Travel Italy: Vacation Packages, Tips, Tours of Italy

You have the chance to call landline numbers in Italy for free from June 25 through July 2nd (until 12pm GMT), 2012.
Localphone are offering a whole week of unlimited free calls to Italy.

The calls can be made straight from your mobile, landline or computer from anywhere in the world.

They are unlimited calls, so you can call for as long as you want to as many Italian landline numbers as you want. There are no charges or hidden fees.

In order to take advantage of the offer, you need to create an account at localphone.com (it’s free and you need not to add payment details unless you want to continue using the service after the offer ends).
Offer details can be found at localphone.com/call/italy.

The best time to visit the archaeological site of Pompeii could be late April and early May. The weather is enjoyable and you will find no crowds.

Also this season offers a couple of interesting events taking place in the surroundings.
From April 15 through May 29, you can enjoy guided tours to museums and monuments all over Naples. It is an event, “May of Monuments“, promoting historical and cultural sites in Naples.
When: April 15 through May 29;
Where: Naples.

From April 1 through 25, a food festival, “Sapori & Saperi“, celebrates the best of regional and local food specialties of Italy. A chance to taste the most famous Italian regional food, prized culinary delicacies such as, for example, buffalo mozzarella and to sample excellent local wines.
The venue for this food festival is the Pompei’s Santuario delle Beata Vergine.
When: April 1 through 25 (annual);
Where: Pompei’s Santuario delle Beata Vergine.

For those who want to taste black truffle, the mountain town of Norcia offers a big chance late February.

This historic town located at the foothills of the Apennines mountains, in Umbria, hosts its National Exhibition of Black Truffle in the two last week-ends of February.

The event is much more than only black truffle, it offers the chance to taste very unique local produces and delicacies.
Norcineria, the pork processing technique through which Prosciutti, Salami and other pork delicacies well known worldwide are obtained, originates from this town.
And just to name a couple more unique produces and delicacies Norcia has to offer, the lentils from Castelluccio, grown within the National Park of Monti Sibillini and the cheeses of Norcia, obtained with the traditional ancient production techniques.

A trip to Norcia — just 180 km from Rome — , offers the chance to experience unique flavors and ancient culinary traditions, while enjoying one of the most gorgeous mountain landscapes and areas of natural beauty in Italy.

When: last two week-ends of February (annual)
Where: Norcia (Umbria).
Program and detailed info are available at www.neronorcia.it .

Turin hosts its annual chocolate festival, CioccolaTO’, from March 2 through 11.
Ten days of tastings, classes, competitions and many more chocolate themed events.

The historic square Piazza Vittorio Veneto is the main venue for CioccolaTO’, but many shops and cafés located in the historic district of Turin will offer tastings and the chance to experience something linked to chocolate.
Even many restaurants will offer a chocolate themed menu and the chance to taste recipes based on chocolate.

When: March 2 through 11, 2012
Where: Turin (Piazza Vittorio Veneto).
Festival program and detailed info are available at www.cioccola-to.it .

The best time to experience the Carnival celebrations in Italy is in the week running up to the “Martedi Grasso” — Fat Tuesday. The best parades, parties and celebrations are held that week, even if in most of festivals, parades are held the Sunday following Martedi Grasso day too.

Below is a list of the major Carnival festivals in Italy (in the brackets the nearest tourist area and attractions).
Venice Carnival- http://www.carnevale.venezia.it/ - (Venice)
Viareggio Carnival- http://www.viareggio.ilcarnevale.com/ - The most spectacular Carnival parades in Italy (Florence, Tuscany, Cinque Terre)
Foiano Carnival- http://www.carnevaledifoiano.it/ - (Tuscany, Umbria)
Ivrea Carnival- http://www.carnevalediivrea.it/ - Well known for the “orange fights” (Piedmont)
Cento Carnival of Europe- http://www.carnevalecento.com/ - Twinned with the Rio Carnival (Bologna, Romagna Adriatic Coast)
Verona Carnival- http://www.carnevalediverona.it/ - (Verona, Lake Garda, Venice)
Termini Imerese Carnival- http://www.ilcarnevaletermitano.it/ - (Sicily)
Sciacca Carnival- http://www.carnevaledisciacca.it/ - (Sicily)
AcirealeCarnival- http://www.carnevaleacireale.com/ - (Sicily, Etna Volcano)
Putignano Carnival- http://www.carnevalediputignano.it/ - One of the oldest carnivals in the world (Bari, Apulia)
Campiglio Asburgica- http://www.carnevaleasburgico.com/ - Carnival recreating the atmosphere of 19th century European aristocracy staying at this Alpin resort (Dolomites)
Livigno Carnival- http://www.aptlivigno.it/ - A snowy Carnival held in one of the most known Alpin resorts (Livigno and the closer Alps resorts)
La Sartiglia- http://www.sartiglia.info/ - Historic Carnival re-enacting a medieval tournament (Sardinia)
Samugheo Carnival- http://www.mamutzones.it/ - (Sardinia).