Italy planning help!

[imadeitnice]

DH is 50 next year and we try to go on a special holiday for big birthdays to somewhere neither of us have been. So we are thinking of Italy for June 2026. We would like to do at least a 2 centre trip. We can be away for 2-3 weeks. I’ve always wanted to go to Italy however I don’t know where to start and what are must see places. Please help! We’re not huge city fans, so wouldn’t want more than a few days in cities, preferring coastal areas. Budget wise, for flights, hotels and car hire I’d say approx 6k for the two of us. Does anyone have any tips or itineraries they have used that you could recommend?

I mean, Italy really is all about the cities and the architecture and culture. If you’re wanting water you could consider Lake Garda and Venice.

In Venice you could stay on Lido for the beach/coastal feel and then train to Verona and on to Lake Garda. Bardolino is a nice town and you can access the rest of the lake easily via ferry

There is amazing coast in Italy! Sicily, Sardinia, Puglia would be my picks but obviously there is also the Amalfi coast or Cinque Terre

I was ignoring the islands but yes, if the OP is wanting beaches that’s where she might want to head. Personally, having never been to Italy I’d want to see more than Puglia on my special birthday. Even Sorrento has a busy city feel, with beautiful views of course.

OP, it might help to get a guide book and decide where appeals and also consider what time of year you are visiting as Italy is hot in July/ August but perfect in May or Sept/Oct.
Places to consider are
Venice
Lake Garda
Florence / Pisa / Lucca
Rome / Pompei / Amalfi Coast
Puglia
Sicily

Then Sardinia is you want sandy beaches.

Cinque Terre (for coastal walking, beautiful multi coloured villages and seafood). Some amazing places to stay in the coastal villages with wonderful sea views. Or the Amalfi coast which also beautiful coastal towns (Positano is my favourite) - you can always stay in Sorrento and travel down. Which would allow you to see Pompei /Capri quite easily as well.

I’d suggest avoiding Florence btw if you aren’t a fan of cities/crowds. Lots of people in a fairly small space. Rome is pretty epic though.

Lake garda, then sorrento (amalfi)

I'd agree with the first three. Sadly I think Amalfi coast and Cinque Terre will be overrun in June. Sorrento is now ridiculously priced compared to 5 years ago. Sicily is amazing if you like some architecture and history and beautiful views. Sardinia is more about the beaches. Puglia is being bigged up as the next big thing - there are some beautiful places - Polignano, Monopoli, Lecce, Otranto, Gallipolli...the history is very greek so there are nice buildings and nice beaches. The lakes are also gorgeous - north end of Lake Como, Lake Maggiore if you are not looking for "family" based activities. Verona and Bologna are a bit less hyped than Florence. Rome is amazing. I love Naples though many don't. Love Ischia and Procida more than Capri. How do you like to spend your time?

We've been to Italy many times for skiing, but also holidays elsewhere- but never in Summer! Don't underestimate how hot and busy places can be!

Somewhere in the north, or even a ski resort which has summer things might be an option if you prefer somewhere a little cooler.

DH and I previously flew into Naples to see Pompeii/Herculaneum, the various museum and sights in Naples. We then caught the fast train to Rome. If Rome isn't of interest, you could go to Sorrento or Capri- but I've never been to either and have also heard its become expensive, busy and over rated.

Another trip we did over 2 weeks. Flew into Palermo for I think 4 days to see the catacombs, local markets etc. Caught a train to Agrigento for 2 days. It has a massive, outdoor temple similar to the Parthenon, plus museums. Got a bus to the other side of the island to Catania. We did a day trip to Syracuse which was lovely. We would have stayed in Taormina but Etna was rumbling so it wasn't advised. We got a bus back to Palermo, simply because out flight was from there. From Palermo, we spent a day at the beach in Montello. A nice beach and some lovely cafes/taverna type restaurants on the beach. I've since learnt that Cefalu is highly recommended too.

Puglia isn’t the next big thing! It’s very much arrived - decades ago.

There are so many options in Italy! DD went to university in Bologna. That’s a good base for not only Bologna, but Parma, Ravenna, Maranello for Ferrari museum, Modena and the region in general. You can then explore the Veneto and Vicenza and Padua. Then finish in Venice. Yes city based but real Italy.

Sicily has a huge amount to see. Fantastic Roman and Greek ruins. Fab food and amazing hill top towns. There’s beach towns and easily enough for 2 weeks. We enjoyed it more than we thought we would.

Puglia is great. Lots to see and do and my DD said it was amazing. The other option is the Amalfi coast. It’s spectacular. Great places to stay and can be combined with Puglia. Herculaneum and Pompeii are must sees.
Then there’s Tuscany. Sienna and all those great hill top towns are wonderful. Slightly more touristy than some areas but also some amazing places to stay. There’s also the coast if you want that.

Express trains in Italy are very good. Local trains less reliable. Planning is important but I’d not move around too much. Enjoy an area and don’t do a whistle stop.

Some great suggestions here. Am book marking as I love ❤️ Italy. Off to Naples in 2 weeks. Can't wait.

I LOVE Italy, it’s my favourite country. Lake Como was breath taking.

If you are happy to hire a car (and it sounds like you are) I would also recommend Puglia - lovely and varied coast, lots of towns, not absurdly crowded. Matera (not technically in Puglia region but easily driveable) is stunning, one of my favourite places.

Cinque Terre is gorgeous but the towns get SO busy with day trippers. If you are fit and willing to hike a bit I thoroughly recommend it though for the coastal walks between villages and evenings there are much less crowded.

i’ve yet to visit Sicily but it’s next on my list.

I’ve been to Italy many times, many times and June is a very busy, hot time of year if you want to go sightseeing in the most popular bits. So I guess my first piece of advice would be to limit time in any of the big ticket, stereotypical ‘first trip to Italy’ kind of places. These include (but are not limited to) Venice, Florence, Rome, Tuscan hill towns, the Amalfi Coast, Pompeii, Capri, and the Cinque Terre. Sadly, all these places are completely overrun with tourists now from Easter to October and it makes it really hard to enjoy them.

What you could do is find a base or two away from the heat and the bustle and do day trips, find a house or apartment somewhere in a small town in Tuscany, for instance, and then hit Florence, Siena, San Gimignano, etc for a few hours at a time. Another option is to completely avoid the most popular destinations and get off the beaten track. There are still beautiful places that aren’t overrun. Umbria is quieter than Tuscany, although Assisi and Perugia are extremely popular, La Marche is quieter still. Places like Taormina, Cefalu and Syracuse in Sicily are heaving in summer, but western Sicily is rich with treasures and much less crowded. It really depends what you want to see. You’re only going to scratch the surface in 2-3 weeks, so what are your top priorities? And do bear in mind how hot it’s likely to be.

Lots to think about! Thank you everyone. I think we’d like to include Sicily and Sorrento. So maybe base ourselves a week in each area and do what we can from there.
We like visiting Old Towns when away, rather than super large cities. DH mainly likes to eat and wander around, I like that also but also like to shop and laze by a pool/on a beach. Bit of history is good but not too much. We’re mainly going for the food and scenery.

I meant Sicily and Amalfi coast rather than Sorrento

Don’t give too little time to Sicily. It’s absolutely fantastic. Some towns are just stunning! I’d look at Lonely Planet for good ideas for an itinerary. I would also not go later than June. Locals told us it’s 40 degrees in high summer.

We were thinking late June as that’s when DH’s birthday is however I think we will go end of May/early June.

We split 10 days between Ortigia (Siracusa) and Taormina last year. It was amazing. I have Cefalu and the baroque towns of Noto and Ragusa on my list. And Agrigento. Catania and Palermo are supposed to be a bit marmite. But then I love Naples and many don't.

Lake Como , Amalfi Coast , Cinque Terre.

Italy is on my bucket list for next year! Is there ever a quieter time to visit that's also decent in terms of weather?

We normally go end of May or mid to late September. Pretty much sure to be nice but not roasting hot. It was about 25 degrees in Puglia last May and not mega busy. The Cinque Terre these days is mad during the day time.

@MissAmbrosiaPalermo was better than I thought. Some amazing churches and the Normanni Palazzo is definitely worth a visit.

Whilst in Sicily, The Roman Villa Del Casale has the most amazing mosaics - truly stunning. Don’t miss them! Many hill towns are stunning too.

If you go to Sorrento and like good food, we had an amazing dinner at Inn Buffalito a number of years ago that I still remember. www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Restaurant_Review-g187782-d1444178-Reviews-Inn_Bufalito-Sorrento_Province_of_Naples_Campania.html#REVIEWS

I love Sorrento, and very easy to visit? Pompeii, capri, positano. Great food, quaint little seafood tavernas, quirky tiny shopping streets and grand squares. Fabulous

We did a two week holiday of Rome, Venice and Sorrento. For a memorable visit I would suggest including Verona and going to the opera. It’s performed in the open in a Roman arena and is a wonderful spectacle.