Adventure World

Italy

Rome, Florence and Venice have played decisive roles in the history of the world and are objects of wonder, interest and admiration. Stroll through hill towns in Tuscany, travel to remote coastal villages, and bask in breathtaking sights along the Amalfi Coast. Italy is a cultural experience and Adventure World offer a range of options from cycling & walking tours to luxury escorted tours, and cruising holidays to self drives in this historic country.

Top Highlights

Rome: Known as the “Eternal City’, Rome is vast, but most of the major sights are near the central railway station (Stazione Termini). Rome’s historic centre is very small.

Points of interest: the Colosseum; the famous Fontana di Trevi; Vatican City & Sistine Chapel (famous for Michelangelo’s frescoes on the barrel-vaulted ceiling); Piazza San Pietro and Basilica di San Pietro; and the Catacombe di San Callisto.

Venice: The best way to see and discover Venice is to walk. The city is built on 117 small islands, with 409 bridges and 150 canals. No cars are permitted on the island; transport is by vaporetto (small passenger boat/ferry). Canal Grande weaves 3.5 km through the city and a vaporetto is the only way to see the palazzi and buildings.

Piazza San Marco is a mecca for tourists and pigeons alike, surrounded by the basilica, the Procuratic Vecchie and Nuove and numerous cafes. The Palazzo Ducale (doges’ official residence) housed the government officials and prisons. The Ponte dei Sospiri (Bridge of Sighs) is an enclosed bridge that was used by prisoners between the dungeons and palace.

Tuscany: The area is renowned for its fresh produce, wines (Chianti) and hill towns (San Gimignano, Volterra, Monte-Pulciano and Cortona where the movie “Under the Tuscan Sun’ was filmed. Tuscany offers a variety of walking and cycling experiences.

Florence: Florence, dubbed ‘cradle of the Renaissance’, is where you can view Michelangelo’s David (at Galleria dell’ Accademia), and walk across Ponte Vecchio (a bridge lined with shops of gold and silversmiths). Florence is easy to walk around, as most sites are within walking distance of each other. The pink, white and green marble façade of the duomo (Brunelleschi’s famous dome) dominates the skyline.

The best months to visit the city are May, June, September and October, allow 5 days to explore. Pisa can be visited in a day ex Florence by train. One of the main reasons to visit Pisa, is the Campo dei Miracoli square (aka Place of Miracles), set amongst sprawling lawns, and home to the duomo (cathedral), the baptistery and the Leaning Tower (The Torre di Pisa).

Amalfi Coast: The coastline stretches for 50kms from Sorrento to Salerno. A narrow road winds it way along the cliffs, connecting the towns and blue waters. Positano is one of the most picturesque towns with its Moorish flavour.

Best time to visit is spring and autumn.

More Highlights

Milan: a sprawling city, with the Piazza del Duomo as the focal point, is a good place to start exploring the surrounding areas. Points of interest include the world’s fourth largest church, the Duomo (a late-Gothic wonder ); Piazza della Scala; the Opera House; and Cenacolo Vinciano (home to Leonardo da Vinci’s masterful mural depicting the Last Supper). Milan rivals Paris as the world’s design capital.

The Lakes: located in northern Italy, the lakes are a favourite holiday mecca for Italians and travellers. Lago Maggiore, the largest of the lakes is stunning and is approximately 65km long. Lago di Como, has a number of waterside villages scattered around the lake, that are only accessed by boat. The city of Como is known for its antique market on Sundays. Lago di Garda lies between the Alps and Po valley, and is good base for walking in the nearby Alps.

Siena: is a beautiful bustling city located around a medieval centre and Gothic buildings. The main square (Piazza del Campo) is the ideal place to people watch. The city is home to numerous churches and small museums. Siena is a great base to explore the surrounding countryside, and the medieval towns of San Gimignano and Volterra.

Assisi: the hometown of St Francis attracts tourists from around the world, who come to visit the pink and white marble building of Monte Subasio.

Pompeii: the eruption of Mt Vesuvius, buried Pompeii in 79 AD. The Ruins encompass numerous buildings and see the body casts which were formed by hollows left in the hardened tufa by decayed corpses, depicting resident’s final moments. Pompeii is best visited as a day trip by train ex Naples or Sorrento.

Sicily: the largest island in the Mediterranean. Beaches, citrus groves, rolling hills and mountains dominate the island. Summer is hot and winters mild. Best time to visit is spring and autumn. Europe’s largest live volcano and the worlds most active is Mt Etna at 3350m and eruptions occur frequently.

Fact Sheet

• Country Dialling Code: + 39
• When to Go: April to June and Sep/Oct are the best time to visit Italy as it is low season and weather is fine. Jun to Sep for the beaches. Avoid late Jul/Aug as high season and hot. Jul & Sep best time to hike in the Alps.
• Capital: Rome
• Official Language: Italian
• Religion: Catholic
• Population: 58.3 million
• Government: Parliamentary Republic
• Currency: Euro (€)
• Electricity: 220V, 50Hz. Two or three round pins, but plugs can vary in size. Adaptor recommended.
• Tipping: Restaurants put a cover charge on the bill, so tipping is not necessary. If no cover charge, then 10% of the bill as a tip is polite or leave some small change.
• Bargaining: Is common in markets, but not in shops.
• Credit cards: Major credit cards are accepted throughout Italy.
• Geography: Italy is one of the most recognisable countries in the world, due to its ‘boot shape’. Surrounded by four seas - the Adriatic, Ionian, Ligurian & Tyrrhenian seas. 75% of the country is mountainous and has three active volcanoes.
• Gateway Airport: Rome
• Train: The easiest way to get around the country, excellent network.