Italy: regions, best time to travel, getting there, admission and costs 2026

Italy suits you if you want to combine excavations, art museums, lakes and coasts in a single trip. 62 Italian sites are on UNESCO's World Heritage List (as of September 2026). Among passengers from Germany, the country ranked 3rd of 211 destination countries abroad in 2025 (our own analysis, Destatis).

What is new in 2026 is above all what admission costs. At the Trevi Fountain in Rome you have paid €2 for the inner area of the fountain since 2 February, and the Pantheon has cost €7 instead of €5 since 1 July. Since 2026, 4 October has also been a national holiday.

Italy is a poorer fit if you handle heat badly and can only go south in high summer. In Catania-Sigonella in Sicily the mean high in July and August is a good 33 °C (1971–2000 normals). In winter the north brings fog: Milan-Linate counts an average of 21.4 foggy days in January.

Getting there from Germany

In 2025, 7,275,449 passengers flew from Germany whose last known destination was in Italy, not counting those changing planes abroad. That is 3rd place among 211 destination countries abroad. Rome-Fiumicino led (1,295,584), followed by Milan-Malpensa (677,217), Milan-Linate (576,880), Venice (565,964), Naples (503,959) and Catania (475,782).

Most boarded in Frankfurt (1,805,952) and Munich (1,784,992), then in Berlin Brandenburg (1,058,396). The strongest month was September, the weakest January. The basis is the statistics of the 22 main German airports (Destatis); totals, rank and breakdown are our own analysis.

Rome-Fiumicino (FCO): Leonardo Express for €14

The Leonardo Express runs non-stop to Roma Termini in 32 minutes, every 15 or 30 minutes depending on the time of day (timetable valid until 12 December 2026). The journey costs €14 (fare since 28 October 2024). A taxi takes you for a flat €55 per car to destinations inside the Aurelian Walls (as of July 2026). More about the city is in the Rome travel guide.

Milan-Malpensa (MXP) and Linate (LIN)

The Malpensa Express takes about 37 minutes to Milano Cadorna and about 51 minutes to Centrale, and costs €15. Two adults and two children aged 4 to 17 pay €36 together with the “Malpensa Family” ticket (as of September 2026). To Linate, metro line M4 takes 12 minutes from the centre according to the airport, with the normal ATM ticket for €2.20.

Venice (VCE): express bus in 20 minutes

According to the timetable, the ATVO express bus takes 20 minutes from Marco Polo airport to Piazzale Roma. A journey costs €12, return €20 (timetable valid since 1 February 2026).

Catania (CTA): Alibus for €4

The Alibus runs into the city every 25 minutes from 4:40 to 0:30 and costs €4. With the same ticket you can also change to other AMTS city buses within 90 minutes (as of September 2026). Ash from Etna can close the airport at short notice: most recently, after an eruption, it suspended flights from 26 September 2026 (as of 28 September 2026). The airport reports current operations on its website.

Regions and destinations at a glance

In brackets is the year of inscription on the UNESCO World Heritage List (as of September 2026). Passengers from Germany in 2025: our own analysis, Destatis.

The high-speed train from Rome to Florence takes about an hour and a half (according to italia.it, as of September 2026). The Uffizi open Tuesday to Sunday from 8:15 to 18:30. The named ticket costs €25 on the day of the visit, or €29 if bought in advance (as of September 2026).

From Naples, the Circumvesuviana towards Sorrento stops at the Pompei Villa dei Misteri station by the Porta Marina entrance. Pompeii has cost €20 for the ancient city since 12 January 2026, or €25 with suburban villas and shuttle bus. Since 15 November 2024 every ticket has carried your name, and the park requires an ID card or passport for this.

For Venice's old town, an access fee applied in 2026 on 60 days from April to July. Anyone who paid by the fourth day before the visit at the latest got away with €5; at shorter notice it cost €10. It was not charged on the smaller islands; the source consulted gives no dates for 2027.

You can also reach the Dolomites by train: the journey from Munich to Bolzano takes less than four hours, five times a day without changing. Sky Alps offers direct flights to Bolzano, including from Berlin, Hamburg and Düsseldorf (as of September 2026).

From Catania airport it is 51 km by road to Taormina and 60 km to Syracuse (as of September 2026). You can reach La Pelosa beach in Sardinia from 15 May to 15 October 2026 only with a reservation, for €3.50 per person and with 1,500 places a day.

Best time to travel

1971–2000 normals from the weather service of the Italian Air Force (Aeronautica Militare): mean high and low and precipitation by month.

In Catania-Sigonella only 27.5 mm of rain falls from June to August combined, and in July the temperature reaches 30 °C on 27.2 days. Milan-Linate records 920.1 mm a year, a good twice as much as Catania (our own total). In May the highs are 22.3 °C in the north and 25.2 °C in the south.

Getting around the country

Train

Trenitalia and Italo link the big cities with high-speed trains, more than 300 times a day between them. Journey times according to italia.it (as of September 2026):

The sources consulted give no fixed prices for express trains. A fixed price does apply, for example, on the regional train Milano Centrale–Como San Giovanni: about 40 minutes without changing, 2nd class a good €5 (as of September 2026). You have to validate some tickets at the station before travelling (according to italia.it, as of September 2026).

Driving and roads

On the motorway the limit is 130, in precipitation 110. Outside built-up areas it is 110 or 90 km/h depending on the type of road, and 50 in built-up areas (Codice della strada, version since 14 December 2024). If you have held your driving licence for less than three years, the limit for you on motorways is 100 (Art. 117).

Outside built-up areas you drive with dipped headlights or daytime running lights even by day. Above 0.5 per mille you face a fine of €543 to €2,170, and above 0.8 per mille it is a criminal offence. Under 21 years of age and in the first three years with a driving licence, an absolute ban on alcohol applies (as of September 2026).

Most motorways charge tolls. Usually you take a ticket when joining and pay on leaving the toll section, in cash or by card (according to italia.it, as of September 2026). On the A18 in Sicily, for example, Messina Sud–Catania Nord costs €3.80 in class A (rate since 1 January 2026).

An EU driving licence is valid in Italy. Many hire companies only release cars from the age of 21 or 23 (according to italia.it, as of September 2026). From Catania airport to Palermo it is 209 km by road.

Domestic flights and ferries

According to italia.it, Italy has about 40 small and medium-sized airports, and many domestic flights go to Sicily and Sardinia. Ferries and fast boats run to the islands all year round (as of September 2026).

Money and costs

Payment is in euros, in cash or with the usual credit cards. With a tip of about 10% you show that you were satisfied; it is not compulsory (according to italia.it, as of September 2026).

Tourist tax

Provincial capitals and tourist and art cities may charge up to €5 per night. Provincial capitals with twenty times as many overnight stays as inhabitants may go above that (law as amended on 12 August 2026). In Rome you pay €6 in a B&B and €3.50 in a hostel, for a maximum of 10 nights in a row. From 1 April to the end of 2026 Milan charges €9.50 in a holiday apartment and a B&B, in each case per person and night.

Practical information

Italy is on the same time as Germany, and daylight saving time ends on 25 October in 2026. The official language is Italian; a law also protects minority languages, including Ladin and Sardinian. With a German mobile contract you pay domestic prices thanks to the EU roaming rule (as of September 2026).

The European emergency number 112 is free of charge. You can also reach the medical emergency service on 118, and the ACI breakdown assistance on 803.116 (as of September 2026).

National holidays include 25 April, 2 June, 15 August (Ferragosto) and 1 November. Since 2026, 4 October has been added, the Day of St Francis of Assisi. Government offices, offices and most businesses close then, but bars, ice cream parlours and restaurants do not. People usually sit down to dinner between 19:30 and 23:00 (according to italia.it, as of September 2026).

What applies to entry, safety and health is always kept up to date by the German Foreign Office.

Who Italy is not for

• Anyone who avoids heat but can only travel in high summer: In Catania-Sigonella the mean high in July and August is above 33 °C. 30 °C is reached on 27 to 28 days a month (1971–2000 normals).
• Anyone looking for clear winter days in the north: Milan-Linate counts an average of 91.1 foggy days a year (our own total), 21.4 in January alone.
• Anyone who wants to head spontaneously for the best-known sites: The Colosseum and Pompeii sell only tickets with a name. The Last Supper in Milan is by reservation only.
• Anyone counting every euro on accommodation: The tourist tax costs up to €10 per person and night in Rome and up to €12 in Milan in 2026.
• Anyone who wants to drive without many rules: Most motorways charge tolls, and you cannot drive into the ZTL areas of the old towns without a permit.
• Anyone flying to Sicily with no room for manoeuvre: Ash from Etna can close Catania airport at short notice, most recently from 26 September 2026.