Janet McLaughlin, Travel Advisor with Provident Travel, has a special love for Italy. She travels there two to three times a year and specializes in planning custom Italian journeys for her clients. We asked about her passion for Italy—and why she recommends it as a top destination for her clients.
My connection to Italy runs deep. After the world reopened following the pandemic, I had a heart-to-heart conversation with myself about what truly moves me. After 30 years in the travel industry, I asked myself: What evokes passion from within me? The resounding answer was Italy.
My mother is from Abruzzo, and I still have family there. As a young woman, I lived in Rome, where I received my master’s degree in international studies, and then in Venice, where I taught English as a second language for about a year.
I’ve been traveling to Italy ever since I was in junior high school. My mother loved to travel, and I would often travel with her. Through my many years of traveling to Italy, I've made numerous friends and met colleagues throughout the country. I feel at home there. I love the US, but when I’m here, I feel like I’m existing. When I’m in Italy, I’m truly living.
Whether it’s discovering a city I’ve never been to before or tasting a regional food I’ve never eaten, there’s always something new to experience.
Honestly, just doing nothing. Sitting, seeing, smelling, people-watching, having a great espresso or a wonderful glass of Barolo wine. It’s not necessarily about going to museums, although I love them. It’s about smelling Italy, feeling Italy, being part of the culture.
Pack your patience! For first-timers, Venice, Florence and Rome are iconic, obligatory cities that you must see. But they’re crowded and will continue to be crowded. The key is to venture beyond these busy, over-touristed cities to look for the “real” Italy.
When in Rome, explore the Prati district with its quiet alleyways, great food and local families going out to dinner. It really gives you that local vibe.
From Rome, take a day trip to Viterbo, a charming medieval city. While everyone wants to see the Vatican, Viterbo has its own papal palace where the popes fled to and lived between 1257 and 1281. It housed the first and longest conclave in history.
From Venice, visit Vicenza to see the gorgeous basilica and palaces built or influenced by Renaissance architect Andrea Palladio. And within Venice itself, explore the Cannaregio district, which has a wonderful local vibe and is more informal than the touristed area around St. Mark’s Square.
Think outside the box. Go to Sicily, Sardinia or Ischia, a wonderful small island in the Gulf of Naples that's great for hiking and biking and has some of the most beautiful beaches in the world.
Also, avoid peak summer travel. I try to dissuade people from going in August, when Italians and Europeans take their vacations. September, October and November are absolutely beautiful times to visit, as are March, April and May. You’ll have fewer crowds, cooler weather, more readily available hotels and tours, and better rates.
It’s difficult to say which region I love most; it’s like asking if I have a favorite child. All 20 regions are amazing and diverse with their food, language, history, art and architecture.
If I had to choose just one area, though, it would be Puglia and the city of Lecce, also known as the Florence of the South. Puglia is the boot of Italy and Italy’s breadbasket. More olive oil is exported from Puglia than anywhere else in Italy. And burrata was first made there. The region is a food paradise where they practice sustainable farming for everything from meat and wine to vegetables and fruits.
Puglia is very Greek feeling due to its history, and many of the small hill towns are painted white just like Mykonos or Santorini. The whitewashed buildings help keep homes cool in southern Italy’s heat.