Italy Travel Guide: All you need to know to visit Italy in 2023

A country of art, culture, and history; a land of incredible beauty, food, wine, and some of the best people in the world. Come discover it all with us. It’s a land with magnificent scenic landscapes!

In this ultimate Italy travel guide you will find the most important information you need to know about this country to plan your trip.

Document Checklist for Italy

• Visa
• Health Declaration
• Valid passport
• Sufficient funds
• Return airline ticket

Essential Italy Travel Information

• Currency - Euro (€). $1 is equivalent to approx. €1,01

• Daily budget for 1 person - A low-cost daily budget of around €52 (USD 51,59) or a mid-range daily budget of around €132 (USD 130,97)

• Languages - Italian

• Socket type - Italy has three types of plug: types C, F, and L. The country operates on a 230V supply voltage and 50Hz

• Time zone - Central European Summer Time, (GMT+ 02:00)

• Top 3 cities to visit - Rome, Florence, and Venice

• Top 3 landmarks/monuments - The Colosseum, Vatican City, and the Leaning Tower of Pisa.

Visa Information for Italy

Italy has stable foreign relations, being part of the European economic community, and most nationalities that want to travel to Italy need an ETIAS Visa or a Schengen visa.

This is something to keep in mind before your trip, given from early 2023, anyone who is not a citizen of the European Union and wants to visit Italy or any member country of the Schengen area must have the ETIAS.

Similarly, the Schengen agreement is a treaty between 26 European countries. It allows passport holders of specific nations to travel freely between member countries for tourism, business, or family purposes.

Italy ETIAS Visa explained

The Italy ETIAS Visa is issued for nationals from countries not part of the EU agreement. Its validity period is 90 days for tourism or business purposes. This was designed to facilitate and monitor the entry of travelers from visa-exempt countries into the Schengen area and the border control.

Italy Schengen Visa explained

The Italy Schengen Visa is for some specific nationalities, and they can do tourism, business, or have family purposes. Italy is one of the Schengen countries you may travel to if you meet visa requirements.

The validity of this visa is 90 days within six months. This visa can be used to travel to other countries in Europe. To be sure that you need this permission, we recommend you check our Checker Visa Tool for further information.

Typical Costs and Budget for Italy

This is the budget to keep in mind when you visit the major cities in Italy. Something special about the Italian economy is that it is cheaper than other European countries, so you can have fun with a mid-range budget.

• Daily spending per person - €132

• Meals - €36 on meals per day

• Transport - €21 on local transportation per day

• Hotel - €67 for 1 person and €134 for a hotel room for a couple

Transport and Ways to Travel around Italy

Transport in Italy is comprehensive. This makes mobility very easy. The best options for public transport are the metro, trains, and buses, as these connect with other major cities and take you to other important places and towns in Italy. Without a doubt, this is the best option to move within the country.

Trains

• Intercity: It connects the main Italian cities.

• Express: It has long-distance trains with routes with stops at almost all stations.

• Diretto: A more direct train, with some stops in between destinations.

• Eurostar: It connects the main Italian cities with Barcelona, Hamburg, and Vienna, among other major cities of the European Union. Prior reservation is required for these trips.

Metro

This transport system in Italy is prevalent among locals. It has urban routes to different areas of each city, and also you can connect with varying lines of bus, so your journey will be much faster as you discover the cities.

Buses

It is the most used and most economical transport. It has different stops within the main cities, such as in the center or trendy places and squares, parks, and historical places, and the route finishes near the train stations. Apart from taking a bus in the city, you can also take it to travel to other cities or towns you want to visit, thus saving you money while seeing beautiful landscapes.

Safety in Italy

Italy is a very safe and recommended destination among travelers. Minor incidents are common, like pickpocketing, so it is advisable to always take care of your belongings so that you are not a victim of these robberies. Other than that, you can feel optimistic because it is a safe country to see the incredible scenic landscapes.

It’s also comforting to remember that although neighboring countries like France and Belgium have suffered terrorist attacks, the Italian government has implemented more public safety measures to make you feel safer in the country.

Weather in Italy

Italy is famous for being a perfect destination for summer, as it is ideal for enjoying the Mediterranean sea's beauty. However, you must know the exact weather to plan your vacations.

The mildest temperature season goes from April to June and September to October. The temperature is quite hot in August, so it is only recommended to travel on these dates if you like the heat in all its fury. In addition, there are areas warmer than others; for example, in southern Italy, it is always sunnier, with a warm climate for most of the year, perfect for a holiday in a port city or on the Amalfi coast.

But if, on the other hand, you don’t like warm but cold climates, you can plan your holiday for December, January, and February, where you can go skiing and contemplate the white mountains in the north, with a cold and rainy climate, perfect for enjoying a glass of wine and the exquisite Italian cuisine.

Popular Cities and Towns in Italy

Italy is a magnificent country, which would be great to get to know completely; however, to save costs and still see many wonders this beautiful country has for you, we recommend these five must-see cities when you are traveling.

• Rome - Italy’s capital has an artistic and cultural heritage. One of the best cities to visit, eat pasta carbonara and enjoy one of the most iconic places like the Colosseum, which will dazzle you with the rich history of the Roman Empire, and the Trevi Fountain, which was built on the 18th century AD.

• Florence - Florence is one of the most beautiful cities in Italy and it’s very famous for the Italian Renaissance, with masterpieces of Leonardo Da Vinci and Michelangelo. It is a perfect city if you like art, as it has the Uffizi gallery, a fantastic place. You can also visit the Boboli Gardens or go to Piazzale Michelangelo, which has an outstanding view.

Eaguer to see and appreciate Leonardo Da Vinci’s work in the Uffizi gallery? Italy is waiting for you!

• Venice - Also known as Venezia Giulia, it is one of the most popular cities in Italy and the world. Its canals are quite an attraction to take a romantic boat ride through the city on the Venetian gondola rides. You can also visit Piazza San Marco, Doge’s Palace, and many other touristy places.

• Milan - In northern Italy, you find Milan, the city of business and fashion. So if you are a fashionista, who loves the latest trends in the industry, this city is perfect for you. You can also visit the Piazza del Duomo and many museums that will show you more of the city’s history.

• Verona- Known as the city of love in Italy. The city of Romeo and Juliet, an impossible and tragic love story that made more than one dream. Among its tourist attractions are the balcony of Romeo and Juliet, the churches, and the historic center.

Must Do and See in Italy

Italy makes you fall in love with its incredible architecture, historical monuments, and cultural wealth,. Many of its archaeological sites and monuments are part of the Unesco World Heritage sites, with a strong influence of the Baroque period and the Italian Renaissance. Here are some recommended activities involving these breathtaking places:

1. Learn the history of the Roman Empire by visiting the Colosseum. This is a 2000-year-old stone and concrete monument that was once the arena for battles between gladiators, who sometimes fought against wild animals as well. This constituted the entertainment of the holy Roman Empire and the Roman people.

2. Visit the smallest sovereign state in the world. Vatican City is in the center of Rome. Here you will find the Holy See of the Catholic Church, but if you are not Catholic and want to know more about the architecture and history of this state, there are museums and exquisite buildings to see.

3. Visit the Leaning Tower of Pisa. This 12th-century tower was built on sandy ground and began to tilt gradually each year.

4. You must see one of the most stunning monuments in Italy, and this is the Duomo di Milano. It is the second largest church in the world and one of the most beautiful. In its design, it features 400 statues, 135 gargoyles, and 700 statuettes.

5. Make a wish for love at the Trevi Fountain. You can see the Baroque design that presents romance, history, beauty, and mythology.

Typical Italian Food to Try

• Pizza - A traditional dish since before the united Italian unification that is now known worldwide. As an interesting fact, Margherita pizza has the name of the Queen Margherita, since a local businessman served her the now legendary combination of tomato sauce, mozzarella, and basil, gaining the queen's approval. It is now one of the most popular dishes in Italy and the world.

• Pasta - Another dish of Italian cuisine that makes the world fall in love. A combination of eggs, flour, water, olive oil, and salt, allows the creation, with other ingredients, of more than 400 styles of pasta. The most popular pasta in Rome is the Carbonara.

• Lagsana - This dish comprises wide and flat pasta noodles baked in several layers. It is still debated where this dish was born, but many say that its origins are in the region of Emilia-Romagna.

Vaccine Information for Italy

Knowing what routine vaccines and COVID-19 measures are required to enter the Italian republic is crucial. We recommend you check the CDC website for all vaccine requirements and updated information.

Italy Has the Higher Amount of UNESCO World Heritage Sites

The higher number o fUNESCO World Heritage Sites is in Italy: a total of 55 sites, most of which you can find in Pisa, Rome, and Florence.

Fun Facts about Italy

• Pasta is fundamental in Italian culture, even in the middle ages. According to history, pasta in Italy dates back to the 4th century B.C.

• You can find the smallest country in the world within Italy itself. This country is called the Vatican City, within Rome, with an extension of 44 hectares. Every year it receives tens of thousands of visitors that are interested in the history of the Italian Renaissance, architecture, and spirituality.

• Italy is the largest producer of wine: around 54,800 hectares of wine a year, compared to 49,000 hectares produced by France. It is also the largest exporter of wine in the world.

• Tourists throw €1,000,000 at the Trevi Fountain every year.

• Venice’s San Cassiano theatre, the world’s first public opera house, opened its doors in 1637 to the paying public for the first time for a performance of “L’Andromeda” by Francesco Manelli to a text by Benedetto Ferrari.

• Rome is over 2,000 years old, but Italy is one of Europe’s youngest countries: itis less than 200 years old, making Rome, the capital, far more ancient. So Rome was significant before the Italian unification of the major parties, and still is today.