TRAVEL GUIDE: ITALY

Although Italy doesn't cover the vast expanse of land that some nations do, it's hard to find a place that offers as much as this country. History, art, religion and architecture are all well-represented here. Once you've taken in the cultural aspects of Italy, relax on a gondola that meanders along the canals of Venice, enjoy the rolling landscape of the countryside and get your fill of all the wonderful food—pasta and otherwise.


A water canal in Italy

BEST OF SERIES
The Best of Italy
Check out our guide to The Best of Italy, where lovers of la dolce vita will find restaurants, news, events, hotels, and popular travel destinations like Milan, Venice, Rome and more.


FEATURED ARTICLES

THE BEST PLACES TO STAY
Top 10 Hotels in Italy
From the historic Villa d'Este in Lake Como to the Four Seasons in Milan, these hotels offer some of the world’s best views, whether they are perched on a cliff overlooking the Mediterranean or the Grand Canal.
Hotel Savoy in Florence, one of our Top 10 Hotels in Italy

Top Restaurants in Italy

MANGIA!
Top Restaurants in Italy
The finest restaurants from Milan to Naples and beyond. Need to improve your lingo for ordering Fagiolini, Formaggio and Fichi? Get menu savvy with our Italian Food Terms.
Italy Restaurant Search


TOP 10 BOUTIQUE HOTELS
Relais Santa Croce
Indulge in a Florentine experience with this converted 17th-Century palace, which sits on the doorstep to some of Florence's most treasured historic sites.

Top 10 Boutique Hotels Worldwide
A room at Relais Santa Croce, one of our Top 10 Boutique Hotels

Gondola rides in Venice, Italy
TOP 10 ROMANTIC DESTINATIONS
Venice
It’s nearly impossible to think "Venice" without using "romance" in the same sentence. This ancient port city replete with canals, bridges, and centuries old buildings is guaranteed to make your heart beat just a little quicker.

Hotel Ilio on the island of Elba

Beyond Rome & Florence

UNDISCOVERED CALABRIA
Beyond Rome & Florence
Hidden south of Naples, in the "toe" area of Italy’s boot sits Calabria, a region of breathtaking coastlines hugging emerald waters and ancient villages that mirror their Greek past.



BERGAMO

BERGAMO
Myriad Pleasures in Italy's Lombardy Region
Off the tourist radar, Bergamo is often bypassed by Americans; Europeans, however, find it easily accessible and flock to it for its myriad of pleasures.

Myriad Pleasures in Italy's Lombardy Region


FLORENCE

Firenze: A Living Art Museum

72-HOUR VACATION
Firenze: A Living Art Museum
The cappuccinos are pricey but the ambience is priceless. Florence, it's a dream of a city, alive with a rich past. Use our guide to help you locate top hotels, restaurants and all of the city's charms.


UNDER THE TUSCAN SUN
Villa Il Tesoro
Take your tesoro and head to the rolling Maremma hills of western Tuscany for "la dolce vita among the vines" at this darling place.
Villa Il Tesoro in Tuscany, Italy

WHERE TO EAT
The Food Lover's Guide to Florence

Use this smart and practical little guide to eat, drink, sample and indulge your way through the city. Written by Florence-based writer Emily Wise Miller, you don't want to visit the city without it.

Visit our Bookstore
Travel Books

 

LACCO AMENO

WELLNESS IN ISCHIA
The Regina Isabella
Thermal Spa

With its luxury seaside location, the Regina Isabella Thermal Spa offers guests a comprehensive wellness experience in an awe-inspiring setting.

 

The Regina Isabella Thermal Spa in Ischia, Italy


MILAN

Duomo in Milan, Italy

BUSINESS TRAVEL GUIDE
Milan

It may not be Italy's most beautiful city, but Milan is certainly the country's most dynamic, as the center of industry and finance, as well as a world hub for design, fashion, opera and art.


RAVELLO

A GEM ON THE AMALFI COAST
Palazzo Sasso

The Palazzo Sasso hotel in the beautiful village of Ravello on the Amalfi Coast inspired Wagner to write his Parsifal.

The Palazzo Sasso hotel on the Amalfi Coast, Italy


ROME

The Colosseum in Rome, Italy

72-HOUR VACATION
Rome
While Rome may not have been built in a day, you can certainly get a taste of this ancient metropolis. If you're in Rome for business instead of pleasure, our Business Travel Guide will help you find lodging, restaurants and more.

 
SIENA

THE DIVINE VALLEY
Villa Dievole

Among Tuscany's genuine experiences is Villa Dievole, an estate of olive groves, citrus trees and ancient heritage vines. Stay in the 17th-century farmhouse and bask in the vistas of the Tuscan sun.

Villa Dievole in Tuscany, Italy


TURIN

Turin, or Turino, home of the 2006 Olympic Winter Games

PIEDMONT PLEASURE
Olympia and Other Charms

Turin and five charming villages of the Piedmont Region hosted the XX Olympic Winter Games in 2006. The city that invented Vermouth has attractions to offer year-round: baroque buildings, royal residences, great street markets and ancient castles nearby.


VENICE

72-HOUR VACATION
Venezia Minus the Tourist Traps
La Serenissima shows her most attractive side on this three-day exploration. Find out where to sleep, eat and how to live la dolce vita.

PUTTIN' ON THE CIP
A Venice Tradition
Unlike many historic lodgings that try to keep up with the times by playing the hip card, Hotel Cipriani doesn’t cater to whim. This Venice favorite was founded on tradition, and to tradition it remains loyal.

72 Hours in Venice travel guide


VERONA

Verona, Italy

OPERA SEASON
Arena Summer Festival
Beloved in the past by Julius Caesar, Goethe and Shakespeare, Verona is famous for being the setting of Romeo and Juliet, its amazing amphitheater, and its highly-regarded opera season. At the annual Arena Summer Festival you may encounter Verdi, Puccini and Bizet.


THE BEST SPAS IN ITALY

TERME TOTAL!
The Best Spas in Italy

Traditionally, spa-goers in Italy went to "take the waters," to soak in hot springs or terme and to experience healing mud—these days you can get all of the latest modern treatments.

The Best Spas in Italy


ITALIAN COOKBOOKS & GUIDES

Italian Bed and Breakfasts, A Caffèlletto Guide

Italian Bed and Breakfasts,
A Caffèlletto Guide

Whether you want a palazzo or villa or former mill, fancy ocean, forest or city, this guide makes it so easy to find the perfect place. Read our review and buy the book!
La Terra Fortunata
Mediterranean Vegetables
The Top One Hundred Italian Rice Dishes
Insalate: Authentic Italian Salads for All Seasons
The Food Lover's Guide to Florence

Guides for other parts of the world

 
(Updated: 06/15/09 KR)


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Chicago remains among the most integral economic and business locales in the United States and beyond, but hardly adheres to the motto "all work and no play." Home to the nation's 44th president, this cosmopolitan town welcomes visitors with gracious, open arms.

72 Hours in Newport Beach

Sandwiched along Southern California between Los Angeles and San Diego, this coastal Orange County town boasts fabulous nightlife, glamorous entertainment and luxury shopping. Revel in the almost-always sunny skies, rolling blue Pacific, rocky shores and gleaming white sands.