Going to Italy this summer or fall? Cool! You are going to have a great time.
Follow my tips below, and you’ll have an even better time.
While Italy is a magical place, it can also be a land of frustration and chaos if you aren’t prepared…and I’m here to share my best tips on making the most of your time and minimizing the annoyances in the land of the Azzurri.
In 25 years of traveling to Europe, Mrs. AK and I have been to Italy fifteen times. Plus, we’ve had kids in tow about a dozen of those times. Our tips will cover things for kids but also a bit of Mommy and Daddy time.
This map features our favorite sites, amazing flavors and even parking places in Italy.
1. Expect crowds – nearly two full years of zero to limited travel abroad means a tremendous amount of pent-up demand. Now, with two summers worth of cancelled trips back on the books, in addition to the normal summer and fall crowds, Italy will feel crowded everywhere. We were in Florence and Rome during the last week of March 2022, and it already felt like summer crowds were swarming the most famous sites -- so be ready. It will still be magical—just expect to share the magic with others.
2. Because of said crowds, book tours now. Don’t think that you can stroll into Florence and see the David, or pop into Pisa and go straight into the Leaning Tower. Whether you are looking for an art history tour of the Uffizi or a boat tour of the Blue Grotto in Capri, determine your “must do” tours/excursions and book well ahead of time.
Despite knowing better, we botched our tours in Florence last March. We rolled up to the Accademia in Florence figuring that we could walk right in to see David since it was “off” season. No dice. The line was two hours long, and the tours couldn’t get you inside until near closing time. We instead did a tour of the Uffizi, which was fine, but since we booked right as we were walking up, it was clear that we got a tour guide from the B team. She was fine…but definitely not one of the most engaging and informative tour guides we’ve had.
3. Take an ebike tour. Ebikes are the newest fun way to see the countryside. If you’ve never ridden an ebike, it’s the same as a regular bike, but when you hit an uphill stretch, a little motor kicks in to assist on the climb. The amount of assist can range from “I still want a workout” to “nope, I’m feeling pretty lazy today.” We did an e-bike tour to a few wineries around Montepulciano in late March and it was AWESOME. Our group of nine including a few teens, moms and a twelve-year-old on the tour--and they all loved it. Our tour would have been fine for kids age 9 and up. Call my buddies Michele and Pier Giorgio at Urban Bikery and they’ll set you up with a great ride from a two-hour pedal to an all-day excursion including winery tours and tastings. They even arranged a great lunch for the little kids in our group (aged 5 and 7) that they still talk about. Beyond Montepulciano, ebike tours can be found all over the country. If you have little ones, find a tour company that has kiddie trailers.
4. Make reservations for dinner ahead of time. Our MO for dining in Italy over the past two decades has been to take a stroll during la passeggiata (the evening stroll), peruse some menus along whatever route we take and then choose a place for dinner. This was a major fail in March, so it will be a major fail during summer. All the best places book up early every single day of the week, so it seems if you don’t have reservations setup by midday, you might be out of luck. Some of this is due to Covid-related capacity limits, others to the aforementioned crowds. Either way – if you have somewhere particular in mind, book ahead.
5. Don’t overlook street food. The stereotype of Italians being manically meticulous and serious about cuisine is "todo" -- 100% true, but that doesn’t mean that they are above grab-n-go snacks. In fact, and not surprisingly, Italian street food on the go is simply delectible. In Florence, you can't go wrong with any of several panini places along Via Dei Neri. Porchetta (roast pork) in Rome is delicious. The tiny sandwich shop adjacent to Il Baccanale just off Campo de' Fiori has tons of great sandwiches for about 4 Euros each.
6. Consider the "big lunch, snack for dinner" option. Lunches in Italy are often as big as dinners in the US—and less costly (with similar portion sizes) to what you get during the dinner hour. If you are early out-the-door types, do a bunch of sightseeing in the morning. Plan for lunch about 1 pm and you’ll be done about 3 pm. Then wander around…aimlessness is a big plus for at least one day of your Italy trip. Grab a to-go sandwich for dinner and a bottle of wine to sip while the littles fall asleep at your apartment.
7. The best sandwich place in Rome is ….L'Antica Salumeria just outside of the Pantheon. Grab a sandwich while you wait in the huge line to get in Pantheon.
8. The best porchetta place in Rome is…Porchetteria La Rinascita a tiny little spot that's been making amazing porchetta since 1890. Grab a seat and a glass of wine at Enoteca Il Piccolo across the street for a triple combo of great food, wine and people watching.
9. The best sandwich place in Florence is All’antico Vinaio. Less than five minutes’ walk from the Piazza della Signoria you can spot this sandwich shop by the line. We rented an apartment above this place a few years back. The line starts forming about 11 am and is continuous all day and night--and for good reason. For 7 Euros, you’ll get a massive square of focaccia stuffed with delectable meats and cheeses that easily would feed two people. Plus, don’t miss the wine shop across the street. It has a self-serve offering where you can pour yourself a cup of wine for two Euros while you wait in line.
10. Gelato is kid currency. Trade it for good behavior. Delightfully creamy, wonderfully flavored and lovingly folded into Wonka-esque pillows, gelato in Italy is special. Your kids will know it the second they taste it, even if they can’t use their words. Leverage their delight to extract a few extra moments of quiet, or an extra hour of good behavior. Threaten a gelato ban if they hit their brother. Our sixteen-year-old is so conditioned to the gelato for good behavior equation that when we went to the Uffizi in March he asked if we could get gelato after as if seeing a Carravaggio was some sort of task. Our favorite in Florence is Gelateria Santa Trinta.
11. Get outside of the big towns! If you have a car, it’s easy to spend the day visiting atmospheric towns, hiking scenic trails, discovering thermal baths, etc. Get out there!
12. Driving between Florence and Rome? Orvieto is a great pit stop. Located almost halfway between the two most popular tourist cities, Orvieto is a medieval walled town perched up on a hill just a few minutes off the highway A1. Grab a gelato and stroll the winding pedestrian streets to the ornate cathedral. There are several delightful spots for lunch, but plan to invest at least ninety minutes for a proper meal.
13. If you go to Orvieto, park here. This underground parking garage is decidedly charmless, but what it lacks in style it makes up for in convenience. After parking, zip up a series of escalators and you’ll be in the heart of the town with its maze of pedestrian streets filled with wine shops, cafes and churches.
14. Speaking of convenience and driving, consider parking at Villa Costanza for day tripping to Florence. This massive parking area has an exit directly off the A1. Once you exit your car hop of the shuttle trains that whisk you downtown in about 20 minutes. Florence is surprisingly big town and the streets seem to get smaller and more chaotic the closer you get to the city center. Parking at Villa Costanza can take a load of stress out of your day.
15. If you really want to drive into Florence, the parking lot at Piazzale Michelangelo has a gorgeous view over the city that will have you snapping Christmas-card worthy pics the second you step out of the car. But be warned, you will be lucky to actually get a parking spot there. Try to get there early.
16. And a further warning for ALL of Italy. Beware of ZTL zones. ZTL stands for zona traffico limitato (limited traffic zones). Many of these areas are camera-enforced, and the Italian authorities will track violating rental cars back to their owners in the States. I know a guy who got a ticket for 80 Euros a few months after accidentally turning into a ZTL zone in Florence. His wife is still mad at him for it. Even small towns have ZTL zones to limit traffic. If you are staying at a hotel or apartment in a ZTL zone, call ahead and ask them the best way to get your baggage unloaded and where to park.
17. Speaking of fines. Do not speed on the long bridge that connects Venice to the mainland. The speed limit on the Ponte della Liberta is 70 km…and you will get a fine for driving 79 km. It’s happened to that guy who also got a ZTL zone ticket.
18. Also be aware of speed cameras posted along most of the Autostrada (Italian high-speed roadways). They will be marked in advance with inconspicuous black and white signs. The cameras themselves are cream colored and mounted to overlook the roadways. If you fail to slow down, be prepared for a citation to arrive in the mail a few months after returning home. Luckily, I've never been nicked for speeding on the Autostrada.
19. Avoid driving to Venice if you can. You can’t really drive in to Venice – which is part of the charm. All boats, no cars. If you have a car, you’ll end up having to park it at Tronchetto -- a massive artificial island that houses parking garages and supporting car rental agencies. You’ll end up shelling out 25 Euros per day for your car to sit there. If you are driving to or from Venice, consider setting up your car rental to either start or end corresponding to your time in the city.
20. Get an International Driver's License. It’s required to rent a car in Italy. For $32, AAA here in the States will snap your pics and process all of the necessary forms in just a few minutes. I had a friend who was denied a rental when he landed in Rome and didn't have his International Driver's License.
21. Don’t rent a car longer than you need to. If you are doing the Venice/Florence/Rome circuit, you don’t need to rent a car at all. If you want to see Tuscany, consider renting a car for a day or two from Florence and then using Trenitalia to ride the rails from the rest of the spots.
22. Uber works great in Italy. We used Uber throughout Rome during our last trip. It was especially valuable to zip home after a long day of site seeing.
23. The Vatican Museum is famous for art…and infamous for walking. The Vatican Museum is among the top art museums in the world. But be prepared for miles upon miles of walking when you visit. Most visitors start at St. Peter’s Basillica. It is about a 1.5 mile walk around Vatican City just to get to the museum entrance. Once inside, be prepared for about three hours of non-stop walking to get to the Sistine Chapel. The museum houses bucket-list beauties of the world’s most famous art…but it can feel like a forced march to get through it all.
Bonus Tips!
1. If you are prone to mosquito bites, bring repellant and after-bite care. While Italy may seem arid – especially as you head south – there are still mosquitos out and about.
2. If you book an apartment or house, you will hopefully have a washing machine handy. Pack light and plan to do a few loads of laundry. Most places will provide a drying rack or a line with pins – not the norm for a dryer.
3. Encourage adventurous eaters! While it’s easy to fall into the cheese pizza rut when traveling with little ones, seek out fare that highlights local specialties. Cingale (wild boar) in Tuscany. Ribollita (a hearty vegetable stew with bread) in Florence. Cichetti (small bites) in Venice. Porchetta (roast pork) in Rome. Ask for recommendations!
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