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Disguised people, stunningly attractive masks, colorful celebrations, public love affairs; what more can you ask from Venice?

The carnival of Venice is one of the most important festivals in Italy and is a rich symbol of Italy traditions rooting from as early as the 14th century. It is ‘the apple of eye’ for Venetians and they celebrate it with great pomp and joy. If you are planning to visit Venice then there is no better time than now.

History of the carnival:

The carnival is believed to be an outcome of the victory celebrations of ancient Venetians over Aquileia in 1162. Some sources say that it was a customary farewell party that Venetians enjoyed before taking up the fast before Easter. There are also evidences in the history which prove the carnival to be a traditional festival celebrated in the honor of Saturn. What so ever the actual history may be, present day Venetians have great fun celebrating this remarkable festival in Italy.

The Carnival Today:

The best thing about the carnival is mask-wearing. People disguise themselves in alluring masks and colorful outlandish costumes. The entire city looks like a ‘world of aliens’ and you might be the odd one out if you are not wearing a mask. Most of the masks represent historic characters, mostly from the famous Commedia Dell Arte plays and you will feel as though they have just popped out of your favorite history books. Not only in Venice, you can feel the impact of the carnival where ever you travel in Italy.

Most of the hotels in Venice have their own mask and costume designers, with whose help you can get ready for an engaging evening. The hotels also come up with masked balls and dinner, where you can enjoy special carnival recipes.

The Venice carnival is most colorful in the evenings than the mornings with fun-filled dance events, common games and other social activities. You will be surprised to see the city filled with music bands that play their own music, puppet and magic shows. It is a time when the rich and the poor forget their social status and get an opportunity to mingle with one another.

Carnival Dates:

Traditionally the Venice carnival is celebrated for a period of eleven days in the month of February and the dates are based on the Roman Catholic Church calendar. The carnival usually ends a day before Ash Wednesday that is on Shrove Tuesday and starts a week and a half before the same. This year it is scheduled from 11th of February to 21st of February. If you are planning to take part next year then you have to be there before 20th of February as the carnival is scheduled to take place from 22nd of February to 4th of March.

Be a part of this scintillating carnival and discover the other side of you. Perillo Tours is one useful website that provides customized and hassle-free Italy vacation packages.

Italy is truly a feast for the senses for the average European traveler. An Italy itinerary will connect a person with the joy and passion of life – whether that is an authentic pasta and wine Italian meal in Milan, high fashion in Rome, beautiful architecture and history in Florence, or a romantic walk by the canals of Venice.

For the average person with two weeks of time available to see Italy, it can be a challenge to see as much as possible during this time. Thus, one must be organized and plan ahead to have an effective travel itinerary.

As an experienced traveler in Italy, I recommend the following action-packed and interesting itinerary so you can enjoy the best of Italy during your two weeks:

1. Rome – 4 days (including a day trip to Naples to see Pompeii)

(travel to Florence – 2 hours)

2. Florence – 3 days (including a day trip to a Tuscany town such as Siena)

(travel to Cinqueterre near Pisa – 3 hours)

3. Cinqueterre – 2 days

(travel to Verona – 6 hours)

4. Verona – 2 days

(travel to Venice – 2 hours)

5. Venice – 3 days

With all these well-known destinations, which one will be your favorite city in Italy? That is for you to decide, but I can tell you mine. It is Rome.

Every person should visit the Eternal City of Rome at least once in their life. This city was the most important place in the world for many centuries and its influence lasts today with the Vatican and the Catholic Church. Of course, on a basic Rome itinerary one must visit the ancient sites like the Colisseum and the ruins of the Forums, as well as more modern sights such as Trevi Fontain and the Spanish Steps. A few days in this fast-paced metropolis are such a pleasure! Also, a worthy day trip located a few hours south is the amazing preserved city of Pompeii resting in the shadows of Mount Vesuvius.

The great news is that the above Italy itinerary is only suggested, and thus your exact travel itinerary is completely up to you. However you choose to construct your travel itinerary, the key point is to take action and start planning your trip instead of putting if off for “maybe next year”.

Every country has its own rules and regulations and Italy is definitely not an exception. It is advisable that you know about general laws in Italy that also pertain to tourists before traveling to Italy.

Piracy:

Piracy, in any form is considered to be a serious offense in Italy. This not only applies for its citizens, but also for the tourists visiting the country. Be it a fake Prada or phony Gucci, a pirated copy of mission impossible or Microsoft word, Italian street vendors are more than happy to accommodate innocent tourists to push forward their ‘look- like’ counterfeit goods. Buying such counterfeited goods id against Italian law and tourists should be aware of this when they travel around Italy. Offenders will be heavily fined that could cost them a fortune. Italian law makes buyers of counterfeit products liable for fine amount ranging between 3333 Euros to 10000 Euros.
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Customs law:

Just like other countries, tourists entering and exiting Italy are thoroughly examined. Tourists traveling to Italy are allowed to carry clothing, books, campaigning equipments, sports equipment, CD players and CD’s, tape recorder, computer, baby carriage, movie cameras, 400 cigarette sticks, and a number of pipe tobacco or cigars that doesn’t exceed 500 grams or 1.1 lb. Tourists can also export a maximum of 6.6 lbs of sugar, 2.2 lbs of cocoa and 4.4 lbs of coffee which are again duty free.

All these can be carried along it they are meant for personal use only. Italian customs law does not allow sale or trade of above mentioned items. Tourists are also allowed to bring with them one bottle of hard liquor and two wine bottles, provided they are not opened.

Tourists entering Italy after visiting other countries are allowed to carry souvenirs worth a maximum of five hundred U.S dollars. But tourists can bring home souvenirs of any value from Italy with no restrictions. However tourists are not allowed to take home any form of art and antiques without the written approval from the ministry of culture, Italy.

Canadian tourists are expected to declare all the goods that they have purchased gifts and brought from duty-free shops and U.S tourists are allowed to export goods worth four hundred dollars only.

PerilloTours is one useful website where tourists traveling to Italy can find numerous Italy travel tips that help them to have a better insight about Italy. It is also a pioneer when it comes to planning and organizing Italy travel tours.