7 Regulations You Must Know Before Visiting Italy in 2023

7 Regulations You Must Know Before Visiting Italy in 2023

1. Increased Ticket Costs: A common result of over-tourism is the implementation or increase in charges for visiting a place. Italy did this with “The Pantheon.” Earlier it was free to visit and became a staple of Rome itineraries. But, in 2023, you will need to pay 5 Euros to visit the place if you are 25 years or older. Tourists under 25 years will be charged 2 Euros each.
   The popular Uffizi Gallery in Florence is another attraction that is set to put more burden on your pockets. Starting 1 March 2023, the ticket for entering this place will be increased from 20 Euros to 25 Euros. However, you can grab a ticket for 19 Euros if you get there before 8:55 am.
2. Reservations Required: Over-tourism creates overcrowding. And this not only covers cities and beaches but outdoor destinations too. Northern Italy’s Dolomite mountain region is one such area. Bolzano, South Tyrol gets reservations, overnight visitor capping, and approval required for opening new accommodations.
   Reservations are now also required to visit the picture-perfect glacial lake of Lago di Braies to avoid overcrowding. Moreover, it also allows public transport to support environmental preservation.
3. No Service if No Shirt and No Shoes: Controlling visitors’ dresses is a way of improving the image of several all-day beaches or poolside lounging areas. Sorento, a popular town, started finding people walking uncovered around outside of swim areas. This was done to ban inappropriate swimwear deemed inappropriate for being in town, bikinis, and shirtless.
   From Italian Riviera to Calabria, other seaside areas also adopted similar rules. Cinque Terre, a fan-favourite destination, enacted rules on the footwear types you can wear on their coastal paths.
4. Fees for Visitors: Popular canals of Venice are dying and it’s not its only problem. Day trippers have been clogging the narrow lanes, canals, and bridges there without supporting the local community. As a countermeasure, Venice introduced a tourist fee, ranging from 3 Euros to 10 Euros. Travellers need to pay the fee online before reaching Venice. However, if you are staying overnight, the same is already added to your bill.
5. Fine for Selfie: Portofino in Italy is a picture-perfect destination with tiny pebble beaches, brightly coloured buildings, and more. However, residents feel that the culture of getting the perfect selfie is causing harm. Tourists flocking towards a point for that perfect click are ruining the fishing village. Two areas are designated “red zones,” where taking selfies or loitering for long may get you fined around 300 Euros.
6. Tourist Caps: Sardinia Island is popular for housing many beautiful beaches in Italy. Being well-known gets it crowded as well. Putting a cap on the number of tourists that can access the area and fees are measures to control over-tourism. For instance, you will need to pay fees extra than the one you paid to reach La Maddalena Islands off the north coast of Sardinia to visit them.
7. Traffic Enforcement: Traffic congestion is one of the major causes of environmental damage. Several islands near Italy are limiting the number of cars or disallowing those with outside license plates. You can’t take a car to the Sicilian islands of Lampedusa and Linosa if you are not a resident. However, you can take a car to the tiny Gilio, only if you are staying for at least 3 nights.