Melissa Gorga & Margaret Josephs Share Their Go-To Essentials for a Relaxing Getaway

After a drama-filled Season 13 of The Real Housewives of New Jersey, we’re sure all the ladies could really use a getaway. That includes Melissa Gorga and Margaret Josephs, who are already planning their next big trips — and reflecting on their favorite vacation memories in the process. 

In the video below, Melissa and Margaret dish about their ultimate travel experiences, first speaking about the pleasure of taking a scenic drive. “Who doesn’t love going on a road trip? Stopping at all the rest stops, I get to taste all the food along the way… I love a road trip,” Margaret gushes. 

“One hundred percent!” Melissa agrees. “Get me out of here, let’s go somewhere good, let’s look at some scenery… I’m all about a road trip!” 

The New Jersey ladies also share similar sentiments about whether they’d prefer to relax at the beach or a pool, with Margaret having a very hilariously specific reason for her answer. “I’ve done enough misbehaving around a pool!” Margaret quipped before giving another reason for her “beach day” choice. “I love feeling my toes in the sand, going in the ocean,” she shared. Melissa concurred, “I just wanna go to an island — I’m [about] a beach day all day long!”

To find out more about creating the ideal vacation experience, we’ve enlisted Melissa and Margaret to divulge their best tips for travel, their favorite getaway spots, and more. Keep reading to get the details: 

Melissa Gorga and Margaret Josephs Share Their Go-To Essentials for a Perfect Getaway

Delightful Drives 

Margaret: I like to go up to Cold Spring [New York]. Just anything [where] I could go to a small town and have brunch and do antiquing — New Hope [Pennsylvania] or Cold Spring.

Melissa: I’ll drive to East Hampton. That’s still a good drive. I think it’s pretty and there [are] the vineyards out there. 

Go-To Vacation Destinations

Melissa: I have two [places] I love. Lately, I’ve been loving Europe, because we just went to Ireland. And we went to Italy. I love Europe, but I’m a big beach girl, so any island… I truly, truly love St. Barts; it’s one of my absolute favorite places. You get, like, beach, island, party, chic, shopping — everything. All in one. 

Margaret: I always say Italy’s my favorite place. [My husband, Joe Benigno, and I] love to go to the Amalfi Coast [and] Florence. We’ve [also] been going to Mustique. It’s a very small island, so there’s literally nothing to do there. I like that [because you can] just go and relax. The beaches are magnificent. There’s only one small hotel on the island, so you have to rent a house. People invite you to parties, so you socialize with everybody there. You drive a little golf cart around the whole island and it’s fantastic. We love it!

Stellar Staycations 

Margaret: I live 25 minutes from New York City, and I come to stay in the city and we stay at the Bowery Hotel. That’s our favorite hotel in the city. There’s something about it. There [are] really cool people there.

Melissa: For [my] anniversary [with my husband, Joe Gorga], we stayed at the Peninsula. Our staycation is in New York City as well. We go to The Polo Bar. It’s fun to do something that you wouldn’t normally do. 

Travel Beauty & Skincare Must-Haves  

Melissa: I love a tinted moisturizer. I’m big on CC creams on vacation. I like something that gives you a little tint but has to have SPF in it. I am anal with my skin and the sun, so I don’t allow my skin in the sun at all. I always have a visor on or a big hat on. I’m anti-sun on my face or neck. It’s only allowed to go on my legs and on my stomach. For me, it’s all about glowy skin protection.

Margaret: I’m a big tinted moisturizer fan also. I always do a NARS tinted moisturizer as well because I don’t like to really wear a lot of makeup during the day on a vacation.

Getaway Fashion & Style 

Margaret: We’re the total opposite. I am like this on vacation: I pack coordinating outfits. I am full glam vacation, even on a beach vacation. [I like] coordinating kaftans with bathing suits. I’ll have my hair up with the big sunglasses and the platformed wedges on the beach. Full vintage glam.

Melissa: She’s full glam vacation! I am full hair in a bun, flip-flops on, I don’t wanna see a heel ever [...] my dressy night would consist of a wedge!

Airplane Essentials 

Melissa: I stay very hydrated. I do believe in that. I also bring Sleepytime tea with me [...] It’s gonna be a flight that’s over five hours or something, I take a little Sleepytime tea and take a little nap.

Margaret: I have to bring a cashmere blanket with a matching pillow that doubles as a wrap. And my good-luck rosary.

Favorite Vacation Activities 

Melissa: When I’m on vacation, depending on where, we usually rent a boat or a yacht for the day. 

Margaret: [If] I’m on a beach vacation, we’ll rent a boat as well. If we’re in Europe, I’m doing every museum. I have to do every cultural thing, otherwise I feel guilty.

Melissa: And I’m doing no museums! I do not wanna say anything or hear history at all. Joe and I do not sightsee.

Superior Shopping 

Margaret: Capri has amazing shopping. Saint-Tropez has amazing shopping. St. Barts actually has very good shopping.

Melissa: It does. I bought jewelry there. St. Barts [...] you get beautiful cover-ups and beautiful summer jewelry that you won’t find here. Summer cover-ups and bathing suits and even, like, bedazzled flip-flops that are hard to find at home. Unique pieces.

Margaret: That jewelry store we went to in Ireland together — that vintage jewelry store —
it was beautiful. 

Melissa: I could’ve bought five different pieces! 

Margaret: Yeah, they had beautiful unique pieces. I like to get vintage estate jewelry. ’Cause then no one else has it!