Italy Travel Guide

Italy Travel Guide: Popular Destinations

Naples –  A beautiful city located amidst a stunning view of the sea. Part of UNESCO World Heritage Sites, this lovely city is the birth place of everyone’s favorite — pizza!

Florence –  A home of iconic architectural structures and art. You’d be surprised at how many times Florence is mentioned in your art history classes.

Pisa –  Home to the Leaning Tower of Pisa with a lot of beautiful history.

Venice –  No doubt the most romantic city in the world. Famous celebrities (like George Clooney) get married in Venice.

Rome –  The capital city of Italy is also a home to many iconic structures like the Colosseum and the Pantheon. You can literally find a breathtaking sight on every corner!

Milan –  For those who love fashion, Milan is definitely the place to be.

Amalfi coast – A beautiful stretch of coastline along the southern edge of Italy’s Sorrentine Peninsula.

Italy Travel Guide: How to Get There

Italy Travel Guide: Getting Around

Going to various cities in Italy is easy because of its extensive train network. There are many different kinds of high-speed trains. All you have to do is research. Visiting St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome and then the Milan Cathedral after is surprisingly very easy! Overnight trains are also an option if you are looking to save money from a hotel nights stay.

Traveling from Rome to Naples will take about 1 hour for high speed trains and traveling Milan to Rome is about 2 hours.

If you are looking for an excellent private driver experience I recommend Umberto and his team at Italy Driver.

Italy Travel Guide: Travel Tips

Make reservations. Dining in Italy is a totally different experience. Italians take cooking very seriously and their food is considered some of the best in the world. Make sure to research what to eat and where to dine. Some restaurants, especially the famous ones or those who are Michelin starred, require advance reservations. Some museums require reservations too.

Don’t act reckless. Be aware of your surroundings at all times and don’t forget about your personal belongings while taking in the sights. Italy is a beautiful place but there are still a lot of skillful pick-pocketers around places frequented by tourists. Don’t get too drunk and irresponsible as you will be a likely target.

Don’t be surprised if some of the establishments are closed at noon. Europeans treasure their afternoon time very seriously. Siesta time or Reposo is practiced by most establishments and key places of interests in Italy – even churches. They allow an afternoon break for them to be able to relax or even take a nap. This could be hard to tourists who are on a tight schedule but it’s their culture and we should respect it.

Italy Travel Guide: Typical Costs

Price Range for Hotels

Price range for hotels in Italy varies. If you are looking for comfort, then you can spend about €250, €500, and even higher on accommodations in some posh hotels. If you are looking for convenience because you are going to spend much of your time outside the hotel anyway then you can spend about €25 to €80 in budget hostels or dorms.

Cost of Meals

Meals in most tourist areas are expensive. A complete meal with wine (which is pretty common) is about €25. A simple meal however or fast food is around €5 to €7. Buying groceries and cooking your own meals would cost you about €9 or €10 a day or around €45 a week. This is the way to do it if you are on a budget and staying for close to a week. You could save a huge amount of money. Almost all restaurants have a €3 sit down fee or service charge.