Italy well worth the effort in 2008
By Rick Steves
Tribune Media Services
(Tribune Media Services) — Bella Italia, my favorite country in Europe, is a wonderful work in progress. Here’s a look at what to expect in 2008.
Italy is gung-ho for restricted traffic zones in its city centers. This is great for pedestrians, but not for drivers who are finding $100 fines in their mail when they arrive home. If you drive in Rome, Florence, Milan, Lucca, Siena, San Gimignano, Orvieto or Verona — in restricted areas marked by a Zona Traffico Limitato sign — your car’s license plate will be photographed and you can be fined without ever being stopped by a cop. Pay attention to signs, get parking advice from your hotelier, and park outside restricted areas.
With a revolution brewing among the throngs of tourists stung by the Vatican Museum’s stingy hours, the museum has agreed to stay open longer in 2008: Monday through Saturday 8:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. (last ticket sold at 4:00 p.m.); as usual, it’ll be closed on Sunday except for the last Sunday of the month, when it’s free and open 8:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. (last ticket sold at 12:30 p.m.). While some Catholics would love a private audience with the pope, those passed away with John Paul II — Pope Benedict XVI doesn’t do them.
