Travel in city Venice

Travel experienced a boom in 2023, with visitor numbers in many hotspot destinations returning to pre-pandemic levels.

Back in the days when I was a student living in Venice, before Google Maps and GPS systems, getting lost was a frequent occurrence. I’d often find myself wandering around the picturesque waterways, stumbling across tiny squares, crumbling bridges and hidden, narrow walkways, in the quest to find somewhere. One minute, I could be a piazza teaming with tourists and, next, it was not uncommon to suddenly find myself in a narrow calle, with no one around, hearing the echoes of my footsteps against the lapping of the green-hued canal water. Coming from London and knowing my way around that vast city, this, at first, felt like a painful start to becoming a resident here. Yet, quickly, this feeling was superseded by a sense of joy, especially when discovering hidden treasures off the beaten track. Going off the tourist paths is the fastest way to discover the real sense of this ancient city.

Caffe Florian claims to be the oldest café in Italy, and the second-oldest in Europe. It's also the stuff of legend. The Venetian café was where some of history's most revered writers — including Goethe, Lord Byron, and Charles Dickens — hung out. And in more recent years, modern celebrities — from Elton John to Clint Eastwood — were spotted.

One of the most picturesque destinations in the world will get easier to travel to. Salerno Costa d’Amalfi Airport will open as a commercial airport beginning in July 2024. The Italian airport is also getting improvements that are expected to eventually serve 6 million passengers annually.

It’s seemingly a perfect marriage.

The European Union has more than 7,000 miles of high-speed rail, connecting dozens of cities around the continent.

Europe's ETIAS online travel authorisation has been delayed until 2025.

Many destinations around the world have become more expensive to visit in recent years as governments increasingly levy tourist taxes.

A top cruise line has cut the iconic city of Venice from its itineraries in 2024 and 2025 as the Italian destination continues to clamp down on visitors.

From the US to Europe, I'm no stranger to overnight trains.

A new Italian law requires platforms like Airbnb to collect and remit tourist taxes in Italy. It starts Thursday, February 15, and Airbnb said it will comply beginning with more than 1,200 towns and cities.

Norwegian Cruise Line is saying arrivederci to Venice, cutting the canal city from its cruise itineraries in 2024 and 2025.

La dolce vita awaits in one of the most visited countries of the world: Italy. But when it comes to the best places to visit in Italy, travelers should know there is a lot more than just the typical tourist hot spots of Rome, Venice and the Amalfi Coast. Going beyond the traditional city limits can reveal plenty of exciting places to visit in Italy in 2024. Here are some top favorites of the best places to visit in Italy and add to your travel bucket list.

I've never been a light packer, and also find it overwhelming to put together outfits while on my vacation.

Scores of travelers trek to Italy each year in order to experience the country’s majestic landscapes, fascinating culture, artistic treasures and renowned cuisine. Visitors flock to Rome, Venice, Milan and Florence for a true taste of Italian flare.

To hold Dolce Vita—the new silk-swathed hardcover released by luxury publisher Assouline—in my hands feels as though I am embracing the essence and sensuousness of Italy itself. Sweet Life! Written by Italy connoisseur Cesare Cunaccia, this hefty (10-by-13-inch, 6.4-pound, 320-page) coffee-table tome showcases almost 200 expressive and evocative photographs that invite lovely lingering perusal. If you’re seeking an armchair traveler’s page-turner for yourself to kick off 2024 or a Valentine’s Day gift for a dreamer of things bellissimo, thispleases aplenty. Dolce Vita is a visual joy ride, chic and engaging. Indeed, gazing at its images fuels my fantasies of sliding onto a Vespa or into an Alfa Romeo, breezily wheeling from Venice to Milan to Genoa to Florence to Rome to Naples to Sorrento and beyond, through undulating verdant landscapes and glistening seaside ports, savoring fantastic cuisine, then sailing to Sicily for more. Prego!

Following the announcement of new tourist rules for Venice launching this year, the platform for visitors to purchase the €5 fee to enter the city for day-trippers launched today, allowing visitors to make their payment before visiting the city. The fee does not apply for visitors that stay overnight in the city. The authorities in Venice have officially enforced the entry fee, also known as the Venice Access Fee, for day visitors sightseeing in the ancient City of Canals during 29 designated dates in the year. The initiative aims to strike a balance between preserving the daily life of Venice residents and providing an exceptional experience for visitors.

Cyprus, Malta, Albania, and other underrated destinations had some of the highest tourism growth rates in Europe last year, according to Eurostat’s latest data. 

When your wedding budget stretches into the millions, the possibilities are endless. So it’s no surprise that celebrities often choose to say their ‘I dos’ in exotic locales.

Good morning from Skift. It’s Wednesday, January 3. Here’s what you need to know about the business of travel today.