Italy is a bewitching country, offering everything from top-class skiing to beaches, idyllic lakeside towns, thermal springs, ancient history and avant-garde design. Watery, romance-soaked Venice is a city like no other. Tuscany and Umbria are great bases for villa holidays, allowing for day trips to tourist honey pots like Florence, Siena and Pisa. No wonder Italy is a popular choice for honeymoons. Rome blends a centuries-old civilisation with the headquarters of the Catholic church and a modern city. Naples is the gateway to the Amalfi coast and towns such as Ravello and Positano. Ferries leave from Naples to the islands of Capri and Ischia. Sardinia, an Italian island popular for decades among Italians, is increasingly popular with foreign visitors on holiday in Italy. On the border near Switzerland and Austria, skiing is popular in winter.
Food
History
Festivals
Wine
Family holidays
Skiing holidays
Driving in Rome – it can be fraught.
Italy is a full member of the European Union.
Many museums close on major holidays.
Some churches do not allow male visitors in shorts or women in sleeveless tops.
Extending into the Mediterranean and the Adriatic, Italy's climate is mainly mild in winter and hot in summer with temperatures of 40’C/104’F and above. The exception to this is the Alpine region where temperatures are temperate in summer with heavy snow in winter.
Most major cities in Italy have airports. Flights to Rome from London take approx one hour
In Italy, cars drive on the right. Most motorways are toll roads and it is illegal to drive without documentation. Drivers must use dipped headlights during the day on motorways and major roads, but not in cities. Each car should carry at least one reflective safety jacket.