Italy is a charming country, highly-appreciated by tourists from all over the world. However, before traveling to Italy, it is not a bad idea to consult the website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs from your country, where you should be able to find a whole list of tips for your personal safety.

In any case, Italians have a positive attitude towards tourists, due to their innate friendliness and especially considering that tourism is an important sector of the economy in this country.

Generally, just like everywhere else, it is advisable to avoid the suburbs of big cities, especially at night and on weekends, and to try to always practice common sense when socializing with the locals, being discreet and making no excesses.

Very Good, but Expensive Roads

For those who arrive in Italy by car, the country has an excellent infrastructure, but this luxury costs: you will have to pay a bit for driving on the highways. Also, at the entry points in city centers, where there are Limited Traffic Zones, you will have to pay a fee.

Be careful about speed limitations, because breaking the rules can cost up to 1,000 Euro and the suspension of your driving license.

Bigger Prices Close to Tourist Attractions

Once arrived in Italy’s big cities, probably the first thing you will want to do is seeing and visiting as many tourist attractions as you can. The other tourists have the same goals, and this is why, besides the agglomeration, you will also pay quite a lot for the tickets, not to mention that prices in general are higher in tourist areas.

Italians and Foreign Languages

Not all Italians speak foreign languages, but in tourist areas you will surely have no trouble communicating, because the staff in these regions knows the English and French languages well. However, once you get away from the tourist areas, it might be useful for you to learn a few common phrases in Italian.

Have Respect for the Holy Places

Whether you are visiting the Sistine Chapel or St. Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican, Duomo di Milano, Basilica di San Marco in Venice, Santa Maria del Fiore Cathedral in Florence or any other shrine in Italy, you will have to respect a code.

Do not eat or drink on the street outside the churches, if you go inside make sure you are dressed appropriately, with the shoulders and knees covered, and keep your voice down. If you are not allowed to take photos as in the Sistine Chapel, do not use your camera.

Famous Cuisine

Italian cuisine is characterized by so much variety that it would be correct to speak not of one but of many cuisines: Roman, Milanese, Tuscan, Neapolitan, Sicilian etc., each with its own recipes and specific ingredients.

Typically, an authentic Italian menu contains:

• Antipasti —appetizers
• Primi piatti —first dish
• Secondi piatti —main course
• Contorni —garnishes,
• Formaggi e frutta —cheese and fruits
• Dolci —desserts
• Delicious coffee
• and digestives.

Knowing things about the country’s customs and particularities will help you improve your overall vacation experience when traveling to Italy. To get a glimpse at what the Italian life, culture and attractions can offer, check out our picture gallery. Click the button below and see even more things about Italy that are just waiting for you to discover them.

The best times to travel to Italy depend on many factors. There are some that cannot be modified, like the time of the year when you are allowed to have your break from work and organize your vacation, but in other cases, you have a choice to improve your overall holiday experience.

When it comes to Italy, many people recommend traveling against the flow.

In other words, it means to avoid the peak-season –July and August– when the country is flooded by tourists from all over the world, and choose off-season periods instead –March to Mai or September to November– when the crowd doesn’t keep you away from experiencing the magic of the places you are visiting. Not to mention that it is also a question of weather.

Unless you spend your vacation on an Italian beach or somewhere in the countryside, summer can be extremely difficult to bear inside the urban agglomeration. You may even experience 100 °F (40 °C) during the afternoons, which will greatly cut off your mood to walk, sightsee and visit.

On the other hand, winter can be way too humid and boring for many people, even for those who are in Venice and have the chance to see the Carnival, in February.

Besides all these, if you travel off-season and if you choose low-cost transportation options, you will be able to save quite a lot of money. You’ll avoid paying for accommodation in expensive, central facilities and can take advantage of the free-entry days to visit certain tourist attractions.

Your Best Autumn in Rome, Naples, Venice, Tuscany or Capri

Capri Island, Tyrrhenian Sea, Campania

Autumn, particularly September, is a fantastic season to travel and visit Italy. The temperature is perfect everywhere. You must not endure the dog-days of summer, but if you are in Capri you can still swim in the Mediterranean. The tourists and the adventure seekers are gone, so the crowd doesn’t obstruct your view or force you to queue for hours to see tourists attractions.

The Mystique of Venice

In Venice, if you benefit from sunny days, you can walk the street labyrinth from morning to evening and discover its particular beauty and mystery. If it rains, no worries: the charm of the town is still there, just waiting to be discovered from another perspective. Visiting a misty Venice is absolutely unique, you will see.

You’ll Always Miss Rome

In Rome, you will still feel the summer atmosphere, even in September, with terraces, women still wearing dresses and sandals —with a shawl over their shoulders only during the evenings— the Trastevere neighborhood looking like a painting with houses covered in copper grape leaves, gorgeously colored autumn sunsets, putting a golden aura over the town… and so much more.

Warm Naples

In Naples, it is still hot in September. You can still get a great tan and swim in the sea every two hours to chill. The summer merchandise can be purchased for very good prices, allowing you to enjoy shopping in Italian style.

Divine Tuscany

In Tuscany, September is the month for gathering the grapes; you can visit the local vineyards, experience foretastes and enjoy the overall peacefully local nature.

In conclusion, even for people whose best times to travel to Italy are off-season, there will be many great things to discover and experience. Just have a look at our diverse picture gallery to see what awaits you. Click the button below for awesome tourist attractions you can visit in autumn.

You can choose to go on your own or book guided tours of Italy. There are much more tourist attractions in Italy than you could hope to see during a vacation.

In fact, Italy has more UNESCO heritage sites than any other country in the world, and most of these monuments, many of them situated in rural areas, are essential to understand today’s Western civilization.

Whether you choose to visit Venice, where gondoliers sing in the evening breeze, relax on the astounding Amalfi Coast or experience the romantic Verona, sipping an espresso in a crowded market, with the sun falling asleep behind the silhouettes of ancient Gothic constructions, your holiday in Italy will be an unforgettable experience.

Here are a few suggestions to inspire you and help you choose the best itinerary for your trip to Italy.

Saint Mark’s Basilica and The Doge’s Palace

Venice is very loved by tourists, due to its romantic beauty. It is surprisingly small, but it is an awe-inspiring sight you will keep in your heart forever. Through a guided tour, you will get the chance to walk along the canals, admiring the wonderful view, because, first of all, Venice is a great place to explore and simply be.

Then you can get to visit Saint Mark’s Basilica and the Doge’s Palace,> two notorious symbols of the city, with splendid Byzantine domed architecture and many art exhibitions. They are hugely popular and attract all visitors.

Catacombs of the Capuchins

The Catacombs of the Capuchins are situated in Palermo, Sicily, and are a unique tourist attraction, offering an experience that will be surreal, macabre and bone-chilling. The catacombs hold the remains of 8000 souls (monks, nobles, clerics, local families) that your tour guide can tell you more about.

The corpses are displayed against the walls or are resting in open caskets, in ghoulish poses. Their bodies, in remarkable state of preservation, are still rotting, slowly falling apart. The Capuchin Catacombs definitely warrant a visit, though they are not for the faint-hearted.

Beloved Tuscany

The Creator made Italy from designs by Michelangelo, wrote Mark Twain. He was right, because every piece of Tuscany seems like an ode to one of its most prominent sons, Michelangelo. Tuscany contribution to the history of Italy is so great that that region can be seen as a nation itself.

Architecture, history, people, cuisine —everything is a delight. Visiting Tuscany is visiting one of the most picturesque regions of Italy. Do not miss the historic centers of Florence, Siena, San Gimignano, Pienza, Pisa’s cathedral square, the magical hillsides of Chianti or The Medieval Village of Lucignano.

Pompeii, Herculaneum & Mount Vesuvius

Visiting Pompeii and Herculaneum is another unique experience. Two fossilized ancient towns that have been once buried in the lava of the Vesuvius, their shadow standing there like a proof of the power of Nature. Pompeii is about 15 miles south of Naples, and Herculaneum is halfway between Pompeii and Naples. Both sites are managed by the same people, so they are usually included together in guided tours.

Can’t wait to check out these astonishing sites? Click the button below to access our photo gallery and see more of these places that you can explore through the best guided tours of Italy.

If you’re planning to go on the best tours of Italy, you will be glad to know that you can find top-notch options for every individual preference, considering that the country is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Europe and in the entire world.

It is really difficult to find a place with a history like Italy’s, dating back thousands of years. Selecting the attractions to visit during your vacation is no simple task, but here are a few suggestions for those seeking inspiration for their tours.

Leaning Tower of Pisa

The famous Leaning Tower of Pisa keeps defying time. The soft clay foundation couldn’t handle well the weight of the tower (14,500 tones) and the tower started to tilt even before the construction was completed. It keeps sinking 1 millimeter each year, although people have worked hard to shore up the base.

It was nearly destroyed a few times in history by architects with bad ideas as well as by American soldiers during World War Two. But the tower still stands today, being a living piece of history and a symbol of national pride. Besides the Leaning Tower, Pisa can also be visited for its many historic churches and art galleries.

Ancient Greek Town of Paestum

Most of Italy’s ancient ruins are, of course, Roman. But then, there is Paestum, originally a Greek colony in the 6th century BC. Today, Paestum is a wonderful place to explore, with well-preserved Greek temples such as the Temple of Hera and the Temple of Athena, beautiful architecture, ancient tomb paintings, many ancient ruins and local museums —the Archaeological Museum has very important finds of the Greek and Etruscan civilization.

Castel del Monte

The medieval castle Castel del Monte, meaning Castle of the Mountain, is situated in the Apulian Hills, overlooking the commune of Andria. The castle’s history dates back to the 13th century and its octagonal design, as well as the advanced plumbing system are remarkable for that period.

Castel del Monte was included on the UNESCO World Heritage list in 1996, due to the blend of architectures: classical antiquity, medieval military, Islamic Orient and European Cistercian Gothic that make it unique.

Duomo di Milano

The Milan Duomo is one of the most famous landmarks in the world, sitting on the grand Piazza del Duomo, besides Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II. It doesn’t seem so massive on the outside; however, it is one of the biggest churches in the world, and you will see that once you book a tour and enter inside.

You can see the statue of Saint Bartholomew and the Treasury or Crypt, enjoy the magnificent architecture, the beauty of stained-glass windows, and access the roof of the Duomo. Tourists are required to respect some rules, considering that the Duomo is not just a tourist attraction, but also a place of worship: you must be dressed appropriately, you are not allowed to have food or drinks with you and you must turn off cell phones.

If you want to get a glimpse of these wonderful tourist attractions before booking your trip, click the button below to enter our vast photo gallery. You will find top quality pictures of numerous attractions, helping you decide what would be the best tours of Italy for you.

When it comes to choosing between escorted tours of Italy, the question is what not to visit, rather than what should I explore?, since all the attractions are absolutely astonishing. Its extraordinary beauty and historical significance make Italy a country which inspires any traveler.

For many people, an Italian trip is a lifelong dream. Whether you plan the trip on your own or via a travel agency, your goal will be to see as much as possible and miss nothing. Booking escorted tours is the best option for people who visit the country for the first time and want to make sure they see the highlights in the most efficient way.

Depending on your preferences and budget, you can book a tour covering the entire country, or you can take advantage of local tour guides and enjoy the beauty of a region or a few cities and landmarks.

What Are Escorted Tours All About?

Escorted tours are organized group tours, with a leader. Besides the actual costs of the tours, the prices may also include hotels, meals, local transportation or admission costs. Most people are looking for structure and guidance for their trips and this is exactly what escorted tours are offering, through qualified guides.

Escorted tours vary in order to meet the customers’ needs: there are various price ranges (budget, first class, luxury…), travel styles, custom trips etc. Given the variety of options, the question is:

How do You Choose the Best Escorted Tour of Italy?

First, you need to know exactly when are you going to travel to Italy and what your budget is. You can get a better deal for trips made in spring or autumn than in the summer, when everything is more expensive, especially during the peak season. You must plan early because great deals usually sell out quickly.

Another thing you must decide right from the start is how long you will stay in Italy. There are many escorted tours covering a lot of the country in 10-14 days, but you will be likely on the road constantly, with almost no free time to spend in the places you visit.

So, for short trips, you should maybe consider local tours. You will see less of Italy as a whole, but you can focus on an area and truly get the most of your visit. Of course, choosing the type of tour will also depend on your goal: traveling for an anniversary, for adventure, to discover culture, history, cuisine etc.

With the right escorted tour, you can get exactly what you need and you will not spend time in museums if you are actually interested only in architecture, for instance.

Things you Should Ask When you Book an Escorted Tour

• How large is the group that you will be traveling with?
• What is the transportation type?
• Are hotel taxes, admission charges etc. included in the price of the package?
• How much free time is allowed between the organized tours and visits?

If you’re still not sure what escorted tours of Italy you should book, click the button below to reach our photo gallery and take a look at some of the amazing attractions this picturesque country has to offer.



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