Italy travel guide
Italy rewards every kind of traveller. In a single trip you can stand inside the Colosseum in Rome, glide down the Grand Canal in Venice, climb Brunelleschi's dome in Florence and eat your way through pasta, pizza and gelato from the Alps to Sicily. Few countries pack so much art, history and food into one journey. The big three of Rome, Florence and Venice make a classic first route, while Milan, Turin and Bologna suit those who prefer food, design and fewer crowds. The south offers Naples, the Amalfi Coast at Positano and Sorrento, Puglia's Bari and Lecce, and Sicily's Palermo and Catania. For coastline and walking, the villages of Cinque Terre are a draw. The best time to travel in Italy is spring and autumn, when it is warm without being hot; summer is busy and can be very hot in the south, while winter suits city breaks and the Alps. It works for couples, families, food lovers and culture seekers. Plan your itinerary city by city with Zippy Trips.
Capital: Rome.
Visa for Indian passport holders
Visa required, apply before you fly.
Before you go to Italy
- Currency
- EUR €
- Emergency number
- 112 / 113
- Plug type
- Type F, L
- Tap water
- Tap water is safe
- Tipping
- Optional
- Bargaining
- Not expected
- eSIM
- Available
- Card networks
- Visa, Mastercard, Amex
- ATM fees
- Usually free at bank ATMs; avoid Euronet (~EUR 5-6)
Cities in Italy
- Rome Italy's Eternal City — a 2,800-year-old metropolis layered with ancient ruins, Renaissance masterpieces, Vatican grandeur, and a vibrant…
- Venice Built on 118 small islands across a shimmering lagoon, Venice enchants with gondola-filled canals, Byzantine basilicas, the Grand Canal,…
- Florence The cradle of the Renaissance, Florence dazzles with Uffizi masterpieces, Brunelleschi's iconic dome, cobblestone piazzas, and…
- Milan Italy's financial and fashion capital blends Gothic grandeur (the Duomo), Leonardo da Vinci's Last Supper, designer boutiques on Via…
- Naples Chaotic, passionate, and wildly delicious — Naples gave the world pizza, is the gateway to Pompeii and Herculaneum, and stares at Mount…
- Cinque Terre Five ancient fishing villages — Monterosso al Mare, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola, and Riomaggiore — cling to precipitous Ligurian cliffs…
- Verona Romeo and Juliet's city enchants with a perfectly preserved 1st-century Roman amphitheatre still hosting summer opera, medieval piazzas,…
- Palermo Sicily's baroque capital is a heady collision of Norman, Arab, Byzantine, and Spanish cultures expressed in golden palatine chapels,…
- Pisa Far more than its famous leaning bell tower, Pisa boasts a magnificent Piazza dei Miracoli ensemble of white Carrara marble cathedral,…
- Amalfi The medieval maritime republic perched on limestone cliffs above a turquoise sea, Amalfi is the spiritual heart of the UNESCO-listed Amalfi…
- Turin Italy's first unified capital impresses with its sweeping Baroque arcaded boulevards, the mysterious Shroud of Turin, the Mole Antonelliana…
- Positano Italy's most photographed village — pastel-painted houses cascading down vertiginous cliffs to a pebble beach — Positano is the…
- Bologna "La Grassa, La Rossa, La Dotta" — the Fat, the Red, the Learned. Bologna is Italy's culinary capital (home of ragù, mortadella,…
- Catania Sicily's second city crouches at the foot of active Mount Etna, rebuilt in black volcanic lava stone after a devastating 1693 earthquake…
- Bari Apulia's lively Adriatic capital is known for the Basilica di San Nicola, old-town nonne rolling handmade orecchiette on doorsteps, a…
- Sorrento Perched on tufa cliffs above the Bay of Naples, Sorrento is the classic gateway to Capri, Pompeii, and the Amalfi Coast, famous for…
- Lecce The "Florence of the South" — Lecce's soft golden lecce stone yielded Italy's most exuberant Baroque architecture, adorning every church…
- Siena A perfectly preserved medieval city on three hills in the heart of Tuscany. Siena revolves around the iconic fan-shaped Piazza del Campo,…
Frequently asked questions about Italy
- Do Indian citizens need a visa for Italy?
- Visa required, apply before you fly.
- What currency is used in Italy?
- The currency in Italy is the Euro (€). €1 is about ₹107.
- Can I use cards and ATMs in Italy?
- Accepted card networks: Visa, Mastercard, Amex. Typical ATM fees: Usually free at bank ATMs; avoid Euronet (~EUR 5-6). Decline dynamic currency conversion at ATMs and card machines.
- Should I tip in Italy?
- Tipping in Italy: optional. Optional but appreciated.
- Is tap water safe to drink in Italy?
- Tap water is safe. Tap water safe in all cities (Rome tap water is particularly good).
- What plug type does Italy use?
- Italy uses Type F, L plugs.
- What is the emergency number in Italy?
- Emergency: 112. Police: 113. Ambulance: 118. Tourist helpline: 1515.
- Can I get a SIM or eSIM in Italy?
- SIM and eSIM available in Italy.
- What is the capital of Italy?
- The capital of Italy is Rome. Time there: IST - 3 h 30 min.