r/ItalyTravel

Hey all,

I'm less than halfway through a three-week multi-city Italy trip and have run into so many issues with trains that I just wasn't anticipating based on my research. Rather than scream into the void that is the crowded train car on which I'm currently trapped, I just want to know if this is normal and I completely overestimated how reliable this form of transit would be (my last international trip was to Japan and I have zero notes about their trains) or if the gods of public transit are punishing me for some reason. For some context:

• A few days ago I was trying to fly out of Rome to Venice (quicker and cheaper than a train) and the express train from Rome Termini to the airport was delayed, then switched platforms, then declared completely nonfunctional for the next several hours. Of course this resulted in an insane line for taxis, resulting in most likely missing the flight despite giving myself objectively too much time to get to the airport, and instead opting to pay full price for a train from Rome to Venice.
• While traveling from Varenna (on Lake Como) back to Milan at the end of a quick day trip, trains were moving single-track along most of the line. The train arrived about twenty minutes late, then we spent a large portion of the ride stopping for long stretches of time so other trains could pass. Overall delay time was about 45 minutes, but for what should have been a 65 minute ride turning into almost two hours, it was pretty frustrating.
• My current hell is a train from Milan to Cinque Terre. Boarded on time, got about fifteen minutes away from the city, and we're completely stopped in the middle of nowhere because there's an issue at the next station. It's been an hour, and they're claiming we'll be moving again in an hour. So a three hour train ride is turning into five hours (optimistically).

Thanks for letting me vent. I love trains, I love public transportation. I know these things happen, but do they really happen this often here that I should be tempering my expectations for the rest of the trip? Or even planning itineraries for each day accordingly? I always give myself a bit of a travel buffer, but there's a difference between a slight delay and doubling the travel time. Any insight or kind words or suggestions of things I can do to stay sane while just sitting still dying to see more of this country are welcome.

My friend and I (from US) will traveling to Italy for first time from June 28th - July 13th. We are in our 20s and don't mind taking trains every 2-3 days to cover the cities we want to see. We are flying into Milan for cheaper flights.

We are planning 5 nights in Rome, 3 nights in Florence, 2 nights in Venice, 4 nights in Dolomites. Then we head back to Milan by stopping at Verona to spread out travel time across last 2 days.

Yes, it may seem packed, but we each have one checked bag and a backpack. We don't mind lugging it around, and we have time on the train to sleep and chill.

My friend really wants to see Positano, while I'd rather save that day for a closer day trip from Rome or from Florence. On another trip, I want to experience the Amalfi coast fully and visit Capri, Sorrento, Positano, Amalfi, Ravello, and Pompei. But we don't have time for that on this trip.

He suggested a Viator coastal cruise day trip, which will be a 14 hour day for just 2 hours in Positano. I don't think it's worth the amount of travel for 2 hours of experience. But the approach from the water could be cool, and tickets are $83. It seems like a good deal but reviews on the site are mixed due to cancelled cruises for weather conditions.

Has anyone taken this coastal cruise in the summer (July)? Did you actually get 2 hours in Positano? How was trip to and from Positano?

Is it worth it to cram this day trip in our already packed schedule just to tick off Positano?

My partner and I are planning our first trip to Italy this May and wanted a sanity check on our itinerary before we finalize everything! We will only have backpacks, so movign around for us will not be a problem :)

Here’s what we have so far:
• Staying in Rome May 16–20
• Moving over to Florence May 20–23
• We wanted a beach-ish town, staying in Rapallo (Cinque Terre area) May 23–25
• lastly staying in Milan May 25–30

We intentionally gave ourselves more time in Milan so we can do day trips. Right now we’re thinking about checking out one of the lakes (Como or Garda?) and possibly Venice, but we’re not sure if that’s too much. We plan on just taking it easy mostly in Milan.

We love the non-touristy areas of traveling, and wanted to give ourselves a decent amount of time to explore.

A few questions:
• Does this pacing look reasonable or are we moving around too much?
• Between Lake Como, Lake Garda, and Venice, what would you prioritize from Milan, or are there other hidden gems we should visit?
• Are there any must-see spots or hidden gems along this route?

Appreciate any input, I’ve been reading a ton but figured people with firsthand experience would know best!

Itinerary June 6-16

Heres my itinerary for our low key trip june trip to the Campania region.

June 6 -arrive in Naples at 9:30, store our stuff in a locker at Napoli centrale station, get a delicious lunch, take a train to Salerno at 230, check into Air Bnb

June 7- relax explore salerno get the lay of the city a little

June 8- take a ferry to Amalfi and  also check out Atrani

June 9 train to Pasteum visiting rhe ruins and Lunch and a tour of a mozzerella farm

June 10 - Pompeii day, thinking about also doing a Vesuvius hike too but Ive been reading thats too much for one day

June 11 Vietri sul Mare- check out some cermics and maybe Cristella beach.

June 12- Maiori-Minori do the path of the lemons hike 

June 13-14 open maybe Cetra, Potsitano, Vesuvius hike,  or do another day trip to Naples maybe check out the Mann 

June 15 -leave Salerno for Naples in the morning drop our stuff at the hotel,   I'm working on a map of places I want to see/eat! 

June 16 - check out and fly home.

I feel like this a much more low key itinerary then I often see posted up here.  This is our second trip to Italy and the first one was a lot of city hopping so Im excited to be able to unpack and just do day trips and also have some flexibility. We don't have a car so we'll be relying on trains, ferries and buses. Any tips are appreciated or places I might ve missing and should add. We love great food and pretty places!

Not super interested in rhe crowds of Potsitano and think we'll get  enough of that from Amalfi! 

Hi,

I recently took a day trip to Lake Garda from Verona (April 2026) and whilst it went well, I think the reality of using the public transportation is worth mentioning for anyone considering to make this kind of trip.

From peschiera del garda, Google maps and bus apps told me I could get the LN026 to sirmione all the way up to where the castle is basically. I got on that bus (which was not accurate to the times displayed , as expected of Italy) and the driver ejected everyone off the bus at the stop called piazza campiello(1). Now this was weird, ok, but fine whatever we'll just get on the next one up to sirmione. Took about 30 mins of waiting and ended up getting on the shuttle bus.

On the journey back, took the shuttle bus down to the shuttle bus stop 8 to catch the bus into Verona. After waiting 40 minutes and getting on the bus (packed like sardines) the bus broke down! There were now too many people at the bus stop that I felt our chances of getting on the next one were slim. We ended up having to get a taxi for €40 (fortunately split with another group) to desenzano station to get the train back to Verona.

This post isn't to complain about infrequency and lack of punctuality of buses, because as far as I can tell that's just normal for Italy. I just wanted to warn people that, yes, whilst visiting places like sirmione with public transport is absolutely doable, you're gonna spend a massive chunk of your day waiting around and if you're unlucky like me going through the rigmarole of switching transport many times. Seeing lake garda and places like sirmione are still 100% worth it, but this definitely seems like the kind of places suited massively towards a vehicle of your own that you can explore the lake fully freely.

Looking for advice on a short Italy trip. Middle of May - flights to & from Verona, arriving Tues afternoon, leaving Sat midnight.

My first time in Italy - going with my partner and meeting his friend there (friend leaving from Bologna Fri). Using Verona as our base instead switching to Bologna halfway through - it was more affordable. Italian is rusty, but had B1 over a year ago.

Our Plan

• Tues - Chill in Verona
• Wed - See some of Verona's sights
• Thurs - Day trip to Venice
• Fri - Day trip Bologna (going with the friend leaving)
• Saturday - Stay in Verona and head from airport there.

My biggest fear is the Venice day trip. Lots of folks note on here how unfeasible a day trip is. I know we wont see it all, but idk when we could return to Italy and my partner is keen to go since its relatively accessible from Verona.

What are the key pieces to see or do? What's your advice? I'm a history nerd (particularly 1800's) and I know some Venetian history, I'd love to see some of it IRL.

I am thinking about going to Bologna for an intensive language course from May to July. I have a few questions.

I know the town is a university town. I'm 37F. Just wondering if it's very young there-is it like a 20s culture or is that just a small aspect of the city?

Is Bologna a viable place to use as a home base to see some other cities in Europe-ie is the airport accessible enough and the flights frequent enough to see say Prague, Vienna etc.

How do you find accommodation for this length of time? Is airbnb the only way-it seems very expensive. What is a normal rent for this area. Dates May 1-July 12.

How easy is it to get around with English as your first language. I have basically zero Italian.

What is the nightlife like in the city-does it all close early or is it pretty lively?

Is this a good time of year to go?

Anything else I should know?

Thank you in advance!

Hi!

I'm currently planning a holiday to Italy in end May!

I currently have the following plan in mind for a day trip to Lake Como, from Milan. Would like to seek feedback on the plan below.

• Train to Como
  • Milan Centrale 9:10am → 9:49am Como S Giovanni
• Take Brunate funicular (1030am - 1045am)
• Explore around, see lookout point of Como (1045am - 11am)
• Chiesa Prepositurale di Sant'Andrea Apostolo (11am - 1115am)
• Lunch: Trattoria del Cacciatore (1130am - 1230pm)
• Descent from Brunate (1245pm - 1pm)
• Piazza Duomo (115pm - 210pm)
  • Duomo di Como
  • Palazzo del Broletto
• Ferry to Bellagio (230pm - 315pm)
• Giardini di Villa Melzi (Gardens of Villa Melzi) (330pm - 5pm)
• Via Giuseppe Garibaldi (515pm - 545pm)
• Punta Spartivento (6pm - 620pm)
• Ferry to Varenna (650pm - 705pm)
• Dinner at Varenna (715pm - 830pm)
• Train back to Milan from Varenna Esino

Would like to find out:

• Is the plan above feasible? Or is it too rushed?
• Understand that tickets for the fast ferry can only be purchased in-person. Do tickets sell out quickly? How risky would it be that tickets are sold out on the day itself?
• Any other tips and recommendations are welcomed as well, thank you!

Just started planning this trip and feel way behind.

July 14-17

Rome

Check in afternoon

Mercure Rome Colosseum Centre

Evening Plan:

Keep it simple first night

Walk to:

Spanish Steps

Trevi Fountain go at night = less crowded,

Stroll through cobblestone streets, grab gelato

Dinner (Casual but great):

Roscioli (amazing Roman classics)

Or Da Enzo al 29 (authentic Trastevere vibe)

July 15

Morning:

Start early

Visit:

Colosseum

Roman Forum

Palatine Hill

Lunch

•	Trevi Fountain

•	Pantheon

•	Piazza Navona

Dinner

TBD

July 16 (also 20 year wedding anniversary)

Morning:

Visit:

Vatican Museums

Sistine Chapel

St. Peter’s Basilica

Dinner in the trastavere area

anniversary dinner

July 17

Ciao

So I was planning my vacation in August when im free from work and I was thinking many locations, I always wanted to go to Rome also, but a bit hot in August plus so many things I want to see that have an entrance fee. Museums etc...

So I was thinking, this year il go into nature, hiking, sights... something more budget... So Dolomites really caught my eye...

Well now I was trying to book some places in Cortina and Ortisei... only to see the lodging is like 300€+ per night or 400-500€+ per night in Ortisei for those dates... and im completely shocked lol... holy... what the heck...?

Any places you recommend close that are more budget?

Its around the first 2 weeks of August btw.

Hello there!

My fiancé and I are travelling to Italy (and Europe) for the first time! We are from Vancouver, Canada and chose Italy as our first trip to Europe because of the many recommendations we got from friends and family. I can’t believe we haven’t been to Europe yet. It’s long overdue. We’ve been to Asia, Australia and South America so do have some travel experience. We’re packing light.

We are looking forward to the food, culture, history and atmosphere! I would love to run our itinerary by the sub for advice and suggestions. We’re in our early 30’s, active, and enjoy a mix of day time activity and nightlife. I’d be happy to spend €150/day on food, drinks, shopping and activities. Not including hotels and activities already booked and I would spend more for interesting experiences. I will spend money to skip lines/save time.

We are landing April 25th and departing May 7th

Rome (Monti) 4 nights

-Colosseum / forum is our only booked activity. We plan to spend the rest of the time exploring. Trastevere, Piazza Navona, Pantheon, Trevi, steps etc.

-Strongly considering booking an early morning Vatican tour.

Florence (Santa Maria Novella) 4 nights

-Chianti wine day, Uffizi gallery we have booked

-May 1st is a holiday. Will that affect what is open / available to do?

-I’m looking into a day trip to Sienna. I’ve also heard good things about Montepulciano. Should I rent a car for the day? Or take rail? What’s the best way to do this?

-Plan to spend the rest of the time walking around / exploring / shopping / eating & drinking etc.

-I am interested in a cooking class but I don’t want to spend 3 hours making fresh pasta… I’ve done it… flour and egg.. I get it… I am more interested in pasta sauces and other dishes but most offerings I see focus on pasta making. (Not picky about what city we do this in)

Positano (Hotel La Bougainville) 4 nights

-All we have booked is Da Ferdinando beach club

-Hire a boat? Day trip to Capri or Praiano? What else could we plan.

I don’t think we’re cramming too much in, if anything not enough - but I could be wrong! I definitely like to make the most of days but I understand that Italy / Europe in general is less about planned activities and more about soaking it in.

Thank you so much in advance

I will be traveling in Rome May 21st-24th. Tickets for the Colosseum will be released soon for my trip. I have a few questions as I recently had surgery and while I can walk some steps very slowly, many will be difficult as is walking long distances. I intend to request disability support.

I wanted to confirm if you can only book the basic entrance and tour with disability access?

They show the option to add disability tickets for the others but give me an error message if I try to add to my cart. Is this because it's not allowed or because they are selling out?

I also wanted to ask if I get a disability ticket with basic tour could I also buy an arena pass separately to see that? I have read that out of the underground, attic, and arena that is the easiest to see if you have limited mobility.

I don't want to be out of a service range, nor do I want to incur crazy roaming fees from Verizon. I'm curious if anybody can give advice on what they did with their phone plan to ensure they retained service. Is WiFi usage and calling free/common? Do I need to temporarily upgrade a phone plan? What else should I learn, know, or look into for my next steps? Thanks in advance!

Hi, I am planning a trip to Italy and I have booked an air BnB but the owner asks me for m'y passeport/ID for "tourist registration". I am an EU citizen so is this normal?

If it's not, what can I do and what is the possible scam?

In October we are doing Milan, Como, Venice and then have four days leftover before heading back to Milan. It looks like Treviso would be a good option in the area? Any others? We have done (and loved) Verona already. Can be by train or we could rent a car.

I apologize if this question has been raised but we're looking at trip to Milan, Lake Como, Cinque Terre and Venice from June 11 to June 22. We've rented cars in France, Scotland and Ireland, and so have some experience driving in Europe.

We're weighing whether to rent a car in Milan for the whole time or just relying primarily on the trains and then walking, public transportation and/or Ubers in our destinations. Not having a car seems less stressful, but obviously could be limiting. If we want visit someplace outside of Venice or Milan that wasn't easily accessible by train we were also wondering if it would be easy/fast to rent a car for a day.

In any case, any thoughts on the pros/cons of renting a car vs. not for this itinerary would be appreciated. Thanks in advance.

Hi y’all! My partner and I will be in Italy (Milan, Sienna, Tuscany, Florence, Rome, and Naples) May 16-30 this year. We’re not huge touristy people and like to have unique experiences, so long for suggestions for activities or day trips to add to our itinerary. We enjoy:

• Outdoor experiences (hiking, animal experiences, horseback riding, zoos, etc.) and as a bonus I am a herpetologist and would LOVE suggestions on places to potentially encounter native snakes
• Unique/Local experiences: We’d rather explore local areas and hidden gems than big touristy destinations. We love language, culture, cooking, etc.
• Museums but we are more interested in history/archaeology/science than art, though open to that as well
• and lastly I have celiac disease, celiac-friendly experiences would be amazing.

Thank you SO MUCH for suggestions!!

We are traveling to Italy in October with our two kids (12 and 10). We have 2.5 days in Venice, 4.5 days in Florence (which includes day trips to Bologna for a food tour and Chianti for some winery tours) and 2.5 days in Rome. Also to note, we will be on a cruise afterwards, with stops in La Spezia and Naples. We plan to see Cinque Terre and Pompeii while on the cruise.

We have an extra full day that we want to plan as a “down” day; a day that’s more relaxed and open for spontaneity. The question is, which city would you recommend having an extra “down” day…Florence or Rome? Or another way to look at it, which city would you spread out your itinerary in? Is there anything off the beaten path that you would see or do during that down day in that city?

Hello! My fiance and I are going to be traveling to Italy from August 4-14. We know this isn't the ideal time of year, but this will be our only opportunity for this trip for a while due to school.

Our rough itinerary is:

August 4-9: Rome

August 10-14: Naples + day trip to Pompeii

We were wondering how much Ferragasto will affect our options for smaller restaurants and stores. We both really enjoy vintage shopping and trying local foods, so how much should we temper our expectations for our trip? I have gotten mixed reports on how much earlier August is affected vs late August (before or after the holiday on the 15th).

Thank you so much!

I read online you need to pre-book the parking spots, and I found the webpage, aparently you need to do an account, I did it and then went in but didn't really knew how to navigate the page and didn't really found any option to buy tickets?