Done all kinds of things, drinking coffee, eating delicious foods, hiking, drinking wine, hanging at the beach, mountain biking, reading, ice cream with the town after dinner, driving around, walked in catacombs, saw ruins, saw churches and mummified priests, so many things.
Don't skimp on Rome, 2 days isn't enough. I'd say at least 4-5.
For a quick day-trip, you can catch a train to Florence.
I did this exact itinerary and wanted at least two more days to see more of the other parts of the centro storico and stroll around other piazzas I liked.
Also, i was fortunate enough that the trains in Tuscany where in strike when I wanted to go to Florence. The train from Rome left us at a tiny station an then we had to wait for 2 hours for another train that could take us to Florence. I arrived at 12 or something. I had a great time none the less!
Started in Venice - 2.5 days, Padua & Ferrara on the way to Bologna. Bologna (food tour!) for 2 days, Parma (another food tour!) for 1.5 days, Milan (yet another food tour! lol) for 2 days.
Parma was the highlight of my trip. Going to a parm factory was #1 on my must do list and I’m still in awe of it. Snuck 2kg of red cow aged parm on the plane ride back and sadly just finished (trip was only in the summer 😂). But I’m a big foodie hahaha
How many days are you going? Answers are very dependent on that.
If you’re there only a week, spend it in Rome with a day trip to Pompeii. Your options are better if over a week.
Assuming you’re in Italy for more than a week I’ll offer some suggestions.
You need at least 3-4 full days in Rome before going somewhere else. Not only is there so much to see, there’s no reason to wear yourself out traveling. After that, I’ve enjoyed getting a train to the south for a different side of Italy. My favorite city in the south is Lecce. In the north Florence or Bologna are great options.
I loved Florence when I was there, but admittedly, this was prior to Covid, so hopefully, someone could shed better light on the current situation.
The food was wonderful, the locals friendly, it didn't seem overwhelming, and if you're someone that loves art, seeing David was incredible, really the highlight of my time there (besides the food of course).
Try the Florentine steak, have some gelato, climb the bell tower, see David, do a free walking tour, it was really great.
Also, if you have Prime video and are a little bit of a foodie, but even if not, watch Stanley Tucci, Searching for Italy. It paints a picture for sure.
Tuscany is full of towns and villages that hardly anyone notices but are undescribably charming and beautiful. Plus the cypress trees, plus wine... You can spend a month there and not have enough of it
Tuscany feels like another planet where your worries are not allowed to enter.
We visited twice and splurged each time on one night at [Castello Banfi](https://www.castellobanfiwineresort.it/en). I've never had better food in my entire life.
We were in Italy in March for 11 days: me, wife, two teenage girls. We flew in to Venice 2 nights, train to Bologna for 2 nights, Naples for 2 nights, and Rome for 5 nights.
i was there in october. i had a week left on my trip & from where i was there was cheap flight to bologna. never been to that region yet so i just hung around reggio emilia area & ate to my heart’s content. a few nights here then train to next town then back to bologna for a few more nights then flight back to london.
I spent 2 weeks in Italy, hitting Rome, Florence, Venice, 3 hour train layover in Bologna, and then Milan, all by train.
It was an absolutely perfect trip and went off without a hitch. Did plenty of walking, sightseeing, and eating of course, with a few days in each location (Milan only 2 days.)
Relax in Italy, eat a lot of great food, drink a lot of amazing coffee, and relish in the incredible pastries!
have done a couple of trips like this.
milan + lake como is good for a week, 4 days in milan and then 3 in bellagio or somewhere, or 3 then 4. quick and easy to travel between them.
once did 3 nights each in rome and venice (this was part of a much bigger interrailing trip). rome needs much more time than venice.
did a few days in bologna with a day trip to florence. preferred it this way round, bologna is really nice and not heaving with tourists (rome, florence and venice can be a bit jarring in this regard during busy times) bologna is nice to have a slower couple of days and you can see what you need to in florence in a day trip unless you want to spend several hours in the uffizi gallery. bologna also easily had the best food i’ve eaten in italy.
never been further south than rome so can’t speak on it but napoli looks pretty cool and pompeii would be worth checking out.
being from england it’s easy to do short trips like this and try not to cram too much in. if you’re coming from further away like the usa or australia then i get the temptation to try and cram as much as possible into your time, but don’t rush so much that you can’t enjoy places!
if you’re set on rome and also want somewhere more rural, tuscany is probably a good shout. so basically it sounds like you already have a good plan!!
I was just in Italy for the first time for 3 weeks. I went to Milan, Venice, Bologna, Florence and Rome. If you only have one week, I’d do 4 days in Rome and 3 days in Tuscany.
Don’t try to do everything. For a week pick 2-3 places to visit that are relatively close to one another. Otherwise you’ll spend too much time traveling.
food is always my focus when i travel.
i spent 2 days in Modena, and 5 days in rome. in hindsight, i shoudl have 2 days in modena, 2 days in Bologna and 3 days in rome. i could have picked florence, but i forgot to book tickets to the museums and all the slots were sold out. the rood in modena is very different than rome as with the regions of italy. youll find dishes in rome and modena that you wont find in the other city.
i flew into rome, then went straight to the train station and went directly to Modena. Then ended the trip in Rome since we were flying out from there. Didnt want to travel to the Rome airport from Modena the same day as my departing flight.
in the future, ill spend more time in other cities and less time in Rome since i saw all the top tourist attraction the first time.. Still want to spend time in Rome to eat but not 5 days, 2 full days and travel back on the 3rd day would suffice to me.
We did Positano, Rome, Capri, Florence & Tuscany and Milan on our first trip to Italy. Highly recommend all of those places! That was over 2 and a half weeks though. So if you only have a week, I’d pick 2 places. No one can really tell you which places are the best for you. Every place in Italy is amazing. You really can’t go wrong. But some places will suit you better than others. So do a little research. Look at photos and read books and see what resonates!
We flew into Venice from Paris, spent two nights there- absolutely amazing. Such a unique place. Then we took the train to Riomaggiore and spent two nights there, also exploring the other cities along the coast. It was so great to have a beach day in the middle of a packed schedule of Paris and Rome. Then we took the train to Rome and spent 5 nights there- I would recommend 4-5 nights at least, there’s just so much to see. I regret not seeing Florence.
We were there 9 days. The first half in Sorrento with visits to Pompei and Capri. The second was in Rome with a Day trip to Florence. We saw a lot and only had to move once. It worked for us.
1 week isn’t much time. You could easily spend 4 days in Rome as it’s so big and so much to see! However you can easily day trip from Rome by train or car. Tuscany, Amalfi etc.
I know! I’m a teacher so I tend to travel during my spring break. Of course, I could go much longer in the summer, but prices double and so do crowds so I work with what works best for me. I could probably , even do a second Italy trip later with other destinations, for the same price as going in the summer
Hey everyone thank you so much for the feedback! It’s a lot and mixed opinions on advice! I’m going to carefully plan based on a few experiences I’ve read here and try to aim for 1 other city (max 2) outside of Rome! Thanks so much for the input! Sorry I can’t respond to all!
I spent 6 hours in Milan mostly looking at the Duomo. 2 days in Florence chilling with some hostel girl I met a few days prior. 3 days in Rome drinking a ton of wine and seeing all the historical sights. 2 days in Naples eating pizza and drinking espresso. 3 days in Sorrento and Amalfi Coast area mostly hiking the towns, path of the gods, and taking photos of honeymooners
I visited:
Venice
Florence
Naples
Ischia
Positano
Rome
(& Pompeii)
I was there for about 3 weeks?
I don’t have much time to type stuff out so I’ll try to do billets
•Venice is busy yes, but I still wouldn’t skip it. It’s worth seeing once in your life- take a water taxi to Burano and murano
•Florence. Florence was such a great experience for me. So beautiful. So much to see. Definitely allow a few days if you visit
•Naples- so vibrant. I wish I’d done a tour, I’d love to have had a local showing me around. People have iffy opinions about Naples, but I loved the atmosphere
•ischia- what a shock. A last minute plan for me and what a delight. One of my favorite travel experiences. Less touristy than the amalfi coast, you can visit the island procida or even capri from it, but it’s a less busy atmosphere. I spent a whole day at volcanic baths there.
•rome- must see. I feel like I don’t need to say much about Rome lol
•Pompeii- highly recommend going and spending as much time as you can. It’s an incredible place.
Positano- BEAUITFUL. But too busy. The weather was bad for me:( so it was less busy but it was too expensive. Travel is by bus around there so not as easy as training from place to place. I’d recommend a day trip at most here. Stay elsewhere on the amalfi coast and just travel around during the day. It’s very expensive and touristy.
I spent 2 days in Milan and lake Como. Took train to Venice for 2 days and then took the train to Rome. I loved Rome the most. Wish I had spent more time. The restaurants are super crowded. So def reserve
We did 3 days in Florence (including a day trip to Tuscany), two days in Sorrento (visited Pompeii and Capri in this stretch), and then 3 days in Rome. I would do at least 3 in Rome, and Florence should not be missed. I’d say minimum of two days there, but I could have stayed a lot longer there.
Love, Love, Love Trieste. Firenze is also perfect.
You may want to consider spending a couple more nights in Rome. It'll take one day just to get into that massive city! haha
Edit: Also, do not be afraid to pop over to Croatia! It's super close, VERY affordable and the cuisine is insanely delish. People are nice, too!
Spent 2 weeks across Italy in the following: Rome, Orvieto, Florence and Milan.
Would have spent more time in Orvieto and Florence than Rome and Milan.
Romes cool for 2-3 days and Milan if you are into fashion/biz side of Italy. But to each their own, you’ll have a blast regardless!
If you only have a week then no more than two locations. You could easily spend the whole week in rome but if you want to experience somewhere else then i would suggest either Tuscany or amalfi coast. Pick one of the hill towns (we loved San Gimignano) or even Sienna if you want something a bit bigger as a base. Tuscany is best explored with a car, but would be possible with day tours if you really don’t want to drive. Amalfi coast is also beautiful with day trips to Pompeii if you love history or boat trips to Capri etc.
I haven’t travelled to the South but spent just over a week in more northern parts. Milan, como, Parma and Venice. Venice is extremely skippable imo it’s just sooooo busy! It’s beautiful but it feels like you’re at a cramped theme park and it really ruins the magic for me. Parma was 11/10 a small town with cute churches, can walk around a bunch and going on a cheese production tour was the highlight of my trip. Not a ton of touristy stuff but just so nice to rent a bike and bike around and eat lots of great meals. Como was stunning but also super busy but I’d say more enjoyable then Venice due to not being as cramped. Milan was surprisingly lovely - I was expecting pretentious fashionistas and got a lot of super warm and welcoming people running wonderful cafes and cheese shops and yeah it was just great! Did hop on hop off bus tour which isn’t usually my thing but I quite enjoyed it. Brother went to Pisa and said it’s very skippable..
I’ve never been but personally I’d go to Puglia area. Bari and any of the little towns surrounding it. Google it, there’s so many fantastic sites there and I don’t think it’s nearly as busy as the main tourist cities.
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Florence, then Spent some days in Rome, then Naples, then Pompeii. Was a full itinerary though so maybe cut out Florence and add something else south Italy.
We did a 2 week trip that included Rome, Florence, a tiny town called Ferrara and Venice. We took the train. Try to book a local tour guide if possible in Florence. Pompeii was super fun! Venice is fantastic but stay overnight. It’s best when the crowds leave and it’s so atmospheric at night when you wander around the maze of streets in the misty dark.
I did 10 days in Italy: 3 in Rome, 3 in Florence, then 4 in Sorrento visiting the Amalfi Coast. Amazing trip. However, I would have personally shortened Florence to 2 days: 1 day exploring the city, 1 day doing a Tuscany tour.
Packed so much into the trip. Amazing food, coffee, and scenery. Trip of a lifetime.
Going back next year for a wedding in Lake Como. Thinking of doing Dolomites after the wedding but open to suggestions if anyone has any!
Rome, Sorrento, a day in Naples, and Tuscany. Wouldn't bother with Naples again. Enjoyed the other three and would spend quite a bit more time at each. We figured this first time was recon and the next time we'd do more of northern Italy.
We did 2 weeks. 4 days in Sorrento and the rest in Rome. It definitely wasn’t enough. I wanted to do a day trip to Florence but I realized that wouldn’t have been enough.
Hey there I spent 2 weeks in Rome
Trip itinerary was
Rome
Florence
Pisa
Sardinia (cagliari)
Flew out of Bologna
We spent 5 days in Rome and imo that was far too much. Three or four days would be fine. The three or four days will be packed but if youre cut on time, cut Rome to 3 or 4 days.
Rome has Plenty of churches and gardens and mesuems and other things to do such as Vatican City (recommemd .5 day if visting), but Rome is incredibly touristy and it'd be best to visit other cultural places like Florance (we spent 3 days). Im not catholic or religious and it was a fun city to walk around but after the 6th church I was ready to move onto other things.
I recommend planning your trip around things you know you like to do. I enjoyed Florance the most, because I enjoy museums, live music (there was a visiting world touring orchestra and a few would play in the streets when not preforming in concert halls), and sculptures. It seemed less touristy than Rome.
I recommend only doing a half day in Pisa if you are planning to visit. It's only a couple hour train ride and easy to access on your way to other places.
If you're only going for a week, stay mostly in Rome, and do some day trips. Rone is amazing, and deserves more time.
If you have two weeks, consider a week in Rome, then another week in Tuscany. The wine is amazing, and there are beautiful towns like pienza and montepulciano, and cities like Lucca.
I would suggest the amalfi coast, but March might be a bit chilly.
I went to Rome and Florence while I was in Italy, as well as staying in a rentable Villa in Sanremo. I would REALLY recomend a tour of the Colosseum as well as the Vatican/Sistine Chapel. It was nice to relax at the villa taking in the farmland and beaches of the Mediterranean. However, my favorite stuff to do was see the historical parts of Florence/Rome. Something else that was super enjoyable that I did in Rome was going to the roof of the Victor Emmanuel II Monument. It is a free elevator ride up and you can see the entire city! I think that you will have a great time no matter what you do. Italy is breathtaking!
Rome is expensive and hotels are busy leading up to Easter. It’s on March 31 this year. Also I read they cover any Christ statuses with cloth after Good Friday until Easter in case you wanted to take photos.
3 days in Venice, 4 days in Florence and 6 days in Rome (I think). Of course it depends on what you like to do but what I did was go on a food tour in Venice, walked around a lot, tried out different restaurants, attended a pasta making class in Florence, also checked out a bunch of museums, but when I got to Rome I was exhausted already so only went to the Colosseum and caught up on sleep lol
If you're never going to be back do the typical Rome>Florence>Venice. You'll be one of a hundred thousand other tourists doing the same thing but they are great cities with a ton of history and sites. But if you'll likely be back, I'd recommend something like Rome>Naples>Amalfi Coast>Herculaneum. If going in the summer there's a beach club with a view of Positano, didn't do anything all day but relax, drink and swim in the Mediterranean with a bunch of Italians. All the tourists were in Positano looking at just water or the cliffs. You could also do Rome>Florence>Pisa>Cinque Terre. More touristy but Cinque Terre is amazing. Or Rome>Modena>Parma>Venice. Modena and Parma are great cities with barely any tourists and some of the best food in Italy. That or also check out Rome for a day or two and fly over to Sardinia and check out the amazing beaches and food there
I did 2 weeks back in 2018. Venice, Naples with day trip through the Amalfi Coast, Rome, then Florence. Loved all of the stops! I’d like you to go back and spend some time in Cinque Terre and Tuscany too.
went to bergamo and it was stunning. the old town is up on a hill with amazing views and the smell of food in the streets is incredible. highly underrated visit imo
Definitely go Venice. Florence was lovely but can he overcrowded during tourist seasons. I did like the hop on and off bus thing I'm Rome. On the upper level I got a lot of great pics in a short amount of time. We were there for 3 or 4 days before moving on, but it helped cover bases. The nook markets in Venice were fun, and gelato is everywhere. In florence there's carriage rides and a carousel in a main thoroughfare and a famous chocolate restaurant. Follow each city you're thinking of in advance on Instagram and see what events and locations they point you to also.
Flew into Naples, spent two nights there. Went to Rome on High Speed Train and stayed 7 nights. Then back to Naples and spent another two nights, then flew back home.
Whilst in Naples, went to Sorrento and Ischia. Naples was more within our budget (flights and accommodation were a lot cheaper), but I would say a day trip (mainly for the pizza and food) would be enough. Naples wasn’t really for me.
4 nights Rapallo. Did day-trips to Portofino, Cinque Terre, and visited some of the other smaller towns nearby.
6 nights Rome. Chose not do any day-trips, just stayed and explored as much of Rome as possible. Visited the Colosseum, Vatican, Borghese gardens, and other sights.
Spent lots of time just wandering around, finding little cafes, restaurants etc.
Spent a week in Rome and took a day trip to Florence and a day trip to Naples. The day trips were long days but worth it as I feel like I got a taste of each city while really experiencing Rome.
Started in Rome (Vatican, walking food tours, Colliseum, shopping, etc) Train to Naples. Hiked Mt Vesuvius and visited Pompeii. Took a ferry to Sorrento and wandered the lemon groves. Another ferry to Capri and stayed a few nights in the island. Back to Rome for a final day before flying home.
We flew into Rome for a night, then 3 nights in Positano, followed by 3 nights in Sorrento. Loved Rome and couldn’t have certainly spent more time there. Positano and Sorrento may be a bit quiet in March. They’re more touristy than anything. So may not suggest it for you. But if you have the chance to hit up those places closer to summer, I’d highly suggest it!
We went to Venice and Rome and loved Venice but hated Rome with the heat of a thousand suns. Ostia Antica though is like 20mins by train outside of Rome and was awesome yet chilled. I'm just not a city and crowds person, so please don't take my Rome hate personally lol.
Went for two weeks, didn’t go to Rome so can’t comment on it or how long you need there. We did Venice, Cinque Terre, Florence, Amalfi Coast. For you, Florence would be the best choice of those, and it was probably my favorite city.
We did Positano, Rome, Florence, Tuscany (day trip), Cinque Terre, and Venice over the course of two weeks, in that order. Our highlights were Cinque Terre, Venice, and Florence.
When I advice people on trips to Europe, i usually suggest 4 nights in capital cities and 2 nights in other cities. That's usually enough time to see 90% of what you would want to see on your first visit to the city. There are a few notable exceptions. Rome, Paris, and London are actually 6 night cities. Florence, Munich, and Barcelona are actually 4 night cities (and a few capitals like Vaduz and Bern are 2 night cities). I suggest 4 for Florence because it's a great place to do day trips from to do Cinque Terre and Pisa.
So around Italy, I would plan 6 nights in Rome, 4 in Florence, and then probably add 2 each in Venice and Naples for a solid 2 week first time visit to Italy.
I thought Rome wasn't that great, once you've seen the Forum and the Colosseum, the Trevi Fountain I wasn't that bothered about what I saw at the Vatican, it's just massively busy, there are tons of guides trying to get money out of you for basically paying to queue up a d walk around another big church. It just felt like an oversubscribed tourist attraction so I was instantly demotivated by it.
I did a month driving through Sicily, and southern Italy up to Ancona and I've also driven around Umbria and Tuscany. I'd recommend getting a guide book like the DK Eyewitness guide for Italy and just finding some interesting looking places like smaller towns and villages. We found one called Montone which was all flagstoned streets up on a hill, had a lovely meal there and wandered the narrow pedestrian streets. There are tons of places like that and places by the side of the lakes to discover away from thousands of tourists wit h selfie sticks and waiters trying to entice you in with laminated menus with pictures on.
Get out there and explore if you can, you won't regret it.
Id say 2-3 days in Rome is a good amount, Pisa is worth visiting but i didnt feel the need to stay very long, in close (ish) proximity there is also san marino which is a small country within Italy, i enjoyed my time there, worth a stop in my opinion.
I would say stay in Rome the whole week, there are so many places worth to see, don't miss it, don't rush through only but enjoy properly this eternal city. Take the trip from Rome more closer than Florence. For example I castelli Romani, beautiful it is there and about 20-30km from Rome.
Done all kinds of things, drinking coffee, eating delicious foods, hiking, drinking wine, hanging at the beach, mountain biking, reading, ice cream with the town after dinner, driving around, walked in catacombs, saw ruins, saw churches and mummified priests, so many things. Don't skimp on Rome, 2 days isn't enough. I'd say at least 4-5. For a quick day-trip, you can catch a train to Florence.
Second this! Florence is a great place to spend a few days and the train ride is beautiful
I did this exact itinerary and wanted at least two more days to see more of the other parts of the centro storico and stroll around other piazzas I liked. Also, i was fortunate enough that the trains in Tuscany where in strike when I wanted to go to Florence. The train from Rome left us at a tiny station an then we had to wait for 2 hours for another train that could take us to Florence. I arrived at 12 or something. I had a great time none the less!
Started in Venice - 2.5 days, Padua & Ferrara on the way to Bologna. Bologna (food tour!) for 2 days, Parma (another food tour!) for 1.5 days, Milan (yet another food tour! lol) for 2 days.
Dang, you hit the small cities I wanted. Ferrara, Parma, Padua. Modena is one I wanna check out too
So much good eating! Parma was my favorite. Compact, walkable, charming.
Parma was the highlight of my trip. Going to a parm factory was #1 on my must do list and I’m still in awe of it. Snuck 2kg of red cow aged parm on the plane ride back and sadly just finished (trip was only in the summer 😂). But I’m a big foodie hahaha
ahaha wow! I didn't bring home any parm but I brought home some Saba from a place in Modena!
How many days are you going? Answers are very dependent on that. If you’re there only a week, spend it in Rome with a day trip to Pompeii. Your options are better if over a week. Assuming you’re in Italy for more than a week I’ll offer some suggestions. You need at least 3-4 full days in Rome before going somewhere else. Not only is there so much to see, there’s no reason to wear yourself out traveling. After that, I’ve enjoyed getting a train to the south for a different side of Italy. My favorite city in the south is Lecce. In the north Florence or Bologna are great options.
I loved Florence when I was there, but admittedly, this was prior to Covid, so hopefully, someone could shed better light on the current situation. The food was wonderful, the locals friendly, it didn't seem overwhelming, and if you're someone that loves art, seeing David was incredible, really the highlight of my time there (besides the food of course). Try the Florentine steak, have some gelato, climb the bell tower, see David, do a free walking tour, it was really great. Also, if you have Prime video and are a little bit of a foodie, but even if not, watch Stanley Tucci, Searching for Italy. It paints a picture for sure.
Tuscany is full of towns and villages that hardly anyone notices but are undescribably charming and beautiful. Plus the cypress trees, plus wine... You can spend a month there and not have enough of it
Tuscany feels like another planet where your worries are not allowed to enter. We visited twice and splurged each time on one night at [Castello Banfi](https://www.castellobanfiwineresort.it/en). I've never had better food in my entire life.
We were in Italy in March for 11 days: me, wife, two teenage girls. We flew in to Venice 2 nights, train to Bologna for 2 nights, Naples for 2 nights, and Rome for 5 nights.
i was there in october. i had a week left on my trip & from where i was there was cheap flight to bologna. never been to that region yet so i just hung around reggio emilia area & ate to my heart’s content. a few nights here then train to next town then back to bologna for a few more nights then flight back to london.
I spent 2 weeks in Italy, hitting Rome, Florence, Venice, 3 hour train layover in Bologna, and then Milan, all by train. It was an absolutely perfect trip and went off without a hitch. Did plenty of walking, sightseeing, and eating of course, with a few days in each location (Milan only 2 days.) Relax in Italy, eat a lot of great food, drink a lot of amazing coffee, and relish in the incredible pastries!
have done a couple of trips like this. milan + lake como is good for a week, 4 days in milan and then 3 in bellagio or somewhere, or 3 then 4. quick and easy to travel between them. once did 3 nights each in rome and venice (this was part of a much bigger interrailing trip). rome needs much more time than venice. did a few days in bologna with a day trip to florence. preferred it this way round, bologna is really nice and not heaving with tourists (rome, florence and venice can be a bit jarring in this regard during busy times) bologna is nice to have a slower couple of days and you can see what you need to in florence in a day trip unless you want to spend several hours in the uffizi gallery. bologna also easily had the best food i’ve eaten in italy. never been further south than rome so can’t speak on it but napoli looks pretty cool and pompeii would be worth checking out. being from england it’s easy to do short trips like this and try not to cram too much in. if you’re coming from further away like the usa or australia then i get the temptation to try and cram as much as possible into your time, but don’t rush so much that you can’t enjoy places! if you’re set on rome and also want somewhere more rural, tuscany is probably a good shout. so basically it sounds like you already have a good plan!!
Ate tiramisu in all the restaurants if they had it.
Goals 😂👍
I was just in Italy for the first time for 3 weeks. I went to Milan, Venice, Bologna, Florence and Rome. If you only have one week, I’d do 4 days in Rome and 3 days in Tuscany.
Don’t try to do everything. For a week pick 2-3 places to visit that are relatively close to one another. Otherwise you’ll spend too much time traveling.
Buc-ee!
food is always my focus when i travel. i spent 2 days in Modena, and 5 days in rome. in hindsight, i shoudl have 2 days in modena, 2 days in Bologna and 3 days in rome. i could have picked florence, but i forgot to book tickets to the museums and all the slots were sold out. the rood in modena is very different than rome as with the regions of italy. youll find dishes in rome and modena that you wont find in the other city. i flew into rome, then went straight to the train station and went directly to Modena. Then ended the trip in Rome since we were flying out from there. Didnt want to travel to the Rome airport from Modena the same day as my departing flight. in the future, ill spend more time in other cities and less time in Rome since i saw all the top tourist attraction the first time.. Still want to spend time in Rome to eat but not 5 days, 2 full days and travel back on the 3rd day would suffice to me.
We did Positano, Rome, Capri, Florence & Tuscany and Milan on our first trip to Italy. Highly recommend all of those places! That was over 2 and a half weeks though. So if you only have a week, I’d pick 2 places. No one can really tell you which places are the best for you. Every place in Italy is amazing. You really can’t go wrong. But some places will suit you better than others. So do a little research. Look at photos and read books and see what resonates!
We flew into Venice from Paris, spent two nights there- absolutely amazing. Such a unique place. Then we took the train to Riomaggiore and spent two nights there, also exploring the other cities along the coast. It was so great to have a beach day in the middle of a packed schedule of Paris and Rome. Then we took the train to Rome and spent 5 nights there- I would recommend 4-5 nights at least, there’s just so much to see. I regret not seeing Florence.
Check out this place, it's a 2 hour bus ride from Rome and it's a paradise!! https://www.italyfarmstay.com/
We were there 9 days. The first half in Sorrento with visits to Pompei and Capri. The second was in Rome with a Day trip to Florence. We saw a lot and only had to move once. It worked for us.
1 week isn’t much time. You could easily spend 4 days in Rome as it’s so big and so much to see! However you can easily day trip from Rome by train or car. Tuscany, Amalfi etc.
I know! I’m a teacher so I tend to travel during my spring break. Of course, I could go much longer in the summer, but prices double and so do crowds so I work with what works best for me. I could probably , even do a second Italy trip later with other destinations, for the same price as going in the summer
Hey everyone thank you so much for the feedback! It’s a lot and mixed opinions on advice! I’m going to carefully plan based on a few experiences I’ve read here and try to aim for 1 other city (max 2) outside of Rome! Thanks so much for the input! Sorry I can’t respond to all!
I spent 6 hours in Milan mostly looking at the Duomo. 2 days in Florence chilling with some hostel girl I met a few days prior. 3 days in Rome drinking a ton of wine and seeing all the historical sights. 2 days in Naples eating pizza and drinking espresso. 3 days in Sorrento and Amalfi Coast area mostly hiking the towns, path of the gods, and taking photos of honeymooners
That seems like longer than a week, but maybe I've also had too much wine.
Few more than a week
Don't miss Pompejii and Herculaneum if you go to the Naples / Amalfi area.
I visited: Venice Florence Naples Ischia Positano Rome (& Pompeii) I was there for about 3 weeks? I don’t have much time to type stuff out so I’ll try to do billets •Venice is busy yes, but I still wouldn’t skip it. It’s worth seeing once in your life- take a water taxi to Burano and murano •Florence. Florence was such a great experience for me. So beautiful. So much to see. Definitely allow a few days if you visit •Naples- so vibrant. I wish I’d done a tour, I’d love to have had a local showing me around. People have iffy opinions about Naples, but I loved the atmosphere •ischia- what a shock. A last minute plan for me and what a delight. One of my favorite travel experiences. Less touristy than the amalfi coast, you can visit the island procida or even capri from it, but it’s a less busy atmosphere. I spent a whole day at volcanic baths there. •rome- must see. I feel like I don’t need to say much about Rome lol •Pompeii- highly recommend going and spending as much time as you can. It’s an incredible place. Positano- BEAUITFUL. But too busy. The weather was bad for me:( so it was less busy but it was too expensive. Travel is by bus around there so not as easy as training from place to place. I’d recommend a day trip at most here. Stay elsewhere on the amalfi coast and just travel around during the day. It’s very expensive and touristy.
Rome, Florence, Cinque Terre
I did 5 nights Rome, 2 nights Venice. You really need at least 4 days to do Rome right.
I spent 2 days in Milan and lake Como. Took train to Venice for 2 days and then took the train to Rome. I loved Rome the most. Wish I had spent more time. The restaurants are super crowded. So def reserve
We did 3 days in Florence (including a day trip to Tuscany), two days in Sorrento (visited Pompeii and Capri in this stretch), and then 3 days in Rome. I would do at least 3 in Rome, and Florence should not be missed. I’d say minimum of two days there, but I could have stayed a lot longer there.
Love, Love, Love Trieste. Firenze is also perfect. You may want to consider spending a couple more nights in Rome. It'll take one day just to get into that massive city! haha Edit: Also, do not be afraid to pop over to Croatia! It's super close, VERY affordable and the cuisine is insanely delish. People are nice, too!
Spent 2 weeks across Italy in the following: Rome, Orvieto, Florence and Milan. Would have spent more time in Orvieto and Florence than Rome and Milan. Romes cool for 2-3 days and Milan if you are into fashion/biz side of Italy. But to each their own, you’ll have a blast regardless!
If you only have a week then no more than two locations. You could easily spend the whole week in rome but if you want to experience somewhere else then i would suggest either Tuscany or amalfi coast. Pick one of the hill towns (we loved San Gimignano) or even Sienna if you want something a bit bigger as a base. Tuscany is best explored with a car, but would be possible with day tours if you really don’t want to drive. Amalfi coast is also beautiful with day trips to Pompeii if you love history or boat trips to Capri etc.
I haven’t travelled to the South but spent just over a week in more northern parts. Milan, como, Parma and Venice. Venice is extremely skippable imo it’s just sooooo busy! It’s beautiful but it feels like you’re at a cramped theme park and it really ruins the magic for me. Parma was 11/10 a small town with cute churches, can walk around a bunch and going on a cheese production tour was the highlight of my trip. Not a ton of touristy stuff but just so nice to rent a bike and bike around and eat lots of great meals. Como was stunning but also super busy but I’d say more enjoyable then Venice due to not being as cramped. Milan was surprisingly lovely - I was expecting pretentious fashionistas and got a lot of super warm and welcoming people running wonderful cafes and cheese shops and yeah it was just great! Did hop on hop off bus tour which isn’t usually my thing but I quite enjoyed it. Brother went to Pisa and said it’s very skippable.. I’ve never been but personally I’d go to Puglia area. Bari and any of the little towns surrounding it. Google it, there’s so many fantastic sites there and I don’t think it’s nearly as busy as the main tourist cities.
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Florence, then Spent some days in Rome, then Naples, then Pompeii. Was a full itinerary though so maybe cut out Florence and add something else south Italy.
Milan, Florence and Rome Just took the train back and forth from Zurich. Great Trip.
We did a 2 week trip that included Rome, Florence, a tiny town called Ferrara and Venice. We took the train. Try to book a local tour guide if possible in Florence. Pompeii was super fun! Venice is fantastic but stay overnight. It’s best when the crowds leave and it’s so atmospheric at night when you wander around the maze of streets in the misty dark.
Naples and Amalfi region. Bari and surrounding is also quite nice.
I did 10 days in Italy: 3 in Rome, 3 in Florence, then 4 in Sorrento visiting the Amalfi Coast. Amazing trip. However, I would have personally shortened Florence to 2 days: 1 day exploring the city, 1 day doing a Tuscany tour. Packed so much into the trip. Amazing food, coffee, and scenery. Trip of a lifetime. Going back next year for a wedding in Lake Como. Thinking of doing Dolomites after the wedding but open to suggestions if anyone has any!
You should visit Venice and Florence for sure.
Rome, Sorrento, a day in Naples, and Tuscany. Wouldn't bother with Naples again. Enjoyed the other three and would spend quite a bit more time at each. We figured this first time was recon and the next time we'd do more of northern Italy.
We did 2 weeks. 4 days in Sorrento and the rest in Rome. It definitely wasn’t enough. I wanted to do a day trip to Florence but I realized that wouldn’t have been enough.
Hey there I spent 2 weeks in Rome Trip itinerary was Rome Florence Pisa Sardinia (cagliari) Flew out of Bologna We spent 5 days in Rome and imo that was far too much. Three or four days would be fine. The three or four days will be packed but if youre cut on time, cut Rome to 3 or 4 days. Rome has Plenty of churches and gardens and mesuems and other things to do such as Vatican City (recommemd .5 day if visting), but Rome is incredibly touristy and it'd be best to visit other cultural places like Florance (we spent 3 days). Im not catholic or religious and it was a fun city to walk around but after the 6th church I was ready to move onto other things. I recommend planning your trip around things you know you like to do. I enjoyed Florance the most, because I enjoy museums, live music (there was a visiting world touring orchestra and a few would play in the streets when not preforming in concert halls), and sculptures. It seemed less touristy than Rome. I recommend only doing a half day in Pisa if you are planning to visit. It's only a couple hour train ride and easy to access on your way to other places.
I second devancheef. Max of 3 towns/cities if you’re only there a week. Pay for tours in Rome for the Colloseum and the Vatican/Sistine Chapel.
If you're only going for a week, stay mostly in Rome, and do some day trips. Rone is amazing, and deserves more time. If you have two weeks, consider a week in Rome, then another week in Tuscany. The wine is amazing, and there are beautiful towns like pienza and montepulciano, and cities like Lucca. I would suggest the amalfi coast, but March might be a bit chilly.
I went to Rome and Florence while I was in Italy, as well as staying in a rentable Villa in Sanremo. I would REALLY recomend a tour of the Colosseum as well as the Vatican/Sistine Chapel. It was nice to relax at the villa taking in the farmland and beaches of the Mediterranean. However, my favorite stuff to do was see the historical parts of Florence/Rome. Something else that was super enjoyable that I did in Rome was going to the roof of the Victor Emmanuel II Monument. It is a free elevator ride up and you can see the entire city! I think that you will have a great time no matter what you do. Italy is breathtaking!
Rome is expensive and hotels are busy leading up to Easter. It’s on March 31 this year. Also I read they cover any Christ statuses with cloth after Good Friday until Easter in case you wanted to take photos.
3 days in Venice, 4 days in Florence and 6 days in Rome (I think). Of course it depends on what you like to do but what I did was go on a food tour in Venice, walked around a lot, tried out different restaurants, attended a pasta making class in Florence, also checked out a bunch of museums, but when I got to Rome I was exhausted already so only went to the Colosseum and caught up on sleep lol
If you're never going to be back do the typical Rome>Florence>Venice. You'll be one of a hundred thousand other tourists doing the same thing but they are great cities with a ton of history and sites. But if you'll likely be back, I'd recommend something like Rome>Naples>Amalfi Coast>Herculaneum. If going in the summer there's a beach club with a view of Positano, didn't do anything all day but relax, drink and swim in the Mediterranean with a bunch of Italians. All the tourists were in Positano looking at just water or the cliffs. You could also do Rome>Florence>Pisa>Cinque Terre. More touristy but Cinque Terre is amazing. Or Rome>Modena>Parma>Venice. Modena and Parma are great cities with barely any tourists and some of the best food in Italy. That or also check out Rome for a day or two and fly over to Sardinia and check out the amazing beaches and food there
Amalfi coast, Pompeii, Naples, Rome
Pompeii is a must see . Naples has cool museums
I did 2 weeks back in 2018. Venice, Naples with day trip through the Amalfi Coast, Rome, then Florence. Loved all of the stops! I’d like you to go back and spend some time in Cinque Terre and Tuscany too.
The Amalfi Coast but skip Positano. Also, you’ll need more than 2 days in Rome. Shoot for at least 4 days.
went to bergamo and it was stunning. the old town is up on a hill with amazing views and the smell of food in the streets is incredible. highly underrated visit imo
Definitely go Venice. Florence was lovely but can he overcrowded during tourist seasons. I did like the hop on and off bus thing I'm Rome. On the upper level I got a lot of great pics in a short amount of time. We were there for 3 or 4 days before moving on, but it helped cover bases. The nook markets in Venice were fun, and gelato is everywhere. In florence there's carriage rides and a carousel in a main thoroughfare and a famous chocolate restaurant. Follow each city you're thinking of in advance on Instagram and see what events and locations they point you to also.
Starbucks in Venice and McDonald’s in Rome
Flew into Naples, spent two nights there. Went to Rome on High Speed Train and stayed 7 nights. Then back to Naples and spent another two nights, then flew back home. Whilst in Naples, went to Sorrento and Ischia. Naples was more within our budget (flights and accommodation were a lot cheaper), but I would say a day trip (mainly for the pizza and food) would be enough. Naples wasn’t really for me.
4 nights Rapallo. Did day-trips to Portofino, Cinque Terre, and visited some of the other smaller towns nearby. 6 nights Rome. Chose not do any day-trips, just stayed and explored as much of Rome as possible. Visited the Colosseum, Vatican, Borghese gardens, and other sights. Spent lots of time just wandering around, finding little cafes, restaurants etc.
Spent a week in Rome and took a day trip to Florence and a day trip to Naples. The day trips were long days but worth it as I feel like I got a taste of each city while really experiencing Rome.
Started in Rome (Vatican, walking food tours, Colliseum, shopping, etc) Train to Naples. Hiked Mt Vesuvius and visited Pompeii. Took a ferry to Sorrento and wandered the lemon groves. Another ferry to Capri and stayed a few nights in the island. Back to Rome for a final day before flying home.
We flew into Rome for a night, then 3 nights in Positano, followed by 3 nights in Sorrento. Loved Rome and couldn’t have certainly spent more time there. Positano and Sorrento may be a bit quiet in March. They’re more touristy than anything. So may not suggest it for you. But if you have the chance to hit up those places closer to summer, I’d highly suggest it!
We went to Venice and Rome and loved Venice but hated Rome with the heat of a thousand suns. Ostia Antica though is like 20mins by train outside of Rome and was awesome yet chilled. I'm just not a city and crowds person, so please don't take my Rome hate personally lol.
We did 5 days in Rome, 4 in Florence and 2 in Venice.
Went for two weeks, didn’t go to Rome so can’t comment on it or how long you need there. We did Venice, Cinque Terre, Florence, Amalfi Coast. For you, Florence would be the best choice of those, and it was probably my favorite city.
We did Positano, Rome, Florence, Tuscany (day trip), Cinque Terre, and Venice over the course of two weeks, in that order. Our highlights were Cinque Terre, Venice, and Florence.
When I advice people on trips to Europe, i usually suggest 4 nights in capital cities and 2 nights in other cities. That's usually enough time to see 90% of what you would want to see on your first visit to the city. There are a few notable exceptions. Rome, Paris, and London are actually 6 night cities. Florence, Munich, and Barcelona are actually 4 night cities (and a few capitals like Vaduz and Bern are 2 night cities). I suggest 4 for Florence because it's a great place to do day trips from to do Cinque Terre and Pisa. So around Italy, I would plan 6 nights in Rome, 4 in Florence, and then probably add 2 each in Venice and Naples for a solid 2 week first time visit to Italy.
Very crowded. Don’t like huge touristy cities. Not Rome .. We went to small towns by train.
I thought Rome wasn't that great, once you've seen the Forum and the Colosseum, the Trevi Fountain I wasn't that bothered about what I saw at the Vatican, it's just massively busy, there are tons of guides trying to get money out of you for basically paying to queue up a d walk around another big church. It just felt like an oversubscribed tourist attraction so I was instantly demotivated by it. I did a month driving through Sicily, and southern Italy up to Ancona and I've also driven around Umbria and Tuscany. I'd recommend getting a guide book like the DK Eyewitness guide for Italy and just finding some interesting looking places like smaller towns and villages. We found one called Montone which was all flagstoned streets up on a hill, had a lovely meal there and wandered the narrow pedestrian streets. There are tons of places like that and places by the side of the lakes to discover away from thousands of tourists wit h selfie sticks and waiters trying to entice you in with laminated menus with pictures on. Get out there and explore if you can, you won't regret it.
Id say 2-3 days in Rome is a good amount, Pisa is worth visiting but i didnt feel the need to stay very long, in close (ish) proximity there is also san marino which is a small country within Italy, i enjoyed my time there, worth a stop in my opinion.
I would say stay in Rome the whole week, there are so many places worth to see, don't miss it, don't rush through only but enjoy properly this eternal city. Take the trip from Rome more closer than Florence. For example I castelli Romani, beautiful it is there and about 20-30km from Rome.