Italy

Italy rewards a well-paced itinerary. For a first visit, connect Rome, Florence and Venice by high-speed train, allowing roughly ten days if you want time beyond the headline sights. Rome is ideal for ancient history and lively neighbourhoods; Florence makes an excellent base for Tuscany; Venice is best explored on foot, with extra time for quieter islands such as Burano.

Use Hello trip planning to organize flights, museum reservations, train journeys and day trips in one place. Reserve popular attractions—especially the Colosseum, Vatican Museums and Venice’s Doge’s Palace—well ahead in peak months. Spring and autumn usually offer a pleasant balance of weather and crowds, while July and August bring intense heat in cities and busy coastal destinations.

Build in unstructured time. A long lunch, an evening passeggiata or an unexpected village stop often becomes a highlight. If your route includes Sicily, Puglia, the Dolomites or rural Tuscany, plan fewer bases and allow longer travel days than you would for the major-city circuit.

Trains are the easiest way to move between Italy’s major cities. High-speed services link Rome with Florence, Bologna, Milan and Naples, offering convenient city-centre-to-city-centre travel. Booking early can reduce fares, while regional trains are useful for shorter journeys and scenic routes.

For regional tickets, follow the instructions carefully: open tickets may need validation in the station before boarding, whereas high-speed tickets are tied to a specific departure. In cities, buy bus and tram tickets before boarding from official machines, kiosks or shops marked Tabacchi; local rules vary.

A car is most useful for countryside itineraries, such as exploring hill towns in Tuscany, vineyards in Piedmont or coastal villages in Puglia. Avoid driving into historic centres, where restricted traffic zones can result in fines. Instead, park outside the centre and continue on foot or by local transport.

Keep your route and offline directions accessible with Hello connectivity. Buy and activate Hello eSIM before landing so you can check platforms, maps and reservations without relying on expensive roaming charges.

Italian food is intensely regional, so treat every destination as a new menu rather than searching for one national cuisine. In Rome, try carbonara, cacio e pepe and crispy supplì. Florence is known for bistecca alla fiorentina and ribollita, while Bologna delivers tortellini, mortadella and ragù. Naples is the place for Neapolitan pizza; Sicily brings arancini, cannoli and desserts scented with citrus and almonds.

Eat where locals eat, especially away from the busiest monuments. Look for seasonal menus, busy neighbourhood trattorias and daily specials. A quick espresso is generally enjoyed standing at the bar, while a relaxed meal may include several courses and a cover charge called coperto. Ask whether service is included before deciding on an additional tip.

Markets are excellent for an affordable taste of local life: visit Mercato Centrale in Florence, Mercato di Ballarò in Palermo or Bologna’s Quadrilatero. When travelling with friends, use Hello expense splitting to divide shared antipasti, bottles of wine and restaurant bills without turning dinner into arithmetic.

Italy uses the euro, and cards are widely accepted in cities, hotels and established restaurants. Carry some cash for small cafés, market stalls, rural buses and occasional public toilets. Track spending in euros with Hello budget tracking, particularly when combining museum tickets, regional transport, aperitivo and accommodation taxes.

Keep an eye on local tourist taxes, which are often charged per person and per night at accommodation. Rules and amounts vary by municipality, so confirm whether the tax is included in your booking price. Save receipts when travelling as a group, especially if one person pays for a hotel or train tickets.

Dress respectfully when visiting churches: shoulders and knees may need to be covered, and hats should be removed indoors. Greet shopkeepers and hosts with “buongiorno” during the day and “buonasera” later on. Learn a few phrases—“per favore,” “grazie” and “il conto, per favore”—and be patient during long meals. Italy’s slower rhythm is part of the experience, not an obstacle to it.