Italy travel guide

Italy is Europe's quintessential destination, concentrating food, art, history and romance in one country.

Rome, Florence, Venice, Milan, Amalfi, Naples, Cinque Terre and Sicily: rarely does a country have cities so different from each other. The food changes from region to region, and wine, olive oil and cheese are world-class.

Italy has the most UNESCO World Heritage sites of any country (57). April to June and September to October are the best seasons; in July and August, crowds, heat and prices all peak.

Visa and entry requirements for Italy

Whether you need a visa, how long you can stay and which pre-arrival forms apply all depend on your nationality and the purpose of your trip. Check the official source below, and your own government's travel advice, before you book.

This country is in the Schengen Area. The EU Entry/Exit System (EES) registers non-EU travelers at the external border, and the European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS) is scheduled to apply to visa-exempt travelers; check the official EU site for who needs it, the start date and the fee.

• Visto per l’Italia (official visa portal) (Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation)
• ETIAS (European Travel Information and Authorisation System) (European Union)
• EES (Entry/Exit System) (European Union)

Pickpocket warning (all of Italy)

Pickpocketing is very common in Rome (Termini station, the Vatican, the Trevi Fountain), Milan (the Duomo, the metro) and Naples (the old town). Keep your phone and wallet in a front pocket or a lockable bag, and take extra care at sights and on crowded metro sections. Travel insurance with theft cover is essential.

• Currency: Euro (EUR)
• Time zone: CET (UTC+1), summer time CEST (UTC+2)
• Airports: Rome Fiumicino (FCO), Milan Malpensa (MXP)
• Best season: April to June (spring) and September to October (autumn); crowds and heat peak in July and August
• Electricity: 230 V, Type F and L plugs
• Language: Italian; English is spoken at sights and hotels

Rome: the Eternal City

The capital, and as the saying "Rome wasn't built in a day" suggests, a city where several days are never enough.

Must-sees (paid): the combined Colosseum, Roman Forum and Palatine Hill ticket (from EUR 18, advance booking required) and the Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel (from EUR 20; advance booking strongly recommended, as on-site queues run two to three hours).
Free sights: the Trevi Fountain, the Pantheon (a EUR 5 charge is planned), Piazza Navona and the Borghese gardens.

Suggested plan: four days, three nights. Day 1: Colosseum, Palatine and Roman Forum. Day 2: the Vatican, St Peter's Square and Castel Sant'Angelo. Day 3: Trevi, Navona, the Pantheon and the Spanish Steps. Day 4: the Borghese Gallery and Villa Borghese, plus a day trip out of the city.

Florence: cradle of the Renaissance

A small city of 350,000 people but a world capital of art, and the center of the Renaissance art sponsored by the Medici family.

Must-sees: the Uffizi Gallery (Botticelli's Birth of Venus and Primavera, from EUR 20, book two months ahead), the Duomo and its cupola (EUR 15–18, 466 steps to the top), the Galleria dell'Accademia (Michelangelo's David, from EUR 16), Palazzo Pitti and the Boboli Gardens (from EUR 16) and the Ponte Vecchio (lined with jewelers, free).
Day trip from Florence to Siena: 1 hour 20 minutes by bus, to a preserved medieval city.

Venice: the city on water

A city of canals and bridges with no cars or buses: you get around only by boat (vaporetto) and on foot. Its unique layout makes it a place to see at least once.

Must-sees: St Mark's Square and the Doge's Palace (from EUR 25), a gondola ride (from EUR 80 for 30 minutes, EUR 40 each split between two), the Rialto Bridge and market (free), and Murano's glass island and colorful Burano (30–45 minutes by vaporetto).

Note: flooding (acqua alta). At high tide between November and March the square can flood; use waterproof boots or the temporary walkways.

The Amalfi Coast: top for honeymoons and anniversaries

Cliffs, sea and pastel villages 40 km south of Naples. Positano, Ravello, Amalfi and Praiano are the highlights.

Getting there: SITA buses (EUR 2–3) or ferries (EUR 10–20) from Naples or Sorrento. Car hire is possible, but the roads are narrow and parking is hard.
Suggested plan: two nights in Positano, a day trip to Amalfi town and the gardens of Ravello. Three- and four-star cliffside hotels cost EUR 200–400 per night.

Cinque Terre: trekking five fishing villages

Five villages on the Ligurian coast (Riomaggiore, Corniglia, Manarola, Vernazza and Monterosso) packed between cliffs and sea, a UNESCO World Heritage site. Trains or walking trails link the villages.

Cinque Terre Card: from EUR 16, including unlimited trains and trail access. Two to three hours by train from Milan or Genoa.

• Pizza (Naples): the original Neapolitan pizza, at Da Michele (EUR 7–10) and other pizzerias such as Sorbillo and Brandi. Thin dough, tomato and mozzarella.
• Carbonara (Rome): egg, pancetta and pecorino cheese, no cream; the Roman tradition.
• Bolognese ragù (Bologna): pasta with a rich meat sauce simmered for two to three hours.
• Gelato: quality varies widely by shop. EUR 2–3.5 a scoop. Look for artisan gelaterias with covered tubs and natural colors.
• Espresso (standing): EUR 1–1.5 standing at the counter; EUR 3–5 if you sit (service charge).
• Wine: Chianti (Tuscan red), Barolo and Barbaresco (Piedmont), Prosecco (Veneto sparkling). A quarter liter of house wine costs EUR 5–8.

High-speed trains (Frecciargento, Frecciarossa): Trenitalia (trenitalia.com) or Italo (italotreno.it). Main routes: Rome–Naples 70 minutes, Rome–Florence 90 minutes, Florence–Venice two hours, Milan–Rome three hours.

Booking tip: booking three months ahead is 50–70% cheaper, while same-day tickets cost two to three times more. High-speed (Alta Velocità) and regional (Regionale) trains differ a lot in price and time.

Car hire: needed for Cinque Terre, the Tuscan countryside and the Amalfi Coast. Watch out for fines in city-center ZTL (limited traffic zones).

Price benchmarks: a pizza EUR 8–14, pasta EUR 10–18, a three-star hotel EUR 100–180 per night, four-star EUR 180–320. Prices rise 30–50% in the summer peak season.