In this guide

1. Entry & Borders
2. Money
3. Staying Connected
4. Getting Around
5. Where to Land First
6. Back to the Region

Entry & Borders

Italy is in the Schengen area. Visa-exempt visitors — US, UK, Canadian, Australian, New Zealand, and other passport holders — can stay up to 90 days in any rolling 180-day period across the whole zone. Days in each country add together, and leaving for the UK, Ireland, or another non-Schengen country pauses the count rather than resetting it. Entry and exit days both count.

The EU's Entry/Exit System (EES) is fully operational since 10 April 2026. It replaces passport stamps: on your first crossing you give fingerprints and a facial photo, and your entries and exits are logged digitally. Allow extra time at the border on your first trip.

ETIAS is not in operation. There is no announced launch date and no applications are being taken — pay no site selling one.

Your passport generally must have been issued within the last 10 years and stay valid at least 3 months past your planned departure. Travelling with 6 months of validity is widely recommended to avoid issues with carriers or border officials. Visitors who aren't visa-exempt need a Schengen visa in advance.

Money

Italy uses the euro. Cards are widely accepted in cities — hotels, restaurants, larger shops — and businesses are legally required to accept electronic payments. Carry cash for small places, markets, cafés, public toilets, and tips: small villages, a single espresso, and street vendors are still cash territory.

Get euros from a bank-owned ATM (Bancomat) on arrival rather than a currency-exchange booth or a standalone tourist ATM — the rate is usually better. Always choose to be charged in euros, not your home currency, and decline any conversion offer on the screen.

Tipping is not compulsory. Your bill will often show a *coperto* — a per-person cover charge for the table setting and bread, which goes to the restaurant, not the server. If a *servizio* (service charge) is also on the bill, no further tip is needed. Otherwise, rounding up or €1–2 per person in cash is plenty. There is no US-style 20% expectation, and tips should be left in cash — most card machines have no tip function.

Staying Connected

The simplest setup for most visitors: buy a travel eSIM before you fly, install it on Wi-Fi at home, and switch it on when you land. Your phone must be unlocked and eSIM-compatible. Your home SIM stays in the phone for calls and texts.

A local prepaid SIM is usually cheaper per gigabyte for a long stay, but buying one in Italy means an in-store visit with your passport. Italian law requires every prepaid SIM to be registered to a named person — the store scans your passport and links the SIM to you. Tourist plans (Vodafone Dolce Vita, WindTre Tourist Pass, TIM Tourist) are built for visitors without an Italian tax code; your passport is sufficient for tourist registration.

Roam Like at Home — using your home data allowance across the EU at no extra charge — applies to EU/EEA SIM holders only. It does not cover visitors on US, UK, Canadian, or other non-EU plans; check your home carrier's international rates before you rely on roaming. An Italian SIM itself roams across the EU under the same rules.

Getting Around

High-speed trains are the default between major cities: Frecciarossa and Italo link Rome, Milan, Florence, Naples, Venice, Turin, and Bologna. Point-to-point tickets include the seat reservation, and no validation is needed — your ticket is tied to a specific train, carriage, and seat. Book early for the lowest fares, and check both operators on the same route. Typical journey times: Rome–Florence about 1.5 hours, Rome–Naples about 1 hour 10 minutes, Rome–Milan about 3 hours, Rome–Venice about 3 hours 45 minutes.

Regional trains are slower, cheaper, and have no seat reservations. If you buy a paper ticket, validate (stamp) it in the green or yellow machine on the platform before you board — an unvalidated ticket draws a fine of about €50 even though you paid. Digital regional tickets bought for a specific departure self-validate, or check in via the app before boarding.

Buses cover the gaps trains don't serve: the Amalfi Coast, hill towns, and island connections.

In cities, tap a contactless card or phone where readers accept it, or validate a paper ticket before boarding — an unvalidated ticket counts as fare evasion. Taxis are white, metered, with a TAXI roof sign and a municipal emblem on the door. Use an official rank or a taxi app (FreeNow, IT-Taxi) rather than accepting a ride from someone soliciting inside a terminal. Fixed airport fares apply in Rome: Fiumicino to the centre within the Aurelian Walls is a flat €50.

Where to Land First

• Rome — A non-stop train from Fiumicino to Termini, then 28 centuries of history on foot.
• Milan — Italy's business capital, with the Duomo, an efficient metro, and an express train from Malpensa.
• Venice — Arrive by water: vaporetto from the airport, then a car-free city on foot.
• Florence — A walkable Renaissance centre where the first hour is almost entirely on foot.
• Naples — Pizza at the source, and the gateway to Pompeii and the Amalfi Coast.
• Bologna — Italy's food capital, porticoed streets, and a rail hub for day trips.
• Turin — Piedmont's boulevards and cafés, with the Alps a short ride away.
• Palermo — Sicily's capital: markets, Arab-Norman sights, and street food from the first hour.
• Taormina — A hilltop Greek theatre above the sea on Sicily's east coast.
• Matera — Stone cave dwellings (the Sassi) carved into a ravine in Basilicata.

Back to the Region

Start wider: Landing in Europe covers Schengen, money, SIM, and transport across the continent.