by Holidays In Italy on September 10, 2008
The Italians are a celebratory people and it certainly shows in the large number of festivals and other events that take place every year. You won’t want to miss the pre-Easter Carnivale in Venice, perhaps Italy’s most famous celebration, with numerous masked balls, parades, and musical festivities taking place over a two week period. Italy has a number of other religious themed events such as the San Gennaro Festival In Naples (September), Festas di San Nicola in Bari, Festa di Sant’Antonio in Padua (June), the Snake Charmer’s Procession in Abruzzo (May), and the famous Explosion of the Cart, occurring on Easter Sunday in Florence.
Other events of note include the San Pietro di Castello Feast in Venice (June), the Venice Film Festival (Cinema Biennial), Vinitaly in Verona, and the Historic Regatta in Venice (September).
by Holidays In Italy on September 8, 2008
Italy has a moderate, Mediterranean climate that can best be enjoyed in fall and spring. The northern regions tend to have more extreme variations, with very cold winters and some very hot summer weeks. As to be expected, winters in the Alps are long and quite severe. Regions along the coast are helped out by the Mediterranean Sea, keeping the summers a little cooler and the winters a little warmer. Rain falls throughout the summer season, with the first snow in the Alps usually coming in mid-September. Some areas south of Rome can be affected by the sirocco, which is a hot and humid wind blowing from Africa. This can produce a few very hot and stuffy weeks during the summer time in these regions.
Italians tend to vacation in the summer months, so if you are planning to visit Italy at this time you should know that some businesses may be closed.
by Holidays In Italy on September 7, 2008
There are several methods of getting to Italy from other parts of Europe, including bus, train and ferry. Getting there by bus is generally the least expensive alternative, but it takes longer and the trip can be an uncomfortable one. Flying to Italy is obviously the quickest method to get to Italy, but unless you are able to find a substantially discounted rate, the price can be rather prohibitive. For most people the best alternative is to take a train. The price is usually competitive with bus fares and not only does travel by train usually get you there faster, but trains tend to be a bit more comfortable than busses.
Once you arrive in Italy, you will be faced with similar choices and the answers are similar as well. The best strategy is to find a place to stay that is centrally located in whichever city you are staying in and walk. When you want to move on to another city and don’t have the budget for flying, research all of your options because sometimes busses can be the better choice because of scheduling or route issues.
Also, check ahead for potential strikes or other uniquely local factors that may affect scheduling or availability. Most experienced travelers in Italy recommend staying away from Italian subway systems as they lack the comfort and efficiency of some of their counterparts in cities like London or New York City.
by Holidays In Italy on September 2, 2008
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