Overview
Italy is not one destination but twenty regional cultures stitched together in 1861, which never entirely agreed to it. The practical consequence is that moving 100km changes the dialect, the bread, the coffee ritual and the opening hours. Plan fewer places and stay longer in each.
Things to see and do
Four things worth building an itinerary around, rather than a list of everything.
- 01
Matera
Cave dwellings inhabited for 9,000 years, abandoned as a national shame in the 1950s, now Basilicata's finest place to sleep.
- 02
The Dolomites
Limestone towers, rifugio dinners and a hiking network that runs from June snowmelt to October.
- 03
Bologna's porticoes
Nearly 40km of covered arcade, and the food that made Emilia-Romagna famous, at half Florence's prices.
- 04
The Aeolian Islands
Seven volcanic islands off Sicily; Stromboli still erupts on a reliable schedule.
When to go
The usable window is Apr–Jun, Sep–Oct. August is typically the warmest month and February the wettest; the shoulder weeks either side of the peak give you most of the weather at a fraction of the price.
Average temperature and rainfall
Indicative national averages. Mountain and coastal regions vary sharply from these figures.
Getting there and around
International arrivals concentrate on Rome, and for most visitors that is the sensible entry point even when it is not the first place you want to be.
Overland
Long-distance buses cover more of the country than the railway, run more often, and cost less. Trains, where they exist, are more comfortable for the same money.
Local transport
In Rome, use the metered taxi or a ride app rather than negotiating at the kerb, and carry small notes — change is a genuine problem in most of the country. Intercity travel is worth booking a day ahead during the Apr–Jun peak.
Food and drink
Eat where the turnover is fastest. In Italy that usually means the market stalls at lunch and the neighbourhood places that open at seven and stop serving when the pot is empty.
Portions, timings and the position of the main meal in the day all vary from what you are used to. Ask what the kitchen is doing well today rather than reading down the menu, and order what the next table is eating.
Passport and visa
Current position: Schengen; ETIAS for visa-exempt visitors.
Most nationalities need a passport valid for six months beyond the date of entry, with at least two blank pages. Onward or return tickets are checked at the gate more often than at the border, and airlines apply the rule more strictly than immigration does.
- Check your own government’s travel advice as well as the destination’s rules — they update at different speeds.
- Where an e-visa or travel authorisation applies, apply through the official government portal. Search results are full of paid intermediaries.
- Keep a photo of your passport page and any approval separately from the documents themselves.
Money and costs
The currency is the Euro (EUR). Card acceptance is normal in cities and patchy outside them; carry enough cash for two days of small purchases at all times.
Rough daily budget
- Budget — hostel, street food, busesUS$27
- Mid-range — guesthouse, restaurants, some taxisUS$82
- Comfortable — hotel, guided days, carUS$341
Per person per day, excluding international flights.
Tipping
Rounding up is normal and welcomed; a set percentage is not universal. Check whether service is already on the bill before adding to it.
Health and safety
Standard travel advice applies: routine vaccinations up to date, comprehensive insurance that covers the activities you actually intend to do, and a pharmacy plan for the ordinary things rather than the dramatic ones.
- Carry oral rehydration salts. Most travel stomach upsets resolve in a day, and fluid loss is the part that causes trouble.
- Check whether your insurance covers motorbike hire — many policies exclude it by default.
- Save the local emergency number to your phone on arrival, and note the nearest hospital to where you are staying.
Petty theft in busy tourist areas is the most common problem visitors report. Situational awareness handles nearly all of it.
Culture and etiquette
The official language is Italian. Learning six words — hello, please, thank you, yes, no, and the number two — changes how a trip goes far more than the effort suggests.
A cappuccino after 11am is legal, but you will be gently marked out as a visitor.
Compare these dates elsewhere
Places to stay in Rome, priced by each site in its own currency.
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City guides in Italy
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