How could Italy, the country that created the delightful concept of La dolce vita – the sweet life – not to mention gelato and Prosecco, fail to be one of the top destinations for honeymooning?
What time of year is the best to go on honeymoon in Italy?
Despite its location in Europe, Italy has the advantage of being a year-round favorite for visitors (including honeymooners), which means you can go on an arts and culture-focused break during the winter months or hit those sun-kissed beaches in the balmy long summer season. Factor in arriving by train via a seamless and scenic journey and we’re swooning already.
Where in Italy is the best place for a honeymoon?
Image Credit: Getty Images, Jorg Greuel. Image Location: Venice
The most serene, Venice
Venice’s nickname, La Serenissima, makes the city sound even more dreamy. The city’s iconic waterways, richly painted palazzi, cheesy-but-necessary gondolas, and exquisitely arched bridges perfect for watching sunsets, all make this city one of the top honeymoon spots in Italy.
You might need to raid your 401(k) for a stay here, but the 15th-century antique-lined Gritti Palace resides on one of the loveliest spots along the Grand Canal, with water-view suites overlooking the gleaming white-stone Basilica di Santa Maria della Salute.
Image Credit: Getty Images. Image Location: Colosseum, Rome
Romantic Rome
The Eternal City is romance personified, with cinematic sights such as the Colosseum and the Vatican, not to mention crumbling palazzi that so inspired Romantic poets like Keats, Byron, and Shelley.
Rome is sophisticated too, with some amazing love nests – including the Art Deco-style Hotel Locarno with silk walls and charming terraces, perfectly placed between the banks of the Tiber River and the lavish Villa Borghese gardens – where legendary film director Federico Fellini himself checked in.
Lovely Lake Como
Enchanting lakeside villas, perfectly peaked pine-clad mountains, and cute-as-a-button villages are just three reasons why Lake Como is one of the most romantic places in Italy (Three more, some would say, are George Clooney, Sylvester Stallone, and Richard Branson, who you might spot as you clink glasses with your loved one).
Feel equally A-list in marvelous hotels, such as Grand Hotel Tremezzo with a floating swimming pool on the lake, picture-perfect gardens, and butler service.
Image Credit: Getty Images, Janoka82. Image Location: Lake Como
Sensual Sicily
The southern-Italian island of Sicily is rich in history and culture, including incredible food and wine, not to mention glorious beaches and the idyllic Sicilian islands.
While many tourists ignore this less-visited gem, please ignore the Mafia jokes and focus instead on the impossibly glamorous hotels, such as the new Rocco Forte-owned Villa Igiea, a turn-of-the-century palazzo with views across the bay of Palermo – the perfect spot for intimate moments, like feeding your beloved snacks like local arancini (deep-fried risotto rice balls filled with melting mozzarella).
Exploring Italy by train
Trainline offers speedy, scenic, and comfortable routes for honeymooners, including the option to travel in a private train cabin with your own bathroom. A wedding gift you can’t wrap? Those scenic views of Italy. Download the Trainline App to book your romantic Italian honeymoon.
Header Image Credit: Getty Images. Image location: Venice