How to Plan a Trip to Italy: Frequently Asked Questions

U.S. citizens can travel to Italy restriction-free. Entry requirements are subject to change at the discretion of the Italian government, and a Zicasso travel specialist can provide you with up-to-date information regarding any changes that may affect your trip.

If you want to discover where else in the world you can travel restriction-free, view our guide on Where Americans Can Travel Right Now.

Learn more: Plan Your Trip to Italy

Spring and fall are the best times to visit Italy to avoid the summer crowds, take advantage of great travel rates, and enjoy unique seasonal experiences.

Tuscany’s wildflowers bloom in spring, and you can tour city highlights comfortably. In fall, the grape harvest season is in full swing, and you can travel the Italian countryside at a better price point. Winter is the best time to visit if you want to enjoy winter sports around the Dolomites and alps.

Summer is a great time to visit the beaches and islands, but it is also peak season, so you will have to contend with international tourists and vacationing Italians. The influx of domestic and international tourists restricts available accommodations, increases rates, and makes spontaneous discoveries more challenging.

Italy is a year-round destination, and your Zicasso travel specialist can help you arrange the best time to visit based on your travel goals.

Learn more: Best Time to Visit Italy

You should spend at least 10 days in Italy, but the length of your trip will depend on where you want to go and the amount of time you have.

A seven-day trip is possible with a carefully planned and jam-packed itinerary, but 10 days gives you enough time to see the highlights and enjoy a day or two at leisure.

More days in Italy mean you can spend more time wandering Tuscany’s wine regions, taking a few days off from guided tours to travel freely, or discovering every inch of Rome on a culinary excursion. Planning with a Zicasso travel specialist maximizes your experience by customizing the details of your trip to fit your timeline.

Learn more: 10 Day Italy Itineraries & Tours • 14 Day Italy Itineraries • 3 Week Italy Itineraries

Here is a list of the seven most popular regions to visit:

• Rome
• Venice
• Amalfi Coast
• Florence and the Tuscan hills
• Cinque Terre
• Lake District
• Sicily

Each destination offers something different for travelers, from the ancient Roman ruins to the breathtaking blue coastlines, emerald fields sprinkled with sunflowers, and historic lakeside villas. You can learn more about these destinations in 7 Best Places to Visit in Italy.

There are many things to do on a trip to Italy, and the following list highlights some of the best experiences:

• Tour the Colosseum and Roman Forum to discover the origins of Ancient Rome
• Visit the Vatican City on a tour of St. Peter’s Basilica and the Vatican Museums to visit the Sistine Chapel
• Partake in food tours and cooking classes at culinary hotspots in prominent cities, including Naples, Bologna, and Florence
• Hike the trails that cross the Cinque Terre coastline
• Cruise across the Venice canals on a gondola
• Glide over the sparkling waters of Lake Como by boat
• Ski down the powdery slopes of the Dolomite mountains
• Explore the colorful and expansive ruins of Pompeii
• Island hop from Sicily to Italy’s sparkling shores
• View masterpieces at famous art galleries, including the Uffizi, Galleria dell’Accademia, and Bargello National Museum

These recommendations only scratch the surface of what is possible in Italy, and you can discover more suggestions in Top 15 Things to Do in Italy.

The 10 most popular islands and island groups to visit in Italy have it all, from white-sand beaches to dramatic coastlines, culture to history, and include the following:

• Sicily
• Sardinia
• Ischia
• Elba
• The Borromean Islands
• The Aeolian Islands
• Procida
• Capri
• Ponza
• The Aegean Islands

Each island has a claim to fame, from colorful towns that paint a rainbow along the coastline to hidden romantic coves, historic palaces, architecture overlooking the sea, and radiant underwater caves.

Learn more: 10 Best Islands to Visit in Italy

Italy has plenty of breathtaking beaches to explore. Our list of several great beaches to visit includes:

• Manarola, Liguria
• Venice Lido, Veneto
• Spiaggia de Maria Pia, Sardinia
• Otranto Beach, Puglia
• Scala dei Turchi, Sicily
• Saint Lucia, Rome
• Laurito, Campania
• Porto Ercole, Tuscany

Each beach is perfect for lounging in the sunshine, enjoying Mediterranean cuisine, snorkeling in translucent waters, or embracing seclusion on private shores.

Learn more: Best Beaches in Italy

The three main reasons to bring your children to Italy are pizza, pasta, and gelato. From toddlers to teens, these three staples of Italian food are family favorites and often highlights of a trip for younger travelers.

Italy can cater to children of any age with educational, inspirational, and fun-filled activities. You and your children can appreciate a cruise through the Venetian canals, learn to make gelato in Florence, hunt for treasures in a museum, or even train as gladiators in Rome.

Wherever you decide to travel in Italy, there is plenty to see and do as a family on our Italy Family Vacations.

Learn more: 10 Best Places to Visit in Italy with Family

Italy is an excellent destination in which to travel slowly and appreciate rich cultural heritage, making it a perfect place for seniors to visit. You can take a trip through time in the crumbling center of the Colosseum or admire The Creation of Adam on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. Casual hiking trails along the Amalfi Coast and through the Tuscan vineyards are perfect for active senior travelers.

A personalized trip planned with an Italy travel specialist is designed around your pace and mobility to make your trip as comfortable as possible. Private transfers handle your luggage, and attentive concierges can attend to specific needs, benefits of traveling on our Italy Tours for Seniors.

Learn more: 6 Best Places to Visit in Italy for Seniors

Boasting glamorous cities with romantic architecture and breathtaking resort towns with intimate accommodations, Italy is a dream destination for couples’ vacations or honeymoons.

Couples and honeymooners flock to Italy for the gourmet Mediterranean cuisine, unparalleled romantic coastline, and an intimate Old-World charm found only in a medieval hilltop town. The wide variety of accommodation options caters to every romantic travel style, from villas overlooking wildflower fields to seaside resorts on the Italian islands.

You can also enjoy tours designed with couples or honeymooners in mind, such as private Mediterranean dining on a secluded beach in Sicily or hot-air balloon flights over Tuscany. Both our Italy Tours for Couples and Italy Honeymoon Vacations offer inspiration for your trip design.

Learn more: 10 Most Romantic Places in Italy for Couples

Italian wine is some of the best in the world, and tasting tours of Italy’s wine regions are exceptional experiences for connoisseurs, wine lovers, and enthusiasts.

From the vineyards that veil Tuscan hills to the fortified flavors of Sicily’s sweet Marsala wines, there is so much natural beauty and wine-making history to unpack in Italy. You can also venture as far as the foothills of the Dolomites for authentic Italian Pinot Grigio or explore full-bodied Nebbiolo grape wine varietals.

Our Italy Wine Tours and Italy Food & Wine Tours express the distinct qualities of Italian wines with pairings of classic Italian dishes on tours in iconic wine regions. You can also learn more about Italian food and wine in our Italy Food & Wine Travel Guide.

Learn more: Top 4 Wine-tasting Regions in Italy

Italy has a rich culinary history with regional specialties and seasonal delicacies in which to indulge, and our list acts as an easy guide for what to eat and where:

• Pizza in Naples
• Lasagna in Emilia-Romagna
• Ribollita in Tuscany
• Cacio e Pepe in Rome
• Bottarga in Sicily
• Florentine Steak in Florence
• Polenta in Venice
• Ossobuco in Milan

Our Italy Food Tours provide inspiration to guide you to famous Italian cuisine or specific gastronomic masterpieces, specialized cooking classes, or insider street-food experiences.

Learn more: Types of Italian Food by Region

Italy is very safe to visit. During your tour, the people will be welcoming and eager to share their culture.

As with anywhere, pickpocketing can be a concern, especially in larger tourist destinations like Rome, Florence, or Venice. For this reason, we recommend being vigilant and watching over your personal belongings in public places.

Healthwise, there are no concerns regarding eating or drinking in Italy.

Entry requirements regarding vaccination status in Italy can change. For the latest information on what vaccinations are required or recommended for a trip to Italy, you can view the CDC Italy Vaccination Information.

Your Zicasso travel specialist can provide further insight into necessary vaccinations based on any additional preferences you have.

When planning your trip to Italy, consider the airports we outline below. These include the main arrival and departure airports that are within easy reach of the places you may visit.

• Leonardo da Vinci International Airport (FCO), Rome
• Marco Polo Airport (VCE), Venice
• Malpensa International Airport (MXP), Milan
• Pisa Galileo Galilei Airport (PSA), Pisa
• Florence Peretola Airport (FLR), Florence
• Naples International Airport (NAP), Naples

Travelers from the US do not need to apply for an Italian Schengen Visa. Americans can travel to Italy for up to 90 days with a passport valid for at least three months after the return date.

From May 2023, you will need to register for ETIAS, a visa waiver, and multiple-entry travel authorization for American citizens for three years.

You may require additional documentation to enter the Schengen Zone and proof of travel funds in Euros. Your Zicasso travel specialist will be able to provide you with more information when you start planning your trip.

The official currency of Italy is the Euro (€).

At most places in Italy, such as accommodations, restaurants, and museums, you will be required to pay in Euros. Using your Visa or Mastercard is possible, as many establishments accept this payment option. That said, you should always carry Euros with you in case of an emergency, especially when traveling to rural towns or villages.

You can plan for your next vacation through Zicasso. Use our Italy Tours & Vacations for inspiration by favoriting the itineraries that speak to you.

Pick specific tours you like, cities that capture your imagination, or culinary experiences that speak to a childhood dream. Whether connecting to an entire day or a single excursion, you can use an itinerary as the foundation from which you customize your unique Italy trip.

To start planning your trip with Zicasso, fill out a Trip Request to provide an idea of the places you would like to go, the ideal length of your trip, your group size, and traveler ages.

You can offer suggestions or comments on your travel style and then set your budget. Our Travel Care team will contact you shortly after. They will match you with a top travel specialist in Italy, who will work with you to plan a stress-free and perfect vacation that exceeds your expectations.

Our Italy travel specialists share insider tips on trips for beginners or can make your return vacation to the Mediterranean memorable with an understanding of unique experiences across the region.

Learn more: How to Plan Your Zicasso Trip in 4 Easy Steps • How to Plan Your Zicasso Trip Budget in 3 Easy Steps

Are you ready to plan your trip to Italy? Do you want to explore the origins of the ancient Roman Empire or spend time cruising around the breathtaking Cinque Terre coastline? Would you like to bring your family to Italy or embrace European romance in the Mediterranean with your partner?

However you decide to spend your time, you can find inspiration in our Italy Tours & Vacations. These sample trips are completely customizable, serving as a basis for building your unique experience.