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General Description
[Vesuvius and the Bay of Naples - credit: Emilio Giordano]
Italy is in Mediterranean Europe, bordering France, Switzerland, Austria, and Slovenia. The country, which is a peninsula, is surrounded by the Ligurian Sea, the Sardinian Sea, and the Tyrrhenian Sea in the west, the Sicilian and Ionian Sea in the South, and Adriatic Sea in the East.
Italian is the major language spoken by most of the population, but as you travel throughout the country, you will find there are several distinct dialects corresponding to the region you are in. Italy has a diverse landscape, but can be mainly described as mountainous including the Alps and the Apennines mountain ranges that run through it. Italy has two major islands as part of its country: Sardinia, which is an island off the west coast of Italy, and Sicily, which is at the southern tip of the boot.
Italian Regions
- North-West (Nord-Ovest) – Valle d’Aosta, Piemonte, Lombardia, Liguria
- North-East (Nord-Est) – Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Veneto, Trentino Alto-Adige, Emilia-Romagna
- Centre (Centro) – Toscana, Marche, Lazio, Umbria
- South (Sud) – Abruzzo, Molise, Campania, Puglia, Basilicata, Calabria
- Islands (Isole) – Sicily, Sardinia
Popular Places
Before You Start Your Trip
Below a list of tips and resource useful for adventure travellers (for the general traveller too).
- Decide what will be your destination and trip
- Try to read as much as info possible
- Verify how much physical challenge you’ll need
- Verify how many attractions you could see by staying in one area
- Make a list of all the activities you want to involve
- Search for review or comments of people who’ve already taken the trip
- Take general info about climate
- Try to learn some basic words
- Take care of your health (emergency, foods to eat, hospitals, etc…)
- If you travel with children don’t plan too much each day
What to Bring
- Make photocopies of important documents (Check, passport, visa, etc…)
- Consider what allowable needs you can carry-on luggage
- Buy comfortable walking shoes
- Rain Gear
- Photography & Electronics
- Carry with you some medications: Antidiarrhea medicine, aspirin, extra tampons, travel packages of Kleenex, antibacterial hand cleaning gel
Clothing and equipment
- Bring a long-sleeved shirt or sweater
- Include:
- Shorts/tights
- Quick-drying jerseys
- Drytex socks
- Stiff-soled shoes
- Cycle gloves
- Rainwear
If You are a biker
[Tuscany - credit: discopalace]
- If you have to transfer your bike with you by train be sure:
- To buy a ticket for your bike
- To know which trains allow bikes
- To know which car the bike will go in
- Trains don’t wait in stations for long
- Breaking away from a group bike tour is the only way to see Italy!
- Take care of equipment to take with you
- Verify if there are bike services along the trip
- Verify if there are markets along the trip
- Verify if you can put your bike in a garage
- Make sure that you drink enough water
If You are a Walker
credit: pmecologic
- Walking is an enjoyable way of seeing the small towns of Italy and their scenery
- Make sure that you drink enough water
- Try to hike with at least one partner if you are unfamiliar with an area
- Use a GPS to help in your itinerary
How to Backpack Through Italy
- Buy a Eurorail pass or a Trenitalia pass. Trenitalia is the inter-Italy train system, which is ideal if you are not leaving the country.
- Start your backpacking trip in Italy in the North, in Venice. After the obligatory gondola ride, explore the winding streets of this ancient city.
- Take the train west to Milan. Here you will find a bevy of churches and cathedrals, including the Church of San Maurizio and the Basilica of San Satiro.
- Travel south to the Renaissance capital of Europe, Florence. Revel in the magnificent architecture of the church of San Lorenzo and Canon’s Cloister.
- Continue to Rome, the capital of Italy. Here the Ancient World comes alive. Visitors can see the Coliseum and the Pantheon.
- Head south to Naples, a rough-and-tumble city on the Amalfi Coast. Here you snap pictures of Mount Vesuvius in the distance and enjoy a real Italian pizza.
- End your trip at the toe of Italy, Messina. Enjoy the balmy Mediterranean Climate and magnificent ocean views.
How to choose the travel agency
- Choose little incoming tour operator with small amount of business. When they start to make “big numbers” the standards of quality goes down
- Check to see if the package vacation includes health insurance policy covers illness or injury overseas
- Do a research on different adventure travel organizations and operators and try to compare the services, prices and then negotiate.
- Sometimes a low price is not only a good and trusted service…
- Get a copy of the travel operator’s terms and conditions
Suggested Itineraries
Bike Tours
[Cycling in Asti - Piedmont, Italy]
Around the Po river form Milan to Verona – This tour will let you discover the sweet countryside in the Po Valley, riding between Lombardy, Emilia Romagna and Veneto, enjoying the natural landscape that has been setting so many masterpieces of literature and Italian movies. Welcoming villages, suspended between past and present, typical farms and courts scattered in the fertile plain. You will then find out some important cities, each one with its typical characteristics and cast of features, but united by the richness of monuments.
Bike tour in Eastern Sicily The secrets of Sicily – A varied bike tour, according to your own rhythms and interests through Eastern Sicily. You will cross Noto’s Valley, from 2003 included in Unesco World Heritage List. Following the vestiges of ancient cultures, this tour joins the discovery of beautiful untouched areas, such as Cavagrande – deep gorges cut on the rock by a river – and Vendicari – a protected piece of white beach where many different species of birds build their nests – with the visit of some of the most ancient Sicilian towns.
Cycling along the Po river – If you like the charming scenery of Alps and the spectacle of nature, if you wish to hear its sounds, to watch animals living in their own environment, to see the harmony of colors, to plunge into a green world, we’ll take you to discover the secrets of some of the most beautiful parks in Piedmont, the first region in Italy to create protected areas. It is possible to prologue this itinerary up to Po delta crossing Lombardy and Emilia-Romagna.
Gran tour from Florence to Siena to Pisa – Here is a winning proposal to discover one of the most famous Italian regions, Tuscany. An area which is famous earth for its wines, its cities of art and the warm welcome of its inhabitants: the right combination of emotions, scents and traditions to be discover by bike.
Tasty Piedmont – Piedmont is a real paradise for gourmets. Prestigious white wines, delicious chocolate and a sweet landscape of hills covered by regular rows of wine yards; in the distance the majestic circle of the alps. Piedmont is elegance and style. The best example is the chef town, Turin, first capital of Italy 150 years ago, where the influence of the French style is obvious, that’s why Turin is called “little Paris”.
Walking Tours
[Trekking on the top of Mount Etna, Sicily]
Etna and the Aeolian Islands Volcano Trek – The Aeolian Islands Archipelago is made up of 7 islands: Lipari, Vulcano, Salina, Panarea, Stromboli, Filicudi and Alicudi. Islands of wild aspect fall sheer into the sea, offering visions of beauty.
From Modena to Massa Carrara on the Dukes road – The Vandelli road begins to be built as a will of the Duke of Modena, Francesco III d’Este who wanted to have a safe access to the sea in the territory of its duchy. So the mathematician Domenico Vandelli was asked to draw the layout of a road for carriages, to cross the Apennines; after 10 years of work, the road was completed in 1751.
The Chianti from Florence to Siena – From Piazza della Signoria to Piazza del Campo, a trek to join two of the most important Tuscan cities from the historical and artistic view. Florence, the city of Leonardo, Giotto, Dante and Brunelleschi, and Siena, native land of the “Palio”. These two jewels have in common they belong to one of the most famous areas of the Tuscany: “The wine road”, that you will cross leaving Castellina in Chianti and walking along paths and roads surrounded by vineyards and olive groves.
Suggested Attractions: Nature and Parks
Italy has 23 National Parks, 89 Regional Parks, 270 Regional Reserves, 142 State Reserves, 47 Marsh reserves and 7 Marine Reserves, which are protected zones managed either by the State in some form – Regional Councils, Provincial Councils and Municipalities – or by the environmental and protection associations such as Italia Nostra, WWF, Lega Ambiente, Greenpeace, LIPU, Touring Club, etc.
Top Italian National Parks
Parco Nazionale Appennino Tosco-Emiliano – Between Cisa and Forbici Passes, the woodland ridges separating Tuscany from Emilia give way to a mountain environment. The summits of Alpe di Succiso, Mt. Prado and Mt. Cusna go beyond the 2,000 meters, forests give way to rocks, lakes, and high-mountain grasslands. At lower altitudes, on the side of Emilia, the surly Pietra di Bismantova dominates the landscape with its vertical walls.
Parco Nazionale Dolomiti Bellunesi was created to protect a territory of extraordinary landscape and naturalistic value. The Vette di Feltre and Mount Serva were already famous for their flora in the 18th century. The presence of rare species and of a great variety of natural environments is mainly due to the geographical position of the territory.
Parco Nazionale delle Cinque Terre, which is part of the Unesco world heritage, has environmental and cultural features which are essential to safeguard: overhanging coasts over the sea with bays and small beaches, thousands of kilometers of dry-stone walls enclosing the terraces where vineyards are cultivated, the characteristic rustics, the medieval quarters, the sanctuaries, the panoramic paths over the sea and the slopes.
Parco Nazionale del Gargano – From a biological point of view, the Gargano promontory is an island, divided from the peninsula by the Tavoliere delle Puglie. It is rich in karst structures like caves and dolines. While in the past the promontory was covered by forests, now they form only the 15 per cent of its surface: the most important wood in the Park is the Foresta Umbra.
Parco Nazionale del Vesuvio, of great geological and historical interest, has been proved to safeguard the values of the territory, use suitable means to allow a correct integration between man and environment, promote environmental education and scientific research activities.
Parco Nazionale dello Stelvio is the largest not only among the historical Italian parks, but also in the whole Alpine chain. It stretches in the heart of the Central Alps and includes typical valleys shaped by acting ice and water flowing down from the imposing massif of the Ortles-Cevedale group.
How to travel on a budget
- Compare and Call to several adventure-travel companies and ask detailed info
- Book in lower season (Feb-May or Sept-Jan) and as much as earlier possible
- Verify the services included and if prices are comprehensive of taxes
- Verify how many attractions you can visit
- Book directly with the tour operator that organize the tour (not third party agencies or similar). You could negotiate a better price
- The best you could do is to search for a local tourist board to find all you need without buying a guidebook
Tips to travel in Italy
- Plan a lot of walking
- Keep all of your receipts for purchases of goods or services
- Buy local produce in preference to imported goods
- Hire a local guide – you’ll discover more about local culture and lives, and they will earn an income
- Use public transport, hire a bike or walk – its a great way to meet local people
- Not all places allow picture taking. Museums, especially
- Remember that American and European DVDs and VCRs have different formats
- Serious crime is rare, however pickpockets and purse-snatchers are common in large cities
- Italian tap water is sometimes heavily chlorinated, so it’s best to drink bottled water
- European voltage is different from that of the United States
How to Arrive in Italy
Most of midrange international flights arrive to the following Italian cities:
- Milan – with 2 airports: Malpensa (MXP) and Linate (LIN); in addition, Bergamo (BGY – Orio al Serio) is sometimes referred to as “Milan Bergamo”
- Rome – with two airports: Fiumicino (FCO – Leonardo Da Vinci) and Ciampino (CIA)
- Bologna (BLQ – Guglielmo Marconi)
- Naples (NAP – Capodichino)
- Pisa (PSA – Galileo Galilei)
- Venice (VCE – Marco Polo)
- Turin (TRN – Sandro Pertini)
How to Get Around
Given the excellent network of cheap bus and train services in Italy, both are a great, stress-free way of seeing the country – and of being part of the great Italian travelling public.
Bus travel is the less expensive of the two, but as there are many different operators it is less straightforward than train travel. Your own wheels give you the most potential freedom and flexibility, although both fuel and autostrada (motorway) tolls are expensive. Domestic air travel can be costly and is worth it only if you are short of time.
Buses are fast and reliable, whether they are traversing local routes linking small villages or zooming along autostrade between cities.
Weather and Climate
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 fairly 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.
Italy’s climate varies from north to south and from lowland to mountain top. Temperatures at sea level tend to be similar around the country, with altitudes creating steep changes between summer and winter. Winters are long and severe in the Alps, with snow falling as early as mid-September.
Storms develop in spring and tend to last to autumn, making summer the wettest season. The northern regions experience chilly winters, hot summers and regular even rain distribution, while conditions become milder as you head south. The sirocco, the hot and humid African wind that affects regions south of Rome, produces at least a couple of stiflingly hot weeks in summer.
Health and Safety
Routine vaccines, as they are often called, such as for influenza, chickenpox (or varicella), polio, measles/mumps/rubella (MMR), and diphtheria/pertussis/tetanus (DPT) are given at all stages of life; see the childhood and adolescent immunization schedule and routine adult immunization schedule.
Using insect repellent with 30%-50% DEET. Picaridin, available in 7% and 15% concentrations, needs to be applied more often. Wearing long-sleeved shirts which should be tucked in, long pants, and hats to cover exposed skin. When you visit areas with ticks and fleas, wear boots, not sandals, and tuck pants into socks.
Be Careful about Food and Water. Follow these tips for safe eating and drinking:
- Avoid unpasteurized dairy products.
- Wash your hands often with soap and water, especially before eating.
- If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand gel (with at least 60% alcohol).
Other…
How can I telephone outside Italy?
To call abroad from Italy there are several systems like a prepaid telephone card. From an Italian phone, you can phone with a prepaid domestic telephone card, bought in a tobacco shop (Tabbacchino), newsagent (Giornalaio) or bar. You can also use the umts and gsm or internet voip for you calls.
Phone Calls: To find places where phone you can try in larger cities in the internet access points and in hotels.
For international calls you can use phonecards of foreign carriers. Here are access numbers in Italy for carriers of some countries:
- AT&T 800-172-444
- BT Albacom 800-172-442
- Japan Telecom 800-172-244
- Sprint (MCI) 800-172-405, 800-172-406
- Telecom NZ 800-172-641
To set up your cell phone with an Italian service, Italy has 4 carriers: Vodafone, TIM, H3g and Wind. To phone with these you can buy prepaid phonecards that start at 10 Euros.
What are the driving license requirements in Italy?
To drive in Italy, you should get an international permit from automobile clubs, if your license is not from a
European union nation. You can drive if you are 18 years old. Traffic is limited in certain period of the day: In the morning between 8-9 o’clock and in the evening between 18-20 o’clock. Top
To hire a car the U.S. and Canadian travellers need an international driver’s license. To apply for an International Driver’s License, visit any AAA branch.
To remember: Italy uses international road signs, you have to drive on the right and passing on the left. The speed limit is 50kmh (30 mph) in Cities, 90kmh (56 mph) outside the cities, 80Kmh (130kmph) in the highways.
What are the visa requirements to travel in Italy?
The visa requirements depend on where a tourist come from. For people coming from European Community there are not requirement to stay for three months. People coming from Japan, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, U.S.A., can stay in Italy for 90 days with passport without a visa. Usually it’s not difficult to get these documents.
- Language: Italian is the official language. However, English is widely understood.
- Time Zone: Six hours ahead of U.S. Eastern Standard Time.
- Credit Cards: All major credit cards are accepted.
- Currency: The Italy’s official currency is Euro. It is based on the decimal system. The Euro sign is €.
- Money Exchange: You can change money at the hotel or at the nearest banks, from 9:00AM to 1:30PM and 3:00PM to 4:00PM – Closed on Weekend and national holidays.
- Voltage: The electrical current in the hotels is 220 volts, 50 cycles. To convert local power to U.S. standard you’ll need a transformer. For plugs you’ll need an adapter.
- Shopping: Shopping hours are from 9:00AM to 1:00PM and from 5:00PM to 8:00PM from Monday through Saturday. Businesses are closed on Monday mornings and Sundays.
