Catoctin Bike Tours

Along with London, Paris and New York, Milan and Rome are on the list of the famous fashion centers of the world. When you are on your Italy vacation you may not be able to help yourself but to indulge a little in this aspect of Italian culture. By all means make sure you visit the rolling hills of Florence, take a gondola trip through Venice and visit a vineyard in Tuscany. But don’t forget that you are in the country of the likes of Armani, Versace, Fendi, Prada and Valentino. If this at all interests you do find out if your visit coincides with any fashion exhibits or public fashion shows in Rome or Milan.

When you are in Rome make sure you visit the Vatican City but you must go to the original stores of all the Italian designers. You will not only see little old ladies in Italian villages while on vacation in Italy but when you arrive you will quickly realize that Italians have a very high fashion sense, care very much about their looks and are very sophisticated especially in Rome and Milan. You must visit the famous shopping strip Via Montenapoleone in Milan. Here you will find boutiques for Chanel, Dolce e Gabbana and Fendi along with numerous others. Even if your budget does not allow you to purchase anything, this will make for an unbelievable window shopping experience during your vacation in Italy. Many of these boutiques are open from 10 am till… Read the rest

Villas are becoming an important part of planning for a vacation in Italy. In Roman culture a villa used to be a luxurious country house built by a member of the upper class as a second or third residence. It was not the main place of residence and city folks usually had 2 villas. One of the 2 villas could be easily reached from Rome if needed and the other was seasonally used and had servants permanently there to run it. After the nineteenth century, villas came to be used in reference to any type of single detached house that stood on its own with its own compound and unattached to any other homes or buildings.

As with all the architecture in Rome there are some famous villas that you could visit during your Italy vacation. But villas are also now rented by tourists all over Italy. Villas allow the privacy you may want away from the crowds during your Italy vacation and also allow you to cook and enjoy fresh locally grown Italian produce. Most villas are also close enough to shops and restaurants that if you choose to immerse yourself back into the hustle and bustle with everyone else, nothing is still too far away.

Today visitors to the Tuscany region will find a wide selection of villas to choose from if they prefer this option for their accommodations. Salogi Villas offers villas and farmhouses for rent. They have villas in Tuscany but also in Venice and are… Read the rest

Italy is said to be one of the most romantic places to visit for your honeymoon. If you are planning a vacation to Italy and never had a honeymoon or recently got married, this is the perfect place to go. Venice is the most popular destination for lovers and there are several companies that will help you plan your honeymoon as a vacation in Italy.

Venice-Honeymoons.com is one such company that provides a one stop shopping experience. If you want to be in Venice for a winter honeymoon they have a package that includes skiing in the Dolomite Mountains. They will fly you into the Venice airport and you will spend 2 nights in Venice and then 5 nights in the mountains in a beautiful chalet. A courtesy bottle of champagne is given to all visitors and all breakfasts are included. A half day guided tour will be given privately and you can decide where you want to go on this walking tour. When you are in the mountains, you will get 3 day ski passes and a 3 course meal will be provided along with wine for dinner each evening. You will also be given a 1 hour sleigh ride. If you are planning your honeymoon vacation in Italy a ski trip to Venice may be one of the most romantic getaways you could try. If you visit Venice in the warmer months one of the most romantic things you can do is to go on a private gondola… Read the rest