Forget everything they tell you about how to travel. The old advice says to pick a city, slow down, and do just a few things. But what if you’re like me? I’m a “go-go” traveler. I like to make every minute count. And when we planned our trip to Italy, we had one goal: to get a true taste of the country.
We wanted to see it all, from the powerful history of Rome to the breathtaking beauty of the Amalfi Coast. So we planned it down to the minute, ignoring the typical advice to slow down. People might call our itinerary crazy, but for us, it was the only way to experience everything we had been dreaming of. This is the story of how we took on a fast-paced trip and, in the end, learned that the most important parts of travel aren’t always found on the itinerary.
The First “Taste”: Mastering the Travel Logistics
To start out like I do with any new country, I go through my checklist of what is a must. Planning a go-go vacation is a lot like baking; you need to have all your ingredients laid out and know exactly what you need, or what matters most to you. Once you find the main must-do activities, you work backwards to make it all happen. It’s a challenge that can seem big, but it’s not impossible. This is the part of the trip planning I love—putting it all together and making sure we get the most out of every minute. If you want to know more about my process, you can check out my guide on how I plan a go-go trip.
On this trip we did part cruise for the first half and then driving for the second half, because I wanted to make sure we saw all we could. We started onboard the Royal Caribbean Cruise line, Enchantment of the Seas, and after a few stops in other countries, we were ready for our first big day in Italy. If you’re a laid-back vacationer, I hope this inspires you to add a few more items to your list. Buckle up because here’s how it went.
A Taste of Speed: The Milan Test Run
We arrived in port in Genoa, Italy, at 7 a.m. Our boat was late getting through customs, and I had booked a train that was scheduled to leave at 7:50 a.m. We disembarked at 7:30 instead of the 7 a.m. published time and had a 25-minute walk to the train station. We ran. I mean, we sprinted to the station and were lucky to find a few people who pointed us in the right direction. If we had made one wrong turn, we would have missed the train. But we made it just as the train arrived.
We got to Milan by 9:35 a.m., with just enough time to meet our bike tour at 10 a.m. We rode through the city’s history, from the Sforzesco Castle to the fashion and financial districts. After that, we caught the tram to see The Last Supper painting with our time slot at noon with some breathing room. We grabbed a quick bite before our tour of the Duomo di Milano and the rooftop at 1:30 p.m., and we even had time to grab a few souvenirs and desserts for the train ride back that left at 3:10 p.m.
We arrived just before 5:00 p.m. to Genoa and had two full hours before the final boarding call. With this “extra time” we explored the downtown area and the small alleys of Genoa on foot to find souvenirs, and we found their most popular gelato shop, “Profumo Di Rosa Gelateria”. We made it back on the ship at 6 p.m., with a full hour to spare—a new rule my wife gave me after too many close calls with pushing it to the last ten minutes.
A Taste of Breathtaking Beauty: Cinque Terre
After another stop in Nice, France, our next stop was Portofino, Italy. But for us, that meant a trip to Cinque Terre. I had read so much about the 5 villages and how magical they are, and we had to make it work on this trip. So if you thought our day in Milan was crazy, this had its own kind of “go-go” crazy. We had to hit all five villages, once again making every stop count. It all started with a tender boat from the cruise ship to a taxi ride to the train station to catch a one-and-a-half-hour train ride to the first village, and then very short 3-10 minute trains between each town. It was very crowded and it was worth it all at the same time.
I don’t need to illustrate the exact timing on this day, as we adjusted how much time we wanted in each village. I blocked out 4 hours to spend in total and we would let each other know if we had enough and on to the next town. We used the Cinque Terre express train day pass so we could hop between the villages with no problems and not buying more train tickets. Each town offered a unique taste of coastal beauty. We got our iconic shot of the harbor in Riomaggiore, found the perfect focaccia in Monterosso, Vernazza had the gelato stop, Manarola had the lunch stop, and Corniglia offered more stunning views. The pace was fast, but it allowed us to see all five unique villages and decide if we wanted to come back, where we would go. In all honesty, it was touristy and crowded which made it not as enjoyable, but we loved the views, and each village had its own charm, even though they started to look like each other. We didn’t have time to hike between each town on the popular Sentiero Azzurro trail which is a cliffside path that connects the villages, but if we did come back I would do that hike. My wife gets sick on boats or we would have taken a boat to get here on the coastline. So if you are planning on coming here, think of your options and try to avoid the crowds as it made grabbing photos and food a bit more of a challenge.
A Taste of a Different Kind of “Go-Go”: Pisa & Lucca
We loved the challenge of planning our own train routes and bike tours, but there’s a different kind of “go-go” that a cruise can provide with a perfectly priced group tour with all the transportation included. For our day in Livorno we booked through the cruise because the price was right and book a cheap excursion through the cruise line to see the famous Leaning Tower of Pisa and the charming city of Lucca. This was a day of efficiency and ease, letting someone else handle the logistics so we could simply enjoy the sights.
Lucca: A Walk Back in Time
Our first stop was Lucca, a city that felt like a quiet secret. We jumped off the bus and into a walking tour through the cobblestone streets. It was beautiful and gave us a taste of early Roman history, all in a very laid-back way. Even with the tour, we still had about 45 minutes of free time. We used it to walk along the top of the old city walls, which gave us some incredible views, and of course, grabbed a quick gelato before we had to get back on the bus.
Pisa: The Famous Leaning Tower
Next up was Pisa. Our tour took us to the famous Field of Miracles, and seeing the Leaning Tower in person was even more impressive than in pictures. We got to admire the Tuscan-Romanesque architecture and, of course, snap the classic photo of us “holding up” the tower. We had another 45 minutes of free time here, which was plenty of time to explore the grounds, grab a few souvenirs, and just soak it all in.
This kind of day was a nice change of pace. It proved that “go-go” doesn’t always have to be a race against the clock. Sometimes, it’s about making the most of a pre-planned itinerary and enjoying every single minute of it.
A Taste of History and Art: Rome
After seeing the coastal beauty of Cinque Terre and the historic charm of Pisa, we were ready to take on the mother of all cities. To me, a trip to Italy isn’t complete without a proper taste of Rome, and our one day there was planned with military precision. We knew we had to be ready to go, because to see everything in this sprawling, historic city, we had no time to waste.
Our day started early, arriving at the port of Civitavecchia at 5 a.m. and making our way off the ship by 7. We had booked a car to take us directly into the city—a planned investment to save valuable time—and arrived just after 8. We dropped our bags at our hotel and immediately started exploring on foot, hitting iconic spots like the Spanish Steps and the Castel Sant’ Angelo, which we just had to see.
Our first big scheduled event was an 11 a.m. pasta-making class on a beautiful rooftop terrace. It was the perfect way to get a true taste of Italian food while taking a break from the walking. We made our own pasta and learned the secrets of a great meal, all while enjoying a splendid 360-degree view of Rome’s rooftops.
After our lunch, it was back to our go-go schedule. We hustled to meet our guide for a tour of the Vatican, Sistine Chapel, and St. Peter’s Basilica. Having a guide was a must for our pace, allowing us to skip the long lines and get the most out of every minute. To be standing in these places we’d only read about was incredible. After our tour, we grabbed our bags from the hotel and headed out for a walking tour of the city, hitting the highlights of the Trevi Fountain and the Pantheon, which were just as magical in the early evening light. Our day culminated with a beautiful Vivaldi and Bach concert at St. Paul’s Within the Walls.
Our jam-packed day was exhausting, but it was worth every single minute. We saw Rome’s ancient past, its artistic heart, and its vibrant, modern-day culture, all in one whirlwind of an experience.
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