Showing posts with label Rome. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Rome. Show all posts

Saturday, 10 December 2016

10 unique Rome tours

The Colosseum at dusk
Looking for something different to do on your Rome layover?

If you want to avoid the crowds, or have simply seen the big sights, it's easy to get off the beaten track in the city.

Here are some unique Rome tour options to consider:
1. Day Trip from Rome: Ancestors Tour - Discovering Your Italian Family History
2. Vatican's Apostolic Palace Tour ( the Pope's private residence)
3. Borghese Gallery Revealed - A Tour with an Art Historian
4. Vittoriano Panoramic Rooftop Viewing with Skip-the-Line Colosseum Tour
5. Rome Photography Walking Tour: Learn How to Take Professional Photos
6. Rome Mussolini's Bunker and Villa Torlonia in 3 hours
7. Ancient Roman Dinner
8. Rome Art Safari and Jewish Ghetto Group Treasure Hunt
9. Rome Baroque Concert and Tour at Church of Sant'Agnese in Agone
10. Dinner at Local Chef and Sommelier's Home in Rome


Plus 3 great freebies!
40 FREE things to do in Rome - Lonely Planet
FREE museums in Rome (first Sunday/month) - BB Roma
FREE Rome walking tours - Free Rome Working Tour


Related reources
10 Unique Paris Tours
10 Unique NYC Tours
10 Unique Los Angeles Tours
Layover Ideas and Things to Do in Rome
Rome Fiuminco International Airport (FCO) transportation guide - IHateTaxis

Rome Ciampino International Airport (CIA) transportation guide - IHateTaxis

Friday, 24 June 2016

Layover Learning: Jewelry

hammering
Pewter crafting at the Royal Selangor in Kuala Lumpur - you can take classes here
Creative Commons image istolrthetv on Flickr

Addicted to learning? Why not spend your layover learning something new?

It's surprisingly easy. Whether it's self-directed learning at a museum, a university lecture, tour that has learning as its focus. a commercial course, or simply reading papers at the local library, there are lots of opportunities.

Here are some unique tours where you can learn jewelry-making and gemology on your layover:
1. The Ancient Italian Tradition of Jewelry Making in Rome
2. Leather Jewelry-Making Workshop in Florence
3. ccessory-Making Class in Paris: Cancan or Marie Antoinette Theme
4. Athens Private Workshop: Making a Greek Flower Crown With a Local
5. Kuala Lumpur: School of Hard Knocks and Pewter Foundry at Royal Selangor
6. Kuala Lumpur: Royal Selangor Visitor Center Tour including Pewter Crafting Lesson
7. Half-Day Cambodian Gemology Workshop from Siem Reap
8. Full-Day Cambodian Gemology Workshop from Siem Reap
9. New York City: East Village Jewelry Class
10. Chicago; Gorgeous Glass Pendants Class

You may find local jewelry-making and gemology classes in larger cities, both long and short, some even free, so it's worth Googling. To inspire you, here are a few that we found in popular layover cities:
Chicago Jewelry Classes - Eventbrite
New York Jewelry Classes Events - EventBrite
Jewelry Courses in the UK - Craft Courses
Jewelry Courses - The Birmingham Assay Office
Jewellery making holidays, courses & workshops - TravelQuest

Not enough time? Why not find a quiet area in the airport and indulge in some online learning time? And, yes, you can learn almost anything online! Check out:
FREE Jewelry Tutorials - Jewelry Making Journal
E-books and Classes for Jewelry Artists - Jewelry Making Journal
The Best Online Gemology Schools and Courses - Gemstone Advisor
10 Free Online Jewelry Making Courses - FREE Online Courses for All

Speaking of jewelry and travel...
Travel Tips From Six Jewelry Designers - Travel + Leisure
Travel Jewelry - A Fashion Love Affair


Related resources
Get Cooking on Your Layover: Europe
Get Cooking on Your Layover: Asia
Get Cooking on Your Layover: South America
Go Running on Your Layover
Layover Ideas: Crude Oil Bath


Monday, 6 October 2014

Get Cooking on Your Layover: Europe

Get up close and personal with a country's culture by taking a cooking class abroad!
(Tau Consulting, Flickr, creative commons)

Love food? Wish you could cook those amazing dishes that you eat overseas? Why not take a cooking class during your trip?

While some choose to 'attend' a famous cooking school for an extended period, there are plenty of other short classes you can take for just a few hours, or a day.

In Cooking Classes Abroad: Travel for Taste, @Frommer's contributor Charis Atlas Heelan provides inspiration for expanding your culinary repertoire - along with a mouthwatering slideshow.

"A cooking class abroad brings more pleasure and knowledge than merely sampling traditional cuisine in a restaurant overseas," suggests Bethany Smith for @bootsnall in The Best Travel Souvenir: Cooking Classes Abroad. A veteran of cooking classes around the world, Bethany also suggests you be ready for impromptu lessons (hint: if you like a dish, ask questions of the cook!).

So, let's get cooking! In this, our first in a series, we look at cooking classes in Europe:

Chocolate-making demonstration in Bruges, Belgium
(Jennifer Morrow, Flickr, creative commons)

Belgium
Brussels: Chocolate Workshop and Tastings

Croatia
Dubrovnik: Traditional Dalmatian Cooking Class

Czech Republic
Prague: Traditional Czech Cooking Class 

Making vanilla and caramel macaroons!
(Danielle Fenske, Flickr, creative commons)
France
Avignon: Provençal Cooking Class and Market Tour
Cannes: Hands-On Cooking Classes & Shopping at the Market
Cannes: Authentic French & Mediterranean Finger Foods Class
Nice: Food Market Tour and Cooking Class
Nice: Patisserie Cooking Class
Nice: Provençal Cooking Class
Paris: Free Cooking Lessons in Paris
Paris: Cooking Class - French Christmas Menu
Paris: Cooking Class - Desserts and Pastries
Paris: Cooking Class - Gluten Free and Organic Desserts
Paris: Learn How To Make French Macaroons
Paris: Small Group French Cooking Class
Related resources - Paris
Paris Cooking Classes, Schools, and Wine Tastings - David Lebovitz
Le Cuisine Paris - Cooking Classes Review
The Other Side of Paris - suggestions for celiacs and vegetarians

Express appreciation for your meal in Greece, and you just might get tips from the chef
(Ana Raquel S. Hernandes, Flickr, creative commons)

Greece
Athens: Greek Cooking Class in an Athens Tavern
Athens: 3-Hour Cooking Lesson & Dinner
Athens: Cooking Class and Food Tour
Athens: Private 5-Hour Gourmet Greek Cooking Course
Athens: Private Walking Tour & Cooking Classes
Chania: Crete Cooking Class
Heraklion: Private Tour - Greek Cooking Class in Crete
Katakolon: Private Greek Cooking Class (shore excursion)

Israel
Tel Aviv: Full-Day Food Tour and Home Cooking Lesson

Pizza in Naples
While you may not have the oven at home, it's still great to learn how to make pizza in Naples, the birthplace of pizza!
Italy
Florence: Tuscan Cooking Class and Dinner
Florence: Small Group Italian Cooking Class
Florence: Chianti Semi-Private Cooking Class at a Tuscan Villa
Florence: Cooking Class - Learn How to Make Gelato and Pizza
Florence: Cooking Class - Learn How to Make Tiramisu
Florence: Cooking Course and Local Market Visit
Florence: Handmade Italian Pasta Cooking Course
Lucca: Half-Day Private Cooking Class
Lucignano: Half-Day Private Cooking Class
Milan: Italian Cooking Class
Naples: Learn How to Make Authentic Neapolitan Pizza
Naples: Gelato Class and Tasting in Capri (from Naples)
Padua: Veneto Cuisine - 5-Hour Private Cooking Activity
Padua: Private Cooking Class with Fish and Seafood
Palermo: Half-Day Sicilian Cooking Class
Palermo: Evening Cooking Class with Nonna Lina
Palermo: Sicily 7-Hour Cooking Class and Winery Tour
Piedmont: Private Cooking Class Including Lunch and Wine
Rome: Walking Tour and Cooking Class
Rome: Cooking Class and Dinner with Nonna
Rome: Kid's Pizza Cooking Class
Rome: Artisan Gelato Class
Rome: Half-Day Cooking Class and Walking Tour
Rome: Small Group Cooking Lesson in the Roman Countryside
Taormina: Sicilian Cooking Class
Taormina: Sicilian Cooking Class and Market Tour
Taormina: Half-Day Sicilian Cooking Class & Market Tour
Taormina: Half-Day Pizza Making Class
Siena: Tuscan Cooking Class
Sorrento: Cooking Class at the 'Love is All You Need' Villa
Verona: Italian Cooking Class
Related resources - Italy
Go to Cooking School in Italy - Budget Travel
Cooking Classes in Italy - Karen Brown
Cooking Schools in Italy - Why Go Italy
Cooking Schools, Courses, and Classes in Italy - About.com

Poland
Krakow: Polish Home Cooking Class

Portugal
Lisbon: 4-Hour Cooking Class

Enjoy eating paella? Why not learn how it's made while you are in Spain?
(Tau Consulting, Flickr, creative commons)
Spain
Barcelona: Small Group Cooking Class
Barcelona: Private Tour - Cooking Class in Chef's Local Residence
Barcelona: Private Cooking Class and Market Tour
Barcelona: Food Tour and Cooking Class - Catalan Cuisine
Cordoba: Andalucian Cooking Class with Wine Pairing
Granada: Cooking Class - How to Make Paella
Madrid: Cooking Class - Learn How to Make Paella
San Sebastian: Gastronomic Society Cooking Class: Pintxos and Basque-Cuisine
Seville: 3-Hour Andalucían Cooking Class
Seville: Tapas Cooking Course

Sweden
Stockholm: Swedish Cooking Class

Turkey
Cappadocia - Private Food and Culture Tour - Ayvali Village Turkish Cooking Class and Wine Caves
Istanbul: Half-Day Turkish Cooking Tour
Istanbul: Authentic Anatolian Cuisine Tour for Groups
Istanbul: Regional Cuisine Tour for Groups

Ukraine
Kiev: 6-Hour Ukrainian Cooking Class


Related resources - cooking classes abroad
Updated periodically with new links.
Have a resource to add? Please leave a comment.

Sunday, 6 July 2014

Carpe Diem: Day Trips from Rome

Can't handle another day of Rome's
crowds? (image: wikicommons)
There's plenty you can do in Rome if you have an extra day, but here are day-trips that pack a BIG punch.

These are intense day-trips, most over 10 hours, but that's part of their beauty. You can easily spend a few hours in each direction sleeping, if you wish, and still have a culturally rich layover.

Options below range from private tours, small group tours, standard-type tours, budget tours, independent tours and do-it-yourself tips for the backpacking crowd. Be sure to check the options until you find one for your budget - and go!

Praia de Amalfi - 1 (9704328784)
The Amalfi Coast will take your breath away
Amalfi Coast
The Amalfi Coast is a stretch of coastline on the southern coast of the Sorrentine Peninsula in the Province of Salerno. A popular tourist destination, the Amalfi Coast is known for its lemons and limoncello liqueur. Popular destinations include Amalfi, Positano and Sorrento.
Pompeii and Amalfi Coast Small Group Day Trip from Rome (14 hours)
Pompeii and Amalfi Coast Full-Day Tour from Rome (1 day)
Amalfi Coast Full-Day Private Tour from Rome (1 day)
Pompeii & Amalfi Coast Full-Day Private Tour from Rome (10 hours)
Pompeii & Positano Full-Day Private Tour From Rome (12 hours)
Private Day Trip to Pompeii & Sorrento from Rome (12 hours)

Capri harbor
Is it any wonder Capri has been a top resort spot since Roman times?
Capri
Capri, an island located on the south side of the Gulf of Naples, has been a resort since Roman times. The island is famous for the Faraglioni limestone crags that project above the sea, the Blue Grotto and the ruins of the Imperial Roman villas and charming Anacapri town.
Capri Day Trip from Rome (13 hours)
Full-Day Sightseeing Tour to Capri (11 hours)
Naples and Capri Day Trip from Rome (13 hours)
Capri from Rome on your own - Capri Insider Guide

Troonzaal Caserta
Is it the Royal Palace of Caserta or the Palace of Versailles?
Caserta
Of all the royal residences inspired by the Palace of Versailles, the Royal Palace of Caserta is the one that bears the greatest resemblance to the original model. The Reggia of Caserta was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1997, but is well off the beaten track. The town of Caserta, 20 kilometres from Naples, is unremarkable.
Caserta from Rome on your own - Enjoy Rome
Caserta from Rome on your own - Browsing Rome

Florence skyline
Yes, you can visit David in a day from Rome - but it will be a long day!
Florence
Florence, the capital of Tuscany, is considered a cultural, artistic and architectural gem. The birthplace of the Italian Renaissance, Florence was the most important city in Europe for 250 years, until the early 1500s. Florence deserves more than a day, but if that's all you've got...
Florence Day Trip from Rome (15 hours)
Florence Full-Day Small-Group Tour: From Rome (1 day)
Rome to Florence: Full-Day Private Guided Excursion (12 hours)
Florence & Pisa Full-Day Tour from Rome (1 day)
Independent Florence Day Trip from Rome by High-Speed Train (12 hours)
Florence from Rome on your own - Enjoy Rome


Naples Archaeology Museum (5914777832)
Just one of the priceless artifacts in the Naples National Archaeological Museum
Naples
Italy's 3rd largest city and capital of Campania region, Naples is one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world. The Naples National Archaeological Museum houses one of the most extensive collections of artifacts of the Roman Empire, including antiques unearthed at nearby Pompeii and Herculaneum. Napoli is also the birthplace of pizza.
Naples Day Trip from Rome with Traditional Naples Food Tour (10 hours)
Naples for Food Lovers Full-Day Tour from Rome (1 day)
Naples and Capri Day Trip from Rome (13 hours)
Naples and Pompeii Day Trip from Rome (13 hours)
Pompeii and Naples Private Full-Day Tour from Rome (9-10 hours)
Naples Self-Guided Day Trip from Rome (12 hours)
Naples from Rome on your own - Walks of Italy

Pisa Duomo
The Duomo di Pisa - and its famous leaning bell tower
Pisa
The architecture in Pisa, a city in Tuscany on the Tyrrhenian Sea, comes from its time as an Italian maritime republic. Although known worldwide for its Leaning Tower of Pisa, the city boasts 20+ historic churches, a few palaces and scenic bridges across the River Arno.
Florence & Pisa Full-Day Tour from Rome (1 day)
Pisa from Rome on your own - An American in Rome

Pompeii&Vesuvius
The magically preserved Pompeii - with Mount Vesuvius as a backdrop
Pompeii and Herculaneum
The ancient Roman cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum were destroyed, buried and hidden under ash and pumice following the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD. The largely preserved archaeological sites are located near modern Naples.
Pompeii and Amalfi Coast Small Group Day Trip from Rome (14 hours)
Pompeii and Amalfi Coast Full-Day Tour from Rome (1 day)
Pompeii & Amalfi Coast Full-Day Private Tour from Rome (10 hours)
Pompeii & Positano Full-Day Private Tour From Rome (12 hours)
Private Day Trip to Pompeii & Sorrento from Rome (12 hours)
Pompeii Private Full-Day Tour from Rome (8 hours)
Naples and Pompeii Day Trip from Rome (13 hours)
Pompeii and Naples Private Full-Day Tour from Rome (9-10 hours)
Pompeii Day Trip from Rome (13 hours)
Pompeii and Vesuvius Volcano Full Day Trip from Rome (13 hours)
Rome to Pompeii Shuttle Bus & Independent Day Trip (12 hours)
Pompeii from Rome on your own - Enjoy Rome
Pompeii from Rome on your own - The Rome Toolkit
Pompeii from Rome on your own - Walks of Italy

Siena z12
The stunning Duomo di Siena
Siena
The city of Siena, in Tuscany, is one of the Italy's most visited tourist attractions due to its historic centre, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Sienna is also famous for its art, museums and cuisine.
Sienna Day Trip from Rome (13-14 hours)
Siena and San Gimignano 1 day from Rome (1 day)
Siena & San Gimignano Day Tour & Wine Tasting from Rome (1 day)
Siena from Rome on your own - An American in Rome

Flickr - lo.tangelini - Desde Pienza
The rolling Tuscan hills near Pienza
Tuscany
While Florence, Pisa and Sienna are popular gems, Tuscany has much more to offer, with numerous smaller towns, including Bagno Vignoni, Montalcino, Montelpulciano, Monticchiello and Pienza.
Tuscany Day Trip from Rome (13 hours)
Etruscan Tuscany & Lazio Full-Day Tour from Rome (1 day)
Best_of_Tuscany_with_Brunello_di_Montalcino_Wine_Tasting (13 hours)
The Wine and Oil of Tuscany: Full-Day Tour from Rome (1 day)
Tuscany: Full-Day Private Excursion from Rome (10 hours)
Private Tuscany Wine Tour from Rome (10 hours)
Tuscany from Rome on your own - Walks of Italy

Vineyards in Umbria
Lush vineyards in the Umbria region of Italy
Umbria
The most popular towns in the Umbria region of Italy are Assisi and Orvieto.
Assisi Day Trip from Rome (12 hours)
Assisi and Orvieto Day Trip from Rome (12-13 hours)
Assisi and Orvieto Full-Day Trip from Rome (10 hours)
Rome to Orvieto by Private Car: Full-Day Guided Tour (7 hours)
St. Francis Basilica and Medieval Umbria from Rome (Assisi + Perugia or Orvieto) (7 hours)
Orvieto & Civita Bagnoregio Private Day Tour From Rome (12 hours)
Gourmet Tour to Chianti & Umbria from Rome (13 hours)
Orvieto from Rome on your own - Walks of Italy

Venice....
Romantic Venice
Venice
The city of Venice, in northeastern Italy, is situated on 118 small islands, separated by canals and linked by bridges. Venice is famous for its beauty, setting, vaparetto, architecture and artworks. The city, including its lagoon, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Day Trip to Venice by High Speed Train from Rome (1 day)

Related Resources