PLANNING A TRIP TO ITALY

TOP 5 TRAVEL TIPS THAT MAKES A DIFFERENCE

Good day everybody! Welcome to my Blog. For people who don’t know me, I’m a mom, a wanderer, and someone who enjoys the small and big things and moments that make life wonderful. Some of my passions are travel, riding motorcycles, and daily tours to some exciting places. I started my blog with some beautiful memories. That is something that I would like to share with my daughter when she grows up, with my friends and family, and my new friends, you. One of the special memories is one of my favorite trips, a trip around Italy. In the following stories, I will get you through some fascinating cities of this magnificent country.

How to plan your trip? You will find out how I decided to go to Italy, my plans for this journey, and my struggles. But, the more important thing is that you will find out how you can organize the whole trip easily, and what the most important thing is while you plan. How to choose what to bring with you? How to be organized and take everything you need for your adventure in a short period? It’s easy for me. I just stopped overthinking and made a decision :).

Having an idea of ​​how and where to go on vacation and packing is much easier than it seems. I don’t press myself. I prioritize what is essential and what is not. And I organize my available time. If you want to have a good time, plan a few things in advance, arm yourself with positive vibes, and remove the word “impossible” from your thoughts. 

Remember where you always wanted to go and why right there? Would you go to Spain because someone told you, or did you want to see Spanish culture, meet Spaniards, or just feel the atmosphere in that country?

MY 3 DAYS OF PREPARATION FOR TRIP

Why precisely 3 days of preparation for the trip? Well, the reason is that it’s from my experience. For someone that looks like a lot of time, but if you are traveling like me, for the first time by motorcycle, it is not easy to pack. I had good fortune and good people around me to help me.

In 2016, I came from New Zealand to Serbia on vacation. I planned to visit friends and have a good rest because I had a tough year. I had the idea to travel around Europe a bit, but I didn’t bother about where to go and how, because everything is close when traveling by plane. 

However, after some time on the Belgrade-Novi Sad route, I realized that I didn’t plan any trip, and the end of the holiday is near. I miss that feeling of going somewhere, eager and curious to see new landscapes, new cultures, art, and other beauties that adorn other countries. I have about 3.5 weeks left until my return to New Zealand, and then I realized that I have to organize my trip if I want to be satisfied with my vacation.

That late afternoon, in August 2016, I decided where to go, how, how long my trip would take, and how much money I needed for the journey. Planning a trip also depends on the available budget, although creativity and resourcefulness can make up for the lack of funds. During that period, I lived alone, and I could go wherever I wanted, without any obstacles or compromises. I had many wishes, from Portugal, through Spain, Italy, Germany, some parts of France that I didn’t see… I always wanted to go everywhere J. Please, don’t ask me why I would not know to tell you. 

Also, you will see what my mistakes were and what good moves I made on the other hand during my preparations. I will tell you how I decided to travel on a motorcycle alone for two weeks, what dilemmas I had, how I followed my instinct, and how precious it is to have friends who helped me with my project.

My Dilemma and What I Did

I keep thinking about where and how to travel… And I remember the idea of ​​a trip to Italy. I wanted to go with my motorcycle, but it was always just in my imagination. In the meantime, a friend Tokyo, who I know from Elementary School, called me and said: ‘Marinche, come to Amsterdam, let’s have some fun!’

Hmmm, Amsterdam is a lot further away, and who would I go with? I had no idea. Some people already had planned a vacation, some were not able to go for various reasons … In the end, and I decided to go to Amsterdam by plane 🙂 but Italy! This is an opportunity I should not miss! What should I do? I have questioned myself, but also I knew I want to go for sure.

First thoughts were that August may not be the best month due to various festivals and holidays in Italy, so no one works for days. Then I wondered if it would be more cost-effective to rent a motorbike in Italy and get there by plane? I found out that it’s pretty expensive, and it’s not an adventure if you go by plane … no … that’s not it! 

I believe it would be best to go with my Suzuki GS500E ’93. Some people asked me if I thought it was a small engine and old bike to go on a trip like this one, which was an interesting question. But back in time, when people traveled everywhere with a Fiat 126, Zastava 450, and Zastava 101, it looks like it was just fine. So, my answer to this question is yes, of course, I’ll go on a trip with my cute, old GS :).

And so while I was tumbling about is the engine is good enough, which cities should I visit, how many days, when? And then, I realize, I can’t do it alone, and I’ve never been on a long trip with a motorcycle. What I will do if something breaks……. I was discouraged. I was thinking about what should I do? Also, I didn’t leave nor Amsterdam, and it seems that I will not go to Italy either.

My mother called me and asked what I was going to do. Did I decide where I was going? I just told her I don’t know. It’s all kind of irrelevant. I’ll decide tomorrow morning. 

mornings are a significant part of the day. Your thoughts are clear like ice water, your body rested, and somehow it is easier to make a decision. I believe that all decisions need to be made in the morning.

And I got up in the morning, made coffee, and started waking up and thinking, what if I go alone after all. I would be neither the first nor the last doing this kind of trip. The worst that can happen is that my engine breaks down or is stolen, and the solution would be to get on a plane and come home. Hmmm, I think I’ll go alone :). I sat for a few more seconds, trying to imagine and feel if I was ready for a leap. I think I was ready. Immediately I told my mom that I had decided to go to both countries, Amsterdam and Italy. I don’t think I was sure yet, though.

My mind was telling me to maybe still think about it, but my heart told me to go, and excitement didn’t give me peace. I sat down and started measuring mileage from city to city, where to sleep, prices, which way to go, how much fuel will I need…The good question is, when will I get ready for the trip when I travel to Amsterdam soon? Everything, somehow, becomes so real.  

A decision was made

Yes … Tokaya (my friend) was surprised when I texted him if he will be in Amsterdam from the following Monday. He was a little surprised, but he answered me that he will and asked am I planning to come? I responded that I just need to buy a ticket, and probably I will come in a week. 

Enthusiastically, Tokyo started to help me find a ticket. I was in a hurry with time. At the same time, he tells me that it is a significant period to come because there is gay pride, but not because of the parade, but because the city is full of tourists and parties. I enthusiastically searched for tickets and tours of Amsterdam and cities and accommodation for Italy at the same time. 

Hmmm … I bought a ticket to Amsterdam and realized that when I come back, I have 3 or actually 2.5 days to get ready for Italy. Documents and insurance had to be checked. I only had two or three days to get a green card, an international permit, travel insurance, etc. It was time when I met my laziness and realized that after three years of riding a motorcycle, I had not yet transferred ownership to my name. I started to find the owner who no longer lived in Belgrade but Novi Sad. Somehow we got organized and finished the transfer, so I could finally complete all the needed paperwork. Of all this, the most important to me was my travel insurance and motor insurance that I took through the AMCC, which included driving the engine to the first service, overnight stay, and a few other benefits that you can check with the agency.

I thought that if I could finish all this paperwork, shopping, packing in record time, then I should go.

I sit in the evening with my bikers for tea, at the crossroads of two rivers, in an old café held by an old motorcyclist. I felt a gentle breeze, and I looked at the clear sky that seems unreal because of my excitement. My friend Popsi says it’s a good idea for me, it’s great that I decided it, and that we should prepare for me now :). 

He realizes I am far from being ready! I only collected the papers and decided to have David (my mechanic) examine the bike in detail before I go. The question is where I will pack my things 🙂 I have no idea, a backpack… Maybe a bag … a suitcase? Now to buy a suitcase is a minimum of 400 euros if not more, not to mention the cost of carriers. It didn’t matter to me because I was happy, but again it was necessary. I can’t go without essential things. Of course, more questions followed :). Do I have a rain suit, what do I plan to wear, do I need a tire repair package, what will I wear from clothes, maps, phone charger, yes … motorcycle pants that I didn’t have…hmm…literally I need everything. Countless questions were asked at once, and then I realized that timing was crucial to achieving my goal.

Yes, it was inconvenient, what to pack. Popsi offered to lend me a suitcase, and then I realized that I needed a carrier for that luggage and a plate on which the suitcase should rest. And so, while we were talking about details, the night begins to shine. Some of our friends were hanging around chatting while I was thinking about how to mount the brackets. At that moment, Dragisa, a motorcycle friend, came with a gift voucher for mounting the frames he got from Santa’s New Year’s humanitarian party. He already had all the possible mounts and plates he needed, and he didn’t need frames. Isn’t that amazing! I still have to find the board, and of course, Aca, a friend from the team, said that he has one, so we will try to set it up. Everything somehow settled down, and it remained looking for another extra bag and a rain suit, which is an essential factor as I figured it out. I once got into such a storm while driving through the city, I froze, and I had 500l of water in my pants and jacket :). It was almost like a “Natural spa,” hahaha. Yes, definitely I need a rain suit when I think about it.

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Since I was leaving for Amsterdam, the agreement remained that I would have to arrange immediately to have my brackets and plates mounted when I returned. This has to be completed within two days because I planned the first part of the trip to Italy. I booked an overnight stay and calculated the mileage and how much time I need to get to that first place. I was hoping that the calculation was correct. Considering that I have never traveled by motorbike and I have no idea how much I can handle. 

And so, with a pre-planned 2 days, I packed up for Amsterdam within 3 hours. I had no choice because my flight was reserved for tomorrow. I have a few helpful tips on how to pack quickly – see my previous blog post here.

Simple vacation Packing List:

1. Choose luggage depending on what you can carry if you travel by plane or train. Carry essentials in hand luggage and everything else in large luggage. If you travel by motorcycle, keep your essential things in a backpack or tank bag.

2. Outfit for every day – choose what you would wear every day + unique clothes for special dinners or parties

3. Cosmetics and personal hygiene products

The cosmetic product can protect your skin and hair from damage and dehydration) – check the link below the text

4. Health – drugs/supplements as needed

5. Technical devices

6. Documentation and money

Amsterdam

Amsterdam is a different story. There, I had a wonderful time. Architecture and atmosphere reminds me of the blend of France and Italy with the taste of Britain 🙂 but about that on another occasion.

I came back from Amsterdam, and the packing action started. I somehow managed to finish everything. My close friend was more nervous than me, asking me how I was preparing for such a trip in just three days. But not everything can always be planned perfectly, and sometimes the feeling and energy that goes with it are more crucial. 

This was followed by packaging and shopping. I had to buy travel pants, a thermal suite and many other things from the list, all in those two days. I also bought underwear and disposable socks so that after a few days, I would have more luggage space in case I wanted to buy some things.

And, of course, there is always a slight complication. The carrier did not fit. I thought if we can’t set up the suitcase, I’ll go without it, I don’t care, ‘C’est la vie. I was ready, and the last discussion was with David about the screwdriver, tapes, the tire repair kit, and the accompanying tools. He didn’t want to overwhelm me with tools. We agreed to be online if I needed anything, and that was really helpful and made me feel safe.

After all this packing and shopping, I was exhausted but happy. I still could not believe that I am going by myself to Italy on my cute motorcycle. Amazing! 

Below you can see my thoughts when I am planning my trips. I find them very useful when I need to make a decision on what to do and where to go.

5 crucial tips for preparing and planning a vacation

– Best vacation tips  –

• First, think about where you would like to go?

o Would you visit one place

o Would you combine two, three locations in the same country

o Would you like to see more countries

o Would you go to warmer or colder regions

o Whether your vacation would be in a relaxing style or full of activities

• Second, decide when to go!

o Check the weather forecast

o Check essential dates for where you are going

o Are the holidays a period when you should go and is it a good thing for you in terms of celebrations and beautiful events in the city, or not a very good time because then everything is closed, and 80-90% of shops, restaurants, and attractions are not open

• Next, see how many days you have available, and how would you organize them?

o How many days does it take you to travel from place to place

o How many days would you be active, and how many days would you use for relaxation

– 50% -50%

– 30% -70%

– 20% -80%

• The percentage depends a lot on deciding what you would like to visit and do in that place.

• Think about what activities, museums, national monuments, and tours you would like to organize?

o Some activities must be booked in advance; otherwise, you will not get a ticket. It happened to me that the company through which I traveled to Egypt did not pay the entrance fee to the Pyramid of Cheops, so my whole group failed to see the inside of the Pyramid of Cheops.

o And you will find some activities and exciting things along the way as you travel. The most helpful advice I can give you is not to be a tourist who visits the place, takes 100 pictures, eats one national lunch, and goes home. Hang out with locals, communicate and be open to new information, new acquaintances, and new experiences. They will learn difficult things that you cannot find in books and travel guides.

• Reduce travel risks

o, Insure yourself (Especially if you go by motorbike, car, or boat ). If the vehicle breaks down or you have an accident, you must have health insurance and motor insurance. Insurance prices vary)

o, Do not carry money and cards in your pockets. I had a Travel Money Belt (link) in which I kept the money, and no one could steal it from me. As for the card, you can take out a travel card, and all you need is the internet to transfer money from your account and thus protect your main account and card.

o Documents – scan documents on USB, so you always have them with you.

Remember, planning is a great thing. It helps you to utilize your free time effectively, to enjoy yourself in those places but on the other hand, be open for changes, follow your instincts, allow yourself to change your plans, and go in a different direction.

Arm yourself with a good mood, a positive attitude, and you will get wherever you want. Remember that packing, planning, and even complications have their charms and bring moments of excitement and enjoyment.

If you have any questions regarding this text or any suggestions, feel free to leave a comment below the text, and I will answer as soon as possible. If I don’t respond after a couple of hours, understand, I’m a mom right now, I work full time, and I am a housewife when needed xoxo. 

The following story is about my first day of travel, my second thoughts on whether to go or not, how I drove 726 km that day, and how I felt about it. Hopefully, you’ll join me next week and find out what happened.

MIYA Extra tips

EQUIPMENT:

* Travel Money Belt – Decathlon

* Dainese equipment – Shoes, clothes, helmet, etc.

* The best flight booking site for accommodation and flights

* Accommodation – Hotel Noventa

* Shopping mall – exclusive clothes and shoes

Tips for packing – guide how to pack fast and simple