Italy / Repubblica Italiana – Let’s explore here
Italy is simply incredible! We regularly drive there across the Alps to take in the gorgeous climate, amazing history, superb views, delicious food. There are endless places to visit. You could literally spend a lifetime just exploring Italy! You can even apply to stay and work for an extended time as a digital nomad. I loved it so much, I lived there!
In ancient times Italy was home to the Roman Empire which ruled over much of Europe for centuries. It’s also the home of the Catholic church – which boasts almost 1.4 billion members. The Italian Renaissance during the 15th and 16th centuries marked the transition from the Middle Ages to modernity. Its population numbers almost 60 million people (2022). The countries of San Marino and Vatican City sit entirely within Italy.
Over one third of Italy is composed of mountains, and its highest point is on Mont Blanc, at 15,780 ft (4,810 m) above sea level. The largest active volcano in Europe, Mount Etna is in Sicily, Italy, at 11,014 ft (3,357 m) above sea level.
Current travels
It’s 2024 and we’re off again on another adventure. This time we’re travelling through Sardinia, having explored Corsica, both islands of which are long time ambitions for us. We’ll be taking the ferry from Sardinia on to Sicily, as we make our way to Malta.
In Sicily, we’ll be traversing the Targa Florio rally route – the world’s oldest sports car racing event. Additionally we’ll be ascending Mount Etna, one of the tallest active volcanoes in Europe and the highest point in Italy south of the Alps, at 11,014ft (3,357m). We’ll also be travelling travelling back through Italy on our route to San Marino again.
This is the a map of our route through Sardinia: Santa Teresa – Porto Vecchio – Orosei – Tortoli – Bosa – Alghero – Stintino – Sassari – Santa Teresa – Ozieri – Nucor – Villasimius – Oristano – Buggeru – Carbonia – Sant’Anna Arresi – Pula – Cagliari
The Targa Florio rally route goes from Cerda – Campofelice di Roccella – Collesano – Isnello – Castelbuono – Castellana Sicula – Caltavuturo – Cerda
Our route through Sicily goes from Palermo – Targa Florio – Corleone – Marsala – Agrigento – Piazza Armerina – Pozzallo – Syracuse – Catania – Cratères Silvestri – Taormina – Messina
Past travels
We’ve created a blog for our last visit to Italy in 2023. You may find it helpful, and you may pick up some tips, or more likely mistakes not to make that we’ve made 😉
Last time around we travelled from Slovenia through to Refrontolo and Verona in Italy before moving on to Fermo for our niece’s wedding. Despite having lived in Italy and having visited umpteen times, we’d never been to Verona or Refrontolo. We chose the latter because it was not far from the Slovenian border and it was a small town, thus providing for a more authentic Italian experience. After the wedding, we travelled up to Switzerland.
We also travelled through Italy on our return to the UK for Christmas.
Our first route through Italy went from Slovenia to Switzerland via Nimis – Refrontolo – Verona – Fermo – Manerba del Garda.
The second route through Italy went from Slovenia to Switzerland via Sant’ Andrea – San Bonifacio – Veronella – Cremona – Piacenza – Alessandria – Nus – Aosta – Gt St Bernard Tunnel
Our best places in Italy
Some of our favourite places include Viterbo, Montepulciano, Montalto di Castro, Lucca, Montefiascone, Orvieto, Ravenna, Milano … too many to mention! Btw the best ice cream in the world is found in a small shop in Ravenna!
Bagnoreggio
Bagnoreggio is an ancient village located near to lake Bolsena, Viterbo province. Often cited as one of the most beautiful villages in Italy, it can only be accessed via a footbridge from the nearby town.
Bologna
Bologna is a marvellous ancient city of about 400,000 people that houses the oldest university in the world (founded in 1088). It’s located in north eastern Italy, north of Florence. The city is also famous for its Two Towers, the Asinelli Tower and the Garisenda Tower, built in the 12th century. Much like the leaning tower of Pisa, the Garisenda Tower is in danger of collapse and is currently undergoing extensive preventative measures.
Bolsena
Bolsena is a lovely little town that sits on Lake Bolsena in the Viterbo province.
Castelnuovo di Garfagnana
Castelnuovo di Garfagnana is situated between the Apennines and the Apuan Alps, about forty kilometres from the city of Lucca. Driving up from Lucca is a sheer delight, and if you’re staying in one of the mountain top villages, your driving skills will be tested!
Fermo
Florence – Firenze
Florence is a beautiful city in Tuscany, housing almost one million people. Because of its Renaissance art, it attracts millions of tourists every year, and can be excessively busy, with very lengthy queues wanting entrance to museums.
Lucca
Lucca is one of our favourites cities. It’s an ancient and walled city, located in Tuscany, that’s definitely worth a visit. Being so close to Pisa, the citizens of both cities enjoy a friendly rivalry; with Luccans often being heard to say ‘apart from the tower, why does anyone go to Pisa?’! Both cities are great of course!
Milan – Milano
Milan is a stunningly beautiful city, and is very laid back once you’re in the centre. Like most major cities however, Milan gets very busy and can be tricky to navigate by car due to the poor road signage. The population is over 3 million, and drivers can be quite pushy. Going around in circles on the one-way system is common, even with a SatNav.
Parco Naturale Regionale delle Prealpi Giulie
Situated on the border with Slovenia, this mountain chain offers some of the best driving roads in Europe!
Pisa
Although Pisa is known worldwide for its leaning tower, the city contains more than twenty historic churches, as well as several medieval palaces. Out has a population of around 100,000 people (2023). The centre of Pisa is a restricted driving zone which is controlled via cameras with number plate recognition software. However, of your accommodation sits within the zone, inform the owner and they can register your vehicle with the authorities to prevent a fine.
Ravenna
Rome – Roma
As you would expect, Rome is absolutely chock-a-block full of ancient history – it is incredible. Because of this, it’s also full of tourists throughout the year, and thus you should plan ahead for almost everything you do. there are endless sights to see, and many antiquities are juxtaposed with modern buildings. Wandering about, rather than trying to get anywhere by car can be enlightening, as you turn a corner and there is yet another piece of Roman architecture to behold!
Before SatNavs and mobile phones were prevalent, we got totally lost once whilst driving in Rome. We asked a traffic policeman to help us out. He promptly told us to go down a one-way street the wrong way! After confirming that’s what he meant, he blew his whistle, held his hand up at the traffic and told us to proceed – the wrong way! After 100 yards or so, we turned a corner and were back on the right road! Top man! 👍
Siena
Siena is a beautiful small city in central Italy, with a population of around 55,000 people (2022). It is home to the oldest bank in the world, the Monte dei Paschi bank, which has been operating continuously since 1472. Similarly, the University of Siena is one of the oldest universities in continuous operation in the world, having been founded in 1240.
Verona
What’s it like to drive in Italy?
For the most part driving in Italy is a fairly laid-back affair due to the amount of traffic between most town and cities being low compared with life in the UK. Italian drivers do tend to drive fairly quickly, and they wander about and over lanes as if there’s an issue with steering ;), though they don’t tend to be hugely aggressive in the main – although see our blog for the exact opposite – scary! Road signage can be pretty hit-n-miss too, and often signs are placed only where you can see them at the last moment.
Like all major cities, traffic in the larger cities can be a general hassle with lots of traffic jams. Traffic lights are often not adhered to during rush hour. We found that you should generally go with the flow – other drivers will soon let you know if you need to move! That said, drivers treat others much like in the UK, despite the mid-summer heat. Car parking in very touristy places like Florence (Firenze), Rome (Roma), Milan (Milano), Naples (Naploi) can be very difficult, so plan ahead if you can.
If you’re travelling from Switzerland into Italy, be prepared for very powerful or super-cars racing along the motorways at break-neck speeds. Presumably this is because driving at speed is heavily penalised in Switzerland, and they’re all letting loose! 😉
Also, watch out for regular sightings of lorries and trucks broken down due to losing tyres / wheels.
We’ve also created a dedicated page to driving abroad, which you might find helpful 🙂
What currency do they use in Italy?
In Italy they use the Euro. The use of credit / debit cards is now widespread. Traveller’s cheques are accepted. There are lots of ATMs.
You should make yourself aware of the amount that your bank charges you for using credit and debit cards abroad. Often credit cards are cheaper for purchasing items directly, and for withdrawing cash from ATMs.
What language do they speak in Italy?
They speak Italian in Italy, although on the borders, multiple other languages are also spoken, in particular German and French. English is spoken widely in tourist areas, but not in rural areas.
What time zone is Italy in?
Remember, when you’re planning your next trip to take a look at what time zone it’s in.
Do I need a visa to visit Italy?
We’ve created a dedicated, more comprehensive page on visas, which you should find helpful. Check it out!
Is wild camping legal in Italy?
Yes and no depending on the region! Wild camping is generally tolerated for single nights in Italy, although you should avoid national parks and natural reserves.
Is it safe to drink water in Italy?
Yes, it is safe to drink tap water in Italy. Bottled water is also readily available across the country.
If you’ve got some awesome pictures, or some useful info that you’d like to share, let us know!
And don’t forget to check out all the other pictures!