This depends on where you're travelling from, the nationality on your passport, and whether your destination country is part of the Schengen Agreement. This agreement sees 26 European countries offer visa-free travel to nationals from 60 other countries including Australia, the United States, Canada, Japan, and the United Kingdom.

To check whether you'll need a visa for the country you're travelling to, you can find more information on the Schengen Visa's website.

We think Italy is at its best in the spring (March - May) and late summer leading into fall (September - October). The weather is often clear and bright, popular sights are relatively uncrowded and there are lots of interesting cultural events taking place like the Venice Historical Regatta (September), or Sicily's Flower Festival of Noto (April - May).

Italy's weather varies depending on the season and which part of the country you're visiting. Temperatures can range from -50ºC (-58ºF) at the highest point of the Italian Alps in the winter to well in excess of 35ºC (95ºF) in the south of Italy in the summer months. Generally speaking the best time to visit Italy for weather is in the spring, when favorite destinations like Rome average between 18ºC (64ºF) - 22ºC (72ºF), or the autumn for similar temperatures and thinner crowds at major sights.

Italy uses the Euro.

It is customary to leave a small cash tip after a meal, round of aperitivos or drinks at cafe or restaurant. Many restaurants may add an optional service charge to your bill of between 10-12%.

ATM access in Italy is generally very good. Large cities will have ATMs on most commercial roads and more in the denser centres. In smaller towns and villages you're likely to find banks or ATMs (called 'bancomat' in Italian) in the central piazza.

Tap water in Italy is not only safe to drink, Italy has some of the cleanest drinking water anywhere in the world.

We highly recommend guests purchase travel insurance prior to your trip. Please ensure you add the details of your insurance to the MyTrafalgar portal. Your insurance should cover trip interruption, personal injury, medical expenses, and evacuation and repatriation cover including during pandemic events.

If you're traveling from the UK, you can get direct flights to multiple destinations in Italy from most mainland airports. London Gatwick, Heathrow, Luton all operate direct flights to Italy. You can also fly direct to Italy from Manchester, Birmingham, Edinburgh, Cardiff and Belfast.

Italy's 23°C to 28°C on average summer calls for lightweight clothing and comfortable walking shoes. Pack in clothing items such as shorts, dresses, shirts, and comfortable sandals and sneakers to walk in. Pack sunscreen, sunglasses, and a hat for sun protection. Bring along a bag to hold your reusable water bottle and power adapter for your devices.

For -5°C to 15°C winter in Italy, we recommend you to pack warm winter essentials such as scarves, umbrellas, jumpers, a warm coat, a rain jacket, rain boots, a hat and thermal socks to take the chill out of exploring the cities of Italy.

To prepare for fluctuating temperatures of Italy's spring/autumn seasons, pack layers to easily add on or take off as needed. Bring along light jumpers, long-sleeved shirts, a jacket and light trousers or jeans. Comfortable walking shoes are essential for exploring comfortably.