Milan - 2 nights > Verona - 1 night > Florence - 3 nights > Rome - 3 nights > Sorrento - 1 night > Positano - 4 nights > Capri - 1 night
In 2017 Ryan and I embarked on a two week extravaganza of the highlights of mainland Italy.
Italy is an absolutely fantastic country and, at our most recent tally, somewhere we have visited on 5 separate occasions. There is so much to love about Italy, a country which has something for everyone; whether you are a foodie, into your art and historical sites or just looking for a scenic and relaxing break. Thanks to its well connected railway system, it is possible to visit many of Italy's most beautiful places with relative ease. Below is our exact itinerary for getting the most out of a 2 week trip to Italy.
N.B - we started our trip in Milan to make the most of the infamous Monza F1 Grand Prix. First time visitors to Italy may prefer to switch out Milan for Venice. Trains between Venice and Verona are frequent and just as easy to reach as from Milan.
Total time needed: 16 nights
Transport used: Train; Ferry; Bus
Best time to go: May - June; September - October for a quieter experience outside of the scorching peak summer heat.
Start
Milan - 2 nights
We came to Italy in September and started our journey in Milan for a specific purpose - to see the F1 Italian Grand Prix. The Monza Monza track is renowned for being one of the best circuits for overtaking in the F1 calendar. Therefore, we planned the start of our tour in Milan to coincide with the event.
For visits outside of this period, or for non-F1 fans, Milan has a lot to offer. Days can be spent visiting Duomo di Milano - Milan's beautiful Gothic Cathedral, shopping in the ornate Galleria Vittoria Emanuele II, or seeing the famous 'Last Supper' by Leonardo di Vinci. Spend your evenings enjoying appertivo in one of the many bars of the Navigli canal area of Milan and even opt to take a day trip from Milan to the gorgeous Lake Como - Como San Giovanni station is a short train ride away from Milano Centrale.
Alternatively, for first time visitors to Italy, Venice is a wonderful, romantic, city which should not be missed. You can easily switch out Milan for Venice as your first stop on this itinerary. Trains between Venice and Verona run regularly and take around an hour and 30 minutes.
Verona - 1 night
Verona is a destination missed from many travellers' itineraries, however we loved it here and think it is well worth a short stopover. With a one night stay it is possible to take in the city at a leisurely pace.
Make sure to visit the well preserved Verona Arena in Piazza Bra and consider visiting for an open air Opera performance during the evening Summer months.
Casa di Giullietta 'Juliet's House' can be visited to see the house and famous balcony said to be the inspiration for Shakespeare's classic, Romeo and Juliet. Here there is a statue of Juliet and (apparently!!) rubbing the bust of the statue is good luck.
For panoramic views of the City, head for 'Punto panoramico Castel S.Pietro' and afterwards relax with an Aperol Spritz at Re Teodorico. Before you leave Verona, save some time and room in your belly for a visit to Gelateria La Romana Verona - possibly the best Gelato we had on our entire trip through Italy! Delicious flavours, served with a special chocolatey treat at the bottom of the cone.
Route: Train from Milan to Verona
Stations: Milano Centrale - Verona Porto Nuova
Duration: Approx- 1 hr 20 minutes
Florence, with trips to Pisa & Chianti- 3 Nights
Florence is a fantastic city. The capital of the Tuscany region houses some incredible Renaissance art and architecture and is within easy reach of the Leaning Tower of Pisa and the vineyards of Chianti.
Spend 3 nights basing yourself in Florence and explore what the region has to offer. Florence itself is a very walkable city. Wander through admiring the Piazza del Duomo and make your way towards 'Giotto's Campanile'. A climb to the top of this tower will reward you with stunning views across Florence, with the iconic red dome of Santa Maria Cathedral in the foreground.
Dip your toes in some culture with the Uffizi Art Gallery or, for those with an interest in Science, the Museo Galileo has a fascinating collection. If visiting in Summer, visit the Galleria dell' Accademia museum during one of its late evening opening hours. Go in the early evening to see the incredible sculpture of David with just a few other tourists around. Stroll along the Arno river, visiting the Ponte Vecchio bridge and then make sure you continue walking up to Piazzale Michelangelo. The steep ascent is worth it for the wonderful sunset panorama over the city from above.
Route: Train from Verona to Florence
Stations: Verona Porto Nuova - Firenze Santa Maria Novella
Duration: Approx -1 hr 30 minutes
The train from Florence to Pisa takes less than an hour and half a day here is ample for a visit allowing time for you to get inventive with your 'holding up the tower' pictures. The walk from the train station takes around 20-30 minutes and after visiting the tower you could stop off in Pisa old town for some lunch or a gelato next to the river Arno.
Route: Train from Florence to Pisa
Stations: Firenze Santa Maria Novella - Pisa Centrale
Duration: Approx - 50 minutes
The gorgeous vineyards of Chianti are within easy reach of Florence.
Skip the expensive group or private tours and instead take the 365A bus from Busitalia SITA Nord Autostazione, only a 6 minute walk from Florence Santa Maria Novella train station.
Stop off in Greve (STOP: Greve Piazza Trento) and walk to Azienda Agricola Montefioralle Winery for a tour of the vineyards, cellar and a delicious tasting. Get back on the bus and carry on to Panzano, (STOP: Panzano Piazza Campana) a further 15 minutes up the road. For lunch we highly recommend Ristorante Oltre Il Giardino for the views over the Tuscan countryside, and afterwards check out Fattoria Le Fonti winery or wine bars Enoteca II Cardo or Enoteca Baldi before taking the bus back to Florence.
Route: Bus from Florence to Greve in Chianti
Stations: Busitalia SITA Nord Autostazione - Panzano Piazza Campana
Duration: Approx - 1 hr 5 minutes
Rome - 3 Nights
Spend 3 nights in the Eternal City. Visit the Colosseum and, for an extra special experience, take a guided tour underground (https://www.coopculture.it/en/events.cfm?id=6 ). As well as the obvious highlights of this incredible city - the Roman Forum, Trevi Fountain, Pantheon to name a few, one of our highlights of Rome was Two Sizes - a small desert shop selling large or small portions of the most INCREDIBLE tiramisu. Seriously, it has been a few years and we still reminisce over this desert. Do yourself a favour and pick up one or (one of each flavour!) on your way through the city.
Take a segway tour through the Borghese Gardens and eat your way through the Testaccio and Trastevere neighbourhoods. Visit 'Trapizzino Testaccio' for triangular shaped pizza dough with your filling of choice and savour this delicious example of Roman street food and stop off at 'Suppli' for another amazing Italian snack of fried rice balls filled with tomato, mozzarella and, often, ragu. Trastevere is a very traditional part of Rome which is well worth your time visiting for its trattorias, craft beer pubs and artisan shops. A couple of places to note are 'Freni e Frizioni' for a lively cocktail/apertivo bar with a terrace and, for beer lovers, 'Ma Che Siete Venuti a Fa' for a beer hall with high quality beers.
Route: Train from Florence to Rome
Stations: Firenze Santa Maria Novella - Roma Termini
Duration: Approx - 1 hr 25 minutes
Sorrento via Naples, with Pompeii visit - 1 night
Use Sorrento as your base for the night for visiting Pompeii the following day on the way to the Amalfi coast. Stop off in Naples on your way to Sorrento from Rome.
Route: Train from Rome to Naples
Stations: Roma Termini - Napoli Centrale
Duration: Approx - 1 hour 20 minutes
Naples is the birthplace of pizza, so if there is one thing you should do during your stopover here it is find a great place for lunch! Store your luggage at the train station and go and try the traditional fried pizza (!!!) at Pizzeria Starita a Materdei. Later, visit the Museo Archeologico Nazionale di Napoli to whet your appetite for visiting Pompeii and Herculaneum. The museum has an amazing collection of artefacts and frescoes excavated from the archaeological sites and really bring them to life when you make your visit. After visiting the museum carry on to Sorrento, taking the express train, ferry or Circumvesuviana train from Naples. Spend the evening enjoying the lovely waterside views from this stunning coastal town.
Route: Circumvesuviana Train from Naples to Sorrento
Stations: Napoli Garibaldi - Sorrento
Duration: Approx - 1 hour 10 minutes
Positano - 4 nights
This evening you will arrive in Positano. But first, spend the day exploring the fascinating sites of Pompeii and Herculaneum. Check out of your Sorrento hotel, store your luggage at reception, and then take the Circumvesuviana train back to Pompeii. Aim to arrive early in the morning to avoid the crowds. You can book a tour in advance, use one of the official on site guides, or do as we did and use the fabulous audio tours from Rick Steves. These are free to download and cover both Pompeii and Herculaneum (https://www.ricksteves.com/europe/italy/pompeii-herculaneum).
After visiting Pompeii travel 20 minutes further on the Cirumvesuviana to Herculaneum. This fishing town was destroyed by the AD 79 eruption of Mt Vesuvius, when a 16m-thick sea of mud essentially fossilised the city, preserving everything almost perfectly that lay within it. We found visiting Pompeii absolutely fascinating, and certainly the scale of the archaeological site blew us away. However the majority of the excavations from Pompeii are now housed in the Naples museum we recommend visiting. Herculaneum, on the other hand, is a lot more compact and complete. As well as the incredibly well-preserved houses of the inhabitants, there are, tragically, some 300 skeletons which rest on the shoreline within the boat houses of Herculaneum– the remains of people who attempted to escape the volcanic eruption by fleeing to the beach, before sadly being overcome by the heat and power of the volcano. Tickets for Herculaneum can be purchased on site – it is much quieter than Pompeii, and audio guides are also available to hire.
Route: Circumvesuviana Train from Sorrento to Pompeii
Stations: Sorrento - Pompeii – Scavi
Duration: Approx - 30 minutes
Once you arrive back in Sorrento from Pomepeii and Herculaneum, collect your luggage and take the bus to Positano. Be careful - this route can get jam packed during the summer months so try to get to the station early. Routes and timetables can be found at https://www.sorrentoinsider.com/en/sorrento-to-positano-bus-schedule.
After a busy few days exploring the cities the end of this itinerary is dedicated to relaxation- taking in the beautiful Positano on the Amalfi Coast and sipping limoncello as the sun goes down. For some beach time we recommend booking a spot at Arienzo Beach Club – a complimentary boat transfer takes you from the pier in Positano, near Spiaggia Grande beach, to this secluded pebble bay where loungers and umbrellas and a WC/changing room are available, plus a lovely restaurant overlooking the beach serving delicious fish and traditional cuisine.
Opt to visit Praiano by bus or explore the streets and quaint shops in Positano – picking up a pair of leather sandals from Nana Positano on your way through. Stop for an apertivo with a view at Franco’s bar to watch the sunset in style.
A day should also be given to walking the beautiful Sentiero degli Dei ‘Path of the Gods’ which runs from Bomerano, near Amalfi, to Nochelle, above Positano. The hike is 6.5km (4mile) walk along coastal path high above the sea and offers magnificent views. It is well signposted once on the path and takes around 2 hours to complete.
Route: Bus from Sorrento to Positano
Stations: Sorrento SITA Bus - Positano Chiesa Nuova
Duration: Approx - 50 minutes
Capri - 1 night
For many, Capri is a day trip squeezed in from Naples or the Amalfi Coast, but as far as we are concerned this would be doing it an injustice. Capri in the evening, once all of the day trippers have left, is just wonderful and well worth staying one night to experience.
Visit the Blue Grotto (do this in the early afternoon to see the vibrant blue water at its most illuminated), take the chairlift up Mount Solaro for gorgeous views across the island and visit the Giardini di Augusto. These gardens are gorgeous and offer a great view of l’Faraglioni (Capri’s famous rock formation in the water) and Via Krupp (a historic hair pinned turn footpath).
For a memorable final dinner we made a reservation to eat at Ristorante Panorama. This place had wonderful food and wine and the cherry on top was the view overlooking the Bay of Naples and Mt Vesuvius as the sun set – the perfect way to end our Italian adventure!
Route: Ferry from Positano to Capri
Stations: Positano Spiagge Grande beach pier - Marina Grande Ferry Port
Duration: Approx - 50 minutes
End - It's time to say arrivederci!
After 15 nights, 4 major cities, the history of Rome and Pompeii, the coastal towns and Island of Capri and the incredible food pretty much.. everywhere! It is time to say Ciao to Italy. Taking care to ensure you leave plenty of time to depart Capri before your flight, take the ferry from Capri to Naples where you can then head straight to Naples airport or continue on to Rome for your international flight.
Route: Return Ferry Capri to Naples
Stations: Marina Grande Ferry Port - Molo Beverello
Duration: Approx - 50 minutes
