Europe

• Travel Summary
• Safety and security
• Local laws and customs
• Entry requirements

• Health
• Natural disasters
• General
 

Travel Summary

• There have been rails and road disruptions in the Messina area due to the bad weather although diversions have been put in place to allow people to travel to and from the city. Car journeys should be kept to a minimum where possible to avoid traffic congestions.
  
  
• There have been confirmed human cases of A (H1N1) - Swine Flu in Italy. You can check for updates on the number of cases and their location through the Public Health Agency of Italy - Ministero della Salute and also in country by telephone: 1500.  The World Health Organisation (WHO) has raised its Pandemic Threat Alert Phase to Level 6.  The WHO website has further details. Check Swine Flu for further information. You should monitor local media reports for any developments and advice.  Check Swine FLU for further information. Guidance on Pandemic Flu can be obtained on the UK Department of Health website.
  
  
• L'Aquila, in the Abruzzo Region (58 Kilometres north east of Rome) was hit by an earthquake measuring 6.3 on the Richter scale on Monday 6 April 2009.  The earthquake has caused widespread damage to buildings in the area and latest reports state that over 270 people have died and up to 28,000 are homeless.  The area has also experienced a number of aftershocks.  The Italian Civil Protection Agency is working flat out to assist people in the area.  The Italian government has asked people not to travel to L'Aquila and we would advise British nationals to stay away from the area until further notice.
  
  
• There is a general threat from terrorism.  Attacks could be indiscriminate, including in places frequented by expatriates and foreign travellers.  There continue to be isolated cases of domestic terrorism in Italy by extreme left-wing and secessionist groups, which are aimed primarily at official Italian targets.  See the Terrorism section of this advice for more details.
  
  
• There is currently a risk of unannounced wildcat strikes by municipal transport workers in cities across Italy.  See the Local Travel section of this advice for dates of major pre-planned strikes.
  
  
• The Honorary Consulate in Trieste closed in October 2007.  The British Consulate in Venice now assumes consular services for the province of Trieste.
  
  
• Around 3.5 million British tourists visit Italy every year (Source: Ministry of Tourism).  Most visits are trouble-free.  You should be alert to the dangers of car and street crime in cities as theft, bag snatching and breaking into cars is common.  332 British nationals required consular assistance in Italy in the period 01 April 2008 – 31 March 2009 for the following types of incident; deaths (103 cases); hospitalisations (114 cases); and dealing with arrests, for a variety of offences (47 cases). During this period assistance was also requested with regard to lost or stolen passports (715 cases).  If you need to contact the emergency services in Italy call 112.  
  
  
• Visitors to ski resorts should take advice on weather and avalanche conditions before they travel and should make themselves aware of local skiing laws and regulations throughout their visit.  See the General (Skiing) section of this travel advice for more details.
  
  
• We recommend that you obtain comprehensive travel and medical insurance before travelling.  You should check any exclusions, and that your policy covers you for all the activities you want to undertake.  See the General (Insurance) section of this advice and Travel insurance for more details.