Live the Romance of Italy with Avanti Destinations | Travel Research Online

60-Second Geography

Italy

• Separated from Northern Europe by the Alps and surrounded by the waters of the Mediterranean, the fertile land of Italy is one of the finest and most important agricultural settings in the world.
• Italy became a unified country only in the 19th century and still today great regional differences in cuisine, dialects and culture are evident.
• Italy has an excellent rail and road system which can easily be accessed from the rest of Europe. The rail fares are some of the lowest in Europe and a terrific way to travel the country.
• Italian ports-of-call have become important to the cruise industry and represent major ports of call on Mediterranean itineraries.
• There are more than 4 million hotel beds in Italy, available in a wide range of categories and all types of properties. Italian villas, some costing many thousands of dollars a night, are in high demand.
• It is easiest to think of the country as broken into three regions: the North which includes the Alps and the North Italian Plain, Central Italy encompassing Tuscany, Rome and Umbria and Southern Italy.
• To the north, the Italian Alps are a favorite destination for world-class skiers from Europe and elsewhere. Large lakes dot the area and provide a summer resort setting.
• Venice is one of the most unique cities in the world. Built on a lagoon, there is no vehicular traffic in the city. The canal system is not for tourists only – it is an important transportation option. At times, the city floods as merchants and hotels calmly pick up furniture and rugs, moving them to a higher floor until the ground level water recedes hours later.
• Some of the finest art collections in the world are housed in Italy and the architecture of its major monuments are immediately recognizable and iconic, from the Roman Coliseum to the Leaning Tower of Pisa.
• Rome, the “Eternal City”, has been a center of Western civilization for more than 3000 years.  Enveloped in the city is another country—Vatican City—home of the Roman Catholic Church and St Peter’s Square.

• Semi-private Pompeii and Sorrento Tour by Rail: Explore the historic center on foot with your guide and enjoy a 3-course lunch. In the afternoon, a tour of the excavations at Pompeii provides a glimpse of life in Roman times just before the eruption of Vesuvius.

• Semi-private Capri Tour by Rail and Jetfoil: Spend a day revelling in the beauty of Capri, the preferred island getaway for celebrities both ancient and modern.

• Semi-Private Florence and Uffizi Tour by Rail: Another daytrip by high-speed train from Rome to spend the day with your guide on a walking tour of Renaissance masterpieces of art and architecture, including the famed Uffizi Gallery, repository of works by Michelangelo, Raphael, Botticelli.