Our brief guide will help you to plan a trip to Italy. Reveal the information about the regions, find out how to differentiate between train station categories and remember emergency phone numbers juts in case.

Italy borders with Switzerland, Slovenia, France and Austria. Beautiful area of Italy consists of mountains and stretches over to the  sea, reminding by its shape a long boot.

Several islands are a part of Italy: Elba, Sicilia and Sardinia. Also two independent states belong to Italy, – the city of Vatican which is in Rome and San Marino.

The capital of Italy is Rome. The population of Italy is about 60 ml people.

Total area 301 263 km². Italian language is the official language in the country.

Density of population is 198 persons per square meter.

Coast line of Italy is 7455 km with uncountable number of beautiful beaches.

Italy consists of 12 regions with local traditions, habits and cuisine.

Planning a Trip to Italy: Your Easy 7-Step Checklist

Here is brief lift of things to do in order to plan a trip to Italy:

Step 1: Check visa requirements

Step 2: Choose your Italy Travel itinerary

Step 3: Book your trip to Italy online

Step 4: Decide on your Italy travel budget

Step 5: Book activities for your trip in advance

Step 6: Book accommodation online and get confirmation

Step 7: Figure out your transportation

Train stations in Italy

Not so long ago Italy was called “country of 100 cities”. Now it is called the country of 2000 train stations. All of them belong to different categories and are subdued to different administrative levels.

There are 4 categories of train stations in Italy. Each of the category is based on the volume of passengers, services infrastructure, tourists visits and business services level.

Platinum category of trains

It includes train stations with the capacity of more then 6000 people travelling a day. 16 train stations in Italy belong to platinum category.

Gold category

This category of train stations differs from platinum by less traffic and number of business services.

Silver train stations category for travel in Italy

Silver category includes train stations of middle size to large. These are mainly for the local trains.

Bronze train stations category

This kind of train stations is for the local trains with little traffic of passengers.

Emergency phone numbers to plan a trip to Italy

For Italy travel planning it is important to keep emergency numbers.

There is single phone number to call in Europe in case of emergency: 112.

It is possible to dial this number even if the keyboard of the phone is blocked. In Italy carabineers will respond to your call. They will listen to your problem and direct it to appropriate authority.

112 is the number to call in case you and people with you are in dangerous situation – car accident, earthquake, etc.

Your locations will be determined by coordinates provided by the phone.

In case of violence or being a witness of the violence call 113. This is the number of Italian police.

For financial crime or being a witness of such – call 117. This is the number of financial inspection of Italy with authorities of police.

115 is the number to call fire brigade. Also you can call this number in case there is a danger of a fire, smog or gas licking.

1515 – to contact forest fire brigade

118 – is the number for medical assistance.

911 is the american variant of emergency call in Italy. In Europe calling this number you will be redirected to 112.

In case you need information – call 100.

Frequently Asked Questions

How far in advance should I plan a trip to Italy?

You should plan a trip to Italy at least 1-2 days in advance. You can spend 1-2 days in Rome, Vatican, travel for 1-2 days to Florence, Pisa, Pompeii and visit San Remo. Plan your trip to Italy 1-2 days in advance to manage all the arrangements.

What month is the best to visit Italy?

The best month to visit Italy is May if you plan your trip in spring. The best month to visit Italy is autumn is September, when most of the crowds are gone, the weather is not that hot. Also May and September are the best month to visit Italy because the prices are lower.