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Europe · country guide

Italy travel guide

Ancient Rome, Renaissance art and the world's favourite food

Positano. Photo: JeCCo, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

2h 15mflight from London
+1 h all yeartime difference
Eurocurrency
Italianlanguage
No visafor UK passports
Type C, F, Lplugs

Italy has more UNESCO World Heritage Sites than any other country, and many of them are in its cities: the Colosseum and the Vatican in Rome, Renaissance Florence and the canals of Venice.

Away from the cities there are the cliffside villages of the Amalfi Coast and Cinque Terre, the lakes and Dolomites in the north, and Sicily's volcano and Greek temples in the south. Fast trains link the big cities, so a first trip often combines two or three.

Good forHistory & ruinsFood loversCoastlines

Top places to visit in Italy

  1. 1

    Rome

    History · Lazio

    The Colosseum, the Pantheon and the Vatican, with 2,000 years of history at every turn.

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  2. 2

    Florence

    City · Tuscany

    Renaissance masterpieces in the Uffizi and Brunelleschi's famous dome.

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  3. 3

    Venice

    City · Veneto

    Canals, St Mark's Square and the glass and lace islands of Murano and Burano.

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  4. 4

    Amalfi Coast

    Coast · Campania

    Pastel villages such as Positano clinging to cliffs above the sea.

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  5. 5

    Cinque Terre

    Coast · Liguria

    Five colourful fishing villages linked by coastal paths and a local train.

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  6. 6

    Lake Como

    Nature · Lombardy

    Grand villas, lake ferries and mountains an hour from Milan.

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  7. 7

    The Dolomites

    Mountains · Trentino-South Tyrol & Veneto

    Jagged limestone peaks for hiking in summer and skiing in winter.

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  8. 8

    Sicily

    Island · Sicily

    Mount Etna, Greek temples and street food in Palermo.

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Trip ideas

One week: Rome and Florence

  1. Rome (4 nights)
  2. Florence (3 nights)
  3. Day trip to Siena or Pisa

Two weeks: the classic Italy route

  1. Venice (3 nights)
  2. Florence (3 nights)
  3. Rome (4 nights)
  4. Naples & the Amalfi Coast (4 nights)

Best time to visit Italy from the UK

Best value: Mar–Apr, Sep–Oct. Apr–Jun and Sep–Oct: warm, fewer crowds. Busiest and priciest: May–Aug.

7 C7°J7.6 C8°F10.3 C10°M13.9 C14°A18 C18°M22.8 C23°J26 C26°J26.2 C26°A21.4 C21°S17.2 C17°O12.4 C12°N8.1 C8°D
Best valueBusy and pricierQuietAverage temperature in Rome, °C, 2001–2025 (NASA POWER).

Each bar is the average temperature in Rome for that month, and its colour shows the season for visitors: best value (good weather, fewer crowds and lower prices), busiest and priciest, or quiet (off-peak, sometimes because the weather is poorer).

  • Our pick: September and OctoberThe warmest of the best-value months (17–21°C), with fewer crowds than peak season.
  • Peak season: May–AugUsually 18–26°C. The busiest time, so book flights and rooms early and expect higher prices.
  • Quiet season: Nov–FebAround 7–12°C. The cheapest and least crowded time, though often because of rain or heat.
  • Warmest: August (26°C) · coolest: January (7°C)A 19°C swing between the warmest and coolest months.
Temperatures as a table
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
77.610.313.91822.82626.221.417.212.48.1

Festivals and events

  • Venice Carnival Feb · Venice
  • Palio di Siena Jul–Aug · Siena
  • Venice Biennale May–Nov · Venice
  • Truffle Fair Oct–Nov · Alba

Festival dates move from year to year: check before you book.

Getting there from the UK

Flights of 2 to 2.5 hours from the UK to Rome, Milan, Venice, Naples, Pisa and many smaller airports.

Flight time
About 2h 15m
Distance
1,447 km
Main airport
FCO
Time difference
+1 h all year

Flight times are straight-line estimates for a direct flight from Heathrow; journeys with a change take longer.

Add Italy to your bucket list Search flights to FCO

Practical info and travel guidance

EuroCapital: Rome
Type C, F, L · 230VBring a UK adapter
Drive on the rightOpposite to the UK
112
EmergencyAmbulance 118
Tap water safeAcross the country
  • VisaNo visa neededUp to 90 days in any 180 across the Schengen area
  • HealthcareGHIC acceptedYour UK GHIC covers necessary state healthcare. Still take travel insurance.
  • LGBT+ travellersLegal and broadly accepted
  • Women travellersNo specific FCDO warningTake the usual precautions.

For British passport holders, summarised from the FCDO's advice for Italy, checked October 2026. FCDO page last updated 2 October 2026. Rules change: read the official FCDO travel advice for Italy before you book and again before you go.

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