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In our last episode, we waxed poetically (or rambled) about the magic of Pompeii and how indescribable it feels. In this episode, we're talking about the practicalities of the Archeological Park of Pompeii. We'll explain how to get there, with an insider tip for leaving from Naples*, break down the different types of tickets, and talk about some fun facts and interesting sites within the park.
*If you're taking the Circumvesuviana train to Pompeii from Naples, our tip is to board the train at the Porta Nolana Station, which is about a 10 minute walk from the central train station, Garibaldi. This station is much more calm, has an elevator (Garibaldi does not for the Circumvesuviana), and you're more likely to get a seat as the Circumvesuviana originates at Porta Nolana.
Pompeii Archeological Park Official Site Links
Homepage
Tickets
PDF Guide to Excavations - Explanations of the different sites in the park
Pompeii For All - Accessibility in the park
It's unclear if tours are available in ASL, but the Naples chapter of the National Agency for the Deaf, the organization who trains Pompeii guides who natively speak Italian Sign Language (LIS), can be contacted via their email at [email protected] if you have any questions.
If you have any questions about your trip or if you have tips for fellow listeners, you can join our chat on Patreon for free or contact us on onlyabag.com.
Want to support the podcast? You can join our Patreon! Check out all of our tiers—free and paid—here: patreon.com/cw/theitalytravelpodcast
For articles written by us about Italy, check out our website onlyabag.com
If you'd like to support us by using affiliate links, but don't have the time to hunt them down, we have put them all in one place! Head over to www.onlyabag.com/affiliate-links and you can see all of the companies we have partnerships with and you can use them to support Only A Bag (which we deeply appreciate).
Thanks for listening!
xDarcy and Nathaniel
Pompeii, the city covered in ash that's still being discovered. We spend most of this episode's 40-odd minutes trying to put into words why someone should go. Sure, it's old, but so is a lot of Italy. And while it's well-preserved, again, so is a lot of Italy (and the other remnants of the Roman Empire). It's also hard to imagine how much you might enjoy it until you're there. That's when the film between "now" and "then" gets pulled back and you might realize how special a place it is. And thanks to the comment of a listener, we actually start this episode talking about one of the weirder mysteries surrounding the actual event—the day of eruption.
Pompeii Archeological Park Official Site Links
Homepage
Tickets
PDF Guide to Excavations - Explanations of the different sites in the park
Pompeii For All - Accessibility in the park
It's unclear if tours are available in ASL, but the Naples chapter of the National Agency for the Deaf, the organization who trains Pompeii guides who natively speak Italian Sign Language (LIS), can be contacted via their email at [email protected] if you have any questions.
In this episode, we mention a free Yale course. Darcy mistakenly says "Pompeii Archaeology" instead of "Pompeii Architecture." More specifically the course is on architecture in Pompeii and Roman architecture. Here is the link on Course Site.
If you have any questions about your trip or if you have tips for fellow listeners, you can join our chat on Patreon for free or contact us on onlyabag.com.
Want to support the podcast? You can join our Patreon! Check out all of our tiers—free and paid—here: patreon.com/cw/theitalytravelpodcast
For articles written by us about Italy, check out our website onlyabag.com
If you'd like to support us by using affiliate links, but don't have the time to hunt them down, we have put them all in one place! Head over to www.onlyabag.com/affiliate-links and you can see all of the companies we have partnerships with and you can use them to support Only A Bag (which we deeply appreciate).
Thanks for listening!
xDarcy and Nathaniel
One of the best things to do in Ravello is to just leisurely walk around and explore or to sit outside at a cafe and people-watch. It's a calm and relaxed little town with great views around the edge and a pretty piazza near the duomo.
You can also visit two famous sculpted gardens: Villa Rufolo and Villa Cimbrone. Villa Rufolo is in the center of town and costs €8 per person, while Villa Cimbrone is about an 11 minute walk from the center of town and costs €11 per person.
*Edit: In this episode, while talking about how you can stay at the Hotel Cimbrone, Nathaniel asked if there was a pool and I said I didn't think so, but there is in fact a pool!
If you're a fan of opera, symphonic music, baroque music or jazz, check out the Ravello Music Festival, which happens every year! This year's dates are July 4 through September 5, 2026.
If you're staying in Ravello, there are nearby towns for day trips to the beach like Atrani, Minori, and Maiori, all within a 20 to 30 minute drive with good traffic. Atrani can be reached by car, bus, or steep footpath. You can take the Sita Sud bus or hire a car to get to any towns on the Amalfi Coast for a day trip.
If you have any questions about your trip or if you have tips for fellow listeners, you can join our chat on Patreon for free or contact us on onlyabag.com.
Want to support the podcast? You can join our Patreon! Check out all of our tiers—free and paid—here: patreon.com/cw/theitalytravelpodcast
For articles written by us about Italy, check out our website onlyabag.com
If you'd like to support us by using affiliate links, but don't have the time to hunt them down, we have put them all in one place! Head over to www.onlyabag.com/affiliate-links and you can see all of the companies we have partnerships with and you can use them to support Only A Bag (which we deeply appreciate).
Thanks for listening!
xDarcy and Nathaniel
This week we're talking about the best-known mountaintop town on the Amalfi Coast, Ravello. Situated above the sea with no beach access, this town offers stunning views over the sea, cooler breezes in summertime heat, and a bit of an escape from the crowds in Amalfi and Positano.
The only ways to get to Ravello are by bus, car, or footpath from Atrani, the town below on the sea.
Sita Sud is the public bus operator on the Amalfi Coast.
In this episode we mentioned the restaurant we ate at and really enjoyed, it's called Ristorante Vittoria. The pizza restaurant that looked good, but where we weren't able to get a reservation is called Da Nonno Alfonso.
If you have any questions about your trip or if you have tips for fellow listeners, you can join our chat on Patreon for free or contact us on onlyabag.com.
Want to support the podcast? You can join our Patreon! Check out all of our tiers—free and paid—here: patreon.com/cw/theitalytravelpodcast
For articles written by us about Italy, check out our website onlyabag.com
If you'd like to support us by using affiliate links, but don't have the time to hunt them down, we have put them all in one place! Head over to www.onlyabag.com/affiliate-links and you can see all of the companies we have partnerships with and you can use them to support Only A Bag (which we deeply appreciate).
Thanks for listening!
xDarcy and Nathaniel
Wrapping up our Need to Know week, we're sort of talking about the kitchen sink in this episode. We're talking about [the importance of] making reservations at a restaurant, using "aperitivo time" as a way to adventurously explore the food scene, the fact that some stores might have different items to what you're expecting or even lacking them (such as pharmacies, for example), using grocery stores as a first-stop for food souvenirs, how to use ATMs, the importance of rest time and making sure that someone else's itinerary is also your own, and finally, the need to bring your passport everywhere.
Like I said, it's a packed episode!
If you want further tips in traveling in Italy check out the episodes below.
Travel Tips You Didn't Know You Needed
Spotify Link
Tips for Traveling With Someone Else: Part 1
Spotify Link
Tips for Traveling With Someone Else: Part 2
Spotify Link
The Hidden Stresses of Traveling: Part 1
Spotify Link
The Hidden Stresses of Traveling: Part 2
Spotify Link
If you have any questions about your trip, you can join our chat on Patreon for free or contact us on onlyabag.com.
Want to support the podcast? You can join our Patreon! Check out all of our tiers—free and paid—here: patreon.com/cw/theitalytravelpodcast
For articles written by us about Italy, check out our website onlyabag.com
If you'd like to support us by using affiliate links, but don't have the time to hunt them down, we have put them all in one place! Head over to www.onlyabag.com/affiliate-links and you can see all of the companies we have partnerships with and you can use them to support Only A Bag (which we deeply appreciate).
Thanks for listening!
xDarcy and Nathaniel
As the travel months are ramping up, we thought we'd take the time to quickly run through the "things we wish we knew before we went", or, perhaps more accurately, "the things we wish we had remembered to tell people before they came here".
To kick things off, we're talking about some flight pitfalls to be aware of, accommodation tips and scams to be aware of, and choosing the right kind of luggage (even down to the type of plastic used!).
EDIT: A big thank-you to one of our listeners, Karen, for an additional piece of information around the check-in bag! On a recent trip of hers, she (and a number of other people on her flight) were made to gate-check their roller carry-on luggage, leaving them with just the personal bag. So Karen recommends that you also bring a change of clothes in your personal bag, just in case your gate-checked luggage is left behind.
In this episode we wanted to tell you about some quick essentials, so if you want further tips in traveling in Italy check out the episodes below. Of course, in every episode we give specific tips on the destination we're talking about that week.
Travel Tips You Didn't Know You Needed
Spotify Link
Tips for Traveling With Someone Else: Part 1
Spotify Link
Tips for Traveling With Someone Else: Part 2
Spotify Link
The Hidden Stresses of Traveling: Part 1
Spotify Link
The Hidden Stresses of Traveling: Part 2
Spotify Link
Want to support the podcast? You can join our Patreon! Check out all of our tiers—free and paid—here: patreon.com/cw/theitalytravelpodcast
For articles written by us about Italy, check out our website onlyabag.com
If you'd like to support us by using affiliate links, but don't have the time to hunt them down, we have put them all in one place! Head over to www.onlyabag.com/affiliate-links and you can see all of the companies we have partnerships with and you can use them to support Only A Bag (which we deeply appreciate).
Thanks for listening!
xDarcy and Nathaniel
Today, we're back talking about the smaller headlines, some you may have already seen, such as Venice potentially raising the entry fee to €50 and the possibility that Rome's airports might suspend their EES (Entry-Exit System). We're filling you in on what that might mean for your trip, as well as upcoming strikes, the Pantheon price increase, and a handful of upcoming concerts and events that you might want to plan your trip around if you didn't already know about them!
For information on guaranteed service during a strike, check the link with your train provider. TrenItalia and Italo have a list of guaranteed trains while local services will have guaranteed windows of time that service will run.
Autolinee Toscane
AMTS Catania*
AMAT Palermo*
Italo
TrenItalia
Trenord
* These two sites, for AMTS Catania and AMAT Palermo, are a little harder to understand in terms of guaranteed service times. These links are to news notice boards on their respective websites where information on upcoming service changes should appear within a few days of the change/strike.
If you're looking for a cup of coffee that's FairTrade, roasted by a Certified B Corporation, and organic, then we'd say you're looking for Larry's Coffee. A small, family-run coffee roasters in Raleigh, North Carolina dedicated to sustainability and a better planet.
If you'd like to check them out, you can use our link: https://larryscoffee.com/onlyabag
Purchases through our link to receive two free handcrafted grass-woven coasters from FairTrade artisans in Guatemala!
Want to support us? You can join our Patreon! Check out all of our tiers—free and paid—here: patreon.com/cw/theitalytravelpodcast
For articles written by us about Italy, check out our website onlyabag.com
If you'd like to support us by using affiliate links, but don't have the time to hunt them down, we have put them all in one place! Head over to www.onlyabag.com/affiliate-links and you can see all of the companies we have partnerships with and you can use them to support Only A Bag (which we deeply appreciate).
Thanks for listening!
xDarcy and Nathaniel
Even though the heatwave that's been sweeping through Europe for the past week and a half is actually on its way out of Italy, we thought it would still make sense to talk about it. After all, it's more than likely we'll see another heatwave this year, even if not one quite as severe.
Mostly, it's designed to answer some big questions that have popped up (why isn't there AC, what is Europe as a whole and Italy as a small part doing about the heatwave, how will it affect my trip, etc.), as well as try and offer some advice on how to mitigate any hot days on your trip.
If you're having a medical emergency call 112 or go to a "pronto soccorso" (emergency room). These, like most other emergency rooms, are found at hospitals. They can be found by typing in "hospital," "emergency room," or "pronto soccorso" in a maps app. Or when taking a taxi or asking for directions in-person, you can say "pronto soccorso."
The Italy heatwave hotline is 1500. This is not an emergency line! It provides information on how to stay safe during the heatwave and forecasts from the Ministry of Health's heat wave surveillance system, information on the alert system and more.
If you're looking for a cup of coffee that's FairTrade, roasted by a Certified B Corporation, and organic, then we'd say you're looking for Larry's Coffee. A small, family-run coffee roasters in Raleigh, North Carolina dedicated to sustainability and a better planet.
If you'd like to check them out, you can use our link: https://larryscoffee.com/onlyabag
Purchases through our link to receive two free handcrafted grass-woven coasters from FairTrade artisans in Guatemala!
Want to support us? You can join our Patreon! Check out all of our tiers—free and paid—here: patreon.com/cw/theitalytravelpodcast
For articles written by us about Italy, check out our website onlyabag.com
If you'd like to support us by using affiliate links, but don't have the time to hunt them down, we have put them all in one place! Head over to www.onlyabag.com/affiliate-links and you can see all of the companies we have partnerships with and you can use them to support Only A Bag (which we deeply appreciate).
Thanks for listening!
xDarcy and Nathaniel
From wandering the colorfully tiled streets to shopping for ceramics and going to the beach, in this episode we'll tell you all there is to do in Vietri Sul Mare and how to get there, plus getting around!
Vietri Sul Mare is easily reachable by bus and ferry. There is also a train station which is being repaired and not functional as of June 2026, however a bus route is running in its place. Below are links to bus and ferry providers to and from Salerno and the Amalfi Coast.
From Salerno by bus:
- Vietri Sul Mare is reachable by city bus from Salerno, the city bus is run by Bus Italia you can get tickets in a Tabacchi (tobacco shop) in Salerno.
- You can also take Sita Sud bus (which will get you to towns on the Amalfi Coast as well) but this bus tends to be more crowded than the city bus.
From the Amalfi Coast by bus:
Sita Sud operates the buses from Positano, Amalfi, and other towns along the Amalfi Coast to Vietri Sul Mare.
From the Amalfi Coast and Salerno by ferry:
To get to Vietri Sul Mare, Travel Mar operates the ferries from Salerno as well as towns on the Amalfi Coast like Positano and Amalfi.
For day trips to Raito, Dragonea, and other nearby towns, check out Bus Italia, you can get tickets for this city bus at a local Tabacchi as well.
In general, the city buses (run by Bus Italia) that you might use are bus number 1 (written as 001 on Google Maps), 4 (written as 004 on Google Maps), and 9 (likewise written as 009 on Google Maps). These are the main buses that go from Salerno to Vietri, and vice versa. Each of them terminate in a different town, so if you're wanting a bit of adventure, simply stay on board!
If you're looking for a cup of coffee that's FairTrade, roasted by a Certified B Corporation, and organic, then we'd say you're looking for Larry's Coffee. A small, family-run coffee roasters in Raleigh, North Carolina dedicated to sustainability and a better planet.
If you'd like to check them out, you can use our link: https://larryscoffee.com/onlyabag
Purchases through our link to receive two free handcrafted grass-woven coasters from FairTrade artisans in Guatemala!
Want to support us? You can join our Patreon! Check out all of our tiers—free and paid—here: patreon.com/cw/theitalytravelpodcast
For articles written by us about Italy, check out our website onlyabag.com
If you'd like to support us by using affiliate links, but don't have the time to hunt them down, we have put them all in one place! Head over to www.onlyabag.com/affiliate-links and you can see all of the companies we have partnerships with and you can use them to support Only A Bag (which we deeply appreciate).
Thanks for listening!
xDarcy and Nathaniel
There was once a time where you could tell someone going to Italy that they'd have to go to Venice (Murano) for the glass, Florence for the leather, and Vietri sul Mare for the ceramics. Over the years, glass workshops have closed around Venice, quality leather production has shifted away from Florence as it follows cheaper rents, and yet, Vietri sul Mare is still a powerhouse of ceramics factories and workshops.
While this episode mainly discusses the feel of the town—one that feels vibrant, but ever so slightly like its heyday is over—we also offer our thoughts as to who might enjoy it the most, and who should stick it into their itinerary if possible.
If you're looking for a cup of coffee that's FairTrade, roasted by a Certified B Corporation, and organic, then we'd say you're looking for Larry's Coffee. A small, family-run coffee roasters in Raleigh, North Carolina dedicated to sustainability and a better planet.
If you'd like to check them out, you can use our link: https://larryscoffee.com/onlyabag
Purchases through our link to receive two free handcrafted grass-woven coasters from FairTrade artisans in Guatemala!
Want to support us? You can join our Patreon! Check out all of our tiers—free and paid—here: patreon.com/cw/theitalytravelpodcast
For articles written by us about Italy, check out our website onlyabag.com
If you'd like to support us by using affiliate links, but don't have the time to hunt them down, we have put them all in one place! Head over to www.onlyabag.com/affiliate-links and you can see all of the companies we have partnerships with and you can use them to support Only A Bag (which we deeply appreciate).
Thanks for listening!
xDarcy and Nathaniel
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