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ItalyItalia

First trip: Rome 3–4 nights, Florence 3 and Venice 2, linked by high-speed train; the trips that fail add the Amalfi Coast, Cinque Terre and the Lakes to the same ten days.

Not field-verified

Italy's high-speed spine (Frecciarossa and Italo) runs Naples–Rome–Florence–Bologna–Milan, with Venice and Turin on branches, so the classic cities are one to three hours apart centre to centre. Off the spine (Tuscan hill towns, the Dolomites, Puglia, Sicily) you need regional trains, buses or a car. The traps are the August Ferragosto shutdown, heat in July and August, timed-entry sights that sell out, and train or transport strikes (scioperi) that are announced in advance. Sleep three nights per base and do day-trips by regional train.

All regions, cities and parks in Italy (Atlas) →

Regions

Rome and Lazioplanned

Rome base; the Vatican, and Ostia Antica or Tivoli as day-trips

3–4 nights

Tuscanyplanned

Florence base; Pisa, Lucca and Siena by train or bus; hill towns by car

3–4 nights

Venice and the Venetoplanned

Venice for two nights; Verona and Padua on the same rail line

2–3 nights

Naples and the Amalfi Coastplanned

Naples, Pompeii, Sorrento and Capri; ferries and buses along the coast

3–4 nights

Arrive

FCO

Rome Fiumicino

Main hub; Leonardo Express train to Roma Termini

MXP

Milan Malpensa

Malpensa Express train to Milan; gateway to the Lakes

VCE

Venice Marco Polo

Bus or water bus to Venice

NAP

Naples

Gateway to Pompeii and the Amalfi Coast

Time math

4 days
Rome 4 (Vatican one morning, ancient Rome one day)
7 days
Rome 3 + Florence 3 + one Venice day, or Venice 1 night
10 days
Rome 4 + Florence 3 + Venice 3 (high-speed train between all three)
14 days
Rome 4 + Naples or Amalfi 3 + Florence 4 + Venice 3; or swap Naples for the Lakes from Milan

Country rules

Inherited by every page below
  • Italy is in the Schengen area. Check the entry rules for your passport on official sources; the EU's Entry/Exit System registers non-EU visitors at the first Schengen border, and further pre-travel authorisation rules are being introduced.
  • Historic centres are ZTL limited-traffic zones: cameras fine any unauthorised car that enters, often months later through the hire company. Park outside and walk in.
  • Regional train tickets bought on paper must be validated in the machine on the platform before boarding; digital tickets carry a time and need no stamping.
  • Venice charges day-visitors an access fee on selected peak days; check the city's official site if you are not sleeping there.

Etiquette

  • Churches, including St Peter's, require covered shoulders and knees; carry a scarf.
  • Do not sit or eat on monument steps or swim in fountains: many cities fine it.
  • Cappuccino is a morning drink; lunch is roughly 12:30–14:30 and dinner from 19:30 or later.
  • Greet with buongiorno or buonasera when you enter a shop.
Aug 15 (Ferragosto) and the weeks around it
Many city shops and family restaurants close; beaches and trains are full.
Easter and Holy Week
Rome and the Vatican are packed; book rooms and Vatican tickets early.
Venice Carnival (Feb, before Lent)
Rooms in Venice sell out and the city is crowded.
Sundays and Mondays
Many shops close on Sunday; many state museums close on Monday.

Money & passes

Cash necessity: 2/5

  • Currency is the euro (EUR, €). Cards and contactless are widely accepted in cities; small cafés, markets and rural places may prefer cash.
  • Restaurants often add a cover charge (coperto) per person; it is listed on the menu and is not a scam.
  • Standing at the bar costs less than sitting at a table in many cafés.
  • Tipping is optional; round up for good service.

Before you fly: eSIM before you fly · Visas and entry

Safety

  • Pickpockets work Rome's buses and metro, Termini station, the Trevi Fountain, and crowded trains; keep bags zipped and in front.
  • Unofficial taxis and 'helpers' at stations: use the official taxi rank or an app.
  • Summer heat is strong in the cities and the south: sightsee early and late, and use the public water fountains to refill.
  • Volcano and earthquake zones (Vesuvius, Etna, Campi Flegrei) are monitored; follow official closures.
  • Emergency: 112 (the EU number) works everywhere.

Italy links north to France and Switzerland by train across the Alps, and the Vatican City and San Marino are day-trips from inside Italy (planned).

Open Europe

Sources