What you need to know about traveling to Italy

Understandably, Italy is one of the top destinations in the world for travelers.  When you consider the history, scenery, architecture, culture and food, there is really no other destination that compares.

We put this guide together to provide travelers with a general overview of the country.

Italy location and geography

Italy is actually smaller than you think.  At 116,000 square miles in size, it is significantly smaller than the state of California.   This ranks Italy 71st in the world in terms of land mass.  And of course, it is a part of the European continent.

Check out the map below to see its location.

As you can see, Italy is bordered by France to the west, Switzerland and Austria to the north and Slovenia to the east.  Mainland Italy is also bordered by the Tyrrhenian Sea to the west, the Adriatic Sea to the east and the Ionian Sea to the south.  These are all part of the larger Mediterranean Sea.

Within the Italian mainland, there are two enclaves… Vatican City and San Marino.  Vatican City is effectively located within Rome and San Marino is located east of Florence near the Adriatic Coast.

Some of the Italian land area is contained on a number of islands.  Sicily and Sardinia are two of these islands and are the largest islands in the Mediterranean Sea.

There are then a number of smaller islands included in Italy’s geography, such as Capri, Lampedusa, Stromboli, and Elba, among others.

Mt. Etna

Much of Italy is volcanic in origin, and many of the small islands are volcanic.  Active volcanoes in Italy include Mt. Etna on Sicily, Vulcano, Stromboli and Vesuvius.  Vesuvius, located near Naples, is the only active volcano on the European mainland.

Much of the topography in Italy is mountainous.  The Appenine Mountains run through the center of the Italian peninsula.  The Alps form most of Italy’ northern boundary, and the Dolomites form the northeastern boundary.

Mont Blanc is the highest peak in Italy at over 15,700 feet, and is located in the Alps.

Italy is known for several beautiful lake areas.  Three of these are in northern Italy, and these are also the largest lakes in Italy… Garda, Maggiore and Como.  Lakes Trasimeno and Bolsena closer to Rome round out the five largest lakes in Italy.

There are 16 rivers with a length of 100 miles or more.  The longest of these is the Po River, which originates in the Alps and ends in the Adriatic Sea and has a length of 405 miles.

The Tiber River, which runs through Rome, is the third longest river in Italy with a length of just over 250 miles.

Italy Climate

Because Italy extends quite a distance in latitude from north to south (over 700 miles), the climate across regions of Italy can vary significantly.

Winters in the northern regions can be quite cold with average temperatures of about freezing in the Alps and up to 54 degrees in Sicily.

Summer temperatures can range from warm in the northern regions to brutally hot in the low land areas of the mainland and in Sicily.  Florence and Rome in particular can experience very hot summers.

Sicily is notably quite dry and the island is prone to wildfires during the heat of the summer.

Due to the presence of the Mediterranean and the wall formed by the mountain ranges to the north, the areas along the coast of the mainland typically experience more mild winters and cooler summers than the interior areas of the mainland.

These areas also receive a good bit of rainfall, which contributes to the lush vegetation you will find throughout the Italian Riviera that stretches from San Remo near France in the west, to Genoa, and then over to La Spezia to the southeast of Genoa.

Regions of Italy

The regions of Italy are the first level administrative divisions of the Italian Republic.  There are twenty such regions of Italy, and under the Italian Constitution, each is an autonomous entity.

Five of the regions have been granted “home rule” ie, government of the region by the citizens of that region.

These regions were given this designation to account for cultural differences or to protect linguistic minorites.

This designation was also granted to keep each of the regions from seceding from the Republic after Italy’s defeat in World War II.

These five regions include Sicily, Sardinia, Aosta Valley, Friuli Venezia Giulia, and Trentino-Alto Aldige/Sudtirol.

Here is a list of all twenty regions and their capitals:

• Abruzzo – L’Aquila
• Aosta Valley – Aosta – Northern Italy
• Apulia – Bari – Located in southern Italy at the heel of the boot
• Basilicata – Potenza – Southern Italy
• Calabria – Catanzaro – Southern Italy – forms the toe of the boot
• Campania – Naples – Southern Italy
• Emilia-Romagna – Bologna – North-Central Italy
• Friuli Venezia Giulia – Trieste – Northeast Italy
• Lazio – Rome – Central Italy
• Liguria – Genoa – Northwest Italy
• Lombardy – Milan – Northern Italy
• Marche – Ancona – East Central Italy
• Molise – Campobasso – East Central Italy
• Piedmont – Turin – Northwest Italy
• Sardinia – Cagliari – Island to the north of Sicily and west of the mainland
• Sicily – Palermo – Southeast of the toe of Italy’s boot
• Trentino-Alto Aldige/Sudtirol – Trento – Northern Italy
• Tuscany – Florence – central Italy
• Umbria – Perugia – central Italy
• Veneto – Venice – northeast Italy

And of course the capital of all of Italy is Rome.

Some of the Basics of Traveling to Italy

Here are some tidbits that you should know before traveling to Italy, from the obvious to the not-so-obvious.

Currency: Italy is located in the Eurozone, so the currency in use throughout the country is the Euro.

Language: Italian of course.  In many of the big tourist areas, English is spoken by many people in the hospitality industry, but not necessarily in the restaurants.

In the smaller towns outside of the cities, much less English will be spoken.  We highly recommend that you learn some Italian before you go.  Many Italians will appreciate the effort.  Rosetta Stone is a popular app for learning Italian.

Visa Requirements: For stays under 90 days, you do not need a Visa, but you will need your passport.

Electricity: Europe has different electrical outlets than what we have here in the US, so you will need an adapter.

Car Rentals: If you intend to visit small towns while in Italy, you will want to rent a car.  This is particularly true if you want to visit small towns in Tuscany, and to get around Sicily and Sardinia, where train service is less efficient.  You’ll need an international driver permit along with your driver’s license.  If you do not have an international driver’s permit, head on over to your nearest AAA office.

For finding the best deals on rental cars, check out Discover Cars.

Flying to Italy: Flying to Italy from North America does have its difficulties.  We generally prefer to fly directly from the U.S. (we are near Washington, DC) into Rome or Milan and then use the trains to get to where we are going.  This helps us avoid connections at busy airports such as London Heathrow, Munich, Frankfurt and Paris.

The major airports are found in Rome, Milan, Bologna, Naples, Venice and Bari on the mainland; Cagliari on Sardinia; and Palermo and Catania on Sicily.

If you are looking for a driving service for transfers to and from the airport, check out Kiwi Taxis.  They provide service from the major airports in Rome, Milan, Venice, etc.

The Trains: Public transportation is how most Italians get around, whether by train or bus.  In our view, the trains are a great way to go between the major cities, as you get great views of the Italian countryside.

You can also get from Rome to Milan in about three hours and to Venice from Rome in about that same time.

With that said, the regional trains between the smaller towns can get quite crowded and they have no assigned seats so just be prepared for some chaos when traveling on these trains.

They also run much more slowly than the high speed trains, and are often not on schedule, so you may also need to be a bit patient.

Pro Tip: Never schedule a long train ride for the day you arrive in Italy, or for day you are flying out, especially the latter.  Always be sure to arrive in your final Italian destination a day before you leave Italy.  This will help you avoid missing your flight!

When is the best time to go to Italy?

Mondello Beach Palermo

This depends entirely upon your primary activity and where you intend to go.

Naturally, if skiing is on your agenda, you want to go in the winter months, although early Spring can still work in the Alps.

If tourism and sightseeing will be your primary activities, and destinations such as Rome, Florence and Sicily may be on your agenda, then you’ll want to avoid those places in July and August due to the potential for extreme heat and crowds.

A word on the crowds… we traveled to Florence and Rome in late January to early February in 2023 and it was still crowded in both cities.

Temperatures were slightly below normal when we were there, particularly in Florence, so it was chilly.  Therefore, just expect both cities to be crowded in the tourist areas.

If you are heading to any coastal areas, again, it is best to avoid July and August as the beaches can be insanely crowded.  Otherwise, you will want to venture off the beaten path to find a more secluded beach.  However, those will come with fewer amenities and facilities.

Water temperatures in the Italian Riviera, up and down the east and west coasts of the mainland, and then in Sardinia and Sicily will stay reasonable through late September.

On the Amalfi Coast and in Sicily and southern Sardinia, water temperatures will remain in the 70s through about mid-October.

In general, April and May as well as September and October are the best months to visit most areas in Italy due to slightly smaller crowds, and more comfortable temperatures.

We mention slightly smaller crowds because most of Europe knows these are the best weather months to visit Italy as well.

Pro Tip: A potential good time to travel to Italy is Thanksgiving week here in the U.S.  American travelers will mainly stay in the U.S. and the crowds in Italy and Europe will be a little bit smaller as a result.

If golf is a primary activity, Summer is the best season to go in northern Italy as the Summer temperatures are cooler there than further south.

Otherwise, golf in areas closer to Rome, Florence and Sicily is better in Spring and Fall.

Major Italy Destinations

Palatine Hill in Rome

Some of the major destinations in Italy include the obvious ones… Rome, Florence, Milan, Venice and Naples.  Those are the big 5 cities of Italy and then throw in the Amalfi Coast as a destination most travelers to Italy want to visit. You can build a vacation around all of them.

Sicily is another must see destination of Italy.  Unless you plan on multiple trips, you should spend at least ten to twelve days there to spend a decent amount of time in the major areas… Palermo, Cefalu, Taormina, Syracuse, and Agrigento.

In fact, we actually recommend splitting up visits to Sicily into at least two trips.

Because these areas of Sicily are spread out across the island, it takes time to reach them all.  Travel time can really eat into your trip, so plan accordingly.

Sardinia is another major destination.  While the capital, Cagliari is on the south coast, most attention is paid to the Costa Smeralda on the north coast.

Costa Smeralda is closer to Europe and has more resorts catering to visitors seeking an escape to the beaches.  With that said, you can find spectacular beaches around the entire island, so it is worth taking a trip to explore the entire island.

The lake region north of Milan is another must see destination to add to your bucket list.  The main lakes are Maggiore, Como and Garda and they all offer stunning views and beautiful small towns.

And of course, there is Tuscany and the wine country there.

Other not so well-known Italian destinations

Many Italians actually enjoy their beach vacations down in the Puglia (Apulia) region, which forms the boot of Italy.

The region is known for its spectacular beaches, along with cities and towns such as Lecce, Ostuni, Polignano a Mare, and Gallipoli, among others.

Piazza Maggiore in Bologna

Italians who prefer to visit the mountain regions in northern Italy will head to towns such as Bolzano, Trento and Belluno.

A couple significant, but smaller cities you should consider visiting are Bologna and Verona.

Bologna is regarded as the culinary capital of Italy, while Verona is known for its beautiful historic center and the setting for Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet.

While Portofino seems to get much of the attention directed at the Italian Riviera, there are many other beautiful towns to visit where there is actually much more to do.

Consider basing yourself in Rapallo to the east of Genoa to explore the eastern portion of the Riviera down to Cinque Terre.

Or you can base yourself in La Spezia to have easy access to Cinque Terre and the smaller towns to the south such as Lerici.

We also really enjoyed San Remo, which is near the border with France.  It has great beaches, shopping and restaurants to go with its music scene and famous casino.

A couple regions that are starting to pop up on the radar for some travelers are Le Marche and Umbria.

The main city in Le Marche is Ancona, over on the Adriatic Coast.  Near there is another small Riviera type area with spectacular beaches.

Umbria is home to the university town of Perugia, which is near Lago di Trasimeno, a beautiful lake that is popular among Italian tourists.

Again, when visiting these less known areas, you’ll need to know some Italian!

Start planning your trip now!