DOLCE VITA
Italy is now test-free for vaccinated tourists. Why not go this year or plan ahead for your 2023 trip, writes
VENICE
Ideal for: Couples craving a long weekend in a special setting
When to go: March or April Famously busy in summer, Venice presents a calmer face in spring. Go this month, and you should have St Mark’s Square and the Rialto Bridge, if not to yourself, then with more room to breathe than in August. Wander out at night, meanwhile, and you should find that with the day-trippers gone, March’s cooler temperatures equate to quieter restaurants and a more gentle vibe.
MILAN
Ideal for: Stylish shopaholics and fashionistas When to go: May
Italy’s fashion capital fully lives up to its chic image. The Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II is one of the planet’s most gorgeous shopping zones — not least because its boutique-lined arcades give on to the Piazza del Duomo, where the city’s magnificent 14th century cathedral holds court. There are further fashionable stores on the elegant Via della Spiga, while a true art wonder — Da Vinci’s The Last Supper — waits at Santa Maria delle Grazie.
ROME
Ideal for: History buffs who want to head straight to the source
When to go: September
Few cities revel in their back story quite like the Italian capital. Indeed, it is impossible to avoid this grandest of yarns — in the epic curve of the Colosseum, or the tumbled temples of the Forum. But there is also a Rome that exists between ancient and modern, and early autumn is a fine time to see it — when tourist numbers and temperatures have fallen.
FLORENCE Ideal for: Art lovers keen to feast on wonder after wonder When to go: May If Rome is the epicentre of European history, Florence is the artistic core; the “Birthplace of the Renaissance” where you can barely move an inch without spotting a treasure that pushed civilisation forward. Botticelli’s The Birth of Venus in the Uffizi, Michaelangelo’s David in the Accademia, Raphael’s La Donna Gravida in the Pitti Palace. Take your pick.
VERONA
Ideal for: Culture vultures with an ear for beauty
When to go: June-September “In fair Verona, where we lay our scene.” Shakespeare’s words ring down through the ages, bequeathing this city on the Adige a presence on the map far greater than its actual size (it is home to just 258,000 souls). But it is also more than the fictional playground of Romeo and Juliet. Its Roman amphitheatre, built in 30AD, is still used as an opera venue.
SARDINIA
Ideal for: Families wanting easy relaxation on the shoreline
When to go: August
Italy’s second-largest island has a reputation as a rocky crag rising from Mediterranean depths. It is a fair image too — not least where the Gennargentu massif rears up at its heart. But for every hard mile of ridgeline, there is a soft equivalent by the water — especially along a south coast that is perfect for atease family trips once the school year has ended. SICILY Ideal for: Multigenerational family groups When to go: July
If Italy’s second-largest island is perfect for beach breaks with children, its biggest is a place for getaways with the whole family — in a villa with a pool for splashing about, a shady veranda for when the sun is up, and enough rooms that everyone has space. Sicily, not just Italy’s biggest island, but the Mediterranean’s too, has suitable properties aplenty.
PUGLIA
Ideal for: Unhurried travellers who want peace and quiet
When to go: June
If you are of a nobly fine vintage where you want little of your holiday except a place in the sun and the sort of silence that will let you get through three or four novels in a week, Italy’s southeasternmost region will oblige. Puglia is all small towns and olive groves — largely rustic, and not too fussed about changing its tune. Tranquility comes as standard.
THE AMALFI COAST
Ideal for: Couples of all ages seeking a spot of together-time
When to go: June
Is there a more romantic destination anywhere in Europe than the 54km of the Italian seafront where Positano and Ravello preen in the sun below towering cliffs, and island oasis Capri shimmers directly to the west? Ponder this question at your leisure, with a cocktail in hand, on a hotel terrace in Amalfi itself. No rush on the answer.
THE NEAPOLITAN RIVIERA
Ideal for: Adventurous families chasing Italy beyond the beach
When to go: April
The wider Neapolitan Riviera isn’t just the sumptuous scenery and sunset evenings of the Amalfi shoreline. It can also be a playground for families — where Naples is the spiritual home of all things pizza, a notoriously tetchy volcano looms large, and a world-famous ruin brings ancient history to life; enough to enthral even the most easily bored youngster.
THE CINQUE TERRE
Ideal for: Walkers who have a good head for heights
When to go: May
Some sections of the Italian coast are easier to explore than others. While all roads going south from Naples seem to lead to Amalfi, the five fabled villages of Liguria — the Cinque Terre — occupy such rugged terrain that cars struggle to reach them. The best way to visit Monterosso al Mare, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola and Riomaggiore is on foot, tracing the paths that
link them over 20 winding kilometres, daring yourself to peer over the cliff edge.
LAKE GARDA Ideal for: Luxury travellers dreaming of classic Italian sophistication When to go: July For all the timeless splendour of the Amalfi Coast, the country’s most glorious collisions of land and water have nothing to do with the sea. The Italian Lakes have been a holiday haven since Roman times — as shown by the firstcentury BC villa, on the south shore of the biggest of these glacial fingers, at Desenzano del Garda. The general idea has scarcely changed in 2000 years; an airy room overlooking the shallows and dinner on the terrace.
THE DOLOMITES
Ideal for: Summer hikers hoping for cooler climes When to go: June A different sort of Italian serenity awaits to the northeast of Garda et al. The Dolomites are a superb context for skiing, but just as inviting in the warmer months, when wildflowers decorate the meadows beneath giant rock faces. Not least in the Alta Badia area of South Tyrol, where you can hike in the shadow of the Sassongher mountain or — should you have enough energy — tackle the Sella Ronda route that forms a cycling circle.
CORTINA D’AMPEZZO
Ideal for: Last-minute downhill desperados When to go: March Cortina D’Ampezzo (dolomitisuperski.com) is the elevated chunk of Veneto whose slopes will stage the Alpine events at the 2026 Winter Olympics. In the meantime, its 120km of pistes — a mix of gradients — will cater to tourists who don’t have gold-medal ambitions.
TUSCANY
Ideal for: Anyone who has ever considered an Italian holiday When to go: August
If all else fails, there is always the undying allure of a week in the Italian region most beloved of British tourists. Hilltop citadels, whispering vineyards, trattorias serving local delights, the possibility of a drive to the city for art and lunch. Tuscany very rarely disappoints.