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WARNING: We have done the route of 11 days in Italy, but if it is your first time in Italy, we recommend extending it to 14 so you can do at least 3-4 days in Rome and 2 in Naples.
Italy is always a good travel option. Few countries have more options and places to visit, such a rich gastronomy and so many historical sites, dream beaches and one of the most beautiful mountainous areas of Europe to discover. We wish we could have covered it all but we didn’t have that much time, so we decided to distribute the route as follows:
- Day 1: Barcelona – Milan
- Day 2: Lago di Como
- Day 3: Milan – La Spezia
- Day 4: Cinque Terre
- Day 5: Pisa and Lucca
- Day 6: Rome
- Day 7: Rome
- Day 8: Naples
- Day 9: Pompeii
- Day 10: Procida Island
- Day 11: Almafite Coast
- Day 12: Naples – Barcelona
Previous considerations
- We made this route in the middle of August, that is, we spent an inhuman heat everywhere, I have not sweated so much in my life. Keep in mind that temperatures in Italy in the middle of summer are very high, so keep this in mind when planning your trip.
- We decided to travel by train. Traveling by train in Italy is very affordable and it is very well communicated. But this route is perfectly possible to do it in the same way by car.
- I have been able to visit Italy many times (including Erasmus), so there are areas or cities that we do not visit in as much depth as if you go the first time. Soon we will bring you individual and complete guides of all the cities so you can complement everything you discover in the post :).
Transport options to do the route
There are two very good options to make this trip, train or car.
- Train: Your best allies are the apps Trenord (Android, iOs) and TrenItalia . With these two, you can be calm and go looking at the trains almost daily and manage all transport and ticket purchases for them. It is very easy to travel around Italy by train, comfortable, fast and well connected.
- Car: The great advantage is the freedom of movement it gives you. We would highly recommend doing it by car, it will give you many options to get closer to the places you want to see. We leave you the link of our trusted partner (and the one we consider the best search engine) for car rental and where we believe you will find very good and cheap options, DiscoverCars.
Day 1: Milano
I had not been back to Milan since my Erasmus, so the first place I wanted to visit and from where I started my 11 days in Italy is from Milan. One of the reasons was nostalgia, but it is well known that flying to Milan from Spain is usually very cheap and it is located in the north of Italy, so it is the perfect place from where to start a route. Milan is a perfect city for a weekend, so if you have more time, you can easily visit all its iconic places in two days and enjoy the city.
We took a 9 am flight and arrived before lunch, perfect to leave everything at the hotel and enjoy the city from lunch.
That afternoon was dedicated to visiting the center of Milan on foot, specifically:
- The Duomo and the piazza del Duomo – The most spectacular place in the city. I recommend going up to its belvedere to be able to contemplate the city from above and see the details of the facade and ceilings.
- Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II – One of the oldest shopping malls in the world, famous for its high glass ceilings and luxury stores.
- Piazza Mercanti
After a leisurely stroll through these spots, we went to dinner and bed, as travel days are always harder.
Where to sleep: Our first accommodation was near the Central Station because moving around the country by train was the most convenient. It is a very well communicated area with the center of Milan.
The accommodation is the Hotel Repubblica Milano, which is good value for money. In addition, they let you store your luggage, so it is perfect to move around on the day of your departure.
Where to eat: We ate near the hotel, in a place called Cera una Volta una Piada, all piadinas, delicious!
We recommend you to try ice cream at Cioccolat Italiani, near the Vittorio Emmanuele galleries. On a tour of 11 days in Italy, ice cream is a must, it’s a must.
For dinner, fresh pasta at Miscusi, HIGHLY recommended.
Day 2: Lago di Como
One of the few things I had left pending during my stay in Milan was to visit the famous Lago di Como. After getting a lot of information on different blogs and Instagram accounts about the best things to do in the area in one day from Milan, we decided to do the following planning:
- Train: Milano Centrale – Como St Giovanni (5.20€ pp)
- Ferry: Como St. Giovanni – Bellagio (10.40€ pp) – You can use bus or two types of ferry, one express of 30′ and another one that lasts 2h and stops by many villages.
- Ferry: Bellagio – Varenna (4.60€ pp)
- Train: Varenna Esino – Milano Centrale (8.40€ pp) – Varenna was definitely the town we liked the most. At the top of the mountain, you have an ancient medieval castle that is well worth a visit for the view it gives you of the lake. The climb is 25′ and costs 5€.
The idea we followed was to spend about 3 hours in each village and it was more than enough. The area totally surprised us, it was one of our favorite places in the whole route of 11 day in Italy. Each village is a visual delight and the views from the ferries leave you open-mouthed.
Two tips we would give you is to take swimwear as there are multiple areas to swim around the lake and book ferry tickets in advance to ensure the express ferries, but we took it on the day and although we could not take express ferries we were able to visit everything without problem.
One thing that surprised us is that we thought everything was going to be expensive and prohibitively expensive, and like everything else there were things that were, but we had options for all budgets, despite being in high season.
It is a good thrashing, but the truth is that we were able to enjoy the day quite calmly. Highly recommended.
Where to sleep: Hotel Repubblica Milano.
Where to eat: Back in Milan, we had dinner at Berberè Pizzeria.
Day 3: Milán - La Spezia (11 days in Italy)
On our third day of our 11 days in Italy, we spent our third day finishing up the recommended sites in Milan:
- Sempione Park – Located behind the Castle, this is the perfect park for strolling. Here you will also find the Arco della Pace.
- Arc de Triomphe or Arco della Pace – Neoclassical monument initially built by Napoleon and completed under Austrian rule. It is a historical symbol of the city.
- Sforzesco Castle – Renaissance castle that houses several museums and art collections. Its gardens are a perfect place to stroll and relax.
- Ancient Tramway – Maintaining their ancient essence, they give a very special touch to the city. Use them to move from the Arc de Triomphe to the Navigli area.
- Navligli – This network of canals is ideal for sunset strolls. The area is full of bars, restaurants and stores, making it the perfect place for aperitivo and dinner. My favorite place in the city, especially at night.
- Central Station – Main station of the city with neoclassical and Art Deco architecture.
As I told you before, it is the perfect weekend city, as it doesn’t have many places to visit, but it has a great atmosphere, good gastronomy, very interesting places and good excursions nearby.
After our intense day, we took a late afternoon train to La Spezia, our gateway to the famous Cinque Terre, the second part of our 11 days in Italy.
Where to sleep: We stayed in La Spezia for 3 nights, to move around Cinque Terre, Pisa and Lucca. We liked the hotel very much, very well located near the station and quite central but not in the hustle and bustle and very clean and tidy. It was called A Ca’ De Mananan Guesthouse.
Where to eat: We had breakfast at Cafè Chèri, where they had a mouth-watering homemade pastry, highly recommended.
We recommend trying the Italian ice cream at Venchi ice cream parlor.
For delicious pasta, we recommend The Fisher Man restaurant.
Day 4: Cinque Terre
Surely, if you had asked me before starting our tour of 11 days in Italy, I would have said that one of the things I was most looking forward to seeing was Cinque Terre. It is one of the most touristy places in the country and that is not always good, especially if you come in high season, as we did. That made me not fall in love with the area as much as I thought I would, basically because it was overwhelming. However, that doesn’t take away from how beautiful it is, so I still recommend it 100%.
How can you tour Cinque Terre?
- Cinque Terre Trekking Card: You will have to travel by train to the first or last village of the 5 and from there you will walk along the trails. Keep in mind that not all trails have the same difficulty and km, so be well informed.
- Cinque Terre Train Card: The option we used. You have 1/2/3 days and during this time you can take all the trains you want in both directions. You can use the Trenitalia app to check departure times. The trains were great.
- Ferry: You can take one way and combine with single train tickets to return, or round trip and go from town to town by boat. We read on many sites that the views from the sea are impressive, so it is worth it.
- Going by tickets on your own: Depending on the plan, the amount of towns you want to visit in one day, it can be worth it.
After thinking about it, we decided to visit the 5 villages in one day (yes, it is possible). Obviously, it is not ideal as you can go quietly, but it would be another type of trip longer or more focused on this area. As we had a whole route of 11 days in Italy to complete until the south of the country, we decided to do it this way.
The idea of the villages is to get lost in their houses and photograph all the postcard places there, I think that’s the best advice I can give you. The order we followed was:
- Riomaggiore: Comment that one option is to walk the route from Riomaggiore to Manarola, but it was closed when we went (besides the terrible heat).
- Manarola: Don’t forget to try the lemonades in this area. If you go in summer, you will appreciate it!
- Corniglia: It is the only town that is not in contact with the sea, so you can only reach it on foot or by train.
- Vernazza: Perfect for a day at the beach.
- Monterosso: like Vernazza, perfect for the beach.
Where to sleep: A Ca’ De Mananan Guesthouse.
Where to eat: We ate in Corniglia, in a restaurant called Il Pirun. Also recommended, typical Italian food.
Day 5: Pisa and Lucca (11 days in Italy)
Our 5th day in Italy, we dedicated it to a plan that, although initially was not in our plans as we thought that exploring the Cinque Terre area in depth would take us two days, we finally realized that one day was enough. We managed to visit all the villages in the area and, only if you want to enjoy a day at the beach, I would recommend staying an extra day.
As we already had the hotel night paid for in La Spezia we improvised a new plan that was easy and where to spend a full day of sightseeing. We saw that from La Spezia there were trains for less than 1 hour to Pisa (put the price of the train) and so we could see its famous tower. At first, we were a little lazy because of how touristy the area is but, what can I say, I was incredibly surprised, and I loved it.
We took the train early in the morning to make the most of the day. The train fares cost us 19 €, so it is quite economical.
Upon arrival in Pisa we went straight to see the area where the Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta is located, the famous Leaning Tower of Pisa and its curious inclination and the Fontana dei Putti. We did not go inside, but you have the option to enter the top of the Tower and the Cathedral places by purchasing tickets without queuing. We recommend you to do it through this link.
After visiting the area, we decided to take a walk around the city to see places like Piazza dei Cavalieri, Borgo Stretto or Walls of Pisa.
We returned to the station around 12:00 and took a 20′ train that would take us to Lucca, a city with a lot of charm.
After lunch, we set off to stroll through the streets of this beautiful city, discovering some of its must-see sights such as the Guinigi Towers, Torre delle Ore, the Duomo di Lucca (3€ entrance fee) and the Amphitheater Square.
Before catching the train back to La Spezia, we took a walk along the medieval walls. If we had had more time in this 11 days in Italy, we would have rented some bike cars and we would have gone all around it. A plan that we really think is a must if you visit Lucca on your route through Italy.
Where to sleep: A Ca’ De Mananan Guesthouse.
Where to eat: We arrived at lunch time in Lucca, so we went in search of a restaurant and Google recommended Ciacco where we tried the famous Italian focaccias. The waiter who served us was a sweetheart and also spoke perfect Spanish, so we were able to share a nice chat.
For dinner we innovated a bit and had Indian food at Punjabi Dhaba. An exotic whim in our 11 day tour in Italy.
Day 6: Roma
Today we wake up very happy because we finally arrived to one of my favorite cities in Europe. From La Spezia Centrale we took a direct train to Roma Centrale (it cost us 31,8€) and the ride was about 3 hours.
We went to see if they would let us check in at our hotel early and, fortunately, our room was already available.
We decided to do the route around Rome walking to several iconic places that we love (it was my 3rd time in Rome, so I already knew well where I wanted to go and we didn’t do such an exhaustive route as the first times 🙂 ). Rome is a perfect city to walk around and walk it from top to bottom, for us a must to understand it and live it. We stayed 2 days, but they are VERY few to visit this wonderful city, we recommend at least 3.
After lunch, this day we took it easy and spent the afternoon visiting the Plaza de España and its impressive staircases. And we ended up at the Trevi Fountain tossing a coin to visit Rome again someday (which I’m sure we will, since we have never gone with Chris).
Where to sleep: In Rome it was difficult to find a hotel that fit our budget (a tour of 11 days in Italy is not cheap). In fact, we changed it at the last minute because we happened to read Google reviews and freaked out at the bad reviews of the one we had chosen.
We found a bargain in the Ludovisi neighborhood. Although it is not the most central we had the metro stop 5′ away so that is more than enough to move around the city without complications. It’s called BB Hotels Smarthotel Bailey’s.
Where to eat: As this day we arrived at lunch time, the first thing was to look for a restaurant where to try the Pasta Carbonara. We got it, but I didn’t write it down, sorry 🙁
We recommend you a place to try a very famous ice cream in Rome. It is called Gellateria Della Palma and has 150 different flavors of ice cream.
Day 7: Roma
This 7th day of our tour of 11 days in Italy, we wanted to visit some of our favorite sites in Rome, strolling leisurely on a wonderful day in one of my favorite cities. We visited places like:
- Piazza del Popolo, a place we love for its symmetry and the trident of streets (via del Corso, via del Babuino and via di Ripetta).
- Pantheon of Rome
- The Colosseum. To access, we had to get tickets, which we took online here.
- Roman Forum, our last stop of the day.
Obviously, Rome is one of the cities with more things to offer in the world, but having already visited it more times, this time we wanted to go more relaxed. Soon we will bring you a complete and detailed guide to visit Rome.
Where to sleep: BB Hotels Smarthotel Bailey’s
Where to eat: We stopped for lunch at Miscellanea to try the pepper pasta of Rome, the Cacio e Pepe.
Dinner was at All’antico Vinaio, a restaurant to try the schiacciata. I will not tell you more, leave me in comments if you go what you think, the best of our 11 days in Italy.
Day 8: Naples (11 days in Italy)
And now we were off to the city where we would be staying for the next 4 days, Naples. I had a strange feeling about this city, as I had heard everything. That it was chaotic, that it was dangerous, that it was ugly?
We loved visiting the city and we see it as an essential part of these 11 days in Italy. In addition, together with the excursions in the surrounding area, it made us spend some super cool days, so I would highly recommend it to discover a different and very authentic Italy.
We took the first train from Rome, which takes 1 hour and 10 minutes to Naples. As we wanted to do many things in a few days, we wanted to dedicate this first day to see the top sites of the city itself, and the rest to make trips and excursions to the surroundings.
Given the limited time we had, we thought that the best option to visit and understand this curious city was a free tour that would get us into the Neapolitan essence. We chose this free tour by GuruWalk, which we loved and took us to:
- Neapolitan Street Art
- Maradona murals and explanation of his impact on the city.
- Old artisan stores
- Neapolitan Folklore
After this comprehensive tour, we finished the day by going to watch the sunset by the sea (Lungomare Caracciolo) so we could see Mount Vesuvius. I think you will agree that we were lucky with the sunset, right?
Where to sleep: We also ended up super happy with our hotel in Naples. It is the B&B A’Casarella, with super new rooms, good location and very good price and service. We highly recommend it, one of the best of this tour of 11 days in Italy.
Where to eat: Naples is well known for its gastronomy. And no, we weren’t about to let this opportunity slip away.
For lunch, we did so to try the pasta at a pizzeria very much set in Maradona (like much of the city). It was called Scugnizzo Pizzeria and was near the train station.
At dinner time, we wanted to try the real Pizza Napoletana – what a treat! There are a thousand places to try it, we don’t have the name of ours, we just remember that it was in the little streets of the Spanish quarter that connect to the main street. 🙁
Day 9: Pompeii
We started our excursions in the Naples area. The tourist attractions of the city of Naples could be said to be quick to see, but it has a lot to offer in terms of excursions and activities in the surrounding area. On this second day in the area, we decided to go see Pompeii, the famous ruins of the city buried by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD and one of the key points on a tour of 11 days in Italy.
There are two options to see Pompeii, tour or go on your own. We chose to go on our own by train, the option we always use as much as possible. The train cost us 2,60€ one way and 3,3€ the return and the entrance to Pompeii was 24€.
Likewise, in historical places it never hurts to go on a tour, as they tell you the history and curiosities that enrich your visit much more. Below is a selection we have made of the ones we find most interesting.
Pompeii is one of the most fascinating archaeological sites in the world due to the eruption that buried the city. Thus, it is a place that was frozen and allows us to better understand the Roman society of that time. Within the complex, the main ruins are:
- Roman Forum
- Lupanar
- Thermal Baths of Pompeii
- Amphitheater
- Villa dei Misteri
Here we would like to recommend that, if you have the energy, you can combine the visit by going to Herculaneum, another city buried by the eruption that is better preserved than Pompeii and with less tourists. We, totally exhausted by the heat, decided to return to Naples.
Once there we wanted to go up at sunset to one of the most famous viewpoints of the city, the Mirador di San Martino, famous for its views of the city, Vesuvius and Capri. We went up by funicular (1,3€ p.p).
Where to sleep: B&B A’Casarella
Where to eat: This day was not the most spectacular meal of our 11 days in Italy…. We pulled fast food on the excursion to Pompeii and, for dinner, had a few slices of pizza from a pizzeria below our hotel (nothing special).
Day 10: Procida (11 days in Italy)
Next day and next excursion in the Naples area on one of our favorite days of the tour of 11 days in Italy. One of the most popular options in case you visit Naples is to go to the island of Capri to spend the day or even stay overnight. Since we went in mega high season, we were told that it could be very crowded, so we thought about it and decided to leave it for another time. Anyway, we leave you options of tours that take you to the island to spend the day below.
Our alternative option is a SUPER COOL little island called Procida, which you can also reach by ferry and which we believe has nothing to envy to the famous Capri. We took the 9:05 am ferry with the company Caremar. It cost us 37,5€ p.p. round trip and it is a one hour trip.
Here are some of our favorite places that we recommend:
- Marina Corricella, the most famous place. A perfect place to stroll in a place with pastel colored houses and fishing atmosphere.
- Go to the beaches. For example: Spiaggia della Chiaia, Spiaggia del Pozzo Vecchio or Spiaggia Ciraccio.
- Climb Terra Murata, the highest point of the island from where you will have panoramic views. In addition, you can visit the Monastery of Santa Margherita and the Abbey of St. Michael the Archangel.
- Prison of Palazzo d’Avalos in the area of Terra Murata we quite liked.
- We didn’t do it but it’s a super cool place to rent a bike and tour the island at your leisure.
Where to sleep: B&B A’Casarella
Where to eat: We ate at Hotel Ristorante Crescenzo, where we tried the fried fish and pasta. It’s repetitive but it was really good.
For dinner, again, fast food 🙁
Day 11: Amalfi Coast
And like any trip, we arrived at our last day of these 11 days in Italy. This time, we wanted to book a full day excursion to visit a very popular place in the area and super crowded in summer, the Amalfi Coast.
We booked the tour with Sal Boat Sorrento, with whom we contacted directly. We loved it as we were able to get an idea of what the area is like and visit several very interesting places. Obviously, it is an area where you can stay longer and do the route as it is quite worthwhile, but if you have little time like us, it is a great option. We leave you more interesting options below.
We were able to visit the following places:
- Roman ruins of Pollio Felice
- Marina of Puolo
- Massa Lubren
- Mitigliano
- The marine park of Punta Campanella
- Nerano
- Galli Island
In addition, there were 90 minute stops in Amalfi and Positano and time for lunch and swimming.
Where to sleep: B&B A’Casarella
Where to eat: We ate on the ship, homemade food from the captain’s wife, a delight.
For dinner we shopped at the supermarket and had dinner in the room since we were dead.
Map of our 11 days in Italy
We leave here our map of our route of 11 days in Italy with all the places that we have been discussing in the post.
Italy is ALWAYS a great travel option. I have traveled many, many times to this wonderful country and will return many times for sure as it has everything I enjoy in a good trip: food, culture, interesting cities and breathtaking scenery.
If you have any questions about our 11 days in Italy, don’t hesitate to contact us in comments or on social media!
