Where is Italy: Italy is located in Southern Italy. It is bordered by France, Switzerland, Austria, Slovenia and enclaved Vatican City and San Marino. The region of Campione in Switzerland is an Italian exclave as well as Lampedusa.

Size: 301 338km

Population: Approximately 60. 48 million people

Capital: Rome

What is Italy Known For: Italy is well-known for its excellent food and Gelato. Places such as Rome are famous for its many Vespas that speed around, architectural wonders such as the coliseum and the Vatican City. Italy is home to some of the most impressive art, history, and ancient literature. Areas such as Tuscany, Venice, The Lake Districts and Cinque Terre are famous for their romantic atmosphere. Italy is also well-known for its cycling, hiking, skiing, underground cities, espresso, olive oil, and chocolate.

Places of Interest: Some of the best places to visit in Italy are Rome for its architecture, history, art and the biggest cat sanctuary. Venice for its famous canals and romantic atmosphere, Florence for its excellent food and culture, Milan for its fashion and enterprise and Sicily for its beautiful history and diverse culture and food. Regions such as Molise are quiet and not frequented by tourists but offer beautiful sites to explore. Cinque Terre is perfect for relaxing, exploring and hiking. The region of Umbria has many beautiful cities to explore, hiking to be done and legends to be unraveled. Visitors to Italy especially love the Lake Districts where you can explore Lecco and Lake Como. Other regions to explore include the Dolomites, Alpi di Siusi and the city of Turin.

Accommodation: Accommodation is easy to find and the standards are quite good. Accommodation is quite affordable depending on where you are staying. Check out booking.com and Airbnb for great options.

What Is There To Do In Italy: Italy is well-known for offering beautiful scenery and exploration opportunities and many visitors do this by taking a road trip through the country. Italy is also excellent for hiking, cycling, climbing, watersports, skiing, historical tours, wine tastings, food tours, and cooking classes, discovering art, soccer and visiting one of the biggest cat sanctuaries in the world. Music and fashion are also high on the list of things to do in Italy. Check out getyourguide.com for the best tours. You can enjoy hiking the Dolomites, the path of the gods from Bologna to Florence and Cinque Terre.

Getting Around: Public Transport is widely available and reliable. The train and bus systems in Italy are safe and easy to use. Many visitors prefer hiring modes of transport like Vespas and Motor vehicles.

Safety: Italy is a safe country to travel to. You can easily travel from place to place on your own or in the company. Of course, in any place in the world, you should always be vigilant of petty crime and ensure that you keep personal items safe.

Best Time to Visit: The best time to visit Italy is between Spring (April to June) and Fall (September to October) when there is good weather, fewer tourists and lower prices. During the summer months, Italy can get very hot and busy with tourists. During winter it is often grey, wet and cold in the northern parts of Italy and warmer south of Rome.

Time Zone: GMT +1

Official Language: Italian. English is spoken widely in most of the cities.

Drinking-Water: The tap water in Italy is safe to drink.

Vaccinations: No vaccines are required but general vaccines such as hepatitis A & B as well as Rabies.

Entry: A Schengen visa is required for most countries as well as a 6-month passport validity.

Eat & Drink: When visiting Italy there are a few musts when it comes to food and drink. The best pizza in Italy is to be found in Naples. Other foods that are a must are Risotto in different flavors, pasta from every region which is different, Fiorentina steak from Florence. Ribollita stew is also a very popular dish to try in Italy. It is almost the same as Minestrone soup but without the pasta and it is usually served with bread. Great desserts to try are Canaloni filled with Ricotta and Tiramisu. Espresso and Cappucino are a must in Italy, so are the wines, especially Chianti. Other great things to try are truffles in dishes as well as olives and olive oil.

Currency, Cash & Card: The currency in Italy is the Euro. It is easy to exchange money if you need to at several establishments. You will also find ATMs wherever you go.

Tipping: In Italy, restaurants will usually include a service charge to your bill. This would be either 1-3 Euros or could be a 10%-15% of the bill. This is usually stated on the menu. If it is not included then it is usually considered okay to round up the bill.

Wifi: Free wifi is accessible in many public areas, but it is not always reliable or fast. You can also find wifi in establishments such as airports, restaurants, and hotels.