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Zhuzh up your DIY
Plan A Trip to Italy with Expert Advice Tailored Just for You
What can I do for you? Do you need an itinerary edit, or ideas to start shaping an itinerary? Do you want some introductory language prep, so you know how to ask for directions and order a cappuccino? Would some in-depth information on culinary specialties help deepen your trip? Just want a Google Map of amazing restaurants? Up your DIY trip planning game with personalized insider tips, practical resources, and wisdom from a career Italophile. Read on for all the ways I can help you plan and prepare for your next incredible Italy trip.
What I’m bringing to the planning party
TRAVEL CONSULTING
Explore your Italian interests with expert guidance. You describe what you want from your trip, and what (if anything) you’ve planned so far, and I’ll help you refine your itinerary.
I can recommend regions, cities, and towns based on your interests, trip length, and traveller demographics. I can give you tips on neighbourhoods in which to stay, and sights to visit (and to skip). Seaside or hill towns, clams or truffles, Etruscan or Roman history—I can lead you in the right direction depending on your interests.
We can meet in person or virtually. I am happy to advise on all aspects of Italian travel, but please note I am not a travel organizer—bookings will be up to you.
Meetings are $100 CAD/hr
Elevating your travel experience
LANGUAGE & CULTURE PREP
Conversations About Italy
Let’s meet in person or virtually to fare quattro chiacchiere (have a chat). You choose the topic you want to learn more about:
We all love Italian food, but is eating it in Italy different? Do certain dishes we think of as Italian not even exist in Italy? Let’s talk about the customs and mores of the Italian table, such as which kind of drinks Italians order with pizza, when Italians allow a cappuccino to be drunk, whether you eat a dish sitting or standing, and the progression of Italian courses. We can also focus on your unique itinerary and discuss which regional dishes you should try on your trip and which ingredients will be in season.
Are you an Italophile who has recently grown your family, or has yet to introduce your kiddos to the bel paese? This kind of trip can be overwhelming to think about, but trust me, it is possible! Real talk: it will not be the same as before, but it will be lovely, in a new way. Let’s talk practical advice to make a trip to Italy with children as smooth and pleasurable for everyone as possible.
Is there a specific topic about Italian culture and travel you want to dive into? Drop me a line.
Conversations are $100 CAD/hr
Language Practice &
Teaching Sessions
Let’s meet at a cafe and practice your Italian language skills over cappuccini. This can be an organic conversational session, or I can teach a more formal curriculum. We can focus on useful phrases, grammar building blocks, vocabulary, or themes like Restaurant Italian. I have a B2 level in Italian, so can help those with a beginner or intermediate grasp of the language (or none!).
Sessions are $100 CAD/hr
Get access to
MY TOP 10 PLACES TO EAT & DRINK IN ROME
Sign up to my mailing list and receive a free interactive Google Map of my Roman foodie highlights: 4 authentic osterie, my favourite coffee bar, the best market in Rome, an artisanal gelateria, and 3 spots for delicious street food.
Hungry for more? Email me to purchase my map of 140+ tried and tested restaurants, cafes, delis, and wineries across Italy for $25 CAD. Open it on your phone as you navigate in Google Maps to see which recommendations immediately surround your blue dot. This map has an emphasis on Rome, Umbria, Campania, and Puglia.
Getting you hyped before your trip
Food & Wine Masterclasses
Start Your Culinary Experience Before Your Trip
This totally customizable experience revolves around the specific places you’re visiting in Italy. These sessions take place in Calgary, Canada.
Come to an Italian grocer in Calgary and we will shop the aisles with an eye to the places you’ll be visiting in Italy. I’ll teach you about bronze-cut pasta, regional specialties, and if you like we can practice Italian for your first trip to the supermercato or alimentari in Italy.
$100 CAD for 1-hr shopping session
Bring 3 friends, if you like—it’s the same price for up to 4 people.
Let’s prepare a meal together with an Italian chef—carbonara anyone?—and chat Italian gastronomy while enjoying authentic dishes. This totally customizable experience can revolve around the specific places you’re visiting in Italy and their unique, regional specialties. The meal can be an extension of the grocery shop, or a stand-alone experience.
Price TBD depending on menu and number of participants
Raise a Glass to Italy's Wine Heritage
The wine tasting can be an extension of the wine market shop, or a stand-alone experience. These sessions take place in Calgary, Canada. Bring 3 friends, if you like—it’s the same price for up to 4 people.
Come to Zyn in Ramsay and we will find wines from the (micro-)regions you’ll specifically be visiting in Italy. From Barolo to Brunello, Prosecco to Primitivo, we’ll discuss the wines you’ll encounter when you land and unpack what the acronyms DOC, DOCG, and IGT mean. Zyn’s selection of Italian wine is vast for Calgary, so you’ll be able to get your hands on some very hard-to-find types.
$100 CAD for 1-hr guided shopping experience
Let’s taste some of the wines you’re likely to encounter on your next Italy trip, though—spoiler alert—they will always taste better while watching an Italian sunset and nibbling meats and cheeses that come from the same land the grapes are grown on. This totally customizable experience will revolve around the specific places you’re visiting in Italy and their local wines. If you like, we can also practice Italian so you’re ready to order your first glass at an enoteca.
$100 CAD for 1-hr tasting (plus cost of wine)
Let’s get them answered
Frequently Asked Questions
I can help you shape your itinerary by giving you advice on routes, towns, sights, neighbourhoods, restaurants, and gastronomy, all customized to your specific interests and travel style. Bookings, however, I will leave to you.
Payments are accepted via e-transfer at the time of booking.
You will fill out an extensive intake survey, which will help me get a sense of who you are as a traveller, what you value, which interests are your top priorities, and what you have planned so far. I will then tailor all my advice, and help you craft the Italy trip that is ideal for you.
I want to matchmake you with the Italy that suits you the best. I don’t sell cookie cutter tours. All my advice is customized to you specifically. In fact, I don’t sell tours at all—I equip you with the advice you need to craft your own incredible Italy trip. Beyond trip planning, I can get you prepared and excited before you fly out with sessions on language, culture, food, and wine.
As my services are advice- and education-based, unfortunately, no.
Andiamo
DROP ME A LINE TO SET UP OUR FIRST APPOINTMENT
If you still have questions, no worries! Shoot me an email, and I’ll be happy to help. I’m over here drinking my caffè, excited to connect and chat all things Italy with you.
