Solo female traveler to Italy is nervous!

Don't be affair. All they will do to you is to pick your pocket. Nothing else. I have been traveling in a lot of countries. Italy is a safe country, just wear the money belt and keep small change outside and you will be fine.
Have a good trip!

As far as "lost" things go, what happens if you lose your passport and does one REALLY need to have it on them at all times? I'd feel better if my way out of the country was locked in the hotel safe on not on me.

Marianne I know you are nervous. And you will get lost, just like everyone. To get back to your hotel, carry business cards from your hotel to hand to anyone who can help you or to the bus or taxi driver. As long as you are in the main part of these cities, you do not need to worry about "bad areas". Walking tours are available in all of the cities. Check RS Italy 2011 for recommendations or google for each city. They even have night tours! You might try a "Chichetti" (evening
snacks) tour in Venice. Wine tasting or cooking classes in Florence or Rome. Hop on and Hop Off Bus Tour has changed significantly in Rome, fewer stops, so don't bother. Check out a talking GPS or phone with Europe maps for walking as it might be helpful. Purchase in advance so you know how to use. Ask others on the helpline if this would work for you. Venice is hopeless since you will get lost no matter what. You will have a wonderful time by yourself! Also, the walking tours will give you the opportunity to meet other travelers to arrange to meet for meals or another tour. Bobbie

For the passport, I keep it in a safe at all times and carry my international DL (or your state issued one) and a copy of my passport with me. I'm out of the country a good bit of the year and never been stopped and asked for my passport. As far as being a solo traveller, I personally love it. Italy solo was one of my favorite trips. I always ended up sharing tables with other "strays". It kind of forces you out of your shell. Other than a minor run-in with a crack head on the train on the Riviera, it was very safe (happens much more frequently in Atlanta and Pittsburgh I'm sure). If you are just not comfortable being alone, check out an organized tour like the RS tour here. I've done one once, a pub crawl through Ireland) and although it's not really my style, I had a great time.

Well, I'm a middle aged woman and would have no trouble going to Venice or Florence by myself. Rome may be a bit more daunting to me, but still doable. There are so many galleries, shopping areas, hop-on-hop off busses and cafes to spend time in, you will not stick out like a sore thumb traveling solo. I personally keep my passport, credit cards, plane/train tickets and money in a money belt at all times, and have copies in my suitcase. If you get the Rick Steves guides to all of these cities, study them before you go, and follow his advice you will do very well. All are worth buying and bringing with you. Learn the basic Italian phrases. I always plan where I'm going the night before, and my route to get there and I hit the streets with reasonable confidence. Bring a small compass and get some good city maps -- which hotels will have for free --- and please don't be nervous, Italy is wonderful.

Marianne, I'm assuming this is your first trip to Italy? As the others have said, Italy is generally quite safe but there are some "petty crime" issues such as pickpockets. Be sure to wear a Money Belt! Given the circumstances, it appears you have two options: 1.) Take the trip on your own. With adequate planning (using the talents of the group here), you should have no problems. 2.) Take a tour. If you're only planning on visiting Venice, Florence and Rome, you might consider This Tour. It will not only allow you to cover the locations you wanted to see, but would provide a group to travel with and perhaps provide some travel skills for future trips. These tours do continue into October, but you'll have to see whether the dates coincide with your current plans? Happy travels!

I've always felt very safe anywhere I've gone in Italy. Much more so than most anywhere in the states. Just use a money belt for cash/CC's/passport, stay aware of your surroundings and you'll be okay. Carry your hotel info with you. You'll get lost in Venice but that's part of the fun and sooner or later you'll come out to some major point to orient yourself. Use the metro a couple of times in Rome and it'll be a breeze to get to where you want to go. You'll have fun...don't worry!

Thank you all for your encouragement and suggestions! I arrive in Milan early on October 2 and depart from Rome on October 10 and unfortunately none of the RS Tours work for me. If they did, I would be registered in a heartbeat. Please keep any and all suggestions coming and feel free to PM me. I am reading RS Italy 2011 cover to cover and formulating a battle plan. I am intensely interested in visiting wine country around Florence by bike or scooter. Suggestions for tours or rental companies or even bike tours would be appreciated.

Marianne, Whenever I travel to Italia, I travel alone. I can honestly say with the exception of being taken once by some con artists playing the shell game in Venezia, I have never had any problems.... and that was my own ignorance.
As the others have said, Italia is a warm, friendly and amazing country. I too am directionally challenged, however some of the best times I have had while there, came about as a direct result of being lost. Buy one of RS's Italian phrase books and don't be afraid to try out some Italiano. Learning to say "mi sono perso" will prove to be invaluable. I would buy one now and start practicing. People are so willing to help you when you do get lost and more often then not, they will walk with you to your destination. Trust your instincts, keep your passport and most of your money in the hotel safe, and don't bring your most treasured jewelry. Travel simply and always dress down. You will have a blast. Enjoy!

Don't be nervous, I have known many women who have traveled to Italy by themselves and had a great time. Italy is a very friendly country and in most of the tourist areas language is not a problem. I travel solo often and the thing that most people fear about solo travel is eating alone. I will usually bring a book to read and I scout out the restaurant and make sure it's not too romantic of a place! I am usually quite happy with that arrangement. In Florence there are plenty of day trips you can take to the hill towns, you can usually find info for those at your hotel. If you like biking there are also many tour groups in Florence that will take you on a biking tour of the surrounding hill towns. It's a fun way to meet other people too. You will have a great time, relax!

Have you started planning how many days where yet? Are you planning on spending any time in Milan? If not, would it be possible to change that to Venice? It's not a terribly long train ride, it will just eliminate some retracing of footsteps. Venice and Rome make excellent bookends. I'd save 4 of those days for Rome if possible and consider Siena instead of Florence as a base. It's in central southern Tuscany and a ton of guided winery tours leave out of there. Plus it's absolutley beautiful and less tourist mobbed than Florence. Maybe give us a clue as to what you are expecting and the experts can help you fill in the blanks. This board is full of some great advice.

I am considering only going into Milan to see The Last Supper and then getting on a train to Venice. Friends have said Venice can be done in 1-1/2 days (leaving bright and early on 10/4)and on to Florence (or Siena for that matter) from 10/4-10/6, arriving in Rome on the afternoon of 10/6 through 10/9, departing for airport on 10/10. It is an aggressive schedule, but I am calling it "the highlights tour"!

Hi Marianne. I would not hesitate to travel alone in Italy. Just take the same precautions that you would take at home & you'll be fine. If you're directionally challenged (I can relate), take good maps for each city (maybe those Streetwise maps) & a small compass. Accept the fact that in Venice you will get lost but this is part of the fun of being in Venice and rest assured that you will eventually find your way back! Make sure you have your hotel's address and phone number with you at all times just in case you can't find your way back. I also suggest using a money belt at all times regardless of the fact that you're traveling alone. As for tours, I really like Rick's mp3 walking tours. If you'd rather join a tour group, there are some really great tours for all 3 cities that you mentioned. We used Through Eternity for tours of the Forum & Palatine Hill in Rome & then we used Presto Tours for a great tour of the Vatican/Sistine Chapel/St. Peter's. We really enjoyed both of these tour companies but look on line & you'll find a lot of tour companies. Good luck & enjoy Italy; you will love it!!

A "highlights tour" is a great option for a first timer. I think what you have scheduled sounds great. For a highlights tour, 1.5 days in Venice isn't too bad (I know Venice lovers, blasphemy). I've unfortunately never done a personal/small group guide day tour but I think it's a great idea in your case. It sounds like you know what you are after which is 90% of the battle. I hope you fall in love with the place like I did the 1st time I was there :)

Marianne, On trips to Italy with girlfriends, I discovered that after a certain point in the night 10:30ish, maybe the locals presume that if you're not with a man then you must be a working girl. Carloads of upper-teen-looking boys would lean out the windows and make catcalls or yell "Putanna." That made me uncomfortable when walking with a friend, and it would be more annoying if alone. So, for your after-dinner strolls, please stick to well-light, busy streets for your own comfort.

I really like walking with a GPS. There have been posts on the brands that work better walking than the ones used by cars ( I love my TomTom when it's plugged in but it only works for an hour these days free of the powerplugs). Not only did I like not being lost, but it was helpful to see on the screen that I was also near another "point of interest" as it says. When I was much younger, in 1981 or 82 I went to Rome by myself and had an interesting time. I took a day trip on a bus to Florence and a separate one to Pompei; sometimes it is much easier to let someone else do the driving, even if they take you to the cameo carving factory as well as the historic site. Last year we had to take a tour in Milan in order to see the Last Supper and to my surprise, there were no shopping stops; 100% educational content. have a good time and make the travel easy on yourself.
Proud of you for going on your own- Italy is addicting.

My advice is to really know what you want to do. I research so extensively prior to my trip that by time I get there, I feel like I've been there before. I write out itineraries, and google map directions from 1 place to another. Make sure you pace yourself so that you can enjoy your traveling and set aside that time in your plan for flexibility. Planning is my favorite part of the trip whether I travel solo or with my boyfriend. Just have an idea of what you want to do so that you don't seem insecure or lost, which may attract negative attention.

Hi Marianne, Nothing to be nervous about. I travelled solo in Italy for two weeks three years ago and loved it so much, I've got another trip planned this year. I never felt unsafe (I didn't wander too far at night and didn't go clubbing by myself). Basically, common sense will keep you perfectly safe. To be honest, I found that being by myself helped me just blend in. In the big cities, so many people speak english and are more than happy to help you out if you're struggling with the language. I found taking little walking tours helped me to meet people, but alot of times I was so busy sightseeing and eating gelato to feel too lonely. I would recommend checking out the Enjoy Rome tours. I had a really great time on them and met some cool people. I didn't do any tours in Florence so I can't speak to those. I also met alot of people while I was eating. I HATE eating alone but I found alot of wonderful people were happy to invite me to join them. I promice you will have an amazing time travelling on your own. It's so nice to just do everything YOU want to do. Maybe I'll run into you, I'll be wandering the streets of Rome in October as well :) Have fun!!