Eleven best tips for traveling to Italy

Ok, so we just completed our fourth trip to Italy together in the last three years, and Robin has taken two additional trips without me to continue her Italian language studies.

With this in mind, we have learned quite a bit about traveling to Italy and want to share with you our top tips for traveling to Italy.

Tip #1 – Fly direct

If you are flying to Italy from North America, we highly recommend flying direct to Rome, Milan and Naples if possible.

Now and then there are opportunities to fly direct to other cities, but these are typically from the New York area airports.

The reason for this is to avoid layovers at major airports such as London Heathrow, Paris, Munich and Frankfurt.  These airports are massive and you will need to get through customs at one of these airports before connecting to your destination in Italy.

Due to the size of these airports, it is easy to miss your connecting flight, even if your flight is on time!

In Munich last year we witnessed one gentleman miss his connecting flight because it took him over two hours to get through customs.

This happens because these flights often occur on large airliners, and if more than one land at the same time, the lines to get through customs can be quite long.

And unfortunately, the people working security do not really care if you miss your connection.  It’s not their job to help you in that regard.

Tip #2 – If you can’t fly direct, use the 3 hour layover rule

Many people are traveling on a budget, and direct flights to Italy are not the cheapest.  You will find much cheaper flights that involve connecting flights and layovers.

The problem is that when you are searching for flights on the flight aggregators, they will often give you options that include a layover of less than two hours.

For example, one time we were flying back home from Rome and we had a connecting flight in Frankfurt, Germany.

We did not pay much attention to the schedule until the trip started and I noticed that our layover was going to be less than about 50 minutes.

After we flew over via Frankfurt, I knew we would be in trouble.  It is a huge airport, and from the time you land until the time the plane actually parks can take 15 to 20 minutes.

Then you have to work your way to the right terminal for your flight home and that can take another 20 to 30 minutes, not including getting through customs and security!

Fortunately, we lucked out in that our flight was on time and we were able to breeze through customs due to no line.  We were among the last to board our flight.

The other issue is that is not unusual for your initial flight to be delayed.  We had this issue on our trip to Sicily in 2023.  Our flight to London Heathrow was delayed, but we didn’t get notice until we were on the way to the airport.

So, we chilled nearby for a bit, but when we arrived at the airport, we were told that we were going to miss our connecting flight from London to Palermo.

Our layover in London was going to be about two hours, but our flight was delayed by an hour.  There was just no way to get through customs and make our flight, so we were re-routed to a flight to Rome from London, and then from Rome to Palermo.

Unfortunately, that resulted in a lost day in Palermo to explore.

Therefore, if you need to save money by using a connecting flight, then use the 3 hour layover rule.  It won’t work every time but it puts the odds of making your connection in your favor.

Tip #3 – Learn to travel by train

Traveling by train is a great way to get around Italy, especially between the major cities.

For instance, you can get from Rome to Milan by train in about three hours, and travel comfortably.

However, there are a couple things to know about train travel by Italy.

First, train workers in Italy love to go on strike, and according to locals, this is usually a way of getting a long weekend vacation.

There are train trips that almost always exempt from these strikes, such as a high speed train from Rome to Florence or Milan.

However, we learned the hard way that these strikes typically affect routes where regional trains are involved.

On our trip to the Italian Riviera in 2024, we flew into Genoa, and our intent was to then catch a train over to Rapallo.

After arriving, we made the trip from the airport to the nearest train station and found out there was a strike and there would be no train.

We ultimately slogged our way through the rain to a bus stop, and then took a bus to the primary train station in Genoa.  By this time, it was 4 pm in Italy, and we find out we can’t get a train to Rapallo until 8 pm.

Exhausted, we opted for a cab, which cost us about 150 euros, but by that point, we just didn’t care.

Fortunately, train strikes are announced about two weeks in advance, and there is also a list of the exempt trips you can find when needed.

Another issue when traveling by train is there are often delays, and these can impact your trip as well.

Therefore, you should always stay in the city in Italy in which you first arrive for a day before moving onto your next destination, and stay in the city of your departure.

The second point is especially important.

Last year, Robin was in Bologna and flying back home out of Rome.  The train trip was supposed to be about 2 1/2 hours.  It took over four hours and she still had to get off that train and then take the train from Roma Termine to the airport.  She was the last person to board her flight!

Tip #4 – Do not plan activities for day of arrival

The first point here you should already understand… there is a good chance you will miss your activity if you have something planned on the day of arrival.

These days, it just seems likely that transportation will cause a delay of some kind.

However, even if you arrive on time, getting to Italy involves a long trip.

From Washington, DC where we fly from, it is an 8 1/2 hour flight.

When you add in the time to get through the airport before your flight and after you arrive, and then getting to your accommodations, it just makes sense to relax the rest of that day.

The goal is to enjoy Italy, not be exhausted for your entire trip!

Tip #5 – Use Skip the line tickets to see attractions

Always get your tickets to see primary attractions in advance, so you can bypass long lines.

This is especially true for such attractions as the Colosseum in Rome and The Vatican.

Skip the line tickets usually involve a tour guide, whom you will meet with at a designated time.  If you are in a large group, once you get inside, you may even ditch the group if you like.

However, some tours are actually quite informative, so the choice is yours.

Tip #6 – 7 day minimum trip length

Due to the time it takes to get to Italy, it doesn’t make much sense to head over for a long weekend.

There is so much to see and do, no matter where in Italy you go, you will want time to explore each place on your itinerary.

Tip #7 – 3 days in Rome, 3 days in Florence

The typical Italy itinerary will package Rome and Florence with Venice.  If you stay longer, you may hit Naples and the Amalfi Coast.

With that said, we highly recommend taking at least three days to explore Rome and Florence due to all of the site you will likely want to see in each city.

Unless you need to see every museum, you can see what you need to in Venice in two days or less.

We’ve now spent a total of seven full days in Rome and eight full days in Florence and feel like we’ve seen everything important to us.

Tip #8 – Try to walk as much as possible

If you are physically able to, the best way to see any town or city in Italy is on foot.

This is how you find hidden gems that may be important to you.

Robin loves to shop and in particular loves to shop in secondhand stores and smaller boutiques with local products.

Because we rely on our feet to get around the towns we visit, she has found a couple of cool little shops in our travels, particularly in Florence.

This is also the best way to find restaurants that are generally serving the locals more than the tourists.  Really good restaurants are often found on less traveled alleys, rather than on the main thoroughfares where all of the tourists are found.

Surprisingly, even Rome is quite walkable for the able bodied.

Tip #9 – Rent a car for seeing Tuscany and other regions

If your goal is to see Tuscany, and some other less traveled regions such as Umbria, Abruzzo, Le Marche, etc., then you will want to rent a car, as the train system is not reasonable for travel between many small towns.

Most of the regions in Italy are the size of smaller states in the U.S.  The small towns within some of these regions cannot be reached by train, so you would need a bus from the train station to get to many small towns.

In Tuscany, popular towns such as Montepulciano, San Gimignano and Montalcino are among those directly accessed by train.

Adding a bus trip just adds another layer of transportation onto your trip, so renting a car is probably a better option.

This is especially the case if you are traveling with young children and/or more than a couple pieces of luggage.

Renting a car is no more difficult than it is here in North America, but you’ll need to get your international drivers permit ahead of your trip.

Discover Cars is one service we recommend for renting a car in Italy.

Tip #10 – Don’t try to see everything on your list

The best way to experience Italy is to take your time.

Yes, there is so much to see and do in Italy, but you will miss what the country is all about if you are rushing from activity to activity and town to town.

And Italians really don’t like it when tourists are doing that.  Italy is not just about checking a box.

Our conversations with local Italians indicate that they want you to take your time and enjoy their country at their pace.

Family and friends are what are most important to Italians.  That means conversation over coffee, after work, at dinner, etc.

And Italians love it if you can speak some of their language, which brings us to our last, and best tip for traveling to Italy.

Tip #11 – Learn some Italian

I will admit that the Italian language is difficult for me to learn.

Robin has immersed herself in it for about three years now, and speaks it well enough to speak to people wherever we go.

I have to admit it is really fun for me to sit back and watch her converse with local Italians, and they enjoy speaking with her as well.

She always gets compliments as her accent and pronunciations are pretty good.

I personally use Babbel to learn Italian, while Robin uses services in Italy since she is more advanced.

Final Thoughts – Eleven best tips for traveling to Italy

And there you have it… our eleven best tips for traveling to Italy.

Yes, we have more, and we will probably add to this list over time.

However, these tips will surely help you plan a trip to Italy when you are ready.

The key is to stop thinking about it and start planning!

With that in mind, be on the lookout for our recommended itineraries.