Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Customs Regulations
Visitors coming into Italy from non-EU countries can import the following items duty free:
»
1L spirits (or 4L wine)
»
200 cigarettes
»
up to a total of €430 (€150 for travellers aged under 15) for other goods, including perfume and eau de
toilette.
Anything over these limits must be declared on arrival and the appropriate duty paid. On leaving the EU,
non-EU citizens can reclaim any Value Added Tax (VAT) on any purchases over €154.94.
For more information, go to
www.agenziadogane.it
. See also
Click here
.
Discount Cards
Free admission to many galleries and cultural sites is available to youths under 18 and seniors over 65 years
old. In addition, visitors aged between 18 and 25 often qualify for a 50% discount. In many cases, these dis-
counts only apply to EU citizens. In our reviews, we have indicated this by using the description 'reduced'
when citing admission charges.
When in Florence, consider purchasing a
Firenze Card
(
www.firenzecard.it
;
€72), which is valid for 72
hours and covers admission to 72 museums, villas and gardens in Florence, as well as unlimited use of pub-
lic transport.
You can also often save money with a
biglietto cumulativo
(combined ticket), which allows admission to
a number of associated sights for less than the combined cost of separate admission fees.
Youth, Student & Teacher Cards
If you're aged under 30, the European Youth Card (
Carta Giovani Europea
;
www.cartagiovani.it
,
ht-
tp://eyca.org
;
€5-19 depending on where it is purchased) offers thousands of discounts on Italian hotels, mu-
seums, restaurants, shops and clubs and is available for purchase online. Student, teacher or youth travel
cards (
www.isic.org
)
can save you money on flights to Italy and are available worldwide from student uni-
ons, hostelling organisations and youth travel agencies such as
STA Travel
(
www.statravel.com
)
. Options
include the International Student Identity Card (for full-time students), International Teacher Identity Card
(for full-time teachers) and the International Youth Travel Card (for travellers under 26 years).
Note that many places in Italy give discounts according to age rather than student status. An ISIC may not
always be accepted without proof of age (eg passport).
