in service and overall quality. If they are close in price, I’d pay a little extra for Lufthansa. It’s worth it.
One note: We booked all of our flights one way and were able to snag some amazing deals, so don’t be afraid to get creative. We saw that it was much less expensive to fly to Rome from Miami and Chicago, so we found a $99 one way to Miami and stayed two nights there before flying to Italy, and were able to fly business class for the same price as a coach ticket out of San Diego. Play around to get the best prices.
Also—be sure to sign up for Scott’s Cheap Flights and they will send you alerts when prices drop. That’s how we snagged the Miami ticket.
Lisa:
Car services: When traveling to and from our hotels, we chose to do car services which we booked directly through our hotels. We found this to sometimes be pricey (one way was typically 100 euros), but very convenient as you typically pay the hotel directly for the fare. We also like knowing for sure that we have our ride arranged from point A to point B as opposed to relying on a taxi or another mode of transportation such as a bus. Another reason we chose cars is because of the comfort factor. The average travel time was an hour to an hour and a half. This was due to the distance and the narrow winding roads that are common in Italy which require the driver to go slower.
Airports: We opted to fly out of LAX instead of San Diego because when flying to Europe we prefer not to change planes until we there. This allows more time to sleep. There are more flight options for this out of L.A. We flew direct into Frankfurt—which is a very large airport so allow yourself at least an hour and a half for a layover—especially because you go through customs. We then changed planes and flew to Milan Malpensa (MXP).
Note: there are two airports in Milan! Malpensa is the larger and Linate is the smaller and it’s important to note the difference for many reasons, but especially when booking a car to your hotel. I initially made this mistake when communicating with one of our hotels and was fortunate enough to realize it before we arrived.
To get down to Southern Italy, we flew from Milan Linate (LIN) to Naples.
When we returned home, we flew from Naples to Frankfurt and then direct to L.A.
We used the car service Stay Classy Airport Car Service of San Diego to go to and from LAX. Highly recommend!
A fantastic book that we used for reference when planning this trip is called Always Italy by Frances Mayes (also the author of Under the Tuscan Sun). The whole concept of this book is finding the hidden gems/lesser known places in Italy.
Other things we were asked about
LUGGAGE AND PACKING
Liz: Liz splurged on new luggage before the trip after years of buying cheaper suitcases and having them break after one year. Monos is known for their high quality, durable luggage that holds a ton and we we were both able fit into a medium and large suitcase for the two week trip, without feeling as if we had to compromise anything. (There was NO WAY. we were taking only carry-ons, but read on for how Lisa did it!)
Lisa: How did Lisa pack two weeks worth of clothes and shoes and accessories into two carry-ons— and why?
I’ll answer the why first. I hate checking bags. I also have travel anxiety and like to know that my things are always with me—especially when I have to change planes. In addition, things in Europe can be small. The cars! The hotel rooms! Many of our Italian drivers were very impressed with our small “American” luggage. Lol! Also, when you are navigating through towns with your luggage—which happens more than you would think—it pays off to have less of it!
And how did she—and her husband who has a size 13 shoe—pull this off? Matt thinks I’m ridiculous in my fear of losing luggage, but he agreed having less bags would be better overall so he joined me in my no checked baggage journey. He made the decision he would have to do laundry there. His feet are just too big to pack enough clothes to make it through! And he packed five pairs! I also ended up doing some laundry, but could have survived if I hadn’t.
I brought Birkenstocks, a pair of wedge espadrilles, a pair of light workout shoes and a pair of Golden Goose tennies. These shoes are very pricey but sooooo comfortable and if you ask me, totally worth it. I wore them all over Positano. They are also cute enough to pair with dresses, which I did often!
As for clothes, I brought a lot of dresses which transitioned from day to night. I also chose bike shorts for working out/hikes as they are easier to fold up than workout shorts. I packed six bathing suits, three novels, a toiletries bag, a pair of jeans, six dresses and two skirts. For the flights, I wore leggings. I also brought bodysuits and tank tops as they are smaller. I chose items I could mix and match and wear more than once. Many of my things were black. I had some bright dresses which I saved for Positano because I knew Liz and I would be together and take a ton of pics. I couldn’t have worn any of those things twice.
I tried several techniques and packed and re-packed several times until I got it right. While packing cubes are awesome for keeping you organized, they take up more space than if you don’t use them. I ended up rolling my clothes and found that it allowed me to fit the most clothes inside the larger carry-on. In the smaller carry-on, I put my toiletries bag, my hot tools, my hairbrush, my bling, my iPad and my books. I also put my face masks, ear plugs, AirPods and any other things I thought I might need on the long flight.
Packing this way ensures you don’t overpack. I wore every single thing I brought with me!
I absolutely love my toiletries bag. I’ve been looking for the right one for soooo long and finally found it.
I did a lot of research on luggage and settled on TravelPro. I actually got a smoking deal on one of the TravelPro carry-ons at Nordstrom Rack online. I bought all of the others through their website. They have sales a lot!
The TravelPro carry-on we selected is 21 inches zipped, which is the size it needs to be to fit in the overhead bins in Europe. The other one we each got is designed to fit under the seat—but if that’s not possible, it also fits easily in the overhead bin. When we flew from Milan to Naples, we checked the larger of the carry-ons and brought the smaller ones on board—this came in handy as you often have to pay for more than one carry-on per person.
The smaller one sits on top of the larger one which made everything easier.
I knew I would check bags on the way back because: shopping. So I purchased an amazing duffle bag on amazon. It folds up and zips and fit in our carry on. And on the way back, we expanded it and filled it with dirty clothes and shoes. (Best $29 I ever spent!) We put our purchases—and things I couldn’t replace if lost— in our smaller carry-ons and brought those on board with us and checked this duffle (plenty durable to withstand that) and our larger carry-ons.
Lisa’s hat!
I got a lot of questions about the hat I wore in Italy. I absolutely love it. It’s called a packing hat and meant to be put inside a bag, but I still didn’t want to risk it so I carried it with me. It was a little annoying to carry it around, but I’m so glad I brought it. Also, I saw a woman who had her hat hanging from her bag. There are things you can get for this—I had no idea. So I will do this next time. I have a big head so I bought an extra large!
We heard from so many of you while we traveled—thank you! It gave us great joy to document the trip. Ciao, bella!
