Italy Travel Itinerary
When planning a trip to Italy it can be challenging to decide where to go- there is just so much to see! While the entire country is worth exploring, for the best experience, I recommend prioritizing the places you MUST see and planning around that, rather than trying to visit every noteworthy place. Last fall, when my husband and I were planning our trip to Italy, we decided to focus on the Northern half of the country specifically from Bolzano (near the border of Austria) to Rome (near the coast and in the middle of the country.) Below I’ve shared the route that we took for our trip, as well as my top recommendations for things to do in each location!
3 Week Northern Italy Road-trip Itinerary:
Milan
We flew into Milan, and picked up our rental car before driving to Modena for our first night.
drive time: 1.5 hours
Modena
nights: 2
drive time: 2 hours
Cinque Terre & La Spezia
nights: 3
drive time: 2 hours
Florence
nights: 4
drive time: 1.5 hours
Montepulciano
nights: 3
drive time: 3 hours
Verona
nights: 2
drive time: 1.5 hours
Bolzano
nights: 3
drive time: 3 hours
Milan
nights: 1
We took a train from Milan to Rome which took 4 hours.
Rome
nights: 4
My Recommendations:
Milan:
I had visited Milan in the past and it wasn’t my favorite city, so we only passed through Milan on our way to other places. We did stay one night here and had a great time walking around the Duomo di Milano and the surrounding area. If you are in Milan, this area is definitely worth seeing!
Modena:
Modena was my husband favorite place from our trip! Modena is known for having incredible food and it did not disappoint! Some of the best meals we had in Italy were in Modena. We also stayed in a wonderful Airbnb that was a 5 minute drive from the city center.
Places to Eat:
Ristorante da Danilo: arguably the best meal we had in Italy. I dream of the pumpking ravioli. If you do nothing else it Italy, make sure you order the Gnoccho Fritto from this place. It’s unbelieveable. Also, they fill up quick so make sure to have a reservation or get there right when they open!
Trattoria Aldina: delicious, classic Italian food at a great price!
Mercato Albinelli: everything you could want out of an Italian market! You can buy groceries to go, or get food to sit and eat there. Make sure to try some ricotta!
Places to Stay: This was the apartment we stayed at and it was wonderful! Modena Apartment (note: might not be ideal if you don’t have a car)
Pro Tip: Modena is a smaller city, and many of the restaurants are closed on Monday, so you may want to try and be here on other days of the week!
Cinque Terre:
If you only visit one place in Italy, Cinque Terre would be my top recommendation. There is simply nothing like it! The colorful buildings tucked into the cliffside, looking down over crystal clear blue waters. The endless amounts of gelato and fried seafood. The hustle and bustle of locals and tourists. It’s such an incredible atmosphere! I have been to Cinque Terre in both the summer and winter and recommend the different seasons for different reasons. The weather is beautiful in the summer (can get very hot!) but plan on it being unbelieveably crowded- like can’t move without bumping into people crowded. In the winter, the weather is obviously a bit colder and can be rainy. When we visited, it rained in the morning but was clear the rest of the day. I loved being there during that time because it felt like we had it all to ourselves! Two of the trails were closed (due to a mudslide- one of the trails has been closed for years) but the other three were open for hiking!
Places to Eat: Restaurants in Cinque Terre are seasonal (aka a lot of them are closed in the off season) so the options will be different depending on when you are there. However, you can always find amazing pasta, or get a paper cone full of fresh, fried seafood. If you come across a place that sells fresh lemonade- buy some.
Places to Stay: We chose to stay in La Spezia (about a 25 minute train ride from Cinque Terre) because room prices were substantially cheaper, and since we had a car it made it easier to find parking. The train runs every 15 minutes or so and costs about $2 one way. Be sure to check the schedule at night as one night we got stuck at the train station since we got back so late.
Pro Tip: Go in the off season. In my opinion this applies to all of Italy, but particularly Cinque Terre. In the summer months in will get INSANELY busy and it really does detract from how amazing the environment is. You can still hike most of the trails, and you won’t have to share them with tons of other people.
Florence:
Florence is without a doubt my favorite big city in Italy! It has such a wonderful balance of things to see a do, while also feeling less overwhelming and crowded than cities like Rome and Milan. It is also the ideal city to visit if you are an art fan! The original David is located in Milan, as well as some of the most spectacular buildings you will ever see. I also loved walking along the river and trying different foods at the Central Market!
Places to Eat:
Mercato Centrale Firenze: We ended up eating most of our meals at this market! They have incredible Italian food, tons of variety, and food from a lot of other ethnicities as well if you need a break from the pasta!
La Ménagère: GORGEOUS cafe right near the city center. The perfect place for a cup of coffee (Y’ALL THEY EVEN HAD AMAZING MATCHA!) or to sit for a few hours to rest or catch up on work.
Gelateria Artigianale La Strega Nocciola: amazing gelato with fun, unique flavors! I got a double scoop of lavender and bergamot.
Places to Stay: This was the apartment we stayed at in Florence. Great location, beautiful interior and includes a parking spot which is had to come buy in big, Italian cities! Florence Apartment
Montepulciano:
Perched on top of a mountain in Tuscany, Montepulciano feels like stepping back in time. The narrow city streets, delicious restaurants and incredible views are the perfect combination to feel like you are experiencing the true Italian lifestyle.
Places to Eat:
Caffè Poliziano: a traditional cafe with yummy food and drinks. The space has a really cute vibe and the BEST view! Get there early to snag a spot on the balcony (there’s only one table and it goes fast!) You can stil see the view from inside, but sitting on the balcony feels like a fairytale.
Pane Vino & Zucchero: The. Best. Restaurant. In. Italy. I’m serious! This place is unreal. The food was incredible (the tiramisu is a unique variation on the traditional style and it’s incredible!) The owners are so kind, and come around to check on the tables and talk to guests. We went there two nights in a row and they were so happy to see we came back. The vegan and vegetarian appetizer platters are definitely worth trying, and had some of our favorite foods we ate on the whole trip.
Places to Stay: This is the apartment we stayed at in Montepulciano. It was right in the city center and included parking (which again, is huge!) It didn’t have a kitchen, but with the amazing selection of restaurants in the city, we didn’t mind. Montepulciano Apartment
Pro Tip: You aren’t allowed to drive within the city center unless you live there or are staying at an apartment within the main walls. Make sure you check with the host or owner of wherever you are staying to figure out what your parking and driving options are!
Verona:
Verona is such an incredible town! It felt like a combination of Paris and Florence (two of my favorite cities!) and being there during their Christmas Market was such a treat! Visiting a Christmas Market in Europe was on my bucket list, and the one in Verona did not disappoint. Even if the Christmas Market isn’t happening when you are there, there is still so much to see. The architecture is incredible, and the slightly smaller size makes the city feel really approachable.
Places to Eat: We ended up cooking most of our meals in Verona (or just snacking at the Christmas market) so I don’t have a ton of food recommendations for this town.
Ichiban Ramen: We did eat ramen here one night and it was delicious! The matcha tiramisu was such a fun dessert, and we loved walking along the river after we ate!
Places to Stay: This was our apartment in Verona. A bit outside of the city center, but an easy walk, and, here it is again- a parking spot. Verona Apartment
Pro Tip: If you are lucky to be able to visit Verona from late November- early January, then you HAVE to check out their Christmas market! It is one of the largest in Italy and feels like walking through a winter wonderland. We stuffed our faces with pretzels, chocolate, and mulled wine and even brought home some Christmas ornaments for our family!
Bolzano:
Bolzano is such an incredible place to visit, and is an awesome stop to add to your trip because it is so different from the rest of Italy. At one time, Bolzano was actually Austrian territory and you can still see the influences of that today. For example, every waitress, bartender and sales person will greet you in Italian, German and English until the figure out which language you prefer. We also used this as a break from pasta and pizza and enjoyed bretzel and schnitzel! My husband also had the best beer of his life in Bolzano (and he’s a beer snob, so that’s saying something!)
Places to Eat: Our time in Bolzano was a great chance to take a break from Italian food and try some Austrian specialites. We only ate out at one restaurant, but we went twice because we loved it so much! You HAVE to go here if you are in Bolzano!
Hopfen e Co. For both meals there, I ordered their weinerschnitzel and potato salad. It was authentic and delicious! We also tried the Beeramisu (like tiramisu) and it ended up being a delicious twist on the traditional recipe. The space also had an awesome feel, and excellent customer service!
Places to Stay: We absolutely LOVED the apartment we stayed in in Bolzano! The space was beautiful, it had an incredible view and was in a great location. Bolzano Apartment
Pro Tip: In German, Bolzano is called Bozen, so across Italy and Austria the two names are used interchangeably! This was a bit confusing for us when we were doing research, booking a place to stay and navigating our way there, so once we figured this out it made a lot more sense!
Rome:
Ok I have a confession to make. I don’t actually like Rome that much. I know that sounds terrible, but it has always just felt very crowded and overwhelming to me! It’s hard to find an area that doesn’t feel touristy, and in general it just isn’t my favorite place to go. That being said- it is definitely one of those places you should go at least once! The history there is truly unrivaled by anywhere else in the world, and you can see a ton of big sites in just a day or two. This was my second time in Rome, and we were lucky enough to be joined by a friend who had studied abroad there in college. He was able to introduce us to some amazing things we wouldn’t have known to see otherwise, and it certainly made the experience much better!
Places to Eat: Getting around Rome can be a bit time consuming, and there are SO MANY amazing places to eat, that I would recommend just looking at the restaurants that are near you. That being said, here are some of my favorite places we ate! *we were staying near the Vatican
Cacio e Pepe: The name kind of says it all, but this place is known for it’s amazing Cacio e Pepe (cheese and pepper pasta.) It was potentially the best pasta I had in Italy, and I loved getting to sit outside as well! They have other dishes, but the Cacio e Pepe is the way to go!
Pizzeria Goose: Really good pizza and pasta on the south side of the Vatican. Worth the stop if you’re close, but not worth traveling across the city for.
Places to Stay: On this trip, we stayed right next to the Vatican. Our apartment was beautiful and I the location worked for what we wanted to see and do, however; if you are wanting to see most of the major attractions, I would recommend staying closer to the city center!
Pro Tip: I’ve said it once, but let me say it again friends, go. in. the. off. season. Even in November, Rome was still unbeliveably busy and I can’t imagine how crowded it gets in the summer. Also, if there are certain sites or tours that you want to do, I recommend always booking tickets in advance unless you want to stand in long lines to try and get it. We tried to go see the Sistine Chapel on a Sunday morning, and even though we got there an hour before they opened, the line was already so long that it was a three hour wait to get in! Booking in advance when you can is definitely the way to go!
I hope this blog has given you some inspiration and direction for how to plan your trip to Italy! If you go, I hope you fall in love with this country as much as I have. And remember- you can diet when you get home! Never say no to pizza, pasta, gelato or any of the other amazing treats the Italians have absolutely perfected!