Italy Travel Guide: 10 Days in Italy

A week and a half is rarely enough to enjoy the full delights a country has to offer but with this 10 day itinerary, you can experience some of the best places Italy has to offer.

Day 1-2: Venice

With regular cheap flights to the northern city of Venice, it makes for a logical starting point for any trip to Italy. It consists of 118 islands separated purely by canals and is unlikely to be like anything you’ve seen experienced before. Even with the high concentration of tourists, you can still appreciate its charm. Take a journey on one of the boat busses or splash out for a gondola ride to get close to the water. When you are back on land, you’ll spend a lot of time wandering near St. Mark’s Square, the bustling meeting place which is surrounded by wonderful buildings such as St. Mark’s Basilica and Doge’s Palace.

Day 2-5: Rome

Italy’s capital city, Rome, is a place drenched in history and for anyone who’s keen on finding out more about past civilisations, there are few places better. First stop should be the Colosseum, the largest amphitheatre in the Roman world. If you are willing to pay extra you can take the underground tour to get closer to where the fighting took place. Across the road is Palatine Hill/Roman Forum, one of the most ancient parts of the city and the former commercial, religious and political centre.

You’ll also definitely want to wander through the heart of the city, seeing such delights as the Trevi Fountain and the near-2000 year old Pantheon. No trip to Rome is complete without a visit to the Vatican either. Here you can take a stroll around the Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel plus gaze in awe at St Paul’s Basilica, an unrivalled piece of renaissance architecture and the largest church in the world.

Day 5-8: Florence

You quite literally cannot miss the Florence Cathedral when you are in in the Tuscan capital. Standing in the heart of the city, this gigantic place of worship is the fourth biggest church in the world and attracts around 4.5m visitors a year. When you arrive in Florence you will soon realise why so many tourists flock here every year. It’s a place bustling with culture, fine architecture, great food and some excellent places to take a stroll such as up to the Piazzale Michelangelo.

While here, you should have enough time for a short day trip to Pisa. The journey can take as little as 48 minutes on the train and it’s worth going to see the learning tower alone which is more mesmerising when seeing it with your own eyes.

Day 8-10: Pompeii/Amalfi Coast

The ruins of Pompeii have been brilliantly preserved for almost 2000 years and you can easily spend the best part of a day wandering around the vast archaeological site. The Mount Vesuvius eruption in 78 AD destroyed much of the now ancient town but what remains is fascinating especially for any history buffs.

When you are there you’ll be fairly close to the picturesque Amalfi coast. Sorrento, Amalfi and Postiano are all popular destinations and they can be the perfect place to enjoy a nice sunny day. The views of the surrounding landscape are simply stunning and there are few places to go to unwind as you savour the final moments of your excursion.

If you prefer something a little grittier, Naples is a wonderful city and a great place to watch the world go buy whilst eating great and very reasonably priced pizza!

A final word
Italian trains are comfortable, generally reliable and offer good value for money. Using them as your main method of transportation (excluding the Amalfi coast) is recommend and be sure to book early as this way you can benefit from some substantial discounts.