Dwelling to a plethora of world-famous landmarks, from the Roman Colosseum to the Tower of Pisa, cities that date again to the dawning of time, and a shocking Mediterranean nature, Italy is on the minds of thousands and thousands dreaming of an idyllic European getaway this summer time.
Fortunate for the sun-seekers on the market, the likes of Rome, Milan and Venice aren’t the one Italian hotspots inside simple attain from the US in 2025.
As soon as the excessive season begins, Individuals will be capable of fly nonstop to 4 unimaginable beachside cities within the nation, providing not solely the same old historic tradition however attractive coastlines, and with out layovers in bigger transit hubs:
Bari
A port metropolis lining the Adriatic Sea, Bari is all the pieces you’d hope an Italian getaway to be, with the ocher-colored Previous City crisscrossed with slender streets and peppered with nonna-run eateries, Baroque church buildings, and scenic waterfront.
It would not have a mighty Roman area, however its medieval Basilica di San Nicola homes a few of the stays of St. Nicholas.
Milan could have a shop-lined Through Torino, nevertheless it would not have Bari’s Murat, a largely pedestrianized quarter ringed by Nineteenth-century buildings.
Bari can be the gateway to the wider Puglia: a brief half-hour drive away, there’s Polignano a Mare, a secluded seaside backed by tall cliffs, strewn with whitewashed homes, and if it is golden sands you are after, look no additional than Cala Copacabana.
Most excitingly, beginning June 3, Individuals will be capable of fly to Bari from New York–JFK, due to Italy-based airline Neos Air’s new nonstop route, which is able to hyperlink America to Italy’s southeastern coast for the primary time.
This can be a seasonal route operating till October 5, and one-way flights begin from $645 roundtrip, so take pleasure in it when you can!
Naples
Mainland Italy’s ‘southern capital’, Naples is a sprawling metropolis as chaotic as it’s fascinating, backed by a fearsome Vesuvius, and where authenticity trumps staged niceties for vacationers.
Between the bustling fortified port, the maze-like grid of streets that’s the Spanish Quarter, and Piazza del Plebiscito, joined by a stately Royal Palace and accompanying colonnaded basilica, there’s a lot right here to maintain you busy for days.
For those who’re a foodie, perhaps it is best to know Naples is the birthplace of pizza, and it’s the spot for getting these perfect-looking sourdough beauties for as low cost as $5 (on that be aware, Pizzeria e Trattoria al 22 doesn’t disappoint).
Final however not least, it’s proper subsequent to numerous iconic secondary locations: we’re pondering Pompeii and Herculaneum, two Roman cities as soon as worn out by Vesuvius, and a handful of Instagrammable seaside settings up and down the neighboring Amalfi Coast:
Does Positano and its parasol-dotted darkish sands ring a bell? Or maybe Fiordo di Furore, a secretive cove nestled between huge rock faces linked by an previous arched stone bridge?
Oh, by no means thoughts the dreamy island of Capri, bathed by the nice and cozy, teal-colored Mediterranean and a brief one-hour ferry trip from Naples.
Flights to Naples are returning as early as Might 6 as properly, so there is not any want to the touch down in Rome, then board a prepare south––and this time, you might have loads of choices.
American Airways, Delta, and United compete on this community from Atlanta, Chicago, Newark, New York-JFK, and Philadelphia. Roundtrip flights begin from solely $517 on sure dates.
Palermo
The capital of Sicily, Italy’s largest island, and the most important island within the Mediterranean general, Palermo is the proper introduction to the sun-drenched island.
Much like Naples in character, it has that purposefully anarchic, diamond-in-the-rough vibe, with the loopy visitors, slender alleys filled with family-run service provider outlets, and scorching-hot climate––and will we add, none of Northern Italy’s nonchalant, stuck-up angle.
What we’re making an attempt to say is Palermo has that a lot soul, whether or not it is the bustling streets feeding into Piazza Bellini, a sq. bordered by timeless Baroque buildings, or the stall-lined, avenue meals heaven that Mercato di Ballaro, that can make you’re feeling as in case you’re in Latin America.
As well as, Palermo is a cultural hub of the primary order: image a neoclassical Teatro Massimo, one in every of Italy’s most monumental, a Ninth-century Palazzo dei Normanni, identified for its arched, colonnaded walkways, and the Byzantine-era, tessellated Capella Palatina.
It will get heat and humid in summer time, however the ocean breeze is all the time there to chill you down.
On the outskirts of Palermo, Mondello Seashore is a lovely strip of soppy, white sand hugged by crystal-clear waters, and let’s not neglect Cefalù, a picturesque village a brief one-hour drive boasting countless miles of turquoise shoreline.
In fact, from Might 21, Individuals can fly nonstop from Newark (EWR) to Palermo (PMO) each Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday with United Airways, ranging from $1,381 roundtrip––a tad pricier than most, however hey, no layovers.
Higher get reserving!
Catania, Sicily
Nonetheless in Sicily, however to the east coast, Catania is the second largest conurbation on the sun-drenched island, after Palermo itself.
Comparatively much less hectic, it revolves round a big central sq., Piazza del Duomo, the place each a landmark Elephant Fountain stands and an ornate Catania Cathedral, which in its current kind carries components of Baroque and Norman structure.
Immediately southwest of the sq., guests will discover La Pescheria, a fish market flanked by stalls promoting all the pieces from grilled octopus, to assorted pastries, to herbs and spices––proper behind the market, Osteria Antica Marina serves scrumptious and reasonably priced seafood as a no-frills eatery.
To our fellow tradition buffs on the market, Castello Ursino is a well-preserved medieval stronghold a 7-minute from the market, and an equally-short 8 minutes away, there’s a Roman theater courting again to the 2nd century AD.
Serving as backdrop to all of this historic world of wonders, there’s an imposing Mount Etna, an energetic volcano that may be hiked for superb views of Catania, and the Jap Sicily coast, with its paradisiacal seashores extending for miles on finish.
Talking of seashores, Catania claims a protracted stretch as its principal seaside, although the true stars of the season are Aci Trezza and Aci Castello, a duo of coastal settlements north of Catania that collectively kind the pristine ‘Cyclops Riviera’.
From as early as Might 22, 2025, by way of October 24, 2025, Individuals can fly nonstop to Catania (and uncover this offbeat a part of Sicily), with Delta from New York (JFK), from $469 one-way.
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