When To Visit Italy

Italy is at its best in spring (April-May) and autumn (October-November). During these seasons, the scenery is beautiful, the temperatures are pleasant and there are relatively few crowds. Try to avoid August, as this is the time that most Italians take their vacations, and many shops and businesses are closed as a result.

Getting To Italy

For travel between Italy and other parts of Europe, including the UK, buses are the cheapest but most tiring type of transport, although discount rail tickets are competitive and budget flights can be good value. For the rest of the world flying would seem the easiest option although boat passages are available. Visitors travelling to Italy will find that flights are numerous and fares are competitive. Unless you're pushed for time, train travel is a great way to enter Italy from within Europe. Buses to Italy are numerous but can't really compete with the convenience of the train. Ferries service Sicily from Naples, while Sardinia can be reached from Genoa, Livorno and Naples. Ferries connect the country with Greece, Turkey, Tunisia, Malta, Albania, Croatia and Spain.

Getting Around Italy

Given the excellent network of relatively cheap bus and train services in Italy, both are a great, stress-free way of seeing the country - and of being part of the great Italian travelling public. Bus travel is the less expensive of the two, but as there are many different operators it is less straightforward than train travel. Your own wheels give you the most potential freedom and flexibility, although both fuel and autostrada (motorway) tolls are rather expensive. Domestic air travel can be costly and is probably worth it only if you are really short of time. Buses are fast and reliable, whether they are traversing local routes linking small villages or zooming along autostrade between cities. They come into their own to reach destinations not serviced by the trains. If you want to see more of the Italy, renting a car is a great way of getting off the beaten track. Roads are generally good throughout the country, and there is an excellent network of freeways, although you do have to pay tolls.

Events in Italy

Religious, cultural and historical events pepper the Italian calendar. The pre-Easter Carnival is closely associated with Venice; Holy Week Easter processions are especially flamboyant at Taranto, Chieti and Sicily; and Florence explodes a cart full of fireworks on Easter Sunday. Festivals honouring patron saints are also particularly colourful events; for example the Festas di San Nicola in Bari and San Gennaro in Naples, the Festival of Snakes in Abruzzo (May) and the Festa of Sant'Antonio in Padua (June). Events betraying more than a hint of history include the Race of the Candles and Palio of the Crossbow in Gubbio (May), the Sardinian Cavalcade (May), the Regata of the Four Ancient Maritime Republics (which rotates between Pisa, Venice, Amalfi and Genoa, and is held in June), Il Palio in Siena (July & August) and Venice's Historic Regatta.(September).

Weather in Italy

The moderating influence of the sea and the protection given by the Alpine barrier from the cold north winds join to bless Italy with a temperate climate. The summer is hot and dry, but the temperature is mitigated on the coast by sea breezes and in the Apennines and Alps it is pleasantly cool. In mountain areas, winter is ideal for skiing, and summer for excursions, hiking, etc. Seaside and lake resorts, with their excellent hotel facilities, have an intense tourist season in the summer, while the cities that are rich in art treasures are ideal in spring and autumn.

Italian Food

Ialy's many regional cuisine, while remaining distinctive to their regions of origin, have undergone a pan-Italian fusion in the hands of chefs, evolving into a unique cuisine that is justifiably world famous. Cooking styles vary notably, from the rich and creamy dishes of the north to the hot and spicy specialities of the south. Northern Emilia-Romagna has produced the best-known dishes - spaghetti bolognese, lasagne and tortellini - and is also home to the best prosciutto and mortadella. Liguria is the home of pesto, that mainstay of cafes worldwide. Spectacular vegetable and pasta dishes feature just as predominantly as seafood and exotic meats - anyone for frog rissotto, donkey steak or entrail pudding? Desserts - cassata, cannoli, zabaglione, granita and marzipan - come into their own in Sicily, while Sardinia is famous for its spit-roasted piglet. Coffee, beer and wine are of course magnificent countrywide.

Money & Costs

• Currency: Euro
• Meals
  • Budget: €5-10
  • Mid-range: €10-20
  • High: €20-30
  • Deluxe: €30+
• Lodging
  • Budget: €8-40
  • Mid-range: €40-120
  • High: €120-200
  • Deluxe: €200+

Those on a tight budget will find eating and sleeping in Italy expensive. Prudent backpackers might squeeze by on around 40.00 a day if they stay in hostels, make their own sandwiches, avoid indulging in alcohol and don't visit too many museums. If you want to stay in comfortable hotels, eat out regularly in restaurants and visit lots of museums and galleries, you should budget at least 100-150 a day; hiring a car will double your expenses. Be aware that Italy has more luxury hotels, expensive restaurants and shops to die for than you can shake a Gold Amex card at, so be prepared to stretch your budget if you are easily tempted. Service charges are included in your restaurant bill, so you are not expected to tip. It is common practice, however, to leave a small amount. In bars, Italians will usually leave any small change as a tip, but this is by no means obligatory. Be aware that prices in Italian bars and cafes double (sometimes even triple) if you sit down. Tipping taxi drivers is not necessary, but your hotel porter will expect a little something.