Search Results for: itinerary

The Perfect Itinerary for Rome and How Best to See the City

June 10, 2016

After our second trip to Rome this past April, I finally figured out the best way to see the city. Our first trip there we concentrated too much on the tourist sites, the famous landmarks and didn’t leave enough time to just wander and take in la dolce vita. So this time, I found the perfect blend for your time in the Eternal City. If you’re headed to the Italian capital anytime soon, here’s the perfect itinerary for Rome and how best to see the city for three days.

Day 1 – Wander

Spend your first day in the Eternal City just wandering in the areas near your hotel. I would highly recommend the Hotel Indigo on the Via Giulia for your stay in Rome. Close by is Trastevere, the neighborhood around the Pantheon and Piazza Navona.

The day should be spent tasting gelato at every chance as you wander cobblestone streets, stopping for long lunches with pizza and pasta, and listening to the sounds of accordion players in tiny narrow streets. Try to find that balance between the crazy energy of Rome and the quiet stillness of this ancient city.

Later in the day, venture toward the Tiber River and spend your sunset watching the evening colors behind St. Peter’s Cathedral for the perfect first night in Rome!

Day 2 – See the Tourist Sites

On your second day in Roma, now is the time to see the tourist sites and famous landmarks that make this city so “eternal.” My advice, instead of mixing these in with your wander days, do it all in one day. It might be tiring, but here’s your plan:

Start the day at the Vatican. Schedule a tour if you like, or just go it on your own. Buy tickets in advance so you don’t have to wait in the long lines and be the first ones in when they open.

Next head to the Spanish Steps and the Via Condotti. You can grab lunch somewhere off the main drag (don’t bother with the ones right in the tourist hubs, wander the alleyways a bit and find something there.) Spend an hour or so browsing the shops, taking in the views from the famous Spanish Steps and seeing this crazy area a little bit less crazy than it gets in the afternoons.

Then, grab a cab or wander to the Colosseum. This ancient landmark is truly remarkable. If you can get here when everyone else is eating lunch, you might get less crowds. (You could also switch this out with the Vatican and go here first of the day!) Go inside and take a look, it’s truly amazing to see this place with your own eyes!

Continue your tour of Roma with a wander to the Pantheon. Follow the narrow alleyways back into the little piazza in front of this famous spot and you won’t be disappointed. This is one of my all time favorite landmarks in Rome and so worth seeing as the late afternoon light starts to fall.

As you leave the Pantheon, meander the little cobblestone streets toward the Trevi Fountain. If you can hit this spot right around sunset, the evening light is gorgeous here. Maybe grab some gelato along the way to fully embrace all you’ve seen today!

Day 3 – Wander

For your third and final day in Rome, just wander again and take it easy. Places I would highly recommend wandering to: Trastevere, Via Giulia, and Piazza Navona. But take a look at a map and pick some spots you want to see! Rome is all about roaming, about seeing the city without a plan – so embrace that for your last day in Rome, stopping to eat at every chance as well!

Traveling to Italy?

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The Perfect Itinerary for a 10+ hour Flight

February 1, 2016

A while ago, I had a reader reach out mentioning they have a hard time figuring out how to pass the time on long haul flights. And after our trip to Australia where the flights from the West Coast of the US were a solid 14 hours each way, I figured it was a good time to show you my perfect itinerary for a 10+ hour flight.

Boarding – I like to board at the beginning and usually with elite status and such, I board with the group I fit into. I like to get settled and not be rushed. This is also a great time, once you get to your seat, to get yourself all situated. I take out things like my phone and headphones, chapstick and water so that I have everything out that I’ll need during take-off.

Take Off – I usually listen to music during take-off so during taxi, I’ll figure out what I want to listen to and get everything ready to go. Then I put the headphones in and watch the land disappear beneath the plane out the window.

Hours 1-3 – Depending on my mood, I usually like to get some stuff done during the first few hours of a long flight. Whether that’s working on blog posts (I use my phone and a bluetooth keyboard for that) or other work related items, I find that if I need to do anything, I am the most productive during the first few hours. Also use this time to eat the meal that is usually served in the first hour or so of a long flight and continue to organize your seat and area.

Hours 4-6 – I can sleep fairly easily on long flights, so after I get done what I need to, I’ll nap for a bit. Sometimes that’s a solid few hours of sleep, other times it’s a half hour here and a half hour there, but the middle of the flight is a great time to get some rest as usually they turn down the lights at this point and you want to make sure you’re rested as traveling is draining.

Hours 7-10+ – If I wake up fairly refreshed, I’ll head to restroom and splash some water on my face. I usually also head back to the galley at this point of a flight and get some tea from the flight attendants. And then heading back to my seat, I’ll spend the next few hours of the flight either watching movies or tv shows on my phone or on the entertainment systems of the plane. I like to do this last because it passes the time quickly and usually at the end of a long flight, those last few hours drag on and on. But when you’re immersed in something you’re watching, it goes by a lot faster!

45 minutes before Landing – I usually take my make up off for long haul flights, so if we’re landing at a destination, I’ll head to the restroom about 45 minutes before landing and reapply a little bit of makeup and freshen up a bit. That way, I feel much better and we can hit the ground running!

Secrets of Booking Travel : Itinerary & Activities

May 29, 2015

I get a lot of questions about how we book travel, the tips and tricks we employ to get good deals and make all the necessary arrangements. All this week I’ll be revealing my process for booking travel from start to finish, focusing on a different part of the process each day. So stay tuned every day this week for my secrets to booking travel!

One of the best things about traveling is seeing things what you’ve always wanted to see or experience: seeing the Eiffel Tower, visiting the Taj Mahal at sunrise or wandering through Ta Prohm a la Tomb Raider. But all of these amazing sites in the world also require some planning ahead of time; making an itinerary and planning activities is a really important part of a great trip, so here’s how we do it!

1. As soon as you know dates, lay out a rough itinerary.

As soon as we have booked our major flights and know our dates of a trip, I type up an itinerary. Lay it out day by day, showing where you’ll be each day. This will help you figure out how long you want to be in each place during your trip and what days will be best to visit monuments or enjoy certain activities. Down the road, this will also help you narrow activities down that may not be open on certain days and you’ll have a rough calendar all laid out.

2. Keep items not yet booked highlighted in red.

Once the itinerary gets more filled out with activities or travel to the next destination, I keep anything not booked yet highlighted in red so when I open up the file, I know immediately what I still have to do before the trip.

3. Fill out your itinerary over time.

Since we book flights many months before a trip, that gives us plenty of time to fill out our itinerary. I spend months filling in items to do or see, places to visit or restaurants to try. It’s usually only a month or two before we leave that everything gets finalized. (I’ve included below a screenshot of part of our itinerary for our recent Spain trip so you can see how I lay it out). Obviously, filling out your itinerary takes time and I do mine over the course of several months, when I have time to do the research. I also include items like how much our taxi rides should cost so we’ll know and include items that we’ve researched and want to see on whatever days they work best. Of course, this is just a general overview and often we don’t do everything on there, it just helps us remember when traveling what it was that we wanted to try to do in a certain place.

4. Research activities and buy any necessary tickets.

Many activities while traveling require you buy tickets and often times, at the really crazy spots, it’s a lot easier and you’ll wait a shorter amount of time while there if you buy them ahead of time. It’s also important to know if certain activities are only open certain days. Unfortunately there have been a number of times that we’ve not checked ahead and found activities or places closed or not had the right tickets. Like the time on our honeymoon to Paris, we wanted to visit Versailles. We had planned to go on a Monday, but the morning of, after a quick random search, we realized it happened to be closed that day. Had we not checked, we would have ridden the 30 minute train ride out there and gotten there to find the Palace closed. Or the time in Northern Ireland that we didn’t check to see if there was a time that access to the Giants’ Causeway closed and we drove all the way up there to find we had arrived 15 minutes too late. We had to end up paying more to keep our rental car another day and go the next day, leaving us less time in Belfast than we had planned. Therefore, do your research ahead of time for each major activity you want to do.

5. Don’t overbook yourself.

I’ve learned over the years how important it is to not overbook yourself. It’s all too easy to let yourself be overwhelmed by all there is to see and do while traveling. A good lesson: keep at least every other day while traveling to just wander or relax. Know that you don’t need to see everything to really see a place, sometimes seeing the local spots and just wandering will teach you more than waiting in line to do a tourist attraction.

Road Trip Itinerary through Northern Ireland

August 27, 2014

Multiple things lately have brought me back to thinking about our trip through Ireland last Fall and I can hardly believe that is was a full nine months ago now. It feels like it was just yesterday we were driving through the green fields of Northern Ireland, eating sticky toffee pudding and taking in the land where my family comes from. So in looking back at our trip, we managed to see a lot of the Nothern Irish landscape as we drove through it. I’ve talked a bit about driving in the UK before but today I’m sharing an itinerary for the perfect road trip through the Eastern side of Northern Ireland.

Where to Stay in Northern Ireland

Belfast is the perfect spot to begin a road trip through Northern Ireland, and in a country that’s pretty small to drive around, you can do this itinerary in a day and drive back to Belfast at the end of it. We based ourselves in Belfast and then took day trips as we needed. Stop by the Titanic Museum before you get on the highway heading North.

We decided to go a bit more of a coastal route to take in views of the coast as we headed North from Belfast. Our fist stop was the little town of Ballycastle to grab lunch at a local pub and take in views of the Irish coast.

Next up along the route of the Northern Irish coastline are the cliff views throughout Dunseverick. There are some great spots to pull over along this stretch of road and admire the rocky cliffsides, the jagged ocean and many little houses tucked in here and there throughout the rocks.

The Giant’s Causeway is a must see when venturing through Northern Ireland (a mere hour and 15 minute drive when going straight there from Belfast), this UNESCO world heritage site is incredible. The rock formations here, the way the ocean spills in the inlets and the landscape the surrounds the coast here is truly breathtaking.

Just about 5 minutes up the road after the Giant’s Causeway are the ruins of Dunluce Castle. The hilltop location of this ancient place has sweeping views of the coastline and a pretty incredible story that used to be a huge mainstay of the Irish coast.

Finish your day with dinner at the Bushmills Inn before jumping back on the highway towards Belfast. This little gem of a town (famous for its whiskey) houses this adorable little B&B and restaurant. Our meal there was one of the freshest tasting meals I’ve ever had!

Traveling to Northern Ireland?

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A Local’s Guide to Portland

May 9, 2024

I’ve lived in Portland for almost 20 years and in that time, I’ve seen this city change… a lot. When I first moved to Portland for college, the city was small in comparison to other major cities up and down the West Coast, but over the yeas, Portland has grown and evolved. Now a large city in its own right, there is so much to know if you’re visiting Portland, so as a Portland local, here is a local’s guide to Portland – everything you need to do, see, eat, and know!

The Layout

Portland if broken up into quadrants and then neighborhoods. The Willamette River runs through Portland, breaking it up into the East Side (East of the river) and the West Side (West of the river). Then cutting through the city, East to West, is a long street called Burnside. That breaks up the city further into North and South, so South of Burnside but West of the River is SW where East of the River and South of Burnside is SE. You’ll see SE, NE, NW, and SW everywhere you go through the city or when reading about locations, but that’s the general way we look at the layout of Portland as locals.

My Favorite Areas of Portland

After almost 20 years in Portland, I’ve lived and explored in a lot of areas around the city. Here are my favorite areas of my home city and all the things to do, see, and eat in each area!

NW 21st + 23rd

One of my all time favorite areas, this old part of Portland is gorgeous. Tree lined streets, old Victorian homes, and shops and restaurants galore. Both of these roads run North and South starting at Burnside and there is so much to see here, but above all, this is where some of my favorite restaurants are in Portland!

Eat at:

St. Jack – This is my favorite French spot in Portland with a truly French feel. Sit at the Chef’s counter, sip Rosé and try their Steak Frites.

Matador – For an easy Mexican lunch, Matador can’t be beat. The restaurant is a vibe in itself and everything is delicious.

Mama Bird – This restaurant by Top Chef contestant Gabriel Pascuzzi is one of my all time faves in Portland. Wood fire grilled whole chicken with delicious sides and sauces. In the Summer, their patio is the perfect spot for a warm evening.

Fifty Licks Ice Cream – My favorite ice cream shop in Portland, Fifty Licks has a few locations but I tend to go to this one the most. With both vegan and non-vegan ice cream, this spot is, in my opinion, THE BEST ice cream in Portland. (Insider local tip – skip Salt and Straw. There is always a line and Fifty Licks is better!)

Siri Indian Food – Even though we don’t live in this area anymore, we still drive across town for Siri Indian Food. It’s homey Indian food and whether you get take out or dine in, it’s delicious.

Kung Pow – One of our favorite spots for Chinese food, Kung Pow on NW 21st is a great spot for delicious modern Chinese food.

What to See and Do:

The main attractions in NW are just what you’ll see wandering on foot. The streets are filled with cute shops – think of this as Portland’s Georgetown. One of my favorite spots though in NW, is where you’ll get a gorgeous view of the city. You’ll want to head to this spot on NW Westover Road just above Nob Hill right near the Cambridge Condos, where the views stretch for miles and you’ll get a gorgeous city view (after climbing some stairs).

As you wander the neighborhood, you’ll find ivy covered townhouse, old Victorian homes and quiet tree lined streets. As one of the oldest neighborhoods in Portland, NW is one of my faves.

The East Side

Portland’s East Side encompasses many different neighborhoods and areas, but for our purposes, I’ll combine some of them together. The East Side is known to be a little quirkier than the West Side and definitely has a different feel than Downtown and NW Portland. One thing that the East Side is known for though is the amazing assortment of restaurants. While still walkable, it’s best to drive or use bus transportation around the East Side of Portland as it’s spread out more. When exploring the East Side, there is still so much to do and see, but first, where to eat is always the most important topic.

Eat at:

Kann – This award-winning restaurant by Top Chef contestant Gregory Gourdet is outstanding and easily one of the best restaurants in the city. You’ll need a reservation though and they book out a month ahead so make sure and get one to enjoy this incredible Haitian inspired restaurant.

Horse Brass Pub – Right around the corner from my house, this British Pub is well known among Portland locals. You won’t find the tourists here and it feels like you’re walking right into a pub in London.

Tusk – This high end Mediterranean / Middle Eastern restaurant is one of Portland’s best. You’ll need a reservation for this one but it’s worth it from the food to the interior – everything is incredible.

Laurelhurst Market – One of our go-to spots, this is best for dinner. Everything on the menu is delicious but my favorite is their ribeye steak with a glass of wine.

Bollywood Theater – For a cool vibe and updated Indian food, Bollywood Theater on Division is a must try while in Portland.

Cibo – Our go-to Italian spot in SE Portland, Cibo serves up incredible food. The design and vibe of the restaurant is beautiful too and it’s the perfect spot for a slow dinner.

What to See and Do:

SE Portland is pretty spread out so you’ll want to plan your time here with an itinerary. The Goat Blocks (near SE 12th and Belmont) have lots going on as well as the Central Eastside (near the area where Kann is). Laurelhurst Park is also a great spot for some nature and downtown Hawthorne and Belmont are both great to wander.

Downtown

Portland’s downtown goes from Burnside to the South Waterfront area and spans a decently large area. Most people stay in the Pioneer Courthouse Square are of downtown, but there is so much to see and do in Downtown Portland.

Eat at:

Fogo de Chao – While this is a chain, it’s one of our favorite spots. This Brazilian steakhouse is a fun treat!

Farmer’s Market – We religiously attend the Farmer’s Market on the Park Blocks each Saturday morning to buy food for the week but the main attraction is Enchanted Sun. This Farmer’s Market staple serves the best breakfast burritos in town. Trust me, there will be a line and it’s worth it.

Din Tai Fung – This dumpling chain is one of our favorites and their new location in Pioneer Place mall is a must-stop if you’re in that area!

Cheryl’s on 12th – One of my favorite breakfast spots and their breakfast sandwich here is to die for.

Mother’s – Another of our regular breakfast spots, Mother’s is a Portland institution. Go right when they open – it get’s crowded!

What to See and Do:

Downtown Portland is like any other city – wander around and take it in! Some areas to take note of are the South Park Blocks for tree lined park-filled streets, the Portland Art Museum, and shopping at Pioneer Square Mall.

The Riverfront

Portland’s Riverfront Park is one of the most beautiful parts of the city and well worth a stroll along this area. Just East of Downtown, along the Willamette River, several miles of park and pathways stretch along the River. Rent a bike or just walk along the paths and enjoy this scenic part of the city. This is also where the famous Cherry Blossom trees are in the Springtime, but all year long, this is a beautiful area of the city.

Eat at:

Dough Zone – This dumpling spot at the Riverfront is one of my favorites, both for the food and the river views!

The Pearl District

Once a warehouse district, Portland’s Pearl District is now one of my most expensive neighborhoods in the city. Stretching North of Burnside and East of the 405 freeway, the Pearl District is full of loft-style high rise condo buildings and high end shops. It’s the perfect spot to wander around for a few hours and explore, as well as trying some of the best restaurants in the city.

Eat at:

Cafe Umbria – This coffee shop is my go-to spot in the Pearl. It’s cute and Italian and just all around a great spot for coffee and pastries.

Oven and Shaker – This updated pizza restaurant is a fantastic spot for a casual lunch or dinner. Try their salami pizza with honey!

Piazza Italia – If you want to feel like you’ve been transported to Rome, head to Piazza Italia. This spot is straight out of Italy and delicious.

Shake Shack – While not technically in the Pearl (it’s across the street on Burnside), it’s proximity makes it a great stop for a quick lunch while in the area.

Screen Door – There are two location of this famous Portland spot, but I prefer the Pearl District one. For Southern comfort food, this is your spot.

Andina – One of my favorite restaurants in Portland, this Peruvian restaurant is delicious every time. For a fun treat, try the Inca Cola – a Peruvian soda we lived on while in Peru a few years back.

Lovejoy Bakers – For a casual lunch or afternoon coffee, Lovejoy Bakers is a great spot with delicious food.

What to See and Do:

There is so much to wander and see in the Pearl District, but the best part is the shopping in my opinion. Madewell, Anthropologie, and Reformation all have a home here as well as fun little one off boutiques and places to wander through.

Goose Hollow

As one of the older areas of the city, Goose Hollow sits on hills above Portland and is filled with old homes and tree lined streets. It’s also home to Portland’s famous Rose Test Garden and the Japanese Garden. It’s a great old neighborhood to explore, but if on foot, it’s hilly!

Eat at:

Blue Star – One of Portland’s more famous donut spots (local tip: skip the line at Voodoo Donuts and come here instead!), they have a larger location in Goose Hollow that’s worth stopping by. They also have Vegan donuts that are incredible, so as someone who is dairy free, I always appreciate that!

Mazatlan – A spot that you probably won’t see in any other Portland guide, this old school Mexican restaurant sits across from the Timbers Stadium and is a favorite of ours. It’s not fancy and the food is pretty standard Mexican, but we’ve been going here for 20 years and it’s solid every time.

What to See and Do:

Goose Hollow has a lot to do! From going to a soccer game with the Timbers or the Thorns, to exploring the Rose Test Garden and the Japanese Gardens, this area is full of experiences to see and do!

Outside of Portland

Escape the City

If you want to escape the city and see the surrounding areas, Portland is in a prime location to explore a ton of natural areas nearby. Within an hour of the city, you have access to the coast, the mountains and the Gorge. If you want to head to the Oregon Coast, spend some time in Astoria or Cannon Beach. For the mountains, Mt. Hood is a ski resort just an hour or so outside of the city. For water sports or beautiful scenic views like waterfalls and hiking, head out into the Columbia River Gorge to the East of Portland. You really can’t go wrong no matter which direction you go!

Explore the Small Towns

Portland as a city is beautiful, but we’ve also got some incredibly beautiful small towns surrounding the city as well. 2020 has made many of us want a slower pace of life and has pushed us to explore a few more off the beaten path locations and you can do that on a trip to Portland as well. My favorite little towns to explore near Portland are: Silverton, Mt. Angel, Camas and Cannon Beach.

How to Get Around

We have great public transport in Portland but it’s also very easy to walk around the city. As far as public transport goes, our bus system is great and we also have light-rail (MAX) and a streetcar that will pretty much get you anywhere you need in the Downtown/NW/Pearl areas. We also have Nike Biketown bike shares that you can rent and ride around the city.

From the airport, you can take the MAX light rail into the city center and then go on foot from there which makes it easy to access most of the city.

Where to Stay

Hoxton Portland: I love Hoxton hotels and we are lucky to have one in Portland! It’s a little off the beaten track but super close and easy to get wherever you need to go in Portland. Plus you can’t beat the vibes at Hoxton’s.

Moxy Portland Downtown: If you want to be super centrally located, the Moxy Portland Downtown is your spot. With views for days, this hotel is one of my favorites. It’s right in the center of everything and fairly priced.

Headed to my home city of Portland?

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The Perfect Itinerary for Rome and How Best to See the City

Day 1 – Wander

Day 2 – See the Tourist Sites

Day 3 – Wander

The Perfect Itinerary for a 10+ hour Flight

Secrets of Booking Travel : Itinerary & Activities

1. As soon as you know dates, lay out a rough itinerary.

2. Keep items not yet booked highlighted in red.

3. Fill out your itinerary over time.

4. Research activities and buy any necessary tickets.

5. Don’t overbook yourself.

Road Trip Itinerary through Northern Ireland

A Local’s Guide to Portland

The Layout

My Favorite Areas of Portland

NW 21st + 23rd

The East Side

Downtown

The Riverfront

The Pearl District

Goose Hollow

Outside of Portland

How to Get Around

Where to Stay

Headed to my home city of Portland?

Travel

Life

Favorite Destinations

Travel Reviews

Search Results for: itinerary

Day 1 – Wander

Day 2 – See the Tourist Sites

Day 3 – Wander

1. As soon as you know dates, lay out a rough itinerary.

2. Keep items not yet booked highlighted in red.

3. Fill out your itinerary over time.

4. Research activities and buy any necessary tickets.

5. Don’t overbook yourself.

The Layout

My Favorite Areas of Portland

NW 21st + 23rd

The East Side

Downtown

The Riverfront

The Pearl District

Goose Hollow

Outside of Portland

How to Get Around

Where to Stay

Headed to my home city of Portland?

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