Discover Andiamo Trips with Karen Phillips
When people visit Naples for the first time, they often arrive with a familiar checklist. They want to see Spaccanapoli, wander through the Spanish Quarter, eat pizza, perhaps squeeze in Pompeii, and then head home feeling they've experienced the city. While those iconic sights certainly deserve their reputation, they represent only a small part of the Naples travel experiences waiting to be discovered throughout the city and the surrounding Campania region.
During this episode of the Flavor of Italy podcast, I had the pleasure of speaking with Karen Phillips, founder of Andiamo Trips. After living in Campania for more than thirty years, Karen has developed a deep appreciation for the places, wines, food, and stories that many visitors never discover. Rather than offering conventional tours, she creates memorable experiences that invite travelers to slow down, engage with local culture, and see southern Italy from a completely different perspective. If you're looking for authentic Naples travel experiences, Karen's ideas may inspire you to plan your next visit in an entirely new way.
Meet Karen Phillips and Andiamo Trips: Creating Memorable Naples Travel Experiences
Karen's story is every bit as interesting as the experiences she now offers. She originally arrived in Naples while serving as an officer in the United States Air Force and expected to stay only temporarily. Instead, she fell in love, married, and made Campania her home. After teaching for twenty years in international schools, she found herself introducing visiting friends to local wineries, restaurants, and lesser-known corners of the region. Those informal outings gradually evolved into Andiamo Trips, a business built on sharing authentic Naples travel experiences that most visitors would never discover on their own.
One thing I particularly appreciated during our conversation was Karen's emphasis that she isn't a traditional tour guide. Italy has strict regulations governing that profession. Instead, she describes herself as an experience host, someone who combines storytelling, local knowledge, wine education, food, and genuine hospitality to create days that visitors are unlikely to forget.
Sea & Sip: A Wine Experience Unlike Any Other
Called Sea & Sip, the experience begins aboard a boat exploring beautiful parts of the Bay of Naples, including islands such as Ischia or Procida. Guests have time to swim, relax, and enjoy the spectacular scenery before settling in for something quite unexpected: a guided tasting of Campania's wines while surrounded by the landscape that produces them.
Karen is a certified sommelier, and her enthusiasm for the region's native grape varieties is contagious. Instead of focusing on internationally familiar wines, she introduces guests to grapes such as Falanghina and Piedirosso, explaining how Campania's volcanic soils influence their aromas, flavors, and ideal food pairings. Learning about these wines while floating on the sea, surrounded by volcanic islands and dramatic coastlines, creates an experience that simply couldn't be duplicated in a tasting room or restaurant.
As someone who loves introducing people to Italy through its food and wine culture, I thought this was one of the most original Naples travel experiences I've heard about in a long time, and it's exactly the kind of authentic experience that makes Andiamo Trips so distinctive.
Discovering Ancient Baia: a Naples Travel Experience That Combine History, Food, and Wine
Many travelers have never heard of Baia, yet during Roman times it was one of the most luxurious resorts in the empire. Today, much of ancient Baia lies beneath the sea. Karen begins the experience aboard a glass-bottom boat, where guests can admire submerged villas, mosaics, statues, and archaeological remains while learning about the remarkable history of this once-glamorous destination.
The day continues back on shore with lunch at a restaurant listed in the Michelin Guide, where guests enjoy local seafood accompanied by carefully selected wines. Karen explained that one of the most satisfying parts of becoming a sommelier was discovering how dramatically the right wine can transform a meal. Her enthusiasm for thoughtful food and wine pairing comes through in everything she does, making the experience as educational as it is delicious. Experiences like this demonstrate that the best Naples travel experiences bring together history, gastronomy, and local culture in ways that surprise even seasoned travelers.
Looking Beyond Naples' Famous Streets for Authentic Naples Travel Experiences
As our conversation continued, we moved away from the sea and into the city itself. Karen encouraged listeners to venture beyond Naples' best-known attractions and discover neighborhoods that tell a richer and often more surprising story. Travelers searching for authentic Naples travel experiences will find that these lesser-known neighborhoods reveal a side of the city that many visitors never see.
One of those neighborhoods is Rione Sanità . Years ago, many visitors would never have considered walking through this part of Naples. Today, thanks largely to the determination of local residents and community organizations, the neighborhood has experienced an extraordinary revival. Historic catacombs have reopened, museums have been restored, churches have been preserved, and visitors can now explore a vibrant community that proudly celebrates its own history rather than hiding it.
Karen has even created a digital guide devoted to Rione Sanità , helping independent travelers discover the area's highlights while providing practical information about where to eat, shop, and explore. I particularly liked that she only recommends places she has personally experienced or that come highly recommended by trusted local friends. That personal approach gives her recommendations a level of credibility that many generic guidebooks simply can't match.
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Forcella: Another Side of Naples and More Authentic Naples Travel Experiences
Karen also introduced me to Forcella, another neighborhood that deserves far more attention than it receives. While many visitors know the area only because of the famous Antica Pizzeria Da Michele, they often miss everything surrounding it.
Forcella is filled with fascinating churches, hidden courtyards, panoramic viewpoints, and layers of history stretching back more than two thousand years. Karen described how ancient Greek and Roman remains continue to appear beneath modern Naples, sometimes unexpectedly during construction projects. It's one of the magical aspects of the city. You can stop for a cappuccino or a slice of pizza and find yourself only a few steps away from ruins that predate the Roman Empire.
These are exactly the kinds of Naples travel experiences that stay with you long after you've returned home. They're also the sorts of places that most travelers would simply walk past without someone there to explain their significance.
The Best Naples Travel Experiences Are the Ones That Fit You
Perhaps my favorite part of our conversation wasn't about a particular destination at all. Instead, it was Karen's philosophy about travel. She explained that when people contact her, one of the first questions she asks isn't where they want to go. Instead, she asks what kind of traveler they are. Do they love history? Museums? Wine? Archaeology? Quiet neighborhoods? Local markets? Food? Beaches?
It's such a simple question, yet one that many travelers never ask themselves. Too often we arrive in Italy carrying someone else's itinerary, convinced we need to check off every famous attraction because social media says we should. Karen encourages visitors to do exactly the opposite. Build your days around what genuinely interests you, and you'll leave with memories that are personal rather than predictable.
I couldn't agree more. Some of my favorite experiences in Italy have come from turning down an unfamiliar street, accepting a local recommendation, or spending an afternoon somewhere that never appeared in a guidebook. Those are the moments that stay with us long after the trip has ended, and they are often the Naples travel experiences we remember most vividly.
Planning Your Own Naples Travel Experience with Andiamo Trips
One of the many advantages for visitors staying in Rome is that these experiences are surprisingly easy to reach. High-speed trains connect Rome and Naples in just over an hour, making it entirely realistic to spend the day exploring Campania before returning to Rome that evening. Whether you're interested in wine-focused Naples travel experiences, discovering ancient Baia, cruising through the Bay of Naples, or exploring neighborhoods that most tourists never see, Andiamo Trips offers opportunities to experience southern Italy in a much deeper and more personal way.
If this conversation has sparked your curiosity, I encourage you to listen to the full podcast episode. You'll hear Karen describe these experiences in much greater detail, along with many practical tips for planning a visit to Naples, Ischia, Procida, and the surrounding Campania region. I'll also include links to Karen's website, Andiamo Trips, her Substack, and her social media so you can explore everything she has to offer and perhaps begin planning some unforgettable Naples travel experiences of your own.
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