Emily Goes Solo — Destinations
Italy
Sun-soaked, soulful, and made for the solo wanderer.
Italy is where I go when I need to feel the weight of history and the lightness of an espresso in the same afternoon.
Roman stones warm under bare ankles and bar counters sticky with morning cappuccino, sea salt tangled in my hair on the Amalfi Coast and the hush of a side chapel in Florence at dusk. Meals stretch into conversations with strangers-turned-friends, trains trace vineyard-lined valleys, and every piazza feels like a living room you are quietly invited into. This hub gathers the places that have changed how I travel through Italy: not just what to see, but how it feels to be here, on your own, and entirely alive.
01 — Cities & Regions
The cities that feel like old friends
Lived-in guides to the Italian places I return to again and again — and the quiet corners that reward getting wonderfully lost. Written from the perspective of traveling solo as a woman: how the streets feel after dark, where I linger with a notebook, the cafés that remember my order, and the train routes that make wandering feel effortless.
Major Cities
- Rome — slow routes through the ruins and late-night trattorie
- Florence — art, river walks, and where to watch the sky change color
- Venice — quiet canals, safe evening strolls, and secret bacaro bars
- Milan — design, aperitivo culture, and stylish solo weekends
Regions & Routes
- Tuscany — hill towns, vineyard stays, and car-free itineraries
- Amalfi Coast & Capri — coastal hikes, ferries, and sea-view cafés
- Puglia — whitewashed villages, beach days, and long summer nights
- Northern Lakes — slow ferries, garden villas, and quiet luxury
02 — Photos
Italy through my lens
Light on cobblestones at golden hour, espresso cups on marble counters, and the quiet in-between moments that no itinerary can plan for.
03 — Hostels
The right hostel changes the whole trip
The best ones trade dormitory chaos for genuine community — rooftop terraces, knowledgeable staff who sketch maps by hand, and common rooms where solo travelers naturally fall into conversation. These are the ones I would book again.
Where I’d stay
- Rome — well-located, secure lockers, a great common area
- Florence — close to the Duomo, private-room option, excellent breakfast
- Venice — quieter Dorsoduro side, female dorms available
- Naples — budget-friendly base for Pompeii and Amalfi day trips
Honest notes on noise, solo-traveler safety, and what’s actually worth the price — added city by city.
04 — Food
Eating alone, one of travel’s great pleasures
Counter seats at a trattoria where the chef explains every dish, a bag of cherries from the market eaten on a church step, the ritual of a standing espresso before the day begins. Drawn from real meals, not lists: places where the food is honest, the welcome is warm, and you’ll never feel out of place on your own.
Rome
- A trattoria worth the detour
- The best coffee bar near the Pantheon
- Market and street food picks
Florence
- Lampredotto and schiacciata spots
- Aperitivo bars worth the walk
- Gelato worth the queue
South & Coast
- Neapolitan pizza — the real ones
- Pugliese orecchiette and burrata
- Seafood on the Amalfi Coast
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