Tourism in Italy

Paying more than €300 a week for a parasol and two sun loungers is no longer unusual. In 2026, beach club prices have risen again. Codacons estimates a year-on-year increase of 12.9%, while Altroconsumo reports a 6% rise compared with 2025 and a 24% increase over five years. It is a sizeable cost for holiday budgets, with major differences between resorts and even between rows of parasols. A price comparison based on 222 beach clubs across 10 destinations shows where costs are highest and where a better deal may still be found.

A 3,000-year-old poem is becoming a modern travel itinerary. Since the cinema release of the blockbuster Odyssey on 16 July, locations selected by Christopher Nolan have climbed to the top of travellers’ searches.

One place in Italy has been ranked Europe’s happiest tourist destination. The village on the Amalfi Coast achieved a perfect score of 100 out of 100 in a study measuring where travellers experience the most genuine joy. But how is a place’s happiness measured? A recent study by JustCover attempted to answer that by analysing more than one million reviews left by tourists at all kinds of venues: attractions, national parks, viewpoints, resorts and iconic destinations across 155 of the world’s most popular places.

August in Italy revolves around Ferragosto, the public holiday on 15 August, when plenty of shops and smaller businesses close and cities can feel unusually quiet.

Walking among stone walls, towers rising above the hills, and cobbled lanes that seem frozen in time is an experience Italy does particularly well. The most beautiful medieval villages in Italy tell the story of an era shaped by castles, Romanesque churches and communities perched high up for protection, places that have since become popular travel destinations.

August is Italy’s busiest holiday month, and prices rise sharply in the country’s best-known seaside resorts.

A reopened flight route, a surname spotted on the village bell tower, a recipe scribbled in pencil: sometimes that is all it takes to trigger a return ticket.

Planning a trip to Italy should be about choosing the right piazza to stay near and arguing over which gelato flavour wins, not dealing with fraud.

Italy in summer has its own rhythm. Cities empty out, beaches fill up, dinners stretch late into the evening and daily life shifts around the heat. Many of the common mistakes tourists make in Italy during peak season aren’t about rudeness.

Castles have always carried an air of mystery, guarding fascinating stories: hidden secrets, traces of distant eras, and tales of nobles, ladies and knights. Across Italy, from north to south, there are castles, fortresses and strongholds that attract thousands of visitors each year, all keen to uncover their history and soak up the atmosphere as they wander through grand halls and silent courtyards.

Caorle immediately stands out for its historic center of pastel-colored houses overlooking the sea, a unique cylindrical bell tower in Italy, and a waterfront transformed into an open-air art gallery. For summer, this Veneto town also boasts two golden beaches, while its seafood cuisine is also worth considering.

Northern Italy in summer is all glistening lakes, pastel fishing villages, Alpine backdrops and long aperitivo evenings by the water.

July sits at the heart of the Italian summer and is traditionally the month packed with open-air events: fireworks over the lagoon, opera under the stars, jazz concerts in medieval alleyways, and a horse race that lasts less than ninety seconds but carries a year’s worth of passion. The journey stretches across the country, taking in Venice, Rome, Naples, Siena, Perugia and Genoa. Here’s what to do in Italy in July 2026.

Just outside Venice, hidden behind a grand villa and formal gardens, lies one of the most intricate historic mazes in Europe. At first glance, it looks orderly and symmetrical.

An Italian beach has introduced a strict umbrella ban for most adults and capped access at just 150 people at a time. There’s also a €10 entry fee and compulsory booking.

An archipelago town where sunsets set the Adriatic glowing, yet without the pressure of mass tourism.

From the I-Days in Milan to open-air gigs in Puglia’s parks, and on to the international buzz of Florence and Lucca, summer in Italy is once again one of the best times of year to catch live music.So which music festivals are taking place in Italy in summer 2026?

From the Piedmont hills to the shores of Lake Garda, to the Emilian Apennines, the heritage of medieval villages is rich and surprising. Northern Italy's medieval villages are among the most fascinating destinations for those seeking a weekend getaway immersed in history, art, and evocative landscapes.

If you’ve spent any time on an Italian beach, you’ll know it usually means hiring a sun umbrella and a couple of loungers at a privately managed beach club. What’s changed is the price.

June is the perfect month to kick off summer with an unforgettable holiday in Italy.

Italy is one of those countries that genuinely rewards slow travel.

High above the Valtiberina in eastern Tuscany sits a hilltop town where history isn’t boxed away in a museum but written into the streets and skyline.

Italy’s historic trains are returning to the tracks this year, linking the Alps, the Ligurian Riviera and the Langhe wine hills with a series of carefully curated Sunday journeys.

Toledo is considered a masterpiece of contemporary design and public art. Located on Line 1, in the heart of the city, it represents one of the most successful examples of the integration of urban infrastructure and cultural projects. It is not just a transportation hub, but a true tourist attraction.

Italy’s coastline remains one of Europe’s most captivating destinations in 2026.