Planning an Italy trip involves dozens of moving pieces — flights, hotels, trains, museum tickets (some sell out MONTHS ahead), restaurant reservations (the best are booked 2-3 months early), car rentals, travel insurance, phone/data plans, packing, and a hundred small decisions that can each improve or ruin your trip. This checklist gives you the exact timeline: what to do 6 months before, 3 months, 1 month, 1 week, and the day before departure. Follow it and you'll arrive in Italy prepared for everything.
Start planning now →Decide your dates and duration: Best time to visit. Choose your cities/regions: Use our itinerary guides — 7 days | 10 days | 14 days. Book flights: International flights are cheapest 3-6 months ahead. Use Google Flights price alerts. Book the Last Supper (Milan): Tickets sell out 2-3 months ahead — the EARLIEST booking on your list. €15 at cenacolovinciano.org. Check passport: Must be valid 3+ months beyond your travel dates (Schengen rule). Renew NOW if needed — processing takes 6-10 weeks. Book Uffizi/Vatican if traveling in peak season: These sell out weeks ahead for summer dates.
Book accommodation: Rome, Florence, Venice hotels/Airbnbs. Choose neighborhoods wisely (our guides explain each). Book refundable where possible. Book major museum tickets: Vatican Museums, Colosseum, Uffizi, Accademia (David), Borghese Gallery (Borghese REQUIRES advance booking — no walk-ups). Book intercity trains: Trenitalia/Italo high-speed trains — cheapest at 3-4 months. Rome→Florence Frecce: €20-40 if booked early, €50-80 last minute. Restaurant reservations: Top restaurants in Rome, Florence, Naples — book NOW for dinner slots. Felice a Testaccio, Trattoria Mario, etc. Travel insurance: Buy now — covers cancellation from this point. Choose a policy covering medical + cancellation + luggage.
Book cooking classes / tours / experiences: Cooking classes, food tours, wine tasting, artisan workshops. Popular ones fill up. Car rental (if needed): Book through AutoEurope or RentalCars for best rates. Read our driving guide — ZTL zones, toll roads, parking. Download apps: Trenitalia/Italo (train tickets), Google Maps (download offline maps for each city), Google Translate (download Italian for offline), WhatsApp (Italians use it for EVERYTHING — restaurant confirmations, hotel check-in). Phone plan: Buy an Italian eSIM or plan to buy a SIM at the airport (Vodafone/TIM/WindTre tourist plans: €10-20 for 30 days, 50-100GB data).
Pack: Follow our packing guide — carry-on if possible. Print backup copies: Hotel confirmations, museum tickets, train tickets, travel insurance card, passport copy (separate from passport). Notify your bank: Tell them you're traveling to Italy (prevents card being blocked for "suspicious" foreign transactions). Check foreign transaction fees — consider a no-fee travel card. Cash: Get €100-200 in cash before departure (airport exchange rates are terrible — use your bank or a Wise/Revolut card for better rates in Italy). Confirm restaurant reservations: Send a WhatsApp or email to confirm (Italians appreciate this).
Charge everything: Phone, portable battery, camera, headphones, Kindle. Download: Offline maps (Google Maps → each Italian city/region), music/podcasts for the flight, one Italian phrasebook app (our phrases guide). Final check: Passport. Wallet + cards. Phone + charger. EU power adaptor (Type C/L). Medications. Museum ticket confirmations (screenshot or print). Travel insurance details. Set an out-of-office. Take a deep breath. You're going to Italy. The best decision you've made this year. Complete Italy guide →