There is a specific kind of ache that hits you on the journey home from Italy. Not sadness exactly. More like an awareness (nope, actually it’s 100% sadness 🥲). You've spent days eating food that tastes as if it came from the ground it was grown in, sitting at tables where no one is in a hurry, drinking wine in the afternoon like it's perfectly reasonable. 

I still remember the moment I pulled out of the airport car park in Pisa. It was a tiny blue Fiat Cinquecento, and it was 10 pm. Every single sign seemed to be pointing somewhere I didn’t recognise, and I had to join the main autostrada without causing mayhem. My hands were on the wheel, my maps were loaded, and I thought: what on earth am I doing?

Planning a trip to Puglia and want to go beyond the usual tourist trail? This is where slowing down changes everything. From the dramatic coastline of the Gargano Peninsula to quieter bases like Conversano, this is a different side of southern Italy. Less polished, more instinctive, and far more rewarding if you let it unfold at its own pace.

Planning a trip to Italy has always felt simple somehow. The light, the food, the slower rhythm of it all often makes it easy to imagine.

But lately, global events have started to shape even those quieter plans, from flight routes to fuel costs and the rising price of travel.

Spring in Italy is a season of quiet shifts.

From changing landscapes and local rhythms to lighter food and slower days, this guide shares what to expect and how to move with it.

This wasn’t a trip of big highlights or must see moments.

It was quieter than that.

A meal I didn’t expect.
A place that made it easy to slow down.
A new friendship that came out of nowhere.

When I set off on my three-week solo road trip from Pisa to Abruzzo, I thought I was just heading out for another Italian adventure. A loop through hilltop towns, winding roads, and a few quiet B&B stays along the way. But like most things in Italy, what unfolded went far deeper than I’d planned.

Planning a long weekend in Milan? This stylish and culture-rich Italian city is the perfect destination for a short break, especially for solo travellers. With walkable streets, world-class art, buzzing canal-side cafes, and easy train access to places like Turin and Lake Como

Italy has been my muse, my escape, and my home away from home. My lifelong passion for this enchanting country began in the early 1990s when I was a young professional dancer with the English National Ballet. Here’s a glimpse into my unforgettable journey through Italy—a love affair filled with dance, adventure, healing, and timeless beauty.

I like to think I’m a pretty savvy solo female traveller. While I’ve yet to venture long-haul (jet lag and ADHD don’t mix well!), I’ve traveled across Europe eight times—six of those trips to Italy.

There’s so much to consider when booking accommodation as a solo traveller. Safety is the most obvious factor, but cost is another big one. Many hotels charge single supplements, making solo stays more expensive. If you opt for self-catering, you’re covering the entire cost of an apartment or house on your own.

Having returned from Tuscany in mid-November, I was immediately desperate to go back. So, when I was offered the chance to house-sit at the same property I’d stayed in during my previous visit—this time over Christmas—I jumped at it. Before you could say “Buon Natale!”, I was searching for a flight from Bristol to Pisa.

It was a cold and wet Tuesday in March when I popped into The Byre to see what books Sarah had chosen for her shelves. I ran my eye over the selection of cookbooks and local interest section, and then onto the Fiction shelves.

And a slim, very inconspicuous book caught my eye.

The title read ‘The Diary of a Tuscan Bookshop’.