First time Visitors to Italy – Don’t miss these destinations

Italy is a place romanticized in movies, immortalized by famous authors and artists, and, on the bucket list of many who dream of drinking wine and dining at al fresco restaurants. Italy is a destination that will capture your heart with its cobblestone streets, Roman and Etruscan ruins, colorful hillside villages and stunning beaches.

If you are heading to Italy for the first time, here are some of the places you won’t want to miss.

CINQUE TERRE

Cinque Terre aerial last village: Photo by MikesRoadTrip.com

These five picturesque villages known as Cinque Terre are absolutely stunning. The terraced landscape with steep vertical cliffs make this a remarkable part of Italy. The best way to experience these small villages are by train and foot. There is basically no parking available, so we recommend leaving your car outside of the park and taking the train that services each of the villages. From there, you can easily explore on foot. Each village is quite small and easily accessed—although, be prepared for a lot of steep walking.

To truly enjoy your Italian vacation, you don’t have to search for Italy deals every day. Voyage provides excellent packages to make your trip one you will not soon forget.

VENICE

Venice is one place in Italy you don't want to miss

The patina that casts its ageless shadow over Venice makes it one of the most unique and interesting places in the world. Venice is also one of the most recognizable cities due to the fact that there are no roads or cars, but rather a labyrinthine series of canals and pedestrian-only alleyways.

While visiting Venice, you may want to take a boat ride to Burrano, one of the most colorful places in the world. Burano is a small island with only 2000 residents, yet they welcome nearly one million visitors each year. While a million people a year sounds like a lot, I found Burano to be significantly less crowded than Venice. The perception of being less crowded may stem from the fact that the streets are wider and there seems to be more open space, allowing for an easier flow of pedestrians.

TUSCAN HILLS

Tuscany is one place in Italy you don't want to miss

Tuscan is the hilly countryside of Italy known for its world famous wine and olive oil. Be sure to put aside some time of your trip and explore the hilltop villages of Tuscany. Weather by bike or by car, you’ll find Tuscany to be a wonderful part of Italy.  You should know that some of the roads are unpaved and lanes are not well marked. Many however wind through orchards with fields of poppies covering the hillsides.

Opera in Verona Roman Area

We are speaking about the best place to visit in Italy, and we didn’t talk about the Roman arena. Don’t worry; we are not saying you should pay to watch gladiator matches. Instead, we are taking you to music and art shows that will take you away.

This is great if you are an opera lover. But don’t worry, you will still appreciate the performance. The arena is big enough to accommodate some 22,-000 visitors. It is held every year in warm months when they get to see a live performance from artists around the world they perform theater, musical and other sorts of shows here. It’s a step into ancient Rome history if you are interested in it. This is a dream for every content consumer. Just make sure you watch the calendar for what shows are in place before booking. 

Mike Shubic

Mike Shubic is a seasoned road trip travel video blogger, traversing the byways of the world looking for those hidden gems of the road. From unique destinations, unexpected discoveries, creative cuisine, intriguing inns to exciting attractions…the road is his page. The experiences are his ink. And every 300 miles, a new chapter begins. Whether you live vicariously or by example, Mike will do the exploring so you can have an adventure.
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