Day Trips
Lucca by Train from Florence: A Day Trip to Tuscany's Most Charming Walled City
Lucca is one of the most quietly rewarding cities in Tuscany — intact Renaissance walls you can walk or cycle around, a Roman amphitheatre whose shape still defines the piazza above it, and almost none of the crowds that overwhelm Florence.
Articles
Siena by Bus and Train: A Complete Guide to One of Italy's Greatest Medieval Cities
Siena is less than 90 minutes from Florence by direct bus — a UNESCO medieval city with one of the great public squares in Europe, a cathedral that rivals Florence's, underground cellar restaurants and the Palio horse race twice a year. Far less visited than it deserves to be.
Planning
10 Mistakes First-Time Italy Train Travellers Make — and How to Avoid Them
Italy by train is fast, affordable and one of the best ways to see the country — but the system has a few quirks worth knowing before you go. Here are the ten things first-time travellers get caught out by, and how to avoid them.
Day Trips
Mount Vesuvius by Train and Bus: The Complete Guide to Getting There and What to Expect
Mount Vesuvius is reachable by train and bus from Naples, Pompeii and Sorrento — no hire car required. This guide covers every transport option, tickets you must book in advance, what the climb is like, and how to combine it with Pompeii, Herculaneum or a vineyard on the slopes.
Day Trips
Capri by Ferry: A Full Day on the Island from Naples or Sorrento
Capri is worth every bit of its reputation — the limestone cliffs, the Blue Grotto, the two very different sides of the island, and the views from Monte Solaro that stretch to the Amalfi Coast. A full day by ferry from Naples or Sorrento, with no hire car required.
Day Trips
Salerno: The Smarter Base for the Amalfi Coast (and How to Get Everywhere by Boat, Bus, and Train)
Salerno is cheaper, calmer, and better connected than anywhere else on the Amalfi Coast. Ferries leave directly for Positano and Amalfi. Vietri is two minutes by train. And with Naples just 30 - 60 minutes away on the regional line, it sits at the heart of everything Campania has to offer.
Day Trips
Pompeii vs Herculaneum: Two Cities, One Volcano, and Why You Should Visit Both
Pompeii and Herculaneum are both within an hour of Naples by train. The same volcano buried both in 79 AD — but differently. Here's how to reach both and what to expect.
Day Trips
Genoa by Train: Italy's Most Overlooked City
Genoa is one of Italy's most overlooked cities — a UNESCO merchant quarter, extraordinary food, medieval alleyways and a harbour redesigned by Renzo Piano. Genoa is around 90 minutes from Milan by train and almost entirely free of tourists.
Milan
6 Day Trips from Milan by Train: The Best of Lombardy and Beyond
Milan is one of the best-placed cities in Italy for day trips by train. Bergamo, Lake Como, Pavia, Oltrepò Pavese, Verona and Switzerland — all without a hire car.
Day Trips
Verona by Train: Day Trip Guide from Milan, Venice and Bologna
Verona is up to an hour and fifteen minutes from Milan, Bologna, and Venice by fast train — a 2,000-year-old Roman amphitheatre still hosting opera under the stars, medieval piazzas, Shakespeare's balcony and some of the best wine in Italy. One of the most rewarding day trips in northern Italy.
Day Trips
Lake Como by Train from Milan: Day Trip Guide and How to Get There
Lake Como is less than an hour from Milan by train — beautiful in any weather, and one of the easiest escapes from the city. This guide covers the circular Varenna–Bellagio–Como route, the villas worth seeing from the water, and whether a day trip is enough.
Day Trips
The Bernina Express from Milan: Switzerland by Train in a Day
Less than two hours from Milan, the Bernina railway crosses into Switzerland and climbs to 2,253 metres through glaciers, frozen lakes and the high Alps. A UNESCO World Heritage line, and one of the most spectacular train journeys in the world.