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General Info: Italy is located in Mediterranean Europe and has land frontiers with Slovenia, Austria, Switzerland and France. Being a peninsula, Italy has many beautiful coastal resorts and also boasts two mountain chains, the Alps and the Apennines. The large islands of Sicily and Sardinia, together with a number of smaller islands located in the Mediterranean Sea are also part of Italy. In total, Italy covers 116,303 square miles and has a population of just under 57 million. The capital city is Rome with a population of 2,775,000. The main religion in Italy is Roman Catholic and the main language spoken is Italian although French and German are spoken in some regions.

Italy consists of twenty regions, namely: Abruzzi, Basilicata, Calabria, Campania, Emilia-Romagna, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Lazio, Liguria, Lombardia, Marche, Molise, Piemonte, Puglia, Sardegna, Sicilia, Toscana, Trentino-Alto Adige, Umbria, Valle d'Aosta & Veneto.

Passports are required by all visitors to Italy, except for citizens of the following countries, who may enter Italy with a National Identity Card: Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Malta, Monaco, Netherlands, Portugal, San Marino, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland. No visas are required for stays of less than 90 days.

Weather: Italy generally has a temperate Mediterranean climate with warm summers and cool winters in the north and hot summers and mild winters in the south.

Money Matters: The Euro is now the official currency of most European Union member countries, including Italy. The Euro is divided into 100 cents. Paper currency notes are in denominations of Euro 500, 200, 100, 50, 20, 10 and 5. Coins are in denominations of Euro 2, Euro 1 and 50, 20, 10, 5, 2 and 1 cents. You can exchange currency and travellers checks in Italy at most major banks, airports, large hotels, or at one of the many money exchange centres. MasterCard, Visa and Eurocheque cards are widely accepted throughout Italy. Establishments that accept credit cards will normally post the credit card logos in their front windows. Travellers cheques are accepted in major Italian cities and tourist areas. To avoid additional exchange rate charges, it is best to take travellers checks to Italy denominated in Euros. Banks in Italy are open Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. and from 3:00 - 4:00 p.m. Most banks are closed all day on Saturday and Sunday as well as on national holidays.

Time Zone: (GMT+1) 1 hour ahead of Greenwich Mean Time.

Vaccinations: Visitors to Italy do not require any vaccinations.

Voltage Requirements: 220 volts

Airport Departure Tax: There is no departure tax payable.

Medical: Good quality public hospitals and other medical facilities can be found in most urban areas and most prescription drugs available in the UK & US can also purchased in Italy.

Child Travellers: Visitors to Italy accompanied by minor children should bring documentary evidence of relationship or permission for the child's travel from a parent or legal guardian of the child.

Helpful Sites: Below we have listed various Italian tourist sites, which will provide you with detailed information about visiting Italy.

enit.it - Italian State Tourist Board
firenzeturismo.it - Official Florence Tourist Board
comune.fi.it - City of Florence Information site
torino2006 - XX Olympic Winter Games
embitaly.org.uk - Embassy of Italy in London
italyemb.org - Embassy of Italy in The United States
italiantourism.com - Italian Gov. Tourist Board (N. America)
tricolore.net - Everything about the Italian culture
travel.state.gov - Consular Information Sheet on Italy
italymag.co.uk - Magazine for lovers of all things Italian
cookitaly.com - Italian cooking holidays & courses
wunderground.com - Italian weather forecasts
topix.net - Italian news and information website
touritaly.org - Tour of Italy for the financially challenged

Within this section, you will find detailed travel information. Here you will find cheap flights, information about car rental and general travel information to help you plan your holiday break in Italy. Please click here to visit our 'Travel Information' section.

Welcome to our 'All Things Italian' section. Here you will find information on everything from Italian Wines to the finest Italian designer clothes. From pasta to pizza to Italian football, click here to visit this section.

Milan                    Rome


Venice                 Florence

Welcome to our 'Spotlight On' section. At present we have detailed sections on Milan, Rome, Venice & Florence. Within each, you will find information about the best places to eat, the best places to shop and the best places to visit.

Looking for a hotel elsewhere? Welcome to our 'Worldwide Breaks' section. Here you can search our massive database of hotels from Amsterdam to Zurich and book a hotel quickly and confidently using our secure online booking systems. Click here to search for hotels across the World.

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Rose Garden Palace, Rome



Welcome to the Rose Garden Palace in Rome, the perfect venue for your holiday break in Italy's Capital City. For further information and prices, please click here.

Interested in Italian cars - Check out our Italian Cars section by clicking here.

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