Thinking of heading to Italy? Don’t think twice! Italy is a must-visit country and is one of the most-traveled destinations in Europe. There are so many highlights in this beautiful country — from the canals of Venice to the Tuscan wine lands to the cobblestone streets of Rome to the Pompeii archaeological to the cliffs of Positano… and beyond.
I’ve been to Italy twice. First time, I visited Venice, Florence and Rome and it was memorable. After my wish in The Fountain of Trevi, I knew I had to be back (yes, that was my wish at 16). There’s so much to see and do besides cities- Italy has it all!
This is by no means a complete guide to visit Italy. Rather my experience on my 12 days experience during a beautiful summer. I want you to get inspired to visit Italy and plan your dream trip.
Italy Travel Itinerary
All popular cities, like Venice and Rome, are well connected by train, car or airplane. The best and fastest option is traveling by train, and the best way to see Italy is by car, so this Italy travel itinerary is a mix of those.
Day 1-2 : Florence and Chianti (wine region)
Travelled from Berlin to Venice. Found a cheap flight. Usually flights to Rome are cheaper from other destinations. Rented a car in Venice airport and drove straight to Florence for a nice dinner and a night view of the Duomo of Florence. Next day, had a cappuccino, went to The Boboli Gardens for 2 hrs and headed to Castello di Verrazzano in the Chianti region for a wine/food tour in the afternoon. During sunset time I sat down in a bar with a birra on top of a mountain with views of the sunset and the bridge Ponte Vecchio. Bellisimo!
Travel time by car:
- Venice to Florence : 3 hours, one way
- Florence to wine tour: around 45 minutes, one way
Accommodation:
- Airbnb: Book here. 2 nights for $170.63
What to do in Florence?
- Palazzo Vecchio – open daily from 9 AM to 7 PM. Tickets here
- The Cattedrale di Santa Maria del Fiore (Duomo of Florence) – it’s free! If you want to climb upstairs for the city view, you need tickets in advance. Very impressive!
- Go on a foodie adventure! So many great restaurants and delicious gelato!
- Ponte Vecchio- built in 1345, was Florence’s first bridge over the river.
- Catch the sunset while sipping a nice drink overlooking the city. Here is list of rooftops.
- Take a half-day trip to Chianti! There’s so many wineries. I chose a guided tour at Castello di Verrazzano for 3 hours/ 58 euros. Check them out!
Day 2-3 : Tuscany (Siena, Buonconvento, Montichiello, Val d’Orcia, and Pienza)
Tuscany, with its rolling hills and vineyards, is one of the most picturesque regions in Italy. So, if you’ve been dreaming to go to Tuscany since seeing the movie Under the Tuscan Sun, you can understand why I have to make an immediate itinerary to stop in Tuscany. If you haven’t seen it, stop reading and watch it!
I woke up in Florence and took a short drive to Sienna. I wondered inside this medieval city for 2 hours then drove to Buoncovento, a charming town, for a pasta carbonara lunch + wine. Then, drove to the picturesque town of Pienza where I had a beer while seeing a tradicional Italian weeding. Afterwards, drove during sunset to the beautiful town of Montichiello, where I stayed a night and had a lovely dinner. Next day, I watched the sunrise and I thought I was in a dream by looking at the rolling hills of Val d’Orcia. My hosts cooked an awesome breakfast and that got me energized for a road-trip to the hills overlooking fields of grapes and sunflowers (yes, it’s that nice!). After that, we headed to Montepulciano for a wine stop (we needed to try their wine and cheese) and then off to Rome!
Travel time by car:
- Florence to Siena : 1.10 hours, one way ( this could be a nice day trip from Florence too )
- Siena to Buonconvento : 38 minutes, one way
- Buonconvento to Pienza : 30 minutes, on way
- Montichiello to Pienza (with stops to see Val d’Orcia and take pictures) : 15 to 1 hr, on way. Tip: take SP88 road since it has better views.
- Montepulciano to Rome : 2.14 hrs, one way
Accommodation in Montichiello:
- Airbnb: Book here. 1 night with breakfast included for $112.86
What to do in Tuscany?
- Everything I did above! 🙂
- Visit Siena – is distinguished by its medieval brick buildings. The fan-shaped central square, Piazza del Campo, is the site of the Palazzo Pubblico, the Gothic town hall, and Torre del Mangia, a slender 14th-century tower with sweeping views from its distinctive white crown.
- Visit either Buonconvento or Montichiello for lunch or dinner. In Montichiello I ate in a splendid restaurant : Ristorante Daria.
- Stop between towns for a wine break!
- Visit Pienza – the central Piazza Pio II is framed by 15th-century buildings like the Pienza Cathedral and Piccolomini Palace. The latter was Pope Pius II’s summer residence and features a roof garden with valley views.
- Visit other towns in Tuscany – there’s so many, we enjoyed Montepulciano. I need to go back to Tuscany!
Day 4-5 : Rome, Pompeii and Amalfi
Arrived to Rome late at night and exhausted. Decided to have a quick stroll to the Spanish Steps and a quick dinner (hello pizza!) before heading to bed. Woke up early, had my cappuccino and went to the Fountain of Trevi before all the tourists arrived. I made my 2nd wish in the fountain, went to the airport, rented the car and caught a flight to Naples. From Naples drove straight to Pompeii (arrived around 12pm on a Summer day) and it was so HOT! Spent two hours there, it was my second visit, had an amazing pizza and headed to Amalfi Coast. Once in Amalfi I realized heaven is not when you die, it’s right here on planet Earth.
Travel time by car:
- Rome to airport: 30 minutes
- Naples to Pompeii: 30 minutes, on way
- Pompeii to Amalfi (via mountains): 1.04 hr, on way
Travel time by airplane:
- Rome to Naples: 1 hr
Accommodation in Rome:
- Booking.com : TREVI Beau Boutique Hotel, next to the fountain, 1 night with breakfast included for $93
What to do in Rome and Pompeii?
- Rome is HUGE! Since I’ve been there before and visited all the things 1st timers do, I spent one night. I wanted more nature than city life. However, if it’s your 1st time go to The Colosseum, The Roman Forum and Palatine Hill, The Altare Della Patria, The Pantheon, Spanish Steps and Vatican City.
- While in Rome make a wish at The Trevi Fountain, my special place there!
- Stroll and get lost!
- Have a foodie adventure, yummy.
- Have a night out, city time!
- While in Pompeii: try taking a tour and spend hours discovering this ancient city buried by the 79 A.D. eruption of Mount Vesuvius.
Day 6-10 : Amalfi Coast- the highlight of my trip!
Oh a dream, what a joy its to be alive! Amalfi Coast is one of the best destinations I’ve been in my life. We were suppose to spend 4 days, but ended up staying 6 days, 5 nights. The best way to discover this amazing coast is by renting a scooter since you avoid traffic jams. The roads are narrows and during summer it can get jammed quickly. I’m sure off-season its a bit better. We stayed in Amalfi town, since its cheaper than Positano and centered to visit other towns. From there we visited the following towns: Conca dei Marini, Praino, Positano, Ravello, Pogerola. Amalfi Coast has everything! Turquoise seas and cinematic piazzas aside, the region is home to some of Italy’s finest hotels and restaurants. Honestly, writing this is making me book a trip there asap!
Travel time by scooter:
- Towns are relatively close to each other. Not sure the amount of travel via car since I was in a scooter. However, to give an example from Amalfi to Positano was 45 minutes + a stop for a beer. The closest town from Amalfi are 4-10 minutes away. See list of towns here. If you are physical capable, please rent a scooter. There’s no better joy than to feel the sun and wind on your skin while looking the most amazing nail-biting vertical scene of precipitous crags, cliff-clinging abodes and verdant woodland (Lonely Planet).
Accommodation in Amalfi and Pogerola:
- Booking.com : Il Gabbiano Apartment. Book here. $419 for 3 nights. Amazing views and great outdoor shower!
- In the town of Poregola we got very lucky! Since we were overextending our stay the host from the above booking found us a spot for 2 nights in a charming and local town. It was insane! We were tucked away in the mountains while having the most amazing fresh pasta of my life! I don’t have the link for this one tho’.
What to do in Amalfi Coast?
- Rent a scooter if you can, especially during summer time.
- Hit the beach for a different experience. If the weather is permitting soak under the sun, walk on the pebble beaches and make a splash in the beautiful clear waters of Amalfi Coast. This is by far, one of my favorite memories. Favorite beaches: Conca dei Marini (free), Positano (rent chairs $25 each person), and Fiordo di Furore.
- Eat away! The restaurants here are no joke. I didn’t google or Foursquare any of them since the quality in this area is superb. This include the gelato and anything with lemons. Favorite restaurants : Risorgimento (Conca dei Marini) and Osteria Da Rispoli (Pogerola).
- Take a trip to Capri by boat! This beautiful island has stunning views that you will never forget.
- Visit all the towns: my favorite was Positano, and Amalfi + Pogerola, where I was staying. Positano is spectacular and a bit overpriced, so it’s perfect for a day trip if you are on a budget. The views will leave your breathless. Mountaintop Ravello is also insanely beautiful and if you can catch a show during sunset, you win! Amalfi and Pogerola are for me, less touristy and more local. I need this on my travels, so most of the time I stay in places that will feel like home.
Day 11-12 : Milan
Honestly I was very sad to leave Amalfi , but my life had to continued so we drove from Amalfi straight to Naples to return our car and took a train to Milan to visit our friends. We arrived to Milan on a weekend holiday, so the city was pretty much empty, which was wonderful to do all the touristy stops and adventuring bars and restaurants without waiting time. Milan is very classy and much prettier than Rome. I really like it. However, got a sense that living there can get a bit “small” really fast. My friends take a lot of trips around Italy to escape the city life, which sounded like another dream ha!
Travel time by train:
- Naples to Milan: 4.30 min (nice train, easy, nice views)
Accommodations : friends house
What to do in Milan?
- Milan Cathedral
- Piazza del Duomo
- Visit all these other places I didn’t go since I was eating and drinking my life away lol. See here
- Shop designer clothes
- Take a stroll and get lost!
In conclusion
Italy is a must do trip! 12 days is not enough. I want to go back and visit Cinque Terre, Puglia, Lake Como, Sicily, Sardinia, and so many spots!! Here is my few tips:
- If you are short in time, plan your trip a few weeks before arriving.
- If you have time, enjoy and move around as you wish. That’s what we did. We left, because we had friends visiting us. If not, we would have stayed longer!
- People are very friendly. If you know Spanish like me, its a plus since it’s easier to communicate.
- It’s not expensive. I found food and wine overall to be pretty cheap.
- Eat all the pasta and gelato! Enjoy life 🙂
In the meantime, working hard for my next trip to Perú. I will keep you posted and if you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact me!
Next trip blog post : Turkey!
xoxo,
Cristina
