City Breaks in Italy: Tried & Tested Travel Guides

Italy has many options for city breaks, and in my experience, it’s a great place to visit, especially if you enjoy good Italian food or historic sites. We’ve visited several regions on multiple trips and really enjoyed travelling in Italy. Overall, we spent six months exploring Italy and stayed in various cities.

Some cities in Italy are very popular and contain UNESCO World Heritage Sites, including the capital, Rome, and Venice, which can get very busy. We also had a few stays in the Emilia-Romagna region, which impressed me, and the local food was excellent.

However, on one of our longer trips, we explored various cities in Southern Italy and really gelled with the vibe there. The food was good; it was much more budget-friendly, and there were still lots of beautiful sights. Southern Italy is where we want to explore more on a future trip. To get to Italy, we travelled by train and also used the railways to get between cities. As we travel with a dog, we find Italy to be pet-friendly.

Tried & Tested City Breaks in Italy

These are the Italian city breaks we’ve tried ourselves, with links to our full travel guides and other useful posts.

Rome, the Capital

Rome, the capital of Italy, is one of Europe’s top cities and a fantastic place to visit. There is so much to see here, with layers of history to experience. First up, the sites of ancient Rome are impressive to walk around, including the Colosseum and Roman Forum. I especially enjoyed visiting these sites during sunset.

Vatican City is a country within Rome and is pretty epic, including a walk around St Peter’s Square. Visiting the inside of St Peter’s Basilica is very special. Throughout the city, there are lots of other special churches to see. One feature I liked was the various piazzas, which featured lovely architecture, decorative elements, fountains, and monuments. We found a good selection of free attractions in Rome and kept ourselves entertained every day.

There is a choice of wonderful restaurants throughout; however, check reviews, as some are tourist traps. We enjoyed good meals out when visiting, and even more so the deli lunches, which were fantastic.

Bari In Puglia

Bari is a fascinating city in the Puglia region of Southern Italy. It is on the coast and has beaches half an hour’s walk from the centre in both directions. The old town is a lovely part of the city to explore with interesting features. A highlight is the Basilica di San Nicola, which houses some of St Nicholas’s remains.

Other historic sites include the medieval walls, a castle and lots of narrow side streets. Bari is famed for its food, and there are loads of options for eating out. Bari is lively in the evenings and has a fun nightlife scene, including cool bars. The highlight for me was the octopus sandwiches and focaccia barese.

We also visited the local farmers’ and seafood markets. Watching the local pasta being made in the old town was cool too, and it tasted great. The city centre is also home to high-end fashion stores and is trendy. We really had fun on our 5-day city break and would have loved to spend longer.

Siena in Tuscany

Siena is a wonderful city in Tuscany, surrounded by hilly countryside. The city is famous for its history, art, and the nearby Tuscan countryside, which draws lots of tourists to the area. The historic centre of Siena is a UNESCO World Heritage Site because of its medieval architecture and town squares.

The main square, Piazza del Campo, and the Duomo di Siena are the two most popular attractions. There’s lots more to see when exploring, and we found the city kept us engaged for a fortnight. We had lunches and evening meals at local restaurants, enjoying regional food.

Bologna: For Delicious Local Food

Another city we really vibed with was Bologna, a fantastic place for a break and less intense than the capital. Bologna is famous for its food, and we found everything we ate in the city to be excellent. There are lots of things to do in Bologna, including historic sights in the central areas.

Another enjoyable aspect for me was the San Luca Pilgrimage walk that takes you along the world’s longest portico. This walk eventually leads you to the San Luca Basilica on a hill overlooking Bologna.

We found many fantastic bars and restaurants to dine at or have drinks during our visit, and the food in Bologna was consistently good. We tried the various dishes that the region is famed for and loved them. There is a good choice of places to stay listed on the Booking.com website. We opted to stay in an apartment so I could cook with the ingredients available in Bologna’s markets.

Pompeii for Its Ancient Sites

Pompeii is a popular place to visit in southern Italy. It is best known for its Roman ruins, which were buried by ash from the nearby volcano, Mount Vesuvius. The principal attraction in Pompeii is the archaeological park. This is massive, with lots of Roman ruins, including forums, houses, and an amphitheatre. This needs a day to fully soak up what’s in front of you.

Ferrara

Another city we visited in the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy is Ferrara, which is halfway between Venice and Bologna. Ferrara is a beautiful city with plenty to see, including the old town area and its principal sites: the Cathedral of San Giorgio and the Estense Castle.

We also enjoyed beer and food out, including some lush Italian cuisine. A special mention for food goes to Pizzeria Arcobaleno and their hearty and tasty Rustico Al Trancio.

The Famous City of Venice

Venice is a world-famous city and a popular destination for a break. It certainly is beautiful and has unique features to see. I enjoyed sightseeing here, especially very early in the morning before it gets busy.

Some of my favourite parts of Venice include St Mark’s Square, the Grand Canal and the markets. I also liked visiting lesser-known churches, and taking the gondolas to cross the canal was a unique experience.

I found Venice noticeably more expensive than other places we visited in Italy, so it can be a real wallet drain, which can be stressful if on a budget. Eating out was good, especially at bakeries and small backstreet restaurants.

Trieste: A City By The Sea

A unique place we visited was Trieste, a city by the sea in Northern Italy. Trieste is a lovely place with plenty of beautiful architecture in the central areas. Along the sea is a canal with sights along its banks.

On a hill overlooking the city stands the Castello di San Giusto, a castle great for learning history and enjoying the views below. Next to the castle is a wonderful church to visit, Cattedrale di San Giusto Martire.

We found Trieste was not as hectic as other parts of Italy and enjoyed the options for refreshments out. One of my favourite memories was a picnic on the pier watching the sunset in Trieste.

Foggia For a Long Stay

Foggia is a city in southern Italy that is not a typical tourist destination. However, we really enjoyed visiting for the laid-back vibe and the food. Foggia has some lesser-known historic sights and attractions, but it also has a great restaurant scene. The markets and speciality cuisine shops are splendid, and I embraced cooking with ingredients from here.

It is surrounded by beautiful countryside and is near the Gargano National Park, a great area for walks. Foggia is well connected to coastal towns in Puglia by train, making it a good, cheap base camp for exploring the region.

Barletta: A City By The Seaside

During our month-long stay in southern Italy, we visited the pretty seaside town of Barletta. The big draw for us was the beaches and cooling down in the sea. Barletta was straightforward to reach by train, as it’s on the main line into Puglia.

The beach in Barletta is long, sandy, and great for spending time. The water was warm in the summer, and there were plenty of bars and cafes for drinks. The city centre also has some fantastic attractions, including a beautiful cathedral and the castle.

Livorno By The Sea

If you like seaside city breaks, including beach fun, exploring ports, and seafood, then Livorno is a great option. Livorno is a pretty and gritty seaside city in Tuscany, accessible by train from Florence and Siena. There are lots of things to do in Livorno, including beach activities, boat trips and exploring the city’s historic sites.

Udine

Another pleasant city we’ve visited is Udine in the north of the country. Udine isn’t a popular tourist destination; however, it has many interesting features. Highlights were the loggias, the castle, the cathedral, and its piazzas.

It is also a great city for shopping, with many independent stores in its central areas. The region also has a unique cuisine, and we ate frico, a local fried cheese. Udine was very laid-back, and the cafe and bar scene hit the spot for me.

Treviso

Treviso is a city near Venice with a laid-back feel compared to other Italian destinations. It has a good selection of attractions, including many canals, medieval palaces and loggias.

It’s a flat place and easy to explore on foot. In the historic centre, there is a range of cafes and restaurants for refreshments. It is an ideal base for exploring northeastern Italy.

Ancona

For a quiet city break near the coast away from the popular places, Ancona is a good option. It is a big ferry port with a maritime history dating back to the Roman era. The city centre has a selection of historic buildings to see, with museums covering the area’s history.

Ancona also has a beach and coastal walks to the south of the centre. The beach was very nice in the afternoons as the cliffs provide shade and relief from the summer heat. During our visit, we found plenty of places to eat and drink, as well as a good selection of hotels. We really appreciated the city’s laid-back vibe and the lack of tourist crowds during our summer visit.

Rimini

A popular beach holiday destination on Italy’s east coast is Rimini. It has miles of sandy beaches and all the things that make seaside holidays special. We enjoyed just under a week here, with plenty to do, including visiting Roman sites and the historic old town, and spending time at the beach.

Ravenna

Ravenna is a historic city in the Emilia-Romagna region, within a 30-minute bus ride of the sea. It has a lovely historic centre to explore with many early Christian churches to visit. Highlights of my visit to Ravenna were the mosaic-covered churches and the Dante attractions. The covered market was also a top spot for food and drinks, with many regional dishes on offer.

Is Italy Worth Visiting?

I had a great time exploring Italy despite sometimes being on a tight budget. It ticked many of my boxes for a fantastic country to visit. First up were the ancient Roman sites, of which I saw many in each city. I enjoyed visiting churches in each city, and boy does Italy have impressive ones. My favourites were the Pantheon in Rome and St Peter’s Basilica.

Hanging out in piazzas in every city was great fun. These were designed to be enjoyed, and I did. We often took takeaway food and a cold drink to sit and take in the views of the square.

Italy is famed for its food, and we had superb meals out at Italian restaurants. Memorable dishes included tagliatelle al ragu and the green lasagna, both in Bologna. My favourite meal out in Rome was ravioli in a small restaurant. As we were self-catering, I enjoyed cooking produce from the local markets. Italy gets a thumbs up from me, and I hope to try more Italian city breaks soon.