Guide to Italy
Holidays in Italy is an opportunity to meet the whole family’s interests. Enjoy an eventful holiday in Italy that tickles all your senses.
Below follows information about what you can expect of a holiday in Italy.
Danitalia started back in 1998 in Lucca in Tuscany. The main idea behind the agency was to advise people, to be sure they booked excatly the holiday home which suited their needs best but we also also wanted to share our great local knowledge.
We still work like this.
See all our holiday homes in Italy here.
If you have special interests, send us a message here.
Let us help you find the area of Italy that best suits you.
Experiences in nature during your holidays in Italy
Italy is the whole world in one country.
No matter where you choose to spend your holidays, within a short drive you will discover a completely different landscape. This also means that there can be considerable differences in the climate which is worth thinking about, when you choose where in Italy you will spend your holidays and during which season. Keep in mind that Italy is a long country; the more south you go, the warmer and sunny you will find the climate.
If you want a varied holiday in Italy we warmly recommend Tuscany.
Especially if you choose the area of Lucca or Pisa you will experience how the coast change from soft sandy beaches into cliffs and how softly rolling hills change into steep mountains.
Close to Siena there is a very characteristic landscape called ”Crete Senesi” which can only be found here. Very barren nature.
Generally the distances are short so no matter where you choose to go on holiday in Italy, you will be able to find great natural beauty within a short drive.
Holidays in Italy - visit small authentic fortress villages
If you are flying into Italy and don’t want to rent a car, we would recommend you to stay in one of the major cities. Public transport does not work so well between the smaller villages. If you rent a car it gives you the opportunity to experience the authentic villages and the ancient fortress villages. It is in the countryside that you will find the real Italy. Here you will find the hospitality, the characteristic small restaurants without menus and the squares with children playing while the grandparents are watching them.
Depending on how far in the countryside you get, you will get the feeling that time has stopped. Sit down at a local bar with a glass of wine, enjoy that there is no wifi and look at the locals’ everyday life passing by.
Beware that recently many Italian city centers have been closed to traffic. Signs are indicating “zona traffico limitato” and you are not allowed to drive here. It is not always easy to understand where these areas start.
Italy - shopping on your holidays
Italy is the land of fashion.
All the larger towns are full of clothes and shoe shops that can satisfy even the most demanding shopping enthusiast. You will find many well-known brands but we would like to encourage you to buy as much as possible in the small, local shops.
Skip chain stores and department stores, it can make a big difference for the locals if you are aware of where you buy. Help them to preserve the authentic atmosphere, the one you also are looking for when travelling to Italy. Thank you in advance!
Are you looking for brands, choose those that have been produced in Italy. Most factories have their own outlet store, which you can visit. They sell excess production or articles with minor error at lower prices.
Eat and be happy - during your holidays in Italy
Italians are proud of their gastronomic traditions and care about them. The recipes are passed on from generation to generation and they are all based on local produce. It dates back to when Italy was an agricultural country with no infrastructure. One had to use what was at hand.
You will find different dishes, depending on which area you choose for your holidays but you will always eat very good in Italy!
Do always start the dinner with an antipasto – a good little starter. The restaurants often serve “Antipasti misti” so you can taste a bit of everything. The pasta is a must for your holiday in Italy. You will be amazed how many pasta dishes there really are and how different they are, depending on the region where you are. It’s a whole science to fit together the right kind of pasta with the right “sugo” (sauce) so that it comes into its own.
It’s easy to be a vegetarian or keep meat free days during a stay in Italy. There is a selection of dishes based only on mellowed, vitamin-filled vegetables.
Most restaurants is now also serving gluten-free dishes.
Wine on your trip in Italy
Italy is the only country in the world where every region produces its own wine. This means that not all grapes are growing on the sunny, rolling hills of Tuscany. Some grapes are growing high in the mountains, others by the coast and the taste is influenced by the salt winds.
The different conditions can be felt in the taste so try to taste the wine from the area where you live. In this way, you support local producers and small vineyards. At the restaurant, you should ask the waiter what wine is recommended from the area, thus the wine experience will be a part of your gastronomic journey through Italy.
Wine is a part of the culture in Italy and it is almost unthinkable to enjoy a meal without. Both everyday and for special occasions.
Holidays in Italy with sport
During a holiday in Italy, you have ample opportunities to practice your favorite sport. On the coast, you can not only swim but also for example go windsurfing. No matter where you live, you will probably find a golf course within driving distance. Many people bring their bicycles; the roads are busier than what we are used to but the drivers are good at showing respect. You can also walk or run in the beautiful countryside or along the beach. Most cities in Italy also has a gym and fitness center where you can pay a daily ticket to practice.
Our way of working, with continuous control of all the dwellings and with personal contact with the house owners, makes it impossible for us to cover the whole territory of Italy. For this reason we have selected the regions we think is most exciting for you for your holiday in Italy.
See all of our homes in Italy here or contact us for advice.
“Our mission is to give our customers an authentic experience of the Italian culture and heritage.”
