Author & Photographer: George Mitchell
Our itineraries, photos, and advice are based on 23 years of living and travelling around the world, including living four years in Italy. We are avid lovers of art, architecture, culture and cuisine. Italy is one of our favourite destinations.
What Questions Do You Have?
What questions and concerns do you have about Italy? Based on four years of living in Italy, here are our answers to some frequently asked questions.
When should I go?
Italy is the fifth most touristed country in the world! Please avoid mid-June to mid-September when there are too many tourists. Moreover, tourists go to the same museums, archaeological and other tourist sites. This leads to line ups and even time-restricted visits. The Italians have fled to the beach or their country house. We avoided all these sites in the summer when we lived in Rome.
What is the best season for travel?
North Weather
The north has the Dolomites (Italian Alps) with snow and skiing in the winter. You have to go late spring and summer to enjoy the hiking.
Venice high temperatures from December to February ranges from 8 to 9 °C (48 °F). In Florence, the December-January high is 10 °C (50 °F) and February 12 °C (53 °F). You want to go in spring and autumn.
South Weather
The weather in the south, which starts at Rome, is really pleasant most of the year; though it is chilly from December to February. In Rome, the high is 12 to 14 °C (57 °F). Once April comes you are in the high teens and it’s time to go. It’s downright hot in July and August.
In the deep south, the Mandorli in Fiore or Almond Blossom Festival (Agrigento, Sicily) is in February — that says it all.
Where should I go?
What are the must-sees?
If you are a first-time visitor, the Three Must-Sees of Italy have been and always will be Rome, Florence, and Venice. Do not listen to naysayers who say there are too many tourists and start recommending Amalfi Coast and Cinque Terre — those places are also very popular. If you want to avoid tourists then do not go in the summer. Alternative northern and southern itineraries are discussed below.
Can I see everything in a week?
The short answer is no! If by everything you mean “just” Rome, Florence and Venice — the answer is still no! On average you need three days per main stopover since you need to include at least a half day to get to the next place. However, for Rome you need at least 4 full sightseeing days not including travel time. So at a minimum you could manage it in 11 days: Rome 4.5, Florence 3.5, and Venice plus Airport 3 nights.
You will also want to allow some time to absorb the culture and atmosphere. For instance, don’t miss passagiata time in the late afternoon when Italians go for a walk to see and be seen. Every town follows this custom even Roma Centro.
If you have < 14 days, then you really can only see the top Three Must-Sees of Italy — Rome, Florence and Venice.
It would be best to allow at least two weeks to get the most out of your travel (cost) investment. Then you will be able to include some nearby places such as San Gimignano and/or Siena in Tuscany as day trips. Hill towns are a quintessential feature of Italy. San Gimignano is the epitome of an Italian hill town.
There are spectacular scenic areas like the Amalfi Coast in the south and the Dolomites (Italian Alps) in the north. This area used to belong to the Austro-Hungarian Empire until World War I.
How much time do I need for Italy?
To see Italy “thoroughly” and not feel rushed, you need at least 3 or 4 weeks. Otherwise you will get museumed out, tired out, and may not even remember the places in your photographs when you get back home.
Use our rule of thumb to determine how places you can see. On average you need three days per main stopover including at least a half day to get to the next place. This rule of thumb applies to most of Europe. Here are two itineraries you could do to see Quintessential Italy:
Each of the three itineraries above comes with associated custom Google maps with all the points of interest pinned.
Museumed Out/Templed Out
How do you prevent the most common ailment of travellers? When we travelled three years Round-The-World, many backpackers were tired of travelling and overwhelmed. There is a remedy to prevent the Museumed Out or Templed Out syndrome. It’s called reading. Italy provides excellent guide books on cities and even individual museums. Buy one that says more than just the names of places. The ones we bought while we lived in Italy would identify the specific artifacts to see in each museum and the reason why they were important.
How much cash should you take to Italy?
Can I use my Debit and Credit Cards in Italy?
Italy is one of the top seven economies of the world — that’s why it is a member of the G7 Group. You can use your debit and credit cards everywhere and ATM machines when you need cash. You do not need to bring Euros. We usually buy €100 from our home bank for emergencies.
Should I pay in Euros or my own currency?
The usual rule of thumb is always pay for expenses in the local currency. Stores/hotels can use any exchange rate they want. Pay for your air fare and rental car at home in your own currency so the rate is secure and there is no foreign exchange transaction fee. Don’t worry about transaction fees because banks can hide fees or just use a poorer exchange rate. If you want to budget, then economize on hotels and food.
Should I get a SIM Card?
That’s a personal decision. If you plan on using the phone then it makes sense. If your reason is to search for information then use free wi-fi when you can get it (hotel, café). If your main reason is to use maps and get directions, then download the free maps.me app and a map(s) of the country. It works offline without connectivity. This is what we used on most of our trips.
What apps are useful for travel?
Mobile apps that we use for travel include XE for exchange rates, Units Plus to convert Metric to English measurement systems, Google Maps for fancier versions of my maps.me maps, and free Photoshop Express for minor adjustments to cell phone photos. I use desktop Photoshop for proper editing at home. We also have Agoda and Trip Advisor but we don’t use it during our already planned trip and also we trust the Google Maps ratings more.
How safe is Italy?
Homicide and violent crime rates are more relevant to citizens living in a country. Generally, these rates do not affect tourists.
Pick-pocketing is more common in Italy but you should be using a money belt for your passport, credit cards and excess cash and only keep a small amount of cash in your wallet. You should also be vigilant about the people around you.
In four years of living in Italy, we never experienced pick-pocketing (I do look Italian) but they did try to rob my father-in-law’s wallet, which he incorrectly kept in his back pocket. They were thwarted, however, because he used a safety pin!!
The table below ranks countries by a generic Safety Index as a measure of safety when travelling. As you can see below, Canada and European countries are generally very safe. Italy does have a high pickpocket risk, which is not shown here.
| Country | Travel Safe Safety Index | Rank | Numbeo Safety Index |
| Canada | 88 | 61 | 56.4 |
| Ireland | 83 | 69 | 54.1 |
| Italy | 77 | 72 | 53.8 |
| United Kingdom | 77 | 77 | 53.4 |
| Saint Lucia | 70 | N/A | N/A |
| United States | 68 | 87 | 51.6 |
| Mexico | 65 | 100 | 46.1 |
| Costa Rica | 64 | 99 | 46.1 |
| Puerto Rico | 34 | 121 | 38.2 |
Highest Safety Index = best country: 0-33 = dangerous; 33-66 = somewhat dangerous/safe; 66-100 = safest countries
Rank 1 = best country; Rank = 142 = worst country
Crime Index by Country 2022, Numbeo
Most Dangerous and Safest Countries Index ⋆ Travel Safe
Should I rent a car? Take a Taxi?
For a city only trip, no! For the three cities trip, you should just use the train to go between cities. There are no roads in Venice. Traffic is very bad and slow in the cities. Parking is impossible and driving is difficult for newbies. However, the autostrade (expressways) are excellent.
Within cities, you do not need to take a taxi as the public transit system is very good, especially the Metro (subway) in Rome, which costs €1.50 per trip or €7 for a day pass (only useful if you are cramming in multiple distant sights). In Venice you use the vaporetto (water bus) for €7.50 — that has that gone up astronomically, so you might as well get your hours’ worth by travelling up some of the smaller canals and using it as a low-cost cruise on the Grand Canal.
Rome, Florence and Venice are made for walking. The average Amazing Rome itinerary is about 2.9 km (1.8 mi) one way. If you are staying far from Centro (historical centre) then take the Metro to either the Circo Massimo, Colosseo, Piazza di Spagna (Spanish Steps) or Cavour station and start walking.
It can be difficult as a pedestrian to cross a busy road. The best example of this is trying to cross Piazza Venezia with the white Vittorio Emanuele monument in Rome. The Italian drivers actually swerve around you; they are not trying to hit you. Just cross.
What to Eat and Drink
When in Rome do as the Romans do. For breakfast, we would have coffee and cornetto (Italian croissant) at a café often called a bar. Alternatively, you can look for a latticini to buy ricotta, usually eaten warm and sold out by mid-day. This ricotta is way better than what you can get in our supermarkets and even our Italian grocery stores.
Going out to eat is very time-consuming, especially if you are avid travellers trying to pack as much in during the day while museums and sites are open. For lunch you could look for a latticini to buy formaggio and keep it in your backpack until lunch. This is every bit an experience as eating out. Mozzarella di bufala (buffalo) is way better than the version in our supermarkets — no comparison. Look for smoky Provolone or cheeses from the Italian Alps (Dolomiti), such as Asiago, Fontina, and Taleggio. Don’t forget to buy bread.
What to Learn
The point of travelling is to learn about the culture, cuisine, people and history of your destination. One problem for tourists is that they get “museumed out” or “templed out“. The number of things to see is overwhelming. One solution is to learn why the place was so significant and how each major site or artist had an influence on the next major site or artist. We have listed some of the relevant books we used below.
What to Read
The Companion Guide to Rome, Georgina Masson is too in-depth for tourists. But it is great for expats and budding archaeologists and art historians living in Rome.
Rome Past and Present shows reconstructions of the ancient monuments using illustrations on transparent plastic page placed against an actual photo of the current ruins. It also provides a lot of information.
Michelin Rome has succinct information and three-star system to rate the sights. But the information is often sparse.
Many of the Italian guide books are excellent and make the places come alive. Each major museum or archaeological site has its own guide book. Choose one that shows more than photos and provides a self-guided walk pointing out artefacts that you should see and what is significant about them.
Terra Encounters 
Did you mean should you rent a car? If you are single person and only doing cities then you are probably better off using public transportation. You can park but parking is limited. However, there are no roads in Venice – only canals and sidewalks — so a rental car is a waste of money. In Cinque Terre, you have to go by train and/or hike between towns. A car is more useful if you want to visit the countryside, such as the Dolomites region.
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