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Practical information Italy

flag Italy

In brief

Visa :
No
Vaccinations :
No
Currency :
Euro
Capitale :
Rome
Languages :
italian, german, French
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Our expert Italy

Rooksana Hossenally Section editor

Travel is my driving force in life, and although I have had the privilege of visiting 30 countries so far, my heart will always remain in India...

map of Italy

map of Italy

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Weather Italy

  • Alghero  28°C 29°C 28°C 27°C
  • Olbia  30°C 28°C 27°C 27°C
  • Cagliari  28°C 28°C 28°C 28°C
  • Palermo  28°C 28°C 27°C 24°C
  • Naples  31°C 31°C 28°C 26°C
  • Pescara  32°C 32°C 30°C 28°C
  • Milan  29°C 24°C 23°C 23°C
  • Bergamo  29°C 24°C 23°C 23°C
  • Bologna  36°C 36°C 32°C 32°C
  • Rimini  31°C 32°C 31°C 29°C
  • Genoa  28°C 25°C 23°C 23°C
  • Rome  30°C 29°C 27°C 26°C
  • Torino  30°C 29°C 27°C 28°C
  • Bari  32°C 32°C 32°C 30°C
  • Brindisi  30°C 29°C 30°C 28°C
  • Lecce  34°C 34°C 34°C 33°C
  • Venice  31°C 31°C 29°C 29°C
  • Verona  35°C 35°C 32°C 31°C
  • Treviso  32°C 32°C 30°C 29°C

Italy : Travel Information before you go!

formalite

Area

116602  sq.mi
langue

Languages

Italian is the official language. French and English are generally spoken by people working in the tourism industry.
formalite

Population

60,418,711 inhabitants
vol

Flights

  • Sardinia :

    Those who wish to go to Olbia (on the north western coast) will benefit from reduced flight times! The low cost British airline Easyjet flies to Olbia five times a week on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. Departure from London Gatwick (a return ticket costs as little as ?70, all taxes included). The direct flight from London to Olbia lasts an hour and a half. www.easyjet.com

    There is another Sardinian town that you can fly to with easyJet: Cagliari (South).

  • Sicily :

    4 hrs 10 mins. Catania is 1, 217 mi from London.

  • Campania :

    Allow two and a half hours for the flight between London and Naples. Two airlines offer direct flights to the ancient capital of Parthenope: British Airways and EasyJet.

  • Calabria :

    Airline companies operating flights to Calabria include Alitalia and Air Malta.

  • Abruzzo :

    Whilst various low-cost airlines fly to this part of Italy, Ryanair are worth a special mention for their flights between London Stansted and Pescara.

  • Lombardy :

    The main airports of Lombardy, Linate and Malpensa, are both located in Milan. There is also Orio al Serio airport, in the province of Bergamo, a popular destination for low cost flights.

  • Basilicata :

    Airlines operating flights to Bari include TUIfly, EasyJet, Ryanair, Meridiana, and SkyEurope. Airlines operating flights to Brindisi are TUIfly, AirBerlin, Ryanair, EasyJet, AirItaly, BluExpress.

  • Emilia-Romagna :

  • Molise :

  • Marche :

  • Umbria :

  • Friuli Venezia Giulia :

  • Liguria :

  • Tuscany :

  • Lazio :

  • Piemonte :

    Turin is serviced by many budget airlines (Ryanair, Air Italy, Wind Jet, On Air, Blue Express, Spanair, etc.) and standard carriers (Meridiana, Alitalia, British Airways, etc.), some of which offer daily flights from London. This administrative centre is also one of Europe's larger rail hubs.

  • Trentino :

  • Puglia :

  • Venice :

  • Aoste Valley :

formalite

Required travel documents for Italy

For British nationals a valid passport of less than 10 years is necessary. It is strictly forbidden to smoke in bars and restaurants with no separate areas for smokers and non-smokers. Anyone buying imitation goods is liable for a 10,000-euro fine - cut down to 3,333 euros if paid within two months following the offence.
religion

Religion

87% of the Italian population is catholic

monnaie

Currency

The currency is the euro, which consists of 100 cents. Mastercard and Visa are the most widely accepted credit cards and can also be used to withdraw cash from cash machines. Cash can be changed and travellers cheques cashed in banks, which are open from 8:30am to 1:30pm and from 3:00pm to 4:00pm during the week.
transports

Transport

Milan

From January 2007, Milan has had a toll gate for vehicles in the town centre. It was inspired by the congestion charge in London, but with a different system of application. It only applies to those not living in the town centre, applicable every weekday.

Venice

Vaporetto/Gondola/Traghetto

As of June 2012, the cost of a single ticket (75 minutes of travel time) on the vaporetto is 7 Euros. The Venitian Vaporetti network also serves the lagoon islands (Lido, Murano, Burano), with a pass available that can cover you for your whole visit. For any shorter journeys, a gondola, traghetto or simply walking is recommended.

The Main Islands (Sardinia and Sicily)

These two islands are accessible by regular flights, as are most other large Italian cities.

General

The railway network is quite dense and provides a relatively cheap means of transport. Buses can also be used to travel to areas not accessible by train and are usually the most cost efficient mode of transport if you are staying within one region. To rent a car, your national license is sufficient. The speed is limited to 30mph in town, 56 mph outside the town centre and 80 mph on the motorway.

santé

Health

No particular vaccine is required, but check your vaccination updates. Get a European Health card (ask for it at your local social security centre) to be covered for medical expenses. If you need medical care in the country, the expenses will be reimbursed once you return to your country, on presentation of the justifying documents.
electricité

Electricity

Voltage is 220V. An adaptor will be necessary for UK plugs

frequentation

Attendance

Italy welcomes more than 46.1 million visitors every year, making it the fifth most popular tourist destination worldwide

taxe

Taxes

Most goods and services are taxed at 19%. In restaurants, if the service is not included, leave 15% of the bill's total. In other cases, leaving a tip is not common practice.
reperes

Landmark

Italy, 20 Regions :