How We Spent 10 Amazing Days in Italy

Italy is one of the most sought after countries to visit in Europe and rightfully so. Amazing food, rich history, gorgeous scenery, and of course wine are just a few of the incredible things it has to offer. For our 1st time in Italy, we didn’t want to overdo it, so we spent 10 amazing days exploring the “classic” Italian cities of Rome, Florence, and Venice before heading into the beautiful Dolomites mountains.

Disclaimer** This is how we chose to Rome around Italy (get it? Rome?) and this is merely a suggestion based on our experiences. Sadly, we did not make it to the Amalfi Coast due to the amount of time we had and the cost at the peak of summer. It is definitely a place you need to book well in advance to find decent accommodation at a good price. If you can fit it into your schedule, we would totally recommend visiting it! Now, let’s get into it.

Days 1 & 2: Rome

Fly into Rome

In our opinion, the easiest way to start off an Italy trip is to start in Rome, the capital of Italy. There are two airports in Rome, but the main airport, Leonardo Da Vinci-Fuimicino (FCO), connects to numerous international and domestic destinations and is the most popular place to fly into. One great thing about flying into FCO is that it is easily connected to the city center via bus, train, or taxi/rideshare.

From there, we found it easiest to just take a taxi from the airport to our hotel. Before leaving the airport, we recommend withdrawing euros from the ATM in order to pay for the ride in cash, although most taxis also take cards these days. There is a taxi stand located right out front and a fixed rate from FCO to the city center is about 55 euros. The ride should take about 45 minutes to an hour, depending on the traffic. If you arrive early in the day, we highly recommend taking the afternoon to explore some places since time is limited. You can also just use the 1st day to rest and recuperate after a long flight.

Where We Stayed

We opted to stay in the Parioli neighborhood at the Hoxton Rome for about 250 euros a night. It was one of the only places we could find that was “reasonably priced” at the time (summer in Italy is EXPENSIVE). To our surprise, it turned out to be a super cute & trendy little hotel. The area of Parioli is known as a chic, upscale ‘residential’ zone. Though not super well known like Travestere or Monti, the area feels very cozy with lots of cute cafes and trendy bars nearby. Most places you’ll visit in Rome are only a 10-15 minute taxi ride away from here.

Things to Do

Make a Wish at the Trevi Fountain

With only a couple of days in Rome, it is imperative that you take some time to explore some of the major locations like the Trevi Fountain. The Trevi fountain is the largest fountain in Rome, with origins back to 19 B.C. There is a myth said about it that you must abide by when you go:

• If you throw one coin: you will return to Rome.
• Throw two coins: you will fall in love with an attractive Italian.
• If you throw three coins: you will marry the person that you met.

In order to achieve the desired effect, you should throw the coin with your right hand over your left shoulder. Pro tip: If you’re traveling with your significant other, we recommend only throwing one coin. If you throw any more coins, it could make for a very interesting trip.

Another tip for visiting the Trevi Fountain is to go early to avoid big crowds, especially in the summer. It also helps to know that the fountain is closed for cleaning every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. We arrived around 6:30am, and there was already a pretty large crowd. Since the city is otherwise pretty quiet in the early morning, this is also a great time to explore other places where you don’t necessarily have to go inside, like the Spanish Steps or Piazza Navona.

If you want to have an authentic Italian experience, we highly recommend learning to make pasta from scratch from a local. We booked this experience for about $41 USD per person on Airbnb. The class was located in Frascati (a commune of Rome), so we had to take a short train ride from the Roma Termini station to get there. We purchased our rail tickets from a kiosk located inside of the station for about 3 euros each and the train ride took about 25 minutes each way.

One thing we loved about this particular tour is that once we arrived in Frascati, our host met us outside of the station and gave us a quick walking tour on the way to his childhood-home-turned-wine cellar. The class itself was very informative and took about 3-4 hours long. By the end of it we were both tipsy & full which made for a great nap once we returned back to our hotel.

See the Colosseum

Whether you tour the inside, or just marvel at it from outside, seeing the Colosseum is a must in Italy. Not only is it one of the World Wonders, but it is just an incredible part of the Roman history. One of the best places to take in the view is near the Colosseo metro station. We grabbed a box of pizza and sat directly outside of the colosseum to watch the sunset. Although there were tons of people there trying to capture the most Instaworthy photos, we managed to have this ledge all to ourselves. We were also able to enjoy our pizza in peace….until a seagull came and stole the whole box.

If the afternoon crowds are too much for you, there is also an incredible restaurant called Royal Art Cafe with a terrace that offers an amazing view of the Colosseum while you eat. It is best to make a reservation online beforehand, especially if you want to sit on the terrace. We went as soon as they opened for breakfast and had an unobstructed view of the colosseum while we dined.

Museums & Things

Summers in Italy can get EXTREMELY hot so we recommend spending the hours between noon and 6pm indoors. You can visit places like Saint Peter’s Basilica, Vatican City, or one of the other many amazing museums or art galleries Rome has to offer.

Ice Club Roma

As we mentioned earlier, Italy in the summer is HAWT! One thing you can do to keep cool is enjoy a vodka cocktail at Ice Club Roma. Made completely of ice, Ice Club Roma is the only bar of it’s kind in Italy. Entry is about 30 euros per person and includes one cocktail. The bar has a chilling temperature of about 5 degrees celsius (41 degrees Fahrenheit), so they will provide you with a cloak to keep warm inside of the igloo.

Days 3-5: Tuscany

Getting Around

By far the easiest (& probably most cost efficient) way to move between cities in Italy is by train. We purchased a 1 country pass for 4 days worth of travel within 1 month in Italy from Eurail. The total cost for 2 people to ride in 1st class was $218 USD. Most trains will also require a seat reservation which usually cost an additional $12 USD per person. We used our 1st Eurail pass to get us to the beautiful city of Florence (Firenze S. M. Novella) which was about a 2 hour ride from Roma Termini. Train stations tend to be a bit hectic so it’s best to get there at least 20 minutes before your scheduled departure time to avoid any hiccups.

Because there are so many beautiful areas in Tuscany that we wanted to explore, we decided to rent a car. But if you only plan to see Florence, it’s not necessary because the city is quite walkable. As a tourist in Italy, you are legally required to have an International Driver’s license to drive. If you don’t already have one, its easy to go to your local AAA and apply for one. The cost is only about $50 USD and includes the necessary photos. To be completely honest, we purchased ours and never even got asked for it. That being said, it’s safer just to have it incase you get pulled over.

Where We Stayed

We found a cute little hotel located just 15 minutes from the city center called The Student Hotel: Florence. The room itself wasn’t the best but it did the job for about $120 USD per night. The relatively low rate wasn’t the only thing that drew us to TSH, though. This popular hotel is known for its iconic “The Beach is Boring” pool & panoramic views of Florence.

Things to Do

Stop by the Duomo

Speaking of Piazza Duomo, a trip to Florence would be incomplete without visiting the famous Cathedral de Santa Maria, better known as the Duomo. Even though we had a car, we took a short taxi ride from the hotel to avoid having to search for parking. If you’re interested, you can also do an early morning tour inside of the cathedral before it opens to the public. But beware: this tour includes climbing about 463 stairs to get to the terraces and the dome.

Soak in the Saturnia Hot Springs

Soaking in the turquoise waters of Saturnia Hot springs, also known as Cascate del Mulino, is a must do in the Tuscany region. The springs are about a 3.5 hour drive from Florence. Admission is free, but you will have to pay a few euros for parking in their lot which is only a short walk away. As always, it’s best to arrive early in order to beat the crowd and heat. When we arrived to Saturnia around 6:30am, it was already full of people. Luckily, there are plenty of pools to soak in so it wasn’t too bad.

There is a bathroom for you to change before entering but we found it easiest to arrive already dressed in swimwear. Don’t bring anything valuable because there aren’t any lockers to store your things. You’ll just need to leave your stuff on the rocks unattended or in your car. Last but not least, don’t be like us and forget to pack towels, sunscreen, and maybe a light lunch.

Note: there are small red worms in the water but they are said to be harmless.

Visit Farmhouse Poggio Covili

One thing Tuscany is known for is it’s stunning landscapes. It’s not hard to romanticize your life and fall in love with the endless hills & trees along your drive. You will most definitely get the urge to stop plenty of times along the way. We stumbled upon the Farmhouse Poggio Covilio and knew we had to stop for photos. The entrance is lined perfectly with the most picturesque Cyprus trees on both sides. Unbeknownst to us at the time, the farmhouse is actually a cute little cottage of 4 bedrooms that you can stay in. It did seem kind of in the middle of nowhere, though.

Visit a Tuscan Winery

On the way back to Florence from the thermal pools or the Farmhouse, you can stop in the Chianti region for a light lunch and a wine tasting at Famiglia Mazzarrini. This experience costs 60 euros per person for about 2 hours. It includes a guided tour of the family owned winery with an explanation of the fermentation process, a homemade meal and of course the tasting of 5 different wines while enjoying a panoramic view of Tuscany.

Sundowner by the Pool

The pool at the Student Hotel is definitely a popular one. This means you will need to make a reservation in order to visit it during your stay. Guests are only permitted to make a reservation for the pool once they are checked in. You are only able to get inside of the pool until 6pm. The pool then closes for an hour for cleaning and reopens at 7pm for cocktails and small bites. You are guaranteed to get the most stunning view of Florence you’ll ever see if you visit at sunset.

Bonus: Day trip to Leaning Tower of Pisa

If visiting the Leaning Tower of Pisa is on your bucketlist, its best to do it as a day trip from Florence. If you don’t spend too long at the hot springs, you can drive 2.5 hours from there. Visiting the Leaning Tower can also be switched with visiting the Tuscan winery or you could try to squeeze all 3 activities into one day, although we don’t recommend doing this.

Days 6 & 7: Venice

We used our 2nd Italy pass to travel from Florence to Venezia S. Lucia which took about 2 hours. We recommend taking the earliest train available in order to make the most of your time in Venice. It’s important to know that Venice is built on 100+ small islands; There are no roads. Because of this, you do not need a car to get around.

Once you arrive to the train station, you will need to catch either a public boat or boat taxi to your hotel. We decided to take a taxi because if we took the public boat, we would have had to walk 10-15 minutes from the closest public stop to our hotel with all of our bags. The ride from Venezia S. Lucia directly to the Hilton Molino Stucky, where we stayed, was 60 euros.

Where We Stayed

One of the most popular areas to stay in Venice is the main square: San Marco. It can also be one of the most expensive areas to stay. We used American Express points to book a stay at the Hilton Molino Stucky (typically $150-$250 per night). It is located on the Guidecca Island and only accessible by boat like most places in Venice. What we loved about this hotel is that it offers a private shuttle only for guests of the hotel. Once you pay 10 euros per person, you can get as many rides as you need to get around to places like San Marco.

Things to do

Ride a Gondola

It’s basically a requirement to ride a gondola when you visit Venice. You can book them online before you arrive or you can book them once you’re in Venice. We chose to do the latter. There are several routes you can choose from for your ride. We opted to do the Grand Canal and a few smaller canals, which took about 30 minutes. Allow us to manage your expectations beforehand: it is pricey to ride in a Gondola. Our short little ride and history lesson cost us about 150 euros. And they only take cash.

Rialto Bridge

The Rialto Bridge is the oldest of the four bridges to cross the Grand Canal of Venice. It is also the most famous in Venice and a very popular photo spot due to its history and design.

The Bridge of Sighs

The Bridge of Sighs is another frequently visited bridge in Venice. The bridge has a grim significance, however. The enclosed passageway was named for the “sighs” of the prisoners who passed over it, as they knew it would be their last time seeing Venice. Somewhere along the lines, a myth about the bridge was born. Now, it is said that if a couple kisses while passing underneath the bridge in a gondola, they will enjoy eternal love.

Libreria Acqua Alta

This charming little bookstore has become quite popular in Venice due to its unique photo ops. As soon as you walk in, you will notice books stacked as far as the eye can see. Because Venice is prone to flooding, you will find books stacked inside of bathtubs, waterproof bins, and even a full-sized gondola! You’ll also find cute little cats (yes, real cats) tucked inside of the desks and shelves.

Dinner on the Canal

The concierge of the hotel recommended this cute little restaurant called Cantinone Storica for dinner. It wasn’t very far from the hotel and had a few options for us non-seafood eaters. Venice is located on the water and therefore many restaurants will serve predominately seafood, which is something to be mindful of if you don’t eat it. We booked our Italy trip super last minute so we missed out on other places we would have wanted to eat like Restaurant Terrazzo Danieli. Be sure to make reservations in advance when possible.

Day 8 & 9: The Dolomites

Getting Around

The Dolomites are a mountain region that span across the provinces of South Tyrol, Trentino, and Belluno. Because of their position in the Alps, there is no airport in the Dolomites, so the best way to get there is to drive. We rented a car from the airport in Venice, and drove 3.5 hours to the Trento area where we stayed for the last 2 days of our 10 days in Italy.

Where We Stayed

To be completely honest with you, 10% of the reason we went to the Dolomites was being in the alps. The other 90% was having the opportunity to stay at the dreamiest hotel, Chalet Al Foss. This hotel is the epitome of romance. From floral breakfasts with the resident alpacas, to a dreamy bed full of fairy lights at the top of a hill, Chalet Al Foss hotel has it all. The biggest treat is endless views of the mountains. Staying here was the perfect end to our trip, because all we did was relax. Seriously, we never wanted to leave this place.

Day 10: Going Home

They say that all good things must come to an end, and unfortunately, that includes your trip in Italy. By now you have surely fallen in love with Italy and are already planning your return. Getting home from the Dolomites involves a lot of travel, so it’s important to book a later flight out of Rome. First, you will need to drive back to Venice to return your rental car at the airport. From there, you can catch a flight from Venice to Rome, but since we had already paid for a rail pass, we took the train instead. Once we arrived at Roma Termini station, we then took a taxi to FCO airport to finally catch our flight home.

We hope you have the best time on your 10 days in Italy! It’s bound to be life changing for sure. If you enjoyed this post or have any questions, please comment below.

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