Italy Backpacking

History, culture, great food and wine, volcanoes, skiing, sunshine, scenery – Italy really does have it all. From the fashion capital of Milan to the living museum of Rome to the renaissance architecture of Florence and the sheer beauty of the Amalfi Coast, it’s hard to pick and choose highlights as there are just so many.

The best time to visit Italy is from April to June, when the climate is very pleasant and the spring flowers are in bloom, or September, just after the hordes of package tourists have mostly made their way back home. Whilst July and August should really be avoided at all costs due to the sheer volume of visitors, some areas of Italy, particularly Rome, are never truly quiet. It is so well connected to the rest of Europe that it’s a perennial favourite for weekenders. The three cities which you really shouldn’t miss are Rome, Venice and Florence. A stroll through Rome is a bit like walking through a living museum. At every turn there is something to be marvelled at. The Colosseum, the Spanish Steps, Trevi Fountain, the Vatican, the Sistine Chapel – all are easily accessed on foot. Onto Venice, which is so architecturally perfect, it could have almost been designed as a theme park, yet it is all just wonderfully preserved history. Explore the labyrinthine city by gondola and marvel at the splendour of Doge’s Palace and Basilica di San Marco and the rather more modern Guggenheim Museum. Florence is no less impressive and is also the gateway to Tuscany, with its fabled rolling hills and magical, medieval villages like San Gimignano that are nothing less than captivating. You can also check out striking Gothic architecture in Siena, and Pisa’s famous leaning tower.

The Amalfi Coast is breathtakingly beautiful. Winding, cobbled streets, lemon groves, whitewashed villas, sparkling blue ocean, incredible panoramas….and it’s just a short hop to visit the incredible Roman remains of Pompeii and the threatening mass that is Mt Vesuvius. If it’s beaches you’re after then Sardinia is hard to beat – classic emerald waters and white sand beckon. Just don’t expect to find much in the way of budget accommodation and eateries – this is where celebrities go on holiday, after all. If you have time (and enough cash), it is also worth spending a few days exploring the volcanic landscapes of Sicily.

Italy, like most of Europe, is unfortunately not a cheap place to visit. Out of season, you can find some bargains and there are a number of hostels, particularly in the big cities. Eating out is generally quite pricey too, but the quality of the food is worth the odd splurge, if you can manage it.

English is, perhaps surprisingly, not so widely spoken in Italy – although it does seem to be on the rise. Italy is well connected both within the country and to other parts of mainland Europe, by train, boat, bus and plane.