Earlier this month I was lucky enough to go to Europe with my parents to visit my little sister Layne who’s studying abroad in Prague. We met her in Italy first and stayed there for a week, exploring Tuscany (Poggibonsi, Florence, San Gimignano, Siena), the Amalfi Coast (Sorrento, Positano, Amalfi), and Rome.
In this post I’m going to share all of the details: where we stayed, the stops we made along the way, sights and restaurants we loved, and more. It’s a lengthy one, but I’m hoping it’ll provide some good insight on how to spend a week in Italy for any of you who might be planning a trip there. It’s a big country so it can be a bit overwhelming when deciding where you want to go. We just went to the places that we’d heard good things about and had been wanting to see for awhile.
Day 1: Land in Pisa
We flew into Pisa and got there sort of late at night. The first thing we did was pick up our rental car, which we used to drive from city to city in Italy. It worked great for us because my stepdad knows how to drive a stick shift and is a pretty fast/aggressive driver like most other people in Italy. If you can’t drive a stick and/or don’t like fast-moving traffic, I don’t recommend renting a car because it will be stressful – instead you can take buses or trains. The one place we SHOULD NOT have had the car was Rome. It was such a nightmare figuring out where to park it during the day!
We didn’t actually stay in Pisa, but we did make a quick pitstop to see the Leaning Tower. It was cool but I definitely don’t need to go back haha. That same night we drove to our first destination in Italy: the region of Tuscany.
Airbnb #1: Poggibonsi, Tuscany
The first place we stayed in Italy was in the Tuscan countryside, in the hills of a cute little town called Poggibonsi. It was a quaint villa with simple, rustic decor and beautiful views. Unfortunately it was too chilly to use the pool, but it was pretty to look at!
We chose this spot because it was in a central enough location that we were able to do a couple day trips really easily… more to come on those!
Elisa was our host and she was so sweet. Here is a link to the Airbnb if you’re interested!
Day 2: Florence
We spent our first full day in Florence, which was only about a 40 min drive from our Airbnb in Poggibonsi. When I asked for Italy recommendations on Instagram, so many of you gave me great ones for Florence! I wish we would’ve had a bunch more time there to see and do all of them.
A huge highlight for me was brunch at La Menagere. The food was delicious and the interior was so cute.
When in Florence you have to visit the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore (aka The Duomo) – essentially the largest/most well-known landmark in the city. You can buy one ticket that gives you access to all of the different parts of the cathedral. Our favorite part was climbing the bell-tower which had a stunning view of the city.
In this immediate area, Piazza del Duomo, we stopped by Edoardo – a delicious gelato place that a lot of you suggested. It was yummy, so thanks! 🙂
We spent a lot of the day just wandering the streets. It felt like everywhere we turned there were gorgeous flowers (yay spring!), ornate doors, and colorful walls… this is exactly why I love Europe so dang much.
OUTFIT DETAILS: DRESS | SHOES
SHOP MY BACKPACK
We walked over Ponte Vecchio, a famous medieval bridge that crosses the Arno River to the other side of the city.
Once on the other side, we explored Piazza Santo Spirito and had dinner at Trattoria Del Gusta which we loved. Yummy food and nice outdoor seating!
To finish out the day we walked up to Piazzale Michelangelo. It was SO CROWDED which took some of the fun out of it, but it was definitely still worth it. Such breathtaking views of the entire city.
Day 3: San Gimignano & Siena
For day three we were in Siena for the majority of the day, only 30 min from our Airbnb. But before heading there we went to San Gimignano, a cool medieval town up on a hillside, and walked around for about an hour before continuing to Siena.
The first thing we did when we got to Siena was visit the Duomo di Siena, aka the ‘Zebra Church’, named for it’s black and white stripes.
I recommend going inside the Facciatone right by the Duomo, which has a museum and a great panoramic view.
I personally loved Siena because it was much less touristy than Florence, which was kind of nice. I also loved how it was surrounded by beautiful green countryside.
OUTFIT DETAILS: JACKET | JEANS | BOOTIES
Piazza del Campo is the main square. We grabbed beers at a great little place called San Paolo Pub that has a small terrace looking over the piazza.
That night we left Siena and drove down to the Amalfi Coast to start the second leg of our trip. While on the road we stopped at Alice Pizza (which is a chain I believe) and it was super good!
Airbnb #2: Sorrento, Amalfi Coast
The second place we set up camp was in Sorrento – one of the larger cities on the Amalfi coast. You can check out our Airbnb here, if you want! It was in an ideal location for walking around the main part of town.
Day 4: Sorrento
Day 4 was nice because we woke up in Sorrento and just stayed there for the whole day. We had cappuccinos and croissants in the city center, Piazza Tasso, and then just strolled around.
Sorrento is known for their citrus trees, mainly orange and lemon, so you’ll see them everywhere. A lot of the street vendors sell Limoncello because it was first made there which is cool.
Marina Grande is one of the two main beaches in Sorrento. It’s lined with cute colorful buildings and is a bit of a fishermen’s hub. Consequently, there are lots of good seafood restaurants on the water! Sadly we didn’t end up eating at any of them cause it was a bit chilly and windy on the waterfront.
On a clear day you can see the infamous volcano Mt. Vesuvius in the distance from Marina Grande… check it out:
OUTFIT DETAILS: SWEATER | JEANS | BOOTIES
For sunset we walked down to Peter’s Beach and it was beautiful. During the summer months there are areas to set up chairs and umbrellas… made me want to go back when it’s hot!
We chose a place called Ristorante Accento for dinner and ended up loving it. Great service, a nice interior, good food, and the prices weren’t bad. I had the gnocchi and ohhhh my…
After dinner my sister and I grabbed gelato (this ended up becoming a daily habit while in Italy lol) at We Love Puro. I unknowingly ordered straight Nutella as one of my scoops… I thought it was just Nutella-flavored gelato. I was wrong but YUM it was so good.
Day 5: Positano & Amalfi
On day 5 we checked out of our Sorrento Airbnb, threw our luggage in our little Fiat, and drove 30 minutes to Positano, another town on the Amalfi Coast. This is the one that you see all over Pinterest that’s built into the cliff.
We found this classic Positano view when we wandered the streets from the beach up the hill and to the right.
Like most other towns, there’s a central area with restaurants and shops that’s fun to explore. It’s right along where the main beach is, Spiaggia Grande. The Church of Santa Maria Assunta is also in the center of town so that’s a good landmark to look out for – it’s cream with a dome on top (see on the left in the photo below).
In the afternoon we stopped at one of the nicest hotels in Positano, Le Sirenuse. We decided to just do drinks here because, well, my glass of Rosé alone was $27 or something wild like that. Have to say I couldn’t help but dream of staying there one day… the pool overlooking the sea was magical.
OUTFIT DETAILS: SUNNIES | TOP | JEANS (SIMILAR)
Really what I loved most about Positano was how everything was so vivid and quaint at the same time… and how everywhere I looked there were beautiful views of the water.
Amalfi was our last stop on the coast before driving to our final destination in Italy, Rome. We just moseyed around for an hour or two and indulged in yet another gelato snack, which we devoured on the steps of the cathedral in the sun.
The drive from Amalfi to Rome took about four hours. Parts of it were pretty windy, so that could be tough if you get carsick easily, but it wasn’t that bad overall. And it was incredibly beautiful.
Airbnb #3: Rome
Our Rome Airbnb was ideal. It was right in the middle of everything, just a 10 minute walk from the Colosseum. Only downsides were that it only had one bathroom and was super loud at night… we could constantly hear motorcycles and people outside. But hey! Earplugs solve that problem right away.
Day 6 & 7: Rome
The two days we spent in Rome flew by… I already want to go back. We also had a few car issues while there, mainly with parking. There are ‘ZTL’ zones where you can’t drive during the day without a certain permit so it’s pretty tricky to get around. We wish we would’ve just ditched the car the second we got to Rome.
OUTFIT DETAILS: BLAZER (SIMILAR) | SWEATER | PANTS | BOOTIES
Our first night in Rome we stumbled across the cutest restaurant called Barzilai just right around the corner from where we were staying. It ended up being perfect… I had the best carbonara pasta I’ve ever had. Next time I’m in Rome I’ll go back just to eat it again lol.
Some must-see spots in Rome include the Colosseum, Trevi Fountain, Spanish Steps, Roman ruins and the Roman Forum, Vatican City, and the Pantheon.
I wish we could’ve toured the Colosseum at night because I’ve heard it’s really cool when it’s all lit up with torches, but they don’t open it at night until late April. Of course it was incredible during the day too. Definitely spend some time reading the information in the museum on the second floor if you can. The history of it is insane! I tried to imagine what took place where I stood years ago and I just couldn’t.
HIGHLY recommend visiting the Trevi Fountain early in the morning, if at all possible. We went in the afternoon at first and you couldn’t even enjoy it there were so many people. The next day we went at about 7am and it was much more peaceful.
To be honest, our trip to the Vatican was honestly a mess. We had a 9:15am tour and completely missed it because of a whole ordeal parking the car… it was like one of those travel nightmares haha. And in the midst of trying to make our tour, we had to check out of our Airbnb and find a place to store our bags (insert Bagbnb, which was very helpful).
We were still able to go inside the Vatican though (and skip the line thanks to our Omnia Cards) and it was pretty interesting. I loved seeing the Sistine Chapel.
Our second night in Rome (also our last night in Italy) we found the best place for dinner – La Taverna Dei Fori Imperiali. It was family-owned and we chatted for a long time with both the mother and the daughter who was our waitress. It’s a tiny little cozy place with delicious food. Definitely recommend making a reservation ahead of time… We unfortunately didn’t and ended up having to wait ’til 9:30pm to eat. It was worth it though! I had the cacio e pepe tartufato (truffle) pasta and WOW.
Italy is an absolute dream. This was my first time there and it was so cool to be able to see Tuscany, the Amalfi Coast, and Rome all within just one week.
I will say though that after doing it this way (2 nights in each Airbnb with some day trips), I definitely think I would prefer to see fewer spots and really spend my time in each one. It just sort of depends what kind of trip you’re going for because this was a great way to see quite a bit in a short amount of time.
Overall it was an absolutely AMAZING trip. We were able to witness so much beauty in the cities and the countryside, meet some really sweet Italians, and just grow closer as a family. Spending so much time together with very few breaks really gives you no choice lol… we had our moments for sure.
I cannot wait for my next trip back to this gorgeous country. If you’re going to Italy soon and have any additional questions, PLEASE don’t hesitate to reach out to me. I’m not an expert by any means but would be willing to answer anything and everything I can based on the week I spent there.
Ciao! 😉
XO Sorelle
We just did a similar trip over spring break and it was heaven! Looks like you had a lovely time!
Sorelle! These images are SO good!! What an amazing recap — loving those Positano pics. I dream of those bowls of Castelvetrano olives and the gorgeous but endless stairs!