We’ll let you in on a secret. The best time to visit Tuscany is not in the summer, with the hordes of tourists swarming Florence’s Duomo or lining up in front of the Uffizi for a glance at Michelangelo’s David.
Before you go
A long-standing center of culinary excellence, Italy continues to have some of the world’s most celebrated restaurants. Different regions of Italy are consistently represented in some of the top-ranked eateries in the world.
There are some things you just can’t experience from the window of a tour bus or passing by on a train. Some of the most remarkable places in Italy are best reached on foot. Consider making time for a walking holiday in Italy.
You’re going to Italy, but you don’t know how to speak Italian. It might help to have some basic Italian phrases in your pocket to help make your trip run more smoothly. It goes a long way as a traveler to show that you’re at least making an effort in the local language.
If you look at Italy on a map, it looks like a very fashionable boot dipped in three seas: the Adriatic on the east coast, the Ionian in the south and the Tyrrhenian on the west coast.
Travel Safe: Tips for trouble-free travel in Italy
The best way to tour Italy is unquestionably by rail — comfortable seating, magnificent views of the countryside, and point-to-point access from one city center to another.
It’s fair to say that going to the beach is a national obsession for Italians. And in Italy, beaches are not in short supply (Wikipedia’s partial tally numbers in the hundreds).
With millions of tourists every year and a local population of only 55,000, Venice can get a little cozy — particularly during high season.
As in many European countries, tipping in Italy may be quite different from what you’re used to in North American.