It is generally acknowledged that Italy is one of the most beautiful and interesting countries on earth.

Visiting Italy, from Venice in the north to Sicily in the south, you will find that the wonderful contrasts of scenery, food, lifestyle and culture are totally absorbing. Italy has more Unesco World Heritage Sites to visit than any other country in the world and its great cities: Rome, Venice and Florence, have been the favourite destinations of tourists for centuries.

In addition to visiting these treasures, Italian holidays can offer some of the best skiing, hiking, swimming, scuba diving and sailing to be found anywhere on the planet.

Aside from all of that, there is nothing better than people watching with a cup of coffee in the piazza, or enjoying a glass of wine over a long, lingering, Mediterranean lunch in the sunshine.

So, what should the first-time visitor to Italy aim to see? Here is a selection of favourite locations for Italy vacations:

• The unique Grande Canal in Venice
• The rolling, cypress covered hills of Tuscany
• The ancient and enduring beauty of Rome
• The sunny, holiday romance of Capri and Amalfi
• The white sandy beaches and crystal clear waters of Sardinia
• The exotic, baroque beauty of Sicily

The choice of Italian holidays is endless, and although never far away from each other, these sites would take more than a lifetime to fully appreciate. But it's never too late to start - Visit Italy!

Our 'Visiting Italy' pages will provide all the information that a tourist needs to know when visiting Italy. For those looking for flights, there is a list of Italian airports, complete with links to each of their websites.

On the 'Getting around Italy' page, there is a description of transport links around Italy, together with the train and bus timetables. And finally, there is a list of hotels, agriturismos and bed and breakfasts in various areas of the country.

Italy also has a range of 'Alberghi Diffusi', which are a type of hotel developed from sympathetically renovating a series of traditional buildings, rather than the multi-storey structure of a conventional hotel. An 'Albergo Diffuso' offers the comfort of a private house together with the services and facilities associated with international hotels.

The locations listed on the right will provide some of the most memorable Italian holidays - click on an image to find out more information about each location and don't forget to visit our 'Useful Phrases' page, where you can find the essential 'tourist' vocabulary for holidays in Italy. There are a number of Italian Language Schools, listed on the left, which provide cultural elements to their classes, enabling visitors to immerse themselves in the culture of italy while having a holiday and learning the language - "Ottimo!".

Italy is one of the best countries in Europe for Golf Holidays, with some high quality golf courses set in beautiful locations. In our 'Golf in Italy' section, you will find a list of all the golf clubs and resorts in Italy.

Italy is also a fabulous place for a sailing holiday. In our section 'Sailing in Italy', you will find a description of all the best italian sailing areas, plus some other useful information for those thinking of taking an Italian sailing holiday.