Ciao! This summer, the Hostutler House of Chaos took to Europe. It was an amazing vacation, full of memories, and one that we will all always remember. I had so much fun planning and organizing the trip. After we returned, a lot of friends and family members asked me if I would share our itinerary and how we were able to pull off almost two weeks in Europe with six people. In this blog, I will give you all the details of our trip with as many links as possible. I hope you can take a thing or two, or even the whole itinerary, and apply it to a future vacation! Feel free to comment with questions and make sure you share your pictures and videos once you get there!
In 2020, Riley, our oldest child, studied abroad in Florence for fall semester at Florence University of the Arts through a program offered by the University of Kentucky. We had planned to go visit her over Thanksgiving but due to the COVID mandates and shut downs, we made the decision to post-pone the trip. That is how the plan to travel to Italy began for summer 2023.
We decided to surprise the kids at Christmas with the trip by making a puzzle. We had gotten this idea from some great friends of ours. I had a puzzle made at Walgreens of a collage of the places we would be traveling and when they opened the box, they had to put it together collectively to figure out the future trip and it's destinations. This made it super fun for them and extended the time period of surprise a bit longer.
We ultimately decided that if we were going to pay for flights to Europe for six people, we would stay as long as we could and really soak up a bunch of different places. Keeping in mind the amount of luggage we would inevitably have between us all for two weeks of travel, we decided a mix of land and sea travel would be the best way to avoid a constant schlep. This proved to be one of the best decisions we made. I highly recommend doing this if you have a large group, a mix of ages (for us it was 14-52) and a large amount of places you want to see in a relatively short amount of time.
As a guide, I will spell out the way we planned our trip, add some pictures for good measure and links so you can click and do some research beyond my blog. I hope this will help you realize your European vacation! Going there was a dream come true and I want the same for you!
MY STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE
1. We picked dates. Sounds like a no-brainer but this is crucial to any trip, especially Europe. We chose July because we wanted summer but it was very hot! We also wanted to get in the water in Capri, go to the beach in Mykonos, etc. Not to mention, we needed a time while the kids were not in school so summer was our option.
2. Decide where you want to start. We knew we wanted to go to Florence and see where Riley went to school and lived during her semester abroad. We also wanted to simply spend some time there and in the Tuscan countryside, experience the culture, eat the food and drink the wine. So, we flew into Florence and chose to stay there for five days. That was a perfect start to the trip!
We stayed in an Air B&B that I highly recommend in a wonderful location. Silvia, a superhost, was great, the place was very clean and it was really spacious. The only part that I need to mention is the amount of stairs to the unit in case you have limitations. There were sixty to be exact and they were steep. Stairs are very common in Italy so prepare to haul your luggage! I tried to think of it as a great way to work off all the gelato! ;)
Air B & B in Florence Here is where we stayed:
Day 1 in Florence:
We arrived in Florence on July 20th, a full day later then we should have after having our flights fully cancelled, then rebooked. We should have left on the 18th and arrived on the 19th, but we ended up leaving on the 19th at 11:00am EST and arriving around 2:00pm Florence time on the 20th. The total combined flight time was just shy of 14 hours. Not bad thanks to Netflix and podcasts.
We hired a driver from the airport to the Air B&B. I would highly recommend not to rely on getting a tax during the busy season. This was about $100 for all six of us and all of our luggage fit in the van. **Sidenote: We only packed carry-on bags and did not check anything! No risk of losing luggage!
Once at the hotel (and up the steps!), we settled in, freshened up and headed out to wander the streets. There is something to see on every corner in Florence! We felt extremely safe, the people were very friendly and the options for exploration are endless! There are museums and statues, restaurants and bars, gardens and bridges. At every turn, you can soak up the culture.
For dinner we made reservations at La Giostra. It was delicious and a fun experience! I highly recommend enjoying a meal there and trying a lot of different things on the menu!
Things that I learned about dining in Florence are:
1. You aren't in a rush!
2. You don't have to tip but they greatly appreciate it!
3. Water is not free. And you are always offered still or sparking.
4. They do not have Diet Coke.
5. The food is amazing!
Here is the link to La Giostra where the fan favorite was the amazing pear ravioli!
Day 2 in Florence:
For our second day in Florence, we booked a full day experience called Fun in Tuscany which sounds cheesy and touristy (which normally makes me cringe!) but wasn't at all! My daughter Bailey and her fiancee Grant had done this when visiting Italy earlier in the summer, so we had intel that it was worth the time and money. I can attest that it was!
We had to meet the man picking us up for the day's adventure about a mile away, so we went a bit early to grab coffee and breakfast at Cafe Gamberini. It was the cutest place with the most delicious food! Highly recommend.
Danielle, our driver, picked us up at nine o'clock and took us to see some amazing sights and views around Florence. Just looking out over the city, it is impossible not to be overwhelmed by the history and beauty. From the the Duomo of Florence, to the unique architecture of the homes. it is a truly remarkable place. What struck me the most about Danielle while we spent time with him taking in the views, was how proud he was to be from Italy and how much history he knew about his country! It was absolutely inspiring.
We were taken to an adorable horse farm where were went on a beautiful ride through
the countryside and vineyards. We all had a blast, the horses were well-behaved and the scenery was lovely. It was extremely hot, so for the sake of the horses and riders, the guide did a great job keeping us in the shade as much as possible while still allowing us to take in the views.
Fattorio Poggio Alloro was our next stop. There we toured the farm where they raise Chianina cattle and also produce wine, olive oil and balsamic vinegar. The vineyard was beautiful and exactly what you would expect in Italy. There they also have rooms where you can stay, as well as wine tastings and a great restaurant. We had a pretty extensive wine tasting and a multi-course meal, which was delicious! (I still dream of the bruschetta!) Family owned and operated, the whole place exudes warmth and made for such fun experience!
Overall, this was one of the best days of the trip! So much fun and a mix of experiences! I highly recommend doing this if you spend some time in Florence!
After heading back to Florence from San Gimignano, we walked around some more and then went back to clean up for dinner. We left a bit early to stop by one of the infamous wine windows in hopes to grab a Aperal or Hugo Spritz. These are super cute and the girls loved getting pictures!
Day 3 in Florence:
One of Riley's favorite coffee shops and breakfast joints while studying abroad was Melaleuca. It is super cute and the food is great! We started the morning off of day three, enjoying the view of the Arno River.
Next stop was Boboli Gardens, a historic garden that was first open to the public in 1766. It was beautiful! As the granddaughter of a florist, I appreciate a green thumb and the fruits of his/her labor.
Our final dinner in Florence was very causal yet one of the best! We loved the pizza at Mamma Mia Firenze. Riley had frequented this place while studying abroad and so we knew we would have to try it! Todd is still dreaming of their pizza!
Day 4 Florence to Civitevecchia:
This was a travel day for us. We decided to split our means of travel throughout the trip between land and sea in an effort to avoid the major "schlep" that can come with traversing a country with multiple travelers and bags as well as in an effort to see a bunch of places in a relatively short amount of time. So, leg two of our trip was a cruise and we needed to get from Florence to the port in Civitevecchia, a seaside town outside of Rome.
The cruise was the only part of the trip that we used a travel agent. I have no doubt our agent would have been helpful for the whole trip, however, I enjoy researching, booking and organizing our travel so I did the rest of the planning. She was very helpful when booking the cruise, getting the best deals and making sure our rooms were adjoining, etc. Sandi Riemer helped us book our cruise and was fantastic so I highly recommend you reach out to her for your trip!
The cruise we booked was through Royal Caribbean. We booked three rooms. One for Todd and I, and two for the kids to share. For cost purposes, Todd and I had a room with a balcony that we all enjoyed and the kids had interior rooms. We didn't spend a lot of time on the boat nor in the rooms, so this was totally acceptable. The ship was only two years old and very nice. The food and staff were great!
Here was the itinerary:
Once in Civitavecchia at the train station, we had to get to the port. With a million bags. With a few hangry kids. And with the knowledge that we had made the right decision booking a cruise and not doing the train travel every other day. Thankfully, the port was very close to the train station...roughly a mile. So we just drug our bags again and made it to the place where the cruise bus picks you up to take you to the port. Pretty simple but not spelled out very well prior to arrival.
Once through all the security and bag checks, we boarded the ship! It was a long day, so we were happy to get on board, shower and clean up for dinner.
Travel days are tiring, so we looked forward to a quiet ship day the following day on the way to Greece.
Cruising Day 1:
We just chilled out. The trip had been and would be most days, all gas no brakes. So, a nice day of reading in the sun, relaxing and chillin' out was nice. I am not someone that loves cruise days because I love to go-go-go, however, this day was a nice reset.
A few perks to cruising as your transportation from place to place is that you have a hub. We also love eating dinner at the same table every night that we eat on the ship with the same waiters. We grow to have a relationship with them and it is fun to get to know them, where they are from and things like that.
We also enjoy the shows in the evenings. Royal Caribbean offers a lot of different types of entertainment, such as a great magician one night to some amazing vocalists another night. These things help pass the time between ports of call.
Santorini:
Santorini in one word? Breathtaking.
We had from 1:00pm until 11:00pm in Santorini. You have to take a tender boat, provided by the cruise ship, from the ship to land. From the base of the island to the top, it is extremely steep. You can walk, which even as someone who loves to workout, I do not recommend. There are mules & donkeys everywhere and it is super slippery. We chose to take the cable (like a gondola) up.
From there, we walked around a little bit, but in Santorini the best part is the view! So I had booked at room at Agali Houses for the day so we could just enjoy the resort, swim in the pool, soak in the view and have a nice poolside bar. This also gave us a place to clean up before dinner. The price isn't cheap, but we all agreed it was one of our favorite days and was totally worth it! ** Sidenote: Make sure to book the exact number of guests.
After soaking up the rays all day, we cleaned up and headed to dinner. I had made reservations months prior at Remvi Restaurant and asked specifically for a table outside with a view of the Caldera. The food was good, staff was very sweet but the view was the best part. The sun set around 8:30pm, so if you go in July, make your reservation in the ballpark of 7:00pm.
After dinner, I recommend walking and seeing the views of Santorini in the dark with all the lights lit up and shining. So pretty!
Ephesus, Turkey:
Turkey was the only port where I decided it was best to go with a Royal Caribbean planned excursion. I booked the "Best of Ephesus" tour via the ship. This was the basic itinerary of Best of Ephesus. This tour seemed to mix a bit of the history of the ancient town but also added some of the Biblical elements. More info can be found on the Royal Caribbean site.
First, we went to the home that is believed to be where the Virgin Mary, mother of Jesus, lived until the end of her life. I was skeptical, but after being taught that she was entrusted to Apostle John by Jesus before his death on the cross, it made since since John lived in Ephesus and was buried there as well.
We then toured the ancient town of Ephesus, which was awesome. I loved seeing how well they built everything and how beautiful and intricate it was even so long ago. We even saw the statue of what inspired the Nike swish, which Hogan thought was amazing.
Seeing where Paul preached to the Ephesians was something I found awe-inspiring. The fact that, at the time, the natural acoustics carried well enough for him to speak to thousands is a testament to their resourcefulness.
Truly amazing!
Last, we went to see where Apostle John was buried. Knowing that we were walking on the same ground as one of Jesus' dearest friends, the "one he loved", was moving for sure.
The end of the tour was at a rug shop, which we didn't really like, so no need to elaborate! (If you are into very expensive Turkish rugs, this may have been your jam.)
Mykonos:
Finley turned 17 on July 27th, which was the day we went to Mykonos. (Lucky girl!)
We had from about 8:00am to 6pm on the island once off the tender boat, so we booked a breakfast reservation at Blu Blu Mykonos as a fun birthday celebration. It was so delicious and the view was very pretty. It was just about a five minute walk from where the boat pulled in. Super accessible!
The town of Mykonos is absolutely adorable, so we spent a few hours wandering around, shopping and taking pictures.
Next, we walked to the famous Windmills which are right near town.
They were so pretty!
We had to head back towards the ship, so we hopped back on the bus (which came every thirty minutes). My advice would be to make sure you have extra time because the bus stops several times and you do not want to be late.
Once back on the ship, we cleaned up and had a delicious dinner and caught a great show!
Cruising Day 2:
This was very similar to cruising day 1 and
a nice relaxing way to break up the week!
Capri:
Our final destination proved to be one of the best! We docked in Naples and our plan was laid out ahead of time, knowing we wanted to go straight to Capri.
I booked a ferry boat for 9:30am and a return boat for 3:25pm via Mr Ferry. Super easy and seamless.
Once to Capri, we had about an hour and a half to wander around, so we walked up the very steep streets to the top of the city. The shopping and restaurants up there were very beautiful and high-end and the streets were so quaint. Definitely worth the climb!
We walked back down the hill to meet the man we had booked for a private boat tour around the island. He was great and I highly recommend the company!
We booked this: Capri Boat Tour
We got to go around the island, see multiple sights and grottos and get in the water a few times. We never felt rushed and were able to soak it all in! We did not go to the Blue Grotto, which I know is supposed to be amazing, simply due to that fact that it is very touristy and takes awhile to get through the line to only see it for a few minutes. We decided we would rather spend our time seeing a lot of different areas around the island.
We all collectively LOVED Capri. It was so beautiful and the water was so many different colors.
We were off the boat at 2:45pm with enough time to grab a bite of Naple's best pizza and then board the ship.
Our last night aboard was perfect with a few hours to clean up, pack our stuff to depart the next morning early and have a lovely dinner.
Ship to Airport:
Our flight home left at 11:00am out of Rome, so we needed to move quickly to get to the airport. We booked transport right off the ship and it was very seamless. We used Connecto and they were very timely, clean and efficient.
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I know this was loads of info, but I have had lots of friends and family members asked about the itinerary and details of our trip so I thought it might be helpful. In addition, this was a great diary of sorts for me!
Thanks for hanging on until the end!
Feel free to email me at kellyhostutler@gmail.com with any questions or let me know about your trip should you do something similar!
With Love and Limoncello 🍋, Kelly
