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• Auditorium Parco della Musica - Cavea

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The national fan-report: valutazioni e recensioni, 1 recensioni (ø 5,0), concerto pazzesco.

Concerto incredibile, acustica pazzesca, energia mozzafiato. Quando è partita Mr november poi Matt si è più tenuto

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The National Tour 2024 - 2025

• Upcoming Concerts
• Past Concerts

About The National

The National is an American indie rock band formed in Cincinnati, Ohio, United States, in 1999, and currently based in Brooklyn, New York.

Discography

Trouble will find me.

Trouble Will Find Me is the sixth studio album by American indie rock band The National, released on May 17, 2013 on 4AD. Produced by band members Aaron and Bryce... Read More

High Violet

High Violet is the fifth studio album by The National, which was released on May 10, 2010 in Europe and on May 11, 2010 in North America via 4AD. The... Read More

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The National announce huge UK and European tour dates

"We’re excited to be returning to London next summer, a city we’ve always loved"

The National have today (November 10) unveiled details of huge new UK and European tour dates. Check out all the ticket details and dates below.

• READ MORE: The National’s Matt Berninger – “It was sobering to realise how fragile I was”

The band will play The Eden Project on July 2 with support from This Is The Kit . Tickets for this event go on sale to Inside Track pass-holders from 11am on November 14. The general ticket sale will take place at 6pm on November 16 here .

The National will also play Crystal Palace Park three later on July 5. They will again be supported by This Is The Kit as well as  Unknown Mortal Orchestra  and  Kevin Morby . Tickets for this event go on general sale at 10am on November 17 here .

Speaking about the upcoming gig at Crystal Palace, The National said: “We’re excited to be returning to London next summer, a city we’ve always loved.”

They added: “Crystal Palace is a new neighbourhood to us, although not to the football fans in the band.”

As well as this, the band have unveiled further dates in Cardiff, Manchester and Edinburgh as well as ones throughout Europe. Tickets for these shows also go on sale at 10am on November 17, as do all European dates apart from Milan and Rome which are on sale on November 16 at 10am. Get tickets here  and check out the full list of dates below.

We are pleased to announce some additional tour dates for Summer 2024. Tickets for all shows go on sale Friday, 17th November at 10AM GMT, except Milan and Rome which go on sale Thursday, 16th November at 10AM GMT. pic.twitter.com/FqG58cMVpf — The National (@TheNational) November 10, 2023

The National’s 2024 tour dates are:

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JUNE 2 – Milan, Italy – Carroponte 3 – Rome, Italy – Caves of the Auditorium Park Della Musica 5 – Paris, France – Zenith de Paris* 21 – Scheeßel, Germany – Hurricane Festival 22 – Neuhausen Ob Eck, Germany – Southside Festival  24 – Zagreb, Croatia – Inmusic Festival 25 – Vienna, Austria – Stadthalle+ 27 – Bonn, Germany – Kunst!rasen+ 28 – Antwerp, Belgium – Live is Live Middenvijver

JULY 2 – Cornwall, UK – Eden Sessions’ Eden Project* 3 – Cardiff, UK – Cardiff Castle^ 4 – Manchester, UK – Castlefield Bowl* 5 – London, UK – Crystal Palace Park*^> 11 – Edinburgh, UK – Edinburgh Castle+

AUGUST 6 – Copenhagen, Denmark – Royal Arena 

* With support from This Is The Kit + With support from Bess Atwell ^ With support from Unknown Mortal Orchestra > With support from Kevin Morby

The National shared their tenth album ‘ Laugh Track ‘ in September – a surprise release following on from their other 2023 April album, ‘ First Two Pages Of Frankenstein ‘. ‘Space Invader’ was released as the first single from ‘Laugh Track’, while ‘Alphabet City’ arrived in August.

Singer Matt Berninger also recently spoke to  NME  about the “different kind of spotlight” that has fallen on the band after working with  Taylor Swift .

The band have collaborated with Swift on a number of occasions, featuring on her track ‘Coney Island’ from 2020’s ‘ Evermore ‘ before she provided vocals and lyrics for ‘The Alcott’ on their 2023 album ‘ First Two Pages Of Frankenstein ‘. Guitarist Aaron Dessner has also produced Swift’s last three albums and re-recorded records.

“The Taylor thing was super organic,” Berninger  said in the In Conversation interview .

“We’ve known her for a long time and obviously Aaron has been doing so much amazing stuff with her. I wrote ‘The Alcott’ with my wife Carin [Besser] in mind, Aaron sent it to Taylor and she added her own perspective on it and wrote all her parts to it. It was a true duet where she heard that and inhabited the character that I was singing about – which is almost always Carin,” he said.

Berninger continued: “It’s not really a strategic game. Obviously Aaron’s work with Taylor Swift is going to bring a different kind of spotlight, but it’s been fun and cool. All of that has been a really healthy branching out.”

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• This is the Kit
• Unknown Mortal Orchestra

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The National tour dates 2024

The National is currently touring across 13 countries and has 36 upcoming concerts.

Their next tour date is at Parc del Fòrum in Barcelona, after that they'll be at Carroponte in Sesto San Giovanni.

Currently touring across

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Upcoming concerts (36) See nearest concert

Primavera Sound Festival

Auditorium Parco della Musica - Cavea

Zénith de Paris - La Villette

Primavera Sound Porto

Hurricane Festival

INmusic Festival

Stadthalle Wien

Glastonbury Festival

KUNSTRASEN bonn gronau

Eden Project

Cardiff Castle

Castlefield Bowl

Crystal Palace Park

Edinburgh Castle

Royal Arena

Way Out West Festival

Bank of New Hampshire Pavilion

Forest Hills Stadium

Xfinity Center

Merriweather Post Pavilion

TD Pavilion at the Mann

Budweiser Stage

Blossom Music Center

United Center

Michigan Lottery Amphitheatre

Breese Stevens Field

Granary Live

Climate Pledge Arena

Rogers Arena

Moda Center

Greek Theatre

Hollywood Bowl

Palacio de los Deportes

Past concerts

Aware Super Theatre

Spark Arena

View all past concerts

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Recent tour reviews

Some people of my age (82) want to try Parachuting, Bungee Jumping or some other daring pursuit while still on this planet but my greatest wish was to go to a live concert of that amazing band, The National!

I was so lucky to be in Brighton last Saturday (7th Dec) to have my wish granted and the whole experience was fantastic - they even played my very favourite song, ‘Light Years’. The song list was well chosen, full of contrast in mood and tempo and the audience responded happily to singing Vanderlyle Crybaby Geeks!

Our group included three generations, myself, two daughters and a granddaughter, all National fans.

The Brighton Centre is an excellent venue and the audience was so receptive and enthusiastic. I think Matt himself must have realised that, considering his many ventures down to the front row. At one point, he stumbled and my younger daughter held out her hands to steady him - unfortunately he stood on her toes but all is forgiven, Matt!

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I had heard they were a life changing show prior to going, but I was skeptical due to how hyperbolic people tend to be about that kind of thing, but HOLY SHIT.

They had a bit of a rocky start, but once they got their groove on (and Beringer got sufficiently drunk) 2-3 songs in, it was one of the most surreal shows I've ever had the pleasure of attending.

their music is often noted for being a bit mellow, but this show couldn't be less so. when it they weren't reaching swans-level volumes with songs like Mr November, they were delivering some satisfyingly visceral takes on classics like "Don't Swallow the Cap" or "Fake Empire"

seriously, though, this show was insane & I highly recommend seeing them to anyone if they're in your area.

They are absolutely incredible live. Between Matt's shrieking during The Pull of You and the intensity of Bryce and Aaron during rockers like Day I Die (during which Matt waded deep into the crowd) and System, this was certainly not a boring affair! Even the quieter numbers (Vanderlyle Crybaby Geeks, Light Years, etc) had a coiled intensity. Matt is super funny on stage, telling clever anecdotes and giving away the mic stand at the end of the concert. The only caveat to the performance was that the whole field reeked of weed, so strong it was making me and my SO sick. Most of the fans just stood there smoking instead of actually having fun and dancing. The band itself was awesome though!

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The National Announce 2022 North American Tour Dates

By Matthew Strauss

The National have announced a North American tour. It begins with the band’s headlining slot at Chicago’s Pitchfork Music Festival on Friday, July 15, and continues through September. The National are partnering with Plus1 to donate $1 from each ticket to the Plus1 Ukraine Relief Fund and also Buffalo String Works . Find the band’s schedule below.

“We are excited to finally share our full tour itinerary for summer 2022,” the National remarked in a press release. “The last couple years have given us ample time for reflection and rejuvenation. Summer 2022 is a time for reunion. We look forward to gathering with friends, old and new. United in music and light, suspended in time. We hope you can join us.”

The National released I Am Easy to Find in 2019. Read about the band in “ The 200 Most Important Artists of Pitchfork’s First 25 Years .”

The National:

05-30 Paris, France - Salle Pleyel 05-31 Paris, France - Salle Pleyel 06-03 Barcelona, Spain - Primavera Sound 06-05 Limerick, Ireland - The Docklands Festival 06-06 Cork, Ireland - Live at the Marquee 06-07 Belfast, Northern Ireland - Botanic Gardens 06-09 Oslo, Norway - Loaded 06-10 Stockholm, Sweden - Rosendal Garden Party 06-11 Copenhagen, Denmark - Syd for Solen 06-13 Hamburg, Germany - Stadtpark 06-15 Berlin, Germany - Zitadelle Spandau 06-16 Gelsenkirchen, Germany - Gelsenkirchen Amphiteater 06-17 Zeebrugge, Belgium - Live Is Live 06-18 Lisbon, Portugal - Rock in Rio Lisboa 2022 06-21 Lido di Camaiore, Italy - La Prima Estate 07-15 Chicago, IL - Pitchfork Music Festival 07-17 Ottawa, Ontario - LeBreton Flats (Ottawa Bluesfest) 07-19 Shelburne, VT - The Green at Shelburne Museum 07-20 Cooperstown, NY - Brewery Ommegang 07-21 Portland, ME - Thompson’s Point 07-22 Newport, RI - Fort Adams State Park (Newport Folk Festival) 08-06 Edmonton, Alberta - Gallagher Park (Edmonton Folk Festival) 08-07 Calgary, Alberta - Southern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium 08-08 Missoula, MT - KettleHouse Amphitheater 08-09 Ogden, UT - Ogden Amphitheater 08-10 Dillon, CO - Dillon Amphitheater 08-12 Bellevue, NE - Falconwood Park (Outlandia Music Festival) 08-14 Seattle, WA - Seattle Center (Day In Day Out Festival) 08-26 London, England - All Points East 08-28 Edinburgh, Scotland - Connect Festival 09-12 Morrison, CO - Red Rocks Amphitheatre 09-13 Kansas City, MO - Grinders KC 09-14 Minneapolis, MN - Surly Brewing Festival Field 09-16 Milwaukee, WI - Riverside Theater 09-17 Maryland Heights, MO - Saint Louis Music Park 09-18 Indianapolis, IN - TCU Amphitheater at White River State Park 09-19 Pittsburgh, PA - Heinz Hall for the Performing Arts 09-22 Boston, MA - Roadrunner 09-24 Harrisburg, PA - Harrisburg University 09-25 Bridgeport, CT - Seaside Park (Sound on Sound Festival)

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2 Week Italy Tours & Trips

Filter for departure dates and price to find the right 2 week Italy tour with TourRadar. Choose from 144 trips with 3,383 customer reviews, that range from 11 up to 14 days.

144 Italy 14 Days tour packages with 3,383 reviews

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Tutta l'Italia

It was smooth and successful having the hotels and transfers between each city. The first seven days were extremely busy with full guided tours and then the pace slowed down to have more free time and relaxing moments the second half of the trip once we were along the coastal cities of Sorrento and Cinque Terre. This was a good tour to see many cities and the guides were knowledgeable and helpful in sharing the history of Italy. I know know which areas I will be going back to for longer time periods in my next trip.

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Italy's Best

Whilst I enjoyed the itinerary where I went to all the places I wanted to, the fast pace was okay but could have had a couple of 'rest' days and most of the people on the tour felt the same. Also I believe the was another Best of Italy tour at the same time and they seemed to get the 'better' hotels all the time which was unacceptable. The addiitonal excursions were almost a 'must' as the hotels in some of the areas were too far away from anything so needed to pay for the excursions just so as not to stay at the hotel. I note also the Isola excursion whilst a great to go there, the restaurant was dreadful with bad food and service.

Italia Amore Mio (Small Group)

Highlights of Sicily & Southern Italy

One of the best tour we have being a true Sicilian experience would highly recommend.

Highlights of Sicily

Iconic Italy National Geographic Journeys

Amazing tour facilitated by an amazing guide! Great balance of planned activities and free time to explore. Highly recommended!

• Educational

Renaissance Italy

Best of Italy

A great trip thoroughly enjoyed by me and my wife. May thanks to Massimo Mabelia for his excellent leadership.

Shrines of Italy - Faith-Based Travel

Ultimate Italy

Like that I do not have to do any transportation arrangements. Just follow the ceo to the right place and get off when he says. No worries for someone who does not normally use public transportation. Like the new town orientation upon arrival and then do our own thing for the next day. Like that the supper reservations were made for us and get together with the group then. Like that we were shown the atms, and local grocery shops for snacks and anything needed for the next trip

Delve Deep: Italy

• €75 deposit on some dates Some departure dates offer you the chance to book this tour with a lower deposit.

Best of Italy (Summer, 13 Days)

Best of Italy tour was an excellent experience to sample the culture and beauty of this country.

• €100 deposit on some dates Some departure dates offer you the chance to book this tour with a lower deposit.

Italy Jewels : Venice to Amalfi

Grand Cycling Tour of Sicily

I really enjoyed the Sicily trip, especially all the cultural experiences that Experience Plus adds to the trip. I also like following the chalk arrows. I find it an easy and a relaxing way to get to that days destination. The tour leaders are always great and make the trip extra special.

Italy: Amalfi Coast to Puglia (Naples to Alberobello) (2024) (Standard)

What people love about 2 week italy tours.

This tour is great for seeing numerous cities and historical sites in Italy, a one day trip over the border into Lugano, Switzerland was just a true delight and icing on the cake. I have now learned that the Cosmos level is the "budget" label for Globus, so expect mostly 3 star hotels that are located outside of the major cities. This wasn't too much an issue as public transportation (metro/bus) or taxi's are available from each hotels if needed. Some of the hotels have poor air conditioning so if that's a priority for you then consider a Globus level tour instead. Overall, the hotel we clean. We found it difficult to plan our excursions as the itinerary they provide is very vague with regards to the times of the optional excursions, but these were clarified on day one as we asked our tour director and she was able to tell us if we had enough time to do some of things we wanted to do that weren't offered. Expect to get up early as the bus is usually on the road by 7:30 am, but that's necessary to get to the sites before the crowds. As far as the optional excursions go, the first dinner in Rome was a bit of a disappointment as it wasn't in central Rome, the food was mediocre and the service was fair, the highlight was two elderly Italian men playing and singing live music - famous old Italian songs- a lot of us complained about this so maybe Cosmos will change that venue? The other excursions are well worth it, takes the hassle out of dealing with transportation and getting tickets. The ones not to miss are the Tuscan Farm Dinner, Lugano Switzerland Cable Car, Capri, Pompeii. I would recommend this tour for those who don't require a luxury hotel, I am glad we were able to experience it!

The tour covered long distances. Each day covered too many sights, though it would be impossible to travel there as an individual. I loved each place we visited, plus all the excursions, but it could have been at a slower pace. People became tired and dropped out of some excursions. More time out and not needing to be up each morning between 5.30 - 6.30am would have been more relaxing.

Regions in Italy

• South Italy (43)
• Central Italy (10)
• Amalfi Coast (9)
• Northern Italy (8)
• Tuscany (7)
• Sicily (17)

Other Regions in Italy

• South Italy 10 day Tours (218)
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• Northern Italy 10 day Tours (126)
• Central Italy 10 day Tours (123)
• Northern Italy 7 day Tours (111)
• Sicily 10 day Tours (94)
• Central Italy 7 day Tours (83)
• Tuscany 10 day Tours (77)
• Campania 7 day Tours (75)
• Amalfi Coast 7 day Tours (70)
• Campania 10 day Tours (57)
• Amalfi Coast 10 day Tours (52)
• Puglia 10 day Tours (47)
• Tuscany 7 day Tours (47)
• South Italy 2 week Tours (46)
• Sicily 7 day Tours (45)
• Italy Travel Guide | All You Need to Know
• Itinerary Ideas for 10 Days in Italy, 2022-2023
• Best 7 Day Italy Itineraries 2024/2025 (with Reviews)
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Excursions and active holidays in Italy

Treks, organised tours, guides and lots of suggestions for your next hiking adventures surrounded by lush greenery or up in the mountains  .

Monviso Park: following the course of the Po River in the Cuneo area

Discovering the Tanagro: among nature, history and traditions

Green and blue Cilento: from the National Park to the cobalt blue sea

Gargano on the road, the northern coast

Walking into the void, the thrill of crossing a Tibetan bridge

5 itineraries to discover Italy by bicycle

Discover the grandeur of the Dolomites trails and hikes

Sardinia’s Green Train: slow is back!

Procida: a crossroads of experiences for all the senses

Trentino-South Tyrol: the Vie dell'Acqua water trails

Discover italy.

Aosta Valley

The Aosta Valley is a paradise for visitors seeking outdoor experiences in nature while exploring history and traditions The smallest region in Italy, dotted with the highest peaks in the Alps, it is the ideal destination for anyone who enjoys winter sports and high-altitude walks. Its green valleys and fairy-tale castles make the Aosta Valley an enchanting place to experience all year round.

Piedmont is sure to enchant you with its mountains, hills, typical flavours and uniquely elegant cities An extraordinary heritage of art and history, culture and nature, characterises Piedmont, a region with a thousand faces, one more interesting than the other: cities of rare elegance, mountains that lend themselves to splendid skiing or walking, fascinating villages, hills that are among the best known in the world for their extraordinary wine production.

Lombardy: a dynamic land immersed in the present and reaching toward the future, but with an extraordinary heritage of art and nature Lombardy is a region in the north of Italy known for its industry and finance, of course, but also for its art and extraordinary landscapes, starting with the picturesque lakes and its mountains, Valcamonica and Valtellina in primis. Capital and symbolic city, Milan represents the industrious heart that goes hand in hand with other cities with a vibrant spirit.

Trentino is sure to amaze you with its immense natural heritage, the spectacular splendour of the Dolomites and fascinating sites steeped in history Discover Trentino’s culture of slow travel, taking the time to savour every corner among nature and cultural trails and educational farms. You will find hundreds of hotels offering wellness centres for truly relaxing holidays for the whole family in some of Italy's most beautiful villages, set in unique landscapes.

South Tyrol

Alto Adige is a dream place to discover all year round amidst green valleys and snow-capped peaks Combine the relaxation of spa treatments with the pleasure of fun in the snow for a real wellness boost amidst Alpine lakes, beautiful villages and state-of-the-art ski facilities suitable for all ages. All this and more in the majestic scenery of the Dolomites, a UNESCO World Heritage site in Alto Adige.

Veneto, a region of wonder, with cities of art of undisputed beauty, as well as the most pristine nature The beauty of Lake Garda, the charm of the Dolomites, the sea of Jesolo, the hills covered with vineyards and the relaxing thermal baths, on top of an immense artistic and historical heritage, elegant cities such as Venice and Verona, quaint villages and breathtaking landscapes. Veneto is all this and much more.

Friuli-Venezia Giulia

Friuli-Venezia Giulia Friuli Venezia Giulia: a treasure chest nestled between sea and mountains A border region sandwiched between the Friulian Dolomites and the Upper Adriatic, blessed with an immense cultural heritage resulting from the influence of different cultures and peoples, cosmopolitan and modern, Friuli Venezia Giulia will also seduce you with its temptations of relaxation, sport and fun.

Tucked-away villages, secret little beaches and superb nature: how enchanting Liguria is! Liguria is a wonderful strip of land enclosed between the sea and the mountains, with pastel-coloured houses and breathtaking views. With lush unspoilt nature, many small towns to discover and an incomparable culinary tradition, it enraptures the eye and the heart.

Emilia-Romagna

Emilia Romagna, a region of unrivalled charm, with immense artistic beauty and unparalleled hospitality Emilia Romagna with its Riviera Romagnola offers beach tourism that attracts families and young people to its shores every summer. Rich in sites of historical and cultural interest, this region boasts a world-renowned wine and food tradition. Skilful hospitality does the rest, making Emilia Romagna an ideal holiday destination in every season. Video credits: Oliver Astrologo

Tuscany will win you over with its unique landscapes, cities of art, thousand-year-old history and fantastic food Tuscany’s magical atmosphere evolves day by day as you stroll around the cities of art, cycle in the parks, enjoy the sea or savour its typical products, in a region with a one-of-a-kind natural, cultural and historical heritage that has fascinated visitors for centuries.

From Assisi to Perugia, via Gubbio, Lake Trasimeno and Marmore Falls: Umbria is a truly enchanting tourist destination Peaks covered in lush forests and large valleys outlined by rivers, lakes and waterfalls; sorrounded by villages and castles, crossed by paths steeped in history, art and culture, in a natural environment that helps to restore the body and soul: Umbria, the Green Heart of Italy, is all this and much more.

Le Marche, a plunge into the history, art and architecture of a region with the scent of the sea and redolent of traditions and hospitality A great variety of landscapes and an infinite range of colours that make the area's natural beauty incomparable, plus an artistic heritage that fears no comparison: this is how the Marches, with an area of no more than 10,000 square kilometres, will captivate you forever.

Sardinia: a journey to the island of the emerald sea, nuraghi, unspoilt nature and millenary traditions Crystal-clear waters, beaches of soft, white sand, granite rocks framed by wild, fragrant Mediterranean scrub: welcome to Sardinia, an island of a thousand contrasts that will also seduce you with its unique archaeological heritage and its people's innate sense of hospitality.

Lazio is not only Rome: landscapes and monuments of Lazio Rome, the capital of Italy and a unique open-air museum in the world, is enough to make Lazio one of the most beautiful and interesting regions. Even in terms of landscape, it boasts an area of great impact and remarkable variety, with its long coastline, beautiful hills and Apennine mountains. A destination to fall in love with.

Abruzzo, a journey through history between sea, mountains, flavours and unspoilt nature in parks and protected areas A region in central Italy, Abruzzo has two souls and one heart. Predominantly mountainous and hilly, it overlooks a beautiful stretch of the Adriatic Sea. Here, you will find the highest peaks of the Apennines, such as the Gran Sasso and the Majella massif, as well as the only Apennine glacier, but also some of the most popular beaches.

Campania offers landscapes, history, culture and a gastronomic tradition that the whole world envies A consistently mild climate, lush nature framing breathtaking landscapes, unspoilt villages and fairy-tale coastlines: this is Campania, a region that sums up centuries of cultures, between West and East, in a single Mediterranean jewel known for its unparalleled hospitality. A destination for the soul, the eyes and the palate.

Molise, a tiny region with grandiose landscapes: come and discover its history and culinary tradition Molise is a region steeped in history, characterised by numerous tasty food and wine delicacies, but also by rich nature reserves and villages that seem crystallised in history. A destination yet to be discovered, amid marvellous seashores and breathtaking high cliffs

Apulia: the sunny region between two seas and warm hospitality in places rich in history Located in the heart of the Mediterranean, it is a magical combination of artefacts, history, art and unspoilt nature, amidst beautiful coastlines and picture-postcard landscapes. This is Puglia, a region of golden beaches and crystal-clear waters, intense flavours and fascinating destinations: Castel del Monte, the trulli, the islands passing through towns kissed by a unique and unforgettable light.

Basilicata, a region of ancient origins, suspended between two seas and with mountains of great beauty Basilicata is a region where the passage of man has left its mark since prehistoric times. With the ancient name of “Lucania”, it is enriched by an incredible artistic heritage. Not to mention its never-boring panorama, which ranges from the Lucanian Dolomites to the Pollino Park, passing through two seas.

Calabria is the region of crystal-clear sea, the Riace Bronzes, Reggio Calabria and Capo Vaticano, a captivating mix of history and beauty Calabria, also known as the tip of the Italian boot, is a region in Southern Italy characterised by the incredible diversity of its landscapes, with the proximity of mountains to a splendid sea that attracts tourists from all over the world.

A dive into Sicily, where a sea of art, culture and nature will seduce you and become eternal love A predominantly hilly and mountainous area, but one that wins the hearts of tourists from all over the world with its wonderful sea and rich cities with a charm all their own. Sicily is a picture-postcard island characterised by the indelible marks of the people who have lived there and made it unique, amidst artistic and cultural testimonies of enormous value.

Journey through Italy along the best routes

From North to South by bicycle: Italy is a choice destination for cyclists. There are bike routes suitable for all types of bike enthusiasts. Sportspeople wishing to indulge their athletic training can put on the famous Italian jersey la Maglia Rosa, and try one of the stages of the Giro d’Italia. For those who are looking for a slower pace of travel can enjoy cycling routes to immerse in the artistic, cultural and forever changing panorama of the peninsula. You will be pleasantly surprised by the Italian treasures you’ll see while riding your bicycle.

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7 Breathtaking National Parks in Italy to Visit

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The Giau Pass in the Belluno Dolomites, Italy

Nature enthusiasts, hikers, skiers, birders, and others who relish fresh air and open spaces can enjoy the breathtaking landscapes and diversity of the seven best national parks to visit in Italy.

From the Dolomite's alpine slopes in winter to Cinque Terre’s sun-washed shores in summer, Italy’s national parks offer memorable experiences for travelers of all interests throughout the year. Each park provides a perfect space to step away from the crowds of Rome or the throngs of Florence, and you can enjoy stress-free days of spotting rare wildlife or exploring photographic landscapes.

The following list shares our recommendations for the best Italian national parks, with ideas of what wildlife to look out for and how to get to the parks from popular places nearby.

1. Dolomiti Bellunesi National Park

2. gran paradiso national park, 3. gran sasso and monti della laga national park, 4. etna national park, 5. aspromonte national park, 6. cinque terre national park, 7. abruzzo national park, explore the best national parks in italy.

Dolomiti Bellunesi National Park, Italy

Dolomiti Bellunesi National Park, the home of the famous Dolomite Mountains, is Italy’s most popular protected region. Less than two hours from Venice's bustling canals and piazzas, the Italian national park is a welcome wildlife retreat for adventurous travelers in the Veneto region.

The national park is celebrated for its rugged landscape, captivating wildlife, and gorgeous flora. The stunning gorges and rock walls hang over the valley floors in gray, green, and white hues, while rare wetlands add to the elegant biospheres at work, where wildlife thrives in natural, pristine habitats. From chamois to red deer, marmots to golden eagles, you can spot an array of animals and avifauna in and around the park.

The Dolomites are also Italy’s best destination for skiing in the winter and you can embrace the alpine slopes on Italy vacations in December .

How to Get There: Located in the greater Veneto region, less than two hours from Venice, you can easily visit the national park on a day tour or for multiple nights during Venice vacations .

Highlights: Wildlife spotting • Birding • Bike riding • Hiking • Horseback riding • Cross-country skiing

Expert Tips for Discerning Travelers

Gran Paradiso National Park, Italy

The first park established in Italy, Gran Paradiso National Park, covers a large part of the Graian Alps on the border of Italy and France. The park boasts woodlands, grasslands, rocky peaks, and impressive glaciers that give sanctuary to rich wildlife, and travelers may freely explore the diversity of these distinct environments.

Forests provide emerald shelter to many animals and rocky peaks share lofty views of metamorphic granite stratified around calcareous schist deriving from marine sediment that dates back to the Mesozoic era.

Wildlife viewing and birding tours will reveal the mountain hare, alpine ibex, ermines, and sparrowhawks, while skiing in the winter provides thrills on family trips to Italy .

How to Get There: Nestled on the French-Italian border between the Aosta Valley and Piedmont regions, travelers can visit the national park on northern Italy itineraries and tours or France and Italy multi-country tours .

Highlights: Wildlife viewing • Birding • Cross-country skiing • Trekking • Rock climbing • Horseback riding

Gran Sasso and Monti della Laga National Park, Italy

Gran Sasso and Monti della Laga National Park provides one of Europe’s grandest monuments to biodiversity, protecting three central Italian mountain ranges that are home to rare wildlife and unique flora.

In the national park, you can discover the iconic Corno Grande glacial summit, dense woodlands covering the region’s flatland, and over 2,360 species of lush plantlife framing the trails and painting the hills reaching across the wilderness reserve. You can keep your eyes peeled for roe deer, Apennine wolves, European badgers, and goshawk as you explore the park.

Old villages also pepper the area and are quiet and cozy, with century-old architecture and castles crafted from stone and brick lining the narrow streets.

How to Get There: Gran Sasso and Monti della Laga National Park is less than two hours from Rome, meaning travelers can add a day or several nights in the park to their Rome tours and vacations .

Highlights: Ski mountaineering • Mountain biking • Bird spotting • Animal viewing • Canoeing • Horseback riding

Etna National Park in Sicily, Italy

Few national parks in Italy cause visitors to tremble with anticipation quite as much as Etna National Park, a volcanic reserve of remarkable natural beauty and fascinating geothermal history.

The latter has continued unabated beneath Mount Etna for nearly half a million years and geologists have written untold stories about the region. Today, exotic flowers rarely bloom along the contours of the lunar topography and forests. Instead, vegetation along the mountain slopes consists of hazelnut groves, apples, and chestnut orchards.

While wildlife is harder to come by across the volcanic landscape than in other national parks in Italy, you can expect to stumble upon foxes, martens, wild cats, magpies, and several other habituated animals and birds.

How to Get There: Mount Etna’s proximity to Catania on the island of Sicily makes day trips from the city or multi-night adventures possible during Sicily tours and vacations .

Highlights: Trekking • Driving tours • Mountain biking • Birdwatching • Cable-car rides • Skiing

Aspromonte National Park, Italy

The granite strip of the Apennines Mountains sloping down into the region of Calabria resembles a giant pyramid and the stunning region of Aspromonte National Park overtakes the southern edges of the mountain range.

The national park’s natural focal point consists of a large mountain situated between the Ionian and Tyrrhenian seas. On a clear day, from the top of the summit, visitors can see the top of Mount Etna in Sicily and the silhouettes of the Aeolian Islands.

Besides the dramatic scenery and arresting views from towering overlooks, you can expect to find wolves, arboreal martens, short-toed eagles, and honey buzzards the more you explore Italy’s photographic national park.

How to Get There: Aspromonte National Park covers the southernmost tip of the Italian mainland, making it a dream wildlife destination to combine with southern Italy itineraries and tours .

Highlights: Game viewing • Hiking • Downhill skiing • Mountain climbing • Birding • Village tours

Cinque Terre National Park, Italy

Cinque Terre National Park is one of the smallest national parks in Italy, covering about 17.5 square miles along the coastline of the western region of Liguria. Circling one of the country’s most impressive coastlines and encompassing several of Italy’s best beaches , Cinque Terre is a stunning spot for beach vacations in Italy.

While one of the smallest national parks in Italy, Cinque Terre is also the country's most densely populated national park, with locals adapting to the harsh surroundings for over a millennium along the sloping hills, lemon groves, and craggy bays.

The waters of the Ligurian coastline brush up against bays, coves, and protected marinas, and trails wind around rocky coastal cliffs to isolated lookouts decorated with vineyards and olive groves. You can watch for dormouse and weasels or see ravens and greenfinch as you wander from the wilderness trails down to the coastline.

How to Get There: Cinque Terre is one of Italy's most popular coastal destinations. It is less than three hours from Florence and you can visit the cinematic shores on immersive Cinque Terre tours and vacations .

Highlights: Cultural tours • Walking trails • Swimming • Hiking • Wine tasting • Yachting

Lago di Barrea in Abruzzo National Park, Italy

Abruzzo National Park was established in 1923 to protect nature and save the endangered wild animals along the more than 123,552 acres spanning the regions of Abruzzo, Lazio, and Molise area.

Twenty-five towns are located inside its borders, characterized by mountain chains, karsts, winding rivers, and abundant streams that provide visitors with a close connection to nature. Heritage tours can reveal the timeless traditions of the modest Italian communities residing alongside the wildlife in Abruzzo.

The park is world-famous for its nature conservation efforts and environmental safeguards, developing a harmonious agreement with the municipalities to preserve the natural ecosystems. As such, you can spot Appennine wolves, Eurasian otters, European polecats, white-winged snow finches, Eurasian buzzards, and more fascinating endemic species.

How to Get There: Less than two hours from both popular destinations, the easiest way to visit Abruzzo National Park is on Italy tours starting from Rome or on day trips from Naples.

Highlights: Hiking • Bird viewing • Animal watching • Heritage tours • Snowboarding • Culinary tours

Alpine ibex in Gran Paradiso National Park, Italy

Italy’s pristine wilderness is a stage for travel enthusiasts, hikers, birders, skiers, and those who enjoy the sensational landscapes, flourishing flora, and fascinating fauna set within these seven Italian national parks.

You can explore these wilderness wonders during one of our tailor-made Italy vacations and tours or learn more about planning the perfect national park adventure with our Italy travel guide .

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Ciao Bella Italia!

Whether it’s old-world traditions and wonderful culture, cuisine, history, fashion or natural beauty, Italy is special to many people for different reasons. Few other countries boast so many legendary cities. There are also many charming hill towns and coastal villages that showcase Italy’s amazing natural beauty. From the big cities to the small towns, there is always something exciting to see in Italy. With so many reasons to visit, the rest is up to you!

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Cinque Terre:

Cinque Terre is a UNESCO World Heritage site, which means that it is a valuable and protected place on earth. Feel like you have stepped back in time when you visit this collection of colorful medieval villages sitting high on the edge of the sea.

Visit a place that was frozen in time in the summer of A.D. 79. Soak in 2,000 years of history at the excavated ruins of Pompeii as a local expert provides you with a detailed view of this incredibly preserved archaeological site.

The Colosseum is the largest amphitheater ever built and perhaps one of the most recognizable places on the planet. It sits right in the center of Rome and was constructed by emperors of the Flavian dynasty. Imagine being there in its day!

Go off the beaten path to see the Castello Sestiere area with a local guide and get to know authentic Venice. You’ll be able to walk canal by canal through streets lined with historic buildings and old churches. See how the locals live every day with each step you take in this unique city.

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Get a Taste of Sicilian Street Food:

Each region of Italy has its own dishes of renown, and Sicily has a rich street food culture. Chickpea fritters (panelle), fried potato croquettes (crocchè) fried risotto balls (arancine/arancini), and cannoli are just some of the items you may find while sampling the local fare.

Tour Lucca:

The fascinating medieval city of Lucca is surrounded by 16th-century Renaissance walls. Choose to see it by bike or on foot, but either way will bring you to see the Cathedral of San Martino, the Piazza Napoleone and the Piazza dell’Anfiteatro, all sites you simply should not miss.

Visit Capri:

On a beautiful day, take a boat trip from the stunning Amalfi Coast to the lovely Mediterranean island of Capri. There, a local expert will bring you on a tour of a dreamy place that can only be described as paradise on earth.

Drink wine:

Just about anywhere you go in Italy, you’re going to encounter fantastic wine. Whether you’re in Tuscany, Stresa, Piedmont, Umbria or any other region of this beautiful country, taste the wine. Buy a few bottles and bring it home to enjoy with friends and family.

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Some of what you think of as traditional Italian foods are actually American interpretations and not widely available there. Some examples are heavy cream sauces such as alfredo, spaghetti and meatballs, and chicken parmigiana (however, you may find these items in more tourist-oriented restaurants).

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Ultimate Italy: 14 ways to see the country in a new light, from road trips to street art

Famed for its crowd-pleasing cuisine, cypress-cloaked landscapes and elegant palazzos, Italy offers enough for a lifetime of new discoveries. From a coastal road trip through Calabria to dining in the shadow of Mount Etna, here are 14 experiences that cast the country in a different light.

1. Tuscan landscapes

There’s a very important question to be answered when you visit Pienza: is this the most beautiful town in Italy? I’m going to say yes. Staring at the view from the town walls is like looking at a painting. Unspooling below are hills in 50 shades of green, cut through by slashes of grey — unpaved roads chiselled from the clay beneath. Cypress avenues stripe the landscape, terracotta Renaissance towns cling to every peak. And the backdrop to it all? Monte Amiata, a dormant volcano gently wrapping around the landscape, as if she’s gathering the valley in an embrace.  

From Pienza, I drive towards Amiata, looping round the east side of the mountain. San Quirico d’Orcia is the first stop. Here, I stand in the shadows of ancient churches and walk through a ghostly Renaissance garden bound by tumble-down walls. Next, it’s a climb towards the wine town of Montalcino then on to another winding road, Amiata’s peak beckoning in the distance. Standing at the foot of a hill, centuries-old olive trees standing guard around it, is the Abbazia di Sant’Antimo, an abandoned medieval abbey.

From there, curling around more hills, through villages untouched by tourism, I reach Castiglione d’Orcia, a town balancing on a high crag over the Val d’Orcia. Pienza is visible in the distance across the valley, that famous landscape unravelling between us.

( A road trip through Val d’Orcia in search of undiscovered Tuscany. )

2. Italy's ultimate road trip

For Amalfi-style views without the crowds and chaos, you need to head to Calabria (the toe of Italy’s boot) and the Costa Viola, or ‘Violet Coast’. The name is a nod to its showstopper sunsets, which flush everything from the sky and the sea to the white-stone houses most nights. The drive itself is every bit as much of a jaw-dropper.

Start from Tropea, a pretty cliffside town on the Capo Vaticano peninsula, best known for its purply-red onions that taste as sweet as the views look. The peninsula is the knobbly bit on Italy’s toe. It bulges into the Tyrrhenian Sea and has knockout coves with sandy beaches the whole way around it. Be sure to save time for an impromptu swim as you head south. Look offshore and you’ll see Stromboli, the volcano-island, puffing gently into the sky.

Round the peninsula and you’ll hit the main route south — take the coastal roads, not the highway, to pass through small towns and weave up and down the cliffside. Stop at Scilla, where a clifftop castle squares off against Sicily, the island looming dark across the Strait of Messina.

Sicily looms larger as you close in towards Reggio Calabria , the southernmost city on the Italian peninsula. Park up for a walk along the seafront promenade, one of Italy’s loveliest, where Sicily seems almost within touching distance and the distinctive cone of Mount Etna broods across the water.  

3. A tour of grand Genoa

Move over Rome and Milan; in the 16th century, Genoa was one of the richest cities on the planet, thanks to its port. The city was effectively run by a class of oligarchs, who had more money than they knew what to do with. They poured it into building houses, creating a whole new town above the original centre. Today, what’s still called the Strada Nuova (‘new street’) remains: a pedestrianised main drag, chiselled from the steep cliffside above the medieval old town.

This is the world of the super-rich, where the 1% of the 16th-century populace built mansions, each grander than the last, 42 of which are now UNESCO World Heritage sites. Some are still houses, though most keep their hulking doors open, allowing you to walk into the covered, frescoed courtyards where carriages once pulled up. Some are banks; one, Via Garibaldi 12 , is a showstopper design shop. And three of them — Palazzos Rosso, Bianco and Tursi — operate as a scattered city museum . Don’t miss the mezzanine of Palazzo Rosso, the gilded love nest of a particularly libidinous 17th-century owner, which reopened to the public in 2022.    

4. Parma through its food

In Emilia Romagna, food is history — and few places teach it like Parma. While food tours are increasingly popular, they normally take place outside the city, visiting the producers of cheese, ham and culatello, or ‘little bum’ — cured ham using the rear haunch of the pig, aged in ancient cellars on the banks of the Po.

And while the food on those tours are delicious, you don’t get a feel for the history that created these products in the first place. So I’ve come to Parma itself for a different kind of food tour — one that gives me a taste of the city.  

( Exploring Emilia-Romagna's gourmet heritage on a city food tour of Parma. )

5. Mountain culture Q & A

What is a rifugio ? A ‘refuge’ or mountain hut, high up in the Alps or Dolomites. Situated along hiking trails, they’re inns or hostels with overnight accommodation, which varies from simple to designer-luxe. They’re reached either on foot or, sometimes, by ski lift or gondola

How about a malga ? Malga is an alpine meadow, where cattle and other animals graze during the summer, before going to lower ground for the winter. In the past, the herd was overseen by a malgaro (shepherd), with the milk processed into butter and cheese in the casera . Today, many malga are open to visitors, with little farm shops and restaurants selling their products.

Where should I start? Rifugio Gardenacia , in Alta Badia, is a simple but comfortable rifugio ­— rest your weary legs on arrival in the sauna overlooking the mountains. For a first malga trip, El Brite de Larieto in Cortina is ideal; it’s in the hills outside Cortina and is accessible by car as well as on foot. The homestead of the Gaspari family, who run the Michelin-starred SanBrite restaurant closer to town, it offers an exceptional farm-to-table experience, with cheese and meats from its own farm, veg from nearby farms, and homemade pasta.  

6. Roman Aosta

After Rome, what’s the city with the most Roman ruins still visible? You may be surprised by the answer: Aosta, capital of the Valle d’Aosta autonomous region. Wedged between mountains nearly 600 metres above sea level, the ‘Rome of the Alps’ has a wealth of ancient remains, starting with the Porta Praetoria, the old city entrance.

The Teatro Romano, or theatre, is another knockout: its semicircle block of seating, which would have held up to 4,000 spectators, is dwarfed by the four-storey facade behind it, its arched windows framing mountain peaks beyond. There are glorious crumbling sections of city walls and medieval towers, upcycled from the 20 Roman ones that wreathed the city entrances.

Near the monumental Arch of Augustus is the cobbled Ponte di Pietra, or ‘bridge of stone’. Today it stands humped over grass in a small park, after the Buthier river changed course during the Middle Ages.

And Aosta doesn’t lay out all its treasures at first glance. Below the cathedral is the Criptoportico Forense, a mysterious tunnel held up by immense travertine arches, which once connected the holy temple area to the forum.  

7. Alternative Venice

Can you really know Venice if you don’t know her lagoon? That’s the question posed by enterprising fishermen on Burano, the island known for its candy-coloured houses, 40 minutes north of the city centre.

Burano’s fishing history dates back to Roman times, and it was one of the first settlements in the lagoon in the early Middle Ages. For centuries, the Buranelli (as the islanders are called) have been sailing out to net fish and clip herbs from the mudflats, ready to pop into the evening’s risotto.

Several fishermen on the island now take visitors out to explore the lagoon. One is Andrea Rossi, who welcomes you on to his little fishing boat and inducts you into his world.

And what a world — as far from the frothy architecture of Venice as you can get. The north lagoon is a landscape of still waters and long-abandoned islands, where herbs grow beside ruined buildings, and pink flamingos stalk through the shallow waters.

He’ll point out the curved-beaked ibises swooping overhead, the hawks darting towards their prey, and the thousands of wooden stakes lined up along the mudflats — used in centuries-old fishing techniques. This area is where Venice began — and it gives you a new appreciation for the magical city.  

8. Undiscovered art country

Overdosed on Renaissance art around Tuscany? It’s time to head east, to the Valtiberina, or Tiber Valley — a border country between Tuscany and Umbria that rolls out below the Apennine mountains. Here, the mighty Tiber river is a mountain stream just setting out: a less showy cradle of art.

Sansepolcro, on the border, is the home of Renaissance star Piero della Francesca, whose precise works are imbued with a Da Vinci-like intrigue. His Resurrection fresco, in situ in the old governors’ meeting hall (now the Museo Civico ), was dubbed the world’s greatest artwork by Aldous Huxley. Fifteen minutes south in Monterchi is his Madonna del Parto — a Madonna, whose earthy humanity is perhaps related to the fact Piero’s own mother lived in the village.

Valtiberina doesn’t just have one superstar. Citerna , is home to a brightly painted terracotta Madonna and Child by Donatello — a ‘lost’ work, it was only identified in 2004. Further north, in the mountain foothills, is Caprese Michelangelo , where one Michelangelo Buonarotti was born. His simple birthplace is still the centre of the hamlet — it’s paired with a cast gallery of his most famous works.      

9. Spotlight on Brescia

Unusually, Italy has two capitals of culture in 2023: Bergamo and Brescia, sharing the spotlight after their devastating 2020, when the pair were Italy’s early pandemic hotspots.

Bergamo is better known — its beautiful Città Alta, or upper town, cantilevered above the Po Valley, has been a tourist fixture for the past couple of decades. That makes lesser-known Brescia your priority for this year — and this astonishing city may just surprise you. It has incredible Roman remains, one of northern Italy’s best museums, and a boundary-pushing food and drink scene. Plus it’s a mere 36 minutes by train from Milan. A new 50-mile cycle route via Lake Iseo connects it with Bergamo, too, should you wish to combine the two.

The Capital of Culture events programme is heavily focused towards Italians, but you might want to skip the official events and just see the city. Start at the beginning. Brescia was founded by the Celts, who settled at the foot of the Cidneo Hill. They later allied themselves with the Romans — before becoming Roman themselves. And it’s the Roman city, built by the Emperor Vespasian, that should be first on your list. Today a huge, inclined square sits over the old Forum, topped by the Capitolium — a vast, three-chapel temple, framed by gargantuan columns.  

( Ancient monuments and new art: inside Brescia, Italy's latest capital of culture. )

10. Honouring mamma Etna

All around the volcano, Mamma Etna’s charges are using her fertile land to produce things to make a mother proud. Santo Musumeci’s gelato has won countless awards. Foodies flock to nearby Linguaglossa, where the Pennisi family of butchers has a Michelin-starred restaurant, Shalai, in their hotel of the same name. At Dai Pennisi, a tiny trattoria inside their butcher’s shop, I tackle a salsiccia al ceppo — a giant sausage, prepared on a slice of Etnean oak and spiced with wild fennel plucked from the volcano side. It’s a product of the Slow Food organisation’s ‘Ark of Taste’ — a list of at-risk regional heritage foods. Coiled like a snail and grilled, it’s a match for any fancy meal served in Shalai.  

Tourists to Sicily used to stick to the coast, but these days, magnetic Etna pulls them towards her. At Cottanera vineyard, on the volcano’s northern flank, I get another taste of what they come for. In a jeep that hurtles up and down rocky hills, agronomist Davide Cavallaro shows me the effort that goes into producing a bottle of Etna Rosso, a fierce red dubbed Italy’s ‘sexiest wine’ by Vinitaly, a prestigious wine fair. Dust blowing back in our faces, we screech to a halt by dry-stone wall terraces, where men are clearing weeds between the vines with hand-held motorised hoes.  

That’s as mechanised as agriculture gets on Etna, whose prickly slopes are studded with intractable lava flows and boulders flung out from her core. There are no easy farming hacks here. A typical Italian vine yields six to seven kilos of grapes per year; on Etna, they’re lucky if they manage two. So why do they still do it? “It’s intrinsic to our culture,” says Davide with a shrug. “She’s mamma. She’s inseparable from us, and she’s alive.”

( A culinary journey through Sicily's food and wine, in the shadow of Mount Etna. )

11. The bears of Abruzzo

Italy’s oldest national park is home to one of the world’s most endangered species: the Marsican brown bear, also known as the Apennine brown. Thanks to a sustained conservation effort, around 50 of them live in the Parco Nazionale d’Abruzzo, Lazio e Molise — Abruzzo’s 194sq mile national park that spills over into the two neighbouring regions.

Happily, tourism helps protect the park and the bears. Take a six-hour ‘Bearwatching in Abruzzo’ tour (£31) with Wildlife Adventures, run by local guides from the park’s Pescasseroli headquarters, and they’ll donate 5% to a bear conservation charity. At twilight, between April and September, you’ll hike for two hours into the mountains and to the observation area — where, hopefully, you might spot the reclusive locals. Even if you don’t, you’ll hear all about local conservation efforts. The five-day ‘Big Five’ itinerary (£496) looks for bears, wolves, boars, deer and the Apennine chamois.  

12. Cave towns

Even if you’ve never been, you’ve likely seen Matera, the ‘cave city’ in Basilicata, where the houses are sculpted from the cliffside. Set on the edge of a canyon and with its sassi (cave houses) barely touched since they were abandoned in the 1950s, it’s one of Italy’s most evocative places.

Matera isn’t the only one though. Some 16 miles northwest, across the border in Puglia, Gravina’s ancient cave homes are dug into the rock face. Its two sides are connected by the Ponte Acquedotto, a bridge strung across the abyss. You’ll know it by sight, if not by name — Daniel Craig flung himself off it in the opening sequence of No Time To Die .

Mottola, about 30 miles southeast of Matera, is known for its cave churches. Just outside the hilltop town are canyons, where medieval worshippers carved columns and altars out of the cliffside, then frescoed them like any other church. Nearby Massafra is known as ‘Italy’s hermitage’ thanks to the cave dwellings sculpted from its canyon sides, with the modern city sitting on top.

13. Walking the Appian Way

You don’t have to walk the whole stretch to get a feel for Rome's Appian Way — those basalt stones are tough on the feet, after all. I manage 2.5 miles in a day, making slow progress as there’s so much to see. I start at the Catacombs of St Sebastian. Rome’s famous for its subterranean tombs, sculpted from the soft rock, and here, below the church of the same name, There’s a labyrinth of low tunnels to navigate, with coffin-shaped slots and mausoleums housing earlier cremations, their facades carved to look like houses. Upstairs, near the relics of the Christian martyr Saint Sebastian, is the last work of 17th-century sculptor Gian Lorenzo Bernini — a wild-haired bust of Jesus in milk-white marble.

That’s the lure of the Appia Antica — it’s a space where time seems to melt. You’re wandering through Ancient Rome, but here’s Bernini, a burst of baroque. Southwards, past the villa of fourth-century Emperor Maxentius, is the medieval Castrum Caetani, a fortified hamlet. It’s wrapped around the mausoleum of Cecilia Metella — a Roman noblewoman from the first century BC, whose tomb stands 35ft high, clad in gleaming travertine limestone.  

( Walking the Appian Way: a stroll through time on Rome's ancient road. )

14. Urbino: the ideal city

Inside the National Gallery of the Marche is a painting called La Città Ideale (‘the ideal city’). The work of an anonymous 15th-century artist, it could be the blueprint for the archetypal Renaissance city. Appropriately, the gallery in which it sits is part of another città ideale : Urbino, one of very few well-preserved Renaissance cities remaining in Italy.

Governed in the 15th century by Federico da Montefeltro, a mercenary turned cultured ruler, Urbino was a powerhouse for art, literature and architecture. And where other Renaissance cities like Florence are today drowning in tourists, Urbino is blissfully unbothered. The modern part is hidden behind a hillside, the made-for-horses alleys of the centre are still car-free and, at first glance, the city has barely changed since the time of Federico.

Start with his Ducal Palace: part fortress, part fairytale castle. Today, it houses the National Gallery of the Marche , which displays works by the likes of Raphael and Piero della Francesca. Climb one of the twin conical towers — built to keep watch over the surrounding landscape, but also simply to look good.

Federico lured artists, writers and architects to his court, one of whom was Giovanni Santi, Raphael’s father. A short walk from the Palazzo Ducale is Casa Raffaello , where one of the greatest artists of all time was born. In the courtyard here, you can see Santi’s pigment-blending stone, while in one of the bedrooms is a fresco of a Madonna and Child, said to be the work of the teenage Raphael.

Then it’s time for lunch. Buy a crescia , a lardy flatbread stuffed like a sandwich — and eat it in Parco della Resistenza, high on the hill, with knockout views of the Renaissance streets unfurling below. Returning to town, it’s time to go further back in time. Laid out across two hills, Urbino is home to steep streets called piole — severely lacking in steps, to help those Renaissance horses. Next to the Scalinata San Giovanni — a piole with, for once, stairs — is the Oratory of St John the Baptist. One of the rare places remaining from before Federico’s time, its gothic frescoes of curiously joyful Biblical scenes were painted in the early 1400s by Lorenzo and Jacopo Salimbeni, two brothers from the city.

All that art will bring on an appetite, so finish, as the great Renaissance painters did, with dinner at Antica Osteria da la Stella , an inn since the 1400s. Try the passatelli — pasta made from breadcrumbs, eggs and Parmesan that’s smeared in butter and topped with shaved black truffle.  

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The 15 best places to visit in Italy, from Venice to the Cinque Terre

Nov 19, 2023 • 11 min read

Rome should be the centerpiece of your trip if you’re going to Italy for the first time © Kathrin Ziegler / Getty Images

Home to some of the greatest artworks, historical monuments and food on the planet, and with the kind of varied landscapes that you often have to cross continents to see, Italy elates, inspires and moves its visitors like few other countries.

From its art- and architecture-stuffed cities to its astonishing diversity of natural landscapes – dramatic coastlines, serene lakes, pristine mountains, and those famous rolling hills – picking just a handful of destinations to visit in this wonderful country is no easy task.

So how do you decide where to go? It all depends on what you’re looking for in your Italian odyssey, whether that’s history, art, beaches, hiking or even food. No matter your passion, our list of 15 must-see places in Italy should be your starting point.

Best for history

Once caput mundi (capital of the world), Rome was legendarily spawned by a wolf-suckled boy, developed into a vast empire, rooted itself as the home of the Catholic church, and is now the repository of more than two millennia of art and architecture.

Rome should definitely be the centerpiece of your trip if you’re going to Italy for the first time, but there's simply too much to see in one visit, from the Pantheon and the Colosseum to Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel and countless works by Caravaggio. So do as countless others have done before you: toss a coin into the Trevi Fountain and promise to return.

Planning tip: There’s an overwhelming amount to see here, and with limited public transport in the city center, your choice of hotel can be crucial. Map out the sights you’re most interested in before you book – if you want to be at the Vatican at opening time, for example, don't stay near the Colosseum.

Read more: Italians reveal their under-the-radar vacation spots in Italy

Best for a Renaissance fix

From Botticelli’s Venus , emerging coyly from the water in the Uffizi Gallery , to the mind-boggling dome of its cathedral, Florence is a feast for the eyes. This was, of course, the seat of the Renaissance, and there are knock-out names at every turn – Michelangelo in the Accademia, Donatello in the Bargello, Leonardo and Raphael in the Uffizi. 

Further afield in  Tuscany – Italy's most romanticized region – is an undulating landscape of sinuous cypress trees, olive groves and coveted regional treasures. Glory in the Gothic majesty of Siena and the Manhattan-esque skyline of medieval San Gimignano before exploring the vineyards of Italy's most famous wine region, Chianti , and the rolling, cypress-studded hills of the Val d’Orcia.

Planning tip: You’re best off without a car if you’re sticking to major towns and cities since Tuscany has a good rail network. But if you want to explore the countryside, you’ll definitely need a car. 

3. The Dolomites

Best for dramatic mountains

Scour the globe, and you'll find plenty of taller, bigger and more geologically volatile mountains, but few can match the romance of the pink-hued granite Dolomites .

Maybe it's their harsh, jagged summits, the vibrant skirts of spring wildflowers, or the rich cache of Ladin legends. Then again, it could just be the magnetic draw of money, style and glamor at Italy's most fabled ski resort, Cortina d'Ampezzo , or the linguistic curiosity of picture-postcard mountain village Sappada . Whatever the reason, this tiny pocket of northern Italy takes seductiveness to dizzying heights.

4. Amalfi Coast

Best for classic beauty

Italy's most celebrated coastline is a gripping strip: coastal mountains plunge into the piercing blue sea in a prime-time vertical scene of precipitous crags, sun-bleached villages and cliffs rearing up behind. Between sea and sky, mountaintop hiking trails deliver Tyrrhenian panoramas fit for a god.

While some may argue that the peninsula's most beautiful coast is Liguria's Cinque Terre or Calabria's Costa Viola, it is the Amalfi Coast that has seduced and inspired countless greats, from Tennessee Williams and DH Lawrence to Elizabeth Taylor, Virginia Woolf and Jackie Kennedy. Of course, its staggeringly romantic looks also make it one of the best places in Italy for couples.

Planning tip: Yes, driving along the Amalfi Coast is one of the world’s most famous road trips, but often it feels like everyone else on the planet has the same idea as you. Traffic can be nose-to-tail, and parking is effectively nonexistent. Instead, take the ferry between towns or travel by public transport .

Best for stepping back in time

Frozen in its death throes, the time-warped ruins of Pompeii hurtle you 2000 years into the past. Wander through chariot-grooved Roman streets, lavishly frescoed villas and bathhouses, food stores and markets, theaters, and even an ancient brothel.

Then, in the eerie stillness, your eye on ominous Mt Vesuvius, ponder Pliny the Younger's terrifying account of the town's final hours: “Darkness came on again, again ashes, thick and heavy. We got up repeatedly to shake these off; otherwise, we would have been buried and crushed by the weight.”

Planning tip: If you have time, the other major city destroyed by the eruption, Herculaneum, is also worth a visit. Much smaller than Pompeii, its buildings are better preserved, and the location – surrounded by its modern descendant, Ercolano – makes the site even more piquant. Like Pompeii, it’s easily reached on the Circumvesuviana train.

6. Emilia-Romagna

Best for foodies

In a region as overwhelmingly foodie as Emilia-Romagna , it's only natural that its capital, Bologna , is dubbed “La Grassa” (the fat one). Many belt-busting Italian classics hail from here, including mortadella, tortellini and tagliatelle al ragù. Shop in the deli-packed Quadrilatero district – home to food stalls since medieval times – then hop on the train for an afternoon in Modena for world-famous aged balsamic vinegar.

Leave room for Parma , hometown of parmigiano reggiano cheese and the incomparable prosciutto di Parma. Wherever you plunge your fork, toast with a glass or three of Emilia-Romagna's renowned Lambrusco – a world away from the sickly sweet wine that was exported in the past.

7. Lago di Como

Best for a slice of luxury

If it's good enough for the Clooneys and vacationing Obamas, it's good enough for mere mortals. Nestled in the shadow of the Rhaetian Alps, dazzling Lago di Como is Lombardy's most spectacular lake. Its lavish Liberty-style villas are home to movie moguls, fashion royalty, and literal royalty, while the lake's siren calls include gardens at Villas Melzi d'Eril , Carlotta , and Balbianello that blush pink with camellias, azaleas and rhododendrons in April and May.

The city of Como itself is a hotbed of arresting architecture, from the Gothic cathedral to Palazzo Terragni – built by the Fascists as their party headquarters, it’s a classic example of Italian 1930s Rationalism and a striking reminder of the atrocities committed by the regime.  

Planning tip: Como is like the Amalfi Coast – the roads are clogged, and parking is a huge problem. Instead of driving, use public transport; there’s an excellent ferry and bus network, as well as a train line along the eastern edge of the lake.

8. Sardinia

Best for beaches and coastline

The English language cannot accurately describe the varied blue, green and – in the deepest shadows – purple colors of Sardinia’s seas. While models, ministers and perma-tanned celebrities wine, dine and sail along the glossy Costa Smeralda , much of the island – the Med’s second largest after Sicily – remains a wild, raw playground.

Explore its rugged coastal beauty, from the tumbledown boulders of Santa Teresa di Gallura and the wind-chiseled cliff face of the Golfo di Orosei to the windswept beauty of the Costa Verde's dune-backed beaches.

But spend time inland too, and you’ll find some of Europe’s finest prehistoric remains: mysterious nuraghi (megalithic buildings), burial sites so grand they’re known as “giants’ tombs,” and the mountain villages of Barbagia, where locals still practice centuries-old traditions.

Best for sheer italianità

Pompeii, pizza and a whole lot of panache – Naples is a city like no other. Layered like lasagna, each strip of history on top of the last, this is a place where (underground) you can walk along ancient Greek and Roman roads, while at street level there are sumptuous churches, baroque palaces and Maradona – Maradona everywhere .

Outside the city, Vesuvius looms over the time capsules of Pompeii and Herculaneum, while in town, living in the shadow of a volcano gives life a sense of urgency. All that makes for a place like nowhere else .

Planning tip: Naples becomes less chaotic from the water. Taking the ferry isn’t only an option if you’re going to islands like Ischia and Procida – you can also take a boat from the city to Sorrento , Positano and the Amalfi Coast.

Best for a fairytale city

“Unique” is an overused word, but in the case of Venice , there’s no better description. This really is a dreamscape of intricately carved palazzos, gilded churches and world-class museums, all floating on water and crisscrossed by quiet canals.

Avoid the temptation to do a quick drop-in visit to see the main sights – the real Venice is in the silent canals and narrow alleyways, which cast a spell on all who move through them. Tick off the Rialto Bridge and Piazza San Marco , but then stay on to experience this most precious, and precarious, of cities.

Local tip: This is not the place to run a tight schedule. Leave time to wander the alleys , look inside the churches and artisan shops you pass, and hop on a vaporetto that’ll chug through the islands of the lagoon.

11. Parco Nazionale del Gran Paradiso

Best for hiking

If you're pining for a mind-clearing retreat, lace up your hiking boots and explore over 500km (310 miles) of marked trails and mule tracks traversing “Grand Paradise.”

Part of the Graian Alps and one of Italy's very first national parks, Gran Paradiso's pure, pristine spread encompasses 57 glaciers and alpine pastures awash with wild pansies, gentians and alpenroses, not to mention a healthy population of Alpine ibex, for whose protection the park was originally established. At 4061m (13,323ft), the eponymous Gran Paradiso is the park's only peak, accessed from tranquil Cogne.

12. Mount Etna

Best for thrill seekers

Known to the Greeks as the “column that holds up the sky,”  Mt Etna is not only Europe's largest volcano, it's one of the world's most active. The ancients believed the giant Tifone (Typhoon) lived in its crater and lit the sky with spectacular pyrotechnics; today they simply call it idda , or “her.”

At 3326m (10,912ft), she literally towers above Sicily's Ionian Coast . Tackle the climb on foot, on a guided 4WD tour, or stick to the lower slopes, where you’ll find some of Italy’s most exciting wines being grown in the uber-fertile volcanic soil. Sicily is one of the nicest places in Italy to visit, thanks to its extraordinary wealth of history and architecture, its jaw-dropping coastline and, of course, the ever-welcoming Sicilians.

13. Cinque Terre and the Liguria coast

Best for classic coastline

Liguria’s remote Cinque Terre area is coastal Italy at its most spectacular. Five seaside villages wedged between cliffs, encircled by a national park and connected by clifftop footpaths, this is a place where humanity has lived in symbiosis with nature for thousands of years. People have chiseled terraces into the steep cliffs and grown wine here since Roman times; until the 20th century, the locals got about by sea or footpath.

The villages themselves are gorgeous, but spare some time for a hike along the Sentiero Azzurro, the most popular of the paths connecting them. Cinque Terre may be the best known, but Liguria’s coastline is one showstopper coastal village after another – additional highlights include Portofino , Portovenere and Santa Margherita Ligure .  

Planning tip: This is another area where it’s not worth driving – there are ferry services, but our favorite option is the train, which runs along the coast and stops at each of the villages.

14. Valle d’Itria

Best for picture-perfect villages

They look like hobbit houses – small conical-roofed cottages, often stitched together to form a bigger home but always fairytale pretty, whatever the size. Puglia, the heel of Italy’s boot, is famous for its trulli, but you won’t find them all over the region.

Head south of Bari, in from the coast and up onto the high karst plateau, and you’ll find the Valle d’Itria , where the green fields around towns like Cisternino and Locorotondo are dotted with trulli. Alberobello is the center of it all – the centro storico of the town is nothing but streets of them. This is one of the prettiest parts of Italy – truly.

Best for a real city break

Italy’s fashion capital  often gets a bad rap – too international, too organized, not chaotic enough. Don’t believe it. Where else can you go from a Gothic-style cathedral, started in the 14th century, to masterpieces by Leonardo (his Last Supper fresco in the church of Santa Maria delle Grazie is a showstopper, but so is the Sala delle Asse in the Castello Sforzesco , which he painted as a trompe l’oeil forest bower)?

Milan's restaurants pull together the best food from the Italian peninsula, it’s home to one of Italy’s rare cocktail scenes, and its fashion houses are transforming the city’s modern art scene with venues like Fondazione Prada , an old distillery now housing works by the likes of Jeff Koons and Damien Hirst, as well as putting on top-notch temporary exhibitions.

Planning tip: Milan doesn’t really have high and low seasons like the rest of Italy does; instead, its hotel rates rocket up and down depending on whether there’s a major event in town. Avoid Design and Fashion Weeks if you're traveling on a budget .

This article was first published June 2021 and updated November 2023

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“Uffizi Gallery in Florence is a world class museum with an incredible renaissance art collection. Enjoy a guided tour with a Local Specialist to make the experience more memorable, especially when in front of Botticelli’s stunning ‘Birth of Venus’ painting”

Pino, Travel Director

See Michelangelo's frescoed ceiling in the Sistine Chapel

One of the most important structures of the Catholic faith, the Vatican City’s Sistine Chapel is a must-see on a tour of Italy. Though the chapel walls have witnessed centuries of worship, it’s the renaissance ceiling paintings of Michelangelo that will leave you in awe.

Visit the glamorous Isle of Capri

Enjoy the classic Italian summer in Italy’s picture-perfect Gulf of Naples. Famed for its crystal grottos, dramatic coastlines and endless glamour, our trips to Italy are complete with a day of freedom spent under a striped umbrella, watching sailboats pass by.

Cruise your way through Venice

The charm found in the canals of Venice is nothing short of irresistible. Admire gothic palaces and postcard bridges whilst adrift in a gondola, gaining an understanding of life in a city that floats. Exploring a city by foot will never be the same after a trip to Venice.

Journey to the well-preserved ruins of Pompeii

An unfathomable history lesson is found in the archaeological ruins of Pompeii. Buried and preserved by the ash of a volcano eruption in the year 79, in this Italian town you will discover the progressive life of early Roman times as you walk within the parameters of an open-air time capsule of life on Earth.

Go shopping in Italy's fashion capital Milan

Armani, Gucci, Prada and Versace. These are some of the prestigious fashion brands that call the Italian city of Milan home. In between yearning through boutiques and department stores, stop to sample the city’s delicacies like breaded veal cutlet and ossobuco.

Our top 5 things to do in Italy

It's the moments of quiet stillness that take your breath away on a Trafalgar tour through Italy. Sitting in the calm halls of the Vatican. Floating on the canals of Venice. Standing beside the ruins of Pompeii.

Uffizi Gallery

The Tuscan capital is home to Uffizi Gallery, where the brushworks of art’s true masters are found. Names like Raffaello, Leonardo, and Michelangelo dress Uffizi’s grand pink walls, whilst internal courtyards leading to the Arno River will show you the building’s architectural brilliance.

Vatican Museums

A collection of Christian artwork that spans centuries and stirs the soul is found in Rome’s Vatican Museums. From the intricate ceiling by Michelangelo in the Sistine Chapel to the detailed Pope portraits from the 16th century to today, you will be lost for words once inside this blessed museum complex.

Doge's Palace

Home to the leader of Venice from its opening in 1340, Doge’s Palace summarizes the sparkle of this city. An opulent example of Venetian Gothic architecture and home to numerous historical works, this museum is a must when you visit Venice.

Best museums in Italy

The epicenter of the Catholic faith and the birthplace of art’s most renowned masters. Our guided tours of Italy will take you to the many museums found here, whether in the Sistine Chapel, by the canals of Venice or in the grand galleries of Tuscany.

The authentic carbonara experience will take place in Rome, covered in salty Pecorino Romano cheese. A simple dish inspiring heart-warming meal times, this pasta will connect you with Italy’s rich culinary customs - an impressive evolution from its supposed heritage as a coal-miner’s meal.

Pollo alla Cacciatora

Literally translating to ‘hunter’ in Italian, cacciatore offers an appreciation for Italy’s meals of days gone by. Typically a preparation of rabbit or chicken, it’s the simmering tomato stew that makes this dish so mouthwatering. Satisfy a genuine hunger and consume with hand-ripped bread.

Italy tours are best served with an oversized slice of tiramisu. Cementing this country's obsession with espresso, this cake of layered biscuits soaked in coffee is the perfect after hours pick-me-up before an evening stroll through the charming streets.

Best food in Italy

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What to pack for Italy

A classic linen outfit

The Italians are famous for their equal parts glamorous and effortless dress sense. Look the part with a few ensembles featuring classic linens in navy and white.

A blank journal

With the wealth of inspiration tucked into every corner of Italy, you might find yourself compelled to write down notes or memories. At the very least to remember the traditional Italian recipes you learn.

With such a large expanse of space to explore, on some days, long journeys are unavoidable. The scenery will provide plenty of visual entertainment, while headphones can be used to listen to some local music or enjoy podcasts about Italian history, culture and politics when you're not enjoying the storytelling from your Travel Director.

A small blanket

When exploring the soul-stirring setting of Tuscany, a picnic may call. Come prepared with a small blanket to cover in wine and cheese.

Under the Tuscan Sun by Frances Mayes

A classic memoir that brought the romance of Tuscany to the world, there’s no better time to read this book than when venturing through the country yourself.

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Consider your environmental impact when you next take a trip and go single-use-plastic-free by packing a reusable water bottle, a steel straw, your own shopping bags and reusable toiletry bottles.

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How One Family Lost $900,000 in a Timeshare Scam

A mexican drug cartel is targeting seniors and their timeshares..

This transcript was created using speech recognition software. While it has been reviewed by human transcribers, it may contain errors. Please review the episode audio before quoting from this transcript and email [email protected] with any questions.

Hello, James.

Hey. How’s it going?

Yeah. I’m not having much luck. So the problem is funding. And all of my money is in Mexico, all of it.

From “The New York Times,” I’m Katrin Bennhold. This is “The Daily.” A massive scam targeting elderly Americans who own timeshare properties has resulted in hundreds of millions of dollars sent to Mexico.

Once you move forward and make your payment, if anything were to happen, he will directly pay you the full amount of what you’re entitled to, including the gains. He will pay you the full amount.

You’ve got all my money. It’s been sent. I sold a freaking house.

Listen to this. I sold a house that I grew up in so that I could come up with funds to send to Mexico.

I don’t even have anything from the sale, nothing.

My colleague Maria Abi-Habib on one victim who lost everything and the people on the other side of the phone.

That’s it. That’s it. There’s nothing —

You know what? That’s what has been said every freaking time. Every time, just pay this. That releases the funds.

But that’s why we won’t allow it to happen again. This is the last time, James.

It’s Friday, April 12.

Maria, you’ve been looking into this scam that’s targeting Americans. Where did your investigation start?

So several weeks ago, I received a phone call from a lawyer based in St. Petersburg, Florida, who had been contacted by a family who was very concerned that the father, this man named James, was in the middle of being scammed. He’d sent hundreds of thousands dollars to Mexico. And he was considering sending another $157,000 when his daughter decided to call up this law firm and try to get her father to stop, stop sending money to Mexico.

So I called him a few weeks ago as I was trying to understand what was going on.

Hi, James. How are you?

Good. Thank you.

He’s asked that his last name be withheld for privacy concerns because he’s quite embarrassed about the story that I’m about to tell you.

You’re retired now, but what were you doing for work? And if your wife was working, what was her job?

I was with the Highway Patrol.

James is a retired state trooper from California. And his wife Nikki is a former school nurse.

She was born in ‘51. So 71-ish.

Two. She’s just reminded me, 72.

And they’re both in their early 70s. And they own this timeshare that is in Lake Tahoe, California. And they bought it in the 1990s for about $8,000.

And for someone who did not grow up vacationing in a timeshare, remind me how exactly timeshares work.

Timeshares are essentially vacation properties. And they tend to be beach resorts. And multiple people can buy into this property. The ownership is a shared ownership. And this gives you the right to use the timeshare for one to two weeks out of every year.

And so James and Nikki used their timeshare every other year with their daughters. But as they hit retirement age and their daughters are growing up and starting their own families, they’re just not really using it that much anymore. And timeshares require the owners to pay off yearly maintenance fees. And so they’re starting to think about maybe letting go of their timeshare and selling it.

Then one day, in late 2022, James gets a phone call from a company that is purporting to be based out of Atlanta, Georgia called Worry Free Vacations.

Worry Free Vacations?

That sounds enticing.

Yeah. And they start off with a simple question, which is, do you want to buy a timeshare? And James says, I already have a timeshare. And then they say, great. Well, what about selling the timeshare? Do you want to sell? There’s this Mexican businessman, and he’s interested in your timeshare. And he’s willing to buy it for about $20,000.

So we figured, well, what the heck? If we can make a few bucks on it, we’ll go for it.

And James jumps at the opportunity.

And did he do anything to try and verify that this was real?

Yeah. So remember, James is former law enforcement. And he feels very confident in his abilities to sniff out untrustworthy people. So he goes online, and he googles this Mexican businessman and sees that, yeah, he is a real person.

He’s a very well-respected individual in Mexico, very well off. And —

And this makes James feel at ease, that he’s selling to a legitimate person, that Worry Free Vacations are who they claim to be and that he’s going to double his money overnight, essentially.

And what happens next?

Well, a couple of weeks after he makes the agreement with the buyer, he’s told that he needs to send a couple thousand dollars to facilitate the purchase.

What does that mean, facilitate?

[MUSIC PLAYING]

I can’t remember specifically whether it was supposed to be cross-border registration —

So he’s being told that there are these fees that are paid directly to the Mexican government.

Or SPID or some other fee that was Mexican government required or not.

A lot of these fees are the same types of fees that you would pay in the United States for a real estate transaction. So he begins wiring money to an account in Mexico.

After that —

— a few days later, we get a notification. Well, everything went well, except that we have to pay an additional fee.

Every time that he sends one fee, he’s being told that he’s got to send another fee right afterwards.

Does he get suspicious at any point?

His wife is suspicious. After the first couple of payments, she starts saying, this does not feel right.

But James is the former law enforcement officer, right? And he’s the one that basically handles the family finances. And he’s confident that all of this is going to work out because he’s being told that the buyer of the timeshare will reimburse James for all of these fees once the sale goes through.

Michael from the Worry Free Vacations was constantly reassuring me the money’s in that account. Check with the commercial escrow account. It’s there. It’s just these fees have to be paid, and you’re being reimbursed for all of this.

They’re sending James documents that show all of the reimbursements that he’s owed and how much money he’s going to get. And this just makes him feel like all of this is kosher.

We have this commercial escrow company that was involved out of New York. So there was an air of legitimacy that I was comfortable with.

Maybe OK, these guys just need one more fee and everything is going to finally be cleared.

But about a year in, James starts to get suspicious. He begins asking questions because he wants his money.

And every time I asked, hey, is there a way I can get a partial release of these funds, there was always no, these funds have to be paid from your account before they’re released.

But Worry Free Vacations, they pivot. And they tell him that, listen, there are all these complications. It’s going to be really hard to get your money out from this transaction.

I could pay about $30,000 and change to reinvest the $313,000 into an environmentally-conscious development in Loreto, Mexico.

Instead, we’ve got this other investment opportunity in Mexico.

And I’m sure you know where that is, over on the East Coast of Baja.

And that is going to make you a huge return, even more money than you had thought that you were going to make, much more than the $20,000.

I’m supposed to have 54 million pesos in a Mexican bank account.

So this is now no longer just about his timeshare. They are now partners in a real estate investment.

Right. And there’s this whole new round of fees and fines associated with that.

So how many payments would you say?

Quite a few. Couple dozen at least, maybe more.

When was your last payment?

It would have been 17 January.

Uh-huh. And what was that for?

Good question.

And all along, he believed it was necessary to pay these costs just to get the money that he’s owed.

The amount of money that I’ve sent to Mexico is just freaking exorbitant. And I mean, it is approaching $900,000 or more.

And at this point, he’s sent about $900,000 to Mexico over about a year and a half.

Nearly $1 million.

That was almost all the money that he and his wife had saved for their retirement.

It also included money from the sale of James’s childhood home and money that he had borrowed from his daughter and son-in-law, about $150,000 from them.

It’s awful. So they were completely cleaned out by these guys.

Yeah. And this is when his daughter asks a law firm to look into this, which is the point in the story when I meet James. And when we start talking, it was clear to me that he just did not know what to think, even after losing this much money.

So this started in 2022. When did it end?

We’re still in it.

And he’s still talking to the scammers.

And as a matter of fact, presently, there was a request for $157,000 and change to clear up this whole thing. It would clear the entire issue out. Now —

And James is even considering putting a second mortgage on his house to send that money that he’d been promised would finally clear all this up — one final payment of $157,000.

It really sounds like he’s still wanted to believe that this was somehow legit.

Yeah. It was pretty clear to me that he was being scammed. But I didn’t definitively know what was going on, so I asked him if he could start recording his phone calls with the scammers.

Would you be so kind as to do me a favor?

Would you be willing to give them a call and record them?

[LAUGHS]: I’ll let you in on a little secret. I’ve been recording them.

And it turns out he already had been.

Worry Free Vacations.

So he shared the recordings of these calls that he’d had with these scammers over the last year or so. And it was just remarkable. It gave me huge insight into how the scam worked and the way that it sounded over the phone.

Is this is Michael in? I think he’s trying to call me. I couldn’t get through pick up.

Yes, I believe he did try to call you, sir. Give me a second. I think he’s only going to be in for a couple of minutes. One second.

There are two main takeaways for me listening to these calls.

Good afternoon. Michael McCarthy.

Michael, I missed your call. I was trying to pick up.

Yeah, don’t worry. Yeah, I figured something was wrong with your phone. Everything OK?

The first is that these scammers had really gotten to know James so well, and they really made James believe that Worry Free was a company that was working for him.

That’s why we need to hurry up and get this money over to you. Because hey, I’m losing my mind too. I’m not even here to convince you, James. I’m not — I’m your broker, and —

One of the things they continuously say is, trust me.

Look, I’m doing everything I can in my power and will on my end. So James, just look — like I told you from the get-go, I’m going to resolve this. And we are doing it. I just need you to focus on the goal.

They would refocus the conversation on what James needed to do to get his money back.

Look, if you make your payment as a security deposit, right away they will release the funds to you. With these —

And the other thing —

I’ve been having so much trouble trying to reach you, and I have not been successful.

— is that the scammers had created this elaborate cast of characters.

Why don’t you answer my calls?

And some of them were really aggressive. James shared a recording of this one man who claimed to be an agent for the Mexican government. And he basically started yelling at James.

I don’t care if your wife is at the hospital. To be honest with you, I don’t give a damn! But you know where I do give a damn? It’s your money, and my name is written all over it! Do you understand?

And he even threatened James. If James didn’t pay off these fines, then he would lose all the money that he’d sent to Mexico already.

You could get the best lawyer you want. You could get whoever you want. And this is not a threat. This is facts. But anyways, who am I to convince you, right?

Well, thank you for the information. And — are you still there? Hello?

Wow. So these scammers were basically doing a good cop, bad cop routine to stop James from walking away and to squeeze every last penny out of him.

If you provide me your email, contact information, I will certainly be happy to forward all of the wire transfer information from my bank account to you so that you can see where those funds went.

Yeah, that would be great. I have your email.

James asks me, a reporter who’s based in Mexico, who speaks the language, if I could help him figure out where his money had gone to.

Thank you very much. I really appreciate your assistance.

I’m just doing my job. Thanks again, and we’ll talk soon.

And the only way that I could figure that out was to understand who was on the other side of the phone.

We’ll be right back.

So Maria, who was on the other side of that phone line?

So by the time that I’d met James, I’d already gotten a tip from US law enforcement agencies that they were seeing a new trend. Mexican drug cartels were getting involved in the timeshare scam industry.

Drug cartels?

Yeah. And not just any drug cartel. This is one of the most notorious, violent, bloody drug cartels that exists in Mexico and Latin America, the Jalisco New Generation cartel. And when I looked at James’s bank records, guess what? All the money that he was sending was going to various bank accounts that were all located in Jalisco state in Mexico.

Wow. So why would the drug cartels get into the timeshare scamming business?

It is a huge business. The FBI told me that it’s about $300 million in profits over the last five years.

But the thing is is that the potential for it to actually be multitudes more is huge. Because the FBI estimates that most of the scams are actually not even reported. In fact, only about 20 percent are. So that means the total timeshare scam business could actually be much larger than the $300 million that they have knowledge of over the last five years.

But wait. I thought the drug business was a pretty lucrative business in itself. So why get into the scamming of elderly people for their properties in Lake Tahoe?

Well, you have to remember that these drug cartels, they’re not just doing one thing. They’re doing multiple things. They’re essentially conglomerates. Because it’s really expensive to run a cartel. You need to pay off officials, both Mexican and American. You need to maintain basically an army in order to secure your routes up to the United States, ports of entry into Mexico from Colombia. And any big business, you need to diversify your income to make sure that you keep the money flowing. Because you never know when one business is going to be shut down by authorities or taken over by your rivals.

We’ve reported that they’re now in the avocado business and the construction business. And timeshare fraud is basically no different than any of those. So we’re seeing that the cartels have their fingers in many pies, the legitimate and the illegitimate economy here in Mexico.

It’s kind of fascinating to think of these drug cartels as like sprawling diversified business empires. But when did the cartels first get into the scamming business?

So Jalisco New Generation started about 15 years ago.

And when they started to consolidate their empire in Jalisco state, they found that there were all these scam timeshare call centers all over the state that were being run by various players, and that this was a huge, huge moneymaker. Because essentially, all you have to do is call up retired senior citizens in the US and Canada. It doesn’t take that much money to run that kind of a scheme. There’s no product you’re making.

So essentially, they conducted a hostile takeover of these call centers. They went in. They kicked down doors and dragged out the people who were managing these call centers by their hair and threatened to kill them unless they gave up the call centers or started handing over a cut of what they made. And slowly, slowly Jalisco New Generation cartel took over the entire timeshare fraud industry.

Interesting. Were you able to find any of these call centers?

So these call centers are pretty hard to find. They look like any other storefront. But I was able to visit two that were located in an upscale neighborhood in Guadalajara, which is the capital of Jalisco state. And it was just really perturbing because it was just so normal. Two villas about a mile away from each other outside. Outside of one villa, parents were walking by, holding their children’s hands as they did drop off at school.

It was right next to a park where people taking their morning exercise or their dogs for a walk. There was no real sign that the cartel was doing business there. But a few months before, Mexican law enforcement had found the bodies of eight young people who had used to work at one of these call centers and said that the Jalisco cartel had killed them.

Wow. What happened?

So I wasn’t able to talk directly to any of the victims’ families. They’re just too scared. But in general, this is usually how it starts.

The cartel seeks out English speakers to work for their call centers. Sometimes they don’t even tell them what exactly they are doing. They would tell the recruits that the job was adjacent to the hotel industry.

You have to remember, Jalisco is a huge, huge tourism magnet for Americans and Canadians and others. And the cartel would get their call lists from bribing hotel employees to give them the names of people who stayed at these hotels and also at the timeshare resorts. And the people who would work at the call centers are provided the names and a manual of what you need to do when you call, like a loose script of how to try to suck as much money as you can out of these people up North in Canada and the States.

So we don’t know for sure what exactly happened with the eight young Mexicans who were killed last year. But through an intermediary, one sibling told us that when their family member knew what their job actually was, they became extremely uncomfortable and tried to leave the call center and find another job maybe.

But the Jalisco New Generation cartel is known for being extremely brutal. They chop off heads, and they’ll put them on the gates of a playground, for instance. So that everybody in the neighborhood knows what went down. And in this case, it’s possible that they wanted to send a warning that there’s no defection from their timeshare call centers.

So basically making a very scary example of these guys, in case anyone else is thinking about quitting one of the call centers.

Exactly. And one man, who runs an organization who advocates for missing people and actually organizes search parties to comb the forests of Jalisco state looking for the missing, says that he knows of about 30 people who have disappeared from the call centers in Jalisco state since 2017. So while Americans and Canadians might be losing much of their life savings, in Mexico, this is actually deadly.

Are the authorities doing anything about this?

Not really, other than the fact that these two call centers were shut down. The authorities haven’t arrested others. They’re not putting pressure on Mexican banks, for instance, to look into these payments coming from senior citizens in the US or Canada. And you have to remember that people are really afraid. But you also have to remember that in Mexico things are not that clear. There is a lot of corruption and government collusion with organized crime and cartels.

And the tourism industry, it is huge in Mexico and particularly in Jalisco state. This is a multi-billion dollar industry. They don’t want Americans or Canadians or Europeans who are coming to Jalisco for its beautiful beaches and its mountains to hear about these stories regarding the cartels being involved in the tourism industry and think, I’m not going to send my family there for that beach vacation. It’s just simply too dangerous.

So everybody has an incentive to have the scam continue, whether because they’re too afraid and don’t want to speak out or because they’re in on it.

So in a way, local authorities have an interest in sweeping it under the carpet in order to just maintain this idea of a tourist destination.

Exactly. I mean, the spokeswoman for the prosecutor’s office was very responsive to me until I told her what I wanted to ask her questions about. And then she just simply never answered any of my texts or phone calls.

So Maria, based on everything you know, all the information you have, would you say that you’re confident that the cartels were the ones who scammed James?

Yes, 100 percent. Everything I’ve seen points in that direction.

What did James say when you told him this?

So it took him quite a while to really allow himself to believe it. On the advice of his lawyers, he stopped picking up the phone calls. And about a week ago, they stopped after the scammers kept trying to call him.

But you said he was in it for over a year. Why do you think it took him so long?

Can you tell me, after all of that had been presented to you, why do you think you weren’t willing to be entirely convinced?

Well, I actually asked him that question.

That’s a very good question. Why wasn’t I able to pick up on that right away? And I think in the back of my mind, I’m finding out that I’m a little more stubborn than I thought I was.

And for him, it was pretty complicated.

And I think that I didn’t want to believe that I had fallen for this. I didn’t feel I was that foolish and stupid when it came to this. You know? I guess I didn’t want to believe that I could be fooled.

To come to terms with the fact that he had lost so much money was to come to terms with the fact that he wasn’t the person that he thought that he was, that he wasn’t this kind of clever former law enforcement officer who was used to fighting the bad guys and winning.

I’m disappointed in myself. There’s a huge level of anger towards the perpetrators. And all of those things wrapped into one. And part of that, I think, contributes to not wanting to actually believe that I was wrong.

Hmm. Yeah, I hear you. I’m sorry. I can hear the pain in your voice.

[LAUGHS]: Yeah.

Some of it’s based on shame, right? That he lost all this money, everything that he’s worked for, and the fact that this was all supposed to be money that his children and his grandchildren were going to inherit. And now it’s gone.

And have you told your daughter that you think you’ve come to terms with the fact that this might have been a scam?

Oh, she’s been involved. Yeah. They know.

My daughter does.

I’m sorry. This is a tough time.

So I’ve got to make some sort of arrangement to compensate them for this on top of our regular debt. So yeah. It’s been a swell experience, all of it brought on by my — evidently, my stubbornness to believe that I couldn’t possibly be a victim.

How’s your wife doing throughout this whole process, with this new knowledge?

She’s not real happy, obviously, at all. I hear a lot of “I told you so.” And at this point, I’ve got no defense. She’s absolutely right. There’s no question about it.

Do you worry this is going to affect your marriage?

Yes, there has been an effect.

And do you think that at this point there’s any way for James and his family to get some kind of justice or at least find some kind of closure?

Ay. Justice? Unlikely.

At this point, I’m not necessarily expecting much in the way of restitution.

And as for closure, it’s a little bit too soon to tell. In a way, James has gone through several stages of acceptance for what happened. There’s fear. There’s shame. There’s resignation. And now he’s talking to me partly because he feels like it’s a public service, that he needs to be vocal so that other people don’t go through what he’s gone through and fall for the scam. And I think it also helps him feel a little bit empowered in a situation for over the last year and a half he was at the mercy of these people who were calling him multiple times a week.

I want to try to get as much information to as many of these official organizations as possible. I have a streak of anger through me now that I’ve developed to the point where I’m not going to let this go.

Well, Maria, thank you.

Thank you for having me.

Here’s what else you need to know today. OJ Simpson, the football star who was accused and later acquitted of murdering his former wife and her friend, died of cancer at his home in Las Vegas, his family said Thursday. He was 76.

Today’s episode was produced by Astha Chaturvedi and Will Reid, with help from Clare Toeniskoetter and Lindsay Garrison. It was edited by Brendan Klinkenberg and Michael Benoist, contains original music by Marion Lozano, Rowan Niemisto, Dan Powell, Pat McCusker, and Will Reid, and was engineered by Chris Wood. Our theme music is by Jim Brunberg and Ben Landsverk of Wonderly.

[THEME MUSIC]

That’s it for “The Daily.” I’m Katrin Bennhold. See you on Monday.

• April 15, 2024   •   24:07 Iran’s Unprecedented Attack on Israel
• April 14, 2024   •   46:17 The Sunday Read: ‘What I Saw Working at The National Enquirer During Donald Trump’s Rise’
• April 12, 2024   •   34:23 How One Family Lost $900,000 in a Timeshare Scam
• April 11, 2024   •   28:39 The Staggering Success of Trump’s Trial Delay Tactics
• April 10, 2024   •   22:49 Trump’s Abortion Dilemma
• April 9, 2024   •   30:48 How Tesla Planted the Seeds for Its Own Potential Downfall
• April 8, 2024   •   30:28 The Eclipse Chaser
• April 7, 2024 The Sunday Read: ‘What Deathbed Visions Teach Us About Living’
• April 5, 2024   •   29:11 An Engineering Experiment to Cool the Earth
• April 4, 2024   •   32:37 Israel’s Deadly Airstrike on the World Central Kitchen
• April 3, 2024   •   27:42 The Accidental Tax Cutter in Chief
• April 2, 2024   •   29:32 Kids Are Missing School at an Alarming Rate

Hosted by Katrin Bennhold

Produced by Asthaa Chaturvedi and Will Reid

With Clare Toeniskoetter and Lynsea Garrison

Edited by Brendan Klinkenberg and Michael Benoist

Original music by Marion Lozano ,  Rowan Niemisto ,  Dan Powell ,  Pat McCusker and Will Reid

Engineered by Chris Wood

Listen and follow The Daily Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Music

Warning: this episode contains descriptions of violence.

A massive scam targeting older Americans who own timeshare properties has resulted in hundreds of millions of dollars sent to Mexico.

Maria Abi-Habib, an investigative correspondent for The Times, tells the story of a victim who lost everything, and of the criminal group making the scam calls — Jalisco New Generation, one of Mexico’s most violent cartels.

On today’s episode

Maria Abi-Habib , an investigative correspondent for The New York Times based in Mexico City.

Background reading

How a brutal Mexican drug cartel came to target seniors and their timeshares .

There are a lot of ways to listen to The Daily. Here’s how.

We aim to make transcripts available the next workday after an episode’s publication. You can find them at the top of the page.

The Daily is made by Rachel Quester, Lynsea Garrison, Clare Toeniskoetter, Paige Cowett, Michael Simon Johnson, Brad Fisher, Chris Wood, Jessica Cheung, Stella Tan, Alexandra Leigh Young, Lisa Chow, Eric Krupke, Marc Georges, Luke Vander Ploeg, M.J. Davis Lin, Dan Powell, Sydney Harper, Mike Benoist, Liz O. Baylen, Asthaa Chaturvedi, Rachelle Bonja, Diana Nguyen, Marion Lozano, Corey Schreppel, Rob Szypko, Elisheba Ittoop, Mooj Zadie, Patricia Willens, Rowan Niemisto, Jody Becker, Rikki Novetsky, John Ketchum, Nina Feldman, Will Reid, Carlos Prieto, Ben Calhoun, Susan Lee, Lexie Diao, Mary Wilson, Alex Stern, Dan Farrell, Sophia Lanman, Shannon Lin, Diane Wong, Devon Taylor, Alyssa Moxley, Summer Thomad, Olivia Natt, Daniel Ramirez and Brendan Klinkenberg.

Our theme music is by Jim Brunberg and Ben Landsverk of Wonderly. Special thanks to Sam Dolnick, Paula Szuchman, Lisa Tobin, Larissa Anderson, Julia Simon, Sofia Milan, Mahima Chablani, Elizabeth Davis-Moorer, Jeffrey Miranda, Renan Borelli, Maddy Masiello, Isabella Anderson and Nina Lassam.

Katrin Bennhold is the Berlin bureau chief. A former Nieman fellow at Harvard University, she previously reported from London and Paris, covering a range of topics from the rise of populism to gender. More about Katrin Bennhold

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Made in Italy tells the story. National excellences on tour

2024-04-13T07:31:25.054Z

Highlights: My Italian Product portal to purchase Italian items on the web on a single platform. Final stage of the roadshow "Tradition and Innovation Made in Italy. The protagonists tell their stories", held in Rome, as part of the made in Italy week. New edition of roadshow starting next autumn and also appointments abroad. "We are working to create a format that is exportable, in order to spread this positive narrative at a national and international level", said Roberto Santori, founder of the project. "Made in Italy' is a brand that for those interviewed means quality, attention to detail, exclusivity, innovation, but above all generation of value for the national economy, in which to participate indirectly with own purchases", said Gabriele Albani, CEO of Teleperformance Knowledge Services, who carried out research carried out on a sample of 2,000 Italians between 18 and 65 years old. It emerges that the value of the Made in Italian brand is increasingly recognized and that Italians are willing to pay 20% more to have authentic, quality products.

The history of Italian businesses as a "history of innovations". (HANDLE)

The history of Italian businesses as a "history of innovations". From the Olivetti Lettera 22 typewriter which, restored and painted with the colors of the Italian flag, continues to sell, to the two lions on the Mutti tomato packages, which served to make the product recognizable even to illiterates, at the beginning of the 20th century. first machines to transform the Gentilini Biscuits oven into a cutting-edge factory, in the same period, to the study of balloons by a street vendor who gave birth to Gemar. And, arriving today, the new My Italian Product portal to purchase Italian items on the web on a single platform.

    Stories and anecdotes follow one another on the stage of the final stage of the roadshow "Tradition and Innovation Made in Italy.

    The protagonists tell their stories", which was held in Rome, as part of the Made in Italy week. As in previous events in Rome, Milan, Bari, Salerno, Modena, Turin and Ancona, the Italy of ingenuity and excellence in the world is on display.

    "With the Made in Italy project we intend to give our contribution to the story of the excellence of Italian entrepreneurship by its protagonists, involving the institutions, at a governmental and local level, to encourage a more profitable collaboration", declared the founder of the Roberto Santori project announcing the new edition of the roadshow starting next autumn and also appointments abroad. We start from Barcelona where an event will be held in May, then Madrid and other possible destinations from South America to the United Arab Emirates.

    "We are working to create a format that is exportable, in order to spread this positive narrative at a national and international level", added Santori, determined to defeat the negativity that too often prevails when Italians talk about Italy.

    "We realized how much Made in Italy and the values ​​it represents are understood with more favor and attention abroad than here." From this "anger", four years ago, the idea of ​​collecting and telling the stories of successful businesses was born, initially with a community on social networks, to make them become "everyone's heritage, especially young people". The CEO of Teleperformance Knowledge Services, Gabriele Albani, presented research carried out on a sample of 2,000 Italians between 18 and 65 years old, representative of the population by gender and geographical area. It emerges that the value of the Made in Italy brand is increasingly recognized and that Italians are willing to pay 20% more to have authentic, quality products.

    "Our research - said Albani - confirms that 'Made in Italy' is a brand that for those interviewed means quality, attention to detail, exclusivity, innovation, but above all generation of value for the national economy, in which to participate indirectly with own purchases. The research reveals overall a sensitivity of Italians to the issue of Made in Italy, which emerges as a value to be communicated, strengthened and defended." The work was concluded by Sace's head of education, business promotion & supply chain, Mariangela Siciliano, who illustrated the work to support the growth of Italian companies that innovate.

Source: ansa

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National Geographic Day Tours Release New Land Itineraries

National Geographic Day Tours has released more than 30 new land tour itineraries that guests can enjoy throughout the world.

If you’re looking for a unique way to explore the world, National Geographic Expeditions is a fantastic way to do it. Along with full trip itineraries, National Geographic offers Day Tours, which are one-day and half-day tours that help travelers explore. And now, National Geographic has announced they have added more than 30 new land tours to their now 100-plus tour availability across fourteen countries.

National Geographic Day Tours New Itineraries

National Geographic Day Tours give travelers the chance to explore the world through authentic National Geographic experiences.  Operated by TUI, National Geographic Day Tours first launched in 2022 as shoreside excursions booked through cruise lines. Now, Day Tours can be booked directly by travelers by  clicking here .

Photo Courtesy of National Geographic

The new itineraries are all available to book beginning today. The options for the new itineraries include:

Barcelona, Spain: Homage to Miró

“Discover the artworks of Miró and their interaction with the spaces created to house them by architect Josep Lluis Sert. Miró’s work – paintings, sculptures, murals, paper and lithographs – was inspired by artists and poets he met in his journeys throughout Europe, including Pablo Picasso. Visit the Fundacio Miró before it opens to the general public and learn from architectural and art restoration specialists with in-depth knowledge to Miró’s work and Sert’s architecture. This tour was inspired by an article in National Geographic Magazine titled, “Homage to Catalonia – and Miró.”

Lisbon, Portugal: A Visit to the Oceanarium

“Gain an in-depth understanding of the ocean through this tour of the Lisbon Oceanarium, led by a marine biologist with specialist knowledge of the importance of our oceans and their biodiversity. Go behind the scenes and learn about the animals, feeding techniques, and engineering behind the aquariums, as well as the Oceanario Foundation’s collaboration projects with National Geographic to raise awareness about the protection of our oceans and the marine species that call them home.”

Naples, Italy: The History of Pasta

“Join a local historian in the green hills of Gragnano, the global epicenter of dried pasta, and visit a reconstructed water mill rarely open to the public. Visit a family-run pasta factory, hear about their family story make fresh pasta by perfecting the knead and roll technique, and enjoy lunch made with ingredients sourced from the factory’s garden. This tour was inspired by the National Geographic Magazine article, “The Twisted History of Pasta,” which points to 13th-century references to pasta dishes, including macaroni, ravioli, and more.”

New York: Hudson Yards, Where Sustainability Meets Urban Design

“Explore the engineering behind this New York neighborhood built above the railway yards in New York City and meet and talk with the design team, including the chief engineer. Visit areas not open to the general public, including a section of the roof with a private observation deck for views of the New York City skyline unique to this location.  Inspiration for this tour is from a National Geographic Magazine article, “The New New York City Skyline” in which Hudson Yards is referenced.”

Paris, France: Baguette and Eclair Initiation with a French Master Baker

“Take a hands-on lesson in traditional French baking taught by a French master baker and learn the art of making a superior dough, shaping and baking delectable treats, and learn about the importance of bread and pastries to French cultural heritage. This tour was inspired by the National Geographic Magazine article, “Explore the World Through 9 Different Breads.”

The post National Geographic Day Tours Release New Land Itineraries appeared first on WDW Magazine .

Money latest: TV star banned from flight over passport issue; 'child-free' pub triggers outrage

A new mother contacted us asking about her employment rights after maternity leave - and we've enlisted the help of a legal expert. Read this and all the latest consumer and personal finance news in the Money blog - and share your own Money Problem in the form below.

Monday 15 April 2024 18:45, UK

• Spotlight on unpaid carers: 'I'm a prisoner' - Mother spending pension looking after son, 41, with cerebral palsy
• Money Problem: My boss ruined end of maternity leave with ultimatum - what are my rights?
• TV star banned from flight over passport issue
• Financial markets take Middle East escalation in their stride

Essential reads

• How to earn thousands letting film and music stars shoot in your home
• Britons are buying homes, having babies, getting married and retiring later - but one key life event is happening earlier
• How your neighbour's garden could wipe up to £57,000 from your house price
• 'WTF is going on with the price of olive oil?'
• Cheap Eats: Great British Menu legend shares ultimate toastie recipe

Ask a question or make a comment

Asda has become the first UK supermarket to launch an online prescription service. 

The Asda Online Pharmacy allows patients to manage prescriptions digitally and have them delivered to their home

All requests will undergo thorough checks by qualified pharmacists before being approved.

From today, new patients can register for the service by visiting pharmacy.asda.com. 

Dr Martens has filed a lawsuit against online retailer Temu for allegedly infringing its trademarks, according to The Times. 

The British bootmaker has alleged that the online retailer paid Google to advertise boots sold on its site when users search keywords including "Dr Martens", it said. 

As a result, Temu's lookalike products were placed about Dr Martens' own in search results. 

The move is the latest sign of growing hostility between Western retailers and their cheaper Chinese rivals. 

Temu told Sky News it was yet to receive the complaint and will review it in due course.  

Tesla is cutting 10% of its global workforce in a bid to reduce costs and bolster productivity, it has been reported.

The electric vehicle maker, founded and run by Elon Musk, was yet to comment on a story earlier today by Electrek that it was to axe about 15,000 people.

The tech publication said the cuts were revealed in an internal memo - also seen by the Reuters news agency.

It added that managers had been tasked earlier this year with identifying key personnel.

The company, which had more than 140,000 staff at the end of last year, has been struggling with soft demand for its electric vehicles.

The average UK tenant is spending 30.6% of their salary on rent, data shows.

Many experts believe that a third of your earnings is considered the outer limit for affordability.

But in several areas of the UK, people are spending considerably more, an index created by Canopy has shown.

Tenants in Poole have been found to be struggling most with affordability, with the average renter giving more than 40% of their income to their landlord. 

Stirling has also made a surprising inclusion in the top 10 places, with a low average income meaning tenants are spending 37.8% of their wages on rent. 

Belfast was found to be the most affordable major city for renters, with people spending just over a quarter of their salary in rent (23.2%), on average. 

Here are the 10 places people spend the highest percentage of their income on rent: 

Chris Hutchinson, chief executive of Canopy, said the data showed homeowners spend an average of 18% of their income on their mortgage. 

"It is sobering to see that one in five tenants are spending the vast majority of their salary on rental payments, and it neatly encapsulates the tricky situation that many tenants with aspirations of homeownership are in," he said. 

"Where we could see positive change is towards longer tenancies for those who desire them, fostering greater security for families and communities."

Up until 1995, children were effectively banned from all public houses in England and Wales, leaving parents with no option but to arrange - and in many cases pay for - alternative childcare if they wished to visit licensed premises.

Among other consequences of this change, legal guardians of all kinds have since been able to avoid such expenses by popping out for a pub lunch, for example, with their respective minors in tow.

However, while it is now perfectly legal for pubs to allow children in, it remains within the power of licensees to forbid the attendance of people under the age of 18. 

And while relatively few establishments choose to exercise this right, one such watering hole has sparked a rather intense debate around the issue.

In a post that had been viewed more than 18 million times at the time of writing, a man is pictured next to a sign indicating children (unlike dogs) are not permitted inside an unnamed pub - beneath a message that suggests the post's author approves of the policy.

While some on X expressed support or sympathy for the stance, many others were rather less sanguine.

Among the criticisms was the impact the stance might have on single parents - while others highlighted the financial drain of babysitters that might render a trip to the pub in question impossible for some parents.

The point was made by some users that other licensed premises were available for parents facing such a predicament. Perhaps unsurprisingly though, this seemingly pragmatic observation appears to have done little to quell the anger of those most outraged by the publican behind the child-unfriendly edict. 

It's no secret that electrical devices feast on your power supply even if they're in standby mode... 

But do you know how much these "vampire devices" are costing you? 

Energy expert Stephen Hankison says households could save £131 a year just by switching appliances off at the wall. 

The biggest savings can be made from unplugging games consoles, as these can cost you £32 a year on standby.

Gaming PCs (£21), TVs (£14) and desktop computers (£18) are also big drainers. 

"It's so simple but switching your appliances off at the wall really is the best way to ensure you’re not spending your hard-earned income on keeping things in standby mode," Mr Hankison, from Electric Radiators Direct, said. 

"£130 is a big food shop, two tanks of petrol or even a nice meal out. There really are much better ways to use this money than giving it to the energy companies."

Here's how much your devices are costing you on standby mode:

EasyJet has reminded customers to check their travel documents for damage after Vicky Pattison was turned away from a flight for having a chewed-up passport. 

The former reality TV star complained about EasyJet's decision on Instagram, calling the airline the "destroyer of dreams".

The 36-year-old was reportedly trying to fly to Italy to visit a potential wedding venue. 

Posting on her Instagram story, she said she had rushed back from Newcastle to be able to get the flight, and was "beyond gutted" to be turned away by staff. 

"I've been travelling with my passport all year and no one's said anything, but it's definitely well travelled to be fair. Company policy is company policy and I get it, I'm just beyond gutted," she said. 

Reacting to how news outlets have covered the story, she added: "My passport was damaged and I just hadn't realised. 

"I am not enraged, if anything I am a tiny squishy sad ball."

An easyJet spokesman told Sky News the airline was sorry for Pattison's experience, but that it is the "passenger's responsibility to have suitable documentation for travel". 

" At easyJet, we work closely with the authorities and comply with their guidance to ensure the safety and security of all passengers and staff," he said. 

"As such, we cannot allow any passenger to travel on their planned flight with documentation damaged to such a degree that its authenticity is brought into question." 

Shoppers have been warned not to eat olives sold by Waitrose over fears they may contain pieces of glass. 

The supermarket has recalled its jars of pitted Spanish queen olives, saying they are "unsafe to eat". 

"We are recalling a selected date of the above product due to possible glass contamination," it said in an important safety warning notice. 

Shoppers have been told to no consume the olives, package up the jar and return it to their local Waitrose for a refund. 

"We apologise that it has been necessary to recall this product and for the inconvenience caused," it added. 

TV presenter Kevin McCloud has criticised the "broken and dysfunctional" property market, saying it is being monopolised by big housebuilders. 

The Grand Designs presenter and designer said Britain was falling behind other European countries such as Germany and Sweden when it comes to housing development.

"If I were the housing minister, I'd be looking at ways to break this monopoly that two or three companies have over the market," Mr McCloud said. 

He argued that quality and innovation was being stifled by a lack of competition between developers, which in turn makes the market more sensitive to downturns. 

"We have effectively a broken market, a dysfunctional market, it has been hollowed out," he added. 

"It means that when we hit difficulty, those companies nosedive and they buy each other out." 

By James Sillars , business news reporter 

You would think that an attack by Iran on Israel involving more than 300 drones and missiles would drive up oil prices.

While Saturday's strikes failed to land a damaging punch, they have stoked fears of a wider Middle East conflict.

But the financial markets have taken the escalation in their stride.

Oil traders priced in the possibility of such Iranian aggression on Friday, 24 hours beforehand.

As such, a barrel of Brent crude is actually 0.5% down at $90 a barrel.

Analysts say the outlook depends very much on how Israel responds.

Stock market sentiment has taken a slight knock.

In London, the FTSE 100 followed Asia lower. It opened 0.2% down at 7,978.

Energy stocks were the main drag.

In wider UK stocks, car distributor Inchcape climbed 1.6% after it agreed a £346m deal to sell its UK dealership operations to car retailer Group 1 Automotive UK.

The Inchcape UK division consists of 81 sites, employing 3,600 people, and works with car manufacturers including Audi, BMW, Jaguar, Toyota and Volkswagen.

Every Monday we put your financial dilemmas or consumer disputes to industry experts. You can find out how to submit yours at the bottom of this post.

This week, Sky News reader AJ2024 asks...

"While on maternity leave my employer rejected my flexible work request and told me to pick from four new shift patterns or take redundancy if they didn't suit me. All new shifts were full working hours. No support as a new mother and ruined my last few precious weeks. What are my rights?"

Katie Wood, senior legal officer at Maternity Action, answers:

All employers have a legal duty to seriously consider all requests for flexible work. This includes any request to change your days, hours or place of work. From April this year, this is a day-one right and you can make up to two requests a year. To show that they have seriously considered a request, an employer is expected to meet with you to discuss the request.

An employer can refuse a request if they have good reasons and it would genuinely be difficult to accommodate a request. There are eight legal reasons an employer can give for refusing a request but these can be quite broad.

These reasons are: 

• The burden of additional costs
• The detrimental effect on the ability to meet customer demand
• The employer is unable to reorganise the work among existing staff
• They are unable to recruit additional staff
• The detrimental effect on quality
• The detrimental effect on performance
• There is not enough work during the periods the employee wants to work
• Planned structural changes

You can ask to appeal a refusal and can also put forward other options. It can help to ask for a trial period or try to find a compromise that would work for both parties.

An employer that insists on a particular working pattern, such as full-time working hours or variable shifts, may be at risk of an indirect sex discrimination claim as it disadvantages women who have more childcare responsibilities than men. 

If an employer rejects an appeal, employees should seek legal advice. There is a time limit of three months (less one day) for starting an employment tribunal claim. Employees must contact ACAS to start early conciliation within the time limit. ACAS have more information on rights to ask for flexible work on their website.

This feature is not intended as financial advice - the aim is to give an overview of the things you should think about. Submit your dilemma or consumer dispute, leaving your name and where in the country you are, in the form above or by emailing [email protected] with the subject line "Money blog". Alternatively, WhatsApp us  here .

By Bhvishya Patel, Money team

Over four days this week, we'll be speaking to some of Britain's struggling unpaid carers, hearing at times heart-breaking accounts of their physical, emotional and financial struggles.

We start with Michelle Lewarne, 65, who has had to spend all the money she and her husband had saved for retirement on looking after their son.

"MPs should really come and live with a family like ours or work in a care home as part of their training and still try and do their job. See what it is really like for the real world." Michelle Lewarne, unpaid carer

Michelle stopped working soon after her son Peter, 41, was diagnosed with cerebral palsy at 14 months.

The mother of two, from Overton in Hampshire, says the money she receives from various benefits, including carer's allowance,  does not go far enough and financially it is a "disaster" for her and her husband Tony, 72.

The couple are having to dip into savings and live off Tony's pension pot - but there isn't much left.

In 2015, Tony was treated for an aggressive form of prostate cancer which has left him weaker and made it harder for him to help with the day-to-day care of Peter, who is in a wheelchair.

"I've been on antidepressants at times because it's not like we can just say 'I've had enough' and walk away," Michelle says.

"I've got arthritis in my neck and lower back, which is apparently due to lifting and moving Peter around over the years.

"If I go out anywhere I have just a couple of hours before I need to get back again. I've got to time it so Peter and my husband are not alone for too long.

"It does take a toll, you end up not sleeping very well.

"Financially, it's a disaster area. You save up for your old age but now you have to use it all to pay for the care."

Six weeks after the birth of the couple's second child, Marie, doctors diagnosed Peter with cerebral palsy and Michelle decided to give up her job as a nurse to care for him full-time.

"It was a bit of shell shock. My husband couldn't get his head around it - there was nothing wrong with his baby boy which is understandable. That was a difficult time," she says.

"I was doing agency nursing when the children were babies and my husband was doing shift work so we would be like passing ships in the night. It did start taking a toll so I gave up nursing because his job was paying better and it was easier for me to care for Peter being a nurse - I understood all the language."

When Peter turned 19, Michelle and Tony decided to seek help and now employ three carers through means-tested direct payments.

The benefit sees them receive payments from their local authority and gives them more flexibility with their support package, allowing them to arrange their own care services rather than have the council arrange them.

The £3,900 direct payments pay for the wages of Peter's carers.

Michelle is also entitled to carer's allowance, which is £76.75 a week, while Peter receives £407 in disability living allowance and £284 mobility allowance a month.

Financially, the maths just doesn't work.

"I get my pension in June and I can either have my pension as it is and lose my carer's allowance or have the allowance and they'll take some money from my pension," she says.

"That's very unfair because I won't be retired - not in the proper sense of the word. At the moment we're relying on savings - we haven't got a lot left of that."

Michelle says Peter's care means needing to use more electricity and heating than an average household, which has put further pressure on her finances.

"Peter also has a gluten, wheat and dairy intolerance and we can spend up to £200 a week or more on just buying him food. We also have to have a separate fridge freezer so that nobody mistakes Peter's food for ours."

Looking at what needs to be done to a social care system that is facing unprecedented strain, Michelle says the "biggest thing anybody could do in parliament is just listen to the carers and what they need".

"Carer's allowance is far less than even the minimum wage," she adds.

"MPs should really come and live with a family like ours or work in a care home as part of their training and still try and do their job. See what it is really like for the real world.

"You really do struggle at times. If someone who is not a carer is fed up with their job they can just hand in their notice and go off and find another job, but in our case we're like prisoners in our own home a lot of the time - we can't make those choices.

"Why is it that whenever there are any cutbacks it's always the social sector?"

A government spokesperson told the Money blog: "Unpaid carers play a vital role in the lives of their family and friends, which is why from April we're boosting carer's allowance, meaning carers receive an extra £1,500 a year compared to 2010.

"Those in low income households may also be eligible for additional financial support such as universal credit."

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