Love Italy - where else to go?

Well, you can't help what you love or don't love, so only you can answer that question! With the budget airlines so prolific nowadays, you can always start in Rome for 3-4 nights, then fly to the next destination set, even if it's all the way across Europe.

You might like London, Ireland, or Barcelona. They remind me of Rome in these ways.
Barcelona - lots of Vespas flying around, some old town areas are Italy-ish (e.g. Barri Gotic) where there are nooks and crannies and winding little alleys, good Mediterranean food, architecture isn't as old but is very interesting
London - not as "hey whatever" as Italy, but lots of old architecture and interesting things to see and do, some of the best museums in the world, lovely English countryside
Ireland - has that semi-wild "anything might happen" feel of Italy, definitely a totally different look and feel than Italy but pretty countryside and charming in its own unique way that you won't find elsewhere

I mean, to me, any new city is a good one, so I rarely repeat travels, esp. for long-distance flights like Europe. But I have been to Rome twice and I'm going back to London (hopefully) next year!

Ruins and old churches huh?

The United Kingdom has those.

Also one of the most fascinating cities on the planet, endearing villages, intriguing history, gorgeous natural beauty, and excellent train system(s).

Take a look at this website to see if their is an interest. https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk

Or this website about England’s Jurassic Coast...
https://jurassiccoast.org

Or this link about cathedrals and churches:
https://www.britainexpress.com/Where_to_go_in_Britain/Cathedrals/Cathedrals1.htm

The south of France has a lot of ruins and old churches.

A second vote for South of France great ruins, food, wine, and relaxation. If you can combine Provence and Cote D’Azur, you can also see some great art in smaller scale museums (Picasso in Antibes and Matisse in Nice). If I could find a place to live, for me it is between Tuscany (Chianti region) or Antibes.

The other option is Andalusia: Seville, Cordoba, and Granada. In Seville, the Cathedral is primarily Gothic while the bell tower is the Mudejar style (blend of Moorish and Gothic). The Alcazar royal palace is a treat (even if you are not GOT fan). Cordoba has La Mezquita, an immense mosque, and Granada the Alhambra. Even better than the architecture is the food, music, and dance (Flamenco). If you want to add a city, Barcelona for Guadi and the beaches, Madrid for spectacular art.

Also, if you love Italy, there is no reason you shouldn’t return. Italy has its own magic.

I too have enjoyed Italy many visits. May I suggest Sicily? I took a tour there in 2017 and i was delighted and amazed. Visist off season. Lots of well perserved ruins and churches etc. it is still off the radar.
U will be amazed. WWII did not destroy everything as most assume.

There is no reason to feel guilty about revisiting Italy. I have done so a number of times. But I notice that your non-Italian destinations (Paris, Amsterdam and Athens) are all big cities. So why not get away from the big cities in one of the other countries you visit? In the case of France there are a number of medium sized cities worth visiting such Strasbourg, Tours and others. These have their share of old buildings including churches, and Tours has plenty of chateau nearby along the Loire Valley. Tours itself is on the Loire.

The United Kingdom as mentioned above is a good suggestion, but if you prefer to avoid big cities, then do not spend all of your time in London. You can visit other cities such as Oxford, Cambridge, York or Bath.

How about Slovenia, the Balkans, Malta, Corsica, Sardinia, Mallorca? Whilst none of these have the same wow factor as Rome (I don't think anywhere does) there is still plenty of the laid back, mediteranean vibe and with history and good food to boot.

There are many, many wonderful places in Europe as well as the World. Italy is one of my favorite countries, but Great Britain is a close second.

For scenic places, Switzerland, Norway and Scotland are great.
For history, art and culture,
Greece- can't miss the Parthenon---also the Greek islands are amazing
Israel-- Jerusalem is special
Egypt-- It safe to visit again and the ancient history is amazing
France, Spain, Portugal are filed with much to see
Germany, Austria the low countries are nice and Eastern Europe is inexpensive.

If you love Italy, see more of it. You haven't yet visited Tuscany, Bologna, Verona, Lake Como, Sicily, Venice, the Dolomites... There is a lot to see before you run out of options.

Try out Venice. If you love that, you could visit the Dalmatian coast of Croatia which used to be part of the Venetian Republic.

Provence, in France, has a lot of Roman ruins and old churches.

What kind of ruins? I really liked the castle ruins in the French Pyrenees. I also liked the thick forests and medieval towns.

Spain, has a ton of Roman as well as Moorish history/ruins. I think you would appreciate some of the old churches there including the cathedrals in Salamanca, Seville, Toledo, Valladolid, Burgos etc. I really liked the tiny Templar church, just outside of Segovia, from about 600 AD. I also really liked the tiny (normal size for the time period) Synagogue in the old quarter in Cordoba.

I really liked Spain particularly Andalusia area with the Moorish influence - Cordoba, Seville, Granada. Then the area around Madrid - Toledo, Segovia in particular. Madrid has fantastic museums. I spent 7 hours in the Prado for my birthday and saw every item displayed except for the chapel that was slightly off site.

However, it is different art to Italian Art. Thanks to google, you can see whether El Greco, Velasquez, or Goya does it for you, then move closer in time for Picasso, Dali and Joan Miro. YouTube also gives you visuals of whether the highlights stir your interest or not.
My little apartment in Granada was in a 16th century building with a good view of the Alhambra.

Due to the politics at the time, I ended up dropping Barcelona, but there is a lot of Modernista architecture in the city (the Spanish version of Art Nouveau - Gaudi and his counterparts).
I fully understand the draw of Italy, even though I haven't been for a number of years. There are just so many alternatives that I push the thoughts to return away. Spain will never have the same repeat draw, but it has a lot to offer and I was enchanted every day.
I would suggest, however, going 'off season' as southern Spain gets really hot. I was there late October/early November. Started in sandals but by Madrid needed a coat with gloves and scarf...but you didn't have to worry about heat prostration or the crowds of a summer vacation.

wherever you go, stay longer.

If you love Italy, you should keep going back.

If you found your true love, why keep looking for something different?
Picked up any of the language? Maybe that is the next step.

There's no shame in returning to Italy! Consider Sicily. It's Italy, but feels a little different from the mainland. Palermo is a bustling city with amazing churches and architecture. The Ortygia island of Siracusa is smaller and wonderfully charming. So go, spend 3-4 days in Rome then on to Sicily. Easy connection, you get a dose of Rome AND something a little different afterwords.

If you want to try a different country, consider Spain. You mentioned liking, but not loving, Paris and Amsterdam. Those are both amazing northern(-ish) cities, but there's a different feel to southern Europe, a bit of an expressive personality and excitement. So really, look at Spain. The Andalucia region is fascinating, wonderful art and a similar exuberance to life. Seville, Cordoba, Granada are the 3 most popular cities but there are all sorts of smaller towns. And if you like art...go to Madrid for some of the best museums jn the world, and to Toledo for a marvelous cathedral. If Spain isn't your thing, maybe southern France? I haven't spent much time there but it may fit the bill. It's different than Paris, more Mediterranean.

In general, maybe try to find some smaller cities or towns in where ever you go.

Don't feel guilty about returning to Italy! Planning a trip for Sept that will include a 5th visit to Venice in 11 yrs. We haven't been since 2014 and I keenly want to return.

That being said - we've been to the South of France (Provence/Cote d'Azur) a few times and that's probably next on my favourite list after Italy - lots of beautiful towns and villages - even some Roman ruins. Generally best seen with a car, but driving isn't bad (we've done it twice).

If you love Italy, why not return? We've been to Rome, Venice, and Florence. We're considering a return to Italy and might use this guy's trip report as a starting point in our planning: https://travelswithmaitaitom.com/italy-2018/

Thank you all so much for your generous replies! I will check out all the links and pull out a map and think about your suggestions. I love the reply that wherever I go I should stay longer - so true! I think we will start out the next trip with a new destination and then wander back to Italy... Once I digest your comments I will be back on to ask more specific questions. Grazie!

After only two trips to Italy, and many other trips elsewhere, Italy drew us back, this time for a couple years.

Using your words, I like Rome, Venice, and Florence, I LOVE the smaller cities, towns, and villages of Italy. We also find lodging and eating costs are much less than the Big three.

A trip to Tuscany Hills towns would be a fabulous vacation. Later this month we are spending 6 nights in Tuscany including the Med Coast.

The lakes at the foot of the Alps are spectacular and are close enough for day or overnight trips to Switzerland. Or combine Italy and Switzerland into a trip. Of course I’m partial to Maggiore, but ferrying around the lakes to explore is awesome.

I’ve heard fabulous things about southern Italy and Puglia, and is on our bucket list. Maybe in the fall.

Oh my dear, I love Italy also, and I keep going back. The more I read about it, the more places I want to visit. There is still so much you have not seen in Italy and anyway the final unification of Italy was not until 1871, so you can pretend you are visiting different countries within Italy.

But since you ask about another country, consider Greece, especially the Greek Islands. After my first trip, it started a love affair with that country also.

I've never been to Italy. It's in the cards. I have loved my trips to Spain. I've heard more than a few people say that "Spain is the new Italy". I wouldn't exactly call Spain "new", but from what I know of Italy, it did seem like it could be the case. The Spanish cities and smaller towns and villages are very picturesque. Spain also has the advantage of being quite reasonable and they are famous for delicious wines. I thought the countryside in Andalusia and around Segovia to be stunning and with the more Mediterranean climate/terrain, it would seem to be similar to Italy, at least for me. You might look at smaller villages around Barcelona as well.

You might also look at some of the wine regions of France. We loved the Alsace, Burgundy and the Loire. Alsace would be quite different from Italy, but the half timbered homes in the wine villages are lovely.

I agree with those who say that if you love Italy, go back, and see new places in the country this time. There's always more of Italy to see, and you've been given some great ideas above. And if you like smaller cities and towns, there's no need to use big cities except for their airports. For instance, you can fly into Milan and immediately go to Lake Maggiori, or fly into Venice and immediately go to Padova. You can just make your way to an airport hotel for the night before your flight home (no need to stay in big cities themselves for this if you don't want to).

But I'll also add a warning. While posts above have suggested other countries you may like based on what you liked in Italy, be aware that only Italy is Italy. Other countries may be Mediterranean, or have old churches and ruins, or old buildings, or great sculptures, but they are different. If you go to them expecting to find Italy, you will probably be disappointed. Each place must be approached on its own terms.

My sister learned this the hard way. She loved Prague, so she went to several places promoted as "the next Prague" or as being "similar" (like Budapest). She didn't care for them, and then realized that the problem was she was expecting them to be Prague, and they weren't. She is now fond of saying, "only Prague is Prague." Similarly, only Italy is Italy. So, while there's nothing wrong with trying other places, be prepared for them to be quite different - and yes, that includes places like Spain that at first blush can seem similar.

Very thoughtful point made by Harold above. Take each country and city for what they are, not as "the next" or "just like" someplace else.

No reason to feel guilty about going back to Italy again and again, I feel that way about France and Britain (and southern Utah and Maine among other American places). You've ventured beyond Italy and you could find another place you love if you keep experimenting, but no need to deprive yourself of what you already love.

I'd suggest Venice, I unexpectedly fell in love with it last fall and it seems like a unique Italian experience you haven't had yet. Lots of good advice on this forum about visiting there, notably to stay on the island not the mainland, visit the "big" attractions like San Marco and Rialto early or late in the day to avoid day-trip crowds, and make a point of wandering aimlessly now and then to discover new wonders. I couldn't believe how pleasant a car-less city could be -- not just a fenced-off medieval center like many European cities have but really the whole place. And the water adds its own magic.

We also love Italy, and are looking forward to our fifth trip in April. Of our eight trips to Europe since 2004, the first three were to Italy. We have also enjoyed other locations: Spain, England and France, and have pretty much decided that Paris, not Rome, is our favorite big city in Europe. It feels like we appreciate Italy more when we don't go every year. With five trips to Italy soon to be under our belt, we probably will not have as much desire to return in the future. I would consider bringing our granddaughter to Italy when she gets older, as she seems to have a very curious nature.

I have been to Italy multiple times and always seem drawn back to Florence and Rome. But for me doing the same trip over and over is too limiting. I am now looking at a northern Italy trip: Venice-Ravenna-Padua-Bolzano-Verona-Milan (day trip to Como). My research suggests this would be very rewarding. Only Venice on that list is tier 1, but I have visited Rome and Florence four times each. So you can easily branch out while still seeing more of Italy. Watch Rick’s Padua/Ravenna/Verona video. Also Provence feels Italian in many respects.

Consider Sicily, fabulous and more reasonable than greater italy. A wonderful option outside of hot summer season. Of course food is delicious.
Portugal also is more reasonable for lodging etc. lots to see there with gd transportation options.