Only A Bag - An Italy Travel Podcast – Details, episodes & analysis

Do you love trains? Travel back in time on trains from the 1930s and 50s for family friendly day-trips at around 7-12 euros with Fondazione FS. Or travel in style (there is a dress code), in all out luxuriousness with La Dolce Vita by Orient Express or Venice Simplon Orient Express by Belmond with trips stating around 4,000 euros. In this episode we talk about it all. Let's get into it.

Want to support our podcast? You can use our links to book your train trip. 

*Links with an asterisk are affiliate links. By using our affiliate link to book hotels you help our podcast! We get a kickback from the company and you will not be charged extra. 

When we travel by train we typically book through ⁠Train Line*⁠ which is an aggregate site or directly on the train company website at ⁠TrenItalia⁠ and ⁠Italo*⁠.

Did you miss your train while listening to this podcast? Or want to be prepared just incase? Check out Nathaniel’s article ⁠“What to do if you miss your train in Italy”⁠ on our website! 

Thank you so much for listening! We would absolutely appreciate it if you could follow us and rate us wherever you listen; it helps the podcast grow and it makes us feel like we're making a difference! 

You can find us at ⁠⁠onlyabag.com⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠@onlyabagpodcast⁠⁠. 

Let's be honest, catching a train can be confusing, especially for those of us who aren't accustomed to public transportation. In this episode we explain the difference between Italy's two major train operators and what they offer. Plus, we answer common questions like "Do I need to validate my ticket?" and "What is validating a ticket?"

Want to support our podcast? You can use our links to book your train trip.

*Links with an asterisk are affiliate links. By using our affiliate link to book hotels you help our podcast! We get a kickback from the company and you will not be charged extra. 

When we travel by train we typically book through Train Line* which is an aggregate site or directly on the train company website at TrenItalia and Italo*.

Did you miss your train while listening to this podcast? Or want to be prepared just incase? Check out Nathaniel’s article “What to do if you miss your train in Italy” on our website! 

Thank you so much for listening! We would absolutely appreciate it if you could follow us and rate us wherever you listen; it helps the podcast grow and it makes us feel like we're making a difference! 

You can find us at ⁠onlyabag.com⁠ and ⁠@onlyabagpodcast⁠. 

Since ancient Roman times people have celebrated a holiday called Ferragosto. What does that mean for modern Italians and tourists? Empty cities, closed shops, and crowded beaches. We'll tell you all you need to know for your August vacation in Italy.

As always, thank you for listening! If you have any questions, send us a message on Instagram (@only_a_bag), or contact us through our website (onlyabag.com)! 

In this episode Darcy guides us (mainly Nathaniel) on the brief history of some of Italy's more famous cocktails like the Aperol spritz, the Campari and soda, and the Negroni.

We also discuss the lack of beer culture, and the blooming cocktail culture that expands beyond the use of Campari and Aperol.

As always, thank you for listening! If you have any questions, please leave a comment (on Spotify), send us a message on Instagram (@only_a_bag), or send us a message through our website (onlyabag.com)!

Do you sit at a table and then order, or order first and then sit at a table? What about that age-old rule of no cappuccinos after 11am? And have you ever been curious as to why Italians eat their meals in a specific order, or why they often use the excuse of "I just took a coffee" to decline eating anything else?

This episode has you covered! We cover digestion, café/bar culture, and even a few drinks you can expect to see on the menu.

If you enjoyed today's episode, we'd love it if you were to leave us a rating, follow us, or subscribe. It keeps us going and we so deeply appreciate the support!

If you have any questions, you can leave us a comment on Spotify (if that's where you listen), or send us a message on Instagram @only_a_bag, or send a message through onlyabag.com.

Thank you for listening!

Do you want to know how to "act Italian" at restaurants? What to avoid (such as eating and walking around)? How about the dos and don'ts of pizza? Well, this episode has you covered with all of that and so much more!

If you enjoyed the episode, we'd love it if you were to rate us, follow, subscribe, comment, etc. It means the world to us and keeps us going!

If there's anything you'd like us to cover specifically, you can find us at onlyabag.com or on instagram @only_a_bag.

Do you need to order a primi and secondi? Why can't you order pizza for lunch? What's the coperta? Navigating the way an Italian menu is set up can complicated—we're here to help!

Thank you all so much for listening, we really appreciate

it! If there's anything you'd like us to cover, please reach out on www.onlyabag.com.

And if you'd like to compliment Darcy on our brand-new cover, you can find her at darcymeltonfineart.com or @darcymeltonfineart on Instagram!

Thanks for listening to this mini-sode! A full-length episode will be out on Friday, and next week we will return to our normally-scheduled Wednesday episodes. We had intended to be back in full-force today, but we returned from the States an unintentional day late due to canceled flights, so the jet lag is still hitting hard.

This month will focus on restaurant etiquette, how to order, what's okay and not okay to do, and even what kinds of drinks to expect at every Italian bar.

As always, thank you all so much for listening! If you have any questions, please reach out at onlyabag.com!

Headed to the Amalfi Coast? How do you even get there? What is the Amalfi Coast? How many towns are there, and what is the difference between the Sorrentinian Coast and the Amalfi Coast?

This, and so much more is covered in today's episode!

As always, thank you all so much for listening! If you liked the episode, we would love it if you followed us wherever you listen to podcasts!

If you have any questions, you can find us at onlyabag.com.

While visiting Naples could easily take a week by itself, there's so much more to the area than the city. Just off the coast you can find the resort island of Capri, the thermal springs island of Ischia, and the "blue collar" island of Procida.

How to get there? What to see? And when did these islands first host people? These questions and more are answered in today's episode!

As always, thank you all so much for listening!