After lunch, another destination worth visiting is only a three-minute walk from Burro Velho. Batalha has a museum called Batalha Municipal Community Museum (MCCB) or Museu da Comunidade Concelhia da Batalha. MCCB focuses on the history of Batalha, with exhibits spanning from before the prehistoric era to the present day. You can learn about the first humans roaming around Batalha, the construction of the Batalha Monastery, and much more at MCCB. Be sure to visit MCCB Wednesday - Sunday from 10 a.m. - 1 p.m. or 2 p.m. - 6 p.m. Note that MCCB is closed Mondays and Tuesdays, as well as between 1 p.m. and 2 p.m. during days of operation. 

In summary, Batalha is a fantastic place to visit in Central Portugal. While Batalha only has a few noteworthy places to visit, it can provide a full day of activities. Here is a summary of the highlighted places to visit for a memorable time in Batalha.

​Day Trip to Batalha Itinerary

Morning - ​Batalha Monastery (Mosteiro de Santa Maria da Vitoria)

Lunch - Restaurante Burro Velho

Afternoon - Batalha Municipal Community Museum MCCB (Museu da Comunidade Concelhia da Batalha)


For more Portugal travel information, check out my travel guide on how to skip the line at Livraria Lello.

Livraria Lello is an enchanting bookstore located in Porto, Portugal. Since its opening in 1906, Livraria Lello (or Lello Bookstore) is often called the most beautiful bookstore in the world. Seeing Livraria Lello's mesmerizing staircase, enormous bookshelves, and stained-glass ceiling is a treat for book lovers. Also, fans of the Harry Potter series may want to visit Livraria Lello as a rumor suggests it inspired Hogwarts Castle. ​

​Due to Livraria Lello's popularity, entry into the bookstore costs €5 per person. Still, you may use the ticket voucher to receive €5 off a single book purchase. Children aged 0-3 may enter Livraria Lello for free with an accompanying adult. Furthermore, visitors may have to wait in line outside of the front entrance. Wait times to experience Livraria Lello can vary depending on the date and time. Fortunately, there is a way to reserve a ticket-voucher entry in advance, enabling visitors to skip the line regardless of the wait time.​

Livraria Lello's ticket voucher web page allows visitors to purchase entry in advance. When purchasing a ticket through Livraria Lello's web page, visitors select their date and time to enter the bookstore. Advanced tickets are available every thirty minutes during store hours. Visitors may purchase ticket vouchers months in advance or even the day of a planned visit, so long as tickets do not sell out.

Purchasing an advanced ticket voucher for €5 (or €0 for children three and under) provides preferred entry at the designated time slot ahead of others queued in a general entry line. However, advanced ticket voucher holders may need to form a separate line for access, primarily if their time slot gets sold out. Suppose a visitor wishes to skip all lines and head directly into Livraria Lello at a designated date and time. In that case, there is another ticket option available. ​

Priority ticket vouchers are available in advance, allowing visitors to skip all queues for entry at a specific date and time. Also, purchasing a priority ticket voucher includes a copy of a book from a pre-determined list. At the time of writing, the book options are The Art of War, Romeo and Juliet, The Book of the Jungle, and Los Lusiadas. A priority ticket voucher costs €15.90 or €16.90, depending on the selected book. 

A Livraria Lello employee will ask to scan any ticket vouchers purchased in advance before allowing entry. Visitors should ensure they buy advanced ticket vouchers at least one hour before the scheduled time slot to ensure timely delivery of ticket vouchers via email. Utilizing Livraria Lello's advanced ticket voucher options can save considerable time, creating a more enjoyable experience. ​​

For more Portugal travel information, check out my day trip to Batalha, Portugal travel guide.

Rome is a wonderful city to visit. It is a place overflowing with beautiful architecture, authentic cuisine, and rich in culture. You could easily spend a whole week in Rome exploring the many neighborhoods and historic sites. I have been to Rome multiple times and have not seen everything. I have a few tips and suggestions when visiting Rome for only a few days.  
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Navigating the City
​Rome has a transportation system that can be difficult to navigate. It is a large city that makes traveling by foot very long and arduous. The bus system is extremely tough unless you speak the language and know where to go. In my experience, there are no maps on the bus to let you know what stop to get off. I recommend purchasing a ticket before you get on a bus if you do not want an ugly stare from the driver. Taxis and Ubers are great options to get you to and from dinner or around the city quickly. The taxi cabs are regulated with accurate meter pricing. For our last trip, I arranged a car service to pick us up from the airport and take us to an Airbnb. Prices for a car service were around 50 euro and well worth it. Coming off a long flight, I did not want to try finding my Airbnb nestled in the small streets of Trastevere.

Where to Stay
​I find Trastevere a very charming, quintessential Italian neighborhood. It is filled with great restaurants and cobble stone streets perfect for la passeggiata (an evening stroll). The neighborhood is situated across the Tiber River, out of the bustle of tourist areas. Landon and I stayed here in an Airbnb. We had a great experience with our host and found it was not too challenging to get around.  If you are strapped on time, I believe staying near the Spanish Steps would be a good option. The area is more touristy, but easily accessible to everything. 

Sightseeing: Visiting the Vatican
I have been to the Vatican/Sistine Chapel four times. However, this past time was by far the most educational and memorable. We booked the Pristine Sistine tour through Walks of Italy. You get early entrance into the Sistine Chapel before the crowds. You are in there with about 50 people who have similar tours booked.  This is nothing compared to the normalcy of hundreds of people in there at the same time. We also witnessed the morning prayer by a Cardinal of the Vatican. It was an extremely special experience.  As you would expect with a small group tour, the guide gave an excellent explanation of the Sistine Chapel, the Vatican Museum, and St. Paul’s Cathedral. In all, it was well worth the money and waking up early. 

Sightseeing: Colosseum
​You can book tickets for the relatively new underground tour. These sold out fast for us, so only Landon went on the tour. I had previously done the guided tour through the Colosseum. The normal guided tour is certainly worth the fee.
If you chose not to accompany your travel partner to the Colosseum, I recommend going across the street and wandering the Monti neighborhood. This area has some great vintage boutique shopping. ​

Hello everyone, Ashley here providing a guest post this week. I am excited Landon asked me to guest write about Italy. Before I dive into the details, let me share a little about myself. I am originally from the Pinehurst area of North Carolina and have lived in Charlotte, North Carolina since 2003. I am a connoisseur of wine, a lover of socializing, and a travel enthusiast. When I’m not busy at the hospital, I am planning my next trip. To put it simply, I love to travel.
 
I have visited over 13 different countries and have been to Italy four times. I am by no means an expert, but I have learned a few tips to share with you.
 
Italy, oh Italy…. where do I even start. To say I love Italy is an understatement. The food, wine, people, scenery…it is just pure magic. It was wonderful to share this special place with Landon on our delayed honeymoon in 2019.
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When to Visit Italy
Great times to visit Italy are during the spring (April - May) or fall (September - October). These months allow you to avoid the summer heat. I cannot say that there is a down time to avoid the crowds in Italy. These days, it seems that Italy is always crowded with tourists.
 
How to Plan Your Time
Travel to Italy with the mindset that you will be back. It is a large country and you cannot see it all unless there are no time constraints.  I always recommend open-jaw tickets, flying into one city and out of another to maximize your time.

Itinerary Ideas:
Here are a few examples of itineraries that have I done in the past. You can use these as a guide to plan a trip to different parts of Italy.
 
2 Weeks:
Fly to Rome (3 nights in Rome) -> Rent a car and drive through Tuscany. A few home base ideas would be Siena, Pienza, Montalcino, Montalpuciano (spend at least 4 nights in Tuscany as a home base to travel around) -> Florence (2 nights)
-> Train to Milan then to Lake Como (Stay in Bellagio, at least 3 nights to slow down and enjoy your time) -> train to Milan (2 nights in Milan) -> Fly home from Milan.
 
3 Weeks:
Fly to Naples -> take a bus or hire a car to the Amalfi Coast (Sorrento/Positano 4 nights) -> train to Rome (at least 3 nights in Rome) -> Siena (3 nights, rent a car and travel throughout Tuscany) -> Florence (2 nights) -> Cinque Terre (2 nights, can do 3 if you plan to hike the towns) -> Venice (at least 2 nights with a side trip to Morano) -> Fly home from Venice.