Italy is home to some of the world’s most iconic and famous cities. So here is our guide to the best city breaks in Italy from the very north to the very south of the country. It’s an eclectic mix of cities so plenty to suit all tastes.
Florence
City breaks in Italy are hard to choose between but as one of Italy’s most iconic cities, Florence is the perfect city for art lovers and historians. Home of the Renaissance, its plethora of world famous museums and galleries are packed with works of art by Giotto, Michelangelo, Da Vinci, Raphael and others. Its skyline is dominated by the Duomo, the piazza around which tends to be the focal point for most holidaymaker visits. However, it’s also home to some incredibly beautiful gardens equally worth exploring.
Check out our Florence travel guide, containing everything you need to know if you plan on city breaks in Italy.
Nearest airport: Visitors can fly into Amerigo Vespucci Airport, just 3 km from the centre of the city. Or, alternatively, fly into nearby Pisa and catch the train or a bus from there to Florence itself. The high speed train will take less than 50 minutes.
Bologna
If a city break in Italy means you plan a food tour then Bologna is the place for you. Italy’s foodie capital, Bologna is definitely a city that is on the up. The capital of Emilia Romagna, is home to some stunning architectural gems, not least its leaning towers, the Archiginnasio and the buildings that surround the Piazza Maggiore. It’s also famous for the San Luca monastery that looks down over the city below along with the 40 km of porticoes that the city boasts. However, many do come to enjoy Bologna’s gastronomic heritage. Emilia-Romagna is home to the highest number of DOP products anywhere in Italy and Bologna is the ideal place to sample them, including delicious Parmigiano Reggiano, mortadella, prosciutto, Grana Padano and balsamic vinegar. Not forgetting, of course, that Bologna is also home to the famous ragu!
Check out our Bologna travel guide, containing all the information you’ll need if you’re planning to visit the city.
Nearest airport: Fly into Guglielmo Marconi Airport which is approximately 7 kilometres from the city centre.
Pisa
Synonymous with its famous leaning tower, Pisa is the perfect sized city to see in a weekend. Whilst everyone visits to admire its leaning tower, the tower is just one of the incredible architectural feats that the Piazza dei Miracoli is home to. In fact, this 22 acre walled area north of the river Arno also includes the Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta, Baptistery and Campo Santo. But Pisa has so much more to offer visitors just a short walk from here as well.
Check out our guide to spending 48 hours in Pisa, ideal to ensure you make the very most of your city break.
Nearest airport: Pisa International Airport, also called Galileo Galilei Airport, is just a 15 minute drive from the historic centre of Pisa. A high speed train also runs every 5-8 minutes between 6 a.m. and midnight between Pisa train station and the airport.
Venice
The city that is built on water, Venice is simply iconic. It’s also one of Italy’s most romantic cities. A truly unique destination and a city unlike any other, Venice is made up of over 100 islands connected by a network of canals and bridges. Visitors will inevitably flock to its central square – the Piazza San Marco – but there is another hidden Venice away from the crowds that we encourage you to also explore.
Check out our Venice travel guide which will give you all the top tips on what to see and do, where to eat, what events to try and be a part of and what excursions and experiences to book.
Nearest airport: Venice Marco Polo airport is located about 6 km north of the city of Venice on the edge of the lagoon. From here you can catch a taxi or bus to take you towards the city centre. Or opt for the more glamorous way to travel – water taxi. For us, the best way to travel into Venice is by train though. Stepping off the train onto the platform in Venice is an arrival like no other.
Rome
City breaks in Italy come no finer than this and Italy’s capital city needs no introduction. A walk through Rome’s streets is like a living history lesson so it’s the perfect Italian city for budding historians. Home to the what must be the most impressive Roman remains anywhere in Europe – the Colosseum and Pantheon – it’s also home to equally impressive later constructions such as the Trevi Fountain and Vittoriano. Not only that but it’s also where you will find the Vatican city, the world’s smallest state, and headquarters of the Roman Catholic church.
Check out our guide to spending 48 hours in Rome or, if you’re travelling with children, make sure you read out guide to visiting Rome with kids.
Nearest airport: Rome is served by two airports. Rome Fuimicino is the the main international airport used by the biggest airlines such as American Airlines and British Airways. Rome Ciampino is a smaller, secondary airport that caters more to budget airlines such as Ryanair, Wizz Air and Easyjet.
Verona
Venice’s close neighbour, can give you an opportunity for two city breaks in Italy in one trip. Verona is a city synonymous with love thanks to its two most famous residents – Romeo and Juliet – whose balcony you can visit at the House of Giulietta. It’s also the perfect city for music lovers to explore, home as it is to the Arena di Verona which hosts an impressive operatic festival each Summer. There are plenty of other sights to see in Verona though. For the best views of the city, climb the 368 steps to the top of the Torre dei Lamberti.
Nearest airport: Verona boasts not one but two nearby airports – Verona Brescia airport and Valerio Catullo (also known as Verona Villafranca). The latter is just 15 minutes drive away and is the nearest to the centre of the city.
Milan
Italy’s northern powerhouse and business centre is perhaps not the first place that comes to mind when thinkinng of city breaks in Italy. Yet Milan is another of Italy’s cities that is definitely on the up when it comes to tourism. Whilst Florence is probably more famous for its art, Milan actually boasts a surprising collection of artworks including Leonardo da Vinci’s The Last Supper. Its central square is home to the beautiful Duomo and to the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, which we think must be the world’s most beautiful shopping centre. And its various neighbourhoods are home to a fascinating array of things to see and do. Not only that, but it’s a great city at night too, with a fantastic party scene.
Check out our guide to spending 48 hours in Milan to ensure you don’t miss a single thing during your visit.
Nearest airport: Like many of Italy’s cities, Milan is also served by two airports. Milan Malpensa is the larger of the two and handles most of the long haul international flights. But actually, Milan Linate is closest to the city centre and is just 8 km from the historic Duomo.
Turin
Once briefly Italy’s capital city (from 1861 to 1865), Turin is one of Italy’s richest cities and it’s the home of an extremely successful automobile industry. Turin is where you’ll find the headquarters of FIAT, Lancia and Alfa Romeo. Certainly, with an impressive car museum – the Museo Nazionale dellā€™ Automobile – it’s a great weekend destination for petrol heads. But Turin is so much more than this. In fact, it’s also home to a number of palaces. These residences of the Royal House of Savoy in Turin are collectively one of Italyā€™s UNESCO World Heritage sites. And it’s a city with some beautiful green spaces too.
Check out our guide to the top 10 things to do in Turin, perfect for making the most of your time in the city.
Nearest airport: Turin airport is 14 km from the city centre.
Naples
Don’t be put off by Naples’ edgy reputation. This is a city bursting with life and well worth visiting. The fact that it’s the birthplace of pizza is reason alone to visit in our opinion! As well as that, Naples is renowned for its wealth of museums and it can boast the largest historical city centre in Europe (which incidentally is also a designated UNESCO heritage site). If you have time, try and head out of the city to discover the incredibly beautiful Amalfi coastline beyond.
Nearest airport: Naples Capodichino International Airport is just a 6 km drive from the heart of the city.
Siena
One of our favourite cities in Tuscany, Siena is the perfect weekend break destination for those that prefer smaller, more intimate cities to anything too busy and bustling. Its main square – the Piazza del Campo – is one of our favourite spots in Italy to enjoy an aperitivo. And we’re big fans too of the striking black and white Gothic facades that grace buildings such as Siena’s Duomo and Torre del Mangia.
Check out our guide to spending 48 hours in Siena.
Nearest airport: Amerigo Vespucci Airport in Florence is the closest to Siena. The drive will take about an hour. Otherwise, Perugia is also an easy drive. The journey will take around 80 minutes or Pisa is approximately a 90 minute drive away.
Matera
A unique city, Matera has undergone the biggest transformation out of any Italian city in the last 50 years. Abandoned in the 1960s as the locals were effectively forced out by the government and Italy faced global condemnation for the poverty of those that lived in Matera, these days it’s a vibrant and fascinating city. Dating back to prehistoric times, Matera is truly unique. Famous for its sassi (cave-like dwellings), we highly recommend you discover the charm and character of Matera for yourself.
Check out our guide to spending a day in Matera.
Nearest airport: It is just over 60 km from Bari Karol Wojtyła Airport to Matera.
Como
The perfect weekend destination for those who like to spend Summer in the city, Como offers all the advantages of being in a city whilst having all the benefits of having some of the most idyllic countryside on your doorstep. Explore the city by morning and relax on the nearby lakeside beaches in the afternoon!
Find out more about Como, including its history and things to see and do, in our Como travel guide.
Nearest airport: Milan Malpensa is just 50 km from the beautiful lakeside city of Como.
More information on city breaks in Italy
If you want to check out these cities for yourself, then get in touch with Italian villa rental specialists, Bookings For You, who will help you find the perfect villa in Italy in which to stay.