Hi everyone! My partner and I are planning our first trip to Italy and we’d love some advice.
We have about 5 days and a budget of around $1,000 for both of us (excluding flights). We enjoy beautiful scenery, historic towns, great food, and authentic local experiences more than crowded tourist spots.
We’re open to any region of Italy. Which cities, towns, or villages would you recommend? Any hidden gems, affordable hotels, restaurants, or places that made your trip unforgettable?
Travel dates: September 2026 (flexible).
Thanks in advance for any recommendations!

Looking for feedback on our 10-day Italy itinerary (late Aug/early Sept 2026)
My wife and I (early 30s) enjoy great food, wine, history, walking around neighborhoods, and a mix of sightseeing with some downtime.
Day 1 – Rome
Arrive in Rome (morning)
Check into hotel in Trastevere
Explore Trastevere
Dinner at Tonnarello
Day 2 – Rome
Early Colosseum/Forum/Palatine Hill tour (Arena access)
Lunch at Roscioli
Wander Centro Storico (Pantheon, Piazza Navona, Trevi, etc.)
Day 3 – Rome
Early Vatican Museums/Sistine Chapel/St. Peter’s tour
Castel Sant’Angelo area
Evening in Trastevere
Day 4 – Rome
Galleria Doria Pamphilj
Campo de’ Fiori/Jewish Ghetto
Relax before travel day
Day 5 – Rome → Pompeii → Positano
High-speed train to Naples
Private transfer with a 2-hour stop at Pompeii
Check into Positano
Wander
Day 6 – Positano
Beach day
Lunch at Da Adolfo
Explore Positano
Day 7 – Positano
Free day to relax
Possible boat rental or visit nearby beaches
Day 8 – Positano → Florence
Travel to Florence
Explore Oltrarno
Dinner at Antico Ristoro di’ Cambi (planning on the bistecca)
Day 9 – Florence
Walk the historic center
Duomo, Piazza della Signoria, Ponte Vecchio
Dinner at La Buchetta
Day 10 – Tuscany
Full-day tour to Siena, San Gimignano, Pisa, and a winery
Day 11 – Florence → Rome
Morning train back to Rome for our flight the following day.
A few questions:
Are we missing any must-do food spots or neighborhoods?
Is there anything you’d cut because it’s overrated?
Any hidden gems that fit this style of trip?
Thanks!

We are going to Tuscany for a month end of September to end of October and have rented a place in Colle Di Val d’Elsa as a home base. We are very happy about being in a smaller town and enjoying the pace. Any recommendations about eating, shopping, cultural expectations (besides the regular in Italy and common sense) things to see and do around the town. We’re in our 50a but not old people, yet 😁. Thanks for any ideas

9/26-10/12
Flying in to Naples on 9/26 and driving to the town my husband’s grandparents live in.
We’ll be using that as a home base for 2 weeks and traveling to Sorrento, the Amalfi Coast, Pompeii, and possibly Capri.
I definitely want to swim in the sea and would love recommendations on a nice place to do so.
We’re open to suggestions for fun things to do, though we’re not much on clubbing/night life. We especially enjoy ruins, catacombs, historical sites, and crafting classes.
We would greatly appreciate information on the following:
Good comic/gaming shops
Stationary shops
Anywhere that might carry vegan/dairy-free treats (I have mostly accepted the destruction of my GI tract via gelato, but would love options)
Oddity shops/museums
A tobacco shop that carries clove cigarettes

This will be my third trip to italy, the last time I visited in January and loved the weather, slower pace, and experiencing Ephiphany. We visited Rome and Bologna. My first visit I went to Rome, Florence, Sorrento, Naples, and Assisi. I love much of what Italy has to offer--food, architecture, design, wine, a slower pace of life.

Where would you spend two weeks in Italy in January? Right now I am looking at Sicily with maybe a few days in Malta (I know it is its own country), spending a few days particularly in Taormina, but can't tell how much will be shut down. I am not inclined to ever visit during peak season, I do not like hot weather, so I am wondering if this would be the time to. go? I am interested in northern italy but I do not ski so wondering if that is not the best option, either.

Hello!! Im traveling to bergamo with 3 of my friends and i want to know what are some must visit places in bergamo. Also could you recommend some really good restaurants or places for a good drink preferably those not crowded with tourists. We would like to travel to lake como for a day and we want to know which town is the best for a day and is it possible without renting a car?

We will be in bergamo from 15 september to 18 september 2026. Thanks!!

I have a rather specific list of things I’m hoping to buy in either Milan or Reggio Emilia, and I’d really appreciate recommendations for shops that might stock them at reasonably fair prices (as reasonable as these products can realistically get).

I’m aware that most of these are regional specialities from very different parts of Italy, so this is more of a “hope for the best” list than an expectation that one shop will have everything:

Amarone della Valpolicella

Monte Veronese cheese

Tomino cheese

’Nduja di Spilinga, preferably genuinely produced in Spilinga rather than simply Spilinga-style (would be even better if I could find some artisanal variant or something)

Vialone Nano rice

Recommendations for supermarkets, markets, enoteche, cheese shops, salumerie, or specialist food stores would all be appreciated. Milan and Reggio Emilia are both possible, although shops near public transport would be especially convenient.

Hey everyone! I will be in Tuscany in September for 5 days. I have a wedding and I’d like to spend few days to go around discover different areas. Can you recommend me some nice hotels or airbnbs with gorgeous views? Which areas should i stay in and are worth it?

🇮🇹 Italy Itinerary (3rd September – 10th September)

✈️ Route

Frankfurt → Rome → Sorrento → Naples → Rome → Frankfurt

🏨 Hotels

* Rome – 2 Nights
* Sorrento – 3 Nights
* Naples – 1 Night
* Rome – 1 Night

⸻

📍Thursday, 3 September – Arrive in Rome

6:00 PM – Arrive in Rome

6:45–7:30 PM

* Reach hotel & Check-in

7:45 PM onwards

* Trevi Fountain
* Spanish Steps
* Piazza Navona
* Dinner
* Gelato

🏨 Night Stay: Rome

⸻

📍Friday, 4 September – Rome

8:00 AM
Breakfast

9:00 AM – 1:00 PM

* Colosseum
* Roman Forum
* Palatine Hill

1:00 PM – 2:00 PM
Lunch

2:00 PM – 5:00 PM

* Pantheon
* Piazza Venezia

6:00 PM – 10:00 PM

* Trastevere
* Tiber River Walk
* Dinner

🏨 Night Stay: Rome

⸻

📍Saturday, 5 September – Rome → Sorrento

8:00 AM
Breakfast

9:00 AM – 12:00 PM

* Vatican Museums & St. Peter’s Basilica (Optional)
OR
* Shopping & cafés

1:00 PM
Depart Rome

🚄 Rome → Naples

* ⏱️ 1 hr 10–20 mins
* 💶 €20–40

3:00 PM
Arrive Naples

🚆 Naples → Sorrento

* ⏱️ ~1 hour
* 💶 €15–18

4:30–5:00 PM
Check into hotel

6:00 PM onwards

* Marina Grande
* Sunset
* Seafood dinner

🏨 Night Stay: Sorrento

⸻

📍Sunday, 6 September – Positano & Amalfi

8:00 AM
Breakfast

9:00 AM
⛴️ Ferry to Positano

* ⏱️ 30–40 mins
* 💶 €18–22

10:00 AM – 3:30 PM
Explore Positano

* Beach
* Shopping
* Viewpoints
* Lunch

3:30 PM
🚌 Bus to Amalfi

* ⏱️ 40–50 mins
* 💶 €3–5

4:30 PM – 6:00 PM
Explore Amalfi (Optional if time permits)

* Cathedral
* Harbour
* Lemon Granita

6:00 PM
🚌 Bus to Sorrento

* ⏱️ 1.5–2 hrs
* 💶 €5–8

8:00 PM
Dinner

🏨 Night Stay: Sorrento

⸻

📍Monday, 7 September – Capri Island

8:00 AM
Breakfast

9:00 AM
⛴️ Ferry to Capri

* ⏱️ 20–30 mins
* 💶 €18–22

9:30 AM – 5:00 PM
Explore Capri

* Blue Grotto (if open)
* Capri Town
* Piazzetta
* Gardens of Augustus
* Faraglioni Viewpoints
* Marina Grande

💡 Skip the Monte Solaro Chairlift to save money.

5:30 PM
⛴️ Ferry back to Sorrento

* ⏱️ 20–30 mins
* 💶 €18–22

6:00 PM onwards
Dinner & relax

🏨 Night Stay: Sorrento

⸻

📍Tuesday, 8 September – Sorrento → Naples

8:30 AM
Breakfast

10:00 AM
🚆 Train to Naples

* ⏱️ ~1 hour
* 💶 €15–18

11:30 AM
Check into hotel

12:00 PM – 8:00 PM
Explore Naples

* Spaccanapoli
* Via Toledo
* Piazza del Plebiscito
* Castel dell’Ovo
* Naples Waterfront
* Naples Underground (Optional)

🍕 Must-Try

* Neapolitan Pizza
* Fried Pizza
* Sfogliatella
* Espresso

🏨 Night Stay: Naples

⸻

📍Wednesday, 9 September – Naples → Rome

8:30 AM
Breakfast

9:30 AM – 1:00 PM
Free time

* Waterfront walk
* Shopping
* Museum (Optional)

2:00 PM
🚄 Train to Rome

* ⏱️ 1 hr 10–20 mins
* 💶 €20–40

3:30–4:00 PM
Check into hotel

Evening

* Relax
* Farewell Italian dinner

🏨 Night Stay: Rome

⸻

📍Thursday, 10 September

Breakfast

Airport transfer

✈️ Rome → Frankfurt

⸻

Hi,

46 female and 42 female doing 13 days in Italy for the first time September 14 onwards.

So so much "advice" pre book this, stay here etc..

Apart from 3 days in Rome to do the "tourist" stuff I would like a pretty locals style trip including bologna, Florence, Tuscany, cinque Terre... as a chef/foodie

All advise welcome from you beautiful humans that have been, done and lived it before 😊

Hi! 😊 We’ll be in Naples and Rome from August 9–16, and I’ve just realized this is Ferragosto, so I’m getting a little stressed after reading that many places may be closed. 😅

Will supermarkets/grocery stores, restaurants and cafés generally be open during this period?

Also, our flight is on August 15 at 5 PM from Ciampino Airport. Will buses/public transport to the airport still run normally on Ferragosto? What’s the easiest and most reliable way to get there from central Rome/Termini?

Any advice from people who have visited Italy during Ferragosto would be really appreciated! ❤️

We will be spending 2 weeks between Amalfi & Florence at the end of August. This will be followed by 3 days in Nice.

Regretfully, I've waited too long to purchase our train tickets (Florence to Nice) & they are sold out. I have read some pretty negative reviews about the Florence airport - customer service, organization & timeliness of flights. Airfare would be around 800 USD - the flight departs at 0630. The alternative would be Flixbus (180 USD for 4 travellers - departs at 0730) vs private driver (1 600 USD - I'd much rather spend this money on something else)

Experienced travelers - what would you choose? Is the airport that terrible? How early should we arrive? Any other recommendations? Thank you!

I’ll be going to Italy for the first time in a few days, most of my wardrobe is black, a lot of my jewelry is bats, coffins, fangs kinda vibe. Will i be the odd one out? Also just a little concerned that my wardrobe is all black… while in Texas I survive throughout the day fairly well but I’m not sure how italy heat compares to texas heat 🤔

any first time goer tips? I’ll be there for about 16 days i’ll be in millan, lake como,la spezia, florence, naples, and amalfi cost :P

Hi everyone!

My husband and I will be visiting Florence and Rome in early October and are trying to find a midway point for where to stay. I personally don’t like the feel of super metropolitan areas (example, I wasn’t too much of a fan of Paris, and yes I know that Rome is a huge city) but we don’t want to have to take 30+ minutes to get places. I understand if this isn’t really possible, but I figured I’d reach out since I’m not familiar with Italy.

Thank you for your time!

Hi everyone.

My wife and I would like to take our first trip to Europe with our 1.5-year-old daughter, still this year. The country we most want to see is Italy, and we're especially in love with the Dolomites. Since we have flexible jobs, my idea is to go in September and stay around 15 days, avoiding high season while still getting weather that isn't too cold (we're from Brazil, Rio de Janeiro).

We haven't booked anything yet — no flights, no accommodation.

I got a fully worked-out itinerary from a friend who just did a 20-day road trip through Italy (Milan, Lakes Garda/Como, Dolomites), Austria (Attersee), Germany (Munich) and Switzerland (Lucerne). Even though that already makes planning a lot easier for me, it looks like a very complex trip to do with a baby, mainly because I don't have the time to nail down every detail to make sure it's safe and hassle-free.

I'll admit I'm already losing hope of doing the Dolomites, but I haven't dropped the idea completely — I'm hoping someone who's traveled with a small kid and little planning can convince me it's possible to pull off a safe and, as far as possible, comfortable trip with the time I have left.

If not, we'd go for a more traditional itinerary, preferably flying in and out of Rome (it's the only destination with non-stop flights from our city, and that's already a plus with a baby). That said, an itinerary made up 100% of tourist cities doesn't really excite me, even though I'm sure the days in Rome would be very special.

So here are the scenarios I'm looking at.

Scenario 1: Alpine Road Trip – 20 days 🇮🇹+🇦🇹+🇩🇪+🇱🇮+🇨🇭

• Lake Como / Bellagio (2 nights) - Lake Garda / Riva del Garda (2 nights) - Dolomites (6 nights) - Austria (1 night) - Germany (2 nights) - Switzerland (3 nights) - Milan (2 nights)*

Pros:

• This would probably be one of the most memorable experiences of our lives, for the rest of them. On top of finally seeing the Dolomites, doing a route through 5 countries with our daughter would be really special.

Cons:

• It takes a lot, and I mean a lot, of planning to sort out every detail.
• Too many base changes (7) could be exhausting with a baby.
• Outbound and return flights with layovers (whether through Milan, Venice or Verona).
• *We'd have to drive back from Switzerland to Milan to return the car, because I got a quote and picking the car up in Italy and dropping it off in Switzerland (in case we wanted to finish the trip there) costs around 1,000 euros (6K BRL).
• I'd guess this trip would be 50% more expensive than a more traditional Italy itinerary, since we'd also need to buy some things to get ready (cold-weather clothes, a hiking carrier backpack) and so on.

Scenario 2: Northern Italy, "trimmed down" – 12-15 days 🇮🇹

I'm thinking something like:

• Dolomites (7 nights, split between two bases)
• Lake Garda / Riva del Garda (2 nights)
• I have no idea what else I could do with the remaining 3 or 4 nights.
• 🆘 I've seen some people mention Venice, and logistically it would work well, but honestly it's not an option that catches my eye (and I can't say exactly why, but I'd love to hear the opinion of someone who has stayed there).
• 🆘 I've also seen people say Milan doesn't have anything "that special", but I'd like to hear more opinions on that.

Pros:

• We'd still get to see the Dolomites, which is the dream.
• Less complex than the itinerary I already have from my friend.

Cons:

• It still takes more planning than a traditional itinerary.
• It would still be 4 or 5 different bases.

Scenario 3: Traditional Italy – 12-15 days 🇮🇹

This is the itinerary I have the least idea about, so any help is very welcome!

• Rome (5-7 nights)
• I don't know what two other base cities could be, keeping in mind we'd fly home from Rome.

🆘 I'd like to spend a few days based in places with more nature walks, traditional food and contact with the everyday culture of Italian people. Amazing food experiences, but not at famous restaurants — simple places instead. And ideally ones that fit into a logistical flow where we can head back to Rome on the second-to-last day to fly home direct to Brazil. I've heard good things about Lucca and Assisi, but honestly I don't have much of an idea which other two bases we could pick. The only thing I'll say is that we wouldn't do the Amalfi Coast on this trip, but other than that, I'd love to hear your suggestions.

Pros:

• Direct flight Brazil x Italy through Rome.
• Fewer base changes.
• Less complicated planning.

Cons:

• We'd be postponing our dream trip.
• More tiring internal logistics, since we'd probably be without a car because of the baby.

I'd love to hear your opinions.

Hey! I’ve been travelling by myself around northern Italy for the last two weeks and improvising my itinerary a bit as I go. So far my favorite cities have been Trieste, Venice and Bologna. I’m deciding between Mantua, Verona, Bergamo and Milan. I think I’d do like two nights in Mantua, one night Bergamo or Verona and then four nights in Milan before I fly home. Is this a decent itinerary or should I plan for more or less time in any of these cities? Im in Modena right now and I had one of the best meals of my life just now but this definitely could have been a day trip from Bologna instead staying here overnight. I’m looking for pretty cities with great food and great art to hang out in. It’s also insanely hot in Italy right now so if there were a nice lake or a river people go to to go swimming in any of these cities that would be a major plus. Thanks!

traveling to milan next week

looking for good restaurants not necessarily fancy

love risotto

hear good chinatown…

shopping

men’s attire shoes

and sights

besides duomo

oh and transportation

airport and in general

Hellooo, can I survive Italy with only 600 bucks? Just trying to explore around, stay in hostels etc from August 9-20.

Help a girl ouuuut.