5 Favorite Food Apps for Italy Travel

Can you even remember the days before the smart phone? I was in my 30's before I had my first cell phone (a flip phone for work) and my how times have changed!

Our family is an Apple family through and through and I cannot imagine traveling now without my i-phone, whether it be to keep track of reservations, flight details or even finding my next best meal. 

With tens of thousands of apps available, it's often hard to know which ones are worth downloading. So today I'm sharing 5 tried and tested apps that I love to use when traveling in Italy to find and experience tasty meals and experiences.

Written and updated by well known food & travel writer Elizabeth Minchilli- this app is stuffed with so much valuable information for anyone traveling Italy and wanting trustworthy & delicious advice. I've used this app for years and have never been disappointed. I love the ability to see where you are and what is directly around you, perfect for an emergency snack break! 

My friend Jen introduced me to Vivino when we were living in Italy, and it quickly became a favorite as Chris and I have delved more deeply into wine over the last 5 years. Here is how we most commonly use it: We are traveling or at dinner somewhere and say "ooh, I love this wine- let's look for it when we get home" We open Vivino and take a quick photo of the label. Vivino immediately pulls up information for you about the winemaker, wine, cost, reviews and possible pairings. You can add your own notes to it, and even buy the wine directly from the app. If you know what you love or what you are looking for, check out this app. We use it often to find & purchase wine.

ResDiary Now is a great option for finding and booking tables when you are traveling. I love that you can see a map view of what you are near, or what a sample menu looks like. I wouldn't use ResDiary as your sole information source, but do your research separately, make a short list of places you'd like to dine at, and then see if they are listed in the app.

More often than not, I like to pop into a restaurant and make a booking for a later meal- and personally like that connection with the staff, as they usually remember you when you return. However, sometimes its super nice to make a reservation online/with an app- and this one is great! 

I have personally had great experiences using Airbnb in Italy, and love finding apartments through them for travel abroad. But did you know you can also book experiences through the app? They have everything from mosaic making, to an afternoon of sketching, to dinner party with live music (I want to do this so bad!) and so many more that sound simply lovely. I have clients that booked this cooking class near Florence through Airbnb and had the most awesome experience! This is definitely one to check out- for lodging and delicious adventures as well.