When to Visit Northern Italy?
Italy can get pretty hot in the summer and so if you want the weather to be a little milder which is perfect for hiking and the crowds a little thinner, I highly recommend you visit during spring from April to late May.
If you just want the best weather for swimming and relaxing in the sun, you are going to have to brace the crowds and visit Northern Italy in the summer months between June to August.
Despite the area being crowded, there are ways to avoid the crowd in Italy like by simply staying overnight outside of the touristy areas or you can also wake up early in the morning and explore before the crowds arrive.
Winter is not recommended since many restaurants and cafes are often closed for the season except for a few guest houses and bed and breakfasts in places like Cinque Terre.
Also, to travel around the Dolomites without a car, you are going to have to rely on their bus network which doesn't run as often in winter and many of the hiking trails are closed off which is not ideal.
How Many Days to Spend in Northern Italy?
Two weeks is a good amount of time to spend in Northern Italy, allowing you enough time to visit most of the great highlights that make Northern Italy so wonderful.
Of course, you can adjust my itinerary as you see fit. Do not want to spend a day in Pisa? Feel free to switch it to Siena or spend more days in Florence. The itinerary is made to be completely adjustable.
You can also visit many of these places as day trips like visiting Lake Como as a day trip in Milan, visiting Cinque Terre as a day trip from Florence/Milan, or you can visit both Pisa and Cinque Terre in one day from Florence, and make this itinerary a 7-day itinerary although, I think it will be a little rush for most. What I am saying is that the possibility is endless with this itinerary, so feel free to adjust as you see fit.
How to Get to Northern Italy?
Most trip in Northern Italy begins in Milan and so first and foremost, you will have to find a flight from your hometown to Milan's Malpensa Airport.
From the US, there are many direct flights from JFK that will take you straight to Milan in about 11 hours via Emirates, Delta, and American Airlines. You can browse through great direct flights from here.
From Europe, you have quite a lot more options here. You can either fly directly to Milan from places like the UK via Wizz Air, take a train from all the major train stations around Europe, or catch one of the many buses to Milan. Flixbus is highly recommended when it comes to bus travel in Europe.
From Asia, there are also many direct flights to Milan operated by local carriers from cities like Singapore, Seoul, or Tokyo or you can go with connecting flights which are often a bit cheaper. There are many flights from Asia that connect via middle east countries like Emirates via Dubai or Etihad via Abu Dhabi. The journey should take approximately 12 hours direct.
To find a cheap flight to Italy, I would recommend you use Skyscanner or Expedia to look for the cheapest route and schedule so you can compare and pick the best one.
How to Get Around Northern Italy?
Italy is very well-connected by trains and buses and these are the 2 modes of transportation you will be relying on most for this itinerary.
By trains: The trains here are quite ok with a reliable enough schedule with a chance of 5 - 10 minutes delay and excellent coverage. They are operated by Trenitalia and you will be using them when you travel from one city to another.
Due to how short the transit time is sometimes, and how trains here have the tendency to be delayed, always give at least 20 minutes of transit time if you can. You can book a train ticket online beforehand which is extremely convenient.
By Bus: Buses are also a great way to get around Northern Italy, especially in remote places like the Dolomites. The bus schedules in most places in Northern Italy are often available online and you should be able easily reserve seats online without having to be at the bus station beforehand. This and Flixbus are my preferred modes of transportation when I want to move around quickly and directly.
By Rental Cars: You can also rent a car straight from the airport in Milan and drive around Northern Italy. One thing to know is that mountain roads can be quite narrow and cause a huge traffic jams in places like Lake Como so be sure to avoid weekends or public holidays. To Rent a car, hit the link below:
How Much Money Do I Need for 2 weeks in Northern Italy?
From this 2 weeks itinerary, we can calculate approximately how much money you will be spending here as follows:
Accommodation: For 15 nights in Northern Italy, you can expect to pay around 490 EUR for accommodation minimum considering you are staying in hostels.
Food: For 15 days, 3 meals a day in Italy, you can expect to pay around 450 EUR for food considering you eat out every meal. It will be cheaper if you cook it yourself.
Transportation: For this itinerary, you can expect to pay around 250 EUR for transportation between cities with around 219 EUR for trains and the rest for metros and buses you might be taking in the cities like Milan.
Activities: Depending on how much you want to follow my itinerary you can expect to pay approximately 300 EUR for activities for museums, entrance fees, City Passes, etc.
Total Budget for 2 weeks in Northern Italy: 1,480 EUR
Is it Safe in Italy?
In general, Northern Italy is pretty safe but in big cities like Milan and Florence, and crowded places like the train stations and the metros, you will have to be extra careful with your belongings as, like any other big European cities, petty theft and pickpocketing can be quite prevalent there.
As usual, it is always a good idea to exercise precautions by not leaving your belongings unattended and always, ALWAYS keep an eye out on your belongings at all times. Keep your hands in your pockets when entering or exiting crowded places like a metro or a train station and make sure you are holding your phones and wallets tightly.
Other than that, you should be fine traveling around Italy. I didn't have any problems in Italy when I was there. Keep your wits with you and you will be fine.
Which tourist SIM card is best for Italy?
There are 4 major carriers in Italy, TIM, Vodafone, W3m, and Iliad, that offer prepaid sim cards tourists can buy while they are traveling in Italy. Unfortunately, with the rise of esims, having to be in the country to buy a sim card at a store is quite inconvenient and not ideal.
If you have a smartphone that supports esims, I highly recommend you take a look at this esim. They have a variety of data packages, price points, and durations for you to choose from ranging from 1 GB for 7 days costing only 5 USD to 10 GB for 30 days costing 22.5 USD.
The setup is fast and instant and you can buy it prior to your trip so you don't have to scramble your way to get one at the airport after a long flight. The data speed is also equivalent to what you get with a local sim card with 4G speed across the entire country.
Or if you are traveling to Italy as part of a bigger Europe trip, I highly recommend you get the regional Eurolink esim which will give you access to data from over 39 countries across Europe. I have personally used this esim on my 3-months trip around Europe and it has worked wonders.
For more information on esims in Italy, click here: Check Italy's Available eSim.
What to Pack for Northern Italy?
As you may already know, I am an advocate of light traveling, and indeed, packing light for a journey like this is a unique art form. Here are some packing tips for your upcoming trip to Northern Italy:
- Walking/Hiking Shoes: With all the walking and possible hiking during your travel, a comfortable pair of shoes is a must. I recommend the Timberland 3-Eye Classic Boat Shoes that are my go-to pair for long strolls and hikes.
- Breathable Shirts: Given the potential for hot weather, pack a few breathable shirts for your outdoor adventures.
- Shorts/Jeans: Anticipate lots of walking during your travels? Be sure to pack some breathable shorts and a pair of Levi's jeans for when the weather cools. For women, leggings are excellent for both hot and cold climates, so consider packing some as well.
- Fleece Jacket: For colder weather, layering is the key, and a fleece jacket makes an excellent insulating layer. I recommend the Columbia Steens Mountain Fleece (for women).
- Outer Shell Jacket: An outer shell jacket is great for windy or rainy conditions. I highly recommend the Columbia Watertight Jacket (for women). It's lightweight, breathable, and even comes in a cool orange color.
- Microfiber Towel: A Microfiber towel is the ideal backpacker's towel due to its lightness, quick drying, and compressibility.
- Camera: You should also pack a good camera for your trip so that you can capture all the beautiful experiences you might have. I recommend the Sony a7R V camera together with the Sony 24-70mm f2.8 GM II lens, which is probably the highest-performance camera and lens combination you can get right now.
- Power Bank: Keep your electronics charged on the go with a 20,000+ mAh Power Bank.
- Water Bottle: The Hydro Flask Trail Water Bottle is a great insulated water bottle to have with you in cities or on hiking trails. It is lightweight and can keep your water cold or warm for more than 12 hours. It's a total game-changer.
- Universal Adapter: You'll need just one universal adapter to plug in your electronics in any country you visit.
- Packing Cubes: Packing Cubes will help you save space in your backpack and keep all your belongings organized.
- Daypack: The Langly Alpha Globetrotter is my go-to everyday camera backpack. It's large enough to carry all my travel gear, and it comes with plenty of slots and pouches. Plus, it's stylish as hell!
- Large Backpack: You will need a large backpack to carry all of your stuff. I recommend the Osprey Atmos AG 65L backpack. With excellent weight distribution and a lifetime guarantee, you can't go wrong with Osprey.
For more information on what I pack in my backpack for this trip, check out: My Packing List: 60 Travel Essentials.