Frommer's Italy 2026 (Complete Guide)

Frommer’s books aren’t written by committee, by A.I., or by travel writers who simply pop in briefly to a destination and then consider the job done. We use seasoned, locally-based journalists like Elizabeth Heath, Donald Strachan, and Michelle Schoenung, plus long-time Italy experts Stephen Brewer and Stephen Keeling to research our guides. They’ve checked out all of Italy’s best hotels, attractions, shops, wineries, and restaurants in person, and offer authoritative, candid reviews that will help you find the venues that suit your tastes and budget, whether you’re a backpacker or on a romantic honeymoon.

Most importantly, none of these journalists are shy about telling you what you should see…and what you can skip without regret. As well, no entity has paid to be in this guide—or any Frommer’s guide. At Frommer’s, we pride ourselves on decades of journalistic integrity.

With helpful advice and honest recommendations from Frommer’s expert authors, you’ll walk among the ancient ruins of Pompeii, float along the canals of Venice, appreciate Renaissance masterworks in Florence, explore off-the-beaten-path Puglia and live la dolce vita in Rome―as well as discover timeless wonders such as the vineyards of Tuscany and cliff-top towns perched along the Amalfi Coast and the Cinque Terre.

Inside the guide:

Full-color photos and helpful maps throughout, including a detachable foldout map

• 6 Detailed itineraries for planning your trip to suit your schedule and interests (and help you avoid lines and crowds)
• Compelling cultural information so that you’ll better understand the history, cuisine, and traditions of Italy
• Candid reviews of the best restaurants, historic sights, museums, tours, shops, and experiences―and no-punches-pulled info on the ones not worth your time and money. We also include star ratings, so you can scan the text quickly and see which options are most appealing.
• Accurate, up-to-date info on transportation, useful websites, telephone numbers, health care options and more
• Budget-planning help with exact pricing listed, so there’s never any guessing, along with ways to save money, whether you’re traveling on a shoestring or in the lap of luxury
• Helpful planning advice for getting to Italy, getting around, getting the best price on lodgings and attractions 

About Frommer's: There’s a reason Frommer’s has been the most trusted name in travel for more than 65 years. Arthur Frommer created the best-selling guide series in 1957 to help American servicemen fulfill their dreams of travel in Europe, and since then, we have published thousands of titles, become a household name, and helped millions upon millions of people realize their own dreams of seeing our planet. Travel is easy with Frommer’s.

Stephen Brewer has been savoring Italian pleasures ever since he sipped his first cappuccino while a student in Rome many, many years ago (togas had just gone out of fashion). He has written about Italy for many magazines and guidebooks and remains transported in equal measure by Bolognese cooking, Tuscan hillsides, the Bay of Naples, and the streets of Palermo.

A longtime contributor to Frommer's guides, Elizabeth Heath writes about travel, lifestyle, and home improvement from a hilltop village in Umbria. Her work has appeared in the Washington Post, National Geographic,  Travel + Leisure, and many other titles. Since moving here 16 years ago, she has written extensively about traveling and living in Italy. 

Michelle Schoenung is an American journalist and translator in Milan who relocated to the Belpaese in 2000 for what was to be a yearlong adventure. More than 2 decades later she is pleased that Milan has evolved into a much more international and cosmopolitan city and has shed its image of merely being a foggy northern Italian business hub. Her writings and translations have appeared in magazines and books in the United States and Italy. In her free time, she likes to read, run, travel and explore the city with her two rambunctious Italian-American ragazzi.

Donald Strachan is a travel journalist who has written about Italy for publications worldwide, including National Geographic Traveller, The Guardian, Sunday Telegraph, and CNN.com. He has also written several guidebooks for Frommer's.

Stephen Keeling  has been traveling to Italy since 1985 and covering his favorite nation for Frommer's since 2007. He has written for The Independent, Daily Telegraph, various magazines, and numerous travel guides as well as the award-winning Frommer's Florence, Tuscany & Umbria.