Italy is a country that at some point or another, everyone wants to visit. It’s beauty, charm and show stoppingly beautiful cities, make it a popular travel destination. From cities like Rome and Florence, to the fashion capital, Milan, Italy has so many amazing places to visit.
Each of Italy’s provinces is different from the last; each has a different culture, customs, and lifestyle. The food you will find in one region of Italy will be very different to the food you’ll find in another. To experience the real Italy, you have to visit as many of the country’s regions as possible.
If you are going to visit Italy, the best and most enjoyable ways to do it is by planning a road trip. Hiring a car and driving from region to region, exploring each place at your own pace is the only way to get a real feel for this magical country.
Just like with any road trip, the key to success is planning in advance. To help you prepare for your trip, we have put together some handy tips.
Create an itinerary
Creating an itinerary doesn’t mean having to account for every minute of every day, it just means creating a basic travel plan. Come up with a list of all the places in Italy that you want to travel to, and use a map to create a route for the trip.
The amount of time you will want to spend in each place will depend on how long the length of your trip is. For instance, if you are on a three-week road trip and have five cities you want to explore, then you could have four days for each location.
Hire a car
Once you have created a basic itinerary, the first thing you should do is look into hiring a car or van to travel in. The type of vehicle you hire will depend on the amount of people in your travel group, as well as your insurance policy.
Make sure that at least three weeks before your trip, you have reserved a suitable car. It’s always a good idea to go through a larger company instead of a smaller, less known one, as the cars tend to be of a better quality.
Choose whether to book accommodation in advance
The main question many travelers ponder over is whether to book accommodation in advance. On the one hand, booking accommodation in advance is a good idea because then you know you have somewhere to stay. However, booking accommodation in advance means that you can’t travel at your own pace, and will have to stick to a schedule.
By booking your accommodation in advance, you can save yourself a lot of money. However, if you don’t want to be tied to a schedule while you travel, booking accommodation in advance isn’t advisable.
Spend longer in Florence
Of all the places you will visit in Italy, Florence is the place that will take your breath away. Home of many masterpieces, including Florence Cathedral, Florence is one of Italy’s finest locations. If you have an extra day or two spare, aim to spend them here.
While it’s up to you whether you book your accommodation in advance, for Florence it is advisable to book in advance. Florence is a popular destination and hotels tend to get booked up pretty quickly. For all the best hotel deals have a look at Venere hotels and see whether there is a hotel that’s suitable.
Don’t miss Venice
Venice – aka, the floating city, is probably one of Italy’s most famous locations. If you don’t have enough time to see every city, make sure to keep Venice on the list. This beautiful floating city is somewhere that everyone should see at least once in their lifetime.
Italy is a beautiful country and somewhere that at some that everyone should visit. From Venice to Milan, there is just something special about Italy. Of all the ways you can explore this amazing country, doing so via road trip is one of the best options.