Travel Guide to Italy

Population: 58 Million

Language: Italian

Time Zone: GMT + 1hr

Capital: Rome

Currency: Euro

Italy's familiar boot-shaped peninsular is home to a population of around 58 million people. When you think that the same number again are tourists, mainly from Germany, France, the USA and Britain, who visit each year, it is obvious that Italy has a lot to offer as a holiday destination. The locals speak Italian with variations in accent from north to south but all willingly accept the Euro.
 
Italy is geographically divided into regions, with a largely temperate climate. In    summer, northern Italy is warm, the central region is humid and the south, hot. Most people visit Italy between June and September, when the weather is good and the sea is warm enough for swimming. Most Italians take their vacation in August and many shops and restaurants are closed during this period. The ski season runs between December and April and the best time to walk in the Alps is between June and September. Your hardest decision will be to choose a villa in Tuscany, an Umbrian farmhouse or your own beach apartment. Whichever holiday rental you settle on, you are guaranteed a vacation to remember.

Tuscany deserves its reputation for being a perfect place to relax in the sun and read a book or go out in search of culture. Moreover the region has delicious food and great wine, a combination which makes life very enjoyable for anyone looking to rent a holiday villa in Tuscany. Cities such as Florence, Pisa, Lucca and Siena house many historically important buildings and monuments, and each is worthy of a special visit. The area of Lunigiana in the north, squashed in between the coastal region of Liguria and the Apuan Alps, is almost unknown to tourists.