Italy facts, travel guide, geography & history
Facts
Government: Republic.
Religions: approx. 90% Roman Catholic, Protestant, Jewish, Islamic.
Population (est.): 58,133,515.
Capital, population (est.): Rome, 3,550,900.
Language: Italian (official). German, French, and Slovene speaking minorities.
Monetary unit: Euro. (Formerly lira).
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Travel guide
Climate
The climate of the coastal regions is a typical Mediterranean climate with mild winters and generally hot and dry summers.
Italy and the large islands of Sicily and Sardinia have very changeable weather in autumn, winter, and spring in marked contrast to the settled sunny
weather of summer. Disturbed weather can continue into late May and may commence any time after early September. Throughout the winter, however, cloudy
rainy days alternate with spells of mild, sunny weather.
The least number of rainy days and the highest number of hours of sunshine occur in the extreme south of the mainland and in Sicily and Sardinia.
Here sunshine averages from four to five hours a day in winter and up to ten or eleven hours in summer.
Generally, the hottest month is July (where temperatures can reach 32°C/34°C); the coldest month is January; the wettest month is November, with an
average rainfall of 129mm; while the driest month is July, with an average rainfall of 15mm.
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Get in
By plane;
Italy has its own national airline, Alitalia, as well as several smaller carriers, such as Meridiana. There are 406 budget routes flown from and
within Italy by low cost airlines.
Most of mid-range 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)
By train;
:: From France via Nice, Lyon, and Paris
:: From Croatia via Zagreb
:: From Austria via Vienna
:: From Geneva and other Swiss cities
:: From Germany via Munich
:: From Czech Republic via Prague
:: From Hungary via Budapest
:: From Slovenia via Ljubljana
:: From Spain via Barcelona
By car;
Italy borders on France, Austria, Switzerland and Slovenia. French and Austrian borders are open, but cars can be stopped behind the border for random
checks. Switzerland and Slovenia are not part of the Schengen zone, and full border checks apply - although they have been known to let coaches straight
through.
By boat;
There are several ferries departing from Greece, Albania, Montenegro and Croatia. Most of them arrive to Venice, Ancona, Bari and Brindisi.
Some regular ferry services connect the island of Corsica in France to Genoa, Livorno, Civitavecchia and North of Sardinia.
Some regular ferry services connect Sicily to some North African harbours.
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Museums
Every major city has a number of local museums, but some of them have national and international relevance. These are some of the most important permanent
collections;
:: The Academia in Florence, displays one of the most significant sculpture of Michaelangelo, David.
:: Uffizi Museum in Florence, one of the greatest museums in the world, must see. Given the great number of visitors, ticket reserving is a good idea to
avoid hours-long queues.
:: Egyptian Museum in Turin, holds the second-largest egyptian collection in the world, behind the Egypt's Cairo Museum collection.
:: The Acquarium in Genoa, one of the largest and most beautiful in the world, its located in the Porto Antico (ancient port) in an area completely renewed
by architect Renzo Piano in 1992.
:: Science and Technology Museum in Milan, one of the largest in Europe, holds collections about boats, airplanes, trains, cars, motorcycles, radio and
energy. Recently has also acquired the Toti submarine, which is open to visitors.
:: Roman Civilization Museum in Rome, hold the world's largest collection about ancient Rome and a marvellous reproduction (scale 1:250) of the entire Rome
area in 325 A.D., the age of Constantine the Great.
:: National Cinema Museum in Turin, located inside the wonderful Mole Antonelliana, historical building and symbol of the city.
:: Automobile Museum in Turin, one of the largest in the world, with a 170 car collection covering the entire automobile history.
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Get around
By train;
The Italian rail system has different train types: TBiz, EurostarItalia, Eurostar City Italia, IntercityPlus, Intercity, Espresso, Interregionale and
Regionale. Eurostar Italia and TBiz being the classiest. Generally speaking, for a given distance each tier costs twice as much as the one below it. The
train cars used by the TBiz and Eurostar Italia services are far newer than those used by the other types, but are not necessarily more comfortable.
In fact, the cars used by Intercity trains might be split up into distinct, six-seater compartments, which is really nice when you're travelling in groups.
A new level has been introduced recently. It is called Intercity-plus and it is just a way to have passengers pay more than the intercity fares. Recently,
many of Interegionale trains have been classified as Intercity.
The main practical difference between train types is reliability. Intercity services are generally very reliable, but if you need to catch a flight, for
example, it might be better to pay extra for the Eurostar Italia. Interregionale and Regionale are less reliable, and stops in many more stations along the
way. The other big difference between TBiz, Eurostar Italia, Intercity Plus and Intercity with Interregionale, Regionale and Espresso services is that on
the best ones seating reservation is compulsory, where every passenger has a seat allocated to him/her. This means that the train will never
(theoretically) be packed with an impossible number of people, but it also means you will need to purchase tickets in advance. Actually, many passengers
with tickets for other trains that take a wrong one will have to pay the cheap fine for not having a seat reservation. As a result, on major routes or peak
hours, expect to find your seat taken, in this case usually a brief discussion is enough to get your seat. During commuter hours, on major north-south
routes during the holidays, or before and after large political demonstrations, trains on the lower train types can become extremely full, to the point
where it gets very uncomfortable, in which case you could find yourself sitting on a tiny fold out flap in the hallway, where you'll have to move for
everyone passing by.
The pricier train types are usually faster, but there is not a consistent speed difference between trains. The main difference being the number of stops
made along the same routes. On some routes, the Eurostar will cut the travel time in half, but on others all trains go more or less at the same speed, and
taking the Eurostar Italia might be a waste of money. Just check the FS website or the printed schedule, usually located near the entrance to each
platform, to see how long the trip will take.
On long routes, such as Milan - Rome or Milan - Reggio Calabria, Trenitalia operates special night trains Treni Notte. They depart around 10pm and arrive
around 6am. It don't have beds but it could be a useful option to save money and time.
The ultimate way to get the cheapest train tickets is to leave early in the morning usually before 7:00am.
On the train schedules displayed at each station, every train is listed in different colours (i.e. blue, red, green). The arrival times are listed in
parentheses next to the names of each destination. One thing to watch out for is that certain trains only operate seasonally, or for certain time periods
(for example, during holidays).
The lines to buy tickets can be very long, and slow, so get to the station early. There are touch-screen ticket machines which are very useful, efficient,
and multilingual, but there are never that many, and the lines for those can be very long too.
To avoid queues at the station you can reserve tickets in advance via the internet at the Trenitalia website. You can then either print out your
reservation details or have them sent by SMS to your mobile phone. Phones do not need to be Italian. The conductor will validate your reservation details
when you are on the train and provide you with your ticket.
Eurostar trains can fill up, so if you're on a tight schedule you should buy those tickets in advance. If you are running late and don't have time to buy a
ticket, you can just jump on the train, but you will have to pay extra when the conductor (il controllore) comes around (a flat fee, somewhere around
5-10 euro) and they don't take credit cards. Technically, if you don't have a ticket you are supposed to find the conductor yourself and buy one
(otherwise you have to pay another fee - approx. 20 euro), but for foreigners it's enough to just stammer something about being late and they will almost
never hassle you about this.
Also, the way the system works is that unless you validate the ticket by inserting it into one of the yellow boxes on the platform (it says Convalida on
the box), you could keep using it for months. The yellow box just stamps a date on the ticket, so the conductor knows you weren't planning on using that
ticket again. Technically, a ticket that isn't validated is just like not having a ticket: you have to buy another. It is quite important not to forget to
validate your ticket as the conductors are generally not tolerant in this particular matter.
The cheapest way to travel in a region is to buy a zone ticket card. A chart displayed near the validating machine tells you how many zones you must pay
between stations. To buy a zone card for the next region you would have to get off the train at the last station and because the stops are so short you
would have to board the next train (usually in about 1 hour).
As of January 10, 2005 a smoking ban in public places went into effect in Italy. You will be subject to fines for smoking on any Italian train.
There are special deals offered too; some of them are reserved to foreign tourist and others are available to locals. Some deals are passes that allow
travel during a chosen period, while other special offers are normal tickets sold at decent prices with some restrictions. Before you choose to buy a pass,
check first if it is cheaper than buying a normal ticket (or better, a discounted normal ticket, if available).
If you are travelling a lot, and you're not Italian, you can get a TRENITALIA PASS: you buy a number of days of travel to be used within 2 months, however
you still have to pay a supplement on the compulsory reservation services, i.e. TBiz, Eurostar Italia, Intercity Plus and Intercity which will between EUR
5.00 and EUR 25.00 depending on the train type. Details are on the Trenitalia website, and also on RailChoice website.
By car;
Italy has a well-developed system of highways in the northern side of the country while in the southern it's a bit worse for quality and extension.
Every highway is identified by an A followed by a number. Most of the highways (autostrade) are toll roads. Some have toll station giving you access to a
section, others have entrance and exit toll stations. Don't lose your entrance ticket or you will be charged for the longest distance (example: if you are
on A1 Milano-Napoli at Milan toll station you'll be charged for the entire 700km distance). All the blue lanes (marked "Viacard") of toll stations, accept
major credit cards as well as pre-paid card (Viacard) you can buy at tobacconist, Autogrill, gas stations.
Many italians uses an electronic pay-toll device, and there's reserved lanes marked in Yellow with the sign "Telepass" or a simply "T". Driving through
those lanes (controlled by camera system) without the device will result in a fine of 50 euros and a payment of the toll from the longest distance. Due to
agreement with other countries, if you're foreigner, you'll pay also extra cost for locating you in your country.
Policemen sometimes read your ticket at the toll station to see how long you took since joining the autoroute: they can use that info to give you a
speeding ticket. Even if speeding is very common on Italian Highways, be aware that there are a number of automatic and almost invisible system to punish
speeding and hazardous driving. If you don't know the road very well you should probably keep a reasonable speed.
Since 2006, some highways are checked by the "Tutor", an automatic system that checks your average speed on a long section (5-10 kms).
A good clue of a nearby check system is when cars around you suddenly reduce speed. If you see a lot of cars keeping themselves just under the limit and
nobody overtaking, you'd better do the same.
Speed limits are:
130 km/h on highways (autostrade);
110 km/h on freeways (superstrade);
90 km/h on single-lane roads;
50 km/h inside cities.
Italian laws allow a 5% (minumum 5 km/h) tolerance on local speed limit. Fines are generally very expensive.
Motorbikes should drive always with the headlights on, for other vehicles that applies only outside cities.
Drink and driving is a controversial issue. The tolerated limit is 0.50g/L in blood, being above this limit is thus illegal and can entitle you an
expensive fine and licence withdraw and maybe also a night in jail, but you'll find that people of every age are not significantly worried for that and
there's nothing such designated driver or else. All passengers are required to wear their seat belt and children under 10 must use the back seat. Unless
clearly posted on the road you are using, you are supposed to yield to any vehicle coming from your right from another public thoroughfare. Signposts used
in Italy are patterned according to EU recommendations and use mostly pictograms (not text) but there are minor differences (example: highways directions
are written on green background while the white stands for local roads and blue for the remaining).
By bus;
Buy bus tickets before boarding from corner stores and other shops. The payment system for most mass transit in Italy (trains, city buses, subway) is
based on voluntary payment combined with sporadic enforcement. Specifically, you buy a ticket which can be used at any time (for that level of service,
anyway) and when you use it you validate the ticket by sticking it into a machine that stamps a date on it. Once in a while (with varying frequency
depending on the mode of transportation) someone will ask you for your ticket and if you don't have one you get a fine, and theoretically (sometimes
happens) you can be asked to present to the Police for a formal report. Usually line enforcers aren't very condescending, especially in northern Italy.
In almost every city there's a different pricing scheme, so check in advance ticket formulas and availability.
For tourists it may be very convenient to buy daily (or multi-day) tickets that allow you to travel as much as you want in a single (or more) day.
Every major city also has some type of City Card, a fixed-fee card allowing you to travel on local public transportation, visit a number of museums and
giving you discounts on shops, hotels and restaurants.
Check for both these possibilities at local Tourist's Office or on city's website (which is often of the form www.comune.cityname.it as for example
www.comune.roma.it).
By thumb;
Italians are generally very friendly and open people, but they're less likely to pick up hitchhikers than anyone else in the world. It is
easier to hitchhike out of the Bronx than it is to hitchhike in Italy. Hitchhiking is not recommended for women travelling alone. Hitchhiking along
expressways and highways is forbidden.
By Boat;
For sailors and non-sailors alike: Italy is best approached from the sea and it is more convenient and comfortable than traditional onshore “tours”.
A yacht charter to Italy is the most fulfilling way to experience this magnificent country. Although the yacht charter industry is smaller than one would
expect for this incredibly popular tourist destination, there are many reasons to choose a yacht over a more conventional onshore approach. The Italian
coast, like the French coast, attracts luxury yacht charters of the highest standards. “Touring” Italy from a private yacht is surprisingly convenient and
comfortable. Experience the breathtaking scenery, fascinating history and the unrivaled Italian lifestyle as local Italian people do when on their
vacations. Italy’s dramatic coastline is best appreciated from the sea and the Italians know it! In between visiting the numerous cultural destinations for
which Italy is renown, there is always time to take a refreshing swim. Most enjoyable, is relishing the fact that from a private yacht you have a certain
relief from the crowds and traffic that are traditionally unavoidable in Italy’s most popular destinations. There are major distinct nautical regions in
Italy: Tuscany, Amalfi Coast, Sardinia and Sicily. Each has its own flavor and focus. Be sure to plan your itinerary carefully as each region is rewarding
in its own particular way.
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Language
Not surprisingly, Italian is the language spoken by the vast majority of Italians. Parts of the Trentino-Alto Adige region are predominantly German
speaking with Ladin, a Rhaeto-Romance language related to Switzerland's Romansh, spoken by a minority. There is a small French-speaking minority in the
Valle d'Aosta region and Slovene is spoken by a minority in the Trieste-Gorizia area.
Most likely, if you're trying to speak Italian, then you'll get plenty of help, and they may even try their limited English out on you.
English is spoken fairly commonly on the well-travelled path, but you'll want a good phrasebook for anything remote although even this may not help for the
smaller towns and villages as many areas still speak dialects that you won't find in any phrasebooks.
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Buy
Italy is part of the Eurozone, so the common currency of the European Union, the Euro (€), is legal tender in Italy.
Italy is quite an expensive country. It has many luxury hotels and posh restaurants. It may cost €40.00 a day if a person self caters, stays in hostel,
avoids drinking and doesn't visit too many museums. However, staying in a comfortable hotel, eating out regularly and visiting lots of museums and
galleries, may cost a person at least €100-€150 a day. Hiring a car may double expenses, so one should visit with enough budget.
All the bills include the service charges, so tipping is not necessary. Tipping the taxi drivers is also not necessary, but a hotel porter may expect a
little something.
If you plan to travel through countryside or rural regions you probably should not rely on your credit cards: in many small towns they're accepted only
by a small number of shops (particularly restaurants).
Unless it says otherwise the price includes IVA (same as VAT) of 20%. On some products, such as books, IVA is 4%. If you're a non-EU resident, you are
entitled to a VAT refund on purchases of goods that will be exported out of the European Union. Shops offering this scheme have a Tax Free sticker outside.
Be sure to ask for your tax-free voucher before leaving the store. These goods have to be unused when you pass the customs checkpoint upon leaving
the EU.
Italian fashion is renowned worldwide. Many of the world's most famous international brands have their headquarters in Italy. The two key areas for
high-class shopping are Via della Spiga and Via Montenapoleone (and surroundings), in Milan and via Condotti in Rome, but you'll find flagship stores in
almost every major city.
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Eat
Cuisine;
Italian food inside of Italy is different than Italian in America or western Europe. Italian food is based upon a few simple ingredients and Italians
often have very discriminating tastes that may seem strange to Americans and other visitors. For instance, a sandwich stand might sell 4 different types of
ham sandwiches that in each case contain ham, mayonnaise, and cheese. The only thing that may differ between the sandwiches is the type of ham or cheese
used in them. Rustichella and panzerotti are two examples of sandwiches well-liked by Italians and tourists alike. Also, Italian sandwiches are quite
different from the traditional Italian-American “hero”, “submarine”, or “hoagie” sandwich. Rather than large sandwiches with a piling of meat, vegetables,
and cheese, sandwiches in Italy are often quite small, very flat (made even more so when they are quickly heated and pressed on a panini grill), and
contain a few simple ingredients, rarely, if ever lettuce. Also, a traditional Italian meal is separated into several sections: antipasto (marinated
vegetables, etc), primo (pasta or rice dish), secondo (meat course), dolce (dessert). Salads often come with the secondo. Americans will notice that
Italian pasta often has a myriad of sauces rather than simply tomato and alfredo. Also, Italian pasta is often served with much less sauce than in
America.
Like the language and culture, food in Italy is also very different region by region. Pasta and olive oil are considered the characteristics of southern
Italian food, while northern food focuses on rice and butter (although today there are many many exceptions). Local ingredients are also very important.
In warm Naples, citrus and other fresh fruit play a prominent role in both food and liquor, while in Venice fish is obviously an important traditional
ingredient. As guideline, in the south cuisine is focused on pasta and dessert, while at north meat is king, but this rule can be very different depending
where you are.
Pizza is also very different than what Americans are used to...thick, greasy, and unhealthy. In Italy, pizza is very thin, flexible, and very good for you.
It's made with fresh natural non-preservative ingredients. After Italian pizza, the American kind will never be as good again.
A note about breakfast in Italy: breakfast in America is often seen as a large meal (eggs, bacon, juice, toast, coffee, fruit, etc). In Italy, this is not
the case. Breakfast for Italians might be coffee with a pastry (cappuccino e brioche) or a piece of bread and cold cuts or cheese. The cappuccino is one
shot of espresso, one part steamed milk, one part foamed milk with an optional dusting of chocolate. Unless you know for certain otherwise, you should not
expect a large breakfast in Italy. Another enjoyable Italian breakfast item is cornetto (pl. cornetti): a light pastry often filled with cream or
nutella.
Usually Italian meals are: small breakfast, one-dish lunch, one-dish dinner. Coffee is welcomed at nearly every hour, especially around 10AM and at the end
of a meal.
Breakfast is small in Italy, but boy do they make up for the lost time at lunch and dinner. Dinner, and especially lunch, are seen as huge social time.
Lunch is seen as the most important part of the day, so much that they have one hour reserved for eating and another for napping. Usually referred to as a
siesta in Italian, it's a time when all shops close down and resume after the two hour break period. To get around this businesses stay open later. And,
good luck trying to find a place open during siesta time.
Please remember that in Italy cuisine is a kind of art (great chefs as Gualtiero Marchesi or Gianfranco Vissani are considered half way between TV stars
and magician) and Italians generally don't like any foreigner who asks always for spaghetti or pizza, so please, read the menu and remember that almost
every restaurant has a typical dish and some towns have centuries-old traditions that you are invited to learn.
Specialities;
:: Risotto - Rice that has been sautéed and cooked in a shallow pan with stock. The result is a very creamy, and hearty dish. Meat, poultry, seafood,
vegetables, and cheeses are almost always added depending on the recipe. Many restaurants, families, towns, and regions will have a signature risotto or
at least a style of ristotto, in addition or in place of a signature pasta dish (risotto alla Milanese is a famous Italian classic).
:: Arancini - Balls of rice with tomato sauce, eggs, and cheese that are deep fried. They are a southern Italian specialty, though are now quite common
all over.
:: Polenta - Yellow corn meal (yellow grits) that has been cooked with stock. It is normally served either creamy, or allowed to set up and then cut into
shapes and fried or roasted.
:: Gelato - This is the Italian version for ice cream, The non-fruit flavors are usually made only with milk. The fruit flavors are non-dairy. It's fresh
as a sorbet, but tastier. There are many flavours: coffee, chocolate, fruit, tiramisù etc.
:: Tiramisù - Italian cake made with coffee, mascarpone, cookies and cocoa powder on the top. The name means "pick-me-up."
Cheese and sausages;
In Italy you can find nearly 400 kinds of cheese, including the famous Parmigiano Reggiano, and 300 types of sausages.
If you want a real kick, then try to find one of the huge open markets, usually on Saturdays, to see all the types of cheeses and meats in action.
Restaurants;
Italian restaurants and bars charge more (typically double) if you eat seated at a table rather than standing at the bar or taking your order to go.
There is usually small, very small print on the menus to tell you this. Some menus may also indicate a coperto (cover charge) or servizio
(service charge).
Traditional meal includes (in order) antipasto (starter), primo (first dish - pasta or rice dishes), secondo (second dish - meat or fish dishes),
served together with contorno (mostly vegetables), cheeses/fruit, dessert, coffee, spirits. Italians usually have all of them served and restaurants
expect customers to follow this scheme; elegant or ancient restaurants usually refuse to make changes to proposed dishes (exceptions warmly granted for
babies or unhealthy people) or to serve them in a different order, and they absolutely don't serve cappuccino between primo and secondo.
It's slightly frowned upon to ask them to bring primo and secondo dishes at the same time (or "funny" changes like having a secondo before a primo).
They may well say yes...and then not do it.
Italian restaurants are completely non-smoking or have a non-smoking area which is well separated from the smoking area; so says a law, but you will
discover that Italians have a friendly approach to laws and rules... This particular law is respected almost everywhere, though. Better anyway to precisely
ask for an effective smoking or non-smoking area.
When pets are allowed (not a frequent case), never order ordinary dishes for them; in particular, never ever order meat for your pet, this would seriously
upset waiters and other customers. In case of need, you might ask if the chef can kindly propose something (he usually can).
Better to leave tips in cash (not on your credit card).
Out of the restaurant, you might eventually be asked to show your bill and your documents by Guardia di Finanza agents (a police specialized in tax
subjects - never in uniform); whatever they show you, immediately try to call #113 (similar to America's 911 - English spoken) and ask for policemen in
uniform to help you, it could be a trick to pickpocket you. This kind of controls is effectively frequent (they want to know if the owner regularly
recorded your money) and completely legitimate, but pickpocketers find it a good excuse to approach their victims. Call 113 or enter the first shop.
Pizza is a quick and convenient meal. In many large cities there are pizza shops that sell by the gram. When ordering, simply tell the attendant the type
of pizza you would like (e.g. pizza margherita, pizza con patata, etc.) and how much ("Vorrei duecento grammi, per favore"). They will slice it, warm it in
the oven, fold it in half, and wrap it in paper. Other shops also sell by the slice, similar to American pizza shops. Getting your meal on the run can save
money. Many sandwich shops charge an additional fee if you want to sit to eat your meal.
Drink;
Bars are, like restaurants, non-smoking. Italians enjoy going out during the evenings, so it's normal to have a soft drink in a bar as pre-dinner. It is
called Aperitivo. Within the last couple years, started by Milan, a lot of bars have started offering fixed-price cocktails at aperitivo hours (18 - 21)
with free, and often a very good buffet meal. It's now widely considered stylish to have this kind of aperitivo (called Happy Hour) instead of a structured
meal before going out to dance or whatever.
While safe to drink, the tap water in many parts of Italy can be cloudy with a slight off taste. Most Italians prefer bottled water, which is served almost
exclusively in restaurants. Make sure you let the waiter/waitress know you want regular water or else you could get frizzante (or fizzy club soda water)
water.
Wine;
The Italian Wine is the most exported all over the World. In Italy the wine is a substantial topic, a sort of test which can ensure you respect or lack of
attention from an entire restaurant staff (this is why the first question is what you are going to drink). If you are a true connoisseur, don't allow your
waiter to discover it; if you don't know how to distinguish wines other than by their color, don't allow your waiter to figure it out either.
Before reaching Italy, have a quick overview on most important regional types (of the region you are planning to go to) and when on site ask the waiter for
one of them (not too young, not too old), he/she will suggest you 4/5 wines (always choose the second or the third one). Pay attention to the fact that as
Italian Cuisine can be very different region by region (sometimes also town by town), so it can be with wine. So, for example, avoid asking for a bottle of
Chianti if you're not in central Tuscany, Italians are masters to match the exact wine with a dish and often every dish has an appropriate wine.
The popular "color rule" (red wines with meat dishes, white wines with fish) can be happily broken when proposed by a sommelier or when you really know
what you are doing: Italy has many very strong white wines to serve with meat, as well as very delicate red wines for fish.
The "vino della casa" (home-made wine) can be a good drinking opportunity in small villages far from towns (especially in Tuscany), where it likely could
be what the patron would really personally drink and/or produce. Otherwise, it usually is a mixture of low-quality poor wines: low price, low flavor,
possible day-after-headaches. Good wine can be very costly, but bad wine is still expensive.
Near the town of Alba (Cuneo Province), in the Piedmont grows the Nebbiolo grape, a noble grape. From this grape is produced the prestigious Barolo wines.
It has been called the "king of wine" and the "wine of kings." It is considered one of the world´s best red wines. It is a DOCG wine, made entirely from
the Nebbiolo grape. Once you have experienced good examples of this wine, you will begin to understand its nobility.
Foreign wines are rarely served (just check the house wine list), but many grapes have French names (like Cabernet-Sauvignon).
Beer;
Beer belongs to the Italian tradition as wine does, therefore pubs serving beer are very common. If you are looking for good beers you won't find any
problem, you just have to look around a little bit more. First of all, it is very common to import beers from Germany and Belgium. Irish pubs are very
common, too. Besides that, Italy produces ca. 10 type of Beers. The most known are: Peroni Gran Riserva (completely different from the standard Peroni,
that is just a plain lager), a double malt strong Lager, and Moretti la Rossa (again, completely different from the standard Moretti lager), a dark Vienna
lager. There is also a series of beers called Amarcord made with traditional techniques. Anyway, if you go to a pub with a big selection of beers, just ask
the people working there for a suggestion.
Other drinks;
Limoncello. A liquor made of alcohol, lemon peels, and sugar. Limoncello can be considered a "moon shine" type of product as every Italian family,
especially in the middle (near Napoli) and southern part of the country, has their own recipe for limoncello. Because lemon trees adapt so well to the
Mediterreanean climate, and they produce a large amount of fruit continually throughout their long fruit-bearing season, it is not unusual to find many
villa's yards filled with lemon trees bending under the weight of their crop. You can make a lot of lemonade, or better yet, brew your own limoncello. It
is mainly considered a dessert liquor, served after a heavy meal (similar to amaretto), and used for different celebrations. The taste can be compared to a
very strong and slightly thick lemonade flavor with an alcohol tinge to it. Best served room temperature or chilled in the freezer. It is better sipped
than treated as a shooter.
Don't forget Grappa. You'll either like it or you won't. It's made by fermenting grape stems, so you could imagine how it might taste. If you're going to
drink it, then make sure you get a bottle having been distilled multiple times.
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Sleep
In major cities and touristic areas you can find a good variety of accommodations, from world-class brand hotels to family-managed bed & breakfasts and
room rentals, but hostels are really few. Campings are a good way to save money and they're usually well managed, but especially during summer months
tend not to accept last-minute groups of young people (given the high chance of problems that such kind of group of Italian guys tend to cause) so you'd
better book in advance. Farmstay and Villa Rentals are an increasingly popular way to experience Italy, particularly in rural areas of Tuscany, Piedmont,
Umbria, Abruzzo, Sardinia and Apulia. It provides a great combination of good and healthy food, wonderful sights and not-so-expensive prices.
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Cope
Electricity. Italy uses 220V, 50HZ. The plugs are special for Italy. The grounding hole does not work with other systems. The two other holes are too
narrow to be used with some plugs. An adapter to convert other plugs to Italian outlets costs €0.80 in supermarkets in Italy.
Internet Access. The Italian government has recently passed a law requiring all public-access internet points to keep records of web sites viewed by
customers, and even the customer's ID. Accessing e-mail service has been also forbidden. However, if you bring your own laptop you should be able to check
e-mail, but not avoid ID recording. Hotels providing Internet access are not required to record ID's if the connection is provided in the guests room,
meanwhile if the connection is offered in the main public hall then ID's are required. Publicly available wireless access is forbidden unless the provider
has a special government license. This has caused only major phone-like companies to be able to afford that, so wireless access is generally expensive.
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Stay safe
Like most developed countries, Italy is a very safe country to travel. There are few incidents of terrorism/serious violence and these episodes have been
almost exclusively motivated by internal politics. Examples include the 1993 bombing of the Uffizi by the Italian Mafia. Almost every major incident is
attributed to organized crime or anarchist movements and rarely, if ever, directed at travelers or foreigners.
Petty crime can be a problem for unwary travelers. Travelers should note that pickpockets often work in pairs or teams, occasionally in conjunction with
street vendors. The rate of violent crimes in Italy is considered "moderate," and while a portion of violent crimes are committed against travelers, it is
normally not a problem. However, instances of rape and robbery as a result of drugs are increasing. Travelers should be careful when going out at night
alone.
There are many bars in Italy that cater to tourists and foreigners with "home country" themes, calling themselves such things as "American bars" or "Irish
pubs". In addition to travelers, these bars attract a large number of Italians who, among other reasons, go there specifically to meet travelers and other
foreigners. And while the motivation for the vast majority of these Italians is simply to have a good time with new friends, there can be one or two petty
criminals who loiter in and out of these establishments hoping to take advantage of travelers who are disoriented or drunk. Traveling to these places in
groups is a simple solution to this problem.
There have been problems in some major Italian cities with police assuming that any Black, East European, or Arab person without an ID card or passport is
an illegal immigrant, and treating them accordingly. That could be a considerable problem if you are travelling alone.
For emergencies, call 113 (Polizia), 112 (Carabinieri), 115 (Fire Department) or 118 (Medical Rescue).
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Respect
Italians are generally open and friendly and if you show regular politeness you will have no problem.
Italians, especially those in the North, are very different from the stereotype of "pulcinella, pizza and mandolino" seen in American "B" movies (and you
won't find roads full of Fiat 500's). Not surprisingly, for many people this stereotype is quite offensive.
During WWII, Italians had a difficult time under the dictator Benito Mussolini, especially after the infamous alliance with Adolf Hitler fell and the
Germans turned into enemies. Even if you're making a joke, it is not appropriate to make the "Roman salute", or to make fun of Benito Mussolini. Some
people might assume you are a "Neo-nazi/Neo-Fascist".
Italy has a high population of senior citizens, and it is wise to be respectful. Do things like offering your seat on a bus if the situation arises.
Adopted from and read more at:
wikitravel.org/en/Italy
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Geography
If you are interested in this country's geography, please take a look
here.
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History
If you are interested in this country's history, please take a look
here.
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All text and pictures on this page that are copied/adopted from the wikipedia & wikitravel web pages are used and
copyrighted under the terms of the
GNU Free Documentation License.
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