I’m a makeup artist, magazine beauty director, blogger and world traveler. I travel for work and I travel for pleasure. My favorite place in the world to travel to and explore is beautiful Italy. You will see vastly fewer tourists over here. It is filled with amazing little medieval streets full of artisan shops, non-touristy eateries and glorious places to stop for an aperitivo.

How to locate the top-rated Cicchetti bars, explore the other isles, get around easily, and much, much more! Worried all you’ll do is line up for gondolas? Searching for nooks and crannies most tourists miss? Can’t face a sweaty bus and endless selfie stops? Corinna Cooke is a private tour guide specializing in exclusive trips to Italy and has spent more than half her life traveling to Venice. Now she’s here to share how you can escape the crowds, open up the inaccessible, and make your experience totally memorable. My favorite areas in Florence are on the other side of the Ponte Vecchio in the area known as Oltrarno (other side of the Arno river). image of Oltrarno streets via MagicPlanet.com Unlike most countries, with Italy the more new places you stumble upon the more you realize you’ve barely skimmed the tip of the iceberg. So I still have a lifetime of discovery ahead of me! Plan to spend a little time in the markets and boutiques, do some Christmas shopping, and treat yourself to something special. Just make sure you leave some room in your suitcase for shopping in Florence! 10. Follow The MediciDoes your dream vacation seem out of reach? Discover stress-free, cost-saving, fabulous secrets for planning the ultimate Italian getaway. This amazing cake is actually from the Siena area but you will see it everywhere in Florence. Made from dried fruits and nuts, peppery spices and honey, and just enough flour to hold it together. A slice of panforte with your morning cappuccino is about the best breakfast you can have in Florence. Or anywhere else for that matter. RELATED POST: 14 Foods You Need To Try In Tuscany 6. Buy Leather This one is a no brainer – of course you are going to visit Santa Maria dei Fiore, the Duomo of Florence. This one of the most beautiful buildings in the world and I recommend you walk past it as many times as you can while in Florence! She is all about having an immersive experience, getting off the beaten path, finding hidden gems, but still seeing, feeling, and tasting what you’re going to Italy for. Her top travel planning question is “what do you want to experience?” and we go from there.

Florence is small and safe and you can’t really get lost, so be sure to go explore! RELATED POST: The Piazza Hidden Behind The Duomo Is Not To Be Missed! 3. Visit Basilica Santa Croce My book tells you about my favorite 10 gelato shops in Florence (such as Perche No! and Carraia) and what flavors you really must try. In the meantime this post tells you all about artisanal gelato and why you must only buy artisanal when in Italy! 18. Walk At Night When I was growing up I wanted to be an archaeologist. I dreamed about digs in exotic locales around the world, discovering ancient ruins and celebrating lost cultures. That bubble burst when I realized I didn’t like getting dirty. So I became a Makeup Artist instead, traveling the world, studying history and art and learning languages along the way. A friend told me the story of how stressed out she was trying to figure her way through the train station in Verona, and how she couldn’t figure out what to do because everything was in Italian. She actually said “ I wish I could have had you there on my phone to help me!” A licensed guide can take your good travel experience and make it truly outstanding. They always know 1000 x more than just the tour they are taking you on, and pepper your experience with endless anecdotes and insider secrets, point out so many little details you would never otherwise notice and can answer every question you could ever think up. On top of crafting an amazing experience specifically for you and your little group they will also tell you about the best places to stop for an aperitivo, a coffee or a meal.Florence is a very safe city to go strolling at night. Every evening you will see both locals and fellow travelers out for walks, taking in the beauty of the city and no doubt imagining the centuries of life that have taken place on these very same streets. Glam” in the titles comes from prioritizing comfort and doing beautiful things, by saving where you can. She has excellent strategies, and in less than 2 months I now have enough travel points for my flight.) I spend as much time as possible in Italy each year. As well as my personal travel, every summer I take small groups of women on boutique, private Glam Italia tours . definitely enough to see sights on your own, but also enough to help you decide if something is worth it to you to get a guided tour.

Glam Italia! How To Travel Italy is your glamorous go-to travel guide for experiencing this charming Mediterranean destination. If you like practical tips, insider advice from a local expert, and stress-free planning, then you’ll love Corinna Cooke’s handbook for your dream vacation. Florence is the city of the Medici. This family was not only responsible for the Italian Renaissance art movement but also the Renaissance architecture of Florence. I write books about my greatest passion in life, traveling in Italy. Every day that I’m not in Italy I am daydreaming about being there.As much as my day job is all about beauty and fashion, my passion is travel. My blog started out as a beauty blog with insider information about beauty products and trends. Then I noticed that the posts I included about travel in Italy were gaining stratospheric numbers of followers. I love the culture, the history, the art, architecture and music, the food the wine and above all, the people.