The Complete Italy Travel Guide: How to Plan Your First Trip

This guide is for anyone planning a first trip to Italy, usually somewhere between five days and two weeks. It works through the decisions in the order you'll need to make them: how long to go for, which places to combine, when to travel, what it's likely to cost, how to get between cities, where to stay and what to book before you leave.

By the end you should have a realistic route, a sense of your budget, and a short list of things to reserve. Where information changes often — prices, timetables, entry rules — we point you to the official source rather than quoting figures that may already be out of date.

How to plan your first trip to Italy

Most planning problems come from making decisions in the wrong order — booking a hotel before knowing the route, or choosing six cities before counting the nights. This sequence avoids that.

1. 1

   Step 1: Decide how many nights you have

   Count nights, not days. After a long-haul flight your arrival day is rarely productive, and your last day is usually shaped by getting to the airport.

2. 2

   Step 2: Choose a travel style

   Cities and museums, food, coast, mountains or slow countryside. Each points to different regions and a different pace.

3. 3

   Step 3: Select your bases

   Pick two to four places that match your style and sit reasonably close together. Everything else becomes a day trip or a future trip.

4. 4

   Step 4: Build the route in one direction

   Arrange your bases so you travel in a line rather than doubling back. An 'open-jaw' flight — into one city, home from another — makes this easy.

5. 5

   Step 5: Book major transport

   Flights first, then high-speed trains between bases. In summer, reserve ferries and hire cars early.

6. 6

   Step 6: Reserve timed-entry sights

   Several of Italy's best-known sights sell timed tickets that run out. Book these as soon as your dates are firm.

7. 7

   Step 7: Choose accommodation

   Prioritise location over room size. A well-placed hotel saves hours of daily travel.

8. 8

   Step 8: Plan local transport

   Work out how you'll get from each airport or station to your accommodation, especially if you arrive late.

9. 9

   Step 9: Prepare documents and payments

   Check entry requirements for your nationality, arrange insurance, and bring more than one way to pay.

10. 10

    Step 10: Leave room for flexibility

    Keep at least one unplanned half-day per base for rest, bad weather or something you discover along the way.

How many days do you need in Italy?

These are starting points. A slow traveller might spend ten days in Tuscany alone; someone focused on the big sights might cover four cities in the same time.

Why fewer places usually means seeing more

Every move between bases costs roughly half a day: checking out, getting to the station, the journey itself, finding your accommodation and waiting for check-in, which in many hotels is mid-afternoon. On a seven-night trip with four bases, three moves can quietly consume a day and a half — time that could have been spent in the places you came to see.

Where should you go?

There's no single best destination. The table below is meant to help you match places to what you enjoy and how you like to travel.

For deeper planning on individual places, see our guides to Florence for first-timers, a first visit to Naples, Bologna in two days, Palermo's markets and monuments, a weekend on Lake Como and the Dolomites.

Italy's regions and what they offer

Italy has 20 regions, and they are genuinely different — in landscape, food, dialect and how easy they are to travel around. For planning purposes it helps to think of four broad areas.

• The north — Milan, Venice, the lakes, the Alps and the Dolomites. The best-connected part of the country, with dense rail networks and major airports.
• The centre — Rome, Florence, Tuscany and Umbria. The heart of most first itineraries, with Rome and Florence linked by high-speed rail.
• The south — Naples, the Amalfi Coast, Puglia, Basilicata and Calabria. Rewarding and often less crowded, but distances are longer and a car becomes more useful.
• The islands — Sicily and Sardinia. Each deserves at least a week on its own, and usually a car.

Sample itineraries for a first trip

Journey times below are approximate fastest high-speed times. Check current timetables with Trenitalia (opens in a new tab) or Italo (opens in a new tab) when you book.

5 days: Rome and Florence

Why it works: Rome and Florence are about an hour and a half apart by high-speed train, so the one move barely dents your time. Two nights in Rome is tight — if you can find an extra night, give it to Rome. Fly into Rome and either fly home from Florence or Pisa, or take the train back to Rome for your flight.

7 days: Venice, Florence and Rome

Why it works: the route runs north to south with two train journeys of about two hours (Venice–Florence) and an hour and a half (Florence–Rome). Fly into Venice and home from Rome. This is the classic first trip because it covers three very different cities with almost no wasted travel.

10 days: Venice, Florence, the Tuscan countryside and Rome

Why it works: the extra days go to a slower rural stretch rather than more cities. Pick up a hire car as you leave Florence and drop it before you reach Rome — you don't want a car in either city. If you'd rather not drive, replace the countryside with day trips from Florence by train or bus to Siena or Lucca.

14 days: Venice to the Amalfi Coast

Why it works: the high-speed line continues from Rome to Naples in around an hour and ten minutes, so the coast is an easy extension. Fly home from Naples to avoid backtracking. For a northern alternative, replace the south with Milan and Lake Como at the start of the trip.

When to visit Italy

The right time depends on what you want to do, how you cope with heat and crowds, and your budget. Weather also varies a lot from north to south at the same time of year.

Spring

Comfortable for walking in cities, with long days and green countryside. Easter and the national holidays of 25 April and 1 May bring domestic travellers and busier sights, so book around those dates early.

Summer

Peak season on the coast and islands. Cities can be very hot in July and August, and August is Italy's main holiday month: coastal areas fill up around Ferragosto on 15 August, while some city businesses close for part of the month. The mountains are at their best.

Autumn

September keeps summer warmth with thinning crowds. October brings the grape and olive harvests and truffle season in some areas, but rain becomes more frequent and some coastal and island services reduce as the season ends.

Winter

Cold in the north and the mountains, milder in the south but not beach weather. Cities are quieter apart from the Christmas period, and ski season runs in the Alps and Dolomites. Many coastal and island businesses close for the winter.

For a region-by-region breakdown, read the best time to visit Italy.

How much does a trip to Italy cost?

Prices vary widely between cities and seasons and change often, so this section focuses on what each level of spending typically buys and on the charges that catch people out.

Charges that catch people out

• Coperto — a per-person cover charge that many restaurants add. It should be shown on the menu.
• Tourist tax (imposta di soggiorno) — most cities charge a per-person, per-night tax, often paid separately at your accommodation.
• Access fees — Venice charges day visitors an access fee on set dates (overnight guests are exempt but must register), and Rome introduced a ticket for the area closest to the Trevi Fountain in February 2026.
• Traffic fines — driving into a restricted traffic zone (ZTL) can bring a fine months after your trip.
• Fixed-fare taxis — some airports have official fixed fares. At the time of writing, licensed taxis between Rome Fiumicino and central Rome inside the Aurelian Walls charged a fixed €55, according to the airport operator.

Our guide to how much a trip to Italy costs goes into each category in more detail.

Getting around Italy

High-speed trains

Two companies run high-speed services: Trenitalia (Frecciarossa and related services) and the private operator Italo. Tickets are for a specific train and seat, and cheaper fares tend to sell out as departure approaches, so book once your route is fixed. Tickets from one operator aren't valid on the other's trains.

Regional trains

Regional trains have fixed fares, so there's no need to book early. According to Trenitalia, paper regional tickets must be validated in the machines at the station before your train departs, while digital regional tickets are validated automatically at the scheduled departure time of the train you chose — so buy the digital ticket for the train you'll actually catch.

For the full picture on tickets, classes and stations, read how to travel around Italy by train, and for journey times between the main cities see getting between Italian cities.

Buses

Intercity buses fill gaps in the rail network, particularly for hill towns in Tuscany and Umbria and for parts of the south. Services are often reduced on Sundays, holidays and outside the main season.

Hire cars

A car turns the Tuscan countryside, Puglia, Sicily or the Dolomites from difficult to easy. It's usually a burden in cities: most historic centres are ZTLs (limited traffic zones) monitored by cameras, and parking is scarce.

Read what to know before driving in Italy for speed limits, tolls and parking.

Ferries

Ferries connect the mainland with Sicily, Sardinia and the islands of the Bay of Naples, and run along some coasts in season. Book summer crossings — especially with a car — well ahead. See ferries in Italy.

Domestic flights

Flights make sense for long distances, such as Milan or Venice to Palermo, Catania or Cagliari. Between Rome, Florence, Venice, Milan and Naples, the train is usually faster door to door.

Taxis and airport transfers

Use only official taxis from marked ranks. Many airports have direct trains or buses into the city — Rome Fiumicino's Leonardo Express, for example, runs non-stop to Roma Termini. Our guide to Italian airport transfers covers the main airports.

Where to stay

Types of accommodation

• Hotels — rated from one to five stars; rooms in historic buildings are often small.
• B&Bs and guesthouses — often a few rooms in a residential building; check reception hours if you're arriving late.
• Agriturismi — accommodation on working farms, usually in the countryside and often with meals made from local produce. You'll almost always need a car.
• Apartments — useful for families and longer stays; check the check-in arrangements and whether there's a lift.
• Hostels — dorms and private rooms in the main cities.
• Resorts — mostly on the coast and islands, many open only in season.

Choosing a neighbourhood

In Venice, staying overnight in the historic city means you'll see it after the day visitors leave. Overnight guests are exempt from the day-visitor access fee but may still need to register — check the official Venice access fee site (opens in a new tab) for current rules.

What to book in advance

Always book through the official website of the attraction or operator — for example the Uffizi Galleries (opens in a new tab), the Vatican Museums (opens in a new tab) and the Last Supper (opens in a new tab). Resellers often charge more, and their availability isn't always accurate.

Italian food and dining basics

Italian food is regional first. Pasta alla carbonara is a Roman dish, pesto belongs to Liguria, and tortellini to Emilia-Romagna. Ordering local specialities is usually the best way to eat well. Read more in Italian food traditions you should know.

Timing and ordering

• Lunch is typically from around 12:30 to 2:30pm. Dinner often starts at 7:30 or 8pm, and later in the south.
• A full meal runs antipasto, primo (pasta or risotto), secondo (meat or fish) with a contorno (side dish), then dolce. One or two courses is perfectly normal.
• The bill usually comes only when you ask for it.
• Book ahead for dinner at popular places, especially at weekends.

Coffee, aperitivo and bars

An Italian bar is a café as much as a place to drink. Coffee is usually drunk quickly at the counter, where it's often cheaper than at a table. In many bars you pay at the till first and show your receipt to the barista. Cappuccino is generally a morning drink. See Italian coffee culture for how to order.

Aperitivo — an early-evening drink, usually with something to eat — is a daily ritual in many cities.

Paying: coperto, service and tipping

Many restaurants add a coperto (cover charge) per person, and some add a service charge (servizio); both should appear on the menu. Tipping isn't expected in the way it is in some countries, but rounding up or leaving a little for good service is common and appreciated.

A few words to know

Money, payments and connectivity

• Currency — the euro. Cards, including contactless payments, are widely accepted in cities, but carry some cash for markets, small cafés and rural areas.
• ATMs — called bancomat. Using machines attached to banks reduces the risk of high fees. If a card machine or ATM offers to charge you in your home currency, choosing euros usually avoids a poor conversion rate.
• Mobile data — travellers with an EU mobile plan can generally use it in Italy under EU roaming rules. Others can buy an eSIM before departure or a local SIM in Italy; buying a local SIM requires identification.
• Wi-Fi — standard in most hotels and apartments, though speeds vary in older buildings and rural areas.
• Power — Italy uses plug types C, F and L at 230 V, 50 Hz. Check that your chargers support 230 V; most phone and laptop chargers do.
• Emergencies — call 112, the European emergency number.

Documents and travel preparation

• Passport or ID — check the validity rules that apply to you. EU citizens can travel with a valid national ID card.
• Visa and entry rules — the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has an official visa checker (opens in a new tab) based on nationality, residence, purpose and length of stay.
• EU Entry/Exit System (EES) — non-EU nationals on short stays are registered digitally, including fingerprints and a facial image, at the external borders of participating countries. The system became fully operational on 10 April 2026 and replaces passport stamping.
• ETIAS — a travel authorisation for visa-exempt travellers has been announced but was not yet in operation at the time of writing (September 2026). Check the official ETIAS site (opens in a new tab) for its status before you travel.
• Travel insurance — check that it covers medical care, cancellations and any activities you're planning.
• Copies — keep digital copies of your passport, insurance, driving licence and bookings somewhere you can reach them offline.
• Confirmations — save accommodation, train and museum confirmations to your phone, with screenshots in case you lose signal.

Common first-time mistakes

Your Italy travel checklist

Tick off each step as you go. For a longer version with timings, see our Italy travel planning checklist.