Travel Tips

If you go on a vacation in Italy it is almost necessary that you visit Venice. Everyone who has ever been to Italy has an almost classic picture of them in a “vaporetti” or a “gondola” with a canal for a backdrop. This famous Italian city found in the north is also sometimes known as the city of water, the city of bridges and the city of lights. Vaporetti are motorized buses used by Venetians for transportation around the city’s canals while the gondola is a Venetian boat that is now used mostly by tourists and sometimes for weddings or funerals. The city is made up of several small islands, 118 to be exact hence the need for water transportation and the many bridges.

There are 150 canals and 400 bridges. There are also several art galleries and all together these make for an exciting experience when you are on an Italy vacation.

You can get a Venice card which allows you free access for seven days into the museums and casinos. You will also get free waterbus or vaporetti services plus a free boat trip from the airport with this card. The airport in Venice is on the main land and is newly renovated. You can go to the train station from here to get to other parts of Venice. If you are driving on your Italy vacation you can also get to Venice by car but you will need to take a Ferry boat. The least expensive garage in Venice is the Tronchetta garage so you can park there and take a public boat or hire a private water taxi which can be expensive. You will be able to get one way vaporetti tickets, all day passes or if you are spending more time here for your Italy vacation you could also get a 72 hour pass.

If you are in Venice you must tour the city by a gondola. There are several tours available. For something really different during your Italy vacation in Venice and if you are really in the mood for it, perhaps you can even take what is called a serenade tour. The tour is accompanied by a singer (usually a baritone) and a guitarist or someone playing the accordion. Several of these tours leave from piers near hotels in Venice. Your trip will probably be a little under an hour and you may see landmarks such as the Church of Santa Maria Formosa and the Bridge of Sighs.

This bridge received it name because it is said that prisoners would get their last view of the City of Venice from here when on their way to confinement. If you are in Venice for your Italy vacation with a significant other make sure you take a gondola trip that will be going under this bridge under sunset. Legend says that lovers will be assured eternal love if they kiss under this bridge at sunset.

Venice is usually crowded with tourists in the summer months so if you can, visit during the off season. Or you can simply opt for a private gondola tour which may be more expensive but will be away from all the crowds.

One of the most popular destinations for people on a vacation to Italy is the Vatican City. Most people do not know that this is a sovereign city-state. This means that it makes its own rules and has its own governing system independent of the Italian system. The Vatican City is a walled state within the city of Rome. It is the smallest independent state in the whole world with only a little over 100 acres. It was formed in 1929 under an agreement between the Kingdom of Italy and the Holy See. The Holy See refers to the central governing system of the Catholic Church headed by the Pope. The Pope is also known as the Bishop of Rome. The Vatican City houses the official residence of the Pope and it is visited by millions of people each year on an Italy vacation.

You can enter the Vatican City through the famous St. Peter’s square. This square is characterized by great Baroque architecture from the 1600s to include symbols of the church motherly embracing its people in its arms. St. Peter’s Basilica is another place you can visit in the Vatican City while on your Italy vacation because it is also found in St. Peter’s square. It is the most notable building in the Vatican City and this church’s dome can be seen for miles around Rome. St. Peter’s Basilica seats 60,000 and is said to be the largest building in the Christian church. It is noted for being the burial site of St. Peter who is said to be the founding father of the Catholic Church by being the first Bishop of Rome. The discovery of his tomb was announced in 1950 after a decade of archeological research.

Catholic tradition says that St. Peter is buried under the altar of this Basilica and therefore all the Popes since then have also been buried in the Basilica the most recent being Pope John Paul II in April 2005. At the entrance of the Basilica are statues of Christ, St. John the Baptist and 11 of the 12 apostles. You can enter the Basilica for free during your Italian vacation if you are properly dressed with no bare shoulders or knees. If you would like to attend mass you should go to the Basilica on a Sunday.

There are several other places to see here during your Italy vacation. The largest museum in the world is also found in the Vatican City. It has over 1400 rooms and galleries that represent 3000 years of art. The Sistine Chapel is also found here and is known for being the private chapel that the cardinals go to when electing a new Pope.

So what is the best way to see all the sights that the Vatican City has to offer during your Italian vacation? There are guided tours available that can be taken for half a day or longer. You can take a guided tour of just the museum or a guided tour to include all the important places of interest in the Vatican City and this will ensure that you don’t miss a thing here on your Italian vacation.

If you are like many people you need to see some water to feel like you are truly on vacation-lots and lots of water! Italy boasts some of the most beautiful beaches and resorts in all of Europe.

The Amalfi coast is just south of Naples and you may want to visit this area as part of your Italy vacation. Amalfi is a resort town also known for its lemon trees. Not only do you get the sea here but this is the region that has the famous cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum and also the Mt. Vesuvius volcano. During your Italy vacation here you will find that public transportation is very easy to use especially around the Bay of Naples. If you do decide to drive around here on your Italy vacation you must remember that the roads along the coast tend to be narrow so you have to be very careful. There are several beach hotels and resorts and along with the sandy shores and green-blue waters this promises to deliver a beautiful Italy vacation.

If you would prefer a seaside vacation away from most other tourists you would do better to visit the old fishing villages along the Italian Riviera. The Italian Riviera is a portion of the Italian coast that lies between the Liguiran Sea and the mountains. The capital of the Liguria region is Genoa. During your Italy vacation in the area, you will find that fishing is a huge part of the economy here. The fishing village of Portifino is world famous and tends to be visited by many tourists but it will not be as crowded as the Amalfi Coast.

Here you will find the Statue of Christ of the Abyss placed about 17 meters under water to protect the fishermen and divers. Beach resorts in Japan and Orlando, Florida have been built to recreate the details of the Portifino Harbor on the Italian Riviera.

For more beautiful coastal scenery during your Italy vacation, you may want to visit Bordighera. This is also a fishing village along the Italian Riviera. There will probably be fewer crowds here and this place is known for being a vacation spot for the wealthy in Europe. The palms used on Palm Sunday in the St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome are from Bordighera.

If you love seafood, you will have plenty of opportunity to indulge in delicious delicacies while you are visiting the coast for your Italy vacation. Seafood is a big part of these regions and you will be able to taste the freshness in the meals prepared by the restaurants you eat at along the coast during your vacation. Some of the best seafood restaurants in Italy will be found along the coastal regions.

During your Italy vacation here you will get the chance to sample some mouth-watering herb-crusted shrimp, scallop linguine and traditional halibut fish with leeks. Olive oil, garlic and Italian sweet parsley are widely used in seafood dishes here along with other Italian herbs such as basil, oregano and rosemary.