Solo travel to Italy: tips & tricks from our solo traveler community

Ah, Italy. The land of la dolce vita, where the pasta is a little bit tastier and the views of the Colosseum are dreamier than you ever imagined. We know Italy is a bucket list destination for many people, including our solo travelers. That’s why we asked them to share their advice for where to go, what to eat, and how to spend your free time while traveling to Italy as a solo traveler on a guided tour.

Why solo travel to Italy?

One of the most beautiful aspects of Italy is that it’s a destination for every type of solo explorer, no matter your travel style. Want to hike in the mountains? Head to the Dolomites on our Northern Italy & Cinque Terre Walking Tour. Does the foodie in you light up at the thought of treating your vacation like a weeklong feast? You have to join our Food & Wine: Flavors of Tuscany & Umbria tour. Does the Venice, Florence, Rome trio make your travel-loving heart sing? You can hit all three in one trip on our Venice, Florence & Rome for Solo Travelers tour!

If you know you want to take a solo trip to Italy but are feeling a little nervous about how to travel solo in Italy, a guided tour is just the ticket. You’ll have the safety of a group, the expertise of local guides, and the free time to explore at your leisure.

How to meet other solo travelers in Italy

The short answer: our tours, of course, which make Italy solo travel a dream. “What made this trip memorable were the people that I met,” said traveler Stephanie after joining our Food & Wine Tour of Southern Italy & Sicily. “Having a smaller group allowed us to get to know each other. I was traveling solo, but I never felt alone because there was always someone to eat, drink, or shop with.” When you join us on a tour of Italy, you’ll have a built-in network of fellow travelers who share your passion for exploration. Check out our tips for creating meaningful connections on a solo trip.

• Join a Solo Tour. You’re bound to meet all kinds of interesting new people when you join any of our Italy tours, but it’s especially easy to meet other solo travelers when everyone on your tour is flying solo! Cue our Solo Tours of Italy, like our Venice, Florence & Rome for Solo Travelers tour and our Sicily for Solo Travelers tour. “This was a solo group, and everyone was great,” said traveler Arlene after joining our Sicily for Solo Travelers tour. “We were all fast friends, and many of us are looking to travel together in the future! To me, this was the best part of this entire trip!”
• Strike up a conversation. When it comes to forging new friendships, half of the battle is just taking that first step. “Talk to everyone, not just [those in] the same age group as yourself,” said traveler Vicki, who met her travel buddy, Jessica, on one of our guided tours. “Jessica and I are 28 years apart but still have a lot of the same interests. So be open to meeting new people. You have to be willing to take a chance. Solo traveling can be scary, but the rewards are so worth it.” Looking for an opportunity to take the leap? Bus rides and group dinners are some of our favorite occasions to chat with our fellow travelers.
• Try something new. One of our favorite ways to bond with others on a solo Italy trip is to take a class or try a new activity together. Learn to make traditional Italian dishes from a professional chef on one of our Italy tours and get to know your fellow travelers as you hand roll pasta and sip wine. “As a solo traveler, having a shared activity is a great way to get to know your fellow travelers naturally while learning about the rich culture and traditions surrounding food in Sicily,” said staffer Allison after traveling solo on our A Week in Sicily: Palermo, Syracuse & Taormina tour.
• Invite others to join you for a drink or a meal. “On free evenings in Syracuse and Taormina, I enjoyed relaxing on the hotel patios with a glass of wine and admiring the view,” said staffer Allison, who went solo on our A Week in Sicily: Palermo, Syracuse & Taormina tour. “Fellow travelers would see me and sit with me, which made it really easy to join them for dinner afterward and turn acquaintances into new friends.” Check out our list of restaurant recommendations further down this guide for a few ideas for where to grab a bite.

Packing tips for traveling to Italy alone

Having the right things on hand helps make any solo trip a breeze. As you prepare for your tour, keep these packing essentials in your back pocket.

• Carry a multipurpose bag. “My tip is to find a good crossbody bag that you can carry a water bottle in,” said solo traveler Erica. “Rome and Florence have public fountains you can fill your water bottle up in, which makes walking around the cities nice.”
• If you’re taking a solo trip to Italy in the summer, pack a travel fan. “Air conditioning in all of Italy is lacking, so be prepared for warm rooms,” said traveler Kelli after joining our Journey through Italy: Milan to the Amalfi Coast tour. Traveler Katie agreed. “If you go in July like us, expect hot weather beyond your imagination and little AC, so bring fans!” she said after returning from our A Week in Italy: Venice, Florence & Rome tour.
• Bring a light scarf to cover up inside churches and religious sites. That way, you won't run into a little snafu like solo traveler Monica. “There are no bare shoulders and legs [allowed] at the Vatican, and I had to buy a scarf from a vendor on-site,” she said.

Best destinations in Italy for solo travelers

When it comes to the best places to travel solo in Italy, the classic cities or main hubs in popular regions like Sicily are often the way to go. They still have all the charm, but offer much more variety in terms of free-time activities and restaurant options. Plus, cities like Rome and Florence are more accustomed to welcoming American and Canadian travelers.

While you shouldn’t expect everyone to speak English (you are visiting their home country after all!), the odds of finding a local who speaks some English are much higher in these places. When in doubt, lean on your Tour Director. They’ll be able to translate the local lingo and send you on your way. Here are the best Italian cities to visit as a solo traveler.

• Florence. The walkability of the Renaissance City easily makes it one of the best Italian cities for solo travelers. That’s why it’s included on our Venice, Florence & Rome for Solo Travelers tour. “The beauty of Florence is you can walk everywhere,” said staffer Emily, who lived in Florence and went on plenty of solo adventures in the city. “Whether it’s gelateria hopping or heading outside the city center to explore the Oltrarno neighborhood, you’ll never need public transportation while in Florence.” Check out our Florence Travel Guide for more reasons to visit.
• Rome. It’s hard to beat Italy’s capital city. While Rome is bigger than Florence, one of our tips for traveling to Italy alone is to map out a little afternoon walking tour for yourself. To hit the iconic sites, start at Piazza Venezia and walk to both Piazza Navona and the Pantheon, before ending at the Trevi Fountain. To get more off the beaten path, we recommend heading toward the Tiber River for a self-guided walking tour in Rome’s Jewish Quarter. Can’t decide between Florence and Rome? Check out this guide to find out which Italian city is right for you—or plan a trip to visit both by taking our Venice, Florence & Rome for Solo Travelers tour!
• Syracuse. Explore the city on our Solo Tour of Sicily, and find the oldest section on the island of Ortygia—it’s the perfect place for a little solo exploration. Ceramic shops line the winding, old-timey streets and the ancient city walls loop around the island, offering unmatched views of the Mediterranean Sea. Good views and good souvenir shopping? Yes, and yes. Read our Sicily Travel Guide for even more tips.
• Taormina. You’ll stop at this hilltop town overlooking the Mediterranean on our Solo Tour of Sicily, too. When it comes to the best places to visit in Italy as a solo traveler, this is the town to go to if you want to take it slow and take in the scenery. You can shop on Corso Umberto, visit Isola Bella, or take a dip in the sea. Check out the best ways to pass the time in Taormina.

Restaurant recommendations for your solo trip to Italy

One of our favorite parts of Italy’s food scene is how a casual dinner has a way of turning into an hours-long affair complete with cacio e pepe, Chianti, and creamy gelato. Here are some top dining tips to keep in mind while traveling to Italy as a solo traveler, shared by our very own solo travel community.

• Trattoria Zà Zà in Florence. This recommendation from solo traveler Danielle combines two of our favorite things: local food and new friends. “Go to Trattoria Zà Zà for the Florentine steak, but maybe bring another solo traveler with you to help you eat it!” she said. Weighing in at around two pounds, a Florentine steak, or bistecca alla Fiorentina, is about four times larger than an average portion of steak in North America. That’s why this traditional Tuscan dinner is always shared between at least two people. Here are more Italian dishes that are worth the flight.
• Ambasciata d’Abruzzo in Rome. We love a restaurant that takes you outside the city center because it’s where you’ll find all the locals—and arguably some of the tastiest food. Solo traveler Ann said Ambasciata d’Abruzzo is “the best restaurant in Rome!” Get even more restaurant recs in our Rome Travel Guide.
• Mercato Centrale in Florence. We know eating alone can feel a little daunting. That’s why eating at this market is one of the best things to do in Italy as a solo traveler. Its open-concept floor plan makes it the perfect place for travelers looking to enjoy their meal in a more lively environment. Head upstairs where vendors line the outside of the floor and beer-hall style tables fill the interior. It’s the perfect place to try some more adventurous foods—tripe, anyone?—and plates of the classics. (Order the truffle pasta; you won’t regret it!)
• Gelato… everywhere! As long as you go to a gelateria where the gelato isn’t displayed in giant, colorful mounds, you really can’t go wrong. Look for shops storing the sweet treat in smaller metal tins, sometimes covered with lids. If the gelato is leveled off at the top of the tin, rather than piled sky-high in brightly colored mounds, it means it’s fresher. Plus, the more natural-looking the color, the most authentic the ingredients are. Want some city-specific recs? We tapped Sabra, an expert Tour Director (and Italian!), for her best tips on where to get gelato in Florence.

Have you checked “Enjoy a meal at a restaurant alone” off your bucket list? Check out 7 more things to cross off your solo-travel bucket list →

Things to do in Italy if you’re a solo traveler

Step into history, shop, eat, repeat. That’s the daily to-do list on any of our Italy tours. So, it’s no surprise that our list of what to do in Italy as a solo traveler includes a little something from each of these areas.

• Visit the Largo di Torre Argentina in Rome. “My favorite free-time activity was going to the ruins of Largo do Torre Argentina,” said solo traveler Erica. “It’s an important archaeological site because Julius Caesar was assassinated here.”
• Stroll through the San Lorenzo Leather Market in Florence. If there’s any place that you could spend hours getting lost in (in the best way possible), it’s this outdoor market. “Vendors selling leather goods, scarves, and ceramic souvenirs, like wine stoppers, line the streets surrounding Mercato Centrale,” said staffer Emily. “This is the place to pick up leather fashion goods for both men and women. If you don’t see something that catches your eye on display at an outdoor storefront, their brick-and-mortar locations house more goods conveniently located right behind their outdoor stand.”
• Take a day trip to the island of Ischia on the Amalfi Coast. “I went to Poseidon Thermal Gardens in Ischia and it was fabulous,” said solo traveler Karen. “I spent the entire day dipping myself into pool after glorious pool around the lush gardens of Poseidon. I had a fantastic seaside meal in Ischia and bought some amazing handmade crafts.”
• Add excursions to your tour. Not only do these added experiences bring you closer to culture, but you’ll get to take part in the moments alongside other travelers in your group and your expert Tour Director. You can never go wrong with a wine tasting or cooking class, whether you find yourself traveling to the Italian Riviera or Puglia. In Sicily, staffer Emily highly recommends the Traditions of Sicily: Villa Lunch & Noto Village excursion—here’s why. If you’re heading out on the Grand Tour of Italy, check out our list of can’t-miss excursions on this tour.
• Picnic in the park in Taormina. One of our tried-and-true tips for traveling to Italy as a solo traveler? Spend a day basking in the sun with a basket of Italian treats. Most every city will have a public park, but if you find yourself in Taormina, pick up gelato, a bottle of Nero d’Avola wine, and a panino, and picnic in the English Gardens. Get more tips on how to spend free time on tour as a solo traveler.

Looking to connect with a community of fellow solo travelers? Join our Solo Travel Facebook group!