We are in mid 40s I am Calabrian and would like to travel Italy independently. I have heard Calabria is not safe ?? We are hoping to visit Italy for a month to really enjoy our time.

we would like to rent a villa . Wondering what city or area would place us in convenient accommodation with a relaxing experience and easy access to travel the country at leisure .

I'm confused, if you are a Calabrian then you know if Calabria is safe.

Which month are you considering and any specific area you would like to visit. Which airport might you fly into.

Train is great for Italy, slightly less good in Calabria. Start with seat61.com to understand how it works. ZTLs are a significant reason why you may prefer trains and buses over cars.

One question:

What month will you go?
Is a beach important to you?

Calabria is large..maybe consider two locations?????

Welcome to Fodors. We modified your title, changing 'euro' to 'Italy/Calabria', and added the tag for Italy.

Calabria is safe, but Eks and Bilbo are not. A recent investigation confirmed the long-held belief that they are in fact, a pair of juvenile delinquents currently incarcerated at the Gioia Tauro 'Facility for Errant Teens' (Parrolaccia incurable section).
In order to post here, they've been bribing guards with their meds at midnight in order to access the otherwise-forbidden computers in the prison administrative quarter. Bilbo was once the ruthless enforcer for Jaime 'the petal' Giardano, one of Europe's most notorious tulip bulb bootleggers. Eks is still in denial regarding her role as quality-control controller for Iberia's infamous 'Cuenta' gang, responsible for an estimated 70% of the contraband olives sold worldwide.

*Otto, I jest. My wife and I spent a month in Calabria this past spring. It is certainly safe. We drove through (OK were driven through) a few towns known to be the epicenter of organized crime, and there was not the slightest issue.
Can recommend an obvious pair of seaside destinations in Calabria, ones that I am sure that you have heard of: Tropea and Scilla. Staying on the outskirts of Tropea would allow you to avoid most of its touristy aspects. Best place to stay in Scilla is its waterside Chianalea strip. You may also want to visit Pizzo plus Capo Vaticano.
*Our favorite daytrip: Pentedatillo on the edge of Aspromonte park, a kind of 'Calabrian Matera' only just now opening up for travelers.

Happy to try and answer any questions about those places.
I am done. the posters

I alone have vanquished the Cuentas....! They are no more. Finito. Basta!

Sono certo che non ho visto Jaime 'the petal' Giardano. Non ne so nulla. Lui non e' importante.

Calabria is interesting, of the five basic clans, the Calabrians are the really nasty ones. But, as a tourist you will not be part of their tax regime. Obviously don't travel with much in your car or anything you might want to keep. Be friendly to everyone.

You speak badly of N'Drangheta, Signor Bilbo....

We see all!!!!

Remember el Ragazzo Getty?

Otto we spent a few nights in Calabria in September 2022. We took the ferry after 2 weeks in Sicily to the mainland, and worked our way up the coast with bases in Scilla and Tropea. Both are gorgeous. As we returned our car in Sicily, we relied on trains (which primarily run along the coast)- both Trenitalia and Italo operate here. My impression was: to explore further inland a car would have been necessary, but if you have a month perhaps you will figure out the local bus network.
Ps- we encountered no safety concerns.