"Where to Go Next" articles come and go, but America's love affair with Italy endures, verified by the sheer number of magazine covers, television series (buongiorno, Stanley Tucci), and Instagram feeds featuring its cities and landmarks.

Up-and-comers like Sicily and Puglia are gaining tourist ground, but the classics (think Rome, Florence, Venice, Lake Como, the Amalfi Coast, and Cinque Terre) are just as popular following the pandemic's pause on travel.