This Italy Travel Guide will give you information on just everything you need, before embarking on your first trip to Italia. Italy is a great country to travel to, due to multiple reasons. The rich history (most is still visible as paintings or structures), devine cuisine or also great business oportunities (some of the most notable companies with italian roots are Illy, Ferrari, … just to name a very few). For sure the summer is an ideal season to travel to Italy, to visit beaches and hop by train from one city to another, however Italy offers unique experiences year round. In northern Italy you can go skiing in winter, truffle hunting in Fall, and discover not as croded cities in the spring till early summer.
Below I have concluded a comprehensive Travel Guide for Italy for you. It will give you basic information on Italy, its language, currency and how to navigate within the country by public transport, without an own car or vehicle (rental Vespas excluded, those are *almost* always recommended). I have already travelled to Italy multiple dozen times, it might be nearing the 100th-time mark, therefore I have experienced a lot of this country. Right below you can also find a map of Italy, with marks in each city that I have already visited and written Tipps about. If you are missing some specific information, dont hesitate to request a blog post.
Good to know
Popular destinations in Italy
- Rome
- Milan
- Florence
- Venice
- Naples
- Bologna
- Palermo
- Verona
- Trieste
- Genoa
- Rimini
Frequently Asked Questions about Italy
Overall, I would rate Italy a safe country to visit, for families, couples, as well as solo travellers or youth groups. However, you need to be cautious of pickpockets, especially in touristy areas and in front or nearby public sights (Pantheon in Rome, for example).
Italy is definitely considered sage from an “is it okay to travel” perspective, however you should always keep an eye on your belongings, especially valuables. Furthermore, you should be aware of scammers, don’t bee too trusty with street vendors and don’t pay for anything in advance or for a service you didn’t ask for (forcing to help with your luggage, and harshly requesting money for it).
Italy might not be in central Europe, with only a few countries bordering its north; however, the train connections to Italy are quite impressive. Not only by regional train but via high-speed train or even overnight train.
Coming in 2020, there will be a new highspeed train connecting Paris and Milan, giving travellers the opportunity to travel all the way from as far as London (via Eurostar) via Paris to Milan.
Otherwise, there are various direct connections to Italy, such as Munich – Innsbruck – Merano – Verona, Basel/Zurich – Como – Milan, Nice – Monaco – Genoa, Munich – Milan / Rome (sleeper night train), Vienna – Venice and more.
The official language of Italy is Italian. In the areas bordering to both Germany and Austria, especially in south Tyrol, German is widely spoken, too. The same goes for the region bordering France, where French is widely understood, or even spoken.
In more touristy regions English is widely spoken, as well as in the big cities, and especially by younger folks. On the countryside, and elderly people, won’t understand English, and most probably Italian only. Even though the language barrier, I have always found a way to communicate, may it be pointing to things with your hand, or using an online translator as the very last straw.