According to ejinhua, Italy (Italian: Italia, English: Italy) is a country in Europe bordering France, Switzerland, Austria and Slovenia. Italy’s territory also includes several islands, of which Sicily and Sardinia are by far the largest. The best known smaller islets are: Elba, Lampedusa, Ischia, Pantelleria, Lipari, Capri, Stromboli and Ustica. In addition, there are 2 independent mini-states within the national borders of Italy. These two mini-states are Vatican City, of which the Pope is the head, and San Marino. The capital of Italy is Rome. A number of major cities in Italy are: Milan, Naples, Venice, Turin and Florence.
Italy is known for the long coastline that surrounds almost the entire country. The country also has a number of large lakes such as Lake Garda and Lake Maggiore and mountain areas such as Mont Blanc and the Apennines. When it comes to food, we mainly know Italy from pizza, pasta and Italian ice cream. There is also a lot to experience in Italy in terms of culture. Just think of the old city of Rome with the Colosseum, the leaning tower of Pisa, Venice with all its waters and Milan with its cathedral and football stadium (Stadio Giuseppe Meazza). We also know Italy from the scooter (long lines of parked scooters in the cities) and the fashion (shoes, clothing and perfume) that is sold worldwide.
Regions of Italy:
Abruzzo, Apulia, Basilicata, Calabria, Campania, Emilia-Romagna, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Lazio, Liguria, Lombardy, Marche, Molise, Piemonte, Sardinia, Sicily, Trentino-South Tyrol, Tuscany, Umbria, Valle d’Aosta and Veneto.
Where is Italy?
Travel information of Italy
Official name: Italian Republic
Continent: Europe
Area: 301,318 km²
Capital: Rome
Country code: IT, ITA
Population: 62,402,659 inhabitants (2020)
Form of government: Republic
Highest point: 4,810 m (Mont Blanc)
Distance (Amsterdam – Rome): 1,294 km
Flight time: approximately 2 hours and 15 minutes
Travel advice
Current status: No special security risks.
Current color code: Green.
Corona
Due to the coronavirus (COVID-19), there may be (temporary) measures in Italy that you as a tourist may have to deal with. For the most up-to-date corona travel advice, please refer to our special coronavirus travel advice page. For the number of current corona infections, number of deaths and various corona-related graphs in Italy, please visit Countryaah.
Travel offer
On our travel offer page you will find an overview of reliable travel organizations that offer complete trips and holidays to Italy. In addition, you will find an overview of separate travel components (car rental, hotels and airline tickets) with which you can compose your ideal trip yourself.
Travel guides and maps
Are you looking for a travel guide, map, hiking map, cycling map, book or DVD about Italy?
Excursions, activities and day trips
With the help of Countryaah you can reserve an excursion, activity, guided tour, entrance ticket and/or day trip for your stay in Italy at a discount. This way you are assured of a place, in some cases you can skip the queue and you can already plan your travel program.
Weather and climate
Most of Italy has a Mediterranean climate. The country generally has warm summers (about 30 degrees) and cool winters (about 9 degrees).
The current weather (weather forecast) and a weather forecast for Italy can be found on our extensive weather page.
Extensive information about the climate of Italy can be found at Climate info.
Current snow depths in Italy can be found at Winter sports enthusiasts.
Best time
May, June and September are the best months to travel to Northern Italy.
April, May, June, September and October are the best months to travel to central and southern Italy.
This avoids the mild to cold winter months with relatively high rainfall and mass tourism.
Language
Italian is the official language in Italy. In addition, German, French, Slovenian, Greek, Friulian and Croatian are spoken on a small scale.
Would you like to translate from or into Italian for free? Use the Google translator for this.
Travel documents
You must have a valid identity card or passport.
A visa is not necessary.
Embassies and consulates
Below is an overview of relevant diplomatic representations, including addresses and contact details.
Netherlands Embassy in Italy: netherlandsworldwide.nl.
Dutch consulates in Italy: netherlandsworldwide.nl.
Italian Embassy in the Netherlands: amblaja.esteri.it.
Italian consulates in the Netherlands: rijksoverheid.nl.
For urgent assistance, you can contact the Ministry of Foreign Affairs 24/7 on +31247247247.
Vaccination (inoculation)
You do not need any vaccinations for a visit to Italy.
Money and Currency
In Italy, payments are made with the euro (EUR).
An overview of all ATMs in Italy can be found on our ATMs page.
Price level
Prices in Italy are slightly higher than in the Netherlands. The price difference with the Netherlands is +10% on average. Some examples are: restaurants (8% cheaper), food (27% more expensive), imported beer in catering (14% more expensive), cigarettes (17% cheaper) and public transport (48% cheaper). Please note that the price difference in tourist areas, especially during high season, may vary.
Tipping
In Italy it is not customary to tip, but it is appreciated. If there is no service charge on the receipt yet and the service is good, tip approximately 5-10%.
Time difference
There is no time difference with the Netherlands.
Summer time in Italy is equal to that in the Netherlands.
The local time, date and time zone for Italy can be found on our time difference page.
Traffic and route
In Italy you must drive on the right.
You do not need an international driver’s license to drive and/or rent a motor vehicle in Italy.
There are toll roads in Italy. An overview of all toll roads in Italy can be found on ANWB.
With the Google route planner you can compile a route description from, to or within Italy.
Electricity In Italy you may need a travel plug
in some cases. More information about common plugs and sockets in Italy can be found on our electricity page.
Emergency services
If you need help from the police, fire brigade and/or ambulance in an emergency, you can use the emergency numbers below.
– Police: 112
– Fire: 112
– Ambulance: 112
Tap water
It is not recommended to drink water from the tap because of the chlorine content. This can cause stomach or intestinal complaints.
News and newspapers
The latest news related to Italy can be found on Google news.
An overview of the newspapers from Italy can be found on Abyznewslinks.
Internet
Websites from Italy end in.it.
Official websites of Italy: governo.it and italia.it.
Telephony
The country code (international access code) to call someone in Italy is 0039 or +39.
(You must leave the first 0 of the number to be called.)
Do you want to call the Netherlands from Italy? Then use the Dutch country code 0031 or +31.
(You must omit the leading 0 of the number to be called.)
All Italy area codes can be found on Wikipedia.
Telephone numbers can be found in the Italy Telephone Directory.
Company details can be found in Italy’s Yellow Pages.
Photos and videos
On Flickr you will find a nice collection of photos from Italy.
On Youtube you will find a nice collection of videos from Italy.
Holidays and school holidays
Italy’s national holiday falls on June 2.
An overview of all other holidays in Italy can be found on Beleven.org and Ilgiornale.nl.
You will find an overview of all school holidays in Italy in the Eurydice school guide.
Places of interest
When thinking of Italy, people quickly think of the Colosseum and Venice, but Italy has much more to offer. On our places of interest page you will find an extensive overview of the most beautiful and famous places of interest in Italy. Here you will find general information, opening times and entrance fees.
Reviews and travel experiences
On Zoover and TripAdvisor you will find reviews from travelers about accommodations (eg hotels and holiday homes), restaurants and destinations in Italy, supplemented with photos, videos and places of interest.
Travelogues
Are you looking for a travelogue about Italy?
Here you will find travel reports and experiences of travelers who have previously visited Italy. It is also possible to keep a free diary of your trip for family and/or friends.
Nature and world heritage
An overview of the protected nature areas (including national parks, reserves and wildlife parks) in Italy can be found on Protected Planet.
An overview of the world heritage sites in Italy can be found on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
Customs rules
Do you want to know how much you are allowed to import and export when traveling to Italy? On the IATA website you will find an overview with the maximum quantities of cigarettes, alcohol, money and perfume, among other things. If you stick to these quantities, you don’t have to declare anything to customs. You will also find the laws and regulations regarding the entry of pets on this website.
Entrepreneurship and doing business
If you are planning to do business in or with Italy, it is wise to prepare well. The Netherlands Enterprise Agency can help you with this. On PaulSourcing.com you will find a large amount of information about Italy, including: opportunities, import and export rules, trade figures, do’s and don’ts, product requirements, business partners and subsidies.
Studying and internship
Are you considering a study, internship or gap year in Italy? You are by no means the only one and certainly not the first. To help you on your way, Nuffic (the Dutch organization for internationalization in education) has set up the WilWeg.nl website. On this website you will find all the information that can help you on your way, such as admission requirements, forms of education, accommodation, scholarships, internships, health insurance, study costs and of course experiences.
Relevant legislation
Below you will find relevant legislation and regulations that you may encounter during your visit to Italy.
– Alcohol: Buying and/or drinking from the age of 16.
– Alcohol and traffic: The maximum permitted alcohol content is 0.5 (0 for novice drivers up to 3 years old).
– Tobacco: Buying and/or smoking from the age of 18.
– Smoking ban: In public places.
– Homosexuality: Allowed
Did you know that…
…Most shops in Italy are closed at noon?
…Churches in Italy are open daily?
…Euro 3,000 is thrown into the Trevi Fountain in Rome every day?
…Licorice is an Italian invention?
…The Olympic Games have been held in Italy three times?
…Friday the 17th is an unlucky day in Italy?