Country guide

Italy travel essentials

Everything practical for a trip to Italy: what plug to pack, the local money, tipping, the time difference from home and what the weather's doing.

Updated Sun 1 Nov 2026 · Built from Aorista’s tool data

Plugs and power

Italy uses Type C (two round pins); Type F (two round + clips); Type L (three round in line). Mains power is 230 V at 50 Hz. Phone, tablet and laptop chargers are usually rated 100–240 V, so they need at most a plug adapter; check the label on hair dryers, straighteners and kettles.

Travelling fromAdapter needed?Voltage note
US / CanadaYesDifferent voltage (120 V → 230 V): check each device label for “100–240V”
UK / IrelandYesSimilar voltage (230 V at home, 230 V there)
Australia / NZYesSimilar voltage (230 V at home, 230 V there)

Money: currency, cash and cards

The currency of Italy is the Euro (EUR, €). Convert from your home currency below; the rate is a daily mid-market reference rate, so a card, ATM or exchange counter will usually give you a little less.

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Daily mid-market rates, fetched in your browser (loading…). Rates By Exchange Rate API

Tipping

In Italy, tipping is typically 5–10% at restaurants (Aorista tipping data: “Expected”, part of service culture). Rates for taxis, hotels and tours are on the country page.

Time difference

Italy uses one time zone, Europe/Rome (UTC+1), and daylight saving time is observed in all zones. The table compares Rome (now 12:00, UTC+1) with common home cities, using the 2026e rules.

CityLocal timeDifferenceNext change
Auckland00:00Rome is 12 hours behindSun 28 Mar 2027: becomes 11 hours behind
Sydney22:00Rome is 10 hours behindSun 28 Mar 2027: becomes 9 hours behind
London11:00Rome is 1 hour aheadNo change in the next 12 months
New York06:00Rome is 6 hours aheadSun 14 Mar 2027: becomes 5 hours ahead
Los Angeles03:00Rome is 9 hours aheadSun 14 Mar 2027: becomes 8 hours ahead

Weather

Current conditions and 7-day forecasts (Open-Meteo) for Rome in Italy.

Packing

Packing lists you can tick off and save in your browser:

Nearby and also popular

Questions

What plug do I need for Italy?

Italy uses Type C, F, L plugs at 230 V, 50 Hz. From the US or Canada: adapter needed. From the UK or Ireland: adapter needed. From Australia or New Zealand: adapter needed.

What currency is used in Italy?

The Euro (EUR).

Do you tip in Italy?

Typically 5–10% at restaurants, according to our tipping data (expected).

What is the time difference between Italy and the UK, US, Australia and New Zealand?

Right now (Sun 1 Nov 2026), compared with Rome: Auckland 12 hours ahead, Sydney 10 hours ahead, London 1 hour behind, New York 6 hours behind, Los Angeles 9 hours behind. Differences change when either side starts or ends daylight saving time.

Does Italy have daylight saving time?

Yes. Zone Europe/Rome (IANA tz database 2026e).

Sources and last checked