Italy? What are the highlights to visit?

Question

Touristy stuff as well as hidden gems. I'm planning a trip in the summer. Really appreciate the tips.

Answer 1

I spent a month and a half in Rome and still did not get to experience everything in that particular city! Here's some things I can provide about where I went to. The travel book "Let's go Italy!" provides you with tons of information and all about the gems you are looking for. They have great suggestions for historical places to visit and maps.

Rome: There is way to much to do, you can really not get bored in this city! The one particular thing I found in Rome that you had to plan ahead for was the Scavi tour, where you get to see the actual tomb of St. Peter and the Vatican catacombs (if you are interested). You need to contact the Vatican months in advance to go on this tour. Also, the treasury of St. Peter was interesting to see and is kept in a hidden hallway in St. Peter's Basillica. Definitely go to the Vatican museum, but watch out what hours you go because the lines can be very long. The museum does not close until everyone has left, so if you plan on going, get their either at the opening or around 2-3 pm when most people clear out (doors close at 4 pm i believe). The Villa Borghese museum also needs to be booked in advance if you choose to visit there. For the nightlife, Campo de Fiori is very touristy but fun, and has good dining (I reccomend La Carbonara) as well as Piazza Navona. I highly reccomend Hostaria del Moro da Tony (Via del Cinque, by Piazza Truisilla). Its a hole in the wall restaraunt but the food is amazing and very reasonable, and the owner is very friendly and good to tourists.

Pompeii: It is huge and you could spend days visiting it because the ruins are so well preserved, and it is still about the size of a town intact. I would reccomend a tour if you are interested in the history because one can get lost just walking around it. If you can find an appropriate tour, you can couple a day at Pompeii with a trip up to Mt. Vesuvius (about a 20 minute bus ride away) where you drive up to about 1,000 ft and climb the rest. It has spectacular views of the Bay of Naples and is absolutely breathtaking, since it is still a live volcano.

Capri: You DEFINITELY need to go! Its a very fun little island with great shops, gorgeous beaches, good food and the famous sandals. The more upscale and expensive shopping is higher up on the island (you take a tram to get up there). If you are interested in the famous sandals, go to Cuccurullo (36 Via Colombo), they are very comfortable and considerably reasonable on the price (compared to other shops on the island).

Pisa: Pisa was ok, but not worth spending more than a day at, in my opinion. The Duomo and Tower is about all there is to see. If you go, get to Pisa early so you can put your name on the waiting list to climb the tower (it fills up fast and they only let people go 30 at a time). The food was nothing spectacular (from what I ate) and was very Americanized. However, because its such a huge tourist attraction, there are tons and tons of souveniers you can buy and relatively cheap too.

Assisi was another one I would not spend more than a few hours at. Its in the middle of nowhere and the climbing is tough. It is nice for a religious pilgrimmage.

Answer 2

where to start? i'm from the north so i'll start from there:
venice, always venice. go and get lost, that's the best way to discover the city. avoid the gondola, too expensive. at night, if you want more fun, go to Lido di Jesolo. venice at night is totally empty. enjoy the spaghetti al nero di seppia or ai frutti di mare. mmmhhh goood! bologna, verona, mantova and ferrara are smaller towns, all quite old. take a walk, anjoy the bars (a must in italy), expecially before dinner (from 7pm to 9pm), you can have aperitives, another italian sport.
a bit more south the is florence, but even better, there is siena. very nice little tuscan town. tuscan food and wine are among the best in italy.i remeber one,restaurant in siena il gallo nero, in medieval style, where you can have a whole medieval meal. very big!!! but very good. if you are in tuscany visit the countryside and its villages, they are all very charming.
then Rome. well, it's rome...
then Naples, and sicily...
Matera is a very nice town between the heel and tip of the boot. Mel Gibson shot The Passion there. really very nice, with the troglodyte's houses.
enjoy italy!

Answer 3

The whole Italy it's a total highlight....!!!
Wherever you go here you can find a lot of touristy stuffs and a lot of hidden gems. Come here and travel.!! You'll discover them by yourself and, believe me, it will me much more pleasant.

Answer 4

There are a lot of places to visit: (--,)
Check this website:
http://www.lonelyplanet.com/worldguide/destinations/europe/italy

Answer 5

So many places and things to see.

go to this site. much information.
http://slowtrav.com/italy

good luck, have a wonderful trip.