Backpack Europe and Budget Travel: Travelling in Italy
Travelling in Italy
Italy is a country full of history and culture. You could devote months to see all of the many sites throughout Italy. Rome, Milan, Florence, Venice, all are among the worlds most important and historical cities.
Backpacking Italy - Quick Facts
Local Language: Italian is very similar to other Latin based languages such as French and Spanish - You'll find similarities. English isn't widely spoken so you'll want to know a few words.
Visa Requirements: Canadians are allowed in Italy for 90 days without a visa.
Health Risks: None
Costs: Italy can get pretty expensive - Especially if you make a point of sampling all the beers and checking out the night life. Restaurants are getting more expensive now too, since the Euro came in. Budget $50 - $70 Canadian a day.
The Coliseum in Rome, Italy
My Travels in Italy
Italy is a country I would like to return to, and travel in detail. I didn't get to see much of the country but what I did see was pretty amazing. Italy has so much history and culture to offer I'm sure it would take several months to be able to travel through the country and experience it in full.
The cities of Rome, Milan, Florence and Venice are one everyone's must-see list. There's just so much to see that if you want to really get a taste of Italy you'll need at least a couple of weeks. Any time less than that will just give you a brief glance at what Italy truly has to offer from past Imperial glories to artistic works, and cathedrals galore.
Hotels and Hostels in Italy
Italy gets very busy in the high season! Make a reservation as far in advance as you can, especially in the major cities like Rome, Venice, and Milan. Hostels and hotels aren't very cheap, but it's better than sleeping on the streets.
For hotels in Italy, check out the links below:
| Hostels in Italy | |
| Assisi Cinque Terre Ferrara Florence Genoa Genova Island of Capri L' Aquila |
Milan Naples Rome Sicily Venice Venice Chioggia Venice Lido |
Hotels in Italy
Rome
Rome is a huge sprawling city mixed with thousands of years of development. You can see thousand year old ruins beside a modern building. It's packed with people and I would never, ever want to drive in downtown Rome.
Rome can be a little overwhelming at first. It's full of pickpockets and petty-crime as every person will tell you. It's also really, really dirty. I was surprised. To be honest, I didn't have a good first impression of the city. The extremely over-priced everything, and then having to be constantly vigilant because of the petty crime was exhausting until I learned to take it easy and try not to worry too much.
All that, combined with the fact I hadn't slept in a good day or two, my bank card wasn't working, and I was ill didn't help at all! I even got kicked out of the Vatican for trying to sleep in a corner there, since I didn't have money for a hostel. I was hoping a nun would take pity on me, but instead some Italian cop booted me out.
Eventually, after brushing my teeth and shaving at a local McDonalds I managed to gather up the energy to check out the city. There's so much to see and take in that Rome really deserves a few days or a week to itself. Check out all the sites that are in your guide book, get to know some Italians (they're friendly, although maybe a little too friendly) and you're sure to get a memorable experience out of the former capital of the world.
For Italian and European travel guidebooks, check here:
Italy and European Guidebooks
Trains to Rome, Milan, Florence, and Venice
Many trains require reservations and it's a good idea to make them, as the trains fill up fast in the summer months.
Eurail passes cover Italy, and are very helpful in getting around. They also cover ferry service from various Italian cities to islands in the Mediterranean and over to Greece.
Cheap Train and Eurail Passes
For more information about the Italian rail system itself, click here:
http://www.fs-on-line.com/
Flights to Rome, Italy
Italy has several airports but of course Rome is the largest. You can fly into just about any major Italian city though, like Milan or Florence.
Italian Language
Italian is similar to Spanish and some French too, and since not many Italians speak English very well it's worth learning a few phrases to get by.
Canuck Abroad's Italian Travel Dictionary
St. Peter's Square - The Vatican, Rome, Italy
Italy Travel Links
Italy Tourism - Official tourist information site of Italy
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