A few lessons learned from hauling luggage through train stations, changing plans at the last minute and spending one very crowded ride packed like sardines between Cinque Terre and Florence.

Casa Rosa Lecce is a stunning designer apartment in the heart of Lecce, Italy.

You don’t need a car in Puglia, and I wish I had known that. After one attempt at driving through Ostuni, I realized the rental car everyone told me I needed was actually making the trip harder.

By the time we arrived at Casa Moeca, I was very grateful that someone else was carrying my suitcase.

I wouldn’t write off Puglia’s biggest city as just a place to catch a flight. Bari was the final stop on my nine-day trip through Puglia, and admittedly, it was the city I had planned the least around.

This Bari apartment is convenient to Bari Vecchia and a great option for those traveling in and out of the Bari Airport.

I made the most of my one night layover in Rome by staying at this charming apartment off of Palazzo della Cancelleria.

On our second day in Italy, while my mom and I were in Bologna, the host of our Florence Airbnb messaged to say there had been a fire elsewhere in the building. Our reservation had to be canceled.

Our little Riomaggiore Airbnb had an amazing view over the village.

The most shocking—and coolest—part of this Bologna Airbnb was the bathroom. Or, technically, the bathrooms.

After a chaotic trip from Milan to Rome, we were excited to relax in our Airbnb amongst the ancient Roman ruins.