La Bella Vita is our regular look at the real culture of Italy – from language to cuisine, manners to art. This newsletter is published weekly and you can receive it directly to your inbox, by going to newsletter preferences in ‘My Account’ or following the instructions in the newsletter box below.
Though you may have not-too-distant memories of run-down trains trundling through the Italian countryside at a snail’s pace, overall rail services in Italy have improved significantly in the past two decades and journeys are becoming faster and more comfortable.
And trains are expected to play an ever-bigger part in Italy's tourism industry in the coming years after state-owned railway company Ferrovie dello Stato unveiled plans to introduce a number of tourist-focused services, known as Treni Turistici (or ‘Tourist Trains’), on some popular routes as well as lesser-known itineraries.
Following the launch of the first of these services in mid-December 2023, four new long-distance routes have been announced for this summer, with the popular Salento, Cinque Terre and Versilia regions all being among the planned destinations.
Where Italy's 'tourist trains' can take you this summer
Scorching temperatures are part and parcel of Italy’s summer months, especially August, which is usually the hottest time of year for most parts of the boot.
But if you’re planning on visiting Italy’s capital Rome in the coming weeks and are somewhat daunted by the prospect of traipsing around from one attraction to the other in sweltering heat, don’t worry.
Italy’s capital has some subterranean sites that will allow you to escape the caldo without sacrificing precious sightseeing time.
Five of the best underground sites to escape the heat in Rome
Finally, August is far from an ordinary summer month in Italy: millions of Italians head to their holiday destinations at pretty much the same time, with anything from private businesses to public offices closing for two to four weeks (to the delight of anyone looking to get any sort of paperwork done) and cities’ residential neighbourhoods emptying out almost completely.
But closed businesses and a spate of ‘ghost towns’ up and down the peninsula are not the only things you can expect if you find yourself in Italy this month. We’ve rounded up seven unmistakable signs that August is well and truly here in the article below.
The 7 signs that August has arrived in Italy
Remember if you’d like to have this weekly newsletter sent straight to your inbox you can sign up for it via Newsletter preferences in ‘My Account’.
Is there an aspect of the Italian way of life you’d like to see us write more about on The Local? Please get in touch at news@thelocal.it.
Comments