First trip to Italy from India? Below is everything we wish someone had told us — Schengen paperwork, what to install before you fly, how to actually get from Fiumicino to your hotel, and how to eat well across five very different regional kitchens. Read it end-to-end before you book flights.
Prices in INR/EUR current as of early 2026. Schengen rules change — verify at vfsglobal.com/in/en/visa/italy before applying.
⚠️ Things to Take Care Of
Pickpockets are real in Rome (Termini, Trevi, metro lines A & B) and Naples — wear a crossbody bag in front, never keep your phone in a back pocket. At restaurants, always ask for the menu with prices before ordering (especially near tourist hotspots) and check the bill for a coperto (cover charge of €1.50–3 per person) — it's legitimate and standard, not a scam. Skip restaurants where touts wave you in or where the menu has photos. Tap water is safe everywhere — refill from the public nasoni drinking fountains in Rome. Most pharmacies (look for the green cross) don't stock common Indian medicines, so bring your own kit including basic antibiotics and anything for an unfamiliar-food stomach.
🛂 Visa Process (Indian Passport)
Italy is a Schengen visa country — apply through VFS Global if Italy is your primary destination (longest stay). Tourist visa fee is €80 (~₹7,300) + VFS service fee ~₹2,200. Processing takes 15 working days but applications open up to 6 months before travel — apply at least 4–6 weeks out. You'll need: passport with at least 3 months validity beyond return + 2 blank pages, two recent photos (35×45mm, white background), bank statements for the last 3 months (rule of thumb ~₹1 lakh per traveler per week), ITR for the last 2 years, confirmed flight reservation (NOT a paid ticket — use a hold service), all hotel bookings, day-by-day itinerary, travel insurance covering at least €30,000 medical, leave letter from your employer, and a cover letter. Don't pay for flights until your visa is in hand.
🛫 Before You Land
Buy an Airalo or Holafly Europe eSIM (5GB ~₹1,400, works across all Schengen) before you fly. Install these apps before takeoff: Google Maps with the Italy offline pack downloaded, Google Translate with Italian offline, Trenitalia and Italo for high-speed trains (book at least a week ahead for best fares), Omio for cross-checking routes and buses, and FreeNow or itTaxi for licensed taxis. Carry around ₹15,000 worth of EUR in cash — most places take cards but small bakeries, markets and ferry tickets are still cash-first. Book your big-ticket sights (Vatican Museums, Colosseum, Uffizi, Last Supper) before you land — same-day tickets are often sold out or require 2–3 hour queues.
🛬 After You Land
From Rome Fiumicino (FCO): take the Leonardo Express train (€14, 32 min direct to Termini). From Milan Malpensa (MXP): Malpensa Express (€13, 50 min to Centrale). From Naples Capodichino: the ALIBUS shuttle to the centre is €5. From Venice Marco Polo: the Alilaguna water bus (€15, ~75 min) or the cheaper ATVO bus to Piazzale Roma (€10). Withdraw your first batch of EUR from a bank-branded ATM (BNL, Intesa Sanpaolo, UniCredit) and decline the dynamic currency conversion when prompted — always pay in EUR for the best rate. Avoid the standalone Euronet ATMs in tourist zones; they tack on high fees.
🚄 Transport
Trenitalia Frecciarossa and Italo high-speed trains are the backbone: Rome → Florence ~1h 30m for €40–60, Rome → Naples ~1h 10m for €25–45, Florence → Venice ~2h for €50. Book a week or two ahead through the app for the cheapest fares — same-day walk-up prices easily double. Inside cities, buy a 24h or 72h transit pass (Roma 24h €7, Venice 72h €40, Florence 24h €5). For Amalfi Coast: SITA Sud buses (~€3 between towns, gorgeous but slow) or seasonal ferries from Salerno → Positano → Amalfi (faster, less queasy). Skip renting a car in city centres — Italy's ZTL (limited traffic zones) catch unsuspecting tourists with €100+ fines per violation. Taxis are metered and expensive (~€10 starting fare in Rome) — use FreeNow rather than hailing on the street.
🏨 Accommodation
Budget hostels like Generator (Rome, Venice, Florence) and YellowSquare run €30–55/night for dorms, €90–140 for private rooms. 3-star hotels in city centres run €100–180; B&Bs and guesthouses in the old quarters are often the sweet spot at €80–130 and far more characterful. Splurge at least one night on a cliffside hotel in Positano or Ravello (€250–500) — it's the Amalfi experience. Most cities charge a tourist tax of €2–7 per person per night, payable in cash at check-in (it's not in the booking price). Book 2–3 months ahead for the peak windows of late April–June and September–early October; July and August are hotter and pricier but the Amalfi Coast comes alive.
🍕 Food in a Nutshell
Italy is a vegetarian's dream after Japan — margherita pizza, pasta al pomodoro, aglio e olio, cacio e pepe, caprese, bruschetta, focaccia, arancini are all standard and everywhere. Vegan options are common in larger cities but harder in small Amalfi villages. Don't miss: Neapolitan pizza in Naples (Da Michele, Sorbillo, Di Matteo — pick one and queue), cacio e pepe in Rome (Roscioli or Felice a Testaccio), bistecca alla fiorentina in Florence (skip if veg — try truffle pasta instead), cicchetti bar-hopping in Venice, and sfogliatella pastries on the Amalfi Coast. Coffee culture: order cappuccino only in the morning, espresso after meals; standing at the bar is cheaper than sitting (€1 vs €4 for the same espresso). Gelato rule: avoid neon colors and metal tubs piled high — real gelato is muted, kept in covered tins, labelled artigianale.