A Step into the Dolce Vita

The Seasons of Italy | Best Time to Travel

Italy, even for the seasoned traveller, is a difficult destination to master. To avoid the summer crowds, enjoy a leisurely visit to the Amalfi Coast or Lake Como in September or October. If planning a trip to Milan, we suggest early spring - a quick jump to Venice in the pre-summer months will allow you easier traversing of their canals without the hustle - a sentiment that can be reiterated for Florence in the famed Tuscan region.

Flight Time  - (New York to Rome) - 8  hours

Flight Time  - (London to Rome) - 2 hours 30 minutes

Flight Time - (Singapore to Rome) - 13 hours

Italy is the land where culinary skill and pride are woven into the communal fabric of daily life - where, though varied in landscape, from the mountainous Alps to the glistening, seductive towns which dot the Mediterranean coast, each region tells a unique story through its people and flavours.

If there were one unifying element of Italian food, one might say it is their connection to and talent in the art of simplicity. In the hearty dishes of Bologne, the Italian culinary capital, and Tuscany we find the agricultural legacy and landscape shine; the local’s dish bistecca alla fiorentina is almost always accompanied by a local Chianti - the Italians may not have coined the term ‘what grows together, goes together’, but they certainly personify it.

Further north there is sophistication to be found; in the hallowed bowls of Milan’s risotto and ossobuco, and in the allure of Venetian cicchetti - small bites traditionally sold to help offset the side effects of alcohol in local bars. For both fine dining and local choices, head to the town of Modena, traditionally famous for its balsamic vinegar, and more recently, as the birthplace of innovative fine dining at the Michelin-starred restaurant, Osteria Francescana.

Fine dining is not only reserved for Milan -  and you would be hard-pressed to find a city without a Michelin-starred restaurant throughout the country. In the capital city, Rome, you will find highlights of both the finest dining, at the exclusive tables of La Pergola, and the most authentic trattorias, which enchant visitors through their serving of traditional Roman cuisine which you might recognise; Cacio E Pepe and Carbonara to name but two.

While perhaps cliche, there is no better phrase to describe the odyssey of indulgence that Italy elicits in any traveller, seasoned or not - here, you will come to discover the true meaning of la dolce vita; ‘the sweet life, the good life’.