The Italy Travel Podcast - An Only A Bag Podcast

This week we're talking about headlines and news that might affect your trip to Italy. Much of this episode discusses the somewhat confusing new Entry/Exit System (EES) mandates that will affect everyone entering the Schengen Zone. We also touch on the upcoming October 2-3 train strike as well as the reinstatement of a public holiday for Saint Francis of Assisi.

If you'd like to support the podcast, you can donate to Only a Bag on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ko-fi.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠! Or use our affiliate links (at no cost to you) for booking hotels, transportation, and tours/classes with ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠booking.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠omio.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠viator.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Thank you so much to all of you who have donated!

If you enjoyed this episode please leave a review and follow Only a Bag wherever you listen to podcasts! If you'd like to get in touch, you can send us a message on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠onlyabag.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠email⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ at [email protected], on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, or ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Bluesky⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

For more info, check out our articles on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠onlyabag.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and read our Substack ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Letters from the Balcony⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

As always, thank you all so much for listening!

x Darcy and Nathaniel

Picking up where we left off on Wednesday, we look at what you are entitled to when your flight is delayed in the States and which part of an international flight is covered by which country's laws.

More importantly we jump into how to mitigate bad luck and flight delays, the difference in taking a European carrier and an American one, and whose fault it is when a flight is cancelled.

Plus, we touch on facial recognition in airports, specifically the use of technology like FaceBoarding. Check out our next episode for updated info on the EES (Entry/Exit System)!

Looking for flight tips? Check out Nathaniel's article ⁠7 Best Tips for International Flights⁠!

Thank you so much to all of those who have donated! If you'd like to support the podcast, you can donate to Only a Bag on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ko-fi.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠! Or use our affiliate links (at no cost to you) for booking hotels, transportation, and tours/classes with ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠booking.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠omio.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠viator.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

If you enjoyed this episode please leave a review and follow Only a Bag wherever you listen to podcasts! If you'd like to get in touch, you can send us a message on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠onlyabag.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠email⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ at [email protected], on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, or ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Bluesky⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

For more info, check out our articles on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠onlyabag.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and read our Substack ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Letters from the Balcony⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

As always, thank you all so much for listening!

x Darcy and Nathaniel

This week, we're talking about your rights as an airline passenger. There's so much to talk about that we're breaking it up into two parts. What are you guaranteed if your flight is delayed or cancelled? Who made the rules? And what to do if you use a mobility device and it's damaged or destroyed by the airline? (Regulations have changed as of October 2025 for what rights passengers with disabilities have on flights in the US, check out our episode "Getting to Naples and Italy's Most Underrated Airport" where we talk about the updates.)

Looking for flight tips? Check out Nathaniel's article 7 Best Tips for International Flights!

Thank you so much to all of those who have donated! If you'd like to support the podcast, you can donate to Only a Bag on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ko-fi.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠! Or use our affiliate links (at no cost to you) for booking hotels, transportation, and tours/classes with ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠booking.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠omio.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠viator.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

If you enjoyed this episode please leave a review and follow Only a Bag wherever you listen to podcasts! If you'd like to get in touch, you can send us a message on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠onlyabag.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠email⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ at [email protected], on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, or ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Bluesky⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

For more info, check out our articles on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠onlyabag.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and read our Substack ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Letters from the Balcony⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

As always, thank you all so much for listening!

x Darcy and Nathaniel

In this episode, we're continuing our revisit to episodes from last year about flights! We'll tell you all of our best tips for making your flight to Italy as smooth and comfortable as possible, because let's be honest, drying out in recycled air in a tube in the sky... isn't the best part of vacation. But we've got you covered!

As mentioned in this episode, if you're bringing any prescription medication with you, legally, you do need to fill out a form and have it signed by your doctor. Here is a link to the Ministry of Health website where you can download the form: https://www.salute.gov.it/new/en/tema/medicinali-stupefacenti-e-precursori-di-droghe/travelling-internationally-medicines-containing/ 

Thank you all to those who donated to help us purchase the new microphones! It means so much to us; your support helps us to improve the podcast!

If you enjoyed this episode please leave a review and follow Only a Bag wherever you listen to podcasts! If you'd like to get in touch, you can send us a message on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠onlyabag.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠email⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ at [email protected], on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, or ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Bluesky⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

For more info, check out our articles on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠onlyabag.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and read our Substack ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Letters from the Balcony⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Want to help the podcast? You can use our affiliate links for booking hotels, transportation, and tours/classes with ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠booking.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠omio.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠viator.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. You can also donate to Only a Bag on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ko-fi.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to keep the podcast going! 

As always, thank you all so much for listening!

x Darcy and Nathaniel

Darcy just got back from a trip to the US so we thought we'd tell you all of our best tips and heads-ups on how to make your trip as smooth as possible. This week, we're revisiting a couple of episodes from a more than a year ago: we're talking about flights!

In this episode we're focusing on the airport. Do I have to take off my shoes? Why is that security line going faster? What documents do I need to board the plane? We'll answer all of that and get into our best tips: stay hydrated and eat a snack!

Thank you all to those who donated to help us purchase the new microphones! It means so much to us; your support helps us to improve the podcast!

If you enjoyed this episode please leave a review and follow Only a Bag wherever you listen to podcasts! If you'd like to get in touch, you can send us a message on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠onlyabag.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠email⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ at [email protected], on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, or ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Bluesky⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

For more info, check out our articles on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠onlyabag.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and read our Substack ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Letters from the Balcony⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Want to help the podcast? You can use our affiliate links for booking hotels, transportation, and tours/classes with ⁠⁠⁠⁠booking.com⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠omio.com⁠⁠⁠⁠, and ⁠⁠⁠⁠viator.com⁠⁠⁠⁠. You can also donate to Only a Bag on ⁠⁠⁠⁠ko-fi.com⁠⁠⁠⁠ to keep the podcast going! 

As always, thank you all so much for listening!

x Darcy and Nathaniel

As we bring this mini-series to a close, we discuss getting a phone plan that will work in Italy (I, Nathaniel, erroneously wrote that Episode 4 dealt with phone plans, however, that self-note was out of date; this is the episode we discuss the phone plans, I apologize for the confusion!), taking tours (and watching for any tour scams), and weighing the time constraints of tours and classes versus free time!

Lastly, thank you all to those who donated to help us purchase the new microphones! It means the world to us!

If you enjoyed this episode please leave a review and follow Only a Bag wherever you listen to podcasts! If you'd like to get in touch, you can send us a message on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠onlyabag.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠email⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ at [email protected], on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, or ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Bluesky⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

For more info, check out our articles on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠onlyabag.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and read our Substack ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Letters from the Balcony⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Want to help the podcast? You can use our affiliate links for booking hotels, transportation, and tours/classes with ⁠⁠⁠booking.com⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠omio.com⁠⁠⁠, and ⁠⁠⁠viator.com⁠⁠⁠. You can also donate to Only a Bag on ⁠⁠⁠ko-fi.com⁠⁠⁠ to keep the podcast going! 

As always, thank you all so much for listening.

x Darcy and Nathaniel

Only A Bag

Today's episode delves into packing—though not in the same way our previous mini-series on packing for certain seasons did. In this episode, we discuss the basics of packing, how to pack a bag so it's comfortable to you, and most importantly, the type of bag to bring.

We also discuss bringing any prescription medicines or pharmaceuticals into Italy, which includes downloading the form from this website (linked here) which does require your doctor to partially fill out.

We'd also like to extend an enormous "thank you" to everyone who donated and made the new microphones a reality. Thank you all so much!

If you enjoyed this episode please leave a review and follow Only a Bag wherever you listen to podcasts! If you'd like to get in touch, you can send us a message on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠onlyabag.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠email⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ at [email protected], on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, or ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Bluesky⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

For more info, check out our articles on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠onlyabag.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and read our Substack ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Letters from the Balcony⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Want to help the podcast? You can use our affiliate links for booking hotels, transportation, and experiences with ⁠⁠⁠booking.com⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠omio.com⁠⁠⁠, and ⁠⁠⁠viator.com⁠⁠⁠. You can also donate to Only a Bag on ⁠⁠⁠ko-fi.com⁠⁠⁠ to keep the podcast going! 

As always, thank you all so much for listening.

x Darcy and Nathaniel

Only A Bag

Instead of putting the "kitchen sink" episode (or, the episode filled with smaller tips and pieces advice that had no where else to go that made sense) at the end of the mini-series, we decided to put it in the middle, that way it ties together with everything that came before it and that will come after it.

As also mentioned in this episode (and the two coming out next week), we finally have new microphones! Which means a MASSIVE "thank you" to everyone who donated and made this a reality. Seriously, thank you all so much.

This also means that [hopefully] we will sound better, but there’s also going to be a slight adjustment period. If you have any thoughts, suggestions, or advice, please feel free to reach out at onlyabag.com.

If you enjoyed this episode please leave a review and follow Only a Bag wherever you listen to podcasts! If you'd like to get in touch, you can send us a message on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠onlyabag.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠email⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ at [email protected], on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, or ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Bluesky⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

For more info, check out our articles on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠onlyabag.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and read our Substack ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Letters from the Balcony⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Want to help the podcast? You can use our affiliate links for booking hotels, transportation, and experiences with ⁠⁠booking.com⁠⁠, ⁠⁠omio.com⁠⁠, and ⁠⁠viator.com⁠⁠. You can also donate to Only a Bag on ⁠⁠ko-fi.com⁠⁠ to keep the podcast going! 

As always, thank you all so much for listening.

x Darcy and Nathaniel

Only A Bag

Continuing the mini-series on how to plan your trip, this episode delves into overplanning, setting a loose schedule, and protecting your mental health. Of course, it covers so much more, such as finding your hotel in a strange areas of town, needing a kitchen, and choosing where to book your hotel.

As mentioned in the episode (multiple times), we finally have new microphones! Which means a MASSIVE "thank you" to everyone who donated and made this a reality! Thank you!

This also means that [hopefully] we will sound better, but there’s also going to be a slight adjustment period. In our free time as frequently as we can, we’ll be playing with the settings and getting familiar with how they work, but if you have any thoughts, suggestions, or advice, please feel free to reach out at onlyabag.com.

In this episode Darcy mentions a website for finding LGBTQIA+ friendly hotels. We couldn’t find the exact site Darcy was thinking of, but here are some other similar sites. 

https://www.mygayhotels.com/en/region-gay-hotels-it.html 

https://www.worldrainbowhotels.com/europe/italy

https://www.travelgay.com/ 

If you enjoyed this episode please leave a review and follow Only a Bag wherever you listen to podcasts! If you'd like to get in touch, you can send us a message on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠onlyabag.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠email⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ at [email protected], on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, or ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Bluesky⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

For more info, check out our articles on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠onlyabag.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and read our Substack ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Letters from the Balcony⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Want to help the podcast? You can use our affiliate links for booking hotels, transportation, and experiences with ⁠⁠booking.com⁠⁠, ⁠⁠omio.com⁠⁠, and ⁠⁠viator.com⁠⁠. You can also donate to Only a Bag on ⁠⁠ko-fi.com⁠⁠ to keep the podcast going! 

As always, thank you all so much for listening.

x Darcy and Nathaniel

Only A Bag

Our mini-series on planning your trip to Italy continues! Today we're talking about step two: picking a theme. This means deciding what kind of trip you want to have. Is it a beach trip? Are you foodie looking to eat your way across the country with cacio e pepe, arancini, and gelato? Or maybe you're interested in adventure or archaeology! We'll talk about the importance of setting priorities and how that can eliminate stress during your Italy vacation.

If you enjoyed this episode please leave a review and follow Only a Bag wherever you listen to podcasts! If you'd like to get in touch, you can send us a message on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠onlyabag.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠email⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ at [email protected], on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, or ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Bluesky⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

For more info, check out our articles on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠onlyabag.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and read our Substack ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Letters from the Balcony⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Want to help the podcast? You can use our affiliate links for booking hotels, transportation, and experiences with ⁠booking.com⁠, ⁠omio.com⁠, and ⁠viator.com⁠. You can also donate to Only a Bag on ⁠ko-fi.com⁠ to keep the podcast going!

As always, thank you all so much for listening!

xDarcy and Nathaniel