Driving in Italy. Hmm.. I owned a wonderful Fiat for thirty-five years. It was a wonderful car, but I understand that driving in Italy is yet another thing. Your suggestion, as well as Malta sounds like a great idea. It goes along with Roger's advice not to get trapped in any one city.
Don't, don't, don't. They are the worst drivers in the world. Plenty of other nations are equally incompetent, but the Italians are uniquely aggressive.
First visit (on motorcyle): rear-ended while waiting at road works controlled by traffic light. Frances couldn't walk for three days.
Second visit (in Land Rover): On a 5000 km tour through Italy, Slovenia, Hungary, Slovakia, Czech Republic, Austria, Germany, Switzerland: held up by 5 serious or fatal accidents in Italy, none anywere else. Also, if Frances had opened the Land Rover door 3 seconds later,
in a car park, one car width from the hedge, she'd have lost a leg to the cretin who zoomed by between the car and the hedge, even though the rest of the car park was empty.
Third visit (Land Rover again): Frances pushed out of the way by someone who was impatient with her trying to get a receipt from the motorway toll office (I didn't see this or I'd have hit him).
Fourth visit (Land Rover again): Had to brake hard on the roundabout
as I entered the country to avoid a motorcyclist who didn't look, slow down, etc. Ten minutes later, held up by an accident: motorcyclist spread all over the road. May or may not have been the same guy. Later: Land Rover door punched and kicked at motorway toll station by someone who objected to my slowing down to the speed limit.
There won't be a fifth visit. I've ridden and driven in many of the places that are regarded as having bad drivers -- India, Greece, Mexico, Paris -- and I've had less trouble in the rest of the world put together than in Italy. Maybe I've just been unlucky, but it starts looking like a pattern. Yes, there are many kind, helpful, charming, thoughtful Italians, and one day I may even fly to Rome -- but I'll never drive there again if I can help it.
Cheers,
R.