History, gastronomy, wine, culture, nature … an exciting country that harbors all together. In this article, I would like to share my observations about Italy. Who knows, maybe it will inspire those who will go to Italy, you can also catch the clues as well.
I can explain the reasons why I took Italy on the route as follows: First of all, the situation that attracts people is hidden in history, because, as it is known, the foundations of the Renaissance are laid in this country and there is a Medici family that has an important position for the country. The family also made its weight feel in field of banking around the world as Medici Bank, additionally supported artists such as Michelengelo, Da Vinci, Boticelli and remained in power for 400 years in Florence.
Wine and gastronomy are among the topics that should not be skipped for those who will plan the trip. You can reach great Italian wines at very reasonable prices. Ravioli, risotto, tiramisu and pizzas also have their own unique features. In short, there are many reasons to go to Italy and you can shape it according to your budget.
If I come to my own plan, I have set my route to be Bologna, Florence, Rimini, San Marino, Siena and Rome. I reserved two days for Siena and Rome and one day for other places. Also, I preferred Booking.com while i set a place. Since it is very affordable to stay in hostels, I allocated the remaining money to transportation, food and beverage and museum visits.
I come to tips on transportation, food and museum issues.
Transportation: If you are going to Italy for the first time, you should definitely get a map that you will find your way offline (Google maps saved my life), Italian-Turkish, Turkish-English dictionaries (Google Translate) that you can use offline. Because the moment you set foot in the country, you will not be exposed to exorbitant prices of GSM operators. Another point I have observed is that wireless internet access works perfectly at the airport, so rest assured.
To get to Bologna city center from the airport, you need to buy a ticket firstly (there is a 9 km distance from the city center). You can do this in two ways. The first one is online, the second one is at the airport with a credit card or cash terminals.
As for transportation, there are three alternatives: Public transport, shuttle or taxi. The most affordable way is public transport, it had a price of 6 €. When I got to the airport, I thought that I would buy tickets with a credit card from the tickets, but when the ticket machine didn’t work, I had to buy by credit card on the internet. When you receive your ticket from the link https://aerobus.bo.it/en, QR-code is sent to your e-mail address. Following you should scan the QR code at machine, your ticket is confirmed. It is not allowed to get on the bus only the QR code in your mobile phone or paper without scanning at machine.
Starting from the city center, it is possible to explore Bologna by walking, but my suggestion would be to pin your places to your offline map. This gives you the opportunity to use your time very well.
If you have planned to visit other cities in Italy, you can easily use the train and bus companies. Right here, I recommend the Omio application in order to set your journey. You can see the train and bus alternatives on the days and times you set.
The transportation infrastructure of Italy is very good and understandable. I do not think that you will have a problem here, but I will not go through the reminder: Do not try to escape the trains.
The conductor walks through the wagons and checks the tickets. If you ride without a ticket, I think you pay a fine of around 600 €. Another important point when getting on the train will be to get your tickets approved by the “validators” at the stations. The validator is below. I did not get it approved at my first ride, but when the conductor realized that I was a tourist, it did not cause any problems.
If you ask if there is a tram, I can tell you it exists, but the application is a little different. Because there was no tourniquet when I was getting on the tram in Rome (none of the cities I went to) You can get on the tram without encountering a direct block but you have to get your ticket approved by the validators in the tram. There is mutual trust after all. However, I was surprised to see that nobody on the tram had a ticket. I used the tram very little because I loved walking, but I realized that nobody in intention to give money in Rome. It was rarely checked during the trip. Don’t get on without a ticket again.
Eating and drinking: We came to Italy, so what do we eat and drink? There are also alternatives. For travelers who do not want to spend too much on food and drink, what I can recommend is markets. I was able to find food for all levels at all the locations I visited. “Coop” brand is very common in the market. If you wish, you can buy slices of pizza, croissants, etc. at a very affordable price. Despite the high number of alternatives, it was not easy for me to find vegan products. I had found a place in Bologna, but unfortunately it was also closed. In short, when you reach the city center, exploring budget friendly markets will be useful for you.
There are many businesses selling boutique food in Bologna, Florence, Rimini, Siena and Rome. Especially it was a pleasure to have many places in Siena that sell slices of pizza and beer. The slice can reach very good pizzas between 2-3 €.
Of course, I discovered new products. You can find wine from the markets in the juice packaging. I also came across vitamins and painkillers. If you are good with wine and beer, you have fallen into heaven. Because the 250 Turkish Lira sold wine around € 5-6 here in Turkey ‘You take one side or the delightful, sad on the other side. Below you can find the market prices in coop.
Speaking of Italy, we should not skip coffee culture. You will find many boutique, stylish and pleasant cafes almost everywhere. The prices are of course very affordable. When I ask for Americano, the question I get almost everywhere is “Cocktail or coffee? You can make your choice accordingly. The prices were 2.5 € at most and the room was at the airport.
Faced with something so much about eating and drinking, I met with many places come cheaply by Turkey. On the boutique restaurant side, the situation was not very different. Think about it, you are in a touristic place like Florence and you wanted to go to the restaurant. Since the menus are usually outside and the prices are written on it, you can decide whether you can enter or not. You can easily have a glass of wine and whole pizza for 15 € in touristic places.
Unfortunately, Bologna was the weakest location of my trip. Because when I got off the plane at 14:30, passport control and transportation to the city center took about an hour and a half. Also, when I was hungry and looked for a place to eat, I could only come to myself at 17:30 to 18:00, that unfortunately it was impossible for me to enter the museums I planned. Anyway, well, we have 7 more nights ahead.
San Petronio Basilica, Bologna Asinelli Towers, Pinocoteca Nazionale, Bologna University and Maiggiori Square are among the places worth visiting. It is not possible for you not to be in a spontaneous walk when you leave yourself to the streets.
Let us come back to the topic of food and beverage: It will be enough to follow the places where students go, from the student density resulting from the University of Bologna.
I would like to inform you about the hostel where I stayed. The hostels I chose were all affordable but I can say that they met my expectation very much. I stayed in a place called “Hostel II Nosadillo” in Bologna. It was a very pleasant place. When I say read a book in the common area, I remember that we suddenly spend 6 hours with people coming and speaking and playing. Since my location is close to the bus stops with walking distance, I reached the bus directly to Florence very easily. Here is my advice: If you have decided to go to more than one city, you should definitely see the place where you will take the bus or train the day before, so you will not experience the stress of the next day.
Next route is Florence, the capital of the Renaissance
