Real Honeymoon: Italy

Posted on August 26, 2013 by Peonies to Palm Trees

Like some of their closest friends, Shira and Marc decided to honeymoon in Italy earlier this year. Read all about their incredibly romantic Italian honeymoon below:

When and where did you honeymoon?

We went on our Honeymoon to Italy on May 20, 2013. We started our honeymoon in Positano (with day trips to Capri and Ravello), then went to Rome, Tuscany, Florence, and Venice.

Beautiful Positano

How long was your trip?

15 days (May 20-June 5).

Striking a pose at the Roman Colosseum

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

We both agreed that Italy would be the most romantic place we could go for our honeymoon. Plus, as an art history major, I have been dying to go to Italy my whole life and my parents also went for their honeymoon. Marc had already been to Rome so we decided to spend more time in Positano, Tuscany, and Florence.

Not too shabby of a view from Castello Banfi in Montalcino

The best part about our honeymoon was…

Definitely the food and wine. Every meal (and snack) was amazing — it was so fun to try new things.

A gorgeous meal at Le Sirenuse in Positano

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

The weather. Apparently this was the first May in 200 years that felt like winter. It probably rained every other day at some point. Normally Italy is supposed to be hot in May, but this year it wasn’t.

How much planning did you do in advance?

Not much planning — 10 hours. We hired a travel agent that was recommended by a friend and were able to focus on planning the wedding while they planned the honeymoon.

A romantic meal at Ristorante La Giostra in Florence

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Real Honeymoon: Southern Italy

Posted on August 5, 2013 by Peonies to Palm Trees

While Italy has been the most popular honeymoon destination on this blog so far, Alex and Brandy’s trip is unique because they planned most of it only two weeks before they went! And from what Brandy sent me, it sounds like they did a more than excellent job with the last minute arrangements. Read all about their gorgeous Southern Italy honeymoon below:

When and where did you honeymoon?

We spent our honeymoon in beautiful Italy, spending time in Rome, Positano (on the Amalfi Coast), and Sicily. Our wedding was on April 27th, 2013- and we left for our “luna di miele” (as the Italians call it) about 2 weeks after the big day.

How long was your trip?

We spent 10 days in Italy, though we should’ve spent much longer!

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

We narrowed it down the same way we usually narrow down all of our travels: food and drink. It had to be a place where our stomach would be happy, and then from there, we wanted to find a place that could offer both an urban landscape and some beautiful beaches. Southern Italy seemed to be the best bet on all accounts!

The best part about our honeymoon was…

It’s so hard to choose! The drive along the Amalfi Coast and our views from our hotel in Positano were amazing. Though at the time, Alex definitely wouldn’t have agreed that the Amalfi Coast drive was fun (we rented a car and he was the appointed driver). Afterwards, he did admit it was exhilarating. The views were spectacular! Same goes for our views in Positano – the bluest waters and gorgeous cliffs, plus lemons as big as your head! Sicily was also amazing, with wonderful seafood and cannolis, plus amazing white-sand beaches. Hello heaven!

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

We’d have spent more time in Sicily. There were so many towns to see, and we really didn’t get to explore Palermo as much as we wanted to. There’s such a vibrant energy to the region.

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Where Should You Go on a July Honeymoon?

Posted on July 10, 2013 by Peonies to Palm Trees

Last week Condé Nast Traveler’s resident travel expert Wendy Perrin wrote a blog post answering the question, “What are the best travel destinations for July?” While her article wasn’t necessarily honeymoon-specific, she mentioned many popular honeymoon destinations that would be wonderful in July, and a bunch of others that should be avoided. Check out her recommendations below:

The Good:

– Tahiti (As if you need another reason to choose Tahiti for a honeymoon, in July you can also celebrate Polynesian culture at the Heiva Festival.)

– Seychelles (A great tropical-yet-cool-and-dry destination that isn’t too crowded in July. August, however, is another story.)

– Barbados (Big off-season deals are easy to come by in July, and you can check out the Crop Over Festival.)

– Anywhere up north: Canada, Scandinavia, The U.K. (Warmer weather and extended daylight hours – what’s not to like?)

Tahiti in July? Yes, please!

The Bad:

– Belize (Humidity + mosquitos? No thanks!)

– The west coast of Mexico (It can be so hot that the sand will burn your feet. Yikes.)

– Eastern Turkey (Also suuuper hot.)

– The French Riviera (Lots and lots of tourists.)

– Croatia (Too many cruise-goers in Dubrovnik, but other seaside towns should be alright.)

– Rome/Venice, Italy (Really overly crowded with tourists; the prices skyrocket.)

– Southern Spain (Yep, just too hot.)

Belize is totally gorgeous, but probably not the best destination in July

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My two cents? I think that Greece is also an excellent destination for July even though it will be high season. The Aegean Sea doesn’t get super warm, so if you go too early in the year you might find the water to be on the chilly side. But if you go in August, the islands get extremely crowded with Italian tourists.

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Real Honeymoon: Mediterranean Cruise

Posted on July 8, 2013 by Peonies to Palm Trees

Remember when I wrote my confession that I like cruises? Well Sara and Morgan went on a pretty amazing one for their honeymoon in Europe. Read all about their voyage around the Mediterranean below:

When and where did you honeymoon?

Morgan and I went on a 10 day Mediterranean cruise at the end of September and into early October.

How long was your trip?

2 weeks…the 10 day cruise and a day in Rome on either side…plus travel.

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

Morgan had never been to Europe and we wanted to experience as many places as possible with as little travel as possible. The cruise was perfect combination…we had so many great stops (Rome/Florence and Pisa/Monte Carlo/Barcelona/Mallorca/Sardinia/Naples/Sicily) without having to worry about how to get there or where to put our stuff!

The best part about our honeymoon was…

Touring the best parts of Europe during the day and gorging ourselves on multi-course dinners at night. I loved that we were able to be active and adventurous during the day and relax and enjoy ourselves at night. Not having to worry about getting from place to place (both us and our stuff) was a great bonus!

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

Don’t pack so much! I mean, did we really need 2 pieces of luggage each?? While it wasn’t a big deal while we were on the ship, schlepping all that baggage around Rome and the airports in 80+ degree heat was a mistake!

How much planning did you do in advance?

Almost all of it. On top of booking the flights, the cruise, and the hotel nights in Rome, we also pre-booked most of our tours. The only downside to that was that several of our tours got cancelled due to lack of attendees (it didn’t help that our cruise was 90%+ retirees and our chosen excursions were always pretty active) and we had to book tours we didn’t like quite as much. The only thing we really left unplanned was the sightseeing we did in Rome before and after the cruise.

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Real Honeymoon: France & Italy

Posted on July 1, 2013 by Peonies to Palm Trees

My friends Alex and Sarah went on a seriously incredible European honeymoon last summer, and it has (understandably) taken them nearly an entire year to write a blog post worthy enough to do it justice. (Spoiler alert: they nailed it.) For those of you who may be interested in honeymooning in France or Italy yourselves, Sarah provided lots of great information that should help you plan your trip. Read all about their travels, and check out their gorgeous photos below:

When and where did you honeymoon?

France/Italy in August/September 2012.

We started in Paris (4 nights) and rented a car and drove through Burgundy (2 nights at B&B in Pulingy Montrachet near Beaune), the Rhone Valley (2 nights at B&B in Avignon) and Monaco (2 nights). We dropped the car in Nice, flew to Naples and stayed 5 nights in Sorrento on the Amalfi coast. After that we took trains to Rome (3 nights) and Florence (3 nights).

Sunset in Florence

How long was your trip?

3 weeks (but don’t remind our bosses). We were married on a Saturday and flew out on the next Wednesday to be able to enjoy all the friends/family in town, rest up, and get cheaper flights. Highly advisable to take a few days after the wedding.

Ravello, Amalfi Coast

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

We wanted to take advantage of the excuse we had to take 3 weeks off of work and tour some parts of Europe that we hadn’t experienced. We live by the beach and knew that we wouldn’t be able to sit still on a beach for more than 2 days. While going to Paris is cliché, it certainly did not disappoint and was just as romantic as people say. As for Italy, we can’t wait to go back.

Sunset in Monaco

The best part about our honeymoon was…

Seriously not even sure where to start. How about a top 10?

10. Renting city bikes in Paris and using them to bike all around the city. Sign up on their website and pay about $2/day. Bike depots all over the city allow you to park. Great way to see the city, save money, and get a little exercise.

Yes, that is a baguette in Alex’s hand

9. Hiring a driver in Sorrento to take us around the Amalfi peninsula and an amazing meal at Ristorante La Tagliata in Positano. If we ever make it back to this area, we will stay in Positano.
8. Running after the tour bus as it pulled away nearly leaving us in Sienna. Since when do Italians run on schedule?
7. Shopping in Italy for clothes and shoes
6. Private wine tour around the Rhone valley

Rhone Valley Wine Tour

5. Raiding the chocolate shop free samples in Tain L’Hermitage (Valrhona)
4. Limoncello tasting along streets of Sorrento
3. Gambling at Monte Carlo dressed to the nines
2. Somehow partaking in “Fashion Night” in both Rome and Florence where the shops stay open late, have live music, complimentary cocktails/champagne/appetizers.

Fashion night in Italy, no big deal

1. ALL meals in Italy (especially their amazing house wine by the jug)

Wine by the jug in Sorrento

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Honeymoon Destination Recommendations for… Wine Lovers

Posted on May 10, 2013 by Peonies to Palm Trees

It’s been quite awhile since I wrote my last Where To Go? post, so in honor of my good friend Stephanie who’s visiting San Francisco this week and in the midst of planning her own wedding, I thought it would be quite appropriate to cover a topic that’s dear to her heart: wine.

The following is a list of honeymoon destination recommendations for wine-loving couples created by myself, someone who knows little to nothing about wine.* Since I am faaaar from being a wine expert, let’s just say that everywhere on the list is known for great wine, and hopefully my non-wine related comments will help you decide whether a particular location suits your particular honeymoon interests. Pour yourself a glass, and let’s begin!

1) South Africa

The Cape Winelands, South Africa

I’m starting off the list with the place that I want to visit the most. South Africa really has it all: beautiful beaches, incredible wild life and safari opportunities, and the infamous wine regions of Constantia, Stellenbosch and Paarl. It’s not a budget-friendly destination (especially if you want to go on safari as well), but if you’re going to go big on your honeymoon, I think South Africa would be absolutely fantastic.

2) Argentina

I guess that’s what Malbec looks like?

On the other end of the budget spectrum, Argentina’s Mendoza region is another perfect honeymoon destination, especially if you love steak and a good Malbec. While Argentina may not be as cheap as it used to be, it should still be significantly less expensive than a honeymoon in either South Africa or Europe. Keep in mind though that Argentina is a huge country, so if you want to check out Buenos Aires as well as Mendoza, you’ll need to book some additional flights.

3) Australia

The beautiful Hunter Valley

If you’re going down under for your honeymoon, you’re in for a treat because Australian wine is delicious, and you don’t have to travel far from Sydney if you want to experience the wineries first-hand. You can easily take a day trip to the Hunter Valley region in New South Wales, and then sleep off your hangover on Bondi Beach the next day.

4) France

A winery in Bordeaux

There are three things that the French sure know how to do properly: food, wine, and romance. What else do you need during your honeymoon? The correct answer (at least for me): Beaches. Fortunately, the French Riviera is just a short flight or train ride from Paris so you can have the best of both worlds, as well as Champagne, Burgundy, Loire Valley, and Bordeaux in between. Stay tuned for an amazing Real France Honeymoon post coming up in a few weeks from a very food and wine-savvy couple.

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Real Honeymoon: Italy

Posted on April 15, 2013 by Peonies to Palm Trees

That’s right – it’s back-to-back Italian Honeymoon weeks! This week’s Real Honeymoon comes from Erin, who has an awesome blog of her own called Imperfect Polish that you should check out. Erin didn’t skimp on the details of her trip, so make sure to check out all of her great tips for honeymooning in Italy below:

When and where did you honeymoon?

My husband and I took off the day after our wedding September 13, 2008 for Italy [Rome, Positano, and Capri].

In front of the Trevi Fountain in Rome

How long was your trip?

We were gone for two weeks and enjoyed every second of it.

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

We were engaged for over a year and had a large wedding, which was so much fun, but we were ready to escape everything and explore Italy. When we were planning our honeymoon, we knew we wanted to go somewhere new, somewhere with a direct flight, and a place we could relax. We are both very interested and enjoy (too much) food and wine, so Italy was the perfect choice.

We knew that staying in one city would get boring for us since we are not huge on tourist attractions, so we chose Rome (5 days), the postcard city of Positano on the Amalfi Coast (4 days), and the island of Capri (5 days). Being by the ocean was a huge part of why we chose the second two cities, since we love a great view and boating.

This was the view from their hotel room in Positano. Not too shabby, huh?

The best part about our honeymoon was…

It is hard to put my finger on the best part of our honeymoon, as every day was incredible, even if we hardly left the balcony of our suite. Funny enough, Matt and I always look back fondly on the afternoon we got to Positano and the rain. It rained our entire wedding day, so it was only fitting we saw a bit of it on our trip. We checked into our cliffside hotel and went out on the balcony to soak in the ridiculous view of a city we had only seen in photographs. It started to rain and we laid down on the lounge chairs outside and fell asleep to the gentle rain that began to fall. When we woke up, we walked down during the sunset to The Brasserie at Hotel Covo dei Saraceni for the best pizza we had on our entire trip (we sampled it everywhere, seriously). It was the the perfect (unplanned) day, which we enjoyed many of instead of being too touristy.

Delicious pizza in Positano

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

If I could change one thing it would have been to do more research on restaurants. We relied heavily on the concierge of each hotel and it would have been more fun to go to places recommended by friends or travel writers I love. Luckily, we did not have a bad meal anywhere. How could you in Italy?

How much planning did you do in advance?

Once we picked the destination, Matt took the reigns and booked everything. It was such a fun surprise seeing what he chose when we arrived in each city. It also let me focus on the wedding and look forward to a wonderful getaway.

Outside of Antica Pesa in Rome

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Real Honeymoon: Italy

Posted on April 8, 2013 by Peonies to Palm Trees

This week we have yet another incredible Italian honeymoon to share! Read all about Emily and Cullen’s romantic trip below:

When and where did you honeymoon?

May 2006, Italy (Venice, Florence, Cinque Terre, Tuscany, & Rome)

How long was your trip?

2 weeks.

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

My sister had gone there for her honeymoon and it looked awesome, I’d never been out of the country and my husband had only been to Mexico so it was exciting to go and explore part of Europe together. Plus I am Italian, so always had an urge to go and explore the Italian culture.

The best part about our honeymoon was…

We woke up at 4am the morning after our wedding to catch our honeymoon flight to Italy, which was really exciting. Despite being tired, we were so excited, we had just gotten married and now were off on an exciting vacation together to a place we’ve never been. So I loved just going right away. Besides that I would have to say exploring the food.

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

Well I know a lot more about food now then I did then, so I would probably have eaten slightly different despite the fact that I loved a lot of what we had. I could have done more research about the best places to go or what foods to eat. But we were young and new to traveling, I’m much better now.

Also, I packed way too many clothes which made train travel slightly more difficult, so if you’re going to be traveling around, pack smart, multi-use clothing items.**

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Real Honeymoon: Italy

Posted on March 4, 2013 by Peonies to Palm Trees

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

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Real Honeymoon: Italy

Posted on February 4, 2013 by Peonies to Palm Trees

Have I not yet mentioned that people love honeymooning in Italy? Allie and Jeff also chose Italy for their honeymoon because of it’s rich culture and incredible food. Read all about their wonderful Italian honeymoon below:

When and where did you honeymoon?

We traveled to Italy (Rome, Venice, Florence, Lucca, Cinque Terre, and Milan) in May, 2012.

How long was your trip?

May 6 – May 22, 2012

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

My (now) husband and I love food and really enjoy different food experiences. To me Italy was the place to go to see not only 3000 year old ruins on every corner, but to explore a delicious food culture.

The best part about our honeymoon was…

Going to this amazing small, family run winery. We were in Lucca and asked our concierge to recommend a winery we could go to for the day. She told us about a big winery that was very commercial and another small one that didn’t take visitors very often. When she called and told the gentlemen that we were on our honeymoon and wanted to come, he told her that we should be there at noon.

We drove through some of the most beautiful countryside I have ever seen and got to experience the Montichiari Winery. This man was the 3rd generation in his family to own and operate the winery. He and his wife were the most warm, inviting, friendly people I have ever met. He spoke English, Italian, and French, his wife spoke only French and Italian with a little English mixed in. I barely speak French and my husband understands a little Italian…but we made it work. We were taken around the vineyards and olive trees, shown all the best views of the property, and then sat down for one of the top meals I have ever eaten. He and his wife not only opened and shared with us 4 bottles of wine, but also opened a few bottles from their private cellar because they were just so happy to have us there.

And the food…oh man, the food she cooked was out of this world. All food was from their land or things traded with their neighbors. In total we spent 5 hours there touring the property, enjoying the beautiful view, and the hospitality of these lovely people.

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

Falling asleep a few hours after we got to Rome on the first day of the trip. It threw me for a loop and I didn’t feel right the first 2 days in Rome, so it felt like a waste.

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