Eat, Pray, Love is a fantastic memoir-turned-movie.
Our favorite part? The “Eat”, of course.
Liz Gilbert’s introduction to Italy begins in Rome and takes her to Naples. You can visit these Eat, Pray, Love filming locations by train with ease—and light luggage restrictions.
Image Credit: Alexander Spatari. Image Location: Rome, Italy
Getting to know the Eat, Pray, Love movie locations
Eat, Pray, Love’s locations for the “Eat” part of Liz Gilbert’s journey.
Is Eat, Pray, Love based on a true story?
Yes, Eat, Pray, Love is based on a true story. The film was based on the memoir Eat, Pray, Love: One Woman’s Search for Everything Across Italy, India, and Indonesia written by Elizabeth Gilbert, which details the lessons Gilbert learned while traveling the world post-divorce.
Where was Eat, Pray, Love filmed in Italy?
Eat, Pray, Love was filmed in both Rome and Naples, though Rome certainly gets the spotlight. Naples only gets one, delicious feature but let’s just say it’s well-worth the ride from Roma Termini to Napoli Centrale that takes between 1 and 3 hours, depending on the train and time.
Where is Eat, Pray, Love filmed in Rome?
Eat, Pray, Love gave Rome its flowers during production. Filming locations and establishing shots included Piazza Navona, the Castel Sant’Angelo, and the Colosseum. True to the memoir’s pages, Rome’s restaurants were also featured, like Ristorante Caffè Domiziano.
Image Credit: Getty Images, VeselovaElena. Location: Italy
Where does Julia Roberts go in Italy?
We’ll get to where Julia Roberts went in Italy as the character Elizabeth Gilbert later, but first, you’ve got to see where she spent her time off camera. She spent one month calling the penthouse suite of the Rome Cavalieri, a Waldorf Astoria property, home. Calling it one of the best places to stay in Rome in an understatement: the penthouse suite has a private rooftop garden, a small gallery of artwork from artists like Warhol, and a hot tub that lets you soak in view of St. Peter’s Dome.
What pizzeria was in Eat, Pray, Love?
The pizzeria in Eat, Pray, Love is called L’Antica Pizzeria da Michele. It’s located in Naples, Italy, roughly a 15-minute walk from the Napoli Centrale train station. The Naples restaurant is the filming location for Eat, Pray, Love, but if you’re just interested in the pie no matter the place, there are other locations in Salerno, Aversa, and Pompeii.
Why is L’Antica Pizzeria da Michele so famous?
L’Antica Pizzeria da Michele is no doubt basking in the free publicity it continues to receive as an Eat, Pray, Love location for filming, but its history dates back farther than the aughts. Many believe that L’Antica Pizzeria da Michele was the first pizzeria opened in Italy. It started serving pies in 1906 and continues to draw a crowd as a “sacred temple of pizza” today.
Where is the best place to go on an Eat, Pray, Love trip?
No offense, India and Indonesia, but we’re picking Italy every time for our Eat, Pray, Love trip. Italy is one of our favorite vacation destinations, and not just because it has a fantastic railway network. The gastronomic goodies like pizza in Rome and truffles in Turin, the villages in Cinque Terre, the beaches of Puglia, and the affordable art museums in Florence make it a great place to spend weeks no matter what place in life you’re in.
Image Credit: Getty Images, © Marco Bottigelli. Image Location: Naples, Italy
Eat, Pray, Love movie locations and how to get there by train
These Eat, Pray, Love locations in Italy are effortless to reach by train.
Eat, Pray, Love movie locations in Naples
The one and only…
L’Antica Pizzeria da Michele
Closest train station: Napoli Centrale
L’Antica Pizzeria da Michele in Naples is where Liz went to try “the best pizza in the world”. One of many fantastic places to eat in Naples, this pizzeria is said to be the first one in Italy, opened over 100 years ago. You can visit Naples from Rome as fast as a one-hour train ride, which means you can literally head to L’Antica Pizzeria da Michele for lunch while still enjoying breakfast cappuccinos and cacio e pepe for dinner in Rome.
Image Credit: © Marco Bottigelli. Image Location: Naples, Italy
Eat, Pray, Love movie locations in Rome
Spoiler alert: many of these Eat, Pray, Love locations are already on your Rome itinerary.
Piazza Navona
With its dazzling fountains like the Fontana dei Fiumi, Piazza Navona is a wonderful spot to sip a coffee as the sun rises on Rome, just like Liz did.
Castel Sant’Angelo
For the same view of the Eternal City that Liz drinks in, head to the terrace of the Castel Sant’Angelo.
Restaurant Santa Lucia
In Eat, Pray, Love, Liz and her friends sat on the shady terrace of a restaurant just outside of the Piazza Navona.
Antica Trattoria Della Pace
Brush up on your Italian like Liz did with a language lesson over dinner at Antica Trattoria Della Pace.
Via dell’Orso
A small scene but picturesque all the same, you’ll find the water fountain Liz tried to sip from on Via dell’Orso.
Image Credit: Getty Images, RossHelen. Image Location: Italy
Download, purchase, ride
Whether you "eat, pray, love", "live, laugh, love", or "drink, play, sleep", taking the train is the best way to do it in Europe. Download the Trainline app, purchase the cheapest tickets available, and ride to these Eat, Pray, Love filming locations.
Check out these other filming locations around Europe, including our favorite movies filmed in Italy:
Header Image Credit: Alexander Spatari. Image Location: Rome, Italy