Europe

In true budget travel fashion, we opted to take a train and ferry from Italy to Sicily instead of flying. Stretching our dollar even farther, we opted to take a regional train with “reclining seats” for…

In Italy, if Rome is history and Florence is art and Milan is fashion, then Naples is people. Initially settled by Greeks in 2000 BC, Naples is one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the…

Since 79 AD, Mount Vesuvius has erupted over 30 times. In the context of 2,000 years, that number doesn’t seem like a lot. Perhaps that’s why 600,000 people continue to live in the shadow of Mount…

A thriving Roman city, Pompeii peacefully existed in the shadow of Mount Vesuvius for hundreds of years. As early as 6th century BC, the city walls were first constructed. By 80 BC, Pompeii was an official…

The Amalfi Coast is undeniably one of Europe’s most beautiful and awe-inspiring coastlines. While staying in Sorrento, we knew we wanted to experience the iconic coastal drive to the quaint little town of Amalfi. Opting for…

Perched on a cliff overlooking the Bay of Naples, Sorrento is a pleasant town to while away a few days. From Rome, we traveled south by train into the area known as Mezzogiorno, or Southern Italy.…

Just 90 minutes away by bus, Toledo is a fascinating day trip from Madrid. It’s hard to think of Toledo without thinking of the famous exclamation, Holy Toledo! The most plausible story of its origin dates…

The French equivalent of Rome, Nîmes is home to impressive ancient sites rivaling those in neighboring Italy. On our quick afternoon stop-over en route to Nice, we did a whirlwind tour of Nîmes. We were surprised…

Set in the Alpilles mountains, Les Baux is named one of the most beautiful medieval villages in France. We made a day trip to this quaint, fortified town during our stay in Arles. Ironically, a place Rachel had visited 15…