WHEN IS THE BEST TIME TO VISIT ITALY?
Italy is an amazing place to visit year round. If you’re going for general sightseeing, make the trip in the spring or fall. The weather is mild, there are few crowds and prices are moderate. If you go in the summer, be prepared for heat, crowds and inflated prices for flights, hotels and activities. If you’re keen to ski, the winter is the best time to visit the Dolomites mountains. However, if you’re keen to hit up the beach or swim in lakes, then head for Sardinia, Sicily, the Amalfi Coast, Lake Como or Lake Garda in the summer. If you’re a foodie, head visit the farmers markets in the spring or head over for the vineyard harvest in the fall.
PASSPORT & VISA REQUIREMENTS
If you’ll be in Italy for under 90 days, a visa is not required for U.S. and most European citizens. From the U.S, your passport must be valid for at least six months beyond your planned date of departure and have two pages for each entry stamp.
Additional information from the U.S. State Department about Italy, including travel requirements, is located on the travel.state.gov here. Visa and passport requirements for other countries may be located here.
HOW DO I PAY FOR STUFF?
Currency: You’ll use Euros, but there are plenty of ATMs, including at the airport, so no need to pay extra fees for taking out money ahead of time from your local bank. You’ll be able to use your credit card except in less touristy areas locales or in small mom and pop type shops. Always transact in Euros rather than USD to avoid extra currency conversion fees.
Tipping: Like elsewhere in Europe, tipping for food is not more than 10%.
WHAT TO FEAST ON IN ITALY?
- The Italy highlights are pasta, pizza and gelato.
- Northern Italian food is more influenced by northern European neighbors and they use butter instead of olive oil and you should make sure you eat gobs of risotto and polenta and they’re known for beef and veal, stews. Norther Italian food is better known for cheeses!
- The food in Southern Italy is more influenced by the Mediterranean so think eggplant, tomatoes, peppers anchovies, olives.
- If you’re on the coast, obviously eat seafood
- If you want to eat truffles, Piedmont’s Alba is the most famous, but truffles are also found in Tuscany and Umbria
- Sicily is known for its granita.
- Italy is home to some of the world’s best vineyards and most awesome wine. That said, keep in mind that house wines can be cheap and amazing, but they can also be horrible, especially in Rome, so ask to try it before you order.
WHAT SHOULD I READ, WATCH AND LISTEN TO BEFORE THE TRIP?
Read H.V. Morton’s “A Traveler in Italy”
Watch “La Grande Bellezza”. The movie is set in the lavish night clubs of Rome and won an Oscar for best foreign-language film in 2014.
Listen to anything by Luciano Pavarotti, opera king.
ANY FINAL TIPS?
- Get your hotel to make reservations for you. While more of the well known places will accommodate a reservation, the authentic, mom and pop places won’t pick up an international number. When you book your trip, take advantage of the hotel concierge and ask them to make the reservations – Italians are very kind and accommodating so don’t be afraid to ask!
- To the extent possible, book all reservations well in advance.
- If you plan to visit more than one location in Italy, check prices for departing from a different airport than the one you arrived at. For example, if you plan to visit Rome and the Amalfi Coast, consider flying into Rome and flying out of Naples. You may save time and money by not having to get yourself back to Rome for the flight home.
- Pickpocketing can be an issue in large cities (especially Rome). Keep an eye on your belongings on transportation (especially the buses).
WHAT TO DO IN AN EMERGENCY?
In an emergency, call:
112 for general emergencies.
113 for the police.
115 for the fire brigade.
118 for medical help.
The nearest U.S. Consulate locations are:
Rome. via Vittorio Veneto 121, 00187 Roma. Phone: (+39) 06.46741.
Florence. Lungarno Vespucci, 38, 50123 Firenze. Phone: (+39) 055.266.951.
Naples. Piazza della Repubblica, 80122 NAPOLI. Phone: (+39) 081.583.8111.