Italy: Tuscany, Puglia, Lake Como and the Amalfi Coast (Where We Got Married)
Three trips to Italy: Florence, Siena and the Tuscan countryside, Polignano a Mare, Alberobello and Matera in Puglia, Lake Como and Bellagio, the Amalfi Coast, and Poppi, the little Tuscan town where we got married.
Italy has our hearts, and not just because it’s where we got married. We’ve been three times in two years: a chilly March trip through Tuscany, a fall trip down to Puglia and back up to the Tuscan countryside, and then June 2024, when we said “I do” in Poppi and spent the following weeks traveling with our friends.
This guide covers everything except the wedding day itself, which has its own post.
- March 2023
- Volterra → Siena and Chianti → Poppi → Florence
- October 2023
- Bari → Polignano a Mare, Monopoli and Alberobello → Matera → Poppi and the Casentino → Prato
- June 2024
- Lake Como → Florence → Poppi (our wedding!) → the Amalfi Coast
- Who came
- Just the two of us, then a big group of friends in 2024
- Best for
- Food, wine, small towns and the sea
Tuscany in March
Our first trip was in March. That meant coats and beanies, few crowds and soft light. We wandered narrow stone streets in Siena, drove the countryside around Chianti and Volterra, and finished in Florence with the Duomo, sunset over the rooftops and the Ponte Vecchio at dusk.
March is a great, underrated time for Tuscany. It’s cool, but the restaurants are relaxed, and you can walk around Florence without fighting crowds.
Puglia and Matera
In October 2023 we went south to Puglia, Italy’s heel. Polignano a Mare is a whitewashed town built right on the edge of limestone cliffs, with turquoise water below. We also visited the trulli houses of Alberobello, swam off the rocks at Monopoli, and spent an evening in Matera, an ancient stone city that glows when the lights come on at night.
The easiest way to see Puglia is with a car, so you can hop between the coastal towns and Matera on your own schedule.
The Tuscan countryside near Poppi
From Puglia we went back up to Tuscany, to the Casentino valley around Poppi, which kept pulling us back. We stayed at a stone villa with arched loggias and cypress-lined lawns, drank rosé at sunset over the hills, wandered the vineyards near Pelago, and had a long lunch in Prato.
Eight months later, we got married here. Read about our wedding and buddymoon.
Lake Como
Before the wedding in June 2024 we spent a few days on Lake Como with friends. We had a lakeside dinner in Bellagio, rented a small boat for a day on the lake, and swam in the gorge at Nesso under an old stone bridge.
Renting a small boat is the best way to see Lake Como. You can stop at villages and swimming spots along the way.
The Amalfi Coast
After the wedding, the whole crew went to the Amalfi Coast. Positano’s pastel houses stacked up the cliff are just as unreal in person. We spent a day on a boat under the cliffs with our friends, and the evenings on terraces in Positano.
A private boat day is worth it on the Amalfi Coast, especially with a group. Split between friends it’s more affordable than it sounds, and it’s the best view of the coast.
Italy tips from three trips
- Rent a car for the countryside in Tuscany and Puglia, and park outside the old town centers. Many have restricted traffic zones (ZTL) with steep fines.
- Shoulder seasons are magic. March and October were quieter, cheaper and beautiful.
- Book Amalfi and Como stays early for summer.
- Long lunches beat fancy dinners. Some of our best meals were in the middle of the day.
