Italy is one of the great countries on the planet. Wandering it is the best way to experience it. Go ahead, just land somewhere and take off with your backpack on foot, or by train...or Alfa Romeo.

If you like the Sicilian Baroque, you'll love the Val di Noto. Our map and guide will empower you to get there.

David Downie of Wandering Liguria writes of his home city of Paris for Wandering France.

Sure, everybody knows about the famous Palladian Villas of the Veneto, but you don't have to go to that corner of Italy to see clusters of some darned interesting Villas--you can head outside the walls of Lucca to see the Lucca Historical Villas.

Rome not Your Cup o' Tea? See our Things to do in Italy page in partnership with Viator.

Florence is clogged with tourists. Thus, I've created the Curmudgeonly Guide to Interesting Florence Tours.

Getting a new iPad? Got an iPhone? Planning a trip to Tuscany? We have the mobile app for hungry vacationers. It's called Tuscany for Foodies, and it's available now in the app store: Tuscany for Foodies. Over 130 restaurants, caffes, cooking schools and market tours, food guides and even how to manage a "real" Italian meal.

Want to find out about a Sardinian artist who makes rocks sing? See our Pinuccio Sciola Video.

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Thinking of visiting the Vatican Museums? See our suggestions: Rome Vatican Museum Tickets

It's new: Get our travel tips in your inbox: The Free Wandering Europe Newsletter.

Specifically designed clothing to hold your iPad and other travel stuff so you can travel with fewer or smaller bags? Check out Scottevest.

Opera at the arena in Verona? Check our new Verona Weather and Climate Page, which also includes info on hotels, hostels and travel information.

Lucca is a great walled city. See our Lucca Video and then see the Lucca Map. Need someplace smaller? Well, Fivizzano is to the north.

Need a spa? Want some romantic relaxation? See our Montecatini Terme Map.

Like to explore a village of cave houses in Puglia? We have the details: The Ravine of Petruscio Map and Travel Information.

See the best Ferrara attractions on our Ferrara Map. There's a video of Ferrara Flag Throwers. They're good.

Looking for a peace and quiet in a alpine setting where you can take a cooking class, hike, rent a mountain bike or just relax in fresh air? See this: Bella Baita Video Tour.

Ah, Roma! If you can't go in October (the very best time: Rome weather) then go anytime. We have some information to help you from getting ripped off by Rome's notorious renegade taxi drivers: Rome Taxis.

My latest Italy mussings: How to Find a Place to Stay in Italy. There's also pages on Self Catering in Italy, and my favorite vacation apartments, homes and villas: Recommended Self Catering Rentals in Italy.

And just in case you might want to buy a place permanently, we have Tips for Buying Property in Italy to save you some headaches.

Need a car in Italy? Please consider buy back leases if you're staying in Europe a while: Buy Back Leases Explained.

I've been rethinking Italian Rail Passes these days. I haven't bought one in over a decade, but now that I've done the math, I'm thinking I've made a very big mistake. See: Italy Rail Passes for some facts and figures.

Want to see how Tuscan artisans produce winter pork? We have a slide show on how pigs are butchered in my neck of the Tuscan woods, the Lunigiana: Tuscan Pork Butchering. Coming is a slideshow on the production of sausage, Tuscan salami, and mortadella from the same pig.

We've added Lake Como Weather and Climate to our Weather Pages.

Want to see opera in a Roman arena? Verona is the place for you. We have a Verona Map and Travel Information page for you. And if you like Verona for romantic reasons, see our Romantic Verona Video.

Want to get up to date deals on flights? See our Airfare Special Deals page. Then again: you can use Priceline.com Airfare and Choose your EXACT flight & time.

Know what you need to know to plan a rail tour of Italy? Here's a page that will allow you to see how much a ticket costs when you buy it in the US, and some info on when or when not to buy a rail pass: Italy by Rail and a large Italy Train Map. To zoom in to one of Italy's compelling rail lines, see our Torino to Trieste Rail Map.

If you want to experience Italy as a native, you'll have to rent a vacation house and shop for food occasionally. That's not a bad thing, but it might require a bit of know-how to get what you want from the deli counter. Perhaps you need to know How to Buy Salami. Believe me, you'll eat well and save on the meals and lodging. And hot off the presses is How to Buy Chicken in Italy. Of course, if you didn't want to cook and were stuck out in the countryside, you'd want to take in a sagra, where the food is local, good, and cheap, and there the action is in a small town, especially in summer. How do you find out about such food festivals? You notice the posters and read them. Of course, they're in Italian, so you'll likely need help interpreting them: Reading Sagra Posters.

We've had fun with our new and pocketable Sony HDR-TG1 4MP High Definition Handycam Camcorder, preparing to take it to Italy in three weeks and flood the market with compelling video.

Travel like me (or at least use the same online tools I use): Travel Deals

And if you are thinking about doing Italy a favor and letting them make fun of your driving, you might want to take a look at our brand new, interactive, Autostrada Map. Get some idea of how the system operates, plus where Italy's toll roads will take you and how far it is until you get there, or check out other Maps of Italy.

Of course, you can get around by Low Cost Airlines in Italy as well. Our list and transportation toolbox can help you get around Italy in the Air.

Climate is important for the traveler to Italy, especially if you're contemplating a trip in the "off" season. We've begun assembling some historic weather data for Italy's top tourist hot spots. Check out: Italy's Climate and Weather for a clickable map leading to lots of information on surviving the weather challenges you'll come across during the year.

The Wandering Italy Store is open! find recommended travel guides, maps, and other favorite travel stuff.

Wandering Italy - The Blog

Keep up with our wanderings in the Lunigiana of Northern Tuscany in the spring and fall, and our philosophic and sometimes foodie scribblings when we're home in the US.

Wandering Italy Blog

Everyone Goes to Florence, Italy

Winter Food

Do You Need a Car to Visit Italy?

Rebuilding Vernazza, a pixel at a time

Instagram - Travel Pictures Oddly Rendered

See more deals and find out which online resources I use to plan my travel in Italy and the rest of Europe: Italy Travel Specials.

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Italy is one of the great countries on the planet. Wandering it is the best way to experience it. Go ahead, just land somewhere and take off with your backpack on foot, or by train...or Alfa Romeo.

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