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Only A Bag - An Italy Travel Podcast

Only A Bag - An Italy Travel Podcast

By: Darcy Melton | Nathaniel Mellor
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About this listen

 New episodes every Wednesday! Your guide to Italy travel! Hosts Darcy and Nathaniel—two tourists-turned-locals—offer advice like how to get off the beaten path (such as visiting southern Italy), how order coffee like a local (at the bar), and most importantly, where to find authentic Italian food and gelato. Visit Italy with us every week from home or in the car. Whether you’re planning an Italy vacation or looking to move here, Darcy and Nathaniel guide you along the way. Follow us wherever you listen to podcasts and check out our website onlyabag.com for articles! Thanks for listening!Darcy Melton | Nathaniel Mellor Social Sciences Travel Writing & Commentary
Episodes
  • Italy in the Headlines: Weather, Eruptions, and the Olympics

    Italy in the Headlines: Weather, Eruptions, and the Olympics
    Nov 28 2025

    In this episode we're talking about more recent news including a story that has struck people internationally about a family who were living off the grid in Abruzzo. We're also talking about the floods in the Friuli-Venzezia Giulia region which killed two people and forced hundred to evacuate. As well as an upcoming ban on e-scooter rental and new outdoor seating regulations in Florence. Lastly, we touch on the Winter Olympics which will be held in Milan and Cortina this February.


    If you enjoyed this episode please leave a review and follow Only a Bag wherever you listen to podcasts!

    If you'd like to get in touch, you can send us a message on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠onlyabag.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠email⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ at onlyabagpodcast@gmail.com, on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, or ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Bluesky⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

    For more info, check out our articles on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠onlyabag.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and read our Substack ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Letters from the Balcony⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

    Want to help the podcast? You can check out all of our affiliate links ⁠here⁠! If you book through any of them, we receive a small commission, and it helps to keep us going!

    You can also donate to Only a Bag on ⁠⁠⁠ko-fi.com⁠⁠⁠ to keep the podcast going! As always, thank you all so much for listening.


    x Darcy and Nathaniel

    Only A Bag
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    43 mins
  • Italy in the Headlines: Upcoming Strikes, Collapsing Towers, and the Messina Bridge

    Italy in the Headlines: Upcoming Strikes, Collapsing Towers, and the Messina Bridge
    Nov 26 2025

    This week we're talking about Italy in the news. In today's episode we'll talk about the upcoming strikes and how they could affect your trip. We'll also talk about the collapse of Torre dei Conti which tragically killed one person, the new deputy president of Tuscany, a landmark law which defines consent, and the ongoing saga with the bridge over the Straight of Messina.


    As mentioned in the episode some train journeys and flights are guaranteed during strikes. Here you can find guaranteed trains with Trenitalia and Italo.

    Here is a list of guaranteed flights for the strike on November 28. Flights departing between 7 to 10 a.m. and from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m are guaranteed. Flights are trickier to deal with during a strike, in my opinion, if you plan to travel on November 28 keep a keen eye on any travel apps you use for updates.


    If you enjoyed this episode please leave a review and follow Only a Bag wherever you listen to podcasts! If you'd like to get in touch, you can send us a message on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠onlyabag.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠email⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ at onlyabagpodcast@gmail.com, on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, or ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Bluesky⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.
    For more info, check out our articles on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠onlyabag.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and read our Substack ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Letters from the Balcony⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.
    Want to help the podcast? You can check out all of our affiliate links here! If you book through any of them, we receive a small commission, and it helps to keep us going!

    You can also donate to Only a Bag on ⁠⁠ko-fi.com⁠⁠ to keep the podcast going!
    As always, thank you all so much for listening.


    x Darcy and Nathaniel
    Only A Bag
    Show More Show Less
    30 mins
  • Naples Condensed 3: What to See, Do, and Day Trips

    Naples Condensed 3: What to See, Do, and Day Trips
    Nov 21 2025
    Finally, we have come to our conclusion! The end of the Naples miniseries, in which we wrap up the past few episodes into one! Just as in Wednesday's episode, I (Nathaniel) realize I'm also talking pretty quickly in this episode and I still apologize! In the future, we'll try to come back and re-record these for clarity! I hope Darcy's part is still enjoyable! If you'd like to support us, but you don't have the time to hunt down all of the affiliate links scattered across the website, a listener suggested (thank you!) putting them all in one place, so we have! Head over to ⁠www.onlyabag.com/affiliate-links⁠and you can see all of the companies we have partnerships with and you can use them to support Only A Bag (which we deeply appreciate). Below are some of our favorite hotels to stay in while we're in Naples. Each of the links are affiliate links, and if you book your stay through the link, we earn a small percentage of the booking platform's fees. Train StationBudget: Vergilius Bilia. Clean and modern. ⁠⁠https://agoda.tpm.li/Gu6XirQM⁠⁠Mid-Range: Starhotels Terminus. Old-school but nice, right next to the station. ⁠⁠https://agoda.tpm.li/hCbKTXYR⁠⁠Centro StoricoBudget: Hotel Caravaggio. Old-school but clean. Centrally located. ⁠⁠https://agoda.tpm.li/NdMJaOfl⁠⁠Mid-Range: UNA Hotels Napoli. Equidistant to the train station and centro storico. Nice views of the city. ⁠⁠https://agoda.tpm.li/QcnssG4V⁠⁠Upper Crust: Palazzo Caracciolo Naples. On the edge of centro storico, but with modern amenities. ⁠⁠https://agoda.tpm.li/ulwHhc9i⁠⁠Spanish Quarter/ToldeoBudget: Hotel Il Convento. Small rooms, but in the action of the city. ⁠⁠https://agoda.tpm.li/GLl8jEPN⁠⁠Mid-Range: Art Resort Galleria Umberto. Stay in the Galleria Umberto. What more needs to be said? ⁠⁠https://agoda.tpm.li/6EhwUpfW⁠⁠Upper Crust: Hotel Romeo. Little slice of luxury near the port and centro storico. ⁠⁠https://agoda.tpm.li/kQdItv3Y⁠⁠ChiaiaBudget: Pinto-Storey Hotel. Like an old-school Bed and Breakfast. ⁠⁠https://agoda.tpm.li/isL35cGe⁠⁠Mid-Range: Hotel Majestic. Modern but like 2010 modern: ⁠⁠https://agoda.tpm.li/mh6RUnZi⁠⁠Upper Crust: Grand Hotel Parker’s. Swanky, near the water: ⁠⁠https://agoda.tpm.li/KaH7yHzf⁠⁠If you'd like to support the podcast in other ways, you can donate to Only a Bag on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ko-fi.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠! If you enjoyed this episode please leave a review and follow Only a Bag wherever you listen to podcasts! If you'd like to get in touch, you can send us a message on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠onlyabag.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠email⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ at onlyabagpodcast@gmail.com, on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, or ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Bluesky⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.For more info, check out our articles on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠onlyabag.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and read our Substack ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Letters from the Balcony⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.Thanks for listening! xDarcy and Nathaniel
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    43 mins
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