Catoctin Bike Tours

Along with London, Paris and New York, Milan and Rome are on the list of the famous fashion centers of the world. When you are on your Italy vacation you may not be able to help yourself but to indulge a little in this aspect of Italian culture. By all means make sure you visit the rolling hills of Florence, take a gondola trip through Venice and visit a vineyard in Tuscany. But don’t forget that you are in the country of the likes of Armani, Versace, Fendi, Prada and Valentino. If this at all interests you do find out if your visit coincides with any fashion exhibits or public fashion shows in Rome or Milan.

When you are in Rome make sure you visit the Vatican City but you must go to the original stores of all the Italian designers. You will not only see little old ladies in Italian villages while on vacation in Italy but when you arrive you will quickly realize that Italians have a very high fashion sense, care very much about their looks and are very sophisticated especially in Rome and Milan. You must visit the famous shopping strip Via Montenapoleone in Milan. Here you will find boutiques for Chanel, Dolce e Gabbana and Fendi along with numerous others. Even if your budget does not allow you to purchase anything, this will make for an unbelievable window shopping experience during your vacation in Italy. Many of these boutiques are open from 10 am till… Read the rest

If you are traveling to Italy for vacation, you need to be aware of some basics about the currency. Travelers are usually concerned with several questions. What is the currency conversion rate? Where can I change my dollars into Euros when I arrive? Can I use my travelers’ checks? Are ATM machines readily available? What if I need a larger amount of cash and I need a bank? Can I use my major credit card at many places? What about tax-free shopping?

These are all great questions to ask before you go on your Italy vacation and each one has an answer that will be addressed here. First of all it is important to know that Italy uses the European Euro. There is no “Italian currency.” One dollar ($1) is equivalent to approximately 0.70 euros. The currency conversion rate can fluctuate daily so it is best that you check for a more accurate figure before you leave for your vacation to Italy. You can find the most current exchange rate at The Universal Currency Converter website which is www.xe.com/ucc/

How can you get Euros once you arrive in Italy for your vacation? There will be an exchange office at the airport when you arrive. This is usually most accurate if you are arriving in a main city. Exchange offices may also be available at railway stations in the main cities. You can always also get Euros at any ATM or bank. This leads in to the next question about the… Read the rest

Villas are becoming an important part of planning for a vacation in Italy. In Roman culture a villa used to be a luxurious country house built by a member of the upper class as a second or third residence. It was not the main place of residence and city folks usually had 2 villas. One of the 2 villas could be easily reached from Rome if needed and the other was seasonally used and had servants permanently there to run it. After the nineteenth century, villas came to be used in reference to any type of single detached house that stood on its own with its own compound and unattached to any other homes or buildings.

As with all the architecture in Rome there are some famous villas that you could visit during your Italy vacation. But villas are also now rented by tourists all over Italy. Villas allow the privacy you may want away from the crowds during your Italy vacation and also allow you to cook and enjoy fresh locally grown Italian produce. Most villas are also close enough to shops and restaurants that if you choose to immerse yourself back into the hustle and bustle with everyone else, nothing is still too far away.

Today visitors to the Tuscany region will find a wide selection of villas to choose from if they prefer this option for their accommodations. Salogi Villas offers villas and farmhouses for rent. They have villas in Tuscany but also in Venice and are… Read the rest