IDEAL INDEPENDENT TRAVEL IN ITALY: HOW TO PLAN REMEMBERABLE
Italy is an incredibly attractive country. She has united everything that vacationers love so much: mild Mediterranean climate, luxurious coast, ancient architecture, interesting museums and sights, delicious cuisine, good shopping.
Organized tours here are a lot of money, and if you drive yourself without prior preparation, you can get into unpleasant situations. Therefore, it is worth knowing in advance all the nuances of independent travel, so that only great memories remain of it.
If you want to learn how to travel cheap in Italy by yourself, this article is for you! Here you will find tips from seasoned travelers, ideas of routes and lots of other useful information.
Now let’s get into the details.
Where to start a trip to Italy
Independent travel in Italy (when searching for information using non-Russian-language services, the name of the country you need to write is Italy) does not begin with crossing the border, but much earlier – with its planning. Your comfort and positive emotions on the trip depend on how well everything is organized. First of all, we recommend to take up the documents, tickets and transport logistics.
Documents to enter the country
To freely enter the country, you will need a passport with an open Schengen visa. If before the expiration of the passport is less than 3 months, it will not accept. About what documents are required for the Italian Schengen, read on the sites of visa centers.
It is very important:
- For minor children, if they travel with one of their parents, they need a notarized travel permit from the second parent; It is worth grabbing the birth certificate (if the child is not 14 years old).
- You also need to purchase medical insurance (inexpensive and good insurance can be purchased on the Cherehapa website or on instore.travel) and print out the booking confirmation of the hotel or apartment.
For travelers with a dog, a filled international vetpasport, certification in form No. 1 from a state clinic (it is valid for 5 days from the date of issue), and a certificate of form 5a are required.
Remember:
The animal must be microchipped, and it is the microchip that is required – a transponder, free from fleas and worms, vaccinated against rabies and major diseases (no later than 30 days before crossing the border).
Attention: importing fighting breeds dogs into Italy is prohibited!
Airplane Tickets – How to Buy Profitable
At first glance, nothing complicated: choose a date, city and buy tickets online. But we set a goal to travel cheap, but there are nuances. This is what experienced tourists advise:
- take tickets early in the morning or at night;
- do it a couple of months before departure;
- choose departure and arrival in the middle of the week;
- Do not go in the middle of the high season.
- If all these conditions are met, you will take plane tickets to Italy for the best price.
Cheap flights will find on the site Aviasales. This is a reliable service with a long history, looking for tickets from trusted airlines, does not charge a commission. In general, a good site, use.
There are ways to reduce the cost of an additional flight, but be prepared to sacrifice convenience. For example, flights with transfers always have a much lower cost, and night departures will be cheaper than day flights. You can use a low-cost carrier, but in this case you cannot carry your luggage (you can, if you pay extra) – only hand luggage, and the plane will not be fed.
Life hacking:
Subscribe to mailings of different airlines in order not to miss discounts and great promotions. Often they are on Black Friday and Cyber Monday.
Train tickets – what are the options
If, due to aerophobia or for other reasons, the flight is no longer possible, you can consider the train. True, there is no choice: from Russia to Italy is the only composition, Moscow — Nice. It follows Belarus, the Czech Republic, Austria and stops in the Italian cities of Bolzano, Verona, Milan, Genoa, San Remo, Bordighera and Ventimiglia. It will take almost two days.
The train provides places for the class compartment, NE and suite. Depending on the destination and the comfort of the place, the price of the ticket ranges from 23,000 to 100,000 rubles per person.
How to make an interesting and optimal route
The most important component of success! You usually want to see everything at once, but do not turn your vacation into a race. Practice shows that an average of one large city takes three days. From this and make a start: if you leave for a week, let it be two or three resorts, but you can explore them slowly, enjoying every minute!
From which city to start depends on what is in priority: excursions, a trip along the coast, a visit to Christian shrines or famous Italian boutiques. Here are some of the popular big and small routes:
- Rome – Florence – Venice – Milan – Como;
- Palermo – San Vito Lo Capo – Agrigento – Taormina;
- Naples – Ischia – Capri – Pompeii (Vesuvius);
- San Remo – Genoa – Pisa – Florence;
- Bari – Matera – Alberobello – Grote di Castellana;
- Amalfi – Ravello – Sorrento.
The recipe for the ideal route is simple: rely on your imagination, but do not forget about logic and common sense. Points should be at a small distance from each other, so that the road between them would not have to spend more time and effort than the rest itself.
You can first select one of the most desired city, then explore the map, see what interesting cities are located at a reasonable distance, and plan the whole way.
Top 15 best cities in Italy for tourism
To make your choice easier, we have made a selection of the most favorite cities of Italy by travelers, and all their features, advantages and disadvantages are tabulated.
Rome
- There is always something to see, even if you stay for a week or more.
- Expensive housing. The main monuments are surrounded by tourists around the clock.
- The beaches are out of town, but you can easily reach them.
- Among the attractions here are the Colosseum, the Pantheon, the Forum, the Trevi Fountain, the Vatican and a great many others.
Milan
- A shopaholic paradise, beautiful architecture.
- You need to be vigilant and watch out for bags and wallets.
- There are no beaches here.
- Here you can see the Gothic cathedral in the central square, the fifth largest in the world.
Pisa
- Cool photos on the background of the falling tower.
- To linger longer than 1-2 days does not make sense. Beaches in the vicinity, can be reached in 30-60 minutes.
- Sights of Pisa: Leaning Tower of Pisa and other colorful buildings, Botanical Garden.
Venice
- Crowded romance trips on gondolas, bright carnival.
- An abundance of tourists, sometimes from the channels is an unpleasant smell.
- Beaches on the mainland.
- Sights of Venice: Grand Canal, Piazza San Marco, Doge’s Palace, Bridge of Sighs, Florian (the first cafe in Italy).
Florence
- Memoirs of art and architecture of the Renaissance. Expensive, a sea of people, queues to museums.
- There are no beaches here.
- Sights such as the Uffizi Gallery, Palazzo Vecchio, the Boboli Gardens, Ponto Vecchio Bridge, churches and the basilica can be viewed.
Naples
- Delicious pastries and pizza, gorgeous scenery.
- We must be careful on the road, the crazy movement of mopeds.
- Beaches are here, Capri and Ischia are also nearby.
- Sights of Naples: Castles, palaces, cathedrals, catacombs; near Vesuvius and Pompeii.
Verona
- Cozy and romantic place, city of love.
- This city has no disadvantages.
- The beaches are located near the lakes in the suburbs.
- Sights of Verona: Romeo and Juliet Courtyard, amphitheater, Scaligero Bridge, castles, panoramic platforms.
Palermo
- Comfortable climate, fabulous views, lots of fun.
- In season, the beaches are crowded, and the entrance to the private is expensive, the city is not always clean.
- There are beaches in this city.
- Sights of Palermo: Capuchin Catacombs, churches, squares and fountains, Palatine Chapel.
Taormina
- Luxurious landscapes, climate, nature, ancient historical monuments.
- High prices.
- There are beaches in this city.
- Attractions Taormina: Palaces, cathedrals, the Greek Theater, the Gate of Messina, Villa Communal, Odeon and others.
Sanremo
- A wonderful climate, an abundance of beautiful flowers, magnificent panoramas.
- Dear shopping.
- There are beaches here.
- Sights of Sanremo: Casino, Nobel’s Villa, Ariston Theater, the Empress Embankment, the Cathedral of Christ the Savior.
Cinque terre
- Very colorful place, wonderful postcard landscapes, National Park.
- In most parts of the territory it is forbidden to move by car. Over three days will be boring.
- There are beaches here, including one nudist.
- Sights of Cinque terre: Love Trail, Neptune Statue, Aurora Tower, Wine Museum and Cellar.
Alberobello
- Authentic architecture, which has no analogues.
- There will be enough day for survey and photos, further it is necessary to think, what to do.
- There are no beaches here.
- Sights: White houses with conical roofs – trulli, arranged in some of them museums, cafes, wine bars.
Positano
- Picturesque houses stuck to the rock, suitable for families with children.
- Impressive prices.
- There are beaches.
- Landmarks Positano: Church of Santa Maria Assunta, exhibitions of street artists, the archipelago of Le Galli.
Portofino
- Unusual architecture in pastel colors, good diving.
- In season, a lot of people are here, high prices.
- There are beaches.
- Attractions Portofino: Church of St. George, Brown Castle, Church of St. Martin.
Como
- Renaissance architecture, magnificent landscapes, the famous lake.
- This city has no disadvantages.
- There are beaches at Lake Como.
- Sights of Como: Palazzo Broletto, cathedral, funicular, Villa Olmo, Tempio Voltiano, Kamerlat fountain.
Now, an independent trip to Italy will certainly be planned easier!
