While in Italy there is plenty of famous sites to see from the Roman era. These include: The Colosseum, St Peter’s Basilica, The Pantheon and Mount Vesuvius. Everything from the famous canals in Venice to the ash city of Pompeii, Italy has it all.
It seems like so long since we have all had a proper summer holiday especially an Italian holiday, with the gorgeous blue skies and high temperatures who doesn’t wish they could hop on a plane and fly to Rome. Those were the days before the so-called “New normal”. So, what is everything and anything you need to know before traveling to Italy.
Firstly, and probably most importantly understand the restrictions on travel in your country and In Italy, this will be necessary while the Covid 19 Pandemic is still ongoing and relates to quarantine upon arrival or return, this could be mandatory forced isolation in a hotel currently costing for the UK traveler around £1200 per person or home isolation.
Secondly, testing for all green light countries in the UK you will require a test upon departure and a test upon return to the UK. Now for travel to Italy currently you will need to present a negative test to the airline before you travel that must have been taken no longer than 48 hours prior to traveling, upon arrival however you do not need to quarantine. If you arrive in Italy without a negative test you will need to self-isolate for ten days. Upon arrival, you must also contact the Italy Covid 19 helpline within 48 hours to let them know of your visit.
I know that with the new normal it can all get a bit confusing so advice to anyone traveling to Italy is to check the government's website before you travel to ensure you travel legally.
You also have to take into account that, from the beginning of 2021, it is now mandatory that an ETIAS (European Travel Information and authorization system) is completed before traveling to Italy if you are in one of the 62 approved countries. An ETIAS much like an ESTA is a visa waiver program that oversees and records people entering the Schengen Zone. Once you have it you are free to travel to Italy. Not sure if you need the ETIAS to travel to Italy? More information here.
The main airport in Italy is Rome Fiumicino which in normal times serves hundreds of flights per day from hundreds of destinations across Europe and the rest of the world. It takes around 40 minutes to get from the airport by bus or car with a train also being available taking just 30 minutes.
Italy has it all
While in Italy there is plenty of famous sites to see from the Roman era. These include The Colosseum, St Peter’s Basilica, The Pantheon, and Mount Vesuvius. Everything from the famous canals in Venice to the ash city of Pompeii, Italy has it all.
You should be mindful when you travel to Italy however for pickpocketing which can be rife in European capitals especially in crowded places such as tourist attractions as well as transport hubs. Another point of note if you are traveling within the European Union is to have a valid European Health Card (EHIC) which entitles you to healthcare in Italy at the same cost as it would be in your Nation country. If you are not traveling from an EU country, good travel insurance would be recommended.
I hope each and every one of you enjoy your travels within Italy, don’t forget to follow the travel information above that way you can enjoy your pizza, pasta, and gelato in the Italian sunlight as quickly as possible.
Photo by Davide Cacciatori from Pexels
