Practical information

The territory of Italy consists mainly in the Italic Peninsula and the great islands of the Mediterranean Sea, Sicily and Sardinia. To the north it is bordered by the Alps, where it has frontiers with France, Switzerland, Austria, and Slovenia. The independents states of San Marino and the Vatican City are enclaves within Italian territory.

Italia has much to offer: Venice, with her canals and her gondolas; Rome and her Coliseum: Florence with her cultural heritage: Tuscany, with her mile-long beaches: the cosmopolitan city of Milan; Sicily and Sardinia, islands in which to discover the Mediterranean waters and her heavenly beaches. And not to forget the Italian cuisine, one of the most refined and varied in Europe, ranging from the tasty Napolese and Calabrian recipes to the pesto-based meals of Liguria, and the “risotti” of cheese and rice of the alpine regions.

It has a pleasant climate thanks to the influence of the Mediterranean, and the protection offered by the Alps to the north. Nevertheless the climate varies a lot depending on your situation, if you are in the north or south of the country or by the sea, or in the mountains. During the winter months, while in the Alps the temperatures are very low, at the same moment in Sicily, the Ligurian Sea, or in the south the temperatures are higher and spring- like.
In summer, in the interior the climate tends to be dry, while on the coast the sea has a cooling influence. In the Alps, in summer, the temperature keeps quite fresh. In the mountain areas the winter conditions are ideal for skiing, which is very popular. The summer months on the other hand are more suited to climbing. The lakes and the coasts see most activity during the summer, while the best time for visiting cities rich in culture, such as Florence or Rome, is in spring or autumn.