This series is about our trip to Italy we took in September of 2026. We rented a car and traveled the “road less traveled”. Other pages in the series listed at the bottom of this page and will have links as I write them.

If you have every traveled to Europe, you know that the journey to get there is not fun. Air travel is never a good time — it feels much like being herded through cattle as you move through the airport. But, flying to Europe is a longer flight than most and you are cramped into a small seat with a LOT of people. I’m a little “fluffier” than some and my husband is taller than most at 6’6″ so we tend to invade one another’s space a bit too.

When you board the plane you go past the Business section with their luxurious leg space and reclining seats. Then you move past Premium Economy with much less leg space and then you head to regular Economy where you settle in, wondering how the lucky people up front are doing. By the time you arrive after the overnight flight, you are exhausted and doing all you can to stay awake until bedtime rather than really enjoying the sites.

I had never even seen First Class but I assumed it was much like Business Class but just a bit bigger. Now, I know I should not be complaining…. boo hoo… I have to be cramped a bit to get to a wonderful vacation that many never get to experience. I know we are lucky that we get to see the things we do. But, I can’t help it… I want to fly in those fancy seats and arrive feeling fresh and ready to enjoy the start of our trip!

Seats outside of Economy though are super pricey so I was pretty sure it would not happen. Just for kicks though, I started looking. This was a 35th wedding anniversary trip, we had mostly free housing due to HomeExchange, and we were flexible on dates and where we could go. I found that DC to Rome was the cheapest route in general, so I narrowed it down to go to Italy. Then I searched for dates anytime from August through October. I found two dates (yes, only two) that were green and less expensive. They were 17 days apart which was longer than we had ever traveled but they were REALLY good prices — the first-class tickets were less than a third the typical price. So, I booked them.

We booked them nine months before we were departing and like a lottery ticket that had not been drawn yet, I had the enjoyment of anticipation of a trip that I would likely never get to take again. I was nearly as excited for the air travel as the actual trip!

It lived up the anticipation!

We arrived at the airport early because we wanted the chance to experience the lounge. Its a good thing we did because when we checked in, we were told due to an issue in London, our flight was running five hours late but they could get us on an earlier flight that had only two tickets left in first class. Yippeee! We were actually going to be ahead of schedule!

After checking in we still had time to visit the lounge which overlooked the runways and was like visiting a fine dining establishment. We started with a cocktail and champagne and then reviewed the extensive menus for dinner (which have no prices because the cost is included in your ticket).

When we entered the aircraft, an attendant actually walked us to our seat where we had warm nuts and were offered a cocktail to enjoy while we waited for the flight to take off. A very nice amenity kit with eye mask, socks, and high-end eye cream, deodorant and lotions was also given to us as well as a nice warm towel. The attendant asked if I wanted pajamas and of course, I said yes, because well, why not?!

The cabin was super nice. There was plenty of leg room, multiple places to store your belongings and luggage, the seat adjusted lots of ways including being able to fully flatten to a 6’6″ bed. There was a large tv with entertainment, wifi (which I could not get to work but honestly did not care), two fluffy pillows and a nice blanket. I felt like a princess! You could ask for dinner or food whenever you wanted. I’ve included the menu below.

I wanted to order a full meal but honestly I was still stuffed from the meal at the airport, so I just ordered the Trio of Salmon and another glass of a different champagne. When they brought the food, they pulled out a nice sized table and set it with tablecloth and nice dinnerware. Fancy! I was trying hard not to gush and embarrass myself, but it was hard not be really excited with the service.

Before we landed, they asked if we wanted breakfast. The man across from me had a full English breakfast but I was planning on eating in the lounge once we landed so I kept it light and just had some croissants and tea. With all this decadance, its hard not to go overboard but I also knew I didn’t want to be traveling with a super full stomach, so I was glad I had a tiny bit of restraint!

The Concorde Lounge in Heathrow (London) airport is pretty famous for its service. It did not dissapoint either. We settled ourselves in a nice private booth and ordered a complete breakfast. I had kippers and toast. When we finished up, we went out to the main lounge that had comfy couches, bar height tables and views of the runway. It was unusually busy because of the major delays at Heathrow so nearly every seat was filled but it was quiet (like a libary), and the seats were comfortable. We spoke to two people while we were waiting for our next flight and one had been there for over 24 hours including 10 hours sitting on the plane the day before before his flight was cancelled. We felt very lucky that so far our flights were moving along. Check in with Day 2 once I get that written as we reach Pitigliano, Italy.

• What I Learned in Italy
• What to Pack
• The Joys of Home Exchange
• Day 1 – Flight from Washington DC to London
• Day 2 – Flight from London to Rome and travel to Pitigliano, Italy
• Day 3 – Discover Pitigliano
• Day 4 – Thermal Baths, Agritourismo Olive Farm Dinner
• Day 5 – Sorano and surrounding area, grocery shopping, dinner in Pitigliano
• Day 6 – Maria Delle Grazie church, Tyrrhenian Sea, unconventional lunch, reunion with foreign exchange student.
• Day 7 – Siena, Carpi
• Day 8 – Peschiera del Garda, Lonato del Garda, Salo, San Felice del Banaco
• Day 9 – Lake Garda Ferry to Limone, dinner in Salo
• Day 10 – McDonalds, Big Bench, and dinner at home
• Day 11 – Sanctuario di Montecastello
• Day 12 – Lake Idro, dinner in Portese and walk on boardwalk
• Day 13 – Lonato del Garda mass and flea market
• Day 14 – swim in Lake Garda and shopping in Salo
• Day 15 – Agritourismo Dandelion and town of Pieve
• Day 16 – Drive to Rome hotel
• Day 17 – Return home