The Italian countryside, the historical architecture of the Roman Empire, and the dreamy canals of Venice call us. Narrowing down the many sites to see and cities to wander may seem daunting, but here is an easy breakdown of how to plan your first trip to Italy! Grab a pen and piece of paper and let’s get started.
Step 1 – Timing
First up, decide how much time you have to spend in Italy. Whether you have a few days or a few weeks will greatly change how many cities you can plan. If you plan to jet set and discover a city’s highlights or dive deeper, immerse yourself in the landscape will also determine how many stops can be added to your itinerary.
Step 2 – Sites
With that frame of mind, think about the sites – not the cities – that you want to explore. If your heart is set on seeing the Vatican, a gondola along the Venice canals, and a wine tour across the Piedmont region to the north, you will want to make multiple cities as your base and plan day trips from there. If your ideal trip is wandering the eternal city, seeing Pompei, and seeing The David, a base in Rome might be better suited for you.
Step 3 – Cities
Now that you have started making groupings of things to do, pick how many you can realistically do within your timeframe. If you have one week and want to see sites all over the country, that might not be realistic. However, if you want to see one or two main locations, you will maximize your trip and check several things off your bucket list.
Step 4 – Pace
The next step in the process is to think about each item’s time and refine your list. Can you see multiple things with a tour that will satisfy your list without overlooking details? For example, a Colosseum Tour with the Roman Forum and Palatine Hill may provide an overview of the areas and mark the items off your list within a 3-hour timespan. However, if your heart has been set on seeing the underground of the Colosseum at night and during the day, more time should be allocated for this experience.
Step 5 – Extras
Prioritize the main attractions or things to do and create another list of the “funzies”. Think about the additional things that would be cool to see if you had time, a place to make an extra pit-stop if you had time but wouldn’t ruin your trip if you didn’t. Adding a nearby photo spot, cafe, or attraction is a great way to kill time if you show up early or have extra time afterward.
Step 6 – Weather
Based on your lists, the next part is to think about the weather. I know the weather can be unpredictable, but think seasonally. If you dream of renting a convertible and driving across Tuscany – winter will not be your friend. Likewise, if you plan to walk around Rome, the heat of summer might exhaust you too much to see everything. If you are flexible traveling in the shoulder season, you might also snag some amazing deals on accommodations and flights.
Step 7 – Put it all together
Now my favorite part: put it all together! By now you have a rough idea of how much time you can spend, the main things you want to see or do, and supporting items. Voila! You have now created a draft of your ideal trip. Keep in mind that based on your timing, some things might not make the cut – and that’s ok! If you try to pack 10 days worth of sightseeing into your 3 day trip, you will miss some things. Likewise, if you only have 3 days of things planned, you might need to add another city to your trip.
Let’s Recap
So to recap, use this method to plan out your first trip to Italy.
- How much time can you spend in Italy? Make sure to add 1 day for travel.
- What sites do you want to see?
- Group sites together where a “base” makes sense.
- Time block your main items. Use a spreadsheet like Google Sheets if needed.
- Create a list of the extras nearby your main items.
- Incorporate the weather and seasons.
- Put it all together.
Bonus Extras
- Once you have your rough itinerary and some ideas down on paper, my favorite tool is mapping out the places. Placing the locations on a map helps you see the distances between items more realistically and find other cool things nearby too! Check out my tutorial on how to do this in Good Maps here.
- Take advantage of the shoulder season or flexible travel days and use Google Flights to find the best days to travel. Use my guide for this here.
