Italy. This transalpine country has a lot to offer. Lush mountains and landscapes, glaciers and volcanoes, turquoise blue seas, art, fashion, elegance, beauty and fine dining.
Colosseum of Rome
The cradle of the Roman Empire, its cultural heritage is infinite, the great masters of the Renaissance and fashion add beauty and splendour to the country with the most World Heritage Sites. Art is breathed in every corner. So our advice is to let yourself go and enjoy the "bella vita".
Lagoon of Venice
Here is our proposal similar to the trip we made in September 2007 but with prices updated to 2021.
Florence Duomo
Visa
If you are a citizen of the European Union or belong to the Schengen Area, you do not need a tourist visa. If you are not, check this website for more information.
Money
The official currency is the Euro (EU). There are ATMs in all cities and in many other places, credit cards are widely used.
There are several commission-free cards on the market, N26, BNEXT, REVOULT, each with its own advantages and disadvantages.
We recommend that you use the BNEXT card, which is commission-free and is recharged via an app. The only drawback is that you can only withdraw a maximum of three times in the same month without commission, so you have to calculate your spending well.
Mosaic
To save money and avoid queues at the must-see monuments in the main cities, we recommend:
In Milan, Milan City Pass valid for 48 hours.
In Venice, Venice Unica City Pass, also available at Santa Lucia Station.
In Florence, the Firenze Card, which allows free use of public transport during the 72 hours it is valid, and includes the main monuments.
In Rome, the OMNIA Vatican & Rome Card and Rome City Pass. Includes transport.
Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II
Language
The official language is Italian. Useful words: ciao (hello and goodbye), grazie (thank you), buongiorno (good morning), buonasera (good evening) or buona notte (good night).
Transport
Italy's train network runs smoothly, especially in the north of the country. They are very comfortable and cheap. The main companies are Trenitalia and Italo.
Public buses and trams are card-operated and you must obtain a card from a local shop as you don't pay cash to the driver, so make sure you have one before you use it as fines can be as high as 300 euros.
Cinquecento
By air. All major cities in the country have one or more airports, such as Milan, which has three airports: Milan-Malpensa, Milan-Linate and Bergamo-Orio. Low-cost airlines usually fly to the latter, which is the furthest away, but you have the option of the Orio Shuttle bus to get to the city centre, which takes about an hour and is inexpensive.
Located in the town of Tessera, near Venice, Marco Polo International Airport is the closest airport. There are several options for getting to Venice city centre, either the number 5 bus or the ATVO bus, while the former makes stops, the latter goes directly to Piazzale Roma.
There is also a water bus to St Mark's Square.
Sewer
In Florence, Peretola or Americo Vespucci Airport, together with Pisa Airport, is one of the main airports in the Tuscany region. The VolaInbus bus runs between Florence Airport and Piazza Stazione (Santa Maria Novella Train Station). Every 30 minutes.
Rome has two international airports, Fiumicino and Ciampino. The latter is served by low-cost airlines.
Police on horseback
From Fiumicino you have several bus companies with low-cost options to get to the centre of Rome, most of them drop you off at Termini Station and take about 50 minutes. They stop at Piazza Cavour, then at Termini. They leave from Terminal 3 of the airport.
Early morning Cotral buses run from Piazza dei Cinquecento di fronte, in front of the National Roman Museum. From the airport they leave from terminals 1 and 2.
Or you can take the train, which leaves every half hour from Fiumicino airport.
The regional train FR1 connects Fiumicino with other stations in Rome. One of the most central is located in Trastevere, also departing every half hour.
Police
If you go to Ciampino Airport (15 kilometers from Rome) you have a direct bus service to the Termini station.
If you prefer to go by train you will have to go to Ciampino city train station. Cotral buses will take you from the airport to the train station.
You can also take a bus to the Anagnina metro station and from there to other parts of the city.
Metro. Rome has three metro lines, despite being one of the smallest in Europe, it has access to the main points of interest.
Milan has four metro lines and is one of the newest in Europe.
También puedes llegar en autobús hasta la estación de metro Anagnina y de allí desplazarte a otros puntos de la ciudad.
Vaporetto
Tramway. A comfortable and beautiful way to move around the city is the tramway, you will find them in both Milan and Rome. Tickets can be purchased at kiosks, tobacconists and metro stops.
Rome has six streetcar lines. As with the buses, you have to validate your ticket as soon as you enter.
In Florence three streetcar lines are planned but at the moment only one is operational.
Tram
Gondola. There are several ways to travel along Venice's extensive canals. The vaporettos, which operate like buses; the famous tourist gondolas; and the traghettos, simple gondolas used to cross the Grand Canal (this is the cheapest way to get on a gondola, as the price to cross the canal is €2 for non-residents, and they only operate on weekdays).
If you want to take the traditional gondola ride and not share it, be prepared to negotiate hard with the gondolieri - a half-hour ride can cost up to €90 for two people.
Gondolas
Accommodation
In Italy it is almost impossible to find good value for money accommodation without booking in advance, especially in high season.
You have to be careful when booking accommodation, the cheap ones in cities like Rome are usually of very low quality and tend to be in areas that are not very recommendable at night, as is the case in the area of Términi.
Our top recommendation for accommodation for Marta Guest House in Rome, she got us out of a jam, she was a sweetheart. Clean, comfortable and centrally located accommodation.
Musician
Health and safety
It is advisable to take out travel insurance before you travel. If you are an EU citizen, the European Health Insurance Card is valid, apply for it before travelling.
Don't forget to pack a small first-aid kit with medicines (antibiotics, paracetamol, ibuprofen), iodine, antibiotic ointment, gauze, adhesive tape, insect repellent, sun cream, scissors, tweezers, soap and bandages.
Creation of Adam
Gastronomy
Eating in Italy is very affordable, especially in traditional pizzerias, trattorias, osterias and tavernas, where the menu usually consists of antipasti (starters), a plate of pasta or a salad and a steak, or incredible thin-crust pizzas with just one or two ingredients that will delight everyone.
Pasta carbonara (pasta in all its versions), saffron risotto, artichokes, or spaghetti with seafood, are among our recommendations.
Bread masks
The coffee and homemade ice creams are spectacular, especially the cappuccino. And what about the most famous desserts, the tiramisu, brutal.
The cheeses are very rich and varied, from burrata di bufala to parmesan or pecorino.
The Florentine steak, originally from Tuscany, is obtained from a cut of meat from the Chianina breed, a highly prized beef steak.
Church clothing
Society
Italian society is traditionally Catholic. Family ties are strong and traditions and customs are deeply rooted. Respect for elders is deeply ingrained.
Bride and Groom
Passionate and temperamental, Italians are highly expressive. First impressions are very important to them.
Street artist
Art and fashion fill the streets, especially in the north.
Rigoletto
In Venice, the Carnival is one of the most important events of the year, one of the most famous in the world. Thanks to the masks, whose origins date back to Roman times, everyone enjoys anonymity and the 18th century was its greatest period of splendour.
Venetian masks
They are passionate about sport, especially football, although they have a long tradition in other sports such as motor racing, motorcycling and cycling.
Sports equipment
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