Check this section for suggested itineraries for travel through Italy. We
have provided you with some of your suggestions as well as those from fellow
travellers who are happy to advise you where and when not to go and
hopefully also how to reach in the most effective way . Fell free to send in
your advice to italy@backpackglobe.com
1-3 days
If you are on a flying visit to Italy then you will be best to base around the city you land in. We recommend that most people make Rome their port of call. Visit the Roman Forum, the Colosseum, St Peter's Basilica and the Vatican museums.
Look at our city guides for detailed information on things to see in Rome.
1 week
Spend a few days in Rome visiting the famous sights like the Colosseum, Foro Romano, the Spanish Steps, the underground catacombes and the numerous churches. Interesting day trips from Rome include Ostia Antica and Tivoli.
You could also take a fast train up to Florence for a few days with a possible detours to Siena and San Gimignano.
If you want to head south you could take in Naples and the Amalfi coast with a trip to Pompeii and Mt Vesuvius.
2 weeks
A two week visit to Italy could include both the above itineraries. Try and fit in a 3 day visit to Venice with possible stops in Verona, Ravenna or Bologna.
3 weeks
With a three week itinerary you can comfortably fit in all the above and journey over to Milan visiting the lakes of Como and Lugano and even across to Turin near the French border. Or head north from Venice into the alpine regions.
Alternatively take a trip further south of Naples down to the Aeolian Islands or to Sicily.
4 weeks
A month long foray to Italy will allow you to comfortably visit many places. You may consider visiting Sardegnia off the west coast of the mainland and some of the other islands like Elba and Capri (off Positano). Spend more time in Sicily with highlights like the markets of Palermo, the temples of Agrigento and lovely coastal towns like Cefalu, Taormina and Siracusa or the volcanic covered Catania.
ITINERARIES IN FLORENCE
You can easily spend a few days in Florence visiting the numerous art galleries and museums. Consult our city guide to Florence for a more detailed itinerary but make sure you spend time at the Duomo, Piazza della Signoria, eat a gelati on the Ponte Vecchio, walk up to the Piazza Michelangelo for a view of the city and see a gallery like the Uffizi.
Day trips around Florence could include Pisa (1.5 hours by train), Siena (1 hour by train) and the beautiful medieval hilltop town of San Gimignano (1.5 hours by train / bus).
ITINERARIES IN VENICE
Make sure you visit the San Marco Square, the islands of Murano and Burano, wander the narrow alleyways and sleepy piazzas and take a ride on the grand canal by gondola or ferry. Day trips around Venice can include Verona and Padua.
ITINERARIES IN SICILY
TAORMINA
This town is located on a hill and overlooks the sea and Mt Etna. It is expensive and touristy but well worth a visit with lovely villas, potted flowers and a mix of architecture. The Greek Theatre is particularly worth visiting for its view of Mt Etna. The lovely local beach is Isola Bella.
Taormina is on the main rail line between Messina and Catania. A bus goes to Via irandello near the centre from the station which is on the coast.
MT ETNA
This is the largest active volcano in Europe and in 2001 was active again. It sits astride the landscape between Catania and Taormina. To reach the summit there are a number of options. The climb takes 7 hours (Natura e Turismo has guide walks, alexmil@DimTel.nti.it, Tel. 095 333 543), or there is a SITAS (tel. 095 91 4141) cable car from Rifugio Sapienza on the Nicolosi side of the mountain. STAR (tel. 095 643 430) runs a 4wd minibus. A local bus leaves from the Catania train station at 8.15am with AST (tel. 095 746 1096). The private Circumetnea train does a circle of Mt Etna from Stazione Borgo in Catania (take bus no 29 or 36 from Catania's main train station) and goes via Giarre-Riposto. From Taormina get the FS train to Giarre-Riposto and then take the Circumetnea. In summer its fun to explore the volcanic caves and pine forests on the mountain. In winter there is skiing.
SYRACUSE
Syracuse was founded in 743 BC by colonists from Corinth and became a dominant sea power in the Mediterranean. The main sights are on the island of Ortygia with its baroque palaces and churches and the archaeological park 2km across town.
Syracuse is on the train line from Messina and Catania. SAIS buses leave from Riva della Posta (Ortygia) for Catania, Palermo and Rome. AST buses go to Palermo from Piazza della Posta.
AGRIGENTO
Agrigento was founded in 582 BC. It's a pleasant medieval town and the main attraction is the Valley of the Temples just outside town. Some of the temples are quite intact, others are in various states of ruin from earthquakes and vandalism. To reach them from the train station catch bus no. 1, 2 or 3.
AEOLIAN ISLANDS
The seven Aeolian Islands are also known as the Lipari islands. They were named because the ancient Greeks believed they were the home of Aeolus, the god of wind. They were also written about in the Odyssey by Homer. The most interesting islands are Lipari, Vulcano and Stromboli. To reach these get a ferry from Palermo and Messina. There are also ferries between the islands.
CATANIA
This city lies just below Mt Etna on Sicily's eastern coast. It is a typical big Sicilian city but the effects of Mt Etna's polluting smoke are interesting, especially when the volcano is active. All the buildings in Catania are made from volcanic rock which creates an interesting mix of grey, almost unlife like buildings that seem streaked with age and dirt. When Mt Etna is active the streets are full of dust that covers and reaches everything. Siesta's are strongly observed in Catania and the streets can seem almost empty in the middle of the day when the morning markets are emptied after the early activity. At night the granita bars, cafes and restaurants fill up again, in summer musicians play in the street and life begins again. You can't visit Sicily without having a few granita's (ice tea with lemon gelati) or cannolli (Sicilian deserts with ricotta cheese - although these are not available in summer when weather is too hot for the cheese).
