Everything you need to plan a trip to Italy — from Rome’s icons and hidden gems to the cliffside towns of the Amalfi Coast and the peaks of the Dolomites. Itineraries, where to stay, the best things to do, and real costs.
We chose the wrong base on our first day in the Dolomites. Not catastrophically wrong — the mountains were still extraordinary, the food was still excellent, the trip was still worth it. But we spent the first two mornings driving 45 minutes before we even reached the trailhead, because the village we’d picked was charming…
Most people treat Milan as a passport stamp — land at Malpensa, collect your rental car, and head straight for the mountains. We almost did the same thing. We’re glad we didn’t. We gave ourselves 24 hours in Milan before driving up to the Dolomites, and it turned out to be one of the better…
The Amalfi Coast is expensive: genuinely, noticeably, sometimes shockingly expensive. A hotel in Positano in July can run $500-1,500 per night. A seafood dinner with views can cost $100 per person without blinking. A private boat tour can run $400. But the part that keeps this trip from being impossible is simple: many of the…
The Amalfi Coast earns its place on every serious traveler’s bucket list: dramatic coastal cliffs, medieval towns, clear water, lemon terraces, and some of the most memorable coastal scenery in Europe. This is a research-backed bucket list for planning a first trip, with the famous experiences included alongside quieter stops that help the coast feel…
The Amalfi Coast has a way of making you feel like you’ve wandered into a painting. The towns stack up the cliffside in impossible colors, the water is a shade of blue that doesn’t seem real until you’re actually swimming in it, and the road that winds along the edge of it all is one…
Last checked: May 2026. Amalfi Coast transport, beach access, cathedral ticket rules, and boat conditions can change quickly. Check ferry and bus schedules close to your trip, and treat Furore beach access and Blue Grotto-style cave visits as condition-dependent rather than guaranteed. Walk Through Atrani The Amalfi Coast has a reputation for being expensive —…
The Amalfi Coast is one of those destinations where your base can make the whole trip easier — or quietly make it expensive, crowded, and exhausting. Positano, Praiano, Amalfi town, Ravello, Sorrento, Maiori and Minori all work, but they work for very different travelers. We’ve stayed in both Positano and Praiano, and the difference was…
Southern Italy does not need much convincing: dramatic coastlines, cave cities, baroque towns, Greek and Roman history, and food that changes completely from one region to the next. This researched 14-day Southern Italy road trip is built around driving logic, seasonal crowd patterns, and the stops that give the route real variety: Naples, Pompeii, Puglia,…