Italian Itinerary Contest

To celebrate our first 10,000 Likes, we’ve decided to hold a little contest to challenge (or, rather, to exploit) our amazing followers. Our next trip will be to Italy this spring, and we need your help planning our itinerary. We’ll be travelling with our daughter, Isabella (age 13), and Grandma, (who’s age will remain unstated). We’ve never explored Italy south of Rome, so we’d love to get advice from our fellow travelers. Submit your proposed route, and at the end of February we’ll chose our favorite itinerary. The winning entry will be rewarded with all of the photos and recipes that we post along the way while we follow your route. And also maybe we’ll send you a postcard, just because that’s how we roll.

Here are the specs:

We’re planning to travel for two weeks, flying out of the US on May 24^th and flying back on June 8^th. We know that we want to spend a few days in Rome, but other than that our itinerary is wide open.

Proposed Itinerary should:

· Start and end in Rome

· Explore southern Italy (not including Sicily, which we are saving for a later trip)

· Include quaint villages and beautiful countryside—especially off-the-beaten path destinations—we’re considering both inland destinations and those along the coast, possibly even islands

· Include an historical site(s) that illustrate different periods of Italy’s past

· Include at least one city that best represents the character of Southern Italy

· Have good hiking, strolling, and biking opportunities

· Provide examples of wine and culinary traditions, and where they are best experienced

· Involve trains as the primary means of travel

· Though not a requirement, including specific recommendations for accommodations and other sites would be appreciated

· Be appropriate for three generations (though both Isabella and Grandma are physically fit and generally up for adventures)

Please submit your proposed itinerary via email to (angela@thebigfieldtrip.com) by February 28^th. We will then chose our favorite itinerary and report from the road this summer, including travelogues, photos, and recipes.

If you’ve never been to Southern Italy, don’t let that hold you back—armchair travelers are encouraged to submit as well. Where have you always wanted to go?