Italy Country Guide
The Italian Republic is a boot-shaped peninsula in southern Europe and extends from the southern edge of Europe towards the Mediterranean Sea. Along with the independent nations of the Vatican City and San Marino that are enclosed within its borders, it includes the two large islands of Sardinia and Sicily. Italy is known for its beautiful landscape as well as its rich and varied cultural heritage. Its cities have large central squares and spectacular churches.
Some of the world's best-known art is preserved in its museums. The countryside is adorned with high, glacier-topped mountain peaks, warm sandy beaches and gently sloping hills covered with vineyards and green fields.
Our Italy country travel guide below will tell you all you need to know about the best of amazing Italy. You can also check out the local tourist highlights. The best way to learn more about the culture is to take local tour.
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Italy Country Guide
Useful information on this page includes:
Follow the link to our Italy climate and weather page for some handy tips on the best time to travel Italy, the regions climate and weather seasonally and for a comprehensive six-day Italy weather forecast.
Post
Post Office timings vary according to size and the region where they are located. Generally, the main post offices located in the large towns and cities remain open from 8 am to 5 pm, Monday to Friday and on Saturday mornings. You can also purchase stamps from the official Tabacchi (cigarette shops).
Telephone
All the major cities' public telephones facilities that go by the name Orange phones, usually accept prepaid cards that can be purchased from an official Tabacchi. You will need to cut off the corner of the card before use. Italy’s international dialling code is 0039; while dialling a local number within the city you must prefix the city code. Some important international phone codes are 44 for the UK, 1 for the US and 61 for Australia.
Internet
There are plenty of internet cafes in Italy that will help you stay connected with families and friends. Shopping is very expensive so keep your eyes open for good deals. Many hotels and hostels offer a free internet connection to their guests.
The official currency, Euro (EUR) is divided into100 cents. Visitors with foreign currency can obtain Euros from any bank, bureaux de change and ATM upon arrival in Italy. There are plenty of ATMs in all parts of the country. Compared to the small towns, travellers’ cheques can be exchanged easily in the large cities. Shops and up-market establishments around the cities accept credit cards. Banks offer better rates than casas de cambios; however, they remain closed during the weekend.
Italy runs off a 220V; 50Hz system. Standard plugs are continental two-pin plugs.
To view a list of Italian embassies around the world, as well as foreign embassies within Italy, click on this link to EmbassyWorld.com.
Population - 58,145,320 (July 2008 estimate)
Total Area - 301,230 square kilometres
Capital - Rome
Time Zone - Standard time zone: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time). Daylight savings time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October
To view the current time in Rome, Italy click on this link to TimeAndDate.com.
Italy is a Mediterranean country in southern Europe. It has the Mediterranean Sea to the west and the Adriatic Sea to the east. Switzerland, France, Slovenia and Austria are located on its northern border. Its highest point is the Monte Bianco at 4748 meters. The country also includes the two large islands of Sardinia and Sicily.
The boot-shaped Italian peninsula is surrounded by the Tyrrhenian Sea on the west and by the Adriatic Sea on the east. Slovenia, Switzerland, France and Austria are located on its northern border. The Apennine Mountains are the backbone of the peninsula, with the Alps forming its northern border. The Garda (143 sq mi; 370 sq km) is the largest lake and is on its northern side; the Campostoto, another lake, is located more centrally. The main river of Italy, the Po, flows from the Alps on the western border of Italy and crosses the great Padan plain into the Adriatic Sea. Italy includes several islands and the largest among these are Sardinia (9,301 sq mi; 24,090 sq km) and Sicily (9,926 sq mi; 25,708 sq km). Among the several active volcanoes in Italy Etna is the largest active volcano in Europe along with Stromboli, Vulcano and Vesuvius, the only active volcano on the mainland.
Italian public hospitals offer high standards of free medical care to EU travellers and emergency assistance is extended to non-EU travellers.
The US Centre for Disease Control suggests that people travelling to Western Europe should take Hepatitis A (even though Americans are not at an increased risk) and Hepatitis B vaccines. Although the incidence rate of "Mad Cow" disease in Italy is small, anxious travellers can check the US Centre for Disease Control (CDC) website and take precautions to limit their exposure.
A doctor’s certificate is necessary to bring medicines even for personal use into the country (it is better if the certificate is translated in Italian). It is safe to drink water straight from the tap. However, check for signs that say “Acqua non potabile" before drinking water from fountains. These signs are common inside the camping sites and on trains.
The state of Italy was formed after the country's unification in 1861. However, because of this late unification and the historical sovereignty of the regions forming the Italian Peninsula, many customs and traditions now known as specifically Italian have traces of their original regions. Despite being politically and socially isolated from the rest of Europe, the contribution of Italy to the cultural and historical heritage of Europe is very significant. Italy has 43 UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
The official language of Italy is Italian; many regional variations are found in different places. Slovene is spoken in the Trieste area towards the northeast, German is spoken in the northeastern region of Trentino-Alto Adige and small French-speaking populations are located in the Valle d'Aosta region to the northwest. However, Sardinians prefer to converse in Sardo among themselves.
To view a map of Italy, click on this link to WorldAtlas.com.
Most Italians identify closely with specific regions. Italian natives include small groups of French-Italians, German-Italians and Slovene Italians in the north and Greek-Italians and Albanian-Italians in the south. Italy has mainly a Roman Catholic population along with some Muslim, Protestant and Jewish immigrant communities.
Since ancient times, Italy has had a significant presence in world culture. Some of the world's most admired architectural masterpieces, sculptures, paintings, music (especially opera) and literature are Italian contributions to world culture. Italians are very proud of their cultural heritage as descendants of the ancient Romans. The elegance and the spirit of enlightenment of Italians are reflected in the historical remains and ancient relics of Italian culture.
Follow the link to view a current list of public holidays in Italy.
Catholicism is the main religion of Italy, but an increasing number of Muslim immigrants and small Jewish and Protestant communities live there. The Vatican City is the seat of Catholicism where the Pope resides. You can take a tour of the Vatican City and visit places like the Sistine Chapel, St. Peter's Basilica and the numerous Vatican Museums.
Countries like Austria, Czech Republic, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, Estonia, France, Greece, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Iceland, Latvia, Luxembourg, Lithuania, Malta, Norway, The Netherlands, Poland, Slovakia, Portugal, Slovenia, Sweden and Spain are located in a borderless region known as the Schengen area. A standard Schengen visa with multiple entry options is issued by all these countries, which permit the holder to travel freely within the borders of all the countries. Before you embark on your journey to Italy, besides sufficient funds to cover your expenses, you will be expected to have a return or onward ticket along with the necessary documents for the next destination.
Citizens of the US, UK, Australia, Canada, Ireland and New Zealand require a passport but do not need a visa for stays up to 90 days in Italy. However, other nationals travelling to Italy need a Schengen visa stamped along with their passport. Visa and passport requirements can be altered at short notice –travellers should check their entry requirements with their consulate or embassy.
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