Whether its Grand Tours or terracotta-coloured villas, Italy has always been a travel A-Lister. The challenge comes in picking a particular brand of la dolce vita. Italy’s cities offer time-proven fodder for culture-lovers: Florence’s art, Pisa’s wonky tower, Venice’s canals and Rome’s, well, everything all contenders. Seaside Puglia and hilltown-happy Tuscany represent rental hotspots, while nowhere’s more chic than an Amalfi Coast hotel. Further south, the quasi-autonomous, sun-scorched isle of Sicily scores for sandy shores, still-standing Greek temples and superb food.
What keeps me coming back? The climate and lovely language help, as do those moreish Baci chocolates. But, ultimately, its Italy’s apparently never-ending supply of secret spots which have me hooked: the Pian Grande’s extraordinary poppy blooms, which once made me cry, the trabacchi: rickety wooden fishing piers turned hopelessly romantic fish restaurants in Abruzzo, or up-your-sleeve beaches like Sardinia’s incredible Cala Biriola, rewarding a two-hour trek with near-heaven.
An expert-led archaeological, cultural and gastronomic tour of Sicily with Peter Sommer Travels.
“Embark on the Gastronomic Tour of Sicily for a mouth-watering vacation”. USA Today
An expert-led tour exploring the cuisine and culture of Sicily.
A wide-ranging survey of art and architecture in Venice with an emphasis on the Renaissance. Includes a private, after-hours visit to the Basilica di San Marco to see the transcendental splendour of the Byzantine mosaics.
A self-guided hike along the Amalfi Coast from Amalfi to Sorrento, taking in Ravello, Praiano, Positano and the Sentiero degli Dei (Footpath of the Gods). Our own version allows you to walk the whole way without using a single bus or taxi - the only company that offers this!
Southern Italy & Sicily from Rail Holidays of the World is an exhilarating holiday in Italy. Available from 9 May 2023 to 9 May 2023 this 13 day trip costs from £2,965, which includes flights.
A study in contrasts: one a city with origins as a major Roman seaport, the other an enchanting little Renaissance settlement high in the hills.
In Ravenna, some of the greatest buildings of late antiquity with the finest Byzantine mosaics.
In Urbino the Ducal Palace, the greatest secular building of the Early Renaissance.
Combine a stay in the eternal city of Rome with Positano on the Amalfi Coast with Sunvil.
Prices from £1,238pp, which includes return flights, 5 nights bed & breakfast accommodation, transfers and 1st class train ticket from Rome to Naples.
A self-guided hike from the Po valley along the Via del Sale (Salt Road) across the Ligurian Apenines to the Mediterranean - the Italian Riviera at Camogli.
A self-guided hike through the Dolomites from San Candido to Cortina, including a night in a refuge, and a circuit round the iconic Tre Cime.
Explore Sorrento and Maratea on this 7 night itinerary with Sunvil.
Prices from £1,056pp, which includes flights, 7 nights B&B accommodation and private transfers.
