Italy

Italy operates at an unfair advantage: two thousand years as the West's studio means beauty is simply the ambient condition — the Pantheon's dome open to the sky, Florence sunsets from Piazzale Michelangelo, Venetian canals doing at dusk what no city has matched since. And threading it all, the true Italian genius: meals that turn an ordinary Tuesday into an occasion.

The shape of the trip

The classic triangle (8 nights): Rome (3) — Colosseum and Forum, the Vatican early, and aimless Trastevere evenings; the fast train to Florence (2–3) for the Uffizi, the Duomo climb and a Tuscan day (Siena or the Chianti); then Venice (2) for the labyrinth itself. The high-speed rail between them is the holiday's connective pleasure.

The money

City doubles run ₹7,000–12,000 (book early; location beats stars here), a trattoria dinner with wine ₹1,200–1,800, pizza al taglio and espresso keep lunches under ₹500. Pre-booked trains: Rome–Florence from ₹1,800. The great free luxury: churches holding Caravaggios for the price of walking in respectfully.

Worth knowing

Timed tickets, booked weeks out, are non-negotiable for the Uffizi and the Vatican. Cover shoulders for churches. And build in one unscheduled afternoon per city — Italy's finest moments refuse to be itinerised.