EPIC ITALY ROAD TRIP (NORTH TO SOUTH) a truly hedonic experience!

If it is your first-time visiting Italy, I am jealous of you! Firsts are always special, and Italy truly is a unique country and the best spot in the world for a solo female traveler. You will immediately feel welcomed and impressed by its stunning architecture, endless art galleries, history, great cuisine, gorgeous people and pristine beaches. I try to go back whenever I can and I will share with you my recent experience road tripping solo and my honest reviews and favourite spots, from Milan all the way down to Puglia, so you have the best experience once you are in the country of love, art and food!

My most recent trip to Italy was in December as I wanted to finally travel the full length of the country and spend Christmas and New Years in Puglia. I have a long history of falling in love with and dating Italian guys, and my biggest all-time crush has been a guy from Puglia. He totally stood out from the crowd when I met him in Canada, with his laid back and careless attitude, not respecting any of the traffic rules, his exaggerated hand gestures and of course his Italian accent. We didn’t work out which meant I had to eventually visit Puglia in the hopes of meeting someone identical to him (spoiler alert, I didn’t). So, I planned an epic road trip for myself from Milan, to Venice, to Puglia, followed by Napoli and ending in Rome.

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I landed in Milan and directly headed to Montenapoleone to have some pastries and some real Italian coffee at Pasticerria Cova, by all means highly recommended. Montenapoleone is an upscale shopping street famous for being the most important street of the Milan fashion district with many high-end boutiques from well-known fashion designers. It is worth a visit whether you want to purchase anything or only want to window shop.

Another highlight is Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, a major landmark of Milan and Italy’s oldest active shopping mall, next to Duomo di Milano. Once you enter the mall you will quickly notice people spinning on top of a mosaic bull, which is an old tradition said to bring good luck. I give it a shot every time I go, because why not.

Do not skip Pinacoteca di Brera if it is your first time in Milan. The building itself is gorgeous and you will find some of the greatest masterpieces of Italian and foreign art from 13^th to the 20^th century. I recommend walking everywhere in Milan. The city is small enough to discover on foot and this way you can admire the boho-chic Brera district of the city, filled with cobbled streets, designer boutiques and art galleries on your way to Pinacoteca.

After a day of exploration, the Navigli district is the perfect spot to have an aperitivo. I discover a new cocktail bar, restaurant or an aperitivo spot each time I go. There are so many to choose from that it deserves its own separate post.

My next stop was Monza and Como Lake. It was around Christmas time, so there were markets, decorations, hot wine and Christmas cookies everywhere which I loved. My Italian friend picked me up from Monza and joined me on the first leg of my journey, to Venice.

On our drive, we stopped in Lake Garda for breakfast and luckily found one restaurant that was open. It is very beautiful but also very quiet during off season.

We had a brief stop in Verona to check out the house of Juliet (from Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet) and took some photos in the famous balcony. I also got to try some hot chocolate at Bauli, a Verona based bakery, as per my friend’s recommendation. We then continued the drive, to where I assumed would be Venice, finding myself in a town called Chioggia. When I asked my friend why we are not staying in Venice, he assured me that this town is equally as charming  and is nicknamed “little Venice”. A little disappointed, I decided not to cause too much drama and enjoyed the night with some wine and pasta, determined to leave the next day. After having visited Venice, I can now advise you to definitely NOT stop in Chioggia, especially if you are travelling off season and cannot even enjoy the sea.

Venice itself is a dream. I felt like I was Alice in Wonderland, wandering all the narrow alleys. The town is extremely picturesque and very easy to fall in love with. Be prepared to up your daily step count during your visit though, as you will mostly be walking up and down the many steps and crossing bridges over the canals to get anywhere. I explored some of the many art galleries, bookstores, museums and restaurants.

A memorable one is Libreria Acqua Alta. It is definitely worth a visit. The name itself means “Bookstore of High Water”, where you will find a number of rooms stacked wall to wall with books, maps and magazines, placed inside waterproof bins and bathtubs, due to Venice’s constant flooding. They even have cats wandering around the bookstore, the place is simply charming.

Closer to the ferry port is the famous Piazza San Marco. It is surrounded by impressive buildings, including Basilica di San Marco, the Doge’s Palace and the Museo Correr. From there, I took the ferry to Burano for a day trip. It was nice but I would only recommend to go if you had more than enough days to cover the main highlights of Venice.

Then it was time to start the journey to the south. On my way to Bari, I briefly stopped in Bologna to taste the real Bolognese, to wander around Piazza Maggiore and admire the architecture of the red city.

I spent one night in Ancona, to rest and rejuvenate, before driving down to Bari. I am glad I had good company for the 8+ hour drive, two days before Christmas. The highway was blocked for hours and the traffic got wilder the further south we drove. I sang and celebrated as we crossed from Molise to Puglia, checking off a big bucket list item.

Southern Italy is definitely a vibe. The relaxed atmosphere, friendly people, amazing food and perfect weather make it an incredible spot for a holiday or to settle down and start a family. It also turns out that Christmas Eve in Bari is a daylong celebration where everyone gets drunk before noon. I went without expectations and I was positively surprised.

Spending Christmas and New Years in Puglia was probably the best decision I have ever made besides deciding to never again spend a winter in Canada. For the following ten days or so, I ate delicious homemade Italian food, got showered with presents, drank wine, sang and celebrated with a bunch of Italians. I had to pinch myself more than once to make sure I wasn’t dreaming. There were fireworks multiple times a day until the 1^st of January. The festive season is celebrated very intensely in Italy and I totally didn’t mind it.

While in Puglia, I visited Alberobello, Lecce and Porto Cesareo, all highly recommended, and I will admit that I am a sucker for Christmas decorations so for me visiting this time of the year made it extra special.

I celebrated New Years in Lecce with a big group of new and old friends combined, with a typical Italian aperitivo followed by dinner and drinks, ringing in the new years with even more fireworks. I kept my eyes open for my Apulian prince charming but didn’t meet anyone I liked more than my previous crush. I left Puglia with a full heart and a full stomach and tons of new amazing connections.

I arrived in Napoli few days into the new year. It was my second time visiting. I absolutely hated it during my first trip a few years ago and decided to give it a second chance. This time I was more prepared for its chaos and craziness so I could actually enjoy the crowded streets, the local food, and the overall atmosphere. I also had the chance to visit Pompeii and had a memorable end of my trip.

My return flight was from Rome, which I like to call the center of the world, and it was only appropriate to say goodbye to this magical country by paying a final visit to the Eternal City. I had an amazing steak and wine dinner on my final night that concluded this epic trip.

Italy never ceases to spark a light in me and I will return and visit again and again until the day I move into my coastal mansion, with or without my Italian husband. So, take my advice and book your flight while you are still alive, I promise you will not regret it!

If you’re looking for more European destinations to explore, be sure to check out my Montenegro travel guide!

Travelling long term is fun but constantly arranging transport & hotels for yourself can be exhausting if you don’t know where to look. I use the following platforms to make my booking process a breeze:

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