CATHEDRALS OF SICILY

Palermo, Sicily was a gritty city full of architectural treasures and local gems hiding in plain sight. From Byzantine cathedrals to solid-gold rooms in old palazzos, the pouring rain throughout our weekend trip only seemed to complement the muted mood of the city. Food ranged from traditional pastas and cakes, to midnight arancini balls and even sheep’s spleen via street food vendors. A city with both street art-covered slums and an opulent opera experience, Palermo has far too much character to let slide under the radar.

DISNEYLAND BY NIGHT

As night falls upon the land, new life is breathed into Disneyland...

Colourful, beaming lights illuminate the park and Discoveryland in particular comes alive.

HOW TO NOT BE AN IDIOT WHEN YOU TRAVEL

Travelling can be totally gorjé, especially when you’re a 20-something with part-time job cash to spare. However, it’s also super easy to get carried away with the idea of the whole thing - I’ll be travelling overseas for the eighth time in the next few days (of course I was going to take that bragging opportunity), so I thought I’d share some of my pearls of wisdom.

Maybe it’s just my personality, but when entering situations with unpredictable circumstances, I think it’s best to be as prepared as possible - I know, it’s like being allergic to anything remotely spontaneous, but when it comes to travelling overseas it definitely pays to be a little more secure than usual. Also, better you read this shit in a blog post than having to discover it the hard way.

I’ve put my top tips together to eliminate as many stresses as possible, and help you achieve a clearer state of mind before embarking on your travels so you can enjoy your time away from home to the fullest. Don’t be that idiot who forgot your overseas sim card back home.

Book all your accomm and main transport before you head over

I get the whole “I’m just going to play it by ear!!” thing, I do, but if you’re gonna be over there for less than a few months it’s really not worth spending your (expensive) time overseas stressing about booking things. Plus, the earlier you get booking those main costs out of the way, the cheaper you’ll probably get them and the more you can focus on saving your spending money for shopping, fancy dinners and nights out (+10 peace of mind points - although a lot of the horror stories about being stranded in foreign cities with no vacant hostels often seem funny in the end, I’m guessing it’s probably still something you’d rather avoid).

You’re gonna want a smartphone and some internet access 

With most developed capital cities having more free Wi-Fi than imaginable, this shouldn’t be too much of a problem, but Vodafone has the perfect plan for overseas travels worth looking into here. Aside from wanting to obviously humblebrag about all the sights you’re seeing on Insta (#blessed #wanderlust), mum will kill you if you don’t keep in touch. Why would you worry her like that?! Don’t be a dick...

Over-budget like a motherfluffer

There really is no need to explain this one. It’s always better to overcompensate, because even if you don’t need the extra dosh for an emergency, you might see a really cute pair of shoes with those little pink pom pom things in Mexico, and hey - if you’re not gonna treat yourself while you’re on holidays, when the hell else will you? Also, this tip could mean the difference between an average punting experience and a pretty sick VIP one.

Make a bible

I’m talking itinerary, Airbnb details, flights, tickets to anything and everything you’ve booked, and contact details for all of the above. We’re millennials, which means we’re scatterbrained or something, so it’s a good idea to put it all in one place (don’t fucking lose it though). If you’re super conscientious (paranoid) like me, go the extra mile and include anything else you might need - prepare for the worst for another +10 peace of mind points, even though it sounds like I’m shitting all over your fun little getaway. Consulate/embassy details for each of the countries you visit, their respective emergency numbers, advice on local hospitals and emergency services for each of your planned destinations. Can’t hurt to chuck in a few important phrases in local languages if applicable; you never know when your English speaking just won’t suffice, and you don’t want to be the dumbass shouting “HOS-PEE-TOOL”.

Insurance is important

That's it.

Travel with someone you actually trust

I’m still astounded that some people will travel with friends they’re not even particularly close with - maybe it’s the anxious motherly side of me, but why would you risk wasting your holiday because you’re not 100% sure the people you’re travelling with are actually going to have your back? Of course, this all depends on a number of things - how experienced you already are with travelling, the safety of the destinations you’re planning to visit. But it should be a pretty obvious rule of thumb that if you’ve got a gut feeling you’re not sure you can completely trust someone, it’s not worth all those hours slogging away at the Woolies checkout counter just to waste your savings on a subpar trip.

Travel cards and exchanging money before you go

I’m with ANZ, so I always set up a Travel Card with my set budget for the trip a few days before I leave. That way, I won’t have to be conscious of exchange rates, transferring money across and whatnot once I’ve left our shores. Make the time to visit your bank and see what your options are before you leave to find what works best for you, and suss out what the situation will be in your destination country. Japan is a cash-predominant country, which means you’ll be wanting to withdraw large sums at a time to avoid racking up huge ATM fees. Spain is known for having fake ATMs, so the common suggestion is to use those connected to banks. And Rome is a renown pickpocket’s dream - so maybe you don’t need to get yourself a money belt, but perhaps do some research before you board the plane.

Check the REVIEWS, not just the photos

That Airbnb may look like something you saw in an Ariana Grande video, but no reviews and sparse Host info is probably a warning sign.

Be the version of yourself you’ve always dreamed about

I know this sounds stupid-cheesy, but when you’re in a completely different country there’s nothing holding you back from being the confident, charismatic, risk-taking babe you know you are inside. Talk to people you normally wouldn’t, try new things, and traipse around city streets until your feet hurt. Obviously, me telling you to be a risk-taker is slightly at odds with 99.9% of what I’ve written above - but all the anxiety in the world isn’t worth risking a trip that leaves you saying “what if”. Being out there on your own will teach you so much about yourself, if only you let it - and people always say what a learning experience travelling is, but what they fail to mention is that half of what you’re learning about is yourself. 

ROME IN A DAY

Although we only had little over 24 hours in Rome, we weren’t going to waste it - and so we took on the challenge of cramming what felt like a week’s worth of tourist activities into the space of a day.

 

SIGHTSEEING 

We were lucky enough to stay in a gorgeous Airbnb apartment about 600m from the Trevi Fountain, and unlike a lot of other cities, Rome is fantastic in that many of it’s most famous monuments and architectural masterpieces are spaced within reasonable walking distance from each other. After all the walking we’d already done previously on the trip, this wasn’t an issue - despite being somewhat detached from reality due to lack of sleep, we managed the Trevi Fountain, Colosseum, Spanish Steps, a few basilicas and piazzas, the Altare della Patria war memorial, and more that I would have forgotten in my delirious daze. Is this perhaps why Rome felt like a dream? And no Italy trip is complete without a visit to the Vatican and the breathtaking Sistine Chapel - but take it from me, wasting three hours in a line to Vatican City is on no one’s bucket list, so book tickets online the day before. That’s 29 euros you won’t regret spending. Oh, and when you’re trying to take sneaky photos in the Sistine Chapel, make sure you keep it on the super-super-down-low lest you get kicked out.

FOOD

Of course, there were three main food criteria we wanted to fill in the short time we had in La Città Eterna - pizza, pasta and gelato, duh. For authentic, cheap and local pizza we went to Bonci which was located in the Vatican City area. Purchased by the kilo, these delicious slices are best eaten on the benches outside by the store, so that you can absorb as much local Italian babble on the streets around you as possible. #Authentic, am I right? Gelato is pretty much everywhere near the main tourist spots in Rome, but to avoid tourist traps, don’t bother paying more than two euro for a cone - and if you don’t order something super Italiano like Stracciatella and go for a boring flavour like Vanilla, I’ll be way disappointed in you. Pasta is certainly one of those things that you want to splurge on when you’re holidaying in Rome - adorable dinner dates are best for this, and we had ours at riverside restaurant Tiberino. Prosecco, prawns and pecorino accompanying handmade pasta and ricotta seemed to highlight how Italy should best be enjoyed.

SHOPPING

Whether you buy or whether you window shop, Via della Corso must absolutely not be missed. It’s super close to the Spanish Steps, so you have no excuse to miss it. Recharge with an Italian coffee nearby (double points if it’s served to you in a martini glass) and browse everything from the high end (Gucci, Fendi, Valentino, Louis, you name it) to the slightly more affordable (H&M and Zara).

Rome is the kind of city where at every turn a stunning building, monument, or hanging vine decorates the winding streets and ensures you feel more like a fairytale character than a tourist. The gorgeous Italian language fills your ears like syrup, the sun sinks into your skin as you gaze at the beauty all around you, and it begins to dawn quickly on you that a mere 24 hours in Italy is nowhere near enough.