As Part 2 of the "Instead of Positano, Try Scario" episode, we focus on the beaches. Scario has some of the most beautiful, cleanest, and picturesque beaches in the area—so if you're looking for a laidback beach vacation, consider Scario!

Scario is a beautiful seaside town on the Cilento Coast about three hours south of Positano. It's less expensive, less crowded, and with far more Italian tourists and town-natives, it's more authentically "Italian" feeling.

You may notice that this episode is shorter than normal. We're testing out a new format, two shorter episodes per week rather than one. You'll still get the same amount of podcast, just broken up a bit. We'd love to know which format you prefer! One one-ish hour episode or two 30-ish minute episodes? You can let us know in the comments or at ⁠onlyabag.com/contact⁠. We're also intending on still publishing both episodes on Wednesday, but this can also change, based on feedback!

We have two hotel suggestions if you'd like to stay in Scario:

For a nice hotel on the newer side of town we suggest ⁠Hotel Ristorante Cavaliere⁠. If you're feeling adventurous, you can check out ⁠ La Francesca Sud ⁠. This is advertised as "glamping" but actually more like camping tiny-home-style in a forest rooms. However, it has private beaches and is surrounded by nature, so it's the perfect option for anyone looking to disconnect.

Both of those are affiliate links, and if you use them, Only a Bag will make a little percentage from Booking without any cost to you!

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 ⁠Bluesy⁠.

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

Thanks so much for listening!

xDarcy and Nathaniel

If you're looking for a calmer, more laidback version of Positano, you can visit Scario! This is the first episode of our "Instead of" series, in which we offer alternatives to tourist hot-spots.

Scario is a beautiful seaside town on the Cilento Coast about three hours south of Positano. It's less expensive, less crowded, and with far more Italian tourists and town-natives, it's more authentically "Italian" feeling.

You may notice that this episode is shorter than normal. We're testing out a new format, two shorter episodes per week rather than one. You'll still get the same amount of podcast, just broken up a bit. We'd love to know which format you prefer! One one-ish hour episode or two 30-ish minute episodes? You can let us know in the comments or at onlyabag.com/contact. We're also intending on still publishing both episodes on Wednesday, but this can also change, based on feedback!

We have two hotel suggestions if you'd like to stay in Scario:

For a nice hotel on the newer side of town we suggest Hotel Ristorante Cavaliere. If you're feeling adventurous, you can check out La Francesca Sud . This is advertised as "glamping" but actually more like camping tiny-home-style in a forest rooms. However, it has private beaches and is surrounded by nature, so it's the perfect option for anyone looking to disconnect.

Both of those are affiliate links, and if you use them, Only a Bag will make a little percentage from Booking without any cost to you!

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 Bluesy.

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

Thanks so much for listening!

xDarcy and Nathaniel

In this episode we'll tell you all you need to know for visiting Positano. Is it really that expensive? Can you visit Positano on a budget? What is the best way to get there? What's the beach like? And more?

From living in Italy and hearing what other people thought of Positano, we had specific expectations, but it wasn't exactly what we thought it would be. You'll have to listen to find out!

In this episode we mention a few helpful links. Here are links Only a Bag's articles on Positano and the Amalfi Coast:

How to get to Positano from Rome

How to get to the Amalfi Coast from Rome (strangely, not the same as Positano)

3 Best Towns on the Amalfi Coast for Families

For more check out our Amalfi Coast page on onlyabag.com.

The ferry that we took from Salerno to Positano was with ⁠Travelmar⁠. We highly recommend it! However, there are several different ferry companies, you can check them out on ⁠Omio⁠* which acts as a ferry aggregate.

In the episode, we mention that there is an easier walk up to the top of town and a harder one. The easier way to walk to church of Santa Maria Assunta, then walk along via dew Mulini, and take via Cristoforo Colombo up to the top of town. The harder way (which is okay for coming down, but difficult to walk up) is a walking path between Viale Pasitea/Via degli Oleandri above and Via del Saracino below.

Thank you so much for listening! If you'd like to learn more about traveling in Italy, check out our website onlyabag.com! If you have any questions about your trip, comments, or concerns, you can reach out through our website or Instagram.

Please follow us wherever you listen to podcasts, on Instagram, Bluesky, and Substack!

Links marked with an asterisk* are affiliate links. By using these links you are supporting Only a Bag. If you make a purchase through these links, you will not be charged extra, but Only a Bag will receive a small cut of the business's profit.

Thanks for listening!

xDarcy and Nathaniel

Just an hour south by car from the famed Amafi Coast is the lesser known (to anyone but Italians) Cilento Coast. The Amalfi Coast is incredible—there is a reason it's so heavily touristed. But let's be honest, it's packed with tourist and expensive! If you're looking for an Italian beach town with fewer tourists, more "Italian" Italian food, and protected forests and coastline, you're looking for the Cilento Coast. Plus, with fewer tourists, comes a smaller price tag.

In this episode we'll tell you about a few of our favorite towns on this coast, how to get there, and what to do.

The boat tours we mentioned in this episode are both based in Palinuro.

Cilento Coast Company* (2.5 hr tour of the blue grotto, natural arch and more + two 20 min. swim stops)

Cooperativa Palinuro Porto* (1.5 hr tour of the blue grotto, natural arch and more)

If you're planning your trip via train or bus to the Cilento, we highly recommend that you book through Trenitalia. Few other sites have schedules and correct info for public transit from Naples or Salerno for instance, where you're likely coming from.

We also mention Cilento Link in this episode which is a bus line you can use to get from town-to-town on the Cilento Coast.

If you'd like to book a ferry, for instance from Salerno to Agropoli, you can use Ferry Hopper.

If you enjoyed this episode, please follow us and leave a review! As always, if you have any questions, you can reach out on our⁠ website⁠, on ⁠Instagram⁠, and via ⁠email⁠!

You can also check out our new ⁠Substack⁠ for more whimsical articles. You can support Only a Bag by donating on ⁠Ko-fi⁠ to help us reach our goal of buying new mics!

Links marked with an asterisk* are affiliate links. Using an affiliate link does not cost you extra, but the company gives us a small percentage of the sale which helps Only a Bag!

Thanks for listening!

xDarcy and Nathaniel

It's our 100th episode! We're celebrating by mixing things up a bit. In this episode we address some of the major headlines in the news about Italy and talk about what they mean for your trip this summer. We're talking about transportation strikes across the country and the increased price for public transit in Rome. We're also talking about new selfie rules at the Uffizi in Florence and cool things to see in Siena. We've got the info you need for your summer Italy trip 2025!

In this episode, we mention two links that are easier to read and reference than a verbal list.

- This is a full breakdown of Rome's ticket prices for public transit in Nathaniel's article on understanding Rome's public transportation system.

- For info about strikes this July 2025, check out this link to a Wanted in Rome article and the official website for strike notices. If you can't read Italian, you'll need a translator app for the official site, which is of course, entirely in Italian, but the Wanted in Rome article has great info.

- You can check-out our new Substack called Letters from the Balcony

We're excited be celebrating 100th episode with you and are always happy to share our advice on traveling in Italy! If you have any questions, you can reach out on our website, on Instagram, and via email!

Please check out our new Substack and if you enjoyed this episode, follow wherever you listen! You can also donate on Ko-fi to help us reach our goal of buying new mics.

Thanks so much for listening

x Darcy and Nathaniel

Only a Bag

Everything you need to know for traveling to Rome in just over an hour! This is an update to an episode with a similar title we put out almost two years ago. In this episode we talk about whether Rome is safe, how to get there, getting around, three of our favorite markets, music festivals, and how to stay cool in the heat.

Edit: In the episode we mention the app "Waidy Wow", it has a new name "Acquea."

Acquea (formerly Waidy Wow): app for locating drinking fountains in Rome

We have lots of articles on onlyabag.com about Rome and general travel tips, but the essentials we mention in this episode are:

How To Get From Rome’s Fiumicino Airport To Rome

How To Get From Rome’s CIA Airport To Rome

Getting Around In Rome: The ATaC Transportation System

If you're looking for a vacuum sealed water bottle, like we mention in this episode, or any sporting goods you can check out Decathlon. Here is a link to the Decathlon near Eataly which is the closest to the city center.

As mentioned in the episode, the emergency phone numbers are

112 (general line)

113 (police)

115 (fire)

118 (medical/ambulance)

As always, thank you all for listening!

Only A Bag

Instagram (where you can follow and message us)

Kofi (where we accept donations)

Overtourism has been in the news recently with protests in Spain, Portugal, and Italy as residents come together to resist the soon-to-be-coming wave of tourists this summer. While we also believe overtourism is a problem, we don't believe it's entirely the tourists' fault.

So, how can you help? In this episode we offer seven pieces of advice that may help you be a more mindful tourist. Our goal is to encourage tourists to travel and benefit local communities rather than putting a strain on them.

If you have any thoughts on overtourism, or if you have any questions either about Italy or your upcoming trip, you can find us on our ⁠⁠⁠website⁠⁠⁠⁠ or on ⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠Bluesky⁠⁠⁠!

If you'd like to support the podcast, you can do so by using our ⁠⁠⁠⁠Booking.com⁠⁠⁠⁠ link when booking your trip to Italy or anywhere!

If you'd like to support us directly, you can donate to us on Ko-fi (pronounced "coffee"), linked ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

As always, thank you for listening!

From getting there and getting around, to food and museums, we're covering everything you need to know for visiting Florence! How many museums can I see in one day? What is classic Fiorentini food? What's the best way to get to and from the airport? We'll answer all of that and more!

Here are some helpful links that we mention in this episode:

AT Bus App: App for purchasing tickets with the Autolinee Toscane (Tuscany bus company who runs public transit in Florence)

The bus ticket office is here, near (but not inside of) the Santa Maria Novella train station.

App Taxi: App for requesting a taxi in Florence (and other cities)

There are two taxi companies in Florence, they are named after the last four digits of their phone numbers:

4242: +39 055 4242

4390: +39 055 4390

Firenze Card: Museum pass

Map of water fountains: this map loads quite slowly so you can also search "public water fountains" in Google Maps

Public drinking fountain in Piazza della Signora

Map of public bathrooms: keep in mind that these charge 50 cents to one euro to use

If you'd like to support the podcast, you can donate to us on Ko-fi (pronounced "coffee"), linked ⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠.

You can also support us by using our ⁠Booking.com⁠ link when booking your trip to Italy or anywhere!

If you have any questions, you can find us on our ⁠⁠website⁠⁠⁠ or on ⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠Bluesky⁠⁠!

Thank you for listening!