Home 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 surprising Mediterranean nature, Italy is on the minds of tens of millions dreaming of an idyllic European getaway this summer season.
Lucky for the sun-seekers on the market, the likes of Rome, Milan and Venice should not the one Italian hotspots inside straightforward attain from the United States in 2025.
Once the excessive season begins, Americans will be capable to fly nonstop to 4 unimaginable beachside cities within the nation, providing not solely the same old historic tradition however beautiful coastlines, and with out layovers in bigger transit hubs:
Bari
A port metropolis lining the Adriatic Sea, Bari is every little thing you’d hope an Italian getaway to be, with the ocher-colored Old Town crisscrossed with slim streets and peppered with nonna-run eateries, Baroque church buildings, and scenic waterfront.
It does not have a mighty Roman enviornment, however its medieval Basilica di San Nicola homes among the stays of St. Nicholas.
Milan might have a shop-lined Via Torino, but it surely does not have Bari’s Murat, a largely pedestrianized quarter ringed by Nineteenth-century buildings.
Bari can be the gateway to the broader Puglia: a brief half-hour drive away, there may be 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, Americans will be capable to 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 is a seasonal route working till October 5, and one-way flights begin from $645 roundtrip, so take pleasure in it whilst 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 the place 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 may be loads right here to maintain you busy for days.
If you are a foodie, possibly it’s 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 notice, Pizzeria e Trattoria al 22 doesn’t disappoint).
Last 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 related 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 experience from Naples.
Flights to Naples are returning as early as May 6 as effectively, so there is not any want to the touch down in Rome, then board a practice south––and this time, you might have loads of choices.
American Airlines, 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.
Similar to Naples in character, it has that purposefully anarchic, diamond-in-the-rough vibe, with the loopy site visitors, slim alleys full of family-run service provider retailers, and scorching-hot climate––and should we add, none of Northern Italy’s nonchalant, stuck-up perspective.
What we’re attempting 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, road meals heaven that Mercato di Ballaro, that can make you’re feeling as when you’re in Latin America.
In addition, Palermo is a cultural hub of the primary order: image a neoclassical Teatro Massimo, one in all Italy’s most monumental, a Ninth-century Palazzo dei Normanni, recognized for its arched, colonnaded walkways, and the Byzantine-era, tessellated Capella Palatina.
It will get heat and humid in summer season, however the ocean breeze is all the time there to chill you down.
On the outskirts of Palermo, Mondello Beach is a fantastic strip of sentimental, 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.
Of course, from May 21, Americans can fly nonstop from Newark (EWR) to Palermo (PMO) each Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday with United Airlines, ranging from $1,381 roundtrip––a tad pricier than most, however hey, no layovers.
Better get reserving!
Catania, Sicily
Still 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 type carries components of Baroque and Norman structure.
Directly southwest of the sq., guests will discover La Pescheria, a fish market flanked by stalls promoting every little thing 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 may be an imposing Mount Etna, an energetic volcano that may be hiked for wonderful views of Catania, and the Eastern Sicily coast, with its paradisiacal seashores extending for miles on finish.
Speaking of seashores, Catania claims a protracted stretch as its important seaside, although the true stars of the season are Aci Trezza and Aci Castello, a duo of coastal settlements north of Catania that collectively type the pristine ‘Cyclops Riviera’.
From as early as May 22, 2025, by October 24, 2025, Americans 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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