Welcome! Your online Italian travel guide and resource. Great information and valuable travel tips for your next Italian vacation or business-trip. We'll teach you how to get around from place to place, where to go, what to see and explain the regional characteristics. We'll focus on culture and traditions, with articles on Rome, Florence, Venice and more! Hope you enjoy!

Benvenuti! Eccovi una pratica guida turistica e fonte completa di informazioni sull'Italia. Qui troverete tanti consigli utili che vi aiuteranno a programmare il prossimo viaggio di piacere o di lavoro in Italia. Vi spiegheremo come spostarvi meglio, quali località visitare e le caratteristiche regionali, la cultura, e le tradizioni con articoli su Roma, Firenze, Venezia e tanto di più! Spero l'apprezzerete!

Larry Aiello, Founder / Fondatore

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Ah, summer is in the air. The weather starts warming up very nicely, the kids are out of school, and many people take their vacations. And who could think of a better place to take a vacation than in Italy during the summer?

It should come as no surprise, a country with a heavy emphasis on tourism, that the summer is a great time to visit Italy. Italy is geared towards the tourist. There are tourists from all over the world, so it takes on a very festive atmosphere. If you go to Rome, you will see many different cultures from all over the world, and also hear many different languages. This is especially true in June, July and Early September. In August, however, the Italians go on vacation. Ferragosto (August 15th) is a national holiday in Italy. Many of the towns like Rome, Florence and Milan will be relatively empty. Italians are on vacation this month, and will head to the beaches. Read more about Ferragosto and August in Italy. This can be a great time to see some of the attractions, museums, etc. without the crowds. Although, the hours will be more limited.

What can you expect for the weather in Italy? See table to the right. The weather will be hot, with temperatures in the 90’s (Fahrenheit) and sometimes in the 100’s down south.

Need to cool off while you’re taking in the sights? Italy is famous for it’s delicious gelato, their version of ice cream. However, it is different (and tastes better) than ice cream. Many are made with fresh nuts and fruits. There are even places in Rome that serve more than 200 flavors!

And if you are in Rome, a drink from one of the public fountains will be refreshing. No need to worry, they've been doing this for over 2000 years.

Be prepared to go with the flow. There are often transportation strikes during the month of August. It is a great way for the transportation workers to get their point across during busy travel season. However, it can get on your nerves as a tourist.

Italian Economics: It seems that every day, the dollar reaches a new low against the Euro. Which means it gets more expensive for us to pay in Euros (i.e. hotels and lodging, car rentals, dining and entertainment, etc.). The idea is to book ahead to get the best deals. You may even consider a package deal. The so-called “high season” for the airlines starts in June and runs to the beginning of September. As of right now, looks like round-trip tickets from JFK to Rome (FCO) will run around $1,400 USD. The same trip will cost around $1,000 USD towards the latter part of September.

Getting to Italy: Alitalia is losing market share, while other airlines are expanding service. Although earlier this year Alitalia announced new service from FCO (Rome Fiumicino) to Los Angeles. Air One is starting service (June 08) from Milan to Boston and Chicago. Eurofly has started its summer service with flights from JFK (New York) various Italian cities, even direct flights to Naples and Palermo. Again, if you find a good deal at this point, you should book your travel.

Even with the weakened dollar, there are no indications that tourism will suffer this summer in Italy. Plan ahead, book ahead, and have a great trip to Italy!

Buon viaggio! Larry Aiello

Specials: This Week's Top 25 Travel Deals!

Featured Article - Sicily's best kept secret
Cefalu', Sicily - resort on the northern coast
posted Oct 21, 2006 | archives

Gaining in popularity as a new Italian resort is Cefalu’, a quaint little village nestled between a rock and a beautiful beach, on the northern coast of Sicily with tons of Sicilian charm.   Long a favorite vacation spot for many Europeans, Cefalu’ is quickly becoming known outside of Europe as a great place to spend a vacation. After all, would Club Med put a resort somewhere that wasn’t worth visiting?...More>>

Show your Italian pride with these T'Shirts - only through our online store.

Italians do eat better $14.99

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Italian Clothing Sizes
posted Nov 23, 2005

We all know that Italian fashion reigns supreme, but it's hard to figure out what size you need unless you have an easy to use table on Italian clothing sizes. There is also a listing of Rome and Florence shopping districts. Note: PDF Format for easy printing.   Trouble opening the file?   Send me an email and I'll send you the file.

Italian Jokes or "Barzellette"
posted November 8, 2004 | updated July 31, 2005

Need a laugh to brighten your day, then check out these Italian jokes.  

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