A feast of art, food and scenery – your guide to Italy holidays
Italy is known as the ‘beautiful country’ for a reason, with gorgeous scenery, impressive architecture, and delicious food.
The long, narrow, boot-shaped nation is edged by a 7600 kilometre coastline, which encompasses rolling vineyards, white beaches, towns and villages sprung from romantic fairy tales, and towering mountain ranges.
Whether you want to dip your toes in warm Mediterranean waters, tick off historical masterpieces, or you simply eat some of the best pizza in the world, Italy is the ideal setting for a memorable holiday.
Italy has always excelled at the finer things in life – whether its fashion, design, coffee, or gelato. There’s so much to enjoy on holidays to Italy, from Michelangelo’s artworks to outdoor opera, and from coastal clubbing to drinks on sun-dappled piazzas. Ready to plan your trip? Read on to find out everything you need to know, and more!
And if you’re looking for a scenic escape to an idyllic lakeside town, look no further than the Italian Lakes. The most popular Italian Lakes holidays take in Lake Garda, Lake Como, or Lake Maggiore. Which one will you choose?
The long, narrow, boot-shaped nation is edged by a 7600 kilometre coastline, which encompasses rolling vineyards, white beaches, towns and villages sprung from romantic fairy tales, and towering mountain ranges.
Whether you want to dip your toes in warm Mediterranean waters, tick off historical masterpieces, or you simply eat some of the best pizza in the world, Italy is the ideal setting for a memorable holiday.
Italy has always excelled at the finer things in life – whether its fashion, design, coffee, or gelato. There’s so much to enjoy on holidays to Italy, from Michelangelo’s artworks to outdoor opera, and from coastal clubbing to drinks on sun-dappled piazzas. Ready to plan your trip? Read on to find out everything you need to know, and more!
And if you’re looking for a scenic escape to an idyllic lakeside town, look no further than the Italian Lakes. The most popular Italian Lakes holidays take in Lake Garda, Lake Como, or Lake Maggiore. Which one will you choose?
Need to know
Capital
Rome
Rome
Language
Italian
Italian
Currency
Euro
Euro
Time zone
GMT +1
GMT +1
Flight time
1hr 55mins
1hr 55mins
* Average time from London Gatwick to Rome
Explore regions in Italy
Explore our map of Italy
Why book with us?
Your questions answered
Flights to Italy from the UK take around two hours on average.
Italy is well connected by public transport options and offers lots of ways to get around. You can travel by train, bus, Metro, or boat in many of the countries' regions.
Italy has some stunning beaches. Positano has one of Italy’s most popular beaches, Marina Grand, which is a lively beach with many bars and restaurants. La Gaiola beach in Naples, meanwhile, offers crystal clear waters and a rocky backdrop. If you’re in Italy on a family holiday, meanwhile, then La Pelosa beach in Sardinia has calm and shallow waters that are perfect for kids.
April to September is considered to be the main tourist season in Italy. This time of year is usually very warm and it's when the country is at its liveliest with some attractions open longer hours. If you want to travel at a quieter time of year, March and October are good choices as there’s still a comfortable heat in many parts of Italy. It can be quite a bit cooler in the winter months between December and February. However, this can also be a really affordable time to go if you’re looking to enjoy a budget-friendly break.
In Italy, the currency used is the Euro.
As Italy is in the Mediterranean, you can expect warm temperatures almost all year round. During the summer, temperatures soar up to around 30°C. For slightly cooler temperatures, plan your trip for the autumn or spring, where temperatures hover around 20°C on average.
Italian is the local language spoken in Italy. Many of the locals in tourist destinations are familiar with English, though, so it’s possible to get by without knowing much Italian. Locals will always appreciate you giving it a go, though!
With seven days to play with, you could enjoy a multi-city break in Italy, taking in two of the country's best destinations. Rome and Florence are a good pairing as there’s a super-fast train between the two that takes just one and a half hours. It also takes around the same length of time to travel between Venice and Bologna by train. An alternative is to spend a week travelling the Amalfi Coast, visiting places like Positano and Praiano along the way. You could even take a detour to see Pompei and Mt Vesuvius.
On the Italian mainland, it’s a toss-up between Campania and Puglia. Campania’s tiny villages offer little stretches of sand overlooking the Tyrrhenian Sea that each have their own unique atmosphere. And Puglia’s sands are backed by dark green pine forests that are great for a touch of shade during the midday heat. If you’re including the Italian islands, then Sardinia is a top contender for the Best Beaches title. The Caribbean-style beaches here offer the classic white-sand, clear-water experience.
Italy has lots of great coastline. But the Amalfi Coast in Campania is probably the most famous. In fact, this entire section of Italy’s coast is a designated UNESCO World Heritage Site. It was given the honour for being ‘an area of great physical beauty and natural diversity’. You can spend quite a bit of time on the Amalfi Coast without ever growing bored. There are 13 towns dotted along the coast. And they’re all connected by a single road that hugs the coastline as it winds through the region’s lemon groves.
Easter, Christmas, and New Year are all celebrated in Italy. And, alongside the big three, there’s also Epiphany on 6th January, and Liberation Day on 25th April. But one of the biggest holidays here is Republic Day on 2nd June. This is a great time to be in Italy because the event is often marked with parades, fireworks, and outdoor summer concerts. It’s really fun. Throughout the year, different regions of Italy celebrate their own Saint’s Day, so this is something you might want to check before you travel.
Italy has quite a few famous attractions that most people will instantly recognise. In Pisa, there’s the iconic leaning tower. It was built on ground that was too soft to support it and has sunk over time. Today, there’s a couple of feet difference between the highest and lowest points. In Rome, the Colosseum and Trevi Fountain are major symbols of the city. And in Venice, the Rialto Bridge and St Mark’s Campanile are really well known. It’s not surprising Italy is a country that keeps you coming back.