Sightseeing Rome – Monuments to the glory of Imperial Rome, Pantheon, Vatican City and St Peter’s Basilica, Sistine Chapel, Colosseum, Forum, mausoleums, Spanish Steps, walks along the River Tiber, Trevi Fountain, Via Veneto, Piazza Navona and Villa Borghese gardens.
Milan – Museums, the Duomo and La Scala Opera.
Venice – Piazza San Marco, Bridge of Sighs, Ducal Palace and Grand Canal.
Verona – A UNESCO World Heritage city because of its many monuments – Duomo, Piazza delle Erbe, Torre dei Lamberte, San Fermo Maggiore and Arena di Verona.
Florence – Duomo, called the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore, Uffizi Gallery, Piazza della Signoria, Bridge of Santa Trinita and Palazzo Vecchio.
Siena – Piazza del Campo, Palazzo Publico, Palazzo del Magnifico, Museo Metropolitano.
Lucca – Duomo, city walls, Museo della Cattedrale.
Accommodation
Centrally located city hotels, picturesque hotels in Tuscany and on Lake Garda.
Family activities
Theme parks - Gardaland (Castelnuovo del Garda/Lake Garda), Fantasy World – Mini Italia (near Milan); zoological garden - Parco Italia Viva; waterpark – Aqua Paradise Park Canevaworld Resort (Lazise/Lake Garda).
Shopping
What you can buy – Italian goods are famous for their quality and style, particularly clothing, shoes, jewellery, accessories, leather items and Murano glass from Venice.
Where you can buy – Stores, shops, boutiques and markets throughout the country.
Entertainment
Italians like to eat well – trattorias, restaurants and pizzerias offer excellent food choices. Major cities have lively nightclubs, bars and discothèques.
Sports and leisure
The national sport is football, the second passion is car racing. There is also golf, biking, walking, water sports along the coast and skiing in the Alps in winter.
Honeymoon
Italy is ideal for honeymooners. The land that created la dolce vita offers a host of romantic locales to celebrate a honeymoon or anniversary.
Exploring by road
With its good road system and relatively compact size, Italy is ideally suited for coach tours and self-drive.
Florence feast of St John the Baptist (June); Verona Arena di Verona Opera Season (June - August), Siena’s Palio (July and August); Rome’s Summer Festival (July/August); Venice Historical Regatta/Festa di Redentore (July); Venice Film Festival (August/September), Venice Burano Regatta (September); Grand Prix Formula 1 Monza (September); Carnival in Venice (January/February).
Visas:
Visas are not required by nationals of the following countries for a period up to three months: Andorra, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bolivia, Brazil, Brunei Darussalam, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, Costa Rica, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Ecuador, El Salvador, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Guatemala, Honduras, Hong Kong(SAR passport holder), Hungary, Ireland, Japan, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macau (SAR passport holder), Malaysia, Malta, Mexico, Monaco, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Poland, Portugal, Romania, San Marino, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, The Netherlands, United Kingdom, United States of America, Uruguay, Vatican City and Venezuela.
Nationals of all other countries require a visa to enter Italy.
Health requirements:
No compulsory vaccinations are required. However, please ensure that your polio and tetanus immunisations are valid.
Travel insurance:
Adequate holiday and travel insurance is vital. Emirates Holidays offers a comprehensive insurance package to enable you and your family to travel with peace of mind. Please contact your nearest Emirates Holidays office or your travel agent for details of our HolidayGuard Travel Insurance cover.
We also recommend that water sports enthusiasts cover themselves in case of an accident while scuba diving, water-skiing or participating in any water sport. An extra premium is required for these covers.
Currency:
Euro (EUR) divided into 100 cents.
Notes in denominations of EUR500, 200, 100, 50, 20,10 and 5.
Coins in denominations of EUR2 and 1 and 50, 20, 10, 5, 2 and 1 cents.
Approximate exchange rate:
AED1 = EUR0.19
USD1 = EUR0.72
Please check the rate of exchange prior to travel.
Banking hours -
0835 to 1335 hours and 1500 to 1600 hours, Monday - Friday.
Non-residents may import and export both local and foreign currency. If the amount imported or exported exceeds the equivalent of approximately EUR10,329.14, the amount must be declared on Form V2, which must be signed and validated by the customs officer before leaving the airport.
Payment in foreign currency is normally not accepted in Italy, however, some shops accept US Dollars.
Currency exchange is offered in all banks and exchange offices (Ufficio di Cambio) at major airports and most hotels. Banks are closed on the weekend. In major cities, you will find exchange offices which are convenient, but one does pay for the service.
All major credit and charge cards are accepted in most large shops, hotels and restaurants in the cities. There are quite a few automated teller machines (ATMs) operating in most cities. In Italy, these are known as Bancomats. Travellers cheques are accepted at all banks on presentation of your passport.
Clothing:
Lightweight clothing is recommended for the summer, except in the mountains where warmer clothing is required. In the winter, light or mediumweight clothing is advisable in the south of the country with warmer clothing for the other regions. Please carry ski apparel when visiting mountain resorts in winter.
Airport information:
Rome - Leonardo da Vinci (Fiumicino) International Airport (FCO) is approximately 26 kilometres south-west of the city centre. The airport telephone number is 06 65951.
Milan - Milan Malpensa International Airport (MXP) is approximately 46 kilometres north-west of the city centre. Milan Linate International Airport (LIN) is approximately 10 kilometres east of the city centre. The telephone number of Milan airport call centre is 02 7485 2200.
Venice - Marco Polo International Airport (VCE) is located at Tessera on the mainland, approximately 12 kilometres north-east of the city centre. The airport telephone number is 041 260 6111.
Florence - Florence International Airport is located approximately four kilometres north-west of the city centre. The airport telephone number is 055 315874.
Customs:
Duty free allowance for goods purchased any where outside the European Union, for visitors aged 17 years and above: 200 cigarettes or 100 cigarillos or 50 cigars or 250 grams of tobacco; two litres of wine and one litre of spirits; 60 millilitres of perfume and 250 millilitres of eau de toilette.
Value Added Tax (VAT) Refund Scheme:
Value Added Tax (VAT) is charged on most goods bought in shops. Please note that not all shops offer the Retail Export Scheme (often referred to as tax free shopping) and those that do, set a minimum purchase level. Most goods like shoes and clothes have a 20 per cent VAT and luxury goods like cars or a yacht carry a 10 per cent VAT surcharge.
Visitors departing Italy for a final destination within the European Union are not eligible to receive VAT refunds under the scheme.
How to claim your VAT refund:
The shop will provide you with a tax free shopping form or voucher. When leaving the European Union, you will need to present the goods and the form to the customs desk, to be checked and stamped. The stamped form should either be posted back to the shopkeeper or to the VAT refunding company for a cheque or credit card refund. The form can also be handed to a cash refund booth at Leonardo da Vinci (Fiumicino) or Milan Malpensa International Airport.
Driving licence:
Driving is on the right-hand side of the road. An International Driving Permit or a United Kingdom driving licence is accepted. You must have your passport with you while driving. The minimum age for driving is 18 years. Please exercise caution when driving in Italy.
Emergency telephone numbers:
Ambulance - 118
Fire - 115
Police - 113
Hours of work:
Business: 0830 to 1200 hours and 1300 to 1730 hours, Monday - Friday.
Shopping: 0900 to 1900 hours Monday - Saturday, (times may vary, especially in tourist areas).
Public holidays (fixed):
1st January - New Year’s Day
6th January - Epiphany
25th April - Liberation Day
1st May - Labour Day
2nd June - Italian Republic Day
15th August - Assumption Day
1st November - All Saints’ Day
8th December - Feast of Immaculate Conception
25th December - Christmas Day
26th December - Santo Stefano (Boxing Day)
Public holidays (moveable):
Easter Sunday, Easter Monday.
Time zone:
Winter - GMT + 1 hour.
Summer - GMT + 2 hours.
Language:
Italian is the official language.
Tipping:
Service charge and state tax are included in all hotel bills. It is customary to leave an additional 10 per cent tip.
Dress code:
It is advisable to wear conservative clothes when visiting religious buildings.
Electricity:
220 volts, 50 cycles AC.
Safety tips:
Visitors should take precautions against theft, particularly in the major cities. It is advisable to keep passports and valuables in the hotel’s safety deposit box. Carry minimum cash on you and use small denomination bills. Keep a photocopy of your identification papers handy.