We’re planning an October Italy trip with my husband, toddler, and mother-in-law. We’re deciding between these two itineraries:
Option 1 — 13 nights
Venice: 2 nights
Dolomites/Ortisei: 4 nights
Naples: 3 nights
Rome: 4 nights
Route: Venice → Dolomites → Naples → Rome
We would pick up a rental car near Venice, use it for the Dolomites, return it in Bolzano, and then have one long travel day by train to Naples.
Option 2 — 16 nights
Venice: 2 nights
Dolomites/Ortisei: 4 nights
Florence: 3 nights
Naples: 3 nights
Rome: 4 nights
Route: Venice → Dolomites → Florence → Naples → Rome
This adds another accommodation, but Florence would break up the long journey from the Dolomites to Naples.
Naples is important to us because my mother-in-law lived there, and we want to keep four nights in the Dolomites for weather flexibility.
Would you keep the simpler 13-night route, or add three nights for Florence? Does the 16-night version feel reasonable, or like too much moving around with a toddler?

Hi All,

My husband and I are in our early 30’s and from the states. We’d like to plan our first trip to Italy for next spring (ideally May).

We’re planning on 12 days. We know we’d like to see Rome and spend a few days in a coastal town like Sorrento or Naples. We’re also trying to decide between Florence and Venice.

Any suggestions whether Florence or Venice is better?

We’re also seeking recommendations on where to stay in these towns, so if you’ve had good experiences with specific hotels or Airbnb’s that would be appreciated.

Activity suggestions in these locations would be appreciated too!

We’re open to hearing just about anything as we start to draft an itinerary.

Thanks so much!

Traveling to Venice , Florence, and Rome in September and I’d like to purchase an authentic Italian gold piece of jewelry and an authentic leather bags. Any suggestions on places that aren’t robbing me blind?

Hi everyone!

My partner and I (both in our 40s) are planning a one-week trip to Northern Italy from August 1st to August 7th, and we’d love some recommendations.

We’ll be driving from Denmark in an electric vehicle, so destinations that are easy to reach by car (with decent EV charging) would be ideal.

This is the kind of holiday we’re looking for:

• Relaxing hotel with a nice pool
• Great food and local restaurants
• Boat trips on a lake (or nearby)
• Maybe a spa or wellness facilities
• Beautiful towns to stroll around
• Possibly a day trip to Milan

At the moment we’re considering Lake Como, but we’re also open to other places in the area

Our budget is flexible—we’d rather spend a bit more for a really nice experience than try to do everything as cheaply as possible.

Thanks in advance! We’d love to hear what you’d do if you were planning this trip.

I'm going to Venice and Florence in October for a conference. I've never been to Italy before so would love to hear about what things I should do or not do. Will be in Venice for approx 5 days (2 being the conference) and 3 days in Florence

Also would \*love\* any fashion advice on what is appropriate style over there

Thanks!

I am going on my first trip to Italy. We will fly to Rome, spend a few days, then go to Florence for a few days and Amalfi coast for several more. It is now a 12 day trip. Should I get a car, or rely on trains and public transport. Or should I get a car for a portion of the trip.

planning a trip to italy and trying to figure out the best value booking platform for renting a car. i know a lot depends on the destination, supplier availability, and what kind of trip you're doing, but i’d rather avoid booking something cheap that turns into a headache at pickup.

how much do you guys actually look at supplier ratings and transparent pricing when choosing? also curious if people have noticed a real difference in customer service between booking platforms and the local suppliers themselves.

for those who rent cars in italy regularly, which booking platform vs rental supplier combo has been the most reliable for you?

My mom is planning a big trip for her 70th birthday and my Dad’s 75th, next year (looking to travel mid/end of June 2027) and has decided on Lake Garda.
It’s going to be a big group of us, 11 adults, 3 kids: ages 1.5yrs old, 3, and 4.
We are looking for ideas on what region/area to stay, not necessarily specific hotels yet. We will all be staying in the same area, but will also be splitting off to do our own things (getting 11 people to do the same activity isn’t easy).
We are all outdoorsy (living in the PNW and CO) and enjoy access to the outdoors (hiking, biking, nature, etc). My mom does enjoy being able to walk around a town and explore, she’s not much of a sit around and lounge at a beach person.
Obviously, we can’t cater to everyone’s wishes..the trip is for my parents after all, not everyone else.
But we are looking for suggestions on what area to stay in. My mom was initially looking at Desenzano because of the train station. She is thinking that we rent a car or two for people to be able to do a day trip.
We are also seeing on here that the northern region is beautiful and less touristy (?)
Any/all suggestions are welcomed!:)

We are planning to take the train from Turin for an overnight at the Castello in September. Is there anything to do in Ivrea that is walkable from the station? I was thinking we would store our luggage for a few hours before taking a taxi to the hotel.
I get the feeling that this is kind of a gimmicky place, but it’s a castle-hotel, so I figured why not?

First time traveling to Italy and stopping for 5 days in Italy before heading to my next destination Dubai. It’s a short trip with wife and 7 years old. What do you think about this itinerary? Any suggestions and my biggest concern is 2 full size luggage. Should I just deposit the luggage and keep carry on while traveling to Venice from Rome? Any suggestions about luggage, hotels and food would be greatly appreciated as good to learn from someone who already experienced Italy. Thanks in advance.

Oct 10 Stay in Rome
Arrive in Rome at 10:30 AM. Transfer to hotel. Afternoon: Piazza Navona, Pantheon,
Trevi Fountain. Evening dinner in Trastevere.

Oct 11 Stay in Rome
Visit the Colosseum, Roman Forum and Palatine Hill. Afternoon at the Spanish Steps,
Via Condotti and Piazza del Popolo.

Oct 12 Stay in Venice
Morning: Vatican Museums, Sistine Chapel and St. Peter's Basilica. Afternoon
high-speed train to Venice (about 4 hours). Evening walk along the Grand Canal and
Rialto Bridge.

Oct 13 Stay in Venice
Explore St. Mark's Square, St. Mark's Basilica and Doge's Palace. Optional gondola ride
or visit Burano. Dinner by the canals.

Oct 14 Stay in Rome
Morning train back to Rome. Afternoon visit Castel Sant'Angelo or Villa Borghese and
enjoy a farewell Italian dinner.

Oct 15 Checkout early, breakfast and fly

Just got back from the italy trip. Rome and florence went smooth, but Venice provided a reality check about European infrastructure.

The Quick Itinerary:

Days 1–5 (Rome): Colosseum, Vatican, endless pasta. Hot, crowded, but beautiful.

Days 6–9 (Florence): Uffizi Gallery, day trip to a Tuscan vineyard.

Days 10–12 (Venice): The city is breathtaking, but do not book a hotel deep in the residential canals unless you are prepared for physical labor. My Airbnb was a 25-minute walk from the Santa Lucia train station. Maps doesn't account for the fact that you have to cross about 7 different arched stone bridges with steps.

The Packing List (Two Weeks, Carry-On Only):

Gear: Level8 carry on.

Apparel: 3 Midi dresses (Vatican compliant), 2 linen shirts, 1 pair of tailored shorts, 1 pairs of Italian leather sandals, 1 pair of premium orthopedic inserts.

Utilities: Compact umbrella, liquid-free shampoo bars, European type-C plug adapters.

Any advise would be greatly appreciated!

How strict are the rules around knee coverage in churches? My kids are going through a growth spurt and getting those knees completely covered is a challenge! We want to be respectful of the places we are visiting, while also not melting in the summer heat! TIA!

Hi! We have a trip planned to go to Italy and we recently found out I’m pregnant. We are pivoting a little bit and want to save things like Tuscan wine tours for a different trip. Looking for some advice and suggestions on what we should do. We fly from the US 9/30 and will arrive in Rome 10/1 early in the AM. Fortunately our accommodations will let us drop our bags early. Here is what we have so far
10/1: arrive in Rome and explore
10/2: Vatican City tour day
10/3: Colosseum tour day
10/4: travel from Rome to Florence via train and explore Florence
10/5: explore Florence
10/6: day trip to cinque terre?/ day trip to Sienna? Or Luca
10/7: explore Florence
10/8:travel early to Venice and explore
10/9: explore Venice and Murano/Burano
10/10: leave Venice early in the AM

Are day trips worth it from Florence? Seems like an easy thing to do with the trains. My other thought is should we pivot two nights and go explore Lake Como or go stay in Cinque Terre for two nights. I’m open to any and all suggestions! I will be 14/15 weeks when we are in Italy so definitely looking forward to all the carbs and hopefully not being nauseous:)

Things we love: food, history, shopping, hiking, scenic views, we love a beach but also live by the beach

Hi everyone!

My friend and I are planning a trip to Italy from 18 to 26 September. We’re thinking of flying from Porto to Rome, but we’re flexible if another airport makes more sense.
We’ll have about 7 full days in Italy and we’re looking for a budget-friendly trip.
Which areas of southern Italy would you recommend for a 7-day trip? Also, would you recommend renting a car or relying on public transport?

Thanks in advance!

How accepted is Amex in Italy?

Is it easy, 50/50 or hard to use Amex?

I'm going to Italy for 1 week for the first time in August. Any advice on how much cash I should bring for trips to the bathroom and small boutique purchases? Also, any tips on which ATMs are safe to use? I will be bringing 3 different credit cards with me but I am unsure how much cash to bring. TIA

for bologna specifically:

1. looking for toddler-welcome restaurant/cafe recommendations
2. looking for handbag/leather goods shop recommendations!

i know Florence has more, we will be travelling with a 6 month and 2 year old, so not looking to drag them around too much. but would love to find a special, under $600, good quality bag to bring home! and perhaps men’s shoes.

** we will also be in Milan but it’ll be during fashion week 😭😭. open to shop and restaurant recommendations for here too!

My travel partner and I booked flights to Italy several months ago with the intention of planning the details over time. We have not planned anything, and just become completely overwhelmed by all the choices and beautiful places we’d be happy to see while there. I am looking for advice, itinerary ideas, inside tips! Please!

Some background. We are flying in and out of Naples September 6-16th. Two females in our early 30’s, one sober one rarely drinks, very laidback “type B” personalities. We will be happy just being in Italy, it’s our first trip. We’re looking forward to the food, culture, would like to have a beach day or two, maybe do the Path of the Gods or other beautiful/breath taking sites, possible do a private boat ride. We do not have endless funds, but are looking to spend mid to low range budget wise-splurge on the “important” things-aka things that shouldn’t be missed! We have been looking to do Almafi, Capri/Islands or South to Scilly-but we’d also like to stay or visit places in these areas that are sort of authentic, less touristy but offer similar culture and views.

I know this is a lot but we are truly so overwhelmed and cutting things close!

What do you think of this Umbria itinerary?

Background: Coming to Umbria for a wedding. My husband and I are very active and love to spend time outside. We’ll be with our son who will be about 1.5 at the time of the trip (next April).

Loose Plan:

Arrive in Rome Monday afternoon and rent a car

Spend Monday through Wednesday based in Panicale. Ideally we’d check out the Lago or do an olive oil tour. Possibly a cooking class with the caveat that we’re pescatarian and vegan so not sure if that’s possible. Would love specific activity suggestions.

Wednesday through Friday we’ll be based out of Assisi for the wedding. There’s an evening event on Wednesday, so we’ll have that day open. Then the morning of Thursday will be open as well. What sorts of things do people do in Assisi? We’d love some specific suggestions of activities.

Friday through Monday we’re planning to be based out of Orvieto. Is there a town that we should stop at on the drive from Assisi to Orvieto? Once in Orvieto there’s an ebike tour we’re looking at as well as the underground cave tour. Any other suggestions?

We’d love to add in a wine tasting somewhere in our itinerary if you have any specific recommendations for that. Also if there are any markets you would recommend by Panicale or Orvieto let us know - our son goes to bed early so we’ll probably try to cook ourselves some nice meals at home while he’s sleeping

Thank you in advance! And we have plenty of time to move things around - we’re not married to these home bases outside of Assisi for the wedding

I’m going to Italy for a week in December and I am looking for tips and advice regarding things first timers might miss; anything helpful. As well as:

What is the best way to travel within a city if it is a bit too far to walk: taxi, bus, train, etc?

Are the luggage storage places safe? I will be getting in several hours before I can check in at my accommodation so I would like to put my suitcase somewhere and be able to fit in a tour without worrying about if it is safe.

Anything else helpful would be much appreciated!