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DISCOVER ITALY

Seven of the best winter experiences in Italy

While its sun-soaked beaches attract holidaymakers from all over the world in the summer, Italy also offers some great winter experiences.

Published: 18 December 2023 16:15 CET
Updated: 23 December 2023 08:20 CET
Taking to the slopes is just one of the activities on offer during an Italian winter.
Taking to the slopes is just one of the activities on offer during an Italian winter. Photo by MIGUEL MEDINA / AFP.

1. Go skiing

Italy’s ski resorts offer some of the best slopes in the world, attracting both international holidaymakers and resident day-trippers.

From the big names of the Alps like Cortina d’Ampezzo and Courmayeur to the often cheaper resorts of Abruzzo, there’s something to suit every budget and skill level.

READ ALSO: From experts-only to family-friendly: 12 of the best Italian ski resorts

And if you’re not that confident on skis, why not try tobogganing or sipping on some mulled wine (vin brulé) or hot chocolate (cioccolata calda) at a lodge while your friends undertake death-defying mountain stunts? 

2. Soak in a hot spring 

If you’re feeling the need to warm up after a day on the slopes, head to one of Italy’s famous hot springs.

The historical region of Tuscia in central Italy, encompassing parts of modern-day Lazio, Tuscany and Umbria, is one of the areas where you’ll find the best natural springs: from the steaming turquoise pools of Saturnia to the snow-like calciferous formations of Bagni San Filippo.

In northern towns like Merano or Bormio, meanwhile, you’ll have access to a mountain view while you lie back and soak in a spa resort.

The hot springs in Saturnia are among the most picturesque in Italy. Photo by Alexis rodriguez on Unsplash

3. Snack on panettone and pandoro

Winter means it’s time to indulge in Italy’s rival Christmas treats: the panettone and pandoro.

Both are light-as-feather, brioche-like cakes that are to be torn into, more than sliced: perfect for daytime, snacking, dessert, or even breakfast. Some families pick one over the other, while others enjoy both equally.

READ ALSO: Five Italian Christmas desserts you should try

Other traditional festive foods include torrone, a nut-dotted nougat; panforte, a dense Tuscan fruitcake; and struffoli, sweet fried dough balls from Naples.

4. Hit the Christmas markets

If you’re craving mulled wine and other Christmas treats, head to one of the markets in northern and central Italy. Those in the Dolomites area are very similar to the markets in Austria, while the ones in Verona and Florence are partnered with German associations.

READ ALSO: Italy’s Christmas markets: Where and when to visit in 2023

One caveat: Italy’s best Christmas markets are generally found no lower south than Tuscany. Southern parts of the country may not excel in this area, but they make up for it with equally appealing Christmas traditions:

People walk across a Christmas market in downtown Milan as snow falls on December 8, 2021.

People walk across a Christmas market in downtown Milan as snow falls in December 2021. Photo by MIGUEL MEDINA / AFP.

5. See a Christmas display

If you think you already know what a nativity scene is, be prepared for Italy to subvert your expectations.

From ‘living’ presepi in ancient cave towns like Matera to nativities made of sand, ice, and even bread, to floating and underwater nativities and hundreds of life-sized papier-mâché figures scattered over an entire town, Italy’s nativity scenes stretch the limits of the imagination.

READ ALSO: Where to catch Italy’s most impressive Christmas displays in 2023

And if it’s Christmas lights you want, it’s hard to rival some of Italy’s decorations, from the magical displays in Salerno on the Amalfi coast to a giant illuminated Christmas tree that lights up an entire hillside in Gubbio.

6. Hit the sales

Sales (saldi) are strictly regulated in Italy with just two times a year when shops slash prices, so bargain hunters need to be ready.

This year the winter sales start on January 5th (with one or two regional variations), and run from anywhere between mid-February till the start of April, depending on where you are in the country.

People walk past a clothing store announcing sales in Milan on January 5, 2018.
People walk past a clothing store announcing winter sales in Milan. Photo by MIGUEL MEDINA / AFP.

7. Visit a carnival

January and February can be depressing months in northern Europe, when Christmas is over and there’s little to dispel the gloom of the dark winter days. Not so in Italy, when carnival season is just kicking off.

READ ALSO: Beyond Venice: Seven of Italy’s most magical carnivals

Venice’s is the most famous, but towns and cities across the country have their own impressive carnevale traditions: Viareggio’s giant papier mache floats and Fano’s sweet-filled parade are just a couple of the carnivals worth visiting.

If you don’t mind getting a little dirty, Ivrea’s Battle of the Oranges, which commemorates a revolt against a medieval tyrant as well as the city’s struggle to defend against Napoleonic troops, is a sight to behold.

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TOURISM

Flights, hotels, beaches: How the cost of travel to Italy is rising this summer

Inflation may now be falling but the price of a summer holiday in Italy has risen again - by up to 20 percent compared to last year.

Published: 24 June 2024 10:53 CEST
Flights, hotels, beaches: How the cost of travel to Italy is rising this summer

Italian consumer rights groups said last year that the summer of 2023 would be remembered as “the most expensive ever” for travel. But 2024 has already smashed that record, according to the latest price surveys.

The rising cost of air fares, ferry tickets, hotels, restaurants and beach clubs add up to mean a holiday in Italy will be 15-20 percent more expensive this summer compared to last year, according to a survey conducted by the Assoutenti consumer research centre in June.

While price rises in recent years have been attributed to Covid and rising inflation, which is no longer thought to be a factor, this year Assoutenti said high demand was pushing up prices amid the post-pandemic tourism boom.

Prices in Italy were “out of control as a consequence of the resumption of tourism, after the stop imposed by Covid, and the record number of foreign visitors recorded in the last year,” the survey’s authors wrote, calling on the government to take measures to contain price increases.

READ ALSO: ltaly set for summer tourism boom as bookings increase again

They warned that more Italian families were likely to “give up the summer holidays this year, not being able to face an expense that increases from year to year,” and that those who do travel may book shorter trips to keep costs down.

Some 6.5 million Italians say they won’t be going on holiday this summer at all, with half citing economic difficulties, according to a separate survey commissioned by price comparison website Facile.it.

Meanwhile, there had been a nine percent increase this year in applications for personal loans for travel purposes, the survey found.

Flight prices

One of the biggest factors was the cost of air fares, as both domestic and international flights to and from Italy were found to be more expensive again this year.

While the cost of flights between European countries had fallen slightly following inflation-driven price hikes in 2023, Italy was bucking the trend.

Italy’s flight costs had risen instead, according to recent analysis in Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera, with the average price of a summer flight between Italy and the rest of Europe up by seven percent and domestic flights by 21 percent.

READ ALSO: Why are flight prices higher in Italy than the rest of Europe this summer?

Industry sources suggest the price increase is again down to unprecedented demand, while consumer groups say the main culprit is a lack of competition on the Italian market.

Transport costs

There were price hikes too for those using other modes of transport, with the rising cost of fuel and motorway tolls in Italy named as another contributing factor in the Assoutenti survey.

Ferry tickets were also more expensive, it found, with the average increase this August at +6.3 percent compared to 2023.

Hotels and B&Bs

For a family of four, the Assoutenti survey found the most expensive place to stay in Italy this summer was Porto Cervo, Sardinia, where the average price of a week’s three-star accommodation in August came to 3,500 euros.

The cheapest options were found to be Bibione, outside Venice (872 euros) and Rapallo in Liguria (909).

READ ALSO: Tourist tax: How much is it increasing in Italy’s cities this year?

The cost of accommodation at coastal destinations had risen by 23 percent on average overall, a separate survey by consumer group Altroconsumo found.

Hotels in cities were found to be a less expensive option, with most Italian families heading for the beach or mountains to escape the heat.

Restaurants

Adding to the overall cost, prices also continued to rise this year at restaurants in holiday resorts and at beach clubs: Assoutenti recorded an average increase for the catering sector of +3.5 percent on 2023.

Beaches

Renting sunbeds and umbrellas at Italy’s beach clubs is seen as a necessity by many Italian families – and often by international visitors too, given the lack of free options in many areas.

This too was becoming more expensive in 2024, with the average daily rate for a slot at one of Italy’s private beach clubs up by more than five percent on last year. Prices had also risen by as much as 11 percent between 2022 and 2023.

Beachgoers can now expect to pay around €30-35 for two sun loungers and a beach umbrella for the day on average, though prices can rise as high as €90 in Salento and €120 in parts of Sardinia.

Both private and free-access beaches in Italy also increasingly require advance booking due to higher demand.

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