Italy

I confess, at first my husband was more excited than I was about going to Italy. But once we got there, I fell in love with it. I even kept some of the Florence street musicians' performances saved to my phone, just in case I needed a little mood reset.

If you have even a casual interest in food, art, scenery or architecture, you're almost guaranteed to enjoy your time in Italy. It can be surprisingly affordable, from subsidized train travel which is among the most inexpensive in Europe, to food that is fresher and tastier than you can imagine.

And the history! It's woven into the tapestry that is Italy, in part because the Romans conquered so much of the surrounding lands. They left a bit of their own culture on those lands, but they also brought some back with them. It all comes together easily and effortlessly.

If you're planning a budget trip to Italy, you'll enhance your time there with a few tips:

• fly into an affordable "hub" airport, like Lisbon, Dublin or London; then take a commuter flight to your Rome destination

• consider a bed-and-breakfast, hostel or apartment rather than a hotel, especially if your group is more than two people

• travel by train, which is fast and affordable; save even more by ordering your tickets in advance (up to four months in advance). I like italiarail for ordering tickets for the "Frecci" product line, because it's in English and easy to understand

• visit The Man in Seat 61 for information about train travel; there's even an Italy train travel page

• within the cities, buy day or week passes if they're available

• purchase your museum or attraction passes before you leave to save money as well as (potentially lots of) time waiting in line

• download any museum or attraction apps ahead of time, because your cell phone signal could be iffy once you get there

• limit yourself to one "purchased" meal per day, and cook the rest of the meals yourself, using the produce you find at the nearest grocer or market

• travel to more than just one city, because Italy is a big place and each region is its own experience. But do allow time to settle in to each place; choose your favorites and allow more time than you first think

Ed. note - check out my YouTube channel for all my videos, and consider giving them a "thumbs up" or even subscribing. I update the channel with every trip I take.

Colosseum and Roman Forum - Rome

Rione XX (Testaccio) - Rome

Museo Galileo - Florence

Quiet moments - Florence

Pompeii