Ashley's Italy Travel Tips and Itinerary Ideas

Hello everyone, Ashley here providing a guest post this week. I am excited Landon asked me to guest write about Italy. Before I dive into the details, let me share a little about myself. I am originally from the Pinehurst area of North Carolina and have lived in Charlotte, North Carolina since 2003. I am a connoisseur of wine, a lover of socializing, and a travel enthusiast. When I’m not busy at the hospital, I am planning my next trip. To put it simply, I love to travel.
 
I have visited over 13 different countries and have been to Italy four times. I am by no means an expert, but I have learned a few tips to share with you.
 
Italy, oh Italy…. where do I even start. To say I love Italy is an understatement. The food, wine, people, scenery…it is just pure magic. It was wonderful to share this special place with Landon on our delayed honeymoon in 2019.
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When to Visit Italy
Great times to visit Italy are during the spring (April - May) or fall (September - October). These months allow you to avoid the summer heat. I cannot say that there is a down time to avoid the crowds in Italy. These days, it seems that Italy is always crowded with tourists.
 
How to Plan Your Time
Travel to Italy with the mindset that you will be back. It is a large country and you cannot see it all unless there are no time constraints.  I always recommend open-jaw tickets, flying into one city and out of another to maximize your time.

Traveling through Tuscany

Itinerary Ideas:
Here are a few examples of itineraries that have I done in the past. You can use these as a guide to plan a trip to different parts of Italy.
 
2 Weeks:
Fly to Rome (3 nights in Rome) -> Rent a car and drive through Tuscany. A few home base ideas would be Siena, Pienza, Montalcino, Montalpuciano (spend at least 4 nights in Tuscany as a home base to travel around) -> Florence (2 nights)
-> Train to Milan then to Lake Como (Stay in Bellagio, at least 3 nights to slow down and enjoy your time) -> train to Milan (2 nights in Milan) -> Fly home from Milan.
 
3 Weeks:
Fly to Naples -> take a bus or hire a car to the Amalfi Coast (Sorrento/Positano 4 nights) -> train to Rome (at least 3 nights in Rome) -> Siena (3 nights, rent a car and travel throughout Tuscany) -> Florence (2 nights) -> Cinque Terre (2 nights, can do 3 if you plan to hike the towns) -> Venice (at least 2 nights with a side trip to Morano) -> Fly home from Venice.

Montepulciano, Italy