About Italy

Italy, the birthplace of pasta and pizza, provides a wide range of choices for art lovers. A temperate climate exists here with very hot summers and cool winters. The weather is the best in spring and autumn with pleasant temperatures and scenic views. At those times of the year, the country isn’t crowded with other tourists and you will enjoy your trip more. In case of emergency call 112. For fire call 115 and for ambulance call 118.

Culture

Italian is widely spoken and is the official language. English isn’t very familiar to the locals. Family ties are of utmost importance here and hence social courtesies mean a lot to the locals. The Roman Catholic Church plays a large role in Italian family life and culture. Make sure you don't drink water out of the faucets, but use bottled water only. Try to learn a few common Italian phrases. Bring a Italian phrase book and an Italian-English dictionary with you. Social gatherings call for formal wear, but one can dress in casual clothes otherwise. At some religious places, sleeveless shirts and shorts are frowned upon. Purses and wallets should be well guarded and in case of any theft, police should be informed about the incident.

Site Seeing

The first thing to check out is the leaning tower of Pisa, where the Olympic Games originated. At places like museums and art galleries, photography, especially flash photography is restricted. Ask your hotel concierge for more information. Try to walk to get to worthwhile things to see. You can always have your concierge get you a hotel cab or car to get where you want to go without problems. Florence is a nice city, especially for art lovers. And don't forget the Vatican, it's like no place you've ever seen.

Shopping

Shops here are open from 9am to 8pm and are closed for lunch. The quality of most goods is excellent and generally inexpensive. Things like crystals, lacework, leather goods, and jewelry can be bought at the stores. Remember to hold on to the receipt. Tipping of 10% is customary along with the service tax levied on the bill. Italy is famous for top clothing designers, so do buy clothes and accessories to update your wardrobe.

Electricity

The voltage used is 220 volts and 50 Hz frequeny.

Getting there

Alitalia is the national airline of Italy. Many other flights connect to Italy from the USA, Canada and Australia. Rome airport is located 26 km away from the city and it takes 45 minutes to get to the city from the airport. Trains connect directly to Termini Station from where one can take taxi to get to their destination. Duty free shops, banks, car hire and restaurants are the other services provided at this airport. Milan is another place you can land, which is 45km away from Rome.

Brindisi, Ancona, Naples and Venice are the major seaports of Italy. Italian State Railways connects many European cities. Eurostar provides the fastest train service.

If you choose to drive yourself around, don’t forget to carry an international driving license and an international insurance certificate. Roads connect Italy to France, Austria and Switzerland. Many coach services are provided from the neighboring countries.

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