Travel Resources

Travel Insurance

Allianz Global Assistance is a world leader in travel protection that helps more than 21 million people answer the call to adventure every year. From protection for trip cancellation to medical bills abroad, their benefits are designed to help you explore reassured. For customers purchasing a new travel protection plan, many of their plans now include an Epidemic Coverage Endorsement, which adds covered reasons to select benefits for certain losses related to COVID-19 and any future epidemic. As a trusted partner, Contact Us for a quote.

Flights

Skyscanner allows you to search flights with over 1200 sites at once to find the cheapest airline tickets. We always find the best deals on this site! Other options include hotels, trains, and car rental.

Airfarewatchdog finds excellent flight fares by searching 20,000 routes daily. We love their customer service and that you can search deals by airline and compare prices in a live format.

Going is a travel membership program that saves you hundreds on flights! First, choose US departure airports like your biggest airport, closest airport, and maybe even your parent’s. Let Going keep a close eye on airfare to over 900 destinations around the world. When prices drop, you receive a notification with flight details, booking links, and timeline estimates so that all you have to do it book it!

Tours

Of course, we know that booking your tours directly through us means a different kind of experience: more personal, customized, and with locals we know and trust, hand-selected directly by us to ensure the highest quality and provide peace of mind. We also realize that depending on many factors, you might simply want a solid small group tour and the following companies provide some nice options. Our best advice is to do a bit of background research on each company you are booking with so that you can read reviews prior to booking!

Take Walks provides high quality day tours in top European destinations, created working closely with local guides and suppliers, and showcasing top attractions from around the world. We love their options in Italy and really like the cost versus quality provided. We also appreciate their commitment to small groups and consistent high reviews which is why they are one of our top small group partners.

GetYourGuide is a large supplier of private and group day tours in multiple destinations. Make sure to look for the G Certified seal for their most highly rated tours.

Viator is the leading marketplace for travel experiences with 300,000+ experiences to explore through local suppliers—everything from simple tours to extreme adventures (and all the niche, interesting stuff in between). Look for the Badge of Excellence logo on your tour of choice for the highest rated tours.

Devour Tours creates small group destination day tours for lovers of food and culture. We love their commitment to authentic itineraries as well as small groups and responsible travel. Also, their 10,000+ 5-star reviews and prestigious TripAdvisor awards of excellence are a reminder of why they are one of the best, and one of our top small group food tour partners!

Staying Connected

Solis provides you with your own private, secure and portable Wi-Fi connection wherever you go, with global Wi-Fi in 135+ countries. Solis wireless Hotspots use patented vSIM technology to seamlessly connect to local mobile networks. No SIM cards or tedious configuration needed! We like that you can share with up to 10 devices and connect your laptop, phone, tablet, or any other Wi-Fi device. It’s also a 4700 mAh power bank, which means you can be your own charging station! Enter code AZZURRODREAMTRAVEL for a 10% coupon!

Accommodations

Booking.com is your one-stop shop for quick and easy vacation booking options. We find that it has the largest selection of amazing places to stay in Italy including apartments, vacation homes, family-run B&B’s, and 5-star luxury resorts. We love their excellent pricing, customer service, zero booking fees, and ability to price match.

HomeAway is the most popular vacation rental site in the United States that now allows you to quickly find and book high quality spaces in Italy. With multiple options for homes, apartments, and villas for rent all over Italy, we always find a property that suits our family travel style. For best pricing, we suggest this option to independent travelers desiring to stay in an area for at least one week. VRBO is another website we use for property bookings that is part of the HomeAway family. When booking a private property, remember to always compare and read reviews.

HomeStay is a really cool lodging option for independent and curious travelers who would like to share a home with a local. The HomeStay platform allows hosts in Italy to rent out their spare rooms, resulting in booking authentic, quality, and budget weekly options.

Couchsurfing is a social networking and free hosting solution to adventurous, independent travelers who want to experience Italy like a local. Once you join, you can arrange home-stays, meetups with locals, crash on someone’s couch, and discover nearby events — all for free. For safety purposes, always read reviews of hosts, but we have personally used this option and had a great experience!

Hostelworld serves solo travelers, couples, and even families by providing off-the-beaten path accommodation in Italy including hostels, B&B’s, and hotels. We love using Hostelworld to book their quality “campgrounds” along the coast or near Italy’s gorgeous lakes, which is always a lot of fun for our children. Campgrounds have nice swimming pools and private beach areas as well as snack stores, mini cabins to rent, and play areas for children. Some are nicer than others, so make sure to read reviews before booking!

Getting Around

Auto Europe is our favorite company to use for car rental in Europe. With multiple options, excellent rates, and great coverage, our family uses this company for all of our car rental needs throughout Italy and Europe.

Rome2Rio helps independent travelers get anywhere by plane, bus, train, ferry, and car. Simply enter your travel information and routing results appear with a map along with travel times, all transport options, and pricing. This scores high on our list for ease of use.

Eurail allows you to plan a rail trip through Italy and Europe and book train reservations online. If you plan to see a lot of places/ countries in a short amount of time, we recommend checking out their Rail Pass options.

Italo is the best way to travel Italy on a high-speed train. Headquartered in Rome, this private company offers 300 km/h high-speed trains servicing 19 stations in Italy. The trains are comfortable and they always have great deals.

Trenitalia is the primary train operator in Italy. Purchase and manage train tickets, passes, and take advantage of other services on the website such as ViaggiaTreno (scroll to the bottom of the home page), which shows you train traffic progress and updates all over Italy in real time.

Flixbus was founded in Germany with the vision to support sustainable bus travel. Although not always the quickest travel option, we suggest this service for those looking for a comfortable and extremely affordable option for bus travel. Services in Italy include an app, live GPS bus tracking, e-ticketing, free WiFi and power outlets.

Busabout‘s award-winning Hop-on Hop-off travel network allows you to create your own adventure in Italy. Travel with like-minded people in a private coach network, create your own itinerary, and change your plan as often as you like. As independent travelers, we like that you can pre-plan your trip or fly by the seat of your pants and plan as you go!

Italian Language

Connecting with the locals is a great way to experience Italian culture during your trip while making memories along the way. Here are a few of our favorite language resources:

Duolingo! *Insert crowd cheering* This app is as addictive for adults as it is for kiddos! We love this app for it’s ease of use, method of instruction, and the fact that it instigates some major competition and motivation among family and peers!
Lonely Planet provides excellent travel advice on their website as well as in their travel books. We strongly recommend picking up their Italian phrasebook, which fits easily in a day pack or purse and provides you with various helpful phrases to help you navigate Italy with ease.
Babbel is the #1 selling language learning app in the world. With quick, daily lessons on your smartphone, tablet, or desktop, build confidence, go at your own pace, and learn real-life conversation skills.
The Google Translate app is a free app that allows you to translate between languages and download phrases in case of poor internet service. Another cool feature is that you can take photos of signs and have them translated instantly.
iTranslate is one of the most popular translation apps in the world with excellent iTunes ratings. It translates between languages and also has an Apple Watch version. The app is free but is also available in a Pro version for around $5 a month. Available on iTunes and Google Play.
iTranslate Voice is an app that contains pre-set travel phrases but its special voice translation feature immediately translates your voice into the chosen language in an easy and effective way. Available for free on iTunes and Google Play.

Other Favorites

The Points Guy is a website that helps independent travelers maximize their travel points and miles! Check out reviews on flights and hotels, travel tips and deals, and even the best travel credit cards for personal or business use.

Etsy is our favorite marketplace to find authentic Italian or Italian-themed goods.

BellaItalia Food Store has an amazing selection of authentic Italian foods with brands that will evoke nostalgia and a bring a smile to your face. We have ordered from them personally and are so excited each time we receive our order!

Google Maps is a wonderful app to use for walking directions in Europe. Simply type in your location and destination and follow simple directions to safely arrive!