When I started this blog last year, I knew that Italy was a great honeymoon destination, but I didn’t realize how popular it was!  This is now the fourth Real Honeymoon: Italy post on the blog, and I have two more great ones lined up to be published in the upcoming weeks.  Each honeymoon is slightly different, but they are all equally fantastic.  Check out Cyndi and Ben’s amazing Italian honeymoon below:

When and where did you honeymoon?

We went to Italy in September 2012.  We went to Rome, Florence, Cinque Terre, Positano, and Capri.

The Trevi Fountain in Rome

How long was your trip?

2 weeks.

How did you decide on your honeymoon destination(s)? 

Neither of us had been to Europe, and I have always wanted to go to Italy, especially Rome and Cinque Terre.

Hiking Cinque Terre

The best part about our honeymoon was…

Our favorite place was Capri.  Our friends got us an evening of wine tasting in Rome which was awesome.  Another highlight was the cooking class we took in Florence.

Private boat trip in Capri

If I knew then what I know now, I’d change…

While we loved Cinque Terre, and the hike was beautiful, in hindsight I would probably have saved it for a different trip, and spent more time in the other places.  Cinque Terre was pretty far out of the way – the day we went from Cinque Terre to Positano, we traveled from 9am to 9pm.**

Sunbathing in Positano

How much planning did you do in advance? 

Everything I could possibly plan in advance, I did.  In fact, my husband thought I was crazy because around March of last year I asked him if I should start making restaurant reservations.  I booked our airfare and hotels in January.  I booked our cooking class and boat tour in Capri probably around March.  I made museum reservations for Rome and Florence in August.  I had looked up the train schedules in advance but didn’t reserve anything – my husband insisted on a little flexibility!

Michelangelo’s David at the Galleria dell’Accademia in Florence

What was your biggest honeymoon splurge?

We took a private boat tour around the island of Capri which was incredibly fun.  I would say it was the highlight of our trip.

Where do you want to go on your next big trip?

We are going to the Dominican Republic for a week this September.  Next year, we’re planning on going to London and Paris.

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** My two cents?  I agree that hiking Cinque Terre is amazing and I definitely recommend doing it, but maybe not the best idea for all honeymooners.  I consider myself to be a pretty active gal, but that hike is no joke, so don’t show up for it wearing a cute sundress and sandals.  Expect to get legitimately sweaty, and to be surpassed by European grandmas that are in much better shape than you are.