Talking about the Apennine Peninsula is not a very rewarding business. It is much easier to go to Italy on your own and see with your own eyes everything that was looked at with delight on the pages of a history textbook. In addition to its delightful historical heritage, this country is ready to offer legendary Mediterranean cuisine, varied skiing, beach holidays and quality spa treatments.
Entry formalities
A Schengen visa is a necessary and sufficient condition for entering the country. The standard set of documents does not differ from the list accepted for other countries of the Eurozone. Previous trips to the Old World and Italy will be an additional plus for the traveler when obtaining a visa.
There are several airlines with direct flights to Rome, Venice or Milan, and in summer and winter numerous charters are added to them, delivering beach and skiers respectively to Italian resorts.
Euro and spending
Having joined the European Union, the country switched to settlements in euros and this is the only currency operating on its territory. You can exchange the brought foreign money for euros at banks or exchange offices, and at airports the rate is not the most profitable.
In Italy, you will have to book a hotel on your own, buy groceries or pay a bill in a cafe, purchase tickets for transport or museums. You cannot call a cheap country, but an experienced tourist will always find an opportunity to save money:
- The main rule for the thrifty traveler is to turn off the beaten track more often. In a couple of blocks from the central square of any city, you can always find a pizzeria, where a large pizza with seafood will "get" for only 6-8 euros, and homemade wine will not cost more than 8 euros per bottle. A large sandwich for 4 euros is perfect for a quick lunch, and for 3-5 euros you can treat yourself to ice cream.
- A single trip by public transport in an Italian city starts from one euro. It is more profitable to buy a pass for a day or a week for 4 and 12 euros, respectively.
- A single entry ticket to the popular museums in Rome costs about 20 euros. It can be bought at all tourist kiosks, and such a "pass" is valid for seven days (all prices are approximate and given as of August 2015).
Valuable observation
If you have planned to visit Italy on your own and visit many cities, the train may be the best means of transportation for you. Having monitored specialized railway sites in advance, you can buy tickets at mini-fares. The price difference will be up to 50%.
