Épisodes

  • Venice Condensed: Part 2 | Food, Tours, Shopping, and More on Getting Around
    Jan 22 2026
    This episode is a continuation of our essential need-to-knows about visiting Venice. In this episode we're talking about food, tours, shopping, and more details on getting around, including the cheapest way to experience a boat ride across the Grand Canal.We'll answer questions like "What are cicchetti?," "Should we take a walking tour?," and "How do we know if the souvenirs we buy are really made in Venice?" In this episode we talk about taking a traghetto across the Grand Canal for €2. There are several points where you can do this, but not all of them run frequently or consistently. Here are the departure and arrival points that we recommend:San Tomà to/from O GarzoniS. Maria del Giglio to/from SaluteDogana to/from San Marco (Vallaresso)The city of Venice charges an entry fee to tourists staying outside of Venice and coming into Venice for the day. Here is a link to dates when those fees apply: ⁠⁠official Municipality of Venice website⁠⁠. That fee is €5 for booking the entry ahead of time and €10 for 3 days within the entry period or day of. More on this in our next headlines episode.For the map of the vaporetto, you can ⁠⁠click here⁠⁠. The map is in Italian and English, and while it doesn't have a timetable, it allows you to plan out when a vaporetto will be helpful! Below are some of the links we mentioned to hotels, tours, and more. Any link with an asterisk (*) is an affiliate link. Even though we don't represent the company, we receive a small commission if you use the link to book your stay. We mentioned the hotel we stayed at in Venice between the Ponte Realto and Piazza San Marco which is the "⁠Graspo de Ua"⁠.*Another hotel that we've heard amazing things about is the "⁠Hotel ai Mori d'Oriente⁠".* We also mentioned the super-swanky in the previous episode ⁠JW Marriott hotel*⁠ if you want to stay on this private island. And for the even more swanky, like, almost TOO swanky, we talked about the hotel on ⁠San Clemente.⁠* If you want to take a tour while in Venice, check out Viator.com*.Food tours in Venice*Gondola rides and tours*Tours in Murano*Likewise, if you're thinking about taking the train into Venice, you can check out ⁠Omio⁠* for tickets. They're an aggregate with an English-speaking help desk which can make any hiccups easier to solve. You can read more about Venice in our articles on onlyabag.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 or on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Likewise, if you'd like to read our "Retrospective" of the year, you can check it out on Substack: "⁠⁠⁠A Year in Retrospect: Ai Tempi Belli⁠⁠⁠". 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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    41 min
  • Venice Condensed: Part 1 | Neighborhoods, Islands, and Getting There/Around
    Jan 21 2026
    We've talked about Carnevale and touched on aspects of visiting Venice, but until now, we didn't have dedicated episodes about the essential need-to-knows of visiting Venice. So this is it! In this episode we talk about the neighborhoods in Venice from our perspective and what area might best suit you. We also talk about neighboring Mestre (a popular and less expensive alternative for staying while visiting Venice) and surrounding islands. Finally we'll explain how to get there and the basics of getting around via vaporetto (ferry/water-bus) and by walking. Below are some of the links we mentioned to hotels, timetables, and more. Any link with an asterisk (*) is an affiliate link. Even though we don't represent the company, we receive a small commission if you use the link to book your stay. We mentioned the hotel we stayed at in Venice between the Ponte Realto and Piazza San Marco which is the "Graspo de Ua".*Another hotel that we've heard amazing things about is the "Hotel ai Mori d'Oriente".* We also mentioned the super-swanky JW Marriott hotel* if you want to stay on this private island. And for the even more swanky, like, almost TOO swanky, we talked about the hotel on San Clemente.* For the map of the vaporetto, you can click here. The map is in Italian and English, and while it doesn't have a timetable, it allows you to plan out when a vaporetto will be helpful! The city of Venice charges an entry fee to tourists staying outside of Venice and coming into Venice for the day. Here is a link to dates when those fees apply: official Municipality of Venice website. That fee is €5 for booking the entry ahead of time and €10 for 3 days within the entry period or day of. More on this in our next headlines episode.Likewise, if you're thinking about taking the train into Venice, you can check out Omio* for tickets. They're an aggregate with an English-speaking help desk which can make any hiccups easier to solve. You can read more about Venice in our articles on ⁠onlyabag.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 or on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Likewise, if you'd like to read our "Retrospective" of the year, you can check it out on Substack: "⁠⁠A Year in Retrospect: Ai Tempi Belli⁠⁠". 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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    42 min
  • The Hidden Stresses of Traveling: Part 2
    Jan 16 2026

    Subtitle: "Things you might not think are stressful that end up being stressful, or, yes it's stressful but maybe not as bad as you were thinking it was" Part 2

    Continuing from the previous episode, we're talking about the hidden stresses of traveling and how to manage them. In this episode we're talking about so many things from what to do if you miss your train, to how to plan your time properly, to how to send postcards. We even talk about the possibility of losing your wallet and what to do when that happens.

    Thank you to SIM Local for sponsoring this episode! SIM Local is a UK-based eSIM—or electronic SIM—company offering affordable rates for SIM cards that function in the EU. Plans start at $4 for 1 Gig of data to $52.25 for Unlimited data for 15 days. It's an easy way to be sure you're connected throughout your trip. Use our exclusive code "ONLYABAG" for 10% off or ⁠click this link⁠.


    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 or on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

    Likewise, if you'd like to read our "Retrospective" of the year, you can check it out on Substack: "⁠A Year in Retrospect: Ai Tempi Belli⁠".

    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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    40 min
  • The Hidden Stresses of Traveling: Part 1
    Jan 14 2026

    Subtitle: "Things you might not think are stressful that end up being stressful" Part 1

    In this episode we're talking about the importance of a working phone in a country that's reliant on it and how stress can creep up around finding restaurants. Because these can be two major stressors on any vacation, we give you all of the options and our advice for how to avoid and manage that stress.

    Big news! We have our first sponsor, SIM Local! SIM Local is a UK-based eSIM—or electronic SIM—company offering affordable rates for SIM cards that function in the EU. Plans start at $4 for 1 Gig of data to $52.25 for Unlimited data for 15 days. It's an easy way to be sure you're connected throughout your trip. Use our exclusive code "ONLYABAG" for 10% off or click this link.

    Thank you so much to SIM Local for sponsoring this episode!


    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 or on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

    Likewise, if you'd like to read our "Retrospective" of the year, you can check it out on Substack: "A Year in Retrospect: Ai Tempi Belli".

    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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    44 min
  • Tips for Traveling in the Rain
    Jan 9 2026

    Traveling in the rain can often mean unforeseen hurdles, new difficulties to navigate, and the unfortunate reality that everything you own will get wet. After a recent trip up to Naples, we both realized that we've come to change our minds on some rain gear such as rain jackets, and whether they're actually better than umbrellas.


    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-links⁠ and 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).


    If 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, or on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

    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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    34 min
  • Tips for Traveling as a Group
    Jan 7 2026

    As a sort of "spiritual successor" to April 2nd, 2025's "Tips for Traveling With Someone Else", we wanted to sit down and discuss the common pitfalls and tips on how to avoid them when traveling with a group of any type. We talk about deciding what you want to see and eat, getting clear with your budget, and clarifying expectations.


    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).
    If 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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    44 min
  • Italy in the Headlines: Trevi Fountain Fee, Colosseum Metro Stop, and Strikes
    Jan 2 2026

    In this episode we're talking about several things that may affect your trip to Italy including January 2025 strikes, the new Trevi Fountain fee, Rome's new line C Metro stop, and (just for fun) Amazon drones.


    Here is a quick list of upcoming strikes we mention in this episode:

    - January 9 - airline/airport strike

    This includes a national ground staff strike from 1-5pm, EasyJet's flight crew will strike for 24 hours , Vueling's flight attendants will strike from 10am-6pm, there will also be a 24 hour baggage handling strike at both Milan Linate and Milan Malpensa.

    Flights should be guaranteed from 7-10am and 6-9pm

    Here is a link to a list of guaranteed flights.

    - January 12-13 (from 3am Jan 12 to 2am Jan 13) - Trenord in Lombardia (region in the north including Milan) here are links to Trenord's info for what to do in case of a strike and guaranteed train list.

    - January 13 - National Taxi strike

    - January 13 - 24 hour Bus strike in Umbria (Busitalia Sita Nord)

    - January 31 from 1pm to 5pm - Verona Villafranca Airport air traffic control strike


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

    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

    Voir plus Voir moins
    42 min
  • Italy in the Headlines: UNESCO-Worthy Cuisine?, the Housing Crisis and How it Might Affect You
    Dec 31 2025

    In this episode we're breaking down some of the headlines and Italian news stories you may have heard about recently. We're talking about food and a hot-button housing issue that affects just about everyone, so that means it's a long episode!

    In this episode we talk about how Italian cuisine has been added to UNESCO's "Intangible Cultural Heritage" list and the reactions that has garnered. We also discuss the housing crisis happening in Italy, and what it means for Italian residents as well as tourists.


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

    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

    Voir plus Voir moins
    59 min