ITALY - TRAVEL AND DESTINATION INFORMATION

ITALY - Italy has a total of almost 8,490 Km./ 5,275 miles of coastline, including the peninsula itself and all the numerous islands in the seas around the country. The most comfortable and enjoyable way to get around coastal Italy is by ferry.

Ferries service Sicily from Naples, Civitavecchia, Reggio di Calabria, Livorno and Genoa, while Sardinia can be reached from Genoa, La Spezia, Civitavecchia, Livorno, Naples, Tràpani and Palermo.

Ferries to and from Italy   41 Ferry routes to Italy from Corsica, Elba, Sardinia, France, Spain, Morocco and Portugal.
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About Italy

Italy, officially the Italian Republic (Italian: Italia or Repubblica Italiana), is a country in southern Europe. It comprises the boot-shaped Italian peninsula, the Po River valley, and two large islands in the Mediterranean Sea, Sicily and Sardinia, and shares its northern alpine boundary with France, Switzerland, Austria and Slovenia. The independent countries of San Marino and the Vatican City are enclaves within Italian territory.

For more than 3,000 years Italy witnessed many migrations and invasions from Germanic, Celtic, Frankish, Byzantine Greek, Norman, and the French Angevin, and Lombard peoples. Italy was also home to many well-known and influential civilisations, including the Etruscans, Greeks and the Romans.

Italy is called Belpaese (Italian for beautiful country) by their inhabitants, due to the beauty and variety of its landscapes and for its world's largest artistic patrimony; the country is home to the greatest number of UNESCO World Heritage Sites (40 until January 1, 2006).

Nowadays Italy is a modern country with the 6th GDP in 2004, a member of G8 and a founding member of what is now the European Union signing the Treaty of Rome in 1957.

More About Italy

• Official language: Italian
• Capital and largest city: Rome
• President: Carlo Azeglio Ciampi
• Prime minister: Silvio Berlusconi
• Area: 301,336 km²
• Population: 58,462,375
• Currency: Euro (€)
• National anthem: Il Canto degli Italiani
• Internet TLD: .it
• Calling Code +39
  

Italy is subdivided into 20 regions (regioni, singular regione), of which five enjoy a special autonomous status that enables them to enact legislation on some of their specific local matters.

Abruzzo (with capital L'Aquila) Aosta Valley, Valle d'Aosta / Vallée d'Aoste (Aosta) Apulia, Puglia (Bari) Basilicata (Potenza) Calabria (Catanzaro) Campania (Naples, Napoli) Emilia-Romagna (Bologna) Friuli-Venezia Giulia* (Trieste) Latium, Lazio (Rome, Roma) Liguria (Genoa, Genova) Lombardy Lombardia (Milan, Milano) Marche (Ancona) Molise (Campobasso) Piedmont, Piemonte (Turin, Torino) Sardinia, Sardegna (Cagliari) Sicily, Sicilia (Palermo) Trentino-South Tyrol, Trentino-Alto Adige / Südtirol (Trento) Tuscany, Toscana (Florence Firenze) Umbria (Perugia) Veneto (Venice, Venezia) All regions except the Aosta Valley are further subdivided into two or more provinces.

 

When Best To Visit Italy

Italy is at its best in spring (April-May) and autumn (October-November). During these seasons, the scenery is beautiful, the temperatures are pleasant and there are relatively few crowds. Try to avoid August, as this is the time that most Italians take their vacations, and many shops and businesses are closed as a result.

Italy City Tours & Activities

Ferryto.co.uk have partnered the biggest online city tour and activity agency on the Internet, Viator, to offer you access to exciting tours and activities in all major destinations around Italy.

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City Sightseeing Hop On Hop Off Tour of Naples	24 hour ticket	Starting from GBP £16.00 per person
City Sightseeing is the newest way to explore the magical city of Naples! Discover Naples in an open-top double-decker bus with the opportunity to hop on and hop off at 20 different stops whenever you wish, all day long. Tickets are valid for 24 hours and includes sights such as Piazza Municipio, Via S. Lucia, Piazza Vittoria, Mergellina and much, much more. This is the newest way to explore the magical city of Naples! Click here for more information and Booking Details »
Vesuvius and Pompeii	6 hours	Starting from GBP £61.00 per person
This tour is a great combination, explore the unique Pompeii, a town frozen in time since the eruption of Mt Vesuvius in AD 79. Walk around an relive history then journey to the top of Vesuvius, a still active volcano. This is a day out which will stir your emotions, so book today. Click here for more information and Booking Details »
Capri	8 hours	Starting from GBP £54.00 per person
Explore the beautiful island of Capri on this short tour which includes hotel transfers. Admire the wonderful views and visit Villa San Michele and the Blue Grotto before returning to Naples. Click here for more information and Booking Details »
Pompeii	3 hours	Starting from GBP £39.00 per person
No visit to Southern Italy would be complete without a visit to the unique and fascinating place of Pompeii. Explore the ancient city, covered by volcanic dust by a volcanic eruption from Mt Vesuvius in AD 79. This is history at it's most intriguing, so book your place today. Click here for more information and Booking Details »
Naples Airport Private Arrival Transfer	30 minutes	Starting from GBP £25.00 per person
Pre-book your transfers to and from Naples Airport to enjoy a smooth start to your vacation! Don't pay high cab fares or carry your luggage onto public transport, let your driver meet your flight at Naples Airport or take you from your Naples Hotel to the Airport. Book one way or both ways - it's up to you! Click here for more information and Booking Details »
Naples Airport Private Departure transfer	30 minutes	Starting from GBP £19.00 per person
Save time and money and book your transfer services before you go! This private transfer service will take you from your Naples hotel to Naples airport, without the hassle of picking up a rental car, negotiating unfamiliar traffic and maps. Take the easy way - book this efficient service online now and save time at your destination! Click here for more information and Booking Details »
Naples and Pompeii	5 hours	Starting from GBP £47.00 per person
If you're planning to visit Naples be sure to book your place on this combination tour which includes the highlights of Naples and Pompeii. Admire the impressive architecture and discover the history that makes them famous. Pompeii is completely unique, so don't miss out - book today! Click here for more information and Booking Details »
City Tour of Naples	2 hours	Starting from GBP £20.00 per person
Visit the city of Naples on this small group tour, led by a professional guide who will look after you from the moment you step onboard. This informative tour will explore the highlights of this fascinating city in Southern Italy. Admire the impressive architecture and discover the history that makes it famous. The tour ends at Posilipo where you will appreciate the wonderful view of this fascinating city! Click here for more information and Booking Details »
Naples and Vesuvius	5 hours	Starting from GBP £43.00 per person
If you're visiting Naples this combination tour which includes the highlights of Naples and a visit to Mt Vesuvius is a must! Admire the impressive architecture of Naples and discover the history that makes Vesuvius famous. Walk around the crater and admire the beautiful views below. Click here for more information and Booking Details »
Vesuvius	3 hours	Starting from GBP £31.00 per person
There are few places in the world which offer the opportunity to climb a still active volcano. So don’t miss your chance to explore Mt Vesuvius on this fascinating tour. Walk around the crater and admire the stunning views of Naples below. Click here for more information and Booking Details »

Other Destinations in Italy of Interest
(Click on the city name below for more information)

• Amalfi
• Catania
• Florence
• Milan
• Naples
• Padua
• Palermo
• Pisa
• Positano
• Rome
• Sorrento
• Syracuse
• Taormina
• Turin
• Venice

Transportation In Italy

For travel between Italy buses are the cheapest but most tiring type of transport, although discount rail tickets are competitive and budget flights can be good value - sometimes better value than buses. The most comfortable and enjoyable way to get around the coastal Italy is by ferry.

• Water - Italy has a total of almost 8,490 Km./ 5,275 miles of coastline, including the peninsula itself and all the numerous islands in the seas around the country.
  
  There are many services linking the islands by sea to the mainland: the main links are by car ferries and hydro-foils. In addition, ships from all the countries around the Mediterranean are moored in the well-equipped Italian ports.
  
  The main Italian ports of embarkation for the large islands of Sicily and Sardinia are: Genoa, Livorno, Civitavecchia, Fiumicino, Naples and Villa San Giovanni. Ferries service Sicily from Naples, Civitavecchia, Reggio di Calabria, Livorno and Genoa, while Sardinia can be reached from Genoa, La Spezia, Civitavecchia, Livorno, Naples, Tràpani and Palermo.
  
  
• Rail -State and private railways service the country and are generally simple, cheap and efficient.
  
  
• Air - Air travel within Italy is expensive, making it a less-attractive option than travel by train or bus.
  
  
• Road - Buses to Italy are numerous but can't really compete with the convenience of the train.
  

Italian Geography

Italy's instantly recognisable boot shape kicks its way into the Adriatic, Ionian, Ligurian and Tyrrhenian Seas - all of which form part of the Mediterranean Sea.

The islands of Elba, Sardinia, Ischia, Capri, the Aeolians and Sicily lie offshore. Mountains feature prominently in Italy's topography, and bolster its landlocked borders all the way from Genoa in the west to Trieste in the east. Italy's backbone is formed by the Apennines, extending from Genoa right down to the soccer ball that bounces off the toe of Calabria: Sicily. The Po River Valley in the country's northeast forms the largest lowland area, and is heavily populated and industrialised as a result.

Underground rambunctiousness is evident from the country's three active volcanoes - Stromboli in the Aeolian Islands, Vesuvius near Naples and Etna on Sicily - and the devastation wrought by earthquakes, especially fierce in 1908 and 1980. Beauty abounds in Italy but, unfortunately, so does pollution, particularly in the big cities and along the coast.

Weather In Italy

Italy's climate varies from north to south and from lowland to mountain top. Temperatures at sea-level tend to be similar around the country, with altitudes creating steep changes between summer and winter.

Winters are long and severe in the Alps, with snow falling as early as mid-September.Storms develop in spring and tend to last to autumn, making summer the wettest season.

The northern regions experience chilly winters, hot summers and regular even rain distribution, while conditions become milder as you head south. The sirocco, the hot and humid African wind that affects regions south of Rome, produces at least a couple of stiflingly hot weeks in summer.

Flora and Forna In Italy

The country's flora is predominantly Mediterranean. Three broad classifications of evergreen tree dominate: ilex (or evergreen oak), cork and pine.

Ancient imports that are an inevitable part of much of the Italian countryside (especially from Tuscany south) are the olive and cyprus. The former comes in many shapes and sizes, among the most striking being the robust trees of Puglia.

Much of the country is covered by macchia (maquis), a broad term that covers all sorts of vegetation ranging from two metres to as much as six metres in height. Herbs such as lavender, rosemary and thyme are typical maquis plants, as are shrubs of the cistus family, gorse, juniper and heather. If the soil is acidic, there may also be broom. Orchids, gladioli and irises may flower beneath these shrubs, which are colourful in spring.

Where the action of humans and nature has been particularly harsh, or the soil is poor, the macchia becomes gariga, the very barest of scrub. This is dominated by aromatic herbs such as lavender, rosemary and thyme

A couple of millennia of human occupation, coupled with the locals' love of hunting, has extinguished many animal species once endemic to Italy. You might spot a brown bear or a lynx if you're lucky, and the Alpine regions are still home to wolves, marmots, chamois and deer. Mouflon sheep and wild boars and cats can be found on Sardinia, while in the skies falcons, hawks and golden eagles dodge the hunters' birdshot.

History of Italy

Italy has influenced the cultural and social development of the whole Mediterranean area, deeply influencing European culture as well. Important cultures and civilizations have existed there since prehistoric times. After Magna Graecia, the Etruscan civilization and especially the Roman Republic and Empire that dominated this part of the world for many centuries, Italy was central to European science and art during the Middle Ages and Renaissance.

Modern Italy became a nation-state belatedly — on March 17, 1861, when most of the states of the peninsula were united under king Victor Emmanuel II of the Savoy dynasty, which ruled over Sardinia and Piedmont. The architects of Italian unification were Count Camillo Benso di Cavour, the Chief Minister of Victor Emmanuel, and Giuseppe Garibaldi, a general and national hero. Rome itself remained for a decade under the Papacy, and became part of the Kingdom of Italy only on September 20, 1870. The Vatican is now an independent enclave surrounded by Rome.

The 1948 Constitution of Italy established a bicameral parliament (Parlamento), consisting of a Chamber of Deputies (Camera dei Deputati) and a Senate (Senato della Repubblica), a separate judiciary, and an executive branch composed of a Council of Ministers (cabinet) (Consiglio dei ministri), headed by the prime minister (Presidente del consiglio dei ministri). The President of the Republic (Presidente della Repubblica) is elected for 7 years by the parliament sitting jointly with a small number of regional delegates. The president nominates the prime minister, who proposes the other ministers (formally named by the president). The Council of Ministers must retain the support (fiducia) of both houses.

The houses of parliament are popularly and directly elected by a mixed majoritarian and proportional representation system. Under 1993 legislation, Italy has single-member districts for 75% of the seats in parliament; the remaining 25% of seats are allotted on a proportional basis. The Chamber of Deputies has officially 630 members (de facto, 619 only after the 2001 elections). In addition to 315 senators, elected members, the Senate includes former presidents and several other persons (no more than 5) appointed for life by the President of the Republic according to special constitutional provisions. Both houses are elected for a maximum of 5 years, but either may be dissolved before the expiration of its normal term. Legislative bills may originate in either house and must be passed by a majority in both.

The Italian judicial system is based on Roman law modified by the Napoleonic code and later statutes. A constitutional court, the Corte Costituzionale, passes on the constitutionality of laws, and is a post-World War II innovation.

All the Italian citizens older than 18 can vote. To vote for the senate, the voter must be at least 25.

 

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