A single girl’s guide to traveling solo in Italy

With Ranveer Singh and Deepika Padukone taking off for their wedding celebrations in Lake Como, Italy, it’s likely that the country is soon going to be on a lot more people’s travel bucket lists. And while a lot of these plans may feature a Significant Other, we want to introduce you to a world free of judgement, compromises and cancelled plans—it’s called solo traveling, and it lives up to all the clichés attached with it. Yes, it is liberating. Yes, it is freeing. And yes, it is intimidating every single time. But also, somewhere along getting lost on the cobbled streets of a European town with a scribbled-on map in your hands, you will find parts of you you didn’t even think existed.

I remember the first morning of my first solo trip to Europe, when I walked into my hostel in Berlin at 7.30am—five hours before check in time—and found it, well, empty. And it was the first and last time I wondered, “now what?”. Because for the rest of my trip (and all other solo trips that have followed), I don’t think I ever even had the time to wonder what next, because I was too busy living the now in a city unknown, with people who came without tags or baggage. Like a colleague of mine told me before my Italian sojourn, it’s when you’re away from your ties, tags and comforts, that you truly bloom. Of course, you’ll have moments where you’d feel like reclusive, when the new is too overwhelming, but little signs will very quickly turn you towards sunshine and back on the road again.

Solo travel begins much before you get on that flight—ask my office desk buddy, who I spam with links of experiences and stay options weeks before every trip, just to get a second opinion. This handy solo girl’s guide to travelling through Italy will save you (or your colleague) some of that trouble.

Go on a virtual trip first

Before your actual trip, use Google Maps to chart your pitstops. I only had a week for my first trip to Italy, so I balanced between what I would love to see and what I should see, and I did it wisely. Don’t try to pack in too much in too little time—give every city the time it deserves to be explored. If you only have a week (like I did), two cities in Italy are doable. I flew into Milan for a night, then went to Florence for its undeniable small-town charm, followed by Rome for the opposite—its tremendous, overwhelming beauty.

Work backwards

Planning a trip to any European country on your own can seem a little daunting—where should I stay? How do I know if it’s a safe area? How do I travel from one city to another? What if I get lost? Etcetera, etcetera.

The answer to your infinite questions is singular—break it all down and work backwards. First, start researching on your itinerary once you’ve picked your cities. Write down a long list of tentative things to do (which can be trimmed later). Second, figure out how many days you need in each city based on your itinerary. I decided to do two days in Florence and three in Rome. Third, book your trains, always in advance. Fourth and last on your checklist is the stay, which is always the trickiest. But we’ll get there. Read on.

How to travel intercity in Italy

The cheapest, fastest, and safest way to travel through Italy is to take the train. I found Trenitalia’s—Italy’s primary train operator—website pretty easy to figure out. All you need to do is put in your dates and the preferred time, and pick from the list of trains available on those days. Pick economy for a three to four hour journey—the seats are comfortable and have enough room in between for a large bag. (Mine was a massive 28 inches!) And there’ll always be friendly co-passengers around to help you with your suitcases.

How to pick your stay

Two points are key—the location you pick, and the type of place you choose in that location. Here are my two cents on making the right choice.

• Location: Your first instinct—and every TripAdvisor comment you’ll read—will have you inching towards the city centre as your primary pick for location. I, from past experiences (including this one), would like to disagree. I always pick a place that isn’t in the city centre—just far enough from all the touristy/crowded/commercial and thus unnecessarily overpriced areas, but close enough to reach them by foot or local transport.
• When in Florence: I picked Oltrarno (which literally means on the other side of the Arno), which is close to Santa Spirito Square—the cooler, less touristy side of the bridge from River Arno. I find Airbnb to be the best platform to scout for stays. After a thorough scroll through reviews and pictures, I picked Claudia’s apartment—dotted with colourful decor elements that she’s accumulated from her own travels. Always be in touch with your Airbnb host and let them know about your arrival details in advance.
• When in Rome: Don’t even think of looking beyond Trastevere—the coolest neighbourhood in Rome. Its vibrant, bohemian streets with graffiti-sprayed walls, are peppered with local trattorias (an Italian style eating establishment that’s less formal than a restaurant, but more so than the osteria), pubs and artisan shops. And when in Trastevere, Together is a great option—it’s not a hostel, nor a hotel—it’s just the kind of personal space a solo traveler needs in a big city. Stay at this multi-community apartment that lets you have you own room (clean and spacious) and gives you a key to the apartment, with a living area that often hosts cultural evenings of music and art. One evening, I walked into the living room to see it transformed into a yoga class, and on another, saw a housemate playing The Beatles covers on guitar. I loved it because it provided me with my space, while still giving me an opportunity to meet like-minded people. Ernesto, the host, even has a map to Trastevere, with his personal favourites listed down.

Two days in Florence, Italy

Unlike other cities that take their time to fully accept you, Florence’s charm—with its little bylanes, hole-in-the-wall osterias (small, inexpensive, informal Italian eateries) and gelatarias, artisanal shops and that old-town whiff in the air—makes you feel at home the minute you step foot on your first cobblestone. The Tuscan city can be explored in a day of walking, if you’re the sort to do that. Aside from shopping and eating at commercial spots, here’s how to make the most of your two days in Florence, the non-touristy way.

Go for a renaissance walk

Start you Florentine holiday by getting to know the city. This renaissance walk I did was the perfect way to get acquainted to the city’s historic elements, which became the blueprint to plan my days ahead. If it wasn’t for Vessela’s (the host) excellent explanation of the rebirth and revival of the renaissance era and its influence on Florence, I would be a clueless tourist marvelling at the Duomo without any knowledge its relevance. Opt for a morning two-hour walk, and really walk into the Renaissance with Vessela’s words—she’ll take you through cathedrals and their stories, the Baptistery and its artwork, the story of Palazzo Vecchio, Uffizi and Pitti Palace, and of course, Michelangelo’s famous artworks, including David.

Watch the sun setting over Florence, Italy

Pack up a chocolate croissant and a pint of prosecco, and hike up to Piazzale Michelangelo to see the sun setting over Florence—it’s magical to see the colours change over Florentine rooftops.

Eat gelato, all day, every day

You’ll find a gelataria at every corner—I loved the gelatos at Eduardo’s, which is close to the Duomo. Tip: Don’t get tempted to pick gelatarias that have their gelatos mounded like a volcano. The authentic gelatarias will need no theatric displays, so go for those instead.   

Learn to make pasta

Because why won’t you want to come back knowing how the Italians do it? This cooking class teaches you how to hand-make pasta dough and roll it out in the traditional style. The best part? You get to eat three versions of your handiwork, along with unlimited wine. 

Enjoy an al fresco dinner at the Santa Spirito Square

A night out in Florence isn’t complete without dining at Santa Spirito Square. Walk into one of the trattorias that circle the square, listen to live jazz and take in the lively atmosphere with a glass of their house wine.

Explore the art scene

Make reservations in advance (as the queue can go on for hours!) and enter Galleria degli Uffizi, one of the oldest art museums holding Renaissance masterpieces by Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo and the likes. Climb up the Bell Tower at the Duomo (fair warning: lots of steps) for an unparalleled view. Make sure you get a ticket early to avoid the long wait under the Tuscan sun.

Three days in Rome

It’s true what they say about Rome: it’s a walking museum. Of course, I walked everywhere, even the Vatican—which is its own city. Here’s my three-day plan for your Roman holiday, including of course, getting inside one of the seven wonders of the world.

Go to the Trevi Fountain

You can’t begin her Roman holiday without tossing a coin in the iconic Trevi Fountain and making a wish. There’ll be hundred others like you doing the same, but it’ll leave you with a smile and a hopeful heart nonetheless. Pick up a gelato and start making your way to the Spanish Steps around the corner—and enjoy the view of humans hoarding it—before continuing on to the Pantheon.

Walk along the oldest Jewish Quarter and eat like the locals

I love eating like the locals do, so this food tour was just what I needed to know where to go for my future meals. It started with a walk on the oldest Jewish Quarter, where we tried everything—from eating fried artichoke, which played a tango of textures on our palettes, getting pizza (sandwiches!) and beer in one of the oldest bakeries that only ‘lets locals in’, tasting local wine and pairing it with cheese and flowers (yup, that’s a thing!), to finally getting our authentic pasta fix. All this, while digging deep into the history of Italian cuisine. The tour has me salivating every time I recall it to this day.

Visit the Colosseum

You can’t go to Rome and not visit one of the seven wonders of the world—the marvellous Roman Colosseum. Definitely sign up for a tour instead of just attempting this by yourself. Because, one, you need to know where you’re walking instead of aimlessly staring at what’s in front of you, and two, because your guide will ensure you enter a world of gladiators and emperors with words so descriptive that you’ll be teleported back in time. I almost walked out with a feeling of having witnessed a fight in the amphitheatre in my royal Roman attire.

Walk to the Vatican

You could take a bus, cab or train, but why would you when the view is that beautiful? The Vatican tour is long, and has hundreds of tourists lining up—so do yourself a favour and book one in advance. Because once you’re finally inside the Sistine Chapel looking at Michelangelo’s ceiling masterworks, you’ll know what I mean, and you’ll thank me after.

Eat, eat, eat

Every region in Italy is known for its local specialities; in Rome, it’s the carbonara. And you won’t find an average version of it anywhere—that’s how well they’ve mastered the art of pasta in a silken egg sauce. Get an Aperol spritz with your meal and enjoy its intoxicating sweet and sour taste, and try some supplì (fried rice croquettes stuffed with meat and mozzarella), aside from regular rounds of pizza, pasta and prosecco.

Leave the city and take a hike in Tivoli

Tivoli is about an hour’s train journey from Rome (not counting the time taken to reach Roma Termini), and is the perfect short getaway from crowded Roman streets. This sunset hike in the Monte Catillo Nature Reserve will provide the respite you need after having spent your days exploring Rome’s historic structures. Ensure you have an extra day for this, as it may tire you (in an exhilarating way) to do anything else before or after. You’ll witness waterfalls and blooms that soothe the eyes, and a sunset worth all those steps you took to get there, enjoyed with a glass of red.

Go restaurant hopping in Trastevere

I’ve already mentioned this as my favourite neighbourhood in Rome, and it’s also because it houses the city’s favourite local eateries—from stuffed fried pizza and gnocchi to doughballs drizzled with Nutella, a Tiramisu so strong I can swear it got me high, to a good ol’ Roman slice of pizza—it’s where I realised I should’ve been born Italian.