Attractions in Italy

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!