Where in Italy is actually worth it?

The food capital, with covered arcades that keep you in the shade, and fast trains to Florence.

The catch: It has few headline sights. You come for the food and the atmosphere.

Five colorful villages linked by trains and coastal trails. No car needed.

The catch: Steep stairs and trails everywhere, and it gets crowded in summer. It also works as a day trip from Florence.

Jagged peaks, alpine meadows and some of Europe’s best hiking.

The catch: A car is almost essential, and the weather can turn quickly.

Lakeside promenades on the east shore of Lake Garda, with Bardolino wine next door.

The catch: No train. You get around by bus, boat or car.

Elegant villas and mountains, and easy to reach from Milan by train.

The catch: It is one of the priciest places in Italy, and the best-known towns are crowded in season.

A castle on the water and a cable car straight up Monte Baldo.

The catch: No train, and the lakeside road gets jammed in summer.

Design, fashion and the best train connections in the north.

The catch: It's pricey, and you can see the main sights, like the Duomo and the Galleria, in a day or two.

The smartest base on Lake Garda: right on the train line, with Verona and even Venice within reach.

The catch: The town itself is small. Its real strength is the location.

Wide sandy beaches, a lively summer scene and fast trains to Bologna.

The catch: In summer the beach is row after row of rented loungers, and in winter many beach places close.

The active end of Lake Garda: trails, climbing, cycling and windsurfing.

The catch: Less of a classic Italian feel, and no train.

A castle town on a narrow peninsula in Lake Garda, surrounded by Lugana wine country.

The catch: The tiny peninsula fills with day trippers in summer, and you can't drive into the old town.

A royal city of arcades, the home of aperitivo and chocolate, with the Alps as a backdrop.

The catch: Winters are gray, cold and often foggy, and there's no sea.

Unlike anywhere else, and the back canals are calm once you leave San Marco.

The catch: Day trippers fill the center, and it is pricey. Stay overnight and wander away from the main sights.

A compact city with a Roman arena, easy by train, and a good stop between Venice and the lakes.

The catch: The main shopping street is packed. Walk a few streets off it.

Wine estate stays, hill villages and long lunches between Florence and Siena.

The catch: You need a car, and the evenings are quiet.

A walkable art city, and the best base for a day trip to Cinque Terre by train.

The catch: Ponte Vecchio and the center are packed at midday. Go early or in the evening.

Long sandy beaches and Abruzzo wines, without the crowds of the famous coasts.

The catch: It's not a sightseeing city. You come for the beach and the region around it.

A cheaper base for Tuscany: the airport is next door, trains run to Florence and Lucca, and you can see the Leaning Tower from a rooftop terrace without the lines.

The catch: Less to see than Florence, and the area around the tower is crowded and full of souvenir stands.

History on every corner, great food, and easy to reach from the US.

The catch: The big sights are crowded most of the year, and July and August are hot.

The village of trulli comes alive in the evening once the day trippers leave. Sleep in a trullo for the real experience.

The catch: At midday the lanes are packed and many trulli are souvenir shops. The beach is about half an hour's drive, and without a car getting around is slow.

Dramatic cliffs, lemon terraces and boat days.

The catch: Expensive, steep and crowded, and the coast road is a stressful drive. Cinque Terre often gives you more for less.

A lively old town with great street food, and the easiest gateway to Puglia by train.

The catch: It is not a classic beach or sightseeing stop. Most people use it as a base for Polignano a Mare, Alberobello and Matera.

The island where luxury is everyday: cliffs, the Faraglioni rocks and a little piazza that goes quiet at night.

The catch: The most expensive place on our list, and day trippers fill the island at midday in summer. Stay overnight to see it calm.

A real fishing town next to Bari, with an old town on a point in the sea. Affordable and almost free of tourists.

The catch: Few sights and little English spoken. You come for the atmosphere, not the sights.

A harbor town with excellent food, good beaches and Alberobello close by.

The catch: It's small, so many people only day trip here from Polignano a Mare or Bari. As a base it works if you want calm.

The home of pizza, with Pompeii and Vesuvius close by, and easily the best value of the big names.

The catch: Naples is loud and gritty. It is not for everyone.

An old town built on cliffs above the sea, with clear water and excellent food.

The catch: Day trippers fill the small center at midday, and prices are high for Puglia. Best as a half day or an overnight stop, not a whole week.

An affordable base with ferries to the Amalfi Coast.

The catch: The city itself is ordinary. Its strengths are the location and lower prices.

The easy base for the Amalfi area: flatter, with ferries in every direction.

The catch: Hardly any sandy beaches. You swim off wooden and concrete platforms, and the loungers cost extra.

Remote eastern Sardinia: boat days in the Gulf of Orosei and wild hiking trails.

The catch: Remote, with few good restaurants. You need a car: from Cagliari it's about two hours on a newer road, from Olbia a winding mountain drive.

A real city with a long city beach and an old town up on the hill.

The catch: The old town is uphill all the way, and you need a car for the best beaches outside the city.

A beach town with a Norman cathedral and excellent food, about an hour by train from Palermo.

The catch: It's small and fills with day trippers in summer, and the town beach gets cramped.

The gateway to the Costa Smeralda beaches, boat days and Vermentino wine.

The catch: The town is mostly a gateway. You need a car for the best beaches.

Street food, noisy markets and layer after layer of history, at southern prices.

The catch: Traffic is chaos and the center can feel rough at first. It rewards a slow pace, not a checklist.

A practical base for La Pelosa beach and boat trips to Asinara island.

The catch: The town itself is industrial and ordinary.

A baroque hill town in Sicily's southeast, in Cerasuolo di Vittoria wine country.

The catch: Steep: Ragusa Ibla is stairs in every direction. You need a car.

A hilltop town with a Greek theater, sea views and Mount Etna on the horizon.

The catch: Very touristy, steep and pricey, and it fills up with day trippers. Go early or stay overnight.

The jumping-off point for the Egadi Islands, salt pans at sunset and Marsala wine country.

The catch: The town itself is quiet and the food scene is thin. You come for the islands.