Italy is a country, and even though it’s not huge, it’s still quite big. So, unless you are coming for a quick city break, you can’t really plan two or three days. However, wondering how many days in Italy is enough is still one of the biggest doubts of first-time travelers.
While I know that most people travel when they have their holidays or their children’s holidays, deciding how many days you can stay in Italy also depends on several other factors:
- are you on a pan-European trip or cruise so you only have a few days in Italy?
- are you traveling for the first time and only want to visit the biggest tourist draws?
- are you on your second, third trip and want to immerse in the local way of living by visiting more than a single city?
Whatever your case is, there are a few aspects you need to keep in mind when deciding how many days in Italy is enough for you:
- City break vs. multi-city holiday. How many places do you want to visit? If you are planning a city break in Florence or Rome, anywhere from a weekend to five days can be enough. On the other hand, if you are planning a more complex tour including a few cities located in different regions and some day trips, start considering your trip of at least one week.
- Transfer time. This is something many forget to consider. Traveling from a city to another takes time, whether you are doing it by car or by train (or flight). For example, even though Rome and Florence are not too far from each other, you will still need to count one hour and a half train ride plus the transfers to and from the stations. It takes longer to Venice
- Rush vs. slow pace. Do you want to see as much as possible and don’t mind to rush off or do you prefer to immerse in the hosting culture taking in the local way of living and engaging in some activities even if this means sacrificing a museum or two?
A weekend in Italy
Two to three days gives you the time to visit one city. This doesn’t need to necessarily be one of the major tourist cities such as Rome, Venice or Florence.
There are direct flights to many Italian cities from many European cities so you can plan a weekend in fantastic places such as Cagliari, Lecce, Milan, Turin, Genoa and more.
A week in Italy
A week gives you the time to visit even three cities but rushing a little, especially if these are not in the same region. If you prefer a slower pace, then I would suggest focusing on two cities and maybe planning one or two day trips.
Two weeks in Italy
In my opinion, between ten days and two weeks is the right compromise to start getting to know Italy if it’s your first time or dig deeper if you have already visited the main tourist attractions once.
In this amount of time, in fact, you can visit a few regions and the main attractions in every area changing a few hotels to adapt to your tours and activities.
A month in Italy
A month gives you plenty of room to organize the trip of your dreams that combines both sightseeing and the right amount of relaxing time.
Of course not everyone can (or want to) afford a month holiday but if your idea of vacation is a mix of culture, regenerating, and immersing in the local lifestyle, in a month you can plan a pretty interesting trip!
How I can help
If you have some room to decide how many days in Italy is enough for your holiday but can’t really make up your mind, in our inquiry call, I can help you make a decision.
Whether you are looking for a custom itinerary or a personalized vacation package, I will ask you a few questions to understand your traveling style and what type of experience you are looking for.
Ready for Italy?
If you’d rather have someone design your trip for you, check out my custom itinerary service.
