The Best Day Trips in Italy

Rome is Italy's most popular city. Although there's plenty to see and do in Rome, there are also good day trips just a short distance from the city. You can explore the Vatican, Roman catacombs or Etruscan tombs, the ancient Roman port or a Roman villa, go to the beach, or venture into Umbria or even Florence.

Florence makes a great base for exploring the Tuscany region as it's right in the heart of Tuscany. You can easily visit hill towns, wine towns, or the Tuscan coast. It's also a good place for a cooking class or bicycle tour.

Milan is the first stop for visitors who fly into its large international airport. From Milan, there is a good diversity of places to visit including the lakes, big cities like Bologna or Torino, and less visited small historic cities.

Naples makes a good base for visiting Roman and Greek archeological sites, Mount Vesuvius volcano, and places of spectacular beauty such as the island of Capri and seaside towns.

Venice is one of Italy's most popular and unique cities. Day trips can be taken by water to other islands of the Venetian lagoon and by train to visit other cities with canals, Europe's oldest botanical gardens, a medieval town on a river, or the city of Verona known for its Roman Arena where opera is performed and Romeo and Juliet.

Although not a city, Italy's spectacular Amalfi Coast is one of the top destinations and there are several day trips that can be taken from the Amalfi Coast and there are even more places you can go easily if you stay in the charming seaside town of Sorrento. You can visit islands, Roman archeological sites, and even the city of Naples as a day trip, a good alternative for those who don't want to stay in Naples but want to explore the city.

Day trips from the city of Turin, in northern Italy, include Baroque palaces, a stunning monastery, wine towns, and the city of Milan.

The walled city of Lucca makes a great base for exploring towns of northern Tuscany from popular places like Pisa to villas near Lucca and off the beaten track excursions. You can visit the coast, spa towns, a lake, and one of Europe's largest systems of caverns.

A good way to visit wineries and taste wine is by taking a guided day tour so you don't have to drive. These winery tours, arranged through Select Italy, provide transportation to wineries with stops at interesting places along the way. Tours are available in the Piedmont and Veneto regions of Northern Italy, Tuscany, the Roman countryside, and around Pompeii and Mount Vesuvius.