Italy is one of the biggest Mediterranean holiday destinations. It boasts remnants of ancient civilisations, beautiful beaches, bustling cities, spectacular lakes and mountains, and some of the most wonderful food on the planet; and that's just for starters.

How to get there
Italy is a short flight from the UK, and has airports in all its major cities. A large number of charter and scheduled airlines fly to Italy so finding a cheap holiday should be easy, although if you can avoid the school holidays you will get the best rates.

Where to go
For romance head to beautiful Florence or Venice, while in Rome you'll discover the history of arguably the most famous empire of all time. Milan is Italy's fashion capital, while Naples is the gateway to the Amalfi Coast which offers an amazing array of holidays.

Our pick of the towns to stay in on the Almalfi Coast is Positano, a picture postcard place seemingly hanging on a steep hillside that runs down to the waterside. The town is within striking distance of the historical ruined town of Pompeii and Vesuvius the volcano that condemned it to its death.

At the other end of the country you'll find beautiful alpine scenery in the foothills of the Dolomites and the Alps and lakeside relaxation around Lake Garda and Lake Como. This part of the world is served by flights into Milan and Verona for the lakes, Turin for the Alps and also direct flights to Venice.

With so many destinations it?s easy to get a good deal on a holiday. Italy is also a great destination for a road trip and if you choose this option it is worth booking your flights, hotels and your car hire separately to give yourself a flexible holiday. Italy has so many diverse places to explore so don?t try and see it all at once, go back for more.