Italy

La Dolce Vita has never been sweeter.
Europe's kinky over-the-knee boot has it all: popes, painters, polenta, paramours, poets, political puerility and potentates. Its dreamy light and sumptuous landscapes seem made for romance, and its three millennia of history, culture and cuisine seduces just about everyone.
You can visit Roman ruins, gawk at Renaissance art, stay in tiny medieval hill towns, go skiing in the Alps, explore the canals of Venice and gaze at beautiful churches. Naturally you can also indulge in the pleasures of la dolce vita: good food, good wine and improving your wardrobe.
When To Go
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.
Full Name
Italian Republic
Capital City
Rome
Area
301,230 sq km
116,305 sq miles
Population
57,300,000
Time Zone
GMT/UTC +1 (+2 in summer) (Central European Time)
Daylight Saving Start
last Sunday in March
Daylight Saving End
last Sunday in October
Languages
Italian (official)
A Latin language related to French, Spanish, Portuguese and Romanian. Standard Italian and numerous dialects are spoken.
French (other)
German (other)
Slovenian (other)
Albanian (other)
Religion
84% Roman Catholic, 6% Jewish, Muslim and Protestant
Currency
Euro (Euro)
Electricity
220V 50Hz
Electric Plug Details
European plug with two circular metal pins

Country Dialing Code
39
Italy Events
Events Overview
Religious, cultural and historical events pepper the Italian calendar. The pre-Easter Carnevale is closely associated with Venice; Holy Week Easter processions are especially flamboyant at Taranto, Chieti and in 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 Snake-charmer's Procession in Abruzzo (May) and the Festa di 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).
Italy Transport
Overview
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 - sometimes better value than buses.

Water
Ferries service Sicily from Naples, Civitavecchia, Reggio di Calabria, Livorno and Genoa, while Sardinia can be reached from Genoa, La Spezia, Civitavecchia, Livorno, Naples, Tr?pani and Palermo.

Rail
State and private railways service the country and are generally simple, cheap and efficient.

Air
Air travel within Italy is expensive, making it a less-attractive option than travel by train or bus.

Road
Buses to Italy are numerous but can't really compete with the convenience of the train.

Water
Ferries connect the country with Greece, Turkey, Tunisia, Malta, Albania, France, Slovenia, Croatia and Spain.

Air
Visitors travelling to Italy will find that flights are numerous and fares are competitive.

Rail
Unless you're pushed for time, train travel is a great way to enter Italy from within Europe.
Italy Money
Preferred Form
For the mainstream traveller, a credit card can mean never having to have more than a handful of euros on you. Some small pensioni, trattorie and pizzerie will only accept cash but ATMs are widespread and easy to use.

Changing Your Money
Banks and post offices are the most reliable places to change travellers cheques and generally offer the best rates; shop around for the lowest commission deals and the shortest queues. Credit cards are widely accepted in Italy and the exchange rate is usually better than for cash or travellers cheques.

Tipping
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.

Money Tips
Those on a tight budget will find eating and sleeping in Italy expensive. Prudent backpackers might squeeze by on around €40.00 to €45.00 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.

Currency Notes
Euro notes come in denominations of 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, 200 and 500. It is often difficult to get change for a €500.00 note.

Currency Coins
One euro is divided into 100 cents or centimes. Coins of 1, 2 and 5 centimes are copper-coloured; coins of 10, 20 and 50 centimes are gold-coloured; 1 and 2 euro coins are gold-and-silver coloured. It's a good idea to keep a supply of various coins for parking meters, laundrettes, tolls etc.