30+ tips I wish I’d known before traveling to Italy (sample itinerary)

ByMarie February 23, 2026

If you are planning your first trip to the beautiful country of Italy, you need to read this. After traveling to Italy for the first time myself with my husband, we learned quite a bit and we’re passing our knowledge on to you. Check it out!

*My husband and I visiting the Colosseum in Rome*

We spent nine days in Italy and visited Rome, Pisa, Cinque Terre, Florence and Venice. It was a whirlwind trip. If we were to go back again, there are definitely some things I would and wouldn’t do. Here’s a list of travel tips to make your Italy trip go as smooth as possible.

What to pack when traveling to Italy

Rain gear: It rained four days while we were in Italy. Thankfully, we were prepared with a travel umbrella, waterproof shoes and a rain jacket. You are pretty miserable if you are cold and wet all day.
Money belt/passport holder: In Italy, you can be fined if you don’t have your original passport on you at all times. We got checked at the train station. But, you don’t want to lose these important documents. Keep them safe in a passport holder that goes under your clothes.
Portable charger: Your cell phone will most definitely run out of battery before the end of each day. That’s why a portable charger is a must. Just plug it into your phone when the battery is getting low and enjoy the rest of your day stress-free.
Handheld fan – Italy is hot during the summertime. And even if you’re there in the winter, the subways get hot. You’ll be so glad you brought your little fan to stay cool.
Spray hand sanitizer – Sanitize your hands every time you get off the subway and in public places to avoid getting sick on your trip.
Water bottle – Water is NOT free at any of the restaurants. They will charge you five euros per person for plain old water. I know, crazy right? Instead, just bring a water bottle with you in your backpack and save yourself a lot of money.
Cash – You’ll mainly use credit cards, but you may need cash to use a public bathroom, buy a small item from a street vendor or pay for a gondola ride in Venice. Since we didn’t have cash, we had to pay about 40 euros extra to pay for our gondola ride with a credit card.
Backpack – It’s nice to have a backpack to hold your umbrella, water bottle, snacks, extra jacket and souvenirs.

Here’s my complete adult travel essentials idea list of everything you might need to buy when traveling abroad.

Tourist attractions

Book in advance: The major tourist attractions like the Colosseum and the Vatican sell out. So, you should play it safe and book those tickets in advance. We went in February during the slow season and the Colosseum and the Vatican were still sold out.
Audio tour: I saw a lot of tour groups following around a tour guide. Honestly, they all looked so bored. Just grab an audio tour so you can enjoy these beautiful locations at your own pace.
No backpacks: A lot of these attractions like bell towers and cathedrals don’t allow backpacks. You have to lock them up in a locker nearby. It’s usually not a big deal but just give yourself plenty of time to lock up your bag before your scheduled time.
Museum break: The museums in Italy are amazing, but they can get a little boring after a while. Break up the day and go on a bike ride, visit a park or sign up for a cooking class.
One a day: Try not to overbook yourself by seeing too many attractions in one day. The Vatican takes several hours and so does the Colosseum. Pace yourself so you don’t exhaust yourself on the first day.
Scam websites: Whenever booking tickets online, make sure you are on a trusted, official website. I booked tickets on a fake website on accident and had to dispute the charge with my credit card. It was super annoying.
Crowds: Italy gets about 70 million visitors per year. Every place you visit will have lots and lots of people. If crowds are not your thing, consider waking up really early or staying out later to see some of these attractions.
Free stuff: A lot of the time, the basilicas and cathedrals are free. And the leaning tower of Pisa is free to take pictures of on the grounds. You just have to pay to go to the top.

Spoken and unspoken rules in Italy

Feeding pigeons: In Venice, you can get fined up to 500 euros for feeding the pigeons. This rule was set in place to control the pigeon population.
Carry your passport: This is the law and you will get fined in you don’t have your original passport on you at all times.
Tips: You don’t have to tip at restaurants. Some waiters will make you think you need to pay a tip, but that’s just a tourist trap. Plus, all the restaurants automatically charge a “cover charge” for every meal.
City tax at hotels: We paid for our trip through a travel company before we arrived in Italy. So we were surprised when we had to pay a “city tax” when we checked out of our hotel. And some hotels require you to pay that in cash. It was about 3-5 euros per person per night.
Touristy restaurants: Avoid restaurants with pictures on the menu or people standing at the door begging you to come inside.
Dress modestly: It is extremely offensive if you enter a church or cathedral with short shorts and spaghetti straps. Long pants and sleeves are recommended and you may be asked to leave.
Greetings: Always greet shop owners with buongiorno (day) or buonasera (evening) when you enter or leave a store .

Where and when to visit

Rome, Florence & Venice: These are the main cities most people visit for their first trip to Italy.
Day trips: We veered from our itinerary and visited Pisa, Cinque Terre and Murano and Burano Islands. These ended up being my favorite places.
Off-season: If you want to avoid crowds, try visiting in January or February. That when we went and although it was obviously cold, the crowds were way more manageable.
Off-the-beaten-path: If I where to do it again, I think it would skip Rome, Florence and Venice and visit other parts of Italy. Sometimes the crowds and all the tourists can be overwhelmed. It would be nice to slow down and stay in one place.

Transportation

Airport: Take the train from the airport to Rome. We made the mistake of taking a taxi and it cost 55 euros.
3-day transportation pass: Most of the major cities have a 3-day pass for tourists that allow you to use the bus and train and it’s very affordable.
Walk: Take every opportunity to walk to each of your destinations if you can. Otherwise, you’ll all of the hidden gems found along Italy’s cobblestone pathways.
Bike or scooter: You can grab a Lime bike or electric scooter in the major cities and ride around and it is so much fun. We also rented a bike for 5 euros for an hour at Villa Borghese in Rome and it was unforgettable.

I hope these tips will help you while traveling to Italy. This is such a beautiful country and the people are so warm and welcoming. I would definitely like to visit there again one day. Below is the itinerary we followed during our 10-day trip. Hopefully it helps. Ciao!

10-day Italy Itinerary and Calendar Download

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