Italy holds a typical spot successful my heart, which is why I'm ever uncovering excuses to return.
I've visited 3 times since 2016, including a four-month enactment successful Florence during college. Thanks to Italy's well-connected transit systems, I've had the chance to sojourn 21 cities and villages, astir often by rail.
Some of the destinations I've been to person blown maine away, while others near maine wanting more. Here are 4 Italian cities I'd happily return to — and 2 I'd time off disconnected my itinerary adjacent time.
Cinque Terre is simply a beautiful spot to hike.
Cinque Terre is simply a drawstring of 5 seaside villages connected the northwestern seashore of Italy.
Although each 5 villages are accessible by train, hiking betwixt them is simply a celebrated activity. I'd urge starting successful the southernmost town, Riomaggiore, and hiking northbound for stunning views.
Cinque Terre is cleanable for anyone looking to relax successful a vibrant environment, bask accepted Italian culture, aliases research 5 seaside villages successful 1 day.
My travel to Verona felt for illustration thing consecutive retired of a fairytale.
I instantly fell successful emotion pinch really enchanting, quaint, and walkable Verona felt during my first sojourn successful 2016.
Home to Shakespeare's beloved "Romeo and Juliet," visitors commonly sojourn Juliet's house, calling down to those beneath from the balcony.
During my clip successful Verona, I stumbled upon Club di Giulietta, a unpaid group that calls themselves the secretaries of Juliet. They person thousands of letters addressed to Juliet from astir the world, and volunteers benignant letters by connection earlier handwriting a response.
I sewage to walk a fewer hours reference and penning replies myself, which became the item of my trip to Verona.
Overall, the city's walkability, history, and quaint consciousness make it cleanable for a time travel for time-restricted itineraries.
There's truthful overmuch to do successful Florence.
Since living successful Florence successful 2016, I've been backmost to sojourn twice. There's truthful overmuch to emotion astir the city, which is the superior of the Tuscany region.
For those visiting for the first time, I urge staying a minimum of 4 afloat days to research the city's museums and section markets. I emotion visiting the farmers marketplace successful Santo Spirito for fresh-baked goodies, section produce, and vintage finds.
I've besides enjoyed grabbing gelato and trekking up to Piazzale Michelangelo to watch the sunset. On cooler evenings, St. Mark's Church is simply a awesome spot to watch affordable unrecorded opera.
Outside the city, I propose horseback riding done the Tuscan hills, attending a pasta making class, and taking a vino tour.
In my opinion, Catania, Sicily, is simply a must-visit location.
If Sicily is connected your itinerary, a travel to Catania is simply a must. The metropolis is astatine the ft of Mount Etna, the highest progressive volcano successful Europe.
In fact, the volcano is integral to section tourism, architecture, and vino production. Guides connection hiking tours during dormancy, allowing visitors to locomotion the crater rim. The volcanic chromatic is besides utilized to build section churches, plazas, and roadways.
Sicily's nutrient and vino segment is besides logic capable to sojourn this portion of Italy. The volcanic ash tin thief enrich the soil, providing nutrients for vineyards that nutrient unthinkable wine.
However, I'd skip Naples and caput to Italy's confederate coastal gems instead.
Fellow travelers warned maine that Naples fell short of their expectations, but I wanted to acquisition the metropolis for myself. So, I visited doubly during a solo travel past year, staying connected other sides of the metropolis each time.
Although the Neapolitan pizza did not disappoint, navigating the sprawling, hilly metropolis connected ft was challenging.
The section metro strategy was convenient for getting around, but it turned retired to beryllium a persistent target for pickpockets. After witnessing a fewer specified instances firsthand, I made the prime to debar taking the trains astatine night. However, that meant my taxi fares added up quickly aft evenings spent out.
Overall, if I'm going to beryllium successful Southern Italy I'd overmuch alternatively popular complete to the Amalfi Coast aliases different adjacent destinations.
In my opinion, 1 travel to Venice was enough.
There's a batch to emotion astir Venice, from the unsocial architecture to the outstanding glasswork.
Unfortunately, though, I was underwhelmed by the nutrient and noticed immoderate things for illustration souvenirs, meals, and experiences were much costly than they were successful different Italian cities I'd visited.
Although the architecture is stunning, the narrow, winding streets besides made it difficult to navigate the metropolis and added to the emotion of overcrowding.
Additional readying is now needed to visit, arsenic the metropolis requires tourism permits connected definite days. Considering the expense, challenges pinch walkability, and further readying required, I apt won't return to Venice for different visit.
This communicative was primitively published connected May 3, 2025, and astir precocious updated connected September 11, 2026.
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Alison Van Glad is simply a writer based successful New York City. She holds a Masters Degree successful Sociology from the University astatine Albany and writes astir lifestyle, food, and travel. You tin often find her enjoying a bully cup of coffee, sitting connected the subway typing energetically connected her notes app, aliases readying her adjacent solo trip. For much of Alison's writing, cheque retired her blog Silly Goosin' at www.alisonvanglad.com/silly-goosin
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