Italy is a peninsula extending into the central Mediterranean Sea, northeast of Tunisia.
Italy is one of the youngest countries in Europe, becoming a nation-state in 1861 under King Victor EMMANUEL. It contains a separate country, The Vatican, in the centre of Rome. One of the two centres of the Roman Empire (the other being Turkey), the country we call Italy is the well-spring of Western history. The cultures of millennia are all revealed here, rather like layers of paint partially scraped away to reveal stunning pictures underneath. Because of its age and status in the civilized world, countless examples of the art, architecture and artifacts of the country have been preserved. The countryside also is so picturesque as to have served as the inspiration for much of its priceless art. The canals of Venice, the mosaics of Ravenna, sausage of Genoa, resorts of Livorno; the music of Naples and archaeology of Pompey-have we even mentioned wine and cheese yet? And then there's the people-utterly unlike any others, passionate and ebullient. Must be the coffee they drink.
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The climate warms as the traveller goes south; with hot and dry summers there. The northern, central and mountain areas are colder; it snows heavily in the mountains in the north in winter. Spring and autumn are perfect times to visit any part of the country, with mild, sunny days.
Visa, Immigration, Customs
Passport valid for at least 3 months beyond your scheduled length of stay. Government offices advise that you register your travel abroad. Information provided by you will help locate you through your embassy in an emergency - whether it is in the country you are visiting or a family emergency at home. It may also be used to send you new Travel Advisories and other important information. Registration is free and available online.
Visa/Permit/Tourist Card: No visa is required for stays of up to 90 days. Single parents or other adults vacationing alone with children should be aware that some countries require documentary evidence of parental responsibility before allowing lone parents to enter the country or, in some cases, before permitting the children to leave the country.
Transportation
Many major airlines fly in to a large number of cities in Italy from outside of and in the country. Air travel within Italy is expensive.
Airports in Italy:There are 134 airports in Italy. Browse this list of selected airports to view details.
Travel by Rail:A national network of routes is run at reasonable cost by the Italian State Railways.
Travel by Water:Ferry services run to Sicily from Naples and Sardinia from Genoa, Livorno and Naples.
Travel by Road:Car rental is worth while. One pays tolls on the excellent network of freeways, except for the Salerno-Reggio Calabria, Palermo-Catania and Palermo-Mazara Del Vallo stretches. You need an international driver's license and nerves of steel. The Mont Blanc tunnel, linking France and Italy, has re-opened with stringent new safety measures. Buses are fast and reliable, and serve places where trains don't go.
What Side of the Road?: Driving is on the right side of the road.
Languages Spoken:Italian (official), German (parts of Trentino-Alto Adige region are predominantly German speaking), French (small French-speaking minority in Valle d'Aosta region), Slovene (Slovene-speaking minority in the Trieste-Gorizia area). Tour guides and service professionals in tourist-oriented facilities are very likely to speak English.
Religions:Predominately Roman Catholic with mature Protestant and Jewish communities.
People and Culture:"The world's living art gallery" will cause you to suffer intense culture shock-when you return to whatever insipid-by-contrast backwater you come from. There is hardly an ancient or modern civilization which has not contributed to this one. If by culture you mean music, painting, acting, writing-it's all non pareil. You will find northern Italian people to be blond, cool and welcoming, the southerners dark, passionate and welcoming. Mama mia! La dolce vita is a rich, indulgent and spirit-lifting experience. Many festivals and cultural events, as well as many outdoor sports and activities, are open to those who can't just sit back in the sun with their grappas and breathe. A resident or national of Italy is called "Italian". The Term used to describe things from here is "Italian". For example, "Italian food".
Tipping and Bargaining:Tipping is practiced here, but a 15 percent coperto ('cover charge') or pane ('bread') charge usually is added to restaurant bills. Leaving an extra 5% for the waiter is customary.
Restaurants:
5 - 10% in addition to service charge.
*Porters:
0.75 -1 Euro per bag
Taxi:
10% or Round Up
* Try to use local currency. Foreign coins cannot be exchanged and will be useless to the person receiving them. Foreign paper money requires a trip to the bank for exchange. However paper US dollars are accepted almost universally.
Food:Italian food is one of the world's most popular; most people consider it to be pasta, which comes in many shapes and is served with many different sauces, the basic ingredients often being tomatoes, garlic and cheese. But there's far, far more; you could order the dishrag from an Italian kitchen and eat it with relish. Key to understanding Italy's food is knowing the region it comes from-there is no "national cuisine"; the country is too newly established for that.. Cooking styles vary tremendously, from creamy in the north to spicy in the south. Northern Emilia-Romagna is the originator of spaghetti Bolognese, lasagne and tortellini, as well as excellent prosciutto and mortadella. Liguria is where pesto was invented. Sardinia is famous for its spit-roasted piglet. Where-ever you go, ask for the specialities of the region. That way, you won't miss out on things you might not have heard of before. Meat and seafood are popular, and as the country is fertile with excellent conditions for growing crops, there are many vegetables and fruits available to the imaginative gourmand. Rice, polenta, cheeses and sausages are excellent, often herbed or spiced with masterful skill. Gelato, Italian ice cream, is a special treat. Custards and baked goods make wonderful desserts. Italian wines are popular worldwide.
Money Conversion
Italy's currency is called the Euro (EUR)
Currency Converter :use the following currency converter tool to help you with your vacation. Currency Convertor Tool
Currency Cheat Sheet:use the following currency cheat sheet as a quick conversion reference on your vacation.Currency Cheat Sheet
Attractions
Destination Cities:Rome is a synonym for "history": here are the Coliseum, the Vatican, the Capitoline Museums, where you'll see the Capitoline Venus and the Dying Gaul, St Peter's Basilica, the Baths of Caracalla. Venice, once the centre of world trade, is built on the waters of the northern Adriatic, out from the mainland to protect it from invaders, and has for centuries been the centre of bead-making and glassworks of great beauty. Its Carnavale is the best in the world. In Florence, where Machiavelli lived, from which Dante was exiled for a still-mysterious crime, is Michelangelo's David in the Church of Santa Croce, the Uffizi Gallery, with the works of Raphael, Titian, and Botticelli, Brunelleschi's Duomo. In Pisa is the Leaning Tower. In Brindisi is the ferry to Greece.
Points of Interest:In Venice you will find Teatro La Fenice, among many other significant theatre-history sites. The Piazza San Marco is a must-see. Da Vinci's Last Supper fresco in Milan is also a must-see: it's slowly disintegrating. Milan is also a fashion centre, as is Florence. In Naples, see the 13th century Castel Nuovo as well as the National Archaeological Museum, where the treasures discovered at Pompeii and Herculaneum reside. The waters of Costa Smeralda offer one of Europe's most beautiful stretches of sand, sea and sunshine. Ski on the snow-covered slopes of the Dolomite mountains. Medieval hill towns, such as San Gimignano in Tuscany, and fishing villages, like Positano on the Amalfi coast, are treasures for those sick of museums.
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