Only A Bag - An Italy Travel Podcast

It's our 100th episode! We're celebrating by mixing things up a bit. In this episode we address some of the major headlines in the news about Italy and talk about what they mean for your trip this summer. We're talking about transportation strikes across the country and the increased price for public transit in Rome. We're also talking about new selfie rules at the Uffizi in Florence and cool things to see in Siena....

Everything you need to know for traveling to Rome in just over an hour! This is an update to an episode with a similar title we put out almost two years ago. In this episode we talk about whether Rome is safe, how to get there, getting around, three of our favorite markets, music festivals, and how to stay cool in the heat.

Edit: In the episode we mention the app "Waidy Wow", it has a new name "Acquea."

Acquea (formerly Waidy Wow): ...

Overtourism has been in the news recently with protests in Spain, Portugal, and Italy as residents come together to resist the soon-to-be-coming wave of tourists this summer. While we also believe overtourism is a problem, we don't believe it's entirely the tourists' fault.

So, how can you help? In this episode we offer seven pieces of advice that may help you be a more mindful tourist. Our goal is to encourage tourists...

From getting there and getting around, to food and museums, we're covering everything you need to know for visiting Florence! How many museums can I see in one day? What is classic Fiorentini food? What's the best way to get to and from the airport? We'll answer all of that and more!

Here are some helpful links that we mention in this episode:

AT Bus App: App for purchasing tickets with the Autolinee Toscane (Tuscany...

Does Florence have an off-season? What's it like on the south side of the city? Where can you find good food without having to spend €20 on a plate of pasta? Where can I look for leather goods that are high-quality? In this episode we answer those questions and more! After visiting Florence back in February we intended to record this episode in the winter, but alas we did not, so here it is now!

It's going to be summer soon...

Trigger warning: In this episode, we talk about femicide, assault, women in the workplace, abortion, IVF, and adoption. We do our best to put trigger warnings where appropriate so you can skip ahead. If this episode isn't for you or if you're not in the headspace to listen, we completely understand!

This episode is a bit of a departure from our normal topics, but it's something we care deeply about: women's rights, ...

In this episode we’ll tell you all you need to know about renting a car in Italy. "Do I need an international driver's permit? Should I rent a car for a wine tour? I can't drive manual, can I rent an automatic?" From personal experience and in-depth research we’ve got you covered from getting a permit, renting a car, road rules, and everything in-between. One thing we forgot to mention: "Which side of the roa...

Looking for "hidden Italy"? This may be the place you're looking for! Immaculate coastline, tiny mountain towns that non-Italians rarely find, fresh, local food, and rosemary which may be the key to everlasting youth. In this episode, we're talking about the Cilento (pronounced chee-len-toe). Head south from the heavily-touristed Amalfi Coast to find it. The Cilento is a National Park full of mountains, lush fores...

It wouldn't feel right to put out a bunch of episodes centered on how to live in Italy without also mentioning some of the things that can make Italy a difficult country to live in. We don't go super in-depth into any of these topics, instead just offering some anecdotal and experience-based information (with actual research as well, to be clear) on freedom of speech/press, Corruption and Trash, Racism, and Fascism.

You mig...

Deviating slightly from the episode we expected to make, this week we're talking about the Amalfi Coast. We've touched on it slightly before, but with the summer season starting to ramp up, we wanted to talk about how to get to this popular summer destination, things to look out for, some pastries to try, and how to not get trapped out there!

If you'd like to support Only A Bag and you're headed to the Amalfi Coast ...

To round up our series of episodes about visas, today we're talking about the digital nomad and remote worker visas. They are possibly the most complicated of the visas available mostly because there is less information about to how receive these visas compared to others like the student visa or elective residency visa. For more information on all of the visas we've talked about you can check out Nathaniel's article "How to Move to...

Jure Sanguinis Update: A major "thank you" to one of our listeners for pointing out a recent decree from March 28th that affects birthright citizenship. Under the new ruling, the only people who are applicable are those with Italian parents who were born in Italy, those with Italian parents who lived in Italy for a minimum of 2 consecutive years before giving birth to you, and those with grandparents who were born in Ital...

We have fit everything we possibly could about this incredible city into this episode! How do I get there? What is there to do? Why is it called "The City of Caves?" Should I even bother going? Yes! We'll tell you all about it. In this episode we talk about everything you need to know to visit, but the city's history is vast, so we only touch on that a little. But we'll be doing a deep dive into the history of...

Picking up where we left off in the previous episode, we continue to cover setting and managing expectations, especially as they surround food, sharing responsibilities, and getting clear on what you want to do and see (or don't want to).

Thanks so much for listening! You can check out articles on ⁠⁠onlyabag.com⁠⁠ with new articles coming out all the time.

If you liked the podcast, please leave a review, it helps us immensely! ...

Traveling with someone else can be an amazing opportunity to share a once-in-a-lifetime experience. It can also be incredibly stressful if you've never traveled before, or traveled together before.

In this Part 1 of 2, we discuss setting expectations around a budget and transportation.

Thanks so much for listening! You can check out articles on ⁠⁠onlyabag.com⁠⁠ with new articles coming out all the time.

If you liked the podcast,...

"Is tap water safe to drink in Italy?", "What's the deal with tipping?", "Do they expect me to use the bidet in a public bathroom?", and perhaps most importantly, "Why does the alarm go off in a public toilet when I pull that thin cord?". In this episode we answer all that and more! We also discover how incensed Darcy is about a rage-bait Instagram video and Nathaniel's views on tippi...

After our recent trips to Venice and Florence we thought we'd share some of our hard-learned tips that have become second nature. Can you be fined for sitting in the wrong seat on a train? What do you do if you get separated while traveling? We will also talk about setting expectations, the importance of communicating your needs to your travel partner(s), and how crucial it is to bring two pairs of shoes (Nathaniel didn't and paid ...

Nathaniel has had about four cups of coffee, so please bear with him as he and Darcy jump into the world of the Venice Carnavale.

I can hear you now, your questions coming to me:

What is the Carnavale? Why is it in February, one of the worst times to go to Italy (or best, if you're on a budget!)? What are the little fried pieces of Heaven called "fritelle"? And most importantly, I want a mask, where do I get one?

Well, this episode h...

In this episode we unpack (pun intended) all that we learned on our recent trip to Venice. How do you avoid pickpockets? What are cicchetti? Can you really buy a glass of wine for €1.50? And some important rules to follow while visiting, like don't sit on the church steps!

Stay tuned for articles on Venice and more coming soon to onlyabag.com. If you're planning your visit to Venice (or anywhere), you can help out the podca...