La dolce vita, well planned
Rome’s ancient wonders, Venice’s canals, Florence’s art, the cliffside villages of the Amalfi coast and the calm of Lake Como — Italy rewards a city break or a two-centre trip equally well. Fast trains link the big cities, and we arrange flights, rail and hotels together.
Where to go
The Colosseum, the Vatican and long evenings in Trastevere — three nights is a great start.
Canals, palaces and quiet back streets once the day-trippers leave.
Positano, Amalfi and Ravello, with day trips to Capri and Pompeii.
Renaissance art, hill towns and vineyard stays in Chianti.
Como, Garda and Maggiore — elegant villas and lakeside villages.
Culture and customs
Italians take food, family and looking good seriously — join in and you’ll be welcomed.
Dress for churches. Wear clothing suited to a place of worship — St Peter’s Basilica does not allow very short clothing, vest tops or hats inside.
Carry photo ID. Police can ask for ID at any time, so keep photo ID with you. Hotels must register your passport details with the police at check-in.
Tourist taxes. Many major cities add a small nightly tourist tax, usually paid at your hotel and often in cash. Venice may also charge day visitors an access fee on peak days — check the official site before a day trip.
Fountains and monuments. Bathing in public fountains is an offence in places such as Rome and Florence, and some towns ban sitting on monument steps.
Validate your ticket. Tickets bought from machines or kiosks must be validated before you travel — inspectors give on-the-spot fines.
Driving in historic centres. Many city centres are limited traffic zones (ZTL), marked by black letters on yellow signs; cameras fine cars without a pass.
How far is Italy from you?
Distances are great-circle estimates and flying times are typical, not timetabled. Message us for live fares and routes.
Italy, month by month
Ready-made holidays, coming soon
We’re adding Italy packages you can browse and filter by trip type, length and budget. Until then, tell us what you’d like and we’ll send ideas and prices — usually the same day.
Tell us about your Italy trip
Holiday, flights only or just a hotel — send us the details and our team will come back with options and prices, usually the same day during opening hours.
- Flights issued by our own IATA-accredited team
- Internal flights, transfers and tours arranged
- Visa and passport help from our documents team
- One team to message before, during and after
Read the full official entry requirements
See the official GOV.UK entry requirements for Italy.
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Updated automatically from GOV.UK travel advice.
Travelling to Italy — quick answers
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Do I need a visa for Italy with a British passport?
No — for holidays you can stay up to 90 days in any 180-day period across the Schengen area. Your passport must have been issued less than 10 years before you arrive and be valid for at least 3 months after you leave. You may need to register for the EU Entry/Exit System (EES) at the border, and hotels register your passport details with the police when you check in. If you hold another passport, we can help with a Schengen visa.
How long is the flight to Italy?
About 2 to 2½ hours from London to Rome, Milan, Venice or Pisa, and around 3 hours to Naples and Sicily. There are direct flights from most UK airports.
Can I combine several Italian cities?
Yes — high-speed trains link Milan, Venice, Florence, Rome and Naples in a few hours. We book the trains with your flights and hotels.
When is the best time to visit Italy?
April to June and September to October are warm and less crowded. July and August are hot and busy, especially in cities.
Do you arrange tickets for the big sights?
We can advise on timed tickets for the Colosseum, Vatican Museums and Uffizi, and add guided tours to your trip.
Please note: the information on this page is a general guide, checked when it was published. Entry rules, health advice, weather, seasons, flight routes and local conditions can change at any time and vary from person to person, so we can’t accept responsibility for changes or for decisions based on this page alone. Always check the latest GOV.UK travel advice and official travel health advice before you travel. It is your responsibility to check the entry, health and travel requirements that apply to you before you travel. See our terms and conditions.