Italy Magazines Best Travel Tips

1. Try the lesser known areas. Below are some suggestions:- Trentino - Tiny valleys and jagged peaks, granite massifs and thick woods crowded with deer are the backdrop to the pretty, traditional mountain buildings of Madonna di Campiglio.- Friuli - tucked away in the top right-hand corner of Italy, has jewels like the Roman city of Aquileia with its incredible mosaic floor in the Basilica – one of the largest in the world. The town of Udine has an elegant central Piazza with arcades leading off for shopping, with prices so reasonable you can almost face your credit card statement.- Veneto - Bassano del Grappa in not only famous for its white asparagi and the spirit grappa as the name says, but it also offers culture and history to its visitors.- South-East of Sicily - Despite the mafia clichés, the sicilian region is not entirely affected by that. A valuable example is one of UNESCO's world heritage sites: the Val di Noto, an area which include small baroque towns. Val di Noto.You won't get bored in these places with monthly, not to say weekly sagre and popular feasts which do not demand high prices to be visited.
2. Book with independent tour operators- Try organised tours for small groups – Italy offers a wide variety of organised tours with or without activities such as cookery, language lessons or hiking. Prices are all inclusive and the quality of what is on offer is great. It allows you to discover a place with costs clearly defined by the tour package value.- Check out our listings or the tour operators listed on AITO which are more expert about the area than the big tour operators that offer you more expensive packages.
3. Agriturismi offer great value for money- Visit italymag.co.uk for agriturismo in Italy. Today, many have upgraded and offer superb adventure tourism facilities, with gourmet cooking, delightful bedrooms, en-suite bathrooms to die for and the advantage that they registered with the local tourist board so have to maintain standards. So the only thing remains to you is to decide which Italian region you prefer the most!
4. Save on entrance fees to museums by visiting on days where free entrance is offered.Bear in mind that each year the Ministero dei Beni Culturali organises the "Settimana della Cultura" offering free entrances to museums and archeological sites during a week. The date for 2009 is from the 18th to the 26th of April.
5. Use trains / public transport to save on car rental and parking fees.Italy has upgraded many of its trains and provided that you avoid the early-morning rush hour, trains bring you right into the heart of the city.
6. In big cities look out for tourist cards that offer access to public services at reduced costs.
7. Try restaurants outside the city centre for great value – talk to the locals and find out where they go.
8. Check when Italian bank holidays are and stir clear of them – hotels and agriturismi will be less amenable to offering discounts as they know they will get an influx of Italian customers. Also restaurants will be more crowded.
9. Get as much information about the place you are visiting beforehand and even if you are not going on an organised tour try to define an itinerary for you. Good planning and information will ensure that you better enjoy your holidays and avoid expensive costs such as having to spend the night at the first hotel you find because you did not book in advance or expensive taxi trips because you got lost!
10. Look for self-catering accommodation – you'd be surprised at the number of hotels/agriturismo that also offer self-catering studio apartments or rooms for even just a couple of nights. This allows you to save on restaurant costs - and Italian supermarkets and food stores offer fantastic value of money with fresh produce that does not need any preparation. What can beat a mozzarella and fresh tomato salad with a rich collection of prosciutti, salami and cheeses on the side.
11. If you happen to be in London between the 26th and the 29th of March visit La Dolce Vita show – a great chance to talk directly with hotel owners and holiday providers and find some great bargains.
12. Join our forums and ask before you travel – there are many knowledgeable members that can help either by virtue of actually living in Italy full time or visiting there very often. Look at this example.