Italy was my second biggest seller after France last year. I did more individual trips to Italy than France though! Interesting. Italy truly never gets boring for me but here are a few things I’ve learned that you might find helpful in your planning…

Rome

Rome is busier than ever. (And remember this is a Jubilee year—the anniversary of the Catholic church, where there will be events in Rome all year long.) People come to me and want to spend $300 a night on a hotel and those days are long gone. In Rome, for a 4- or 5-star centrally-located hotel (Piazza Navona, Trevi Fountain, Spanish Steps) that sleeps two with air conditioning, breakfast, and free cancellation, expect to spend at least $600 a night during the spring and summer months. (Yes, there are always exceptions to this but I would encourage you to very carefully check hotel room square footage. I prefer rooms that are a minimum of 20 square meters/200 square feet. And that is a minimum!)

Because of how busy Rome is, if you have one of those flights that arrive at 6 am, I strongly recommended booking your hotel for the night before. This way, it’s 100% guaranteed that you can get into your room as soon as you arrive. Take a little nap and freshen up before you hit the streets. Doing this practically gives you an entire extra day to explore. Sometimes people want to stick it out but if you’re traveling with kids below the age of 10 or adults over the age of 60, don’t do this to yourself. Book at least one hotel room for the night before you arrive. Need help figuring out where to stay? Book a complimentary vacation consultation here.
A lot of families assume that Italy hotels are like American hotels with two Queen beds. This is quite rare. Look for family suites instead or connecting rooms. Hilton is the only chain that will guarantee connecting rooms upon booking. I am a Hilton for Luxury member which means I can add perks and amenities to your stay at most 4.5 and 5 star Hilton properties.
The Vatican is more packed than ever. For the best experience, book a super early tour (like 7 am) or a late night tour if available. The Vatican is closed to tours on Sunday so factor that into your planning. Not sure how to find one of these tours? Book a complimentary vacation consultation with me!
You should take a golf cart tour of Rome the day you arrive! Gives you a great overview of the city.
Taxis from the airport are at a fixed price which is great, but if you are more than 3 people and 2 or 3 suitcases, book a private transfer. This is a service that I can provide you with!
Always book the higher classes on the Italian train system. They are usually not that much more than standard economy seats and you’ll get more space and be closer to your luggage. A worthwhile luxury!
You will walk a lot in Rome. The Vatican and the Colosseum are not close. So take taxis or be ready to walk a lot! Before you leave for your trip, try to regularly walk at least three miles a day (preferably on a 5% incline) so you are ready for this.
Have the fried artichokes in Rome! They’re delicious!

Florence

Hotel pricing in Florence is a little better than Rome but not much. I’d still recommend budgeting $600+ per night but you may find a few 4* and 5* properties with AC, breakfast, and free cancellation at more like $500 per night during the spring and summer months. Need help finding the perfect place to stay? Book a complimentary vacation consultation here.

Florence is only 1 hour and 30 minutes from Rome by train!
It can be hard to get into the museums in Florence so book skip-the-line tickets and/or guided tours well in advance. Personally, I’m a fan of doing the Academia and Duomo in the morning and the Uffizi in the afternoon, with a nice lunch in between. There are longer tours that do everything, but I think it’s nice to take a break!
Florence museums are closed on Monday! Factor this into your planning. If you are only going to spend two days in Florence, you do not want one of those days to be on a Monday.
You can do a TON of day trips into Tuscany from Florence. So think about if you want to use Florence as a base and keep doing day trips or if you want to stay in Tuscany proper for a few nights.
This is the place in Italy to have steak! For the rest of your trip, it may be a lot of pasta and pizza. But in Florence, have STEAK.

Venice

Venice never gets boring for me. Yes, it can be absurdly crowded but if you plan ahead, you’ll be fine. Price-wise in Venice, for a 4* or 5* property with air conditioning, breakfast, and a central location, I’d budget at least $500 a night during the spring and summer months. You may find lower-priced properties but I’d encourage you again to check the room sizes and also review the hotel decor. Because of how Venice is constructed, there’s really not a lot of new construction properties. Everything is very old! Well-maintained properties are going to be a bit more expensive than the ones that are more rapidly sinking into the lagoon.

Venice is about 3 hours and 45 minutes from Rome by train. It is 2 hours and 15 minutes from Florence by train.
There are no cars in Venice! Once you get away from the train station, your choices are going by foot, vaporetto (water bus) or water taxi.
Venice transportation can be difficult and expensive. The best way to get from Venice Marco Polo airport into central Venice is by private water taxi. This is not cheap. Just be ready for this. I’ve done the public vaporetto/waterbus myself and it’s fine but it takes FOREVER and I would not recommend this early in the morning or late at night. Note there is also a land route but it requires getting back to the train station to catch a taxi which can be its own ordeal when you have luggage. Need help with Venice transportation? Book a complimentary vacation consultation here.
Sometimes, your hotel will offer a free trip to Murano or Burano or both. This can be a good way to save money on a tour, although you’re more likely to have just a water taxi than a guide. It’s less a tour than a…shopping experience. So always check your hotel description to see if they offer this. (The trip is free because they figure you’re going to buy some glass in Murano…)
I love the food in Venice but it is very different than the rest of Italy. There are a lot of sardines and salted cod. I strongly encourage you to take a food tour of Venice when you first arrive to understand the food and know how to order and where to eat for the rest of your stay. Otherwise, you will just think that Venice food is weird. It’s not weird! It’s just different. If a Venice food tour sounds like a good idea, get in touch!
Aperitivo time in Venice is real!! Take time every evening to join the locals in this tradition. I’m not a huge fan of Aperol Spritz but when in Venice…you have to have one!
It’s worth going to the top of the Fondaco Dei Tedeschi for the view. During busy season, definitely book this in advance.
Part of the joy of Venice is getting lost in the alleyways. So honestly, just start wandering. It’s a small island so you really can’t get lost!

Amalfi Coast

When most people tell me they want to go to the Amalfi Coast, they typically mean Positano. The challenge with Positano is that the best hotels book up way in advance. Also, there are A LOT of stairs. So in the key summer months, I really recommend budgeting $1000+ per night for a 4 or 5-star hotel with air conditioning, breakfast included, and free cancellation. Here are some other tips…

The Amalfi Coast is only warm in the summer. It is not a year round beach destination!
Staying in Sorrento is a much better value than staying in Positano. That being said, Sorrento and Positano are not close to each other. Think about what’s most important to you…your budget or the picture postcard views in Positano. You can always do Positano as a day trip.
The Amalfi Coast is a pain to get to. From Naples train station, you can take the tourist train, but it only runs a few times per day and that’s to Sorrento and not Positano. You can also take the Circumvesuviana train but that can be really crowded. I don’t recommend it. The best way to get to the Amalfi coast IMHO is to take the train to Naples and then get a private driver form there. You can also take the train to Salerno and take a ferry to Amalfi from there. But I’d still probably go with the Naples + private driver recommendation. Need help with Amalfi coast transportation? Book a complimentary vacation consultation here.
On your way to or from the Amalfi Coast, I strongly recommend a stop in Pompeii! It is truly fascinating.

General Tips for Planning Your Next Trip to Italy

Don’t assume you have to fly into Rome! There are direct fights from the US to other cities in Italy like Milan (for Lake Como), Venice, and Naples (for the Amalfi Coast). Consider connecting flights too as sometimes, they can be cheaper than direct.
If you are considering Italy via cruise, there are very few cruises that just do Italy. Trust me on this one. But if you do want to book one of the few Italy-focused cruise itineraries out there, let’s talk! Book a complimentary vacation consultation here.
The best way to save money on an Italy trip is to plan at least six months in advance. 9+ months in advance for June/July/August trips. This is both because of flight prices and hotel prices.
If you want to rent a car in Italy, make sure you read up on ZTL zones. The internet is full of American tourists who get tickets for entering ZTL zones and don’t know what to do about the fines. (The Italians will find you.)
Remember Italy will always be there for you! Maybe you only hit part of the country in your first trip. Don’t try to do it all. To manage costs, consider cities that aren’t Rome, Florence, Venice. I love Bologna, for instance. And Assisi. Verona. Naples. There’s just so much to explore! Keep an open mind. For example, many people will say that they don’t like Naples. Explore that with them. I’m always willing to be wrong but they probably stayed in a crappy hotel by the train station and didn’t really organize their time well. I loved Naples!! But I had guides for my entire trip.
Be adventurous in your eating. Italian food in Italy is very different than the “Chicken Parm Italian” we know in America. Always ask your server for recommendations!
Savor every moment! Enjoy!

About Krista

I’m a Virtuoso luxury travel advisor based in West Palm Beach, Florida. Prior to moving to Florida to take care of my elderly mom with Parkinson’s Disease, I spent over 11 years living and working in London, England, selling financial data. My career and personal travel have taken me all over the world. To date, I’ve been to 78 countries. Now I bring the joy of travel to others as a Virtuoso travel advisor. I offer a 30 minute complimentary vacation consultation for anyone looking to plan their next trip.

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What I Learned from Organizing 20+ Client Trips to Italy Last Year