4 Cities to Visit on Your Trip to Northern/Central Italy
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No one can change our mind on this: we prefer visiting a variety of cities over the course of a trip versus just staying in one place the entire time. Is anyone else in love with a little side-by-side comparison?
We think that having a variety of cuisines, architecture, and culture to explore enhances the overall experience. Something you wouldn’t have noticed about the first place stands out because of something you experience in the second place. The beautiful thing about Italy is that cities are fairly accessible so it’s easy to hop, skip, and jump to a variety of cities.
If you’re looking to plan a trip to Northern/Central Italy, these are 4 cities that we might recommend to you for your itinerary depending on your goals and interests. Schedule a travel consultation with one of our Italy experts to learn about your travel style and see if we recommend this route for you! That way, we can also give you insider hotel, restaurant, and activities recommendations.
Milan
A modern, metropolitan Italian city, Milan is definitely a location you should check out and we recommend it as a starting location for your trip. It’s a really great place to fly into and rest and recuperate, especially if you’re often low energy at the beginning of your trip. Milan is a bigger city, which means there are more options for afternoon eats and drinks which is very handy when you’re off schedule because of jet lag, whereas in a smaller town they might be harder to find.
Modena
A characteristic, stylish small city in Emilia-Romagna, this destination is on the fast train line between Milan and Florence. It’s easy to access, great for walking around, gives fun, small-town vibes, and is easy to explore in a few days. Modena is known for its "Balsamic Vinegar", whose DOP production has to be made in this area. If you can find a Balsamic Vinegar factory, it’s worth the stop. Modena is also well known for Massimo Bottura's Osteria Francescana, voted the best restaurant in the world many times over.
Florence
Renaissance city with picturesque streets and views all around. Yes, it's touristy, but there's a reason for it and it’s worth the hype. Again, another city that is wonderful to explore by foot and, quite frankly, a nightmare to drive in. Florence is the birthplace of the Renaissance, so there are plenty of museums, churches, and history to explore. Don’t forget the food! There are fantastic restaurants and eateries to find, and although there are some touristy places, most places you'll find are delicious. We favor the "Oltrarno" part of Florence which is outside the historical center. There are still tourists but it’s a bit less busy and packed, especially the further out you get.
Pisa
Obviously known for the Leaning Tower, but additionally there is an interesting history with Florence and much to explore outside of that one square. The Arno River also runs through Pisa and feels similar to Florence in terms of architecture, despite their long history of being rivals. Pisa would be easy to access as a day trip from Florence on the train, and vice versa. There are fewer tourists that stay in Pisa than Florence since most folks come in for the day, go to the tower, then leave.
If you’re building your own itinerary for Italy, putting these destinations together gives you a little bit of everything - cosmopolitan (Milan), small town (Modena), and Renaissance history and architecture (Florence or Pisa). These cities make a great combination to get to know northern and central Italy, are easily connected to each other, and don’t require much travel time between each place. A bonus is that you wouldn’t need a car, which makes things significantly easier.
If you’re interested in this itinerary and want to get more details and information, tap into our travel expertise to make the most of your trip, and check out our customized travel coaching and optional booking service.
No matter where you travel, we always recommend purchasing travel protection to safeguard against sudden changes or cancellations. If you don’t already have a preferred vendor, you can check out ours - Travel Insured - which offers a “Cancel for Any Reason” policy.
