Katy started her Italian adventures before she even placed a foot on a well-worn cobblestoned path. Renaissance history studies sparked her curiosity so when she finally arrived in Europe (after a very long journey from Australia), she made a beeline for Italy as soon as she could. Since then, Katy has travelled to Italy over 40 times, exploring top to toe with a mission to visit all 20 regions and uncover their untold secrets.

Window or aisle?

Window on international, and aisle on domestic. When travelling long haul I like the option to lean my pillow against the window instead of a fellow passenger. Also nothing beats the view when you are flying into a new city and getting ready to explore. On domestic flights I prefer the aisle seat for a faster exit.

Sunrise or midnight wander?

The early bird catches the best scenes of towns and villages as they are waking up. Despite many visits one of my favourite things to do in Rome is to do a circuit of the major sites starting from wherever I am staying at dawn. I make my way to the Pantheon, Piazza Navona, along the Tiber and up to Piazza Venezia, the Roman Forum and Colosseum. Then I head down Via del Corso to the Trevi Fountain and Spanish Steps. Magnifico! All the sites are wonderfully crowd free and bathed in the most beautiful light.

What’s your personal non-negotiable on a solo trip?

Great accommodation – personal, private and thoughtful – with an excellent shower. I need comfort and space to process my days.

A place that changed you either quickly or slowly?

I didn’t know it at the time but the first moments I stood on the shores of Lake Garda changed my life. I had studied Italian history and language at school, but nothing prepared me for the connection to place that happened on my first trip to Italy. In my early 20s, I did not recognise this feeling. All I knew was that I was inspired by the landscapes, culture, towns and people. Italy kept drawing me back in different phases of my life and showed me ways to travel and live that I had not conceived of. Now, in my 50s there is not a day that passes where I don’t think about traveling in Italy or helping others to have experiences there that are as meaningful to them as they are to me.

Where does apprehension sit for you when you travel? In the front or the back seat?

Apprehension is in the back seat but for me it’s always there. Makes travel exciting and builds confidence.

What’s underrated about travel?

Travel helps you build resilience. All the little challenges, and sometimes big ones, along the way build your tolerance muscle for boredom, inefficiencies, and annoyances.

Train? Plane? Boat? Coach? Or Car?

I travel mainly in Europe for work, so it is trains for the win. They really are the most civilised way to travel. No security lines, comfortable seats, straight into the heart of cities and you arrive at your next adventure. Driving is a close second because it is difficult to get to lesser known places without one.

What does responsibility to a solo traveller mean to you?

Solo travellers are some of my favourite people. Adventurous and curious, they see the world beyond themselves and have a broader perspective. Enabling solo travel is something I am passionate about so as a business we keep our uplift costs as low as possible, ensure solo travellers are included in our educational content and build experiences around inclusion of all types of travellers. As a solo traveller I’m conscious to tread as lightly as possible in the places I visit, making sure to seek out local businesses rather than international chains, avoiding single use plastics, and helping other travellers along the way.

If you could gift every solo traveller one thing, what would it be?

Confidence. To explore, try something new, meet new people. The first step is getting on the plane and then take it from there at your own pace. You don’t need to prove anything to anyone, including yourself!



Finish this sentence: The world looks different when I walk through it alone because … my eyes are wider and let more of what is around me in.