My Best Italy Travel Tips

I’m often asked for advice for traveling to Italy. Where should I go? What should I do? What is it like? The short answer is that it depends on what kind of vacation you’re looking for. Shopping, Opera, Art, Culture, Architecture, Food, Wine, City, Countryside, Lakes, Vineyards? You can have it all in Italy. Just probably not on one trip. (Unless you’re retired, or have more vacation time than most Americans.)

I cannot think of a country more diverse than Italy. Bisected top to bottom by the Apennine Mountains and surrounded by water, Italy’s gorgeous landscapes give you everything—beaches, hills, volcanoes, lakes, rivers, valleys, rocks, and trees.

A history of invaders from almost everywhere has left its mark in Italy, unified as a country only in 1871. Italy’s twenty administrative regions are unique. The artistic, historic, and cultural meccas of Rome, Florence, Milan, Naples, and Venice beckon. The peace and beauty of small villages among vineyard countrysides invites. Everywhere I’ve gone in Italy has captivated me in some way.

In the next few blogs I’ll give you my best advice for traveling to my favorite country. I travel differently. If your focus is shopping designer brands, quit reading now. Whether I travel with my husband or solo, I’m after experiences, not sight-seeing. If you crave experiential, immersive, and unforgettable travel to Italy, read on…

Where to go:

Travel deep, not wide. Do not try to see it all. You will fall under Italy’s spell and return anyway. Drop the idea of going to Venice, Rome, and Florence in one week. Pick one city, stay for a while, then get away from it. Spend time in Rome, then head to the hills of Grottaferrata. By all means stay in Venice, then visit the Valpolicella wine region. Enjoy Milan, then see the Lakes or spend time among the Langhe vineyards.

If you must stick to cities, pick two reachable by fast train (Frecciarossa on Trenitalia) and fly home from the second one. Italy’s charms are revealed in layers. The more time you spend in one place, the more the country opens up to you. Trust me.

Or avoid big cities altogether. Visit smaller ones such as those found in Emilia-Romagna’s gastronomic powerhouse region. Piacenza, Parma, Modena, and Bologna are in a line along the autostrada or train. You could easily stay in one town and day trip to the rest. I know, you’re thinking but I want to see the Colosseum. It’s not going anywhere.

I’ll cover Venice, Rome, Milan, and Florence in depth in a future post. I’ll also give ideas if you’ve already been to the cities and want to experience new places.

Where to Stay:

Italy is NOT the place to sleep in a Marriott. Stay in a B&B or a farm stay called agriturismo for much more authenticity and much less expense. Overall, Italians are very welcoming and friendly. The proprietors will direct you far better than Tripadvisor on where to eat, what to do, and where to shop. I’ve lucked out finding B&Bs on Tripadvisor.com and Booking.com

To find an agriturismo, try Agriturismi.it, Agriturismo.com or Agriturismo.net

When to go:

If you listen to nothing else, please travel in the off-season. Especially for larger cities. Seriously. The weather might be sketchy but avoiding the crowds and getting David all to yourself is worth a little rain or cold. Plus airfares are cheaper. We go often over Thanksgiving. February is a great time to have Venice to yourself (except during Carnevale)! March is not bad either.

Before you go:

Learn some Italian! It will go a LONG way, I promise. The Italians are typically thrilled that you make an effort.

Buon giorno is a “good day” greeting used country wide until the afternoon. (Boo-on jorno)
Buona sera is used in the afternoon and evening. (Boo-ona seh-ra
Sì is yes, no is no. That’s easy.
Grazie mille is a common way to say thank you. (Gratzee-eh meelay)
Per favore is please. (Pair fav-oreh)
Prego means you’re welcome. It also means, go ahead, come in, take a seat. (Preg-o)
Va bene means that’s good, I like it. (Va ben-eh)
Vorrei means I would like. (Vorray)
Vorrei un bicchiere di vino = (Vorray oon bee-kee-aireh dee vino)
Il conto is the bill, which you have to ask for at restaurants. (Il kon-toe)

The best offline translation app with pronunciation is Collins Italian-English. I’ve heard rumors that Google Translate works off-line, but I have not tried.

Next time, I’ll cover what to know, and what to do when you’re in Bella Italia!
Buon viaggio!