In April 2012, I had the chance to travel to Italy for nine days and I seized that opportunity. The time that I spent in Italy traveling all over from Venice to Florence to Pompeii, was one of the best times of my life. Italy is full of so much culture and history.
I traveled with my high school with a trip from EF tours. It was the second time that I traveled with EF tours and I had a better experience with them a second time. Our tour guide Patricia was very friendly and would tell us the best local places to get lunch at. We were able to see so much during the short time that we were there. I would recommend traveling with EF tours to everyone.
We started off the trip by going to Venice. We reached the city with no cars by a boat. Once we arrived in Venice, we had a tour with a local guide. A guide in Venice is a smart choice because there is so much to see and many roads look identical. We were fortunate enough to go on a gondola ride. It was a great way to explore the city by a different means of transportation. After, the gondola ride we were given free time. We went to see a Venetian lace demonstration and found our way to Al Rialto more commonly known as The Grand Canal. It was a beautiful site to see.
After going to Venice, we went to Florence. I would recommend setting a couple days aside for Florence because there are many sights to see there. The architecture and arts in the churches is stunning. Due to the lack of time, my tour went to The Leaning Tower of Pisa at night. I wish I was given the chance to see it during the day, because at night it lost much of its beauty.
A hidden jewel in Italy is Assisi. I fell in love with the town and the view from there is stunning. St. Francis Basilica is a must see sight while in Italy. I would highly recommend having a tour guide inside of the basilica because they know so much about St. Francis and the construction of the basilica. Incredibly, the basilica was built in different stages and easy to tell the different styles at each time.
Rome was much better than I expected. I would suggest taking a walking and bus tour of Rome at night because the city has a much more relaxing feel. However, be around of your surroundings because there are pickpockets and many men try to sell you different items and are very persistent. I visited The Trevi Fountain in Rome during the night and it looked very beautiful lit up.
During the day in Rome, we toured the Vatican City; saw David and the Sistine Chapel, saw the Colosseum and much more. The art is much more breathtaking in person and I would advise everyone to visit Rome. Again, I would travel in a group because it is easier to get in the Vatican with a group reservation and there is so much one could miss.
I ended my trip by visiting Pompeii. Pompeii was optional for the tour, but it was the best way to end it. The history that has been preserved over all of those years is incredible. The view is amazing as well.
I would advise everyone to visit Italy at least once in their life. The country has so much to offer and the food is extraordinary.
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