Italy changes every few hours by train. Here are four regions, what each one is best for and when to visit.
Italy is long, varied and full of regional pride, and no two regions eat, speak or look the same. You will not see it all in one trip, so pick the regions that suit you. Here is a short guide.
Best for: ancient history and great food · Best months: April to June, September to October
The Colosseum, the Forum, the Vatican and hundreds of churches and piazzas, with trattorias on every corner. Give Rome at least three days. Day trips include Ostia Antica and the hill towns.
Best for: art, hill towns and wine · Best months: April to June, September to October
Florence for Renaissance art, then Siena, San Gimignano and the vineyards of Chianti. A car helps in the countryside, but Florence, Pisa and Lucca are easy by train.
Best for: canals, islands and Palladian villas · Best months: April to May, September to October
Venice is best seen early in the morning or in the evening, when the day trippers have gone. Nearby, Verona has a Roman arena and Padua has the Scrovegni Chapel with its frescoes by Giotto.
Best for: design, lakes and mountains · Best months: May to September
Milan has the Duomo, Leonardo's Last Supper and some of Italy's best shopping. A short train ride away, Lake Como and Lake Maggiore have gardens, villas and ferries between pretty villages.
Tip: Italy's high-speed trains make the classic route easy. Rome to Florence takes about an hour and a half, and Florence to Venice about two hours. We also have guides to Umbria and to Emilia-Romagna.