Our Two Week Italian Summer 2025
- Erin Bulcao
- Jul 31
- 11 min read
Hi! Since I'm sitting on a plane for 9 hours, I figured I would blog on Italy! Not my first travel blog but maybe my first travel blog with suggestions and details on stays, restaurants and even packing!
Obviously this is just based on my experience and I’m sure there are 100 other bloggers who do this much better but some of you asked for me to do this and or details along the way so here it is, from your least influency content creator (and maybe why you keep following) because you know it will be very real and raw.
Breaking it down into sections because you all know I could write for years on end, so trying to organize myself and stay on topic.
PACKING:
We made a point to fit all 5 of us in 3 large suitcases. We also each have a carry on, as in a backpack sized carry on for snacks, iPads etc. BUT I did tell Nick we would be washing clothes at the hotels twice in the two weeks. That was the deal to be able to pack in 3 bags. I know it’s not the cheapest option but this is what we did.
Nick and Eriela were in one. I bought THIS for Eriela’s things because I figured worst case I can carry it on on the way home. It fit everything:
6 undies
4 pairs of socks
5 dresses
2 shorts
5 t shirts
1 skirt
2 pajamas
she wore leggings on the plane and tennis shoes
sandals and water shoes
hat
3 bathing suits
her toiletries
2 stuffies
plastic baggies to store food etc during the trip
I don’t think I need to list my items but basically I packed enough undergarments for 7 days. I tried not to over pack this time and I actually think I did a good job! I repeated a few items and made sure to pack things that were versatile. I did link some of my fave items that I brought on the trip in case you’re interested.
BTW it’s VEARY hot in July. I packed one sports coat and never even took it out of the bag because even indoor restaurants/hotels do not blast the AC like the ones in the states do.
However, I did pack my go to snacks. The usual, protein bars , rice cakes and my other go to snacks especially for the first few days in case the items I asked for from the hotel were not available.
FLIGHT PACKING
Figured I would make a quick section for this especially for Eriela as we did a red eye and she did sleep.
I made sure to pack her toothbrush and toothpaste because it signals for her that it’s time to stop snacking and time to sleep.
In her bag:
-2 loveys
-ipad and headphones
-bag of snacks and “breakfast” type foods for arrival. We were in first class this time so she did get breakfast but the car ride after the flight was a bit long and she asked for a snack.
-change of clothes just in case
-coloring books and sticker and activity books
FLIGHT
We took the red eye. Everyone slept for about 4-6 hours (I’ll give you one guess as to who slept the most LOL). We did opt for business class/lay flat this trip because we felt that it was important for everyone to sleep. I know this is not always an option for everyone but I have to be honest and also acknowledge that.
The day we arrived we checked into our hotel, went for a walk and got ready for dinner post a quick swim. This way we were so tired and were able to fall asleep with Italy time. We did this two years ago when we flew to London, same idea and it worked like a charm to avoid jet lag!
Our amazing travel agent @jsquatriglia ensured our easy arrival by having someone waiting for us at the airport to help with our bags and take us to our car service which was very helpful after a along flight.
HOTELS
Just in case this is all you’re looking for these are the three hotels we stayed in. I will expand in the next 3 sections when I break it down by cities. But here are the three:
Sorrento:
Bari:
Capri:
*complimentary breakfast at each hotel which is always a non negotiable for me!
We got 3 rooms in each hotel. The twins were in one, Lupita and Eriela in another one and Nick and I in the last one.
Itinerary: Handing most of this to our amazing travel agent Jason (linked above) who planned the whole thing for us. SO if you need an all inclusive agent, he’s the best. He did everything from our flights, hotels, transfers and transportation to our nightly dining experiences.
BABY GEAR RENTALS/TOY RENTALS
We like to have down time when we travel. And to be honest, so does Eriela. So we learned early on to make sure we have toys, coloring books and puzzles to keep her busy and engaged during those times of the day. For us, it's typically in the morning and then again in the late afternoons, so having some of her favorite activities around is very helpful.
If you’ve been around for a bit you know I always rent gear, strollers or toys everywhere we go. This was the first trip that there were definitely less options especially for Eriela’s age group. So, we actually asked the hotel in Sorrento to purchase some toys for us. We gave them a few suggestions and budget and they were amazing and had the toys waiting in her room. We took these to every hotel and were even able to return home with some! My baby is growing up but this was a great option in case you travel somewhere where you cant rent things as easily.
Lesson here is always ask the hotel to help!
SORRENTO
We stayed in Sorrento for 5 nights and it was perfect. The one thing to note here is that unless you’re staying in the main city, which we didn’t, you have to take a car or shuttle into town and then you can walk around. The shuttle was only about a 10 min drive so not bad and I don’t think I would have wanted to stay away from the water/ in the crazy tourist spots, but just something to keep in mind.
Again, we stayed at Hotel Mediterraneo. It was incredible. The service, the rooms, the views, and location in my opinion 10/10. Make sure if you can to get ocean views here as you are on the cliffs of the Amalfi coast!
The only thing that was so so was their little gym. We went twice and it is VERY small but also, we were totally fine and enjoyed it!
Our itinerary in Sorrento wasn’t too planned other than for our dinners. We enjoy traveling this way because we don’t know how we will feel etc so we like to know what options we have or things we should see but if we can help it, we don’t plan much in advance. Again, other than dinners as they get booked up.
Our days looked like this:
Wake up and Nick and I with/without the twins would workout/walk/hike.
Meet everyone at breakfast by 10am
Eriela would nap at 11am
Work/get ready etc / head to the pool or beach early with the twins.
Eriela and Lupita would meet us at the pool/beach.
**I had lunch packed for Eriela daily from breakfast since it was included. This way we could all eat without worrying about her needing to eat sooner or later. I brought this lunch wherever we went post nap daily.
Post activity, we would be back in the hotel by 5, shower and either all go to dinner, just the twins and Nick and I or just Nick and I.
Dinner spots I recommend based on experience:
-L’Abate
-Hotel restaurant (date night)
-Qui Sorrento
-Bistro Sorrento
-Ibisco Garden
Gelato, honestly they’re all good.
**I also asked the hotel if they could help with light groceries. I like to have some breakfast foods and snack bars etc in the rooms so that we don’t always have to buy and so I have things on hand. They were great and asked me for a list. Also, Eriela wakes up hungry sow we could give her some cereal and fruit a few hours before we met at breakfast.
Activities I recommend here:
-Boat ride to Positano. The hotel actually has two boats you can charter for either 4 or 8 hours (but there are many boats you can use including the company we used for other rides called Belcost. We used it for about 3 because of Eriela and my motion sickness but I always recommend boat rides to really be able to see the city from a different vantage point.
-Walking around the main city in Sorrento
-Visiting a beach club (our hotel had its own)
-Gelato
From here, we drove to Bari. We had a drive take us to Naples where we rented a car in the main train station. We requested a big van for all 6 of us which was very comfortable and Nick drove us to Bari. About a 2.5 hour drive. We also had a great car seat that the rental car company provided.
We left after her nap, around 1pm and arrived in Bari by 5:30pm. We checked in, changed and found a quick spot for dinner.
BARI, PUGLIA
Let me start off by saying that I wouldn’t necessarily add Bari to my list had it not been for Nick’s family. His great grandparents were from Bari, so it was important for us to visit and we met his cousin, our cousin and her family in Martina Franca which was about 40 min away from Bari. AND one of the most gorgeous places I’ve ever been to in Italy.
Bari was special, it’s 4,000 years old. BUT doing more than a day or two there would have been too long. So our stay was perfect. I didn’t LOVE the hotel but there aren’t too many 5 star hotels there so knowing it was a short visit and we really wouldn’t be in the hotel much made it totally fine.
The breakfast was great and so was service but the rooms were a little dated and carpeted which I just really dislike because I get grossed out haha. But everything was really clean tbh.
We stayed at JR Hotels Oriente Bari.
I really don’t remember the name of the restaurant we went to for dinner that night but there actually were SO many options right near our hotel and it was amazing. The nice thing about Bari is that because it’s less touristy, it is WAY less expensive, like WAY! The people there were amazing and the food was excellent. Can’t go wrong in that department. It’s also flat and right by the water so our walks were so so nice and the evening walks with the kids were so easy.
We tried to keep a very similar agenda in each city. This hotel didn’t have a pool so we took half of the day Saturday to explore Bari and do a little shopping. Again, much less expensive than Sorrento and of course than Capri.
By 4pm we got in to car and drove to Martina Franca (photos below) to meet Nick’s family. The drive was easy and not long. HIGHLY recommend visiting this city, it is literally from another world.
We walked around the old city and had dinner there with our Italian family which was honestly the highlight of our trip:
Highly recommend trying the Bocconotto, Martina Franca’s typical dessert, incredible.
Drive from Bari to Capri…well Bari ->Napoli -> Capri
VERY LONG TRAVEL DAY to say the least.
On Sunday, we drove to Napoli after Eriela’s nap. Again, not bad, 2 hours or so. Left the car and were picked up by our driver (organized by Jason). He then took us to the port in Napoli where we got on a boat that took us to Capri. Our mistake here was not making sure this boat was large enough/had enough seating. I know it might sound snooty, but after a long day of travel and someone who gets motion sickness, having a little bit of a larger boat would have helped. (Which we did change for the way back from Capri).
CAPRI
We arrived at our hotel in Capri around 7 pm. We stayed there from Sunday until Saturday so 6 nights total and feel like we really got a true handle on Capri. First night, we let the kids and Lupita get room service and Nick and I went to get a drink and a quick bite downstairs at the outside bar. This hotel was my favorite. Our room was overlooking the water. The sunsets were out of this world and the room itself was very spacious which is nice after two smaller rooms and traveling for this long together.
We kept a similar schedule here daily as well. The gym here was gorgeous and beyond fully equipped. We also hiked and walked more here which was nice.
**This hotel is in Anacapri which is also about a 10 min drive to Capri. BUT Capri is so crowded until about 5pm so I really wouldn’t recommend staying at the nice hotels there in the town and would still come back to this hotel hands down. The pool, service and food were amazing and they have a 2 Michelin star restaurant that Nick and I experienced too one night.
Capri restaurants:
-Aurora Capri -A MUST and oldest running restaurant in Capri, its been open for 140 years and probably the best meal we had. Still family owned, same family from day one.
-La Zagara
-L’Olivo (Michelin star at the hotel)
-Zuma
-Da Emilia (not my fave but amazing views)
*This daily breakfast was the most amazing one I have ever been to.
Capri musts:
-Beach clubs - we went to Lido De Faro and il Riccio but I also heard La Fontelina is a good one but definitely recommend booking these in advance.
-Walking around Capri/ shopping
-Boat ride around the island - suggest @belcost company tell them I sent you. We stopped and swam too!
-Blue grotto and caves
-Hike or take the chair lift to Monte Solaro
(Nick and I hiked and then we took the kids up a different time)
-Get in a cab, you’ll get it once you do!
-Play tennis at the sports club in Anacapri
-Gelato
I have to always say this outlaid because we couldn’t have traveled without Lupita the way that we do. It’s honestly the only way Nick and I have true rest and good sleep. It’s the only way we can spend quality time with the twins and the only way we can relax because any trip with kids especially without extra hands is never truly relaxing, I get that. But also, we have been traveling with the twins since they were 10 months, when we couldn’t afford to bring any help with us. It was from their first trip to Hawaii when they were 10months that I discovered baby gear rentals and started figuring out tips and tricks that worked for us. So although it is much easier with Lupita and I mean she’s just part of the family tbh, it was totally doable with Nick and I and the twins and I would do trips with them all over again too! My one HUGE tip if you can is to always get the kids their own room. Until We met Lupita 5 years ago, it was always Nick and I and the kids and we would always get connecting rooms. So we were there with them but having our own room made a huge difference in our vacation and alone time.
GLOBAL ENTRY
This has been a game changer in our international travel. It took time to get our appointments but now that we've all had it for a couple years there is no way I wouldn't recommend this. Some of you asked for information on how to get it so figured I would share what I know.
It's pretty easy once you get your appointment. It took us about a year but also if you come back from international trips, often times they allow you to get it when you're at the airport if you have already submitted your request! So definitely ask at your airport if and when that is a possibility. that's how we got the girls'.
Anyway, after two weeks of traveling I already miss it. It was so magical and honestly, maybe I always say this, but one of our best trips to date. Where do you think we are heading to next??? Cannot wait for our next adventure.
Comments