Italy is the country of love, and there are many reasons why! The food, sites, and people all make up this perfect couple’s getaway. Whether you want to travel up north and have a quiet visit in Venice, or down south and eat the best pizza in the world in Naples, there is a city for every couple to enjoy. Here are some things to do while in Italy…
Before you Go
Whenever you visit any country, the locals love when you know a few words in their native language. Italians really appreciate polite visitors. They have a few key phrases they like to say in response to your verbiage. Italy is known for its delicious food! The more complimentary phrases you know, the more likely they will recommend more and more food!
- Please – Per Favore (Per – Fah-vor-eh)
- Thank you – Grazie – (Grat-zee-yeh)
- Water – acqua (ak-wha)
- Wine– Vino (vee-no)
- Hello – Ciao (chow)
- Goodbye – Adio (audio)
- Everything was perfect – Tutto era perfetto (too-toe air-ah per-feh-toe)
- Do You Speak English? – Lei parla inglese (leh par-luh ing-leh-say)
Rome (Roma)
There is no better place to start your visit to Italy than landing in it’s capital, Rome! I have always found the flights from the U.S. to Italy are always the cheapest flying into Rome. This city is the central hub of the country. For those who love discovering historical sites at every turn, while also being surrounded by numerous wine and food eateries, Rome is an obvious must. Although it is not on the coast, it has plenty of trains to get you anywhere in Italy.
See The Ancient Roman Colosseum
Visiting one of the ancient wonders of the world is a must when in Rome. You can take beautiful photos outside of the Colosseum if you don’t have the time to do a full tour. Stand in line and purchase your ticket (12 euros) and a tour (5 more euros) directly from the source. They claim the line will take an hour (we were only 20 minutes at the busiest time). Come ready to walk and climb.
Toilets are as soon as you come in but be these are the only ones. Use them before you leave as there are very limited toilets outside of the sites.<
Walk Around Vatican City
Inside the Vatican city in Italy, you will find 11 Vatican Museums including Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel. The Vatican is also the home of the current pope.
When walking up, you will be harassed from the start to “skip the queues”, but once you pass the short poles into into the main plaza you wont be bothered anymore. Purchase your tickets in advance if you are planning on going inside, and come early as the lines get very long and tours become extremely crowded.
Throw a Coin into Trevi Fountain
Eat A Snack On The Spanish Steps
Stay for Dinner
If you want some good food in Italy where the Italians eat, I highly recommend Grazie i Graziella.
Alfredo Alla Scrofa is a restaurant created by the guys who invented Fettuccine Alfredo. They make the pasta fresh, right in front of you!
Florence (Firenze)
Florence is my husbands favorite city in Italy. This bustling area has many reasons why it attracts so many tourists each year. Florence is beautiful, but be prepared to do lots of walking! We took a taxi from the train station to Santa Maria Chapel which is near the city center.
Buy some gold on Ponte Vecchio Bridge
Take in the Beauty of Santa Maria Cathedral
The most iconic Renaissance Period structure in Italy is dedicated to Saint Mary. You will be mesmerized by the attention to detail of every surface in the front and back of the building. Entry into Florence’s cathedral is free and at times there will be a long line to get in, but they move quickly. You can also book a tour guide, who can get you into special areas and fill you in on all the details, legends and curiosities within including an exclusive access to the roof top terraces.
Find the Original Statue of David
The original sculpture of the David was moved into the Academia Gallery of Florence to protect it. There is a replica where the statue used to be if you don’t feel like going into the museum.
You can purchase tickets here. The first Sunday of every month is “Sunday at the Museum”. This means FREE admission for everyone, but the line will be long and it does not guarantee entrance.
Grab some Gelato
After half a day of walking around Florence, you will be so happy to find this gelateria and a shady spot to sit and enjoy your choice of its many flavors. We found a small gelateria next to this leather goods store right off of the Ponte Vecchio bridge. For fancy-looking Gelato in Italy, head to Amorino where they shape their ice cream like roses with 5 different flavors. Here is a great post about Italian Gelato Flavors which breaks down all the need-to-know basics of Gelato and its ingredients.
Try the Steak
Most cities in Italy are known for their pasta and pizza, but Florence is the place to eat some Steak! It doesn’t get any better than eating a big amazingly delicious steak with a glass of wonderful wine. It’s the life of heaven! Try Trattoria Mario for traditional servings of good home-style Tuscan food with the dishes passed down from 3 generations.
Here are a few more placed to eat in Florence
San Lorenzo Market – An indoor market you will find everything – from Florentine tagliata, pasta, huge truffles, wine, etc. There is also an outdoor market selling clothing, leather goods, souvenirs, etc.
Osteria dell’ Antico Vinaio – The most popular sandwich place in whole Florence
Positano - Amalfi Coast
The Almafi Coast is made up of many different cliff-side “villages” in Italy and it can sometimes be confusing on where to stay. The most popular place that houses all the scenic views when you look up the Amalfi Coast is a town called Positano. We chose this location because it offered everything we wanted as a couple during our stay in the Almafi Coast. Other towns that are also quite popular are Sorrento, Amalfi, and Atrani to name a few.
How to get there
Taxi
Most expensive route, but if you don't want to wait in lines and a local's point of view on where to stop for a snack or the best pizza of your life? Take the taxi!
FERRY
Looking for a picture perfect view of the southern coast of Italy without the high price tag? Take the ferry. Ferry schedule: http://www.alilauro.it/
TRAIN
Napoli Porta Nolana > Sorrento - This is the fastest and one of the cheapest routes. (leaves every 30 minutes & is an hour long)
SHUTTLE
Naples Airport > Sorrento - (1.5 hours long) An air conditioned and comfortable high-end bus you can purchase tickets in advance.
BUS
Napoli Piazza Garibaldi > Sorrento - You can purchase tickets at the station, but they do fill up quickly. (leaves about every hour and is 1.5 hours long)
Stay in a Hotel with a balcony
When you stay in one of the most photographed cities the world, you need to stay somewhere that allows you to get the best shots. The view from any hotel in Positano is beautiful, but we opted for an Airbnb on the right of the cathedral if you are looking at the city from the water because there is a beautiful view of the sunset and the buildings on the left just keep going up the cliff-side. You will need to book far in advance. The entire city sells out relatively quickly. Save up for a nice hotel. This is the place in Italy spend that hard-earned travel money.
Eat at as many places as possible
You would think that a touristic spot like Positano would have overpriced and under-rated food, but every single restaurant or sidewalk cafe we stopped to eat in was absolutely delicious and the views during our meal were magical, to say the least. I give the entire city a 5-star rating. The service was excellent and we licked our plates clean!
We always opted for places in Italy that have a view so the sidewalk restaurants located on our walk up to our hotel were some of our favorites. If you want to just grab some snacks or breakfast foods, there is a little market just past the cathedral to your right while you are walking up the steps. It has all the essentials for a cozy afternoon snack of cheeses, crackers, fruits, fresh-cut meats, bread, and of course any wine or alcohol you need in your room.
Rent a chair & relax on the beach
There are two sides to the beach in Positano; When looking at the water, on your right you will see tons of people crowding in the water of on the sand. On your left you will see lounge chairs with umbrellas and pathways to walk on.
As someone who thought the free route would be best, take my advice and just go rent a lounge chair. The sand is so hot your feet will feel like they are burning off, and the water is too cold to stand in all day.
When you go to sit down at one of the chairs don’t bother looking for a server because they will be at your side within minutes. You pay a one-time chair fee for the day and they bring you anything you need at additional costs: food, drinks, sunscreen, you name it. If you are planning on relaxing on a beach in Italy for a while, this option will be well worth the money.
Take a boat ALONG the coast
On the beach, you will see a kiosk with a sign saying “boat tours, rentals, etc.” We went up at around 3:00 PM. They only had one boat available, but they offered it to us at half price! If your heart is set on going for a boat ride, I wouldn’t gamble on waiting until the afternoon.
It was so much fun! Our driver took us to a cliff jump site and a grotto where we got to swim in the open water. We rented the boat for 2 hours and just lounged, drank, and listened to catchy Italian music. Don’t forget to bring beers & towels! They have flotation devices onboard, like noodles.
Get out & party
There are two nightclubs to choose from depending on the day of the week you are in Positano.
Music on the Rocks – is to the very far left of the beach if you are looking at the water. You just keep walking until you see only one building that looks like it is part of the cliff and you made it! If you want, you can have some cocktails in the lounge upstairs (to the right of the stage) It is a lot quieter and the views are spectacular. The club is not very big, so I would recommend splurging on bottle service. It opens around 10 PM, check their weekly schedule.
Africana Famous Club – This club is about a 30-minute taxi from Positano. It is located on a cliff and is a huge indoor-outdoor space. It is right on a cliff overlooking the waters of Italy. The bottle service was easy to get. When you leave, ask the bouncer to call a taxi for you. We got lucky and met another couple waiting for a ride outside who were willing to share a taxi (and the cost) with us. Again, check the schedule. We went on a Thursday which is 80’s night and they only played 80’s music.
Venice (Venezia)
Venice, the northern part of Italy that houses lots of celebrity weddings, and the only way to get around is by water taxi. This historic city is divided into six zones called sestieri which date back to the founding of the city itself. – (San Marco, San Polo and Santa Croce, Murano, Burano and Torcello, Dorsoduro, Castello, Cannaregio, and other Islands). San Marco is the most popular zone to stay.
TIP: If you are a smoker you will need to bring your own cigarettes because there are very few smoke shops. There are kiosks, but only residents are allowed to use them; It’s a great way to meet some locals!
How to Get There:
When you land at the San Marco airport, you can purchase a public water taxi to the drop-off location closest to your hotel or Airbnb, and walk from there. There are kiosks to purchase these within the airport. The taxi lines are quite a distance from where you pick up your luggage.
I would highly recommend taking your own private taxi if your budget allows. It is much faster and obviously a lot less crowded. We took the yellow line from the airport to our hotel for 30 Euros each, but it took nearly two hours as we were one of the last stops. (Not the best way to introduce Venice). We opted for the private water taxi back to the airport after our Venice excursion and it was a blast! The driver was so cool and we were smiling from ear to ear on our way back.
Take a Water Taxi Tour
I wish we did this Venice Grand Canal Tour on the first day of our short trip. Because water taxis are so expensive, we opted to walk everywhere. When you walk around Venice, you are limited to the very narrow streets and there isn’t a whole lot to see. However, most of the city’s beauty can be seen from the water. This is the tour we took and I highly recommend it. We didn’t realize how vast Venice is beyond San Marco.
See all of Venice from above
Fondaco dei Tedeschi (German Commodity Exchange) is a floating mall just next to the Rialto bridge. Take the escalators to the top and you will see a large room with a line to go out the door. A security guard will let people pass as others leave. Only a specific number of people are allowed at the top at the same time. The line is usually short and the wait is very minimal.
Bring beers for a sunset gondolla ridE
Everyone has to ride the gondola, but to make it even more memorable grab a few drinks (most gondola drivers don’t mind) and cheers during sunset in one of the most romantic cities in the world. Grab a gondola in a canal close to the Rialto bridge or ask if the grand canal is in their route. Some gondolas won’t take you out to the grand canal if it’s too far. If you time it right, you will get the beautiful view of the grand canal right as the sun sets on the water. It was one of the highlights during our Italy experience.
Get lost walking around
This was a whole lot of fun if you have the right shoes and an open mind. There are so many twists and turns you will surely “get lost”, but that is half the fun! Some of our fondest memories in Italy are turning a corner and seeing a small square with a violinist serenading a small group of espresso drinkers & coffee smokers at a nearby cafe. There are also tons of souvenir shops so don’t buy anything right away, but if you do like a certain spot mark it on your map because it will be hard to find again.
Eat Dinner By the bridge
Venice is the only city in Italy we have been to where everything closes around 10 pm. There is, however, one restaurant that is open 24 hours and is right on the water. You can even buy a bottle of wine from there if you want to take an after-dinner drink back at your hotel or Airbnb. Venice is beautiful at night. All the lights are on and no one is around.
Where to Eat in Venice
Barbaria De Le Tole, Castello 6359 – Just say you want to eat whatever the chef chooses. You will NOT be disappointed!!
Ischia
Just off the coast of Naples, you will find some islands. One of which is called Ischia, where my husband’s family is from. He has been several times, and always wants to visit when we go to Italy. This trip was no exception. Ischia is small, yet beautiful!
Eat at a Michelin star resturant
Believe it or not, this small island has 2 restaurants with Michelin star chefs!
Dani Maison – is a two MICHELIN star restaurant with countless courses. The courses are small, but you will be so full by the time dessert comes out. You have to book a table well in advance as they only serve about 6 tables per night. It’s not cheap, but this would be the place in Italy to try at least once in your life. I still remember the unique courses, and flavors!
TAKE A DIP IN the hot springs
Our host took us to Negombo thermal gardens. It is a waterpark on a cliffside with many levels of hot springs. At the very bottom is a beach you can lounge on. We enjoyed exploring every level of this magical place. Come to find out, there are many more just like it all over the island!
explore the castello
We didn’t have time to walk into the Castello, but we hear great things! They have guided tours, cafes, and host events. Check their calendar with your visit dates.
grab wine & drink on your balcony
We found a beautiful hotel on the water with stunning views of the Castello. Miramare e Castello is close to the ferry and shops. Our room had a balcony and a daybed overlooking the waters of Italy. We had dinner at the Michelin restaurant in our hotel, grabbed a bottle of wine, and just drank outside our room watching the boats and stars light up the water. It was so romantic, we look forward to booking there again.