Tag: World Travel

Categories
Travel

48 Hours in Milan

Happy Holidays Everyone! I love this time of year. I love the cold weather, the Christmas lights. Everything Christmas and festive, count me in! This was one of my favorite blog posts to write and share with you all because nothing compares to Christmas time in Europe and spending the holiday in Milan was over the top amazing! Just thinking about this amazing city gets me excited and I hope you all find it helpful on your travels.

If you have ever wondered if traveling Italy during the holidays or during December is a good idea, trust me, you will not be disappointed! Yes, the weather is colder and you will definitely need sweaters, a nice warm winter jacket, gloves, scarves and hats will come in handy, but for the most part the weather during the day is a mild cold. It does snow in Italy, so packing with that in mind is best, but for the most part the weather is nice enough for sightseeing and exploring.

 Another great perk of traveling during the winter is the lines and amount of tourists out and about. Yes, there are still tourists and lines, but for the most part there shorter lines and less tourists than the hot summer months. Milan is a very busy city and you can expect the attractions to have many tourists anytime day or time of year. With that said, it is still very possible to spend Christmas or New Year’s in the city and fully enjoy yourself!

+Getting to Milan-

There are several different ways to get to Milan. With a large international airport, you can fly in at most any time of the day. However, depending on what your itinerary is when traveling Italy, using the train system is an easy and affordable way to get around, moving from city to city. A train ride from Rome or Venice to Milan is a little under 3 hours, and gives you a chance to see the countryside and much of the Roman landscape not just the most popular cities. While in Milan, you can use a ride share service or the public transportation, which is very good in Milan. 

+Where to stay in Milan-

Milan is a large city with most every hotel chain you can think of. Depending on the attractions or area of town you are most interested in exploring you can find a hotel close to anywhere you would like to stay. Airbnb is great, and in my opinion, the best option. I stayed in the an amazing Airbnb, right around the corner from the Duomo di Milano. It was close to every the attraction, great restaurants and shopping. It was also amazing to walk out on New Year’s Eve and be surrounded by the magic of the Duomo and the night.

+Attractions in Milan-

  • The Duomo di Milano or Milan Cathedral is one of the largest cathedrals in Europe. Honestly, the most beautiful cathedral I have ever seen. It’s magical.
  • The Last Supper portrait, located inside the Duomo. You can buy tickets to tour the Duomo online and in advance which I recommend. Especially, if you are traveling during a holiday like Christmas or New Years.
  • Galleria Vittorio Emmanuelle. If you love shopping this is the place and Milan to shop. If you don’t, the building itself is beautiful and worth seeing. It is located right next to the Duomo di Milano so you can easily see both, one right after the other.
  • Castello Sforzesco. Built in the 15th century, now a museum and houses many art collections.
  • Arco della Pace – The Arch of Peace, a dedicated to the battles of Napoleon. It’s beautiful, like everything else in Milan and worth seeing if you are in the city.
  • Navigli District- Along the canal, has lots of shops, bars and art galleries. It’s a charming district and a great part of the city.

Milan is one of the most amazing cities I have ever visited and I hope you if you ever have a chance to visit the great city of Milan during the holiday season this travel guide helps you plan your travels!

Categories
Travel

Ultimate Tikal Travel Guide

Hey, everyone! I am back to share a little bit more with you all about my recent adventures. While traveling to Belize a little over a month ago we decided to make the day trip in Guatemala to Tikal National Park. The whole trip was amazing, but visiting Tikal was most certainly the most amazing part of the trip.

Tikal National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage site, is located in the northern region of the Guatemalan rain forest. Tikal is one of the largest archaeological sites of the Mayan civilization. Having traveled to several ancient Mayan cities, Tikal is by far my favorite. It was amazingly beautiful to see these ancient ruins through the rain forest and my most favorite part, which I still cannot believe they allow, was we were able to climb the ruins! It was amazing and definitely worth the trip.

+Getting to Tikal– There are several different ways to get to Tikal depending on where you will be traveling from. Coming from Belize City, we stayed in San Ignacio, Belize for a few days to be able to explore and travel to Belize. If you have a rental car, you can drive across the border. However, there are several things you will have to do first. You will have to apply for a special permit at least a week in advance and it will have to be signed and approved by a lawyer. You will also have to buy insurance in order to drive your car across the border. If you are planning on driving across the border, be sure to book your rental car in advance and take care of the permit and insurance before, or else you will not be able to drive across the border.

We opted for a second option and booked a tour guide for the day. For about $80 US dollars our private tour guide picked us up at our Airbnb, drove us to the Belize/Guatemalan border, took care of everything needed, tickets, lunch, and all border crossing details. The trip to Tikal from the Belize border was about 2 hours. It was an amazing drive through the country of Guatemala, beautiful rain forest and several lakes along the way were a great addition to the trip.

+Exploring Tikal National Park– The park itself is massive and you have to walk/hike to each of the temples spread out across the park.  I highly recommend having a tour guide as they can easily walk you through the park to the temples. A guide can also help you navigate the park through lesser-used trails to skip the crowds and move from site to site easily. You can most certainly find the temples on your own but it was take much longer and you might miss areas along the way. The temples themselves are unbelievable and beyond beautiful.

+What to wear/take with you-Regardless of the season it is best to take water with you when visiting Tikal. The park is large and if you are visiting during the hottest months, you will definitely need water throughout your day. Also, as I mentioned before, you are allowed to climb the temples, which are many, many steps high, so you will be happy you have a little water with you. Normally, there are really two seasons in Guatemala, Summer and Spring, so it will likely be warm or blazing hot. Light attire, you are able to walk and climb in is most appropriate. Also, you might happen to get caught in the rain, which we did, so a rain poncho or umbrella might come in handy.

I hope this travel guide helps you all plan a visit to Tikal National Park. If you love Mayan culture and exploring you will not be disappointed and most certainly will be left in awe, just like I was.

Until my next adventure guys! See you all soon!

Categories
Travel

Belize Travel Guide

San Pedro, Belize

Hi everyone! It’s been a minute but I’m back with my first blog post of the summer! I know, I know, I had big plans to publish weekly blog post AND I really spent my summer traveling and didn’t do a lot of blog posting. It’s life. Good news is, I have lots of content to share with you guys, and am excited to start with the best vacation of the summer, Belize!

+Getting to Belize- The easiest way to get to Belize, is to book your plane ticket and enjoy the ride. The most popular airport, Belize International Airport is located in Belize City. Our connecting flight from Dallas was about 2 hours and 45 minutes.

Getting to the beach once in Belize City- You will have two options to get to the beach, known as the Caye’s (say it like Keys) in Belize. Once you arrive in Belize City, there are several flight companies who offer flights, almost hourly to the Caye’s (Ambergris Caye, Caye Caulker.) The flights to the caye’s cost about $80 US dollars and it takes you a short 15 minutes to arrive in the Caye’s and are tons of fun and well worth the experience. You a can also take a ferry to the Caye’s cost about $15 US dollar for a ticket each way. A ferry ride will take 2-3 hours to arrive to the Caye’s.

+Renting a car in Belize– Belize International Airport has many car rental offices just outside of the airport. You can make reservations online ahead of time or book at the airport as long as they have cars available.

+Things to consider when renting a car in Belize– If you plan to take your car across the boarder to Guatemala, you will need to purchase insurance and a permit. You also need to have a letter signed by a lawyer and that can only be done during the week and ahead of time. The Belizian people will help you to complete this task if needed but it definitely need to be done ahead of time. Secondly, they will ask you if you are planning to go off roading and if you need four wheel drive, and you are going to say no, and then you will end up on unpaved, rocky road while driving around the country!! Promise. There are so many unpaved roads, even getting resorts, and rain and you will need some kind of SUV.

+What to do in Belize– There are many things to do in Belize, on the beach and inland. Most people visit Belize for some beach life and a peek at that aqua blue water. When traveling to the Caye’s you have a few options such as Caye Caulker, the Amberguis Caye’s and a few others. There is no shortage of beach activities such as snorkeling, fishing, visiting the town when you arrive to you beach destination, it will all depend on how you plan on spending time on the beach.

Driving inland you can also drive to different beaches across the island coast such as Hopkins. The drive is beautiful along the Humming Bird Highway!! You will also find smaller, less visited cities, such as the city of San Ignacio. This is a great option of a city to stay in if you are planning on traveling to Tikal (stay tuned for my Tikal Travel Guide) or visiting the ATM Cave. I was able to do both on my trip and they were both amazing. ATM Cave is like nothing I have ever experienced, as you explore a cave discovered by the Mayans and is believed to be part of the Mayan Underworld. It was unreal!! And they don’t allow cameras so I’ll only be able to tell you about it. If you are up for an adventure this is for you. You will walk across rivers, swim to the entrance of the cave, and climb through water and boulders to The Cathedral and The Crystal Maiden and a peek at Mayan artifacts and rituals. It’s so scary and so amazing at the same time. Definitely, an experience I’ll never forget.

+Where to stay in Belize-Since we were driving around the country while, across the border into Guatemala, back to the coast and then to Belize City and lastly, to San Pedro, we stayed at three different locations. Some Airbnb’s and some hotels/resort. I highly recommend all of them, ending the day at these great places really added to our stay.

  • San Ignacio-Suzy’s Villa (Airbnb)
  • Hopkins- Jaguar Reef Resort
  • Ambergues Caye- Matachica Resort

+ What to eat in Belize– As long as you like seafood or chicken you’ll find plenty to eat in Belize. I honestly ate lobster every day!! Market price was about $15 US dollars so how could I not! Anything seafood you can think of, you can find, shrimp curry(you’ll be surprised), crab claws, shrimp tacos, calamari, anything. They also eat a lot of chicken in Belize so many places have delicious chicken dishes. Don’t be afraid to try the street food. We ate lots of street food, mostly tacos. They were delicious and perfect when we were tired from a day of adventuring and on our way back to the Airbnb.

Over all I loved my time in Belize. If I were to do it over again, I would do it the exact same way, with some inland adventure and a little beach time. The people from Belize were so kind and helpful and helped us with any little hick up during our stay, and helped everything along the way.

Categories
Travel

Mexico City Travel Guide

I’m back, everyone! It’s been a minute. Life has been happening and most everything has not been going as planned! But I’ve been embracing the change and trying to enjoy whatever comes, just like this little getaway to Mexico City! You guys, I fell in love with Mexico City!! I wasn’t something I was expecting. I honestly have not loved a city this much since Barcelona!! Mexico City is beautiful, full of history and culture, has an amazing food scene, and no shortage of things to do.

+Getting to Mexico City- I don’t know if any of you have checked out flights to Mexico City lately, but it is a very reasonable place to travel. Most any day of the week you can find a round trip flight for under $300! In the travel world that’s a crazy good deal. Once you arrive in CDMX it is very easy and affordable, and by affordable, I mean super cheap, to use Uber for all of your travels. A ride from the airport to our Airbnb in Roma Norte was under $10, which is just crazy based on the distance and time in the car. However, it makes it very easy to get around and see everything you’ve been wanting to check out. We also, took a our chances on the metro to get from Roma Norte to Zocalo. I have never in my life seen a metro station so clean! Seriously, it’s obviously very busy, frequently used, but well kept, clean, just unreal. The metro was relatively easy to navigate, but be prepared for packed cars all throughout the day. It was easy enough and definitely and option for anyone traveling the city.

+Where to stay– Mexico City is one of the largest cities in the world and there are no shortage of hotels all throughout the different areas of the city for you to book for your stay in the city. We opted for an Airbnb in the area of Roma Norte and it was one of the best decisions we made for the trip. This area is not located close to many popular attractions, but as I said it is very easy to navigate the city on the metro or by Uber. So we preferred to stay in an area we preferred and travel during the day to the busier areas and attractions. I truly believe when visiting Mexico City, much of what you experience and enjoy about your trip will be based on the area of town you are staying in. The coffee shops you find around the corner, the parks and restaurants you stumble across while exploring the city really make the trip for you and make you fall in love with the city. There are so many amazing areas and the prices are amazing for the amazing, modern, accommodations you can find. With a little searching you’ll find an amazing place for a great price.

+ Area to consider staying while in Mexico City:

  • Roma Norte
  • Condesa
  • Polanco
  • Coyoacan

+Things to do- As I mentioned before, Mexico City has no shortage of things to do. I’m sure, if you have been considering traveling to CDMX, you have your own list of attractions to visit. Depending on the length of time you will be in the city, you should have time to visit most everything within a few days. We didn’t get to do everything we wanted to but we we more than content with everything we got to see and what better excuse to visit the city again.

CDMX Areas & Attractions:

  • Plaza Nacional
  • Angel de La Indepencia
  • Museo de Bellas Artes
  • Zocalo
  • Tempo Mayor
  • Coyoacan
  • Frida Kahlo Museum
  • Museo Soumaya
  • Museo Nacional de Antroplogia
  • Xocomilco

Frida Kahlo museum is in the area of Coyoacan, which is a great area to explore. This attraction is very popular. I recommend buying tickets online, before hand to minimize your wait. Even with tickets you will wait in a shorter line, without a ticket and purchasing at the location you will wait in line for at over an hour. It’s worth the online purchase.

+Areas To Explore-

  • Roma Norte
  • Condesa
  • Zocalo
  • Polanco
  • Coyoacan
  • El Centro
  • Templo Mayor

+What and Where To Eat- Another thing you may not have heard about Mexico City is about it’s amazing food scene! The amazing food we ate was one of the most amazing things about our trip. And let me tell you about the price! Incredibly reasonable!! We could believe our bill each will after the amazing food we enjoyed. We ordered everything family style, which helped us try many more items on the menu than ordering on our own.

You will run into amazing restaurants while exploring the city. If you pass by something you like, I’d stop and see if they take reservations. Most restaurants do and it is the best way to make sure you get to enjoy the food you are looking forward to trying. Most of the popular restaurants named below will be booked a few weeks in advance and will require a reservation.

+CDMX Restaurant Recommendatios-

  • Pujol
  • Quintonil
  • Huset
  • Rosa Negro
  • Barra Buena
  • El Balcon de Zocalo
  • El Morro (Churros)

Categories
Travel

Cancun Travel Guide

Hi, everyone! I’m back and spring has me planning and dreaming of summer vacations and days on the beach. Today, I’m sharing my Cancun Travel Guide with you all to help you plan your first, or next, Mexican getaway. If you love gorgeous blue water, white sandy beaches, maybe some ancient ruins, Cancun might just be the next best vacation spot for you. 

+Getting to Cancun-Cancun, located on the Yucatan Peninsula, is a popular tourist destination any time of the year. With a large international airport, Cancun, is an easy destination to fly in and out of from most any city in the United States and around the world. Depending on the size of your travel group, you can book a shuttle to pick you up and take you to your hotel or Airbnb. You can also catch a taxi or an Uber at the airport to take you to your destination. While in the city, you can continue to use taxi’s and Uber’s or ride the city bus for about $1.
+Where to Stay-Cancun being a very popular tourist destination has many major hotels to stay, with all major accommodations. Most hotels are located in Zona Hotelera along the beach coast. Many hotels offer all inclusive packages for your stay, food and drink. You can also find many Airbnb’s for rent, depending on the area you would like to stay.

+Things to do-There is no shortage of things to do in and around Cancun.  From relaxing on the beach to getting away for some adventure and historical site seeing. Cancun is an easy place to please most anyone in your group.

+Spend time at the beach. As I mentioned earlier, Cancun has some of the most beautiful beaches I have ever seen. White sandy beaches, surrounded by aqua blue water, you really cannot go wrong with a day or two on the beach. 

 Shopping-If shopping is your thing, you can certainly take advantage of several shopping malls, from luxury to local markets and goods. Many of the shopping malls are located  close to the Zona Hotelera.      

 Visit Parque De Las Palapas-If you’re looking for an authentic experience while visiting Cancun, Parque de las Palapas comes with my highest recommendation to visit. The town square, located in downtown Cancun, is a square full of amazing food and vendors. I’m talking about the best food you will eat on your trip! You can find a variety of tacos, tortas, elote, marquesita, churros, you name it they have it. Plus, it’s delicious and authentic. The square often has entertainment such as music and activities for kids and is busy each evening. By far one of my most favorite experiences of the trip and a place you should consider visiting while in Cancun.

+Day Trips- Although, there are plenty of activities to keep you busy in Cancun itself, there are many day trips to book to explore more of Yucatan Peninsula. Here are some popular day trips around the area, not to mention, the 7th Wonder of the World, Chichen-Itza! Most of these day trips can be arranged by your hotel concierge or through a travel site. Most bookings include transportation to and from the location, one meal and entrance tickets.

Chichen-Itza- Located a few hours from Cancun is home to a complex of Mayan ruins, including, El Castillo or Temple of Kukulcan. This ancient structure, said to be thriving in about 600 AD is well worth the day trip.

Tulum- A gorgeous, small port city on the coastline of the Yucatán Peninsula. It’s known for its beaches and well-preserved ruins of an ancient Mayan’s. Tulum is beyond beautiful and more than likely where I will stay on my next visit to the area.

Swim in a Cenote- A cenote is a natural sink whole, usually created by the collapse of the limestone bedrock, exposing the ground water underneath. There are many cenotes all over the Yucatan Peninsula, where many people visit and swim daily. We were able to book a took taking us to a local cenote and Chichen-Itza in the same day, completely worth the long day of traveling.

Other quick day trips from Cancun:

  • Isla Mujeres    
  • Xcaret      
  • Playa Del Carmen

There is so much to do and see around Cancun, no matter what your traveling style, you will find plenty of activities to keep you busy and enjoy your time. Hope this travel guide helps you plan and enjoy your trip to the Yucatan Peninsula.

Categories
Travel

3 Days in Rome, The Ultimate Travel Guide.

Hey everyone, I’m back with my second post about Italy, this time all about Rome! I loved this city! Rome is an unbelievable beautiful city with so much history, it’s hard not to fall in love! We were greeted with perfect weather for the month of December and most everything worked out so easily, making the start of our Italian vacation super amazing.

+Getting to Rome- Rome is a large international hub for flights and getting in and out of Rome by plane is rather easy. The largest airport,
Leonardo da Vinci airport, in the town of Fiumicino is the most commonly used airport. You can easily request for an Uber to take you to your destination, or there are many cabs at hand charging a flat fee of $50 to and from the airport to most destinations in Rome. You can also get to Rome easily from any other Italian city by train. To read a little about using the train in Rome check out my first post about Italy, https://thecharmingjay.com/2019/01/17/48-hours-in-venice-italy/

+What to see in Rome-As I mentioned earlier, Rome is a a city full of attractions and history, be prepared, you will need plenty of time to see everything. So much so, I highly recommend staying 3-4 days in the city, when visiting Rome, to be able to see most all the attractions on your list. I usually like hoping around pretty quickly, but Rome needs your time to fit everything in. Here are a few of the must see sights in Rome. Depending on where you stay, you can easily walk to the majority of these sites. I could easily add 10 other places to my list, but in 3 or 4 days you can only see so much. Some attractions such as Trevi Fountain, Spanish Steps and Plaza Navona are free and you can walk over to any of these attractions any time of day. They are however, very popular. I first visited Trevi Fountain in the afternoon, close to sunset. It was packed! Crazy packed. I kinda hate experiencing sites this way, so after a pasta making class we took a walk over to Trevi Fountain, on our way home, a little after midnight. It was beautiful, there were still people, but nothing like during the day and it was enjoyable enough to take our pictures and sit and enjoy some midnight gelato. Moral of the story, the earlier or later you visit sites the less populated they will be, whatever works best for you. You can purchase tickets to enter attractions such as the Colosseum and Vatican city. I found it easiest to to purchase our own skip the line pass, which usually comes in with a group guided tour. I think this is the best way to go. Cheapest, quickest and most informative.

  • Colosseum
  • Trevi Fountain
  • Roman Forum
  • Spanish Steps
  • Alter of the Father Land
  • Plaza Navono
  • Pantheon
  • Vatican City
  • Sistine Chapel
  • St. Peter’s Basilica
  • Ponte Sant’Angelo

+Where to stay in Rome-Rome is a large city and there are many hotels and AirBnb’s to stay throughout the city. To really stay among the attractions your best bet is an Airbnb. We were lucky enough to find a great place, with a terrace, 5 minutes from the Colosseum! It was amazing to see the Colosseum each day! Unreal, really. We met some friends staying with a view of Trevi fountain as well. It’s a great way to experience the city and stay among some of the most popular cites in the entire cite. There are also many hotels in Rome. On our last day, after touring Vatican City, we stayed in a hotel closer to the area and closer to the airport for our early morning flight. Do your research. Plan out what sites you really want to see and then look for a places to stay.

+What to eat in Rome-Rome has no shortage of delicious food and options. There are tons of places to eat in Rome. I love to followers food bloggers on social media and try out places I’ve noted they liked in cities, more authentic places. However, wandering into a random restaurant is always part of the traveling experience. Most restaurants have menus posted outside for you to browse before deciding, which is helpful. Be assured, there will be no shortage of pasta, pizza and gelato eating. More than eating at a restaurant, I recommend taking a pasta making class while in the city. This experience was one of the best throughout the entire event. I found a pasta making class from a recommendation from AirBnb. The class had great reviews and decided to give it a try. I was so happy we did! The entire experience felt straight out of a movie. The apartment outside of the city center was beautiful and cozy and truly gave you a feel of the Italian vibe. The chef was amazing and showed us how to make 3 different kinds of pasta and sauces from scratch. We ate and drank wine till we honestly could not handle another drop of food or drink. It was beyond amazing and one of the best experiences you can have in Italy. Nothing we ate at any restaurant could compare to the food we made and ate during this class.

All in all, Rome, is an amazing city to visit and I would visit again anytime. You could easily stay and visit for weeks. I hope some of these tips are helpful to you all when planning your trip to the city of Rome! See you guys again, soon.