Travel Information Italy

Travel map of Italy by the tour operator OVERCROSS

1. Climate
2. Animals and Plants
3. National Parks and Nature Conservation
4. Medical Care
5. Population
6. Human Rights
7. Languages
8. Religions
9. Agriculture and Natural Resources
10. Roads
11. Cities
12. Public Holidays

Climate

The popular travel destination Italy belongs to the so-called warm temperate climate zone. Only occasionally do temperatures rise above 40 degrees in the summer or drop below minus 10 degrees in the winter. However, it should be noted that the climate in the various zones of Italy can differ greatly from one another.

Northern Italy is surrounded by the Alps, so the Mediterranean has little influence on the climate there. In summer it is very warm to hot and the humidity is high, in winter it is cold and in the Po Valley snow can occur. Our motorcycle and off-road vehicle tours often lead across the Alps and you can take wonderful pictures of this unique mountain landscape.

Central Italy differs from Northern Italy in that the winters are milder and temperature fluctuations in general are significantly lower than in the north. It is still mountainous here, and the routes we travel on our tours are varied and offer a lot of driving fun.

In southern Italy and on the Italian islands, a mostly warm, Mediterranean climate prevails. It rains much less frequently here, which can lead to periods of drought. Autumn and spring have summer-like temperatures and the winter feels more like a fairly dry autumn.

The Alps and the Apennines can be described as colder than the rest of the country, due to the altitude and the mountain climate. In summer, however, it is only rarely really cold here and you can wonderfully let the picturesque landscape pass by on your adventure enduro.

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Animals and Plants

In the north and in the mountains, there are mostly coniferous and deciduous forests. In the south of the country the flora is much more Mediterranean. Here olive trees, palms, oleander plants, and wild grapevines grow.

In the mountainous Alpine regions, we can observe marmots, rabbits, ermines, and rock partridges on our adventure trips over the mountains, and there are also larger mammals to see, like deer, chamois, and the ibex, but these mainly still occur in nature parks. There are also foxes and lynxes in the Alps, but they are more often observed in the more remote regions of the Apennines, that is, in central Italy. In the highest mountain part of the Apennines, the so-called Abruzzo, there are still some brown bears living there, but you will rarely encounter them; our chances are almost zero, because we are traveling by motorbike and bears do not seem to appreciate the beautiful sound of a passing enduro at all. Sardinia is home, among other things, to mouflons, fallow deer, and wild boars. In the southern sea regions, even, from time to time, white sharks are sighted.

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National Parks and Nature Conservation

Currently, there are 24 national parks in Italy, which together cover an area of 15,000 km², which corresponds to about 5% of the country. In 1922, the first national park in Italy was established, with the melodious name Gran Paradiso. The Pillino National Park, located in southern Italy, is the largest of the nature reserves and covers an area of 1,900 km².

In addition, 134 regional parks have been established, which make up another 13,000 km². Thus, a total of 9% of the country's area is under special protection.

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Medical Care

Medical care meets European standards.

The standard vaccinations according to the current vaccination schedule of the Robert Koch Institute for children and adults should, according to the Foreign Office, be checked and completed as necessary before a trip.

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Population

Over 60,000,000 people live in Italy. This puts it in fourth place within the EU among the countries with the highest population.

97% of Italy's population are native Italians. A large proportion of foreigners living in Italy come from developing countries. Refugees from North African countries, who are trying to seek safety from civil wars, keep arriving as well. Of the male immigrants, most are from Africa, while the majority of female immigrants come from Asian countries.

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Human Rights

Italy is repeatedly sharply criticized, among others by Amnesty International, for its deportation policy. Here, mass deportations of refugees to Greece take place, with even underage refugees, without adult accompaniment, not being spared.

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Languages

In addition to the official state language Italian, there are also regional official languages: German and Ladin in Trentino-South Tyrol, French in the Aosta Valley, as well as Slovenian in Friuli-Venezia Giulia.

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Religions

A large majority of Italians are Catholic, namely over 80% or 50,000,000 inhabitants. In Italy’s large cities, on our 4x4 off-road and motorcycle tours, you can admire one or another impressive cathedral. The second largest Christian faith community consists of the Orthodox, whose share has increased enormously due to the Romanian wave of immigration, totaling 1,187,130 adherents. In addition, there are about 550,000 followers of Protestant churches. Another 500,000 people living in Italy belong to other Christian denominations. There are also 1.3 million Muslims in the country, 200,000 Buddhists, approximately 100,000 Hindus, and around 50,000 Jews.

The remaining 4 million are non-religious.

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Agriculture and Natural Resources

In economic terms, agriculture now plays only a very minor role, but in Italy some important crops are still grown, such as wine and olives, for which the country is famous. Italy is the second-largest wine producer (France is in first place) and also the second-largest producer of olive oil (here Spain produces the largest quantities worldwide). Especially in Tuscany, there are extensive vineyards, for which Italy is famous and which we get to see on our enduro adventures.

Italy has no truly significant natural resources except for natural gas.

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Road

The roads in Italy are, by and large, comparable to those in Germany. Whether you want to leisurely ride a Harley across the country, ride your enduro right through the forests, or enjoy the unique views of the Alps from your off-road vehicle, there is something for everyone.

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Cities

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Public Holidays

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