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Rome · Florence · Venice · the South

Italy,planned for Americans.

Rome, Florence, Venice, the Amalfi Coast, Sicily and the Dolomites, explained in miles, US dollars and plain English, with the timed tickets, train rules and traffic zones that trip Americans up. In-depth guides, checked in October 2026.

First trip to Italy Entry rules and the EES Rome Florence Venice and the access fee Trains and tickets

LAZIOROMA

Photos: The dome of St. Peter's Basilica above the rooftops of Rome: Emiliano Carchia, CC0 · Florence Cathedral seen from Piazzale Michelangelo, Florence: Petar Milošević, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Positano climbing the cliffs of the Amalfi Coast: Bernard Gagnon, CC BY 4.0 · The Grand Canal and Santa Maria della Salute from the Accademia Bridge, Venice: Wolfgang Moroder, CC BY-SA 3.0

Before you book

Nine things every American should know

The planning guide →
Expect a coperto, tip lightlyMost sit-down bills add a coperto (cover charge) of about €1.50–4 per person. Tipping is optional: round up or leave 5–10 percent in cash for good table service, and nothing more if servizio is already on the bill.Money and tipping
Stamp regional train ticketsA paper regional ticket has no date on it, so stamp it in the green-and-white or yellow machine before you board. Riding without a stamp means an on-the-spot fine; tickets bought in the app need no stamp.Trains and tickets
Stay out of the ZTLMost historic centers are camera-enforced ZTL zones where only residents and permit holders may drive. Each entry costs about €80–335 (about $90–375) plus a rental company fee, and the fine can arrive many months after you get home.Driving in Italy
Book timed tickets earlyThe Colosseum sells each date 30 days ahead, from €18 (about $20), in your name. The Uffizi and the Borghese run on timed slots, and the Last Supper releases tickets in three-month batches that sell out within days.Booking the big sights
Cover shoulders and kneesChurches, St. Peter’s Basilica included, expect shoulders and knees covered, for men and women. Shorts and skirts should reach the knee; a light scarf in your bag solves most problems.Etiquette and dress codes
Check Venice’s fee daysDay-trippers pay an access fee on 72 set days, March 26 to August 15, 2027; it was €5–10 (about $5.60–11) in 2026, and 2027 prices are due by December 31, 2026. Overnight guests are exempt but register for a free QR code.The Venice access fee
Fingerprints at the border, no ETIAS yetNo visa is needed for up to 90 days in any 180. The EU’s Entry/Exit System has run fully since April 10, 2026, taking a face photo and fingerprints on your first entry. ETIAS is not operating, so you do not need one.Entry rules
Plan around August closuresItalians take their big vacation around the August 15 Ferragosto holiday. Many family-run restaurants and shops close for one to three weeks, especially in Milan, Turin, Bologna and residential Rome, while the coast is at its priciest.When to go
Hold on to your phone in RomeItaly sits at Level 2 in the State Department advisory, like France and the UK. The everyday risk is pickpockets: on the 64 and 40 buses between Termini and the Vatican, Metro Line A and the Termini taxi line. Stand away from the doors.Safety in Italy

Ready-made routes

Four classic first trips

Each route links to the guide with the details: where to stay, how to get around and what to book ahead.

10DAYS

Rome, Florence and Venice

DAYS 1–4 Rome: the Colosseum, the Vatican and the Borghese
DAYS 5–7 Florence: the Uffizi, David and the Duomo climb
DAYS 8–9 Venice, St. Mark’s and the lagoon islands
DAY 10 Fly home from Venice

Read the planning guide → 9DAYS

Rome and the Amalfi Coast

DAYS 1–3 Rome
DAY 4 Fast train to Naples and Pompeii on the way
DAYS 5–6 Positano and Capri
DAYS 7–8 Amalfi, Ravello and the Path of the Gods

Read the Amalfi Coast guide → 9DAYS

Florence and Tuscany by car

DAYS 1–2 Florence on timed tickets
DAYS 3–4 The Chiantigiana and Siena
DAYS 5–7 The Val d’Orcia, Montalcino and Montepulciano
DAYS 8–9 San Gimignano, Lucca and Pisa

Read the Tuscany guide → 11DAYS

The lakes and the Dolomites

DAYS 1–2 Milan and the Last Supper
DAYS 3–4 Lake Como by ferry
DAY 5 Verona and the Arena
DAYS 6–9 Val Gardena, Seceda and Cortina
DAYS 10–11 Venice

Read the Dolomites guide →

Where to go

Find your Italy

Compare every destination →
LAZIOROMARomeRome's neighborhoods, hotels, airport transfers, metro and bus tickets, taxis and city rules. TUSCANYFIRENZEFlorenceThe Uffizi, David, the Duomo climb, the Oltrarno, and how to book, stay and eat well. VENETOVENEZIAVeniceVenice's access fee, vaporetto passes, St. Mark's booking, the islands, acqua alta and where to stay. TUSCANYTOSCANATuscanySiena, Chianti, the Val d'Orcia, Lucca and Pisa: towns, wine, bases and how to get around. CAMPANIACOSTIERA AMALFITANAAmalfi CoastPositano, Amalfi, Ravello and Sorrento: bases, buses, ferries, the car rule and the Path of the Gods. LOMBARDY · PIEDMONTMILANO E I LAGHIMilan & LakesMilan's Last Supper and Duomo, Lake Como ferries, Lake Maggiore and Bergamo, with booking tips. TRENTINO-ALTO ADIGE · VENETODOLOMITIDolomitesCortina, Val Gardena, Alta Badia and Bolzano: hiking, huts, lifts, access rules and skiing. SICILYSICILIASicilyPalermo, Taormina, Etna, Ortigia, Agrigento and Cefalù: flights, ferries, driving, tickets and routes.

The list

20 experiences worth the trip

From the famous to the ones Americans tend to miss. Each links to the guide with timing, tickets and costs.

  1. The tiered stone walls inside the Colosseum around its arena01Stand inside the Colosseum, then walk the Forum and the PalatineRome · book a timed ticket
  2. Michelangelo's frescoed ceiling and painted walls of the Sistine Chapel seen from the floor02Look up at Michelangelo's ceiling in the Sistine ChapelVatican City · go early or late
  3. The round interior of the Pantheon with marble walls and columns03Watch the light move through the oculus of the PantheonRome · timed entry
  4. Gold medieval mosaics of Christ and the Virgin in the apse of a Roman church04Eat cacio e pepe at a Trastevere trattoriaRome · book dinner
  5. The white marble statue of David standing beneath a skylit dome in a gallery05Meet Michelangelo's David at the AccademiaFlorence · timed ticket
  6. Red tiled rooftops of Florence spreading out to green hills, seen from high on the cathedral dome06Climb Brunelleschi's dome above FlorenceFlorence · book a climb slot
  7. Smooth rolling hills and fields of the Val d'Orcia in Tuscany07Drive the cypress-lined roads of the Val d'OrciaSouthern Tuscany · spring or fall
  8. The shell shaped brick square of Siena with the tall slender Torre del Mangia and hills beyond08Sit in the shell-shaped Piazza del Campo in SienaSiena · the Palio is July 2 and August 16
  9. A water bus and other boats on the Grand Canal between rows of old palaces09Ride a vaporetto the length of the Grand CanalVenice · line 1
  10. Two neighboring house walls painted in bold contrasting colors with shuttered windows on Burano10Take the boat to the painted houses of BuranoVenetian lagoon
  11. A gravel hiking trail leading toward three huge rock towers rising above a rocky valley11Hike around the Tre Cime di LavaredoDolomites · summer, road booking required
  12. A white ferry pulling away from the lakeside village of Bellagio with mountains behind12Ride the ferry to Bellagio on Lake ComoLake Como
  13. The brick church of Santa Maria delle Grazie with its domed tribune13See Leonardo's Last Supper in MilanMilan · book well ahead
  14. Colorful houses of Vernazza clustered on a rocky point above the sea, seen from a hillside trail14Walk between the villages of the Cinque TerreLiguria · check which trails are open
  15. Roman brick and stone ruins with columns and roofless walls in Pompeii15Walk the streets of Pompeii with Vesuvius behindCampania · named tickets
  16. A Neapolitan pizza with a blistered puffy crust, tomato, mozzarella and fresh basil leaves16Eat a Neapolitan pizza in the city that invented itNaples
  17. Small boats anchored in a blue bay below a beach and pastel houses climbing the hillside of Positano17Arrive in Positano by boat along the Amalfi CoastAmalfi Coast · spring to fall
  18. A narrow lane lined with whitewashed trulli houses topped with conical gray stone roofs18Wander the cone-roofed trulli of AlberobelloPuglia
  19. Ancient stone houses and churches stacked up the side of a ravine in Matera19Explore the cave city of Matera's SassiBasilicata · a day from Bari
  20. A plume rising from Etna's Southeast Crater during an eruption20Walk the craters of Mount Etna with a guideSicily · rules change with activity

Photos from Wikimedia Commons: 01 Erik Drost, CC BY 2.0 · 02 Dr pangloss, CC BY-SA 4.0 · 03 John Samuel, CC BY-SA 4.0 · 04 Krzysztof Golik, CC BY-SA 4.0 · 05 Rhododendrites, CC BY-SA 4.0 · 06 Tim Adams from San Francisco, CC BY 2.0 · 07 Hans A. Rosbach, CC BY-SA 3.0 · 08 Massimo Catarinella, CC BY-SA 3.0 · 09 Peter K Burian, CC BY-SA 4.0 · 10 Marco Ober, CC BY-SA 4.0 · 11 Tiia Monto, CC BY-SA 3.0 · 12 Daniel Case, CC BY-SA 3.0 · 13 Marcin Białek, CC BY-SA 3.0 · 14 СССР, CC BY-SA 2.5 ca · 15 Jebulon, CC0 · 16 Rjcastillo, CC BY-SA 4.0 · 17 DimiTalen, CC0 · 18 MPhernambucq, CC BY-SA 4.0 · 19 Jules Verne Times Two, CC BY-SA 4.0 · 20 The Cosmonaut, CC BY-SA 2.5 ca

Free tools

Plan it, price it, pack it

Trip builderA day-by-day route from your dates, month and interests Budget calculatorHotels, food, trains, tickets, city taxes and fuel, in euros and dollars ConvertersEuros, °F and °C, kilometers, fuel by the liter, sizes and time zones Packing checklistEverything an American needs for Italy, from church-ready clothes to plug adapters Italian phrasesThe words you need for trains, menus and shops, with pronunciation

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