Italy travel guide: the best cities and how to plan a trip
Italy rewards a short trip because the cities are close together and the trains between the big ones are fast. The mistake is trying to see all of it. Pick two or three places, give each enough nights, and book the few things that sell out, such as the Last Supper in Milan and the Vatican Museums in Rome.
The short answer
- First trip
- Rome, Florence and Venice, in that order or the reverse. They are linked by fast trains and cover ancient history, Renaissance art and a city built on water.
- How long
- Ten days lets you do three cities without rushing. A week works for two cities plus a day trip. Fewer than five days is one city and one side trip.
- Best time to go
- April to early June and September to October. July and August are hot and crowded in the cities and on the coast.
- Getting around
- Train between cities, on foot within them. You only need a car for the countryside, such as Tuscany's hill towns.
- Money
- The euro. Cards are widely taken, but keep some cash for coffee, small shops and the odd market.
- Book ahead
- The Last Supper, the Vatican Museums, the Colosseum, the Uffizi and Venice in high season. Trains are cheaper the earlier you book.
Best cities to visit in Italy
Rome
The ancient capital and the easiest place to start, with more to see than a short trip can hold. It suits first-timers and anyone who likes history on foot.
Give it 3 to 4 days
Milan
Italy's business and fashion city, with the Duomo, the Last Supper and strong rail links. It suits design, shopping and a stopover on the way to the lakes.
Give it 2 days
Florence
Compact and full of Renaissance art, and a good base for Tuscany. It suits art lovers and people who want a walkable city.
Give it 2 to 3 days
Venice
A car-free city of canals that is best early in the morning and in the evening, once the day trippers have gone. It suits couples and anyone who wants somewhere unlike anywhere else.
Give it 2 days
Verona
A small, pretty city with a Roman arena and an easy pace. It suits a short stop between Venice and Milan or Lake Garda.
Give it 1 to 2 days
Bologna
A university town with long arcades and some of Italy's best eating. It suits food-led trips and is a short train from Florence, Venice and Milan.
Give it 2 days
Naples
Loud, crowded and good, with the best pizza reputation in the country and Pompeii and Vesuvius nearby. It suits people who want real city life over polish.
Give it 2 to 3 days
Sorrento
A cliff-top town on the Bay of Naples, used as a base for Capri, Pompeii and the Amalfi Coast. It suits a beach-and-sights week.
Give it 3 to 4 days
Lake Como
Mountain-ringed lake villages reached by ferry. It suits slow days, gardens and villas, and is easy to add to a Milan trip.
Give it 2 to 3 days
Palermo
Sicily's capital, with a mix of Arab, Norman and Baroque buildings and some of the country's best street food. It suits travelers who want a different Italy.
Give it 2 to 3 days
Siena
A medieval hill town with a famous shell-shaped square. It suits a quiet night or two in Tuscany, usually on the way between Florence and Rome.
Give it 1 to 2 days
Turin
A grand, orderly northern city with big museums and good cafes, and few tourist crowds. It suits repeat visitors and anyone heading to the Alps.
Give it 2 days
Beyond the cities
Tuscany's hill towns
Towns such as San Gimignano and Pienza sit in rolling country south of Florence. They are easiest with a car, or on a small-group day trip from Florence or Siena.
The Amalfi Coast
A steep coastline of lemon terraces and cliff villages, reached from Sorrento or Naples by ferry or bus. Roads are slow in summer, so the ferry is often quicker.
Cinque Terre
Five small fishing villages on the Ligurian coast, linked by a local train and walking paths. It works as a day trip from La Spezia or as a night or two on the coast.
The Dolomites
Jagged mountains in the north-east with walking in summer and skiing in winter. Base yourself in a valley town and rent a car, or use the regional buses.
Puglia
The heel of the boot, with white hill towns, olive groves and a long coast. It is far from the tourist circuit and best with a car.
Italy itineraries
- Seven days: Rome and Florence
Spend three nights in Rome and three in Florence, with a day trip to Siena or a Tuscan hill town. Take the fast train between them, about an hour and a half. Fly into Rome and out of Florence or Pisa if you can.
- Ten days: Rome, Florence, Venice
Four nights in Rome, three in Florence and three in Venice. Both transfers are fast trains of about one and a half to two hours. This is the classic first trip and the easiest to book.
- Twelve days: Milan to Naples
Start in Milan, add Lake Como, then go down by train through Bologna and Florence to Rome, and finish with Naples and Sorrento. It uses the high-speed line the whole way, so there is little backtracking.
- Fourteen days: north to south
Venice, Bologna, Florence, Rome, Naples and the coast, with two nights in most places and a long weekend on the Amalfi side. Add Palermo only if you can spare three more days, because it is a flight away.
Best time to visit Italy
Spring and early autumn are the best seasons for a city break. April to early June and September to October bring mild weather, long days and thinner crowds than July and August. October is also good for food, with truffles and the grape harvest.
July and August are hot, especially in Rome, Florence and the south, and many Italians take holiday around mid-August, so some small restaurants and shops close. Winter is quiet and cheaper in the cities, wet in places, and the right time for Dolomite skiing. The lakes and coastal resorts mostly shut from November to Easter.
How to get around Italy
- TrainsThe main route is the high-speed line from Turin and Milan through Bologna, Florence and Rome to Naples. Trenitalia runs the Frecciarossa and Frecciargento trains and Italo runs a rival high-speed service on the same line. Both price by demand, so book early. Trenitalia also runs the regional and intercity trains that serve smaller towns.
- Rail passesItaly takes the Interrail and Eurail passes. Check the reservation fees on fast trains before you buy, because on a short trip point-to-point tickets are often cheaper.
- Regional trainsSlower and cheaper, and the way to reach most smaller towns. Validate paper tickets in the machine on the platform before you board, unless the ticket is for a fixed train and time.
- DrivingWorth it for Tuscany, Puglia and the Dolomites, and a poor idea inside cities. Most historic centers have limited traffic zones that fine drivers who enter without a permit, so park outside and walk in.
- Flights and ferriesFlights are the sensible way to reach Sicily and Sardinia from the north. Ferries and hydrofoils link Naples, Sorrento, Capri and the Amalfi coast.
What to book before you go
These are the ones that sell out across Italy. Each city guide has its own list.
- The Last Supper, Milan2 to 3 months ahead
Entry is in small timed groups and tickets sell out far in advance.
- Vatican Museums and the Colosseum, Rome2 to 4 weeks ahead
Timed tickets let you skip the longest queues, and the busy months sell out.
- Uffizi and the Accademia, Florence2 to 4 weeks ahead
Both run on timed entry and fill up from spring to autumn.
- High-speed trainsAs soon as you know your dates
Fares rise as seats sell, and the cheapest go first.
- Hotels in Venice and on the coast2 to 3 months ahead for summer
These places have few rooms and a short season.
Money, tipping and practical things
- CurrencyThe euro.
- Cards and cashCards are widely accepted in restaurants and shops, but small bars, markets and some transport machines still prefer cash. Visa and Mastercard are the safest; Amex is less common.
- TippingNot expected. Many restaurants add a cover charge (coperto) per person; if the bill shows a service charge, you need not add more. Rounding up or leaving a few euros for good service is plenty.
- Tourist taxesEach town sets its own tax on overnight stays, charged per person per night and usually paid at the hotel when you leave. Rates differ by town and by hotel category, and children are often exempt.
- EntryNon-EU visitors are registered at the border by the EU's Entry/Exit System. Whether you need a visa, and an ETIAS travel authorization once it starts, depends on your passport: check the EU's official site, travel-europe.europa.eu, before you book.
- PlugsType F and type L sockets at 230 volts. A plain two-pin European adaptor covers both.
What to skip in Italy
- Too many cities in a short trip
Moving hotel every night eats the day. Cut one city and give the rest an extra night.
- Restaurants with photo menus beside the big sights
Walk three or four streets away and the same money buys a better meal.
- Driving into city centers
Limited traffic zones and parking make it slower and more expensive than the train. Pick up the car when you leave the city.
- Visiting Venice only on a day trip in August
The crowds are heaviest then. Stay a night, or go in spring or autumn.
Italy: questions people ask
How many days do you need in Italy?
Seven to ten days is enough for a first trip: three nights each in Rome and Florence, and two or three in Venice. You can do a long weekend in one city, but a country-wide tour in under a week means a lot of traveling.
What is the best month to visit Italy?
May and September are the safest bets: warm, long days, and fewer crowds than July and August. October suits food and cities, and April can be rainy but is good for Rome and the south.
What are the best places to visit in Italy for first timers?
Rome, Florence and Venice give the best mix of ancient sites, art and atmosphere, and the trains between them are quick. Add Naples and the Amalfi Coast, or Milan and Lake Como, if you have more time.
Is Italy expensive to visit?
It can be, in Venice, on the coast and in summer. Costs fall in the south, in smaller cities and outside July and August. Eating at lunch, taking regional trains and booking hotels early all help.
Do you need a car in Italy?
Not for a city trip. Trains link the big cities, and cars are a nuisance in historic centers. Hire one only for the countryside, such as Tuscany or Puglia.
How does the tourist tax work in Italy?
Each town sets its own, charged per person per night on top of the room rate, and the hotel collects it. Rates vary by town and hotel category, and some towns exempt children or cap the number of nights.
Do I need to book Italian trains in advance?
For high-speed trains, yes if you want the lower fares, since prices rise as seats sell. Regional trains are fixed-price and need no booking.
Can I visit Italy without speaking Italian?
Yes. English is common in hotels and the main sights. A few words such as buongiorno, grazie and il conto go a long way in small places.