A Solo Female Travelers Guide to Traveling Italy Alone

Planning to solo travel in Italy? This guide covers all the details you need to know for traveling Italy alone.

Italy is the perfect place to explore solo especially if you love great food, history, beautiful architecture, and more! Italy has so much to offer. In one country you will find amazing beaches, mountains, city life, and hidden picturesque villages. So, for whatever traveler you are, Italy is surely not to disappoint.

As a first time solo traveler to Italy, you may want to pick destinations that are more touristic as many of these places will know likely know more English. Read on for my guide to solo travel in Italy, coming from someone who has traveled solo to 25+ countries with Italy being the most traveled of any of the countries!

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Quick Facts before visiting Italy:
💱Currency: Euro €
💶 Budget for a trip to Italy: The average daily cost for a trip to Italy is €130 a night for both food and accommodation.
💜 Is tipping required in Italy? Tipping in Italy is not required. Sometimes you will find it included in your bill as coperto which is a flat, fixed cover charge. It usually covers the price of bread that is brought out to the table ahead of the meal.
☀️Best time to Visit: April or May if you want to avoid peak tourist time and very hot summers or September to October when the weather is mild.
🏥 Travel Insurance in Italy: I recommend SafetyWing which will cover you in case of trip cancellations or any accidents during your travels.

Is Italy Safe for Solo Travel?

Italy is safe for solo travel but to remind you, crime can happen anywhere if you aren’t safe or if you venture into unsafe areas or situations. The key is to be smart and mindful of your surroundings. The people in Italy are very kind to tourists and the public transport is great making it a great place to travel solo.

Some say that the men can be somewhat aggressive by saying “Ciao Bella” as you pass by but it is most of the time harmless and you can just ignore as to not bring attention to yourself. I’ve never had an issue and I have traveled alone a countless number of times.

In terms of racism, I have heard a few cases of racism in Italy. An Asian friend of mine had a bad experience in Venice where the gondola driver made comments about her being Chinese in a condescending way. So just keep in mind if you visit, racism can sometimes be a problem.

The country has a low crime rate in general and if you carry yourself confidently you will be fine. Don’t ever fall for common scams such as giving you a bracelet then asking you to pay for it or distracting you so that they can pick-pocket which can sometimes be a thing in overly tourist areas. However, these things can happen in every country, as stated before, so it’s important to remember that and not be afraid of travel just because of this.

The more you travel solo, the more you will become confident and experienced at doing it and also recognize and follow your intuition when things might be off. It’s best to always let a friend know your whereabouts just in case.

🤳 Best tripods for solo travel:
1. Simple, compact for mobile phones
2. DSLR tripod

What to pack for your solo trip to Italy

• This super cool scarf has a hidden zipper that allows you to hide important things like your passport or money. A useful thing to have for a solo traveler.
• A keychain flashlight is handy to have in case you’re ever walking alone at night and it’s too dark to see your surroundings.
• I always carry a mini first aid kit in case of any accidents and I can be a clumsy person!
• One thing I never leave home when traveling is a portable compact mobile phone charger like this one. I have run into a few situations where I was stuck in a tiny village in Italy and no one knew English. Sadly my phone died and I felt crippled without my phone. I was unable to use google translate to conversate or navigate anywhere. Also, be sure to carry a backup one too in case one dies, or just be sure to always charge it daily!
• My favorite tripod is this compact tripod for mobile phones – people constantly ask me how I take solo photos and this is how!

Travel Insurance in Italy for Solo Travelers

It’s definitely worth getting travel insurance whether you’re traveling alone or with others and I recommend SafetyWing which will cover you in case of any accidents or hospital visits. While it’s unlikely to happen, better safe than sorry!

When is the best time to travel solo to Italy?

The best time to visit Italy is in April or May if you want to avoid peak tourist time and very hot summers. Another great time to visit is September to October when the weather is still mild and fewer people are around. You will also benefit from lower travel costs during this time which is perfect for a solo traveler. August might be a time to avoid travel as this is when Italians also go on holiday and things will be super busy.

Best Places to Travel in Italy as a solo female traveler:

These are the best travel destinations in Italy for solo travelers. I have personally visited all of them solo and can attest to the fact that they felt safe. Also, they are major cities so that means there are more English Speaking Italians in these areas.

1. Rome 

Rome is the country’s capital and also one of the most popular destinations in Italy for a good reason. The city is full of liveliness and each corner you turn, you will see an amazing historical structure whether it be the Colosseum or the Trevi Fountain. The culture, the food, the history will make you fall deeply in love with Rome. There are many fun activities you can do as a solo traveler including going on a cooking tour or any group tour for that matter. Many restaurants are casual enough that you can dine alone and not feel uncomfortable.

Best Solo travel Activity in Rome: Take a cooking class like this one to learn how to make pasta and tiramisu!
Where to stay in Rome: The Generator Hostel is located in a few European cities. It is a swanky hostel and I’ve personally stayed in one and loved it. Staying in a hostel is a great way to meet other like-minded solo travelers. Click here to check the latest prices & book

2. Venice

🤎 Check out this Guide on Instagram for my best solo travel tips!
👉 Follow @joujoutravels on Instagram for solo travel inspo!

Venice is another top-of-mind destination when traveling to Italy. It is known for its 100 small islands and many canals. You can wander the streets full of beautiful colored old buildings and architecture. Don’t miss the iconic spots like St. Mark’s Basilica and Rialto Bridge. For the best view in the city, hidden away from most tourists, go to Palazzo Contarini del Bovolo. It’s an artistic center with a spiral staircase leading to a panoramic view of the city. Take the water boat taxi to other amazing places such as Burano (A colorful island known for lace-making) and Murano (known for glass making). There are no cars within the city as the town is walking only. Dal Moro’s is a great casual spot where you can grab takeaway pasta and it’s super delicious.

Best Solo travel Activity in Venice: Take a day tour to Burano and have fun taking photos in this colorful wonderland.
Where to stay in Venice:  Save a bit of money from expensive Venice & stay in a private room or female dormitory at Combo Venezia. It’s probably the fanciest hostel ever. Also, super conveniently located 2 minutes from the ferry needed to day trip to Burano.
🤎 Read the full post on how to spend a weekend in Venice! And also how to visit Burano from Venice!

3. Florence

Florence is known for Renaissance art, architecture, and monuments. The breathtaking Duomo is even more beautiful in person and is an iconic spot to visit. It’s a great solo travel destination because you can keep busy by visiting one of the wonderful museums such as the Museo Galileo or the Uffizi Gallery. There’s also plenty of great shopping on Via de’ Tornabuoni, a famous street where you can pick up beautiful jewelry pieces with the fleur de lis symbol which is a great souvenir to remember your trip. Be sure to go up to the Piazzale Michelangelo for one of the best views of the city at sunset. There are so many great things to do in Florence as a solo traveler!

Best Solo travel Activity in Florence: Stroll through the Uffizi Gallery to discover masterpieces of art. Tickets can be booked here.
Where to stay in Florence: The perfect place to stay designed specifically for solo travelers is the Airbnb called “Window to the Duomo” and you can book it here. There’s a beautiful quote inside “I don’t travel alone, I travel with myself.” This stylish artist studio is Instagram famous and has the best view of the Duomo you could ever imagine.

For more ideas on where to travel in Italy:
🏖️ 10 Beautiful Seaside Towns along the Coast in Italy
💎 20 Hidden Gems in Italy

4. Amalfi Coast

The Amalfi Coast is possibly the most beautiful part of Italy. It consists of a 34 mile stretch of coastline with breathtaking views and the most delicious food you will ever have. The best towns to explore include Positano, Capri, Ravello, and Sorrento. In Positano, be sure to stop by Arienzo Beach Club for a relaxing time at the beach, indulge in lemon sorbet straight from a lemon at Covo dei Saraceni, and be sure to have fun shopping at many of the boutiques lined in the center of the town.

Best Solo travel Activity in Amalfi Coast: Take a boat tour taking you to the breathtaking areas along the Amalfi Coast. Book the Amalfi Coast Full-Day Trip here.
Where to stay in Amalfi Coast: Amalfi Coast can be pretty expensive so for that reason, I’d recommend staying in Salerno as it’s more affordable and you can take ferries to different places pretty easily. Casa Castagna is a great option in Salerno.
🌊 Amalfi Coast Full Itinerary & Travel Guide

5. Cinque Terre

Cinque Terre is located in the Liguria region of Italy and means the 5 villages. You can easily visit in a day trip and it is a great destination for solo travel since you can do a lot of hiking and sightseeing. If you only have a day to visit, you should put Manarola, Vernazza, and Riomaggiore on your list. You can easily see all 3 in one day if you take the train as they are only minutes apart! Pro-tip: buy an all-day train pass for €16 euros if you plan to take the train more than 4x otherwise it’s €4 a journey. 

Must do things when visiting the 5 villages in Cinque Terre:

Vernazza: to get to this viewpoint below go on the hiking trail towards Monterosso and walk about 10 minutes to get a postcard-perfect photo! 

Manarola: this was the most photogenic in my opinion and my favorite town! Plus you can go to Nessun Dorma, the Instagram famous restaurant for a good reason! It’s perfectly situated in front of the best view in town. 

Riomaggiore: a good base for your visit. This is where I stayed and it’s closest to La Spezia which is likely how you will get into Cinque Terre. It was also a lovely town and I had some great pesto pasta and heavenly tiramisu at Enoteca Dau Cila.

If you have more time, I highly recommend going to Corniglia. It was the most unique of them all. It’s quite a trek to get there from the train station which is why fewer people go. You have to climb many stairs but once you arrive it will be worth it! 

The 5th village is Monterosso home of many resorts and beaches. 

Best Solo travel Activity in Cinque Terre: Hike along some of the amazing hiking trails especially the one in Vernazza on the way towards Monterosso.
Where to stay in Cinque Terre: Opt to stay in La Spezia if you’re on a budget. This is a short train ride away from the villages in Cinque Terre and much more affordable. La Casa dei Treni Affittacamere is a highly rated option.
Read my full blog post on Cinque Terre here!

Cities to avoid in Italy as a solo female traveler

There are not many places you have to avoid as Italy is pretty safe in general. However, if you are new to solo travel you might want to stay away from the smaller towns and Southern cities in Italy as they don’t know English as well. That would be places like Puglia (although amazing!) for example as not much English is spoken here. Also, cities like Naples and Palermo tend to be a bit rough around the edges so I wouldn’t recommend these cities unless you’re an experienced solo traveler.

Getting around Italy

If you stick to the major cities within Italy such as Milan, Florence, Rome, and so on, then public transport is quite easy. It is well connected with many trains that will take you from one city to another quickly. There are multiple high-speed train options including Trenitalia and ItaloTreno.

The train sites that are mainly used are below:

ItaloTreno.it

RailEurope.com

Trenitalia.com

However, smaller towns and areas such as Puglia in the South may require a car to get around as they are more remote so be sure to plan accordingly.

Is Italy expensive for solo travel?

Italy can be relatively affordable if you plan ahead and make the right budgeting choices. There are so many amazing markets where you can get fresh produce, cured meats, and amazing cheeses in case you don’t want to keep dining out. Other than that, there are many affordable places to eat, you can grab a sandwich at an Italian deli, have quick service pasta, or combine eating with a food tour that way you aren’t lonely and get to do a tour and eat at the same time.

As far as hotels, you can stay in a hostel to budget. There are many nice hostels that you wouldn’t even think are hostels because they are so trendy. As a solo traveler, a hostel really is a great choice because it can be your gateway to meeting lots of friends. They often have social events to connect you with other travelers. You can also stay in a private room if it feels uncomfortable for you to share a room with others or an all-female dormitory. Airbnb is also a great option because you can also stay in a private room within a larger shared house or you can find a studio for reasonable prices.

The average daily cost for a trip to Italy is €130 a night for both food and accommodation. A hotel should cost an average of €65 a night and if you want to be on a super tight budget you can find hostels for €30 a night.

Solo Dining in Italy

If you fear eating out alone, ease into solo dining by traveling to a country known to eat late, and luckily Italy is definitely one of them! It is common to eat at 9 or even 10 pm at night in Italy. This is because Italians first have an aperitivo after work to prime up for dinner. However, if you’re used to eating at 7 pm skip the aperitivo and go to dinner. You will likely have the whole restaurant to yourself and even spot some other same solo travelers with the same idea! 

Plus, traveling solo is all about building confidence, and who cares what others think if you’re eating on your own. It might also be a way for you to spur conversation with the bartender if you dine in less awkward places like the bar. Ask what their favorite local place is or thing to do in the city to start a conversation. Another tip for eating solo is to call the restaurant ahead and ask them to place you in a seating area that is not right in the center of everything. Perhaps at the bar or in a corner where attention won’t call towards you.

Come on now foodies, you can do this. Never sacrifice a good meal especially when it comes to Italian food because you’re afraid to go alone! 

Bologna and Verona have some of the best food in Italy if you’re a foodie!

Top Solo Travel Tips & Packing Items to be prepared for a trip to Italy

🤎 Get your FREE Solo Travel e-book! Gain confidence in traveling this beautiful world solo with my 14-page ultimate solo travel guide

1. Download an offline map such as City Maps 2 Go (Download on iPhone | Android) or Google Maps and mark all the places you want to go ahead of time so you can navigate effectively.

2. Sign up for GiffGaff, a sim card so you can use your phone for cheap during your visit to Italy. It’s a UK provider but you can use it anywhere in Europe. This is really great because you can use your phone’s data and text using iMessage or WhatsApp. The cost is around £15 and it will last you a couple of weeks. They will send you a SIM card free ahead of your trip. Here’s a link to save £10. 

3. Bring an EU adapter so you can keep charged. It’s important to note some of the voltages change and won’t work for your hairdryers, etc. Therefore, you need to get an adapter that will adjust for the voltages like this one.

4. Bring an extra debit card so that if one stops working you aren’t stuck without any money. When taking money out of an ATM always decline conversion or you’ll be charged more. This is a sneaky trick not everyone knows and will save you a lot of money. Also, when you make purchases at any store always opt for the currency of the country you are visiting to not incur additional charges. Often your instinct is to do it in your own currency but don’t ever do that!

5. Always let a friend know where you are & share your location with them via your mobile device. I use WhatsApp to share my location or find friends on the iPhone.

6. Learn key phrases in Italian so that you can respond in case of an emergency or tell someone to get away from you if they are dangerously approaching you. It’s always good to learn basic phrases when traveling anyway. Write down a few emergency phrases in case anything happens.

7. Meet friends! Solo travel doesn’t mean alone travel. Pick up a conversation with someone at a local coffee shop, go on a group tour using my favorite tour site Get your Guide, take a cooking class, or stay in a hostel!

8. Always get travel insurance when traveling especially alone. You never know what could happen. I recommend SafetyWing because it’s simple and flexible. It will cover your medical emergencies and transportation, protect you against trip cancellation, and even protect the gear you travel with. Click here to find out more.

9. Bring a tripod! Just because you’re traveling solo doesn’t mean you can’t get wonderful photos. One of the most common questions, I get asked is who takes all my pictures when I travel solo. I used to ask strangers but now that I bring my tripod, it’s a game-changer. I take most of my photos by myself and you can see how they look on my IG account here! Be sure to follow me for the best solo travel tips as well! I recommend getting a simple smartphone tripod like this. It is lightweight, easy to carry around, and also easy to set up. Or, if you’re more advanced and have professional camera gear, this one by Manfrotto is really great.

📸 Be sure to check out my post on the Best Camera Gear for Solo Female Travelers!

Hopefully, this post inspires you to travel to beautiful Italy solo and gives you some inspiration for where to go and how to navigate the amazing country!

For more reading, you may also like these:
🇮🇹 For more travel inspo visit my Italy section!
👩 Solo Travel Guide to Spain
🤎 Solo Travel Tips & FREE solo travel e-book!
📸 Best Camera Gear for Solo Female Travelers
👩❤️👱‍♀️How to Meet Friends Traveling Solo
 ♀ Best Places for Solo Female Travel
🍴Tips for eating out alone
🤫 Travel Secrets & Tips
👩 Solo Travel Interview with Samantha
💬 Solo Travel Quotes to Inspire You