Attractions in Italy

Tuscany and Umbria contain some of Italy's most photogenic landscapes. The two regions include the famed cities of Florence, Siena, Assissi, Perugia, and Pisa; miles of coastline; and the islands of the Tuscan Archipelago. While Tuscany is known for its blend of cosmopolitan culture with classic architecture, Umbria is known as the "green heart of Italy,” perfect for walking, caving, hang-gliding and rafting.

CiaoBambino has gathered together some of the most useful online resources for Tuscany and Umbria. It’s a complete guide with some of the best links to online travel guidebooks, Pisa's best architectural sites, and information on Tuscany’s renowned archipelago.

Touring Italian Architecture
Two-thirds of the world's architectural heritage is located in Italy, and Tuscany is at the center of it all. A great way to take in the Tuscan heritage is on bicycle.

The Tuscan Archipelago
One of Italy's most untouched landscapes is the chain of islands in Italy's Tuscan Archipelago National Park. Some islands are only accessible by special permit, and some still serve as active prisons.

Traveling by Train through Tuscany and Umbria
Find rail travel maps and calculate distances. CiaoBambino has listed the sites that you need for your trip planning.

Eating Out: The Top Restaurants
Montepulciano is known for its incredible food. Chances are, if you're traveling between the two regions, you'll end up here.

Some parents are anxious to depart the children in the home regarding holiday time, but some others are strong-minded to offer their children with as numerous experiences as possible despite the fact that they are growing up and, often, no expedition is too extreme or too outrageous for several of those families.

If you're looking for the best vacation getaway for you and your kids, consider a trip to family-friendly Italy. Italy vacations along with children can sprint pretty easily since there's a lot to maintain them busy, most Italians love kids, and what kid does not enjoy a pretty good plate of spaghetti or some other perennial Italian favorite on their dinner plate.

Traveling with kids demands a little pacing, particularly if you have children below the teenager years that are more likely to need extra time-out than the adults which can be along within the expedition. In addition, children's attentions spans are basically shorter than those of adults, hence it's a necessity to arrange less activities in the course of a daylight hours. While older kids as well as their parents could possibly endure 8-10 hours of seeing the sights, little ones want a break in between. So, while its fine to tour the Colosseum, stopover Vatican City, or take in a church or 2 in Rome, give the children a break by heading towards awesome catacombs over the Appian Way or enjoying the summer puppet theater on the Borghese Gardens.

Italy vacations along with children should include a trip to Venice. Even children are charmed by this amazing metropolis and will be dying to drive the canals and rush through the pigeons at St. Mark's Square. Venice is also, naturally, full of bridges. Embark upon a bridge finding excursion and spot how many you possibly can photograph. Consider, however, that many of the bridges have steps up and down, thus little ones in strollers make traversing them rather difficult.

In Tuscany, Italy vacations intended for families together with children can include baking lessons for everyone, visits toward cheese-making establishments, or bicycle rides through the countryside. In the Tuscan region's rich metropolis of Florence, kids can explore Boboli Gardens with its fountains, grottoes, and ponds or stopover the oldest zoological museum in the world.

Don't take little things with no consideration, like making ample stops for food as well as drink. Energetic children get hungry fast and also a break for drink also means a stopover to re-energize. Usually, Italian food might be a little different than what American children possess at home, but it's a broad pull to all ages.Certainly, your child should eat Italy's signature ice cream treat - gelato - and gelaterias are literally all over the place, particularly within the big cities. There are actually many of flavors from which to select so sample a different one each day! Furthermore, Italy tends to possess a sweet tooth in general, so Italy vacations should always include stops for delicious pastries as well as cookies meant for the youngsters and an excellent cup of cappuccino for mother and dad - even if it's almost supper time!

Italy is a beautiful country but is one of those countries which you probably have some questions and preconceptions, before your coming to this special country. A place of olive oil, pasta, wine, mafia and sunshine, roman ruins and renaissance palaces, Italy has a lot to give its tourists. Although some of these conceptions are amazing and interesting, it would be a shame if that was the only thing you come away with. Italy is certainly much more complex and stimulating than these concepts.

Italy is a country full of interesting things for the casual tourist and the educated tourist, it has deep Roman Catholic roots. The tourists can stay weeks in important tourist centers without reason to feel bored, but it is equally simple to get off the beaten track. In the north, next to the Alps and the landscapes of the Po river, many cultural gems and highly developed industrial cities fascinate. In this exciting country the people live the "la vita Italiana".    

Lombardia is the capital of Milan, city of business organization and haute couture, the tourist can easily stay weeks without being bored. Bergamo is only an hour of distance and has an upper Old Town. On every corner you will observe something new. Venice and Verona are the most famous tourist attractions in the north-east of Italy, maybe you can think about romantic love affairs here.

The people can discover easily the beautiful landscapes of Italy, Verona province may be the more fascinating. Many persons say that the north-west of Italy is a paradise for every culinary interested traveler. For the people who adore the wine, Piemonte is related with Barolo and Barbaresco, the most famous wines made out of the Nebbiolo grape. Turin is the capital of Piemonte, this city provides more than just a starting point to visit these wine regions.

Lots of tourist attractions like museums, modern art, music and book fairs make of this city, one of the notable Italian cities concerning cultural life. At the same time it is a booming industrial and multimedia city. One of the most popular areas in Italy is Tuscany which is located in central Italy. Known for it's beautiful landscape and picturesque towns and villages including Florence, Lucca, Siena and Cortona.

We humans are creatures of sight and touch, and Italy will not disappoint seekers of tactile and visual stimulation.  Visualize the blending of ancient and modern worlds in the image of a double decker bus pulling up in front of the Colosseum in Rome.  Imagine the magic of the Renaissance artists in full bloom still on display after centuries, like the everlasting artwork of Michelangelo, including David in Florence and La Pieta in Rome, accompanying the height of modern fashion and some of the world's best clothes shopping opportunities.  

Picture the sights of Venice, one of the world's most romantic cities, where a huge crowd gathers in Saint Marc square on New Year's Eve to celebrate love, friendship, and passion with traditional copious kissing, then immerse yourself in the sensation of sinking into the therapeutic thermal baths on the Isle of Ischia.  By enjoying your next vacation in Italy, you can treat yourself to a world of unique sights, smells, sounds, tastes, and sensations unlike anything you have experienced before.

The smells of Italy will greet you from the moment of your arrival, at once calming the mind and enticing the appetites.  The smells of nature, from sea air blowing in off the breathtaking Amalfi coast to fragrant cherry blossoms in Sicily, will greet you at each destination, stimulating both memory and imagination.  The smells of fresh baked bread and other elements of Italy's world-renowned and exotic cuisine will envelope you as you walk down the streets of its historic cities.  No Italy trip would be complete without the experience of tasting the variety of its culinary delights, accompanied by some of the world's finest wine, topped off by a visit to Torino, the City of Chocolate, dedicated for centuries to perfecting the confectionery arts.  

Your experience may include the captivating sounds of one of Italy's fine traditional operas, the spellbinding performance of a classical symphony orchestra, or the booming of fireworks over Venice during the Festa del Redentore. There can be no better vacation destination than Italy for exploring the depths of the senses.  With its intensity and variety of experiences and sensations, a vacation to Italy is guaranteed to be stimulating, thrilling, and memorable.  In this rich land full of history and culture, from prehistoric ruins, through the ancient Roman relics, to the philosophical and artistic explosion of the Renaissance, each location is different and holds unique treasures for those who wish to develop a fine palate and perfect the art of living through the senses. 

Ultimately, the purpose of traveling is to stimulate the senses with unique experiences.  The reason we go on vacations and travel overseas is to experience the sensations associated with places other than where we call home, and the pleasure in any vacation or travel experience is directly related to the degree to which we experience sights, smells, sounds, flavors, and sensations that are not only different from what we normally experience, but also immersive and stimulating.  We rely on arousal and variety to not only heighten the senses, and thus the experience, but also to fully impress our memories with all we have taken in.  A vacation without intense stimulation of the senses can only be a less-than memorable experience.

Holidaying in Italy can be expensive but here are three ways to make big savings without compromising on quality, your comfort or enjoyment.

1) A large part of your vacation expenditure will be taken up by accommodation. Hotels and Bed and Breakfasts can be expensive in Italy and self catering accommodation of a similar quality will typically cost you around 25% less. An increasingly popular alternative to Hotels and B&Bs is to rent an apartment for the duration of your stay. The money saved with apartment rental can be even higher for groups of more than two. Compare the price of renting a 2 bedroom apartment suitable for 4 people to paying for 2 double bedrooms in a hotel and you could easily save up to 50% off the total bill. This makes renting an apartment particularly cost effective for family holidays.

2) In Italy, like everywhere else, prices tend to be much higher in tourist congested areas. Public transport, on the other hand, is relatively cheap when compared to other developed countries so staying in well-connected areas with good transport links can save you substantial amounts on all kinds of services from simply having a coffee or ice cream at a bar to eating out or lodging.The picturesque and historic town of Tarquina in northern Lazio for example, is set in beautiful green countryside while also very well connected by road and rail making it perfect as a rural retreat. The regular train service to Rome takes just 1 hour and the ticket price is a genuine bargain at 6.20€ each way. 

3) For people who are new to Italy the difference between various types of eating establishments may not be immediately obvious. A trattoria is a traditional Italian place to go and eat out which tends to be less formal than a ristorante. In a trattoria the service may come with fewer frills but the food quality is just as good as and often better than a restaurant, this is especially true in the traditional family run trattoria. Just look to where native Italians go to eat out if you need a well informed judge.  Apart from lower prices the food portions are often more plentiful in a trattoria so they are great value for a family who has worked up a big appetite after a long day of sightseeing.  

In summary, Italy's abundance of attractions makes it a very popular tourist destination.As a result of this popularity it can also be expensive. However the good news is that for a great vacation in Italy you don't need to sacrifice any of the sights, itineraries or your comfort. A little preparation and spending wisely will help you stay within your budget while having a great holiday.

It's no surprise that Italy is one of the world's top tourist destinations, with amazing sights like ancient cities, classic works of art, charming villages, majestic natural scenery and much more spread all over the country. It's also a great place for seniors travel in particular, with a large range of great historical tours, wine tastings, education and language packages and cruises tailored to overseas visitors on offer.

Senior citizens enjoy a respected status in Italy. Culturally, they are considered not old, but wise and experienced having contributed long and well to society. This great respect for seniors translates to all sorts of benefits like discounts at restaurants and all sorts of local places, so be sure to ask wherever you are. However, in terms of overall discounts to well known attractions, we have heard in some instances that seniors travel discounts do not get offered to non-EU citizens, but be sure to ask.

Avoid the queues. As anyone who's been to Rome or Florence in summertime can tell you, seeing Europe's top artistic sights is no mean feat during high season. Visitors from all over the world queue around the block, and sometimes the block after that, to see the many masterpieces on display. We are talking HOURS. If you want to see these great works without standing the sun all day, come to Italy between mid-March and May or in September and October, when the crowds are considerably smaller. Another great way to avoid a long wait at the Vatican Museum in particular is to come on the last Sunday of every month, when admission is free and the line moves considerably faster! Alternatively pre-book your entry tickets. This is a great way to avoid the terrible hassle and something I personally do before all my trips.

Prepare for the heat. Italy is one of the hottest parts of Europe in high summer - in the capital, for example, the temperatures frequently exceed 30C during July and August. For the most comfortable trip possible come between April and June or in September and October, when temperatures will range from 18-25C. The ottobrate, or "beautiful October days", are especially well known as a great time to be in Rome. If you do come during the high season, bring plenty of water and sunscreen and wear a hat during the midday sun. It's easy to get dehydrated when there are so many fascinating sites to visit! I have also found that some of the shopping centres are not air-conditioned, you find this in France too. So at times in high heat, an escape to the shops is not an option.

Take your time. Even without the scorching sun and thronging crowds of summer, seeing all the sights of Italy can be a demanding task for anyone. In fact, most people find themselves walked out after only visiting a couple of the main historical sites in Rome such as the Roman Forum or the Coliseum. Many of the country's coastal and rural tourist sites, moreover, are difficult or inaccessible to anyone with mobility issues. The best way to get around this problem is to take it easy, prioritize which sites you're most interested in and don't try to cram in too many activities in one day. If you truly are interested in visiting the famous historical sites and museums, my advice is to allow plenty of time to do this and try not to do too much in a day.

Stand for your coffee. It is a whole lot more expensive if you take a table at a cafe for your coffee break and panini. You will see the locals standing at the coffee bar because it is cheaper. However, I personally see taking a table at a local haunt as part of the tourist attraction - watch the locals and recover your feet. But if you are on a budget, stand for your coffee.

Savour the flavor. Of course, another of Italy's top attractions is its great food. The home of pasta, ice cream and pizza has a deservedly good reputation for its delicious traditional fare - make it your business to try all three! The Trastavere food district in Rome is a good place to start. You will find great deals everywhere for food, particularly if you are willing to explore the back streets a little and get off the tourist path. A great cost saving tip is to take a set menu, generally offered at lunch time. They include a range of courses and almost certainly come with a glass of wine. So, eat your main meal during the day at lunch time like the Italians. You can walk it off in the afternoon. For the true lovers of Italian food, there are plenty of cooking courses to do. You can choose from half day courses to 2 week immersion experiences.

Enjoy wine country. For wine lovers the world over, Italy is a feast for the taste buds. Famous varietals like Chianti, Sangiovese, Montepulciano and Pinot Grigio all come from here, plus dozens more you can come to know and love during your stay. Visitors are spoilt for choice when it comes to vineyard tours, which are dotted all around the country. If you are not staying in one of the wine regions, again, you can take day trips from some of the major destinations like Florence to Chianti. There are plenty of options from Rome, Milan and Naples too.

If you love winter sporting activities or simply appreciate the freezing climate, you will be pleased for a winter trip to Italy. Whereas several tourists would not even contemplate a visit to Italy in the chilly winter months, snowboarding lovers and the rest who enjoy the snow can experience an Italy distinct from everything they'd understand usually in the hectic summer months or maybe the spring and fall time of year.

One of several main factors to go to Italy in winter is usually to enjoy the winter activities offered here. In 2006, the town of Torino Turin, Italy was the host of the Winter Olympic Games. All through those days, everyone had the opportunity to witness just how magnificent a place Italy can be for a wintertime tour. Moreover, snowboarding in Italy is a little cheaper than skiing in other places in the Alps including France, Austria, and Switzerland. That is not to say that this is a "cheap" vacation spot, the services are often top-notch but the majority tend to be an appealing superior worth. Discount hotels are accessible as well if you are not hunting for swanky.

A wintertime tour to Italy might comprise a stopover in Cortina, one of the leading Italian ski places for guests and for rich Italians. The surroundings here is basically wonderful and Cortina itself is an eye-catching town, offering activities and facilities for non-skiers as well together with a lot of shopping and some impressive modest eateries. For individuals who like the powder, however, Cortina provides something for skiers of  all ranges, together with novices and intermediates. The season is occasionally brief, but this is a genuine Italian event that has no equal in the U.S.

On the other hand, if you are a lodger, a winter trip to Italy might take in an expedition to Arabba, section of the Sella Ronda route, the most-recognized ski itinerary in the Dolomites. Also a vast area for mountain cycling in the summer months, Arabba provides several of the unsurpassed heli-skiing in Italy as well, so if that is your fad, be certain to include it on your schedule. Much of the Sella Ronda track is most fitting for adults as there are not a lot of kid-friendly activities in Arabba and several of the other resorts, so arrange accordingly. 

However, whether or not you are a skier, you will definitely discover a excellent deal on holiday packages and tours during the winter months in Italy. Tour particulars, like resorts and air reservations, do not require to be booked as far and advance as they do during the spring, summer, or fall, so a unprepared visit to Italy is very much a prospect in the months of January or February. Also, all the sights that have lengthy queues in the peak tourist months barely have lines at all throughout winter. That means you can stuff more sightseeing into your Italy trip throughout this time of year. And, of course, rates are typically very appealing as well.

Clearly, it is going to be colder here throughout winter, although if you won't mind the chill, this might be the appropriate moment of year for you to  get a trip to Italy. As you might have to go beyond the Venice gondola trip for now, you will discover there is more than enough to keep you occupied.

Located in central Italy, Tuscany is one of the most beautiful regions in Italy. Full of rolling hills, vineyards, olive groves and medieval towns, you could spend unlimited time seeing the sites, tasting amazing food and wine, and experiencing all that Tuscany has to offer. Some of the most popular destinations in Tuscany include Florence, Siena, Pisa, San Gimignano, Arezzo, Lucca and the famous Chianti region. On our first trip to Italy we spent a week in Tuscany, and it was barely even enough time to scratch the surface of this amazing place.

Getting to Tuscany

If you're flying into Tuscany, the main airport is in Florence, however you can also fly into Pisa. If you are traveling from other parts of Italy, the train is your best option, unless you have already rented a car.

Transport

Just like the rest of Italy, Tuscany has an excellent public transport system, and you can get to most main destinations on the train, and smaller towns on buses. This however, can restrict you to only seeing the towns and cities of Tuscany. I found that the best transport option was to hire a car to travel around. Car hire in Italy is fairly cheap, and it gives you the freedom to go where ever you want and truly experience the beautiful Tuscan countryside. It also makes traveling to small towns a lot easier as you don't have to worry about changing trains and buses, which can be a bit of a hassle. Along with this, driving on the roads with the Italians is quite an experience!

Accommodation

All main towns and cities in Tuscany offer a wide range of accommodation. Hostels and inns are very affordable, and there are all ranges of hotels available as well. One of the best options however, is to rent a villa or apartment to stay in during your time in Tuscany. This is a great way to experience Tuscan life and it can be very affordable, especially if you are staying for a week or more. We rented a villa in the countryside south of Florence, and it was a fantastic experience. Tuscany is small enough to base yourself in a central location, and do day trips from your villa or apartment. You can also save money on meals by cooking your own food in your kitchen. This will give you an excuse to buy some of Tuscany's fantastic produce, and shop with the locals.

So the best way to travel through Tuscany? I'd have to say hire a car, rent a villa and truly experience this wonderful place. Let yourself fall in love with Tuscany!

These days, an increasing number of single individuals are recognizing that it's completely okay for them toward tour alone plus increasingly more tour businesses are dispensing by the single traveler fees which have so long plagued people that tour without a companion. It's only fair! Nowadays, more people wait until their late 20s or later to tie the knot plus they take pleasure in spending their post-highschool or post-college time wandering the world and exploring wonderful destinations. At some time when one of every three adults in the United States is solo, solo travel is more popular than ever and an individual person ought to not at all be anxious regarding finding something to suit their needs.

An Italy vacation intended for singles is definitely a viable opportunity, and every year, various single travelers come in the country to see why so many individuals worldwide have fallen in love with this incredible vacation spot. An outstanding way intended for a particular person to view Italy is to enroll in a seat on an prepared escorted tour. Escorted tours are a good way to journey carefully particularly for unmarried women and these excursions can provide, if desired, the opportunity to meet other people with like travel interests. A lot of free people join many of these excursions each year, only to return home with email addresses as well as phone numbers of individuals as well as families they met on their travels. At times, these tourists become life-long friends.

Occasionally, it is possible to find an Italy vacation tour that is designed mainly for singles, however it surely isn't bizarre for a particular traveler to affix a trip that includes not just other singles but additionally couples and families. But, if the single person is adverse to traveling along with kids, he or she should hunt down an adults-only escorted tour that eliminates the need to journey along with children who may be less than well-behaved on the trip.

Another advantage of an escorted tour, especially intended for the single embarking on their first Italy vacation, is that these tours usually hit all of the highlights with the country or a specific part of the nation. Typically ranging from about seven or 8 days up to 2 weeks or additional in length, these Italy vacation trips will go to see venues resembling Rome's legendary Colosseum as well as Pantheon, Florence's Duomo, the Leaning Tower of Pisa, the magnificent sites of Venice, Capri's Blue Grotto, and many others. Regularly, various meals are included in the price of the spree and are loved mutually by the whole crowd of travelers. This means the single will all the time have companions with whom to dine, if so desired.

The single explorer who's bearing in mind an Italy vacation may also consider joining a more specialized trip including possibly a bike trip, baking journey, wine-tasting tour, drawing outing, or perhaps even an Italy adventure tour, where extreme sports and other less-common actions are the name of the game. The probabilities are endless and no companion is important!